Summer Vacation 2009: The Experiences

Often I used to hear people say that Banglore is an air-conditioned city. However I experienced it firsthand when we went to the city in the first week of June. In spite of the increasing traffic congestion and pollution the weather of the city was very cool and pleasant. It was indeed a great respite from the oppressive heat of Bathinda. The mornings and evenings were cooler but the nights were cold and you needed a blanket to cover yourself with.

Living in a residential colony of Banglore was another experience. The residents were mostly IT professionals from multi lingual backgrounds. And the common language for interaction among them was English. It was interesting to watch their children using English with their friends in the park.

From Banglore we made a short trip to Mahabalipuram and Pondichery, two well known coastal towns in the south, against all the established wisdom of travel and tourism.

Mahabalipuram is one of the ancient towns of India which is famous for its temple architecture. According to the historians it was an important port on the southeastern coast in the early times. The town is also known as an open air museum as it is dotted with a number of old temples, some of which are the living specimens of our temple art and architecture. Normally the temples in India have been found to be of three types --cave temples, those made of single rocks and the perched ones. Interestingly Mahabalipuram can boast to have all the three types. 

The one that struck me the most was the awesome Shore Temple, which as the name suggests, lies exactly on the shore. This majestic perched temple that was built over a thousand years years back during the period of the Pallavas is a living testimony of our rich cultural heritage. In spite of the regular onslaught that it faces from the wind, rain and the sea itself, it speaks volumes about the people’s belief, knowledge and skills in the past. The other structures depicting traditional Indian mythology are also very striking.

Near the Shore temple we came across a number of shops where stone statues of various shapes and sizes are made and sold. This brought to my mind several questions--- What is the history of temple architecture in Tamil Nadu and India? How some of the beliefs of the people are linked over a large part of the country? Are their some families living in Mahabalipuram that have been associated with this art for more than thousand years?

We also had an opportunity to see a classical singer singing devotional music in one of the temples there. It was indeed a reminder of the association of Carnatic music with the temples in south India since the early times.