Southern India - 18 February 2012 (2)

Sightseeing in Mamallapuram (1)

Goats on Temple Roof

Ganesha Ratha

We met Lukose at 0900 to go into town and he gave us all a present.  Not everyone came with us: Chris, Pat, Shona and Stewart, Kairan and Laurie stayed behind or made their own way into town along the beach.

Krishna's Butterball

Trimurthi Cave Temple

Once in town, Lukose left us to our own devices and gave us the time to get back on the bus.  We headed for the bas relief we saw yesterday and then set off to explore the sites on the hill behind.  Jen had a map and a write up of all the sites, so she assumed the role of tour guide for the morning.  By now, our herding instinct was sufficiently developed that we all stuck together – apart from Diane and someone else, who decided to go shopping.

We made our way round the various monuments littered all over the hill.  We walked past the Ganesha Ratha and almost ignored Krishna’s Butterball, a lump of granite balanced precariously on the granite slope.

Lingam, Trimurthi Cave Temple

Trainee Engineers

After a while, I started to feel a bit like Marty Feldman in the sketch about a coach trip, where he keeps missing the coach and running after it, crying “Wait for me! Wait for me!”  It started at the Trimurti cave temple.  I fell behind the group because I waited for people to move on to get clear views for my photos.  Then I went the wrong way and came across a group of friendly young students.  It was only polite to stop and chat a while and take the usual group photo.  They were training as engineers and had completed two years of a three year course.  They asked if there were any nice young single women in our group, but I had to disappoint them.

Carving, Kotikal Cave Temple

Fortune Telling Parrot

I walked on to the Kotical Mandapa, just as the others were leaving it.  After a quick photo, I dashed after them and had almost caught up, when a man walked up with a parrot and sat down on the ground.  I can’t resist a parrot, whether wild or tame, so I stood and watched.  The parrot was trained to go through a pack of thin parcels and pull one out.  So I inadvertently found that I was having my fortune told by a parrot – and getting ripped off in the process!  I don’t remember what my fortune is – probably something bland and non-committal as ever – but I do remember having the parrot sit on my hand.  I was determined to get my money’s worth and we got on very well, to the extent that the old man started to get twitchy.  Perhaps he thought I would try to run off with my new friend or perhaps I was just stopping him from finding any more gullible tourists.

My New Friend

Varaha Cave Temple

A young guy took our photo, then, as I started to walk away, tried to sell me some tiny trinkets.  I said I had to hurry to rejoin my group, so he led me towards them as he had seen where they were heading.  He offered to show me round when I next came to India – and added that he was good at the Kama Sutra.  I was so glad to see Mike, who was taking photos of the Rayar Gopuram.  I asked him to act as if we were an item, which soon shook off my escort.

Rayar Gopuram

Rayar Gopuram