After an 8 year absence, I got to return to Tamil Nadu, this time, with my lovely travel companion. Since doing my student teaching at Kodaikanal International School in the fall/winter of 2003, I have wanted to return to this land that retains so much ancient characteristics and cultural traditions while existing as one of the technological hotbeds in the entire world. Many times, we witnessed the unexplainable images of modernity coinciding with traditional life. Here are just a few stories from the trip.
Here's the route: Chennai, Trichy, Tanjore, Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram, and back to Chennai to fly home
Chennai: We flew to Chennai in the morning and by 3:30pm we were sitting at a free concert at the Music Academy of Madras (the colonial name for Chennai) for the 84th Annual Festival of Indian Classical Music. This festival has faithfully kept Carnatic Music culture alive for decades and we enjoyed ourselves. Although neither of us has a detailed grasp of the complex musical structure, we enjoyed being a part of the live performance and watching devoted fans take notes. The experience was akin to my first Phish concert -- fans applauding at seemingly random occasions and people writing down the setlist (of which raga and tala was being played). We purchased several recordings and hope to learn more about this ancient musical art form.
Trichy: The draw of Trichy is that it has the largest Hindu temple complex in all of India. With the rain just abating to give us time to explore the city, we enjoyed seeing the temple full of life. We enjoyed the juxtaposition of neon signage on top of thousand year old stone carvings. Another highlight of Trichy was the Rock Fort, a towering fort/temple looming over the city center. It seemed that locals at both sites were surprised to see foreigners and we were approached by many curious worshipers eager to make a Western friend. Rachel, with her billowing blond hair, was quite an attraction. One girl kept on touching and twirling her hair!
Tanjore: The city of Tanjore is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It achieved real prominence during the Chola Era when it was the capital ruled by Rajaraja, whose empire reached all the way from present day South India to SE Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It was New Years Eve and the main temple complex was filled with worshipers, most wearing ritual red. This was our favorite site of the trip (and perhaps all of India!) as we took hours to explore the many carvings, the huge metal bull or Nandi, and the enormous pyramid-like temples. The carvings are very similar to those at Ankor Wat in Cambodia (high on the travel list for us) which was constructed after the temples in Tanjore based on the artistic elements here. Very cool historical connections. We even spent time waiting in line to get blessed by the high priest -- a very cool experience.
For us, one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was meeting with a traditional bronze sculptor. We spent a couple hours with Mr. Kathirvel who's family has been in the industry for six generations -- over 400 years -- and he walked us through the "lost wax method" of the Cholan empire. After learning and seeing the wonderful work, we chose two pieces: a large statue of Shiva as the Nataraja or Fire Dancer and a small elephant. Both will be treasured possessions from a bygone age of artists.
Pondicherry: Taking a break from ruins and old culture, we explored the city of Pondicherry for two days. A uniquely French colony until the mid-1960s (remember, India achieved Independence from Britain in 1947), Pondicherry features many French colonial buildings in various states of repair (or disrepair). It is decidedly NOT a provencal French town, but the coffee was great and yes, I had steak for dinner twice (and it wasn't that imitation steak we get here in Mumbai -- water buffalo -- but real steak). Since Pondy is a big weekend holiday destination, we had to book a hotel that was higher in price that our usual budget accommodations. Oh well, we slept on soft cotton sheets in a French colonial mansion and relaxed.
Mahabalipuram: Our final stop featured the ruins of a coastal empire, the Pallavas, who ruled the area during the 6th-9th centuries. They traded with Romans, exchanged artistic ideas with North Indian Hindus, and were some of the first Hindus to incorporate pre-Hindu tribal beliefs into South Indian tradition. They are also more directly descendant (genetically and linguistically speaking) to Africans that their North-Indian counterparts. This area was hit hard during the 2004 Tsunami and we spoke with several locals who were still struggling to rebuild their businesses. Impressively however, the only structure to survive on the coast was the 6th c. Shore Temple.
All in all, Tamil Nadu gave a much older perspective of life here in India along with the incredible cultural diversity that this country includes. This final story sums that up:
We spoke with a shopkeeper about us living in Mumbai, which he had visited several years earlier. As a Tamil-speaker, he was overwhelmed with Mumbai and could barely get around. No one dressed like him, very few restaurants served food he even recognized, his way of practicing Hinduism had no forum here, and he resorted to using his very broken English to communicate. In short, he was more of a foreigner in Mumbai than we are.
If you are interested in more details, check out the Picassa album, "Winter Break 2010," where we have put photos and comments.
Take care and as Rick Steves says, "Keep on traveling,"
Reid and Rachel
Chennai: We flew to Chennai in the morning and by 3:30pm we were sitting at a free concert at the Music Academy of Madras (the colonial name for Chennai) for the 84th Annual Festival of Indian Classical Music. This festival has faithfully kept Carnatic Music culture alive for decades and we enjoyed ourselves. Although neither of us has a detailed grasp of the complex musical structure, we enjoyed being a part of the live performance and watching devoted fans take notes. The experience was akin to my first Phish concert -- fans applauding at seemingly random occasions and people writing down the setlist (of which raga and tala was being played). We purchased several recordings and hope to learn more about this ancient musical art form.
Trichy: The draw of Trichy is that it has the largest Hindu temple complex in all of India. With the rain just abating to give us time to explore the city, we enjoyed seeing the temple full of life. We enjoyed the juxtaposition of neon signage on top of thousand year old stone carvings. Another highlight of Trichy was the Rock Fort, a towering fort/temple looming over the city center. It seemed that locals at both sites were surprised to see foreigners and we were approached by many curious worshipers eager to make a Western friend. Rachel, with her billowing blond hair, was quite an attraction. One girl kept on touching and twirling her hair!
Tanjore: The city of Tanjore is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It achieved real prominence during the Chola Era when it was the capital ruled by Rajaraja, whose empire reached all the way from present day South India to SE Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It was New Years Eve and the main temple complex was filled with worshipers, most wearing ritual red. This was our favorite site of the trip (and perhaps all of India!) as we took hours to explore the many carvings, the huge metal bull or Nandi, and the enormous pyramid-like temples. The carvings are very similar to those at Ankor Wat in Cambodia (high on the travel list for us) which was constructed after the temples in Tanjore based on the artistic elements here. Very cool historical connections. We even spent time waiting in line to get blessed by the high priest -- a very cool experience.
For us, one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was meeting with a traditional bronze sculptor. We spent a couple hours with Mr. Kathirvel who's family has been in the industry for six generations -- over 400 years -- and he walked us through the "lost wax method" of the Cholan empire. After learning and seeing the wonderful work, we chose two pieces: a large statue of Shiva as the Nataraja or Fire Dancer and a small elephant. Both will be treasured possessions from a bygone age of artists.
Pondicherry: Taking a break from ruins and old culture, we explored the city of Pondicherry for two days. A uniquely French colony until the mid-1960s (remember, India achieved Independence from Britain in 1947), Pondicherry features many French colonial buildings in various states of repair (or disrepair). It is decidedly NOT a provencal French town, but the coffee was great and yes, I had steak for dinner twice (and it wasn't that imitation steak we get here in Mumbai -- water buffalo -- but real steak). Since Pondy is a big weekend holiday destination, we had to book a hotel that was higher in price that our usual budget accommodations. Oh well, we slept on soft cotton sheets in a French colonial mansion and relaxed.
Mahabalipuram: Our final stop featured the ruins of a coastal empire, the Pallavas, who ruled the area during the 6th-9th centuries. They traded with Romans, exchanged artistic ideas with North Indian Hindus, and were some of the first Hindus to incorporate pre-Hindu tribal beliefs into South Indian tradition. They are also more directly descendant (genetically and linguistically speaking) to Africans that their North-Indian counterparts. This area was hit hard during the 2004 Tsunami and we spoke with several locals who were still struggling to rebuild their businesses. Impressively however, the only structure to survive on the coast was the 6th c. Shore Temple.
All in all, Tamil Nadu gave a much older perspective of life here in India along with the incredible cultural diversity that this country includes. This final story sums that up:
We spoke with a shopkeeper about us living in Mumbai, which he had visited several years earlier. As a Tamil-speaker, he was overwhelmed with Mumbai and could barely get around. No one dressed like him, very few restaurants served food he even recognized, his way of practicing Hinduism had no forum here, and he resorted to using his very broken English to communicate. In short, he was more of a foreigner in Mumbai than we are.
If you are interested in more details, check out the Picassa album, "Winter Break 2010," where we have put photos and comments.
Take care and as Rick Steves says, "Keep on traveling,"
Reid and Rachel
What always strikes me about your many amazing adventures is the way that you embrace the culture, the customs and the people. What great representatives of Americans you are! Love the stories and the pictures!
ReplyDeleteOf course, when you speak of the cold of Agra, it was -19 up in Boulder yesterday morning. Snowshoeing was wonderful, blue skies, about 24 inches of snow combined to create a wonderland, albeit a cold one.
Go Packers!!
Love, Linda & Chuck