Day 84, Pondicherry [Sunday 24th February 2008]
Previous day: Day 82, Pondicherry [Saturday 23rd February]
Next day: Day 85, Mahabalipuram [Monday 5th February 2008]
We depart Pondicherry for Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), 2 hours up the coast northwards towards Chennai, and site of a World Heritage listed 12th century temple.
Mamallapuram is a dirty, messy stinking hole. Only 2 hours from Chennai, it has an entirely undeserved reputation as a 'traveller's hangout'. Instead, it appears to be a prime target for daytrippers from the city. Sure, you can pick up an overpriced latte frapuccino if you like, but isn't that what you came to India to get away from?
Outside of the tourist resort hotels, the town's roads and environs are a disgrace. Plonked in the middle of all this, sitting above a dirty and unswimmable beach, is the Shore Temple. It's prim lawns, picked clean of both litter and leaves, are in stark contrast to its surroundings, where rows of trinket shops, food stalls and coconut sellers crowd the area, ankle deep in rubbish and wild animals. We can't visit the temple today, as it's closed, but we will go tomorrow. We stand on the beach and watch the hubbub for a while.
The hills around here are covered in rock carvings and tiny temples are dotted everywhere. Crowds of noisy children clamber all over the rocks. We look at the immense carving depicting the descent of the Ganges, which thankfully is fenced off lest the kids try to scale it. It's scale is huge — about 10 metres high, and highly detailed.
Next day: Day 85, Mahabalipuram [Monday 5th February 2008]
Previous day: Day 82, Pondicherry [Saturday 23rd February]