Today we are headed
off to Kanchipuram. Some photos as we head out of Chennai.
On the drive we saw a number of temples. Tara says that this tour takes us through what is known as the temple belt of India.
Our first stop is the Ekambaranatha Temple. The temple complex has one of the tallest “gates” we have ever seen on a temple. It is the Southern Gate and it stands 192 feet.
The complex covers some 25 acres and is one of the largest complexes in India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Shiva. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. This temple is one of the most ancient in India with the earliest temples here dating to 600 CE. The current structures date from the Chola Dynasty with the construction in the 9th century.
In our wanderings we found this pool with the little shrine in the middle.
And saw a few altars and mini-shrines inside the temple.
The hallways were lined with massive columns.
Rituals were being performed by this priest. He would place the dome (silver dome on the bench to his right) in white chalk and place it on the head of the worshiper).
There were many mandalas on the floors of the temple.
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More Ekambaranatha Temple
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Driving around Kanhipuram.
While driving around Kanchipuram we saw temples, large and small, along the streets. The Hindus take their temples seriously.
We also visited the Kailasanathar Temple. This was much smaller than the first temple we visited.
One of the more interesting features here is that bits of the original paint remain on some of the sculptures that are hidden away in recesses, protecting them from the elements.
An elephant trying to sneak in over the wall.
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More Kailasanathar Temple
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We headed back to the car and found Rajesh, our driver, starting to change a very flat tire on our car. So we flagged down a tuk-tuk and headed off to lunch.
We ordered samosas with our lunch. Came with that favorite Indian condiment, ketchup.
Indian's feel that to eat properly one should involve all five senses, including touch. While many now use Western utensils, many continue to practice the old customs. Eating with their fingers. This couple's food is on a banana leave and they are enjoying their food with their fingers.
After lunch we visited an area that houses silk weavers. After watching the weaving process for a while…
and then we visited their store. Tara ended up buying a sari and Mary bought a few scarves for presents. The saris are made of six meters of fabric. At about 5 meters a stretch of a inches are unwoven, then the weaving started again. The extra yard is used to make the blouse for the sari (that way the colors match perfectly). This is the weaver who made the sari finishing it off. He separates the two parts and then ties the threads off with tassels so that it won't unravel.
From here we were done for the day.
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