Photo's: more Tamil Nadu

Me, taking in the view and avoiding he smells from the third class train window. (Tamil Nadu)

Chennai Beach front: Perhaps the widest beach I have seen.

Chennai slums: Living among the litter.

Baby monkey in a Temple water trough.

Tamil Nadu photos

First evening in Pondicherry we went to a temple for blessing, 

both inside the temple and outside by the temple elephant.

 

This is the special rice, sugar, milk mix made for the Pongal festival, 

it boiling over means good fortune. 

 

Cows are decorated for Pongal festival, 

and they go wherever they please, including the beach. (Mamallapuram).

 We went to the Vedantangal Bird Santuary, arriving at sunrise. 

It sees about 30,000-40,000 birds nest there at this time of year.

 The bird sanctuary was good, but when I turned my back 

to it I became much more interested in the rice farming.

 You can see 3 Adults and a baby (in arms of woman) on this motorbike. There is a boy in front of the men too. Women wearing a sari on bikes tend to sit side saddle.

And finally... the smallest ferris wheel I've ever seen. You could hold a childs hand while you stood on the ground. Behind me is an equally tiny merry-go-round!

First days in Tamil Nadu: Pictures

In Tamil Nadu I started my travel adventure with Louise.

Madurai (city) is home to Hindu Temple Sri Meenaksh. It's a massive complex and very impressive. Most entertaining in that it has 4 gates (North, South, East West) and we entered via the West gate. Upon entering Hindu Temples you are required to leave your shoes. Unbeknow to us we exited on the East Gate, and tried to get our shoes back and were told to keep going around, and the South Gate we were also told to keep going. When we finally got our shoes back, at the West gate we decided to walk around to the South gate just to see it too.

Some temple detail.

 

In the city of Trichy (it has a longer name I won't bother with) there is a Rock Fort with impressive views. Check out the size of the Caucery River, must be impressive when it fills.

Being a sacred cow in India.... I think I'd rather be not so sacred on the nice farm.

 

The Rock Fort also encompasses more Hindu shrines. Check the flowers on the feet.

 

In Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Trichy.

 World Heritage listed Brihadishwara Temple in Tanjore is really lovely and quite different.

Still in Brihadishwara Temple: After queues of people lines up to have their photo taken with Louise and I, I decided it was my turn... the pilgrims were very willing to have their group photo with me. I kind of stand out... don't you think? I'll write a blog about it later.