Mahabalipuram / Chennai – heading home…

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FnjsAvZpXV434iT4A

Stopped on the way at Mahabalipuram, which was amazing. Lots of 7-9C temples (the Pancha Pandava Rathas) built during the Pallava dynasty that signified the dawn of the Dravidian architectural styles.

These temples were unfinished. No-one is sure why – maybe the commissioning King died, went broke, lost interest, war got in the way, a tsunami buried the town (there is evidence for that), killed by his kids for wasting their inheritance? No matter why, even unfinished they were quite spectacular. They were all monolithic temples – carved out of solid rock. This leaves no room for error in manufacture.

Maybe the King was OCD, saw too many crooked lines or imperfections and sacked or killed all the sculptors, then couldn’t get anyone to finish them? Like Trump trying to find a new lawyer every month?Also saw one of the largest bas relief rock carvings in the world, ‘The Descent of the Ganges’. Spectacular!This was quality graffiti – even better than Banksy.

Chennai (it used to be Madras) is a huge city, and clearly very prosperous. The old British buildings in the centre are very grand. The traffic is like Melbourne rush hour, without lane markings or obligations. The traffic here doesn’t flow – it mainly congeals, or coagulates.

I’m staying at a flasher place than I would normally choose – the Taj Connemara. I had a vegetarian degustation – superb, and there was even an Indian dance performance.

On a walk through Mylapore, the old part of Chennai, I saw a big sign on a building: SRI RAMAKRISHNAN MATH BOOKS SHOWROOM.

I thought, cool, I’d love to see what a huge Indian showroom dedicated to Maths books looked like.It turns out, ‘Ramakrishna Math’ is a monastic order – basically another cult – nothing to do with Mathematics. This one is also very big business, owning large areas of land in central Chennai. However, it does some good works, runs schools, etc. The showroom has books to do with teachings of this sect, not algebra.

Visited the Kapeeshwarar Temple dedicated to Shiva. Then the St Thomas Basilica (the same dude who landed in Kochi in 52 AD to preach to the Jews already there). Apparently, he died here (speared not by mosquitoes, like Vasco, but an actual spear), and was buried. The Portuguese built a church here in 1523, and rebuilt 1896.

Unlike the Portuguese, the Vatican deliberately left a finger bone behind when repatriating remains.It was interesting to see a crucifix on the altar there that showed some cultural blending. There were peacocks either side of it (peacocks relate to a story about Parvati, Shiva’s wife), and the cross was placed in a lotus flower.

A Mary figure outside was dressed in an Indian saree – yet more cultural appropriation.Next was the small boat fishing site on a beach – there were hundreds of small boats there on the shore. They go out very early to a mile or two offshore to fish, returning to sell shortly after dawn. I was too late for the beach markets, and can confirm the aromas were as high as the noon time of arrival on a hot day.

It limited my sightseeing time.

Finally a brief visit to Fort St George, built by the British in 1640. St Mary’s Church, built in 1680, was interesting. It has 4 ft thick walls, to make it resistant to attack (lots of aggro around at that time). Clive of India was married there, as was Elihu Yale, who gave name to Yale University. It is a very open building, for air to flow – large wooden shuttered windows that open.

The trip was over.

I spent nearly a month with Krishna, to whom I have to say thanks. He has a degree in Economics, and a modest interest in politics. He severely dislikes the Communist Party in Kerala. He has a dream of buying a ‘Jawa 42’ motorcycle, because his son was impressed by a Bollywood hero that rode one, and wants his Dad to be that hero. He was a safe driver – he always slowed down when using his phone, and he would never double-overtake on a blind corner on a narrow cliff road with poor visibility, while drunk. When overtaking, his priority was to do it as slowly as possible, so any oncoming collisions would likely not be fatal, rather than return to the correct side of the road quickly.

I became very blasé at the sight of oncoming traffic (you will see it whatever side of the road you are on anyway).‘Correct side of the road’ is not a meaningful concept in India. As I said before – when a God is driving you, what could possibly go wrong?I tipped him really well, for a great job.(** I lied – he doesn’t drink, or do any bad things – he really was safe and courteous – best driver in India. Hire him if you go.)

I’ve been vegetarian (90% vegan) for 3.5 weeks, only 2 meals a day, no snacks. No alcohol at all. Only drank water and chai.I haven’t lost a gram.

This indicates this diet is complete bullshit.

I’m going onto a ‘Red Meat, Red Wine’ diet for the next month, and will compare the two.I’ve had cardamom daily, and still can’t see the fluorescence of rodent urine, but my third eye can now see deeply into my inner realms.

So what have I learned on this trip? To worry not where one has been, worry little where the road leads, and enjoy being a particle in your traffic flow, more aware of what is around you at every moment – especially inflammable trucks.

If you haven’t been to India – go – it’s amazing.

Bye for now – see you next trip.