Red (3)

A quirky little gem of a temple, in the middle of nowhere

 From Thanjavur, we headed south direction Rameshwaram - a small town on that little strip of land that stretches out towards Sri Lanka. An epic, never-ending journey of almost 270km, going deeper into rural Tamil Nadu, further and further off the beaten track. About half way there, our driver insisted on making a little detour to visit a temple we had never heard about. There might have been a little bit of eye-rolling involved (we'd had an intensive cure of temples over the last couple of days - see here, here, here and here), but this turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire holiday.

In the middle of nowhere, a little road, about 1km long, lined with the most beautiful terracotta horses, their once-vibrant colours washed out by the unforgiving southern Indian weather. The effect was surreal.

 

This man was so proud to give us a tour of the grounds, while pointing out to the various divinities represented. He walked us back to the entrance of the temple and we left, stunned and amazed by this quirky little gem of a place. 

On the road (1)

Flashes of yellow

 I initially planned to publish these pictures in the "only in India" sometimes-series. But what I see in them now are the colours and the contrasts. Always, the colours and the contrasts. Unexpected flashes to liven up centuries-old statues and carvings. Stone and cloth. (Or flowers, or fruits, as the case might be).

Bulls

A daytrip to Thanjavur temple

 A sudden irruption of life and colour while we were soaking in the morning sun on the massive temple grounds. Coming probably from a little village in the middle of nowhere, their excitement was palpable as they efficiently made their way around the temple, stopping here and there to pray or make offerings.

These sweet ladies couldn't believe we wanted to take their picture. We tried to ask them where they came from, but they didn't speak a word of English and just kept smiling, giggling and thanking us, as if we were doing them a favour. In these instances, you feel so different - so different.

Thanjavur temple, early in the morning

 At 7am, the air is still fresh. The already warm sun casts the most atmospheric shadows and you can watch the colours change before your eyes, so quickly, so strikingly.

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Stairs, Thanjavur

Temple-hopping in Tamil Nadu

We left Pondicherry and started our tour that would take us all the way to Cochin, Kerala. Tamil Nadu (South-Eastern tip of India) is best known for its huge temples - and they sure are imposing!

What these pictures fail to capture is the stifling heat.  We found a precious little shaded corner and had a picnic of pomegranates and water. We also made friends with a local stray dog - who had a red dot on his forehead! 

One last sunrise in Pondicherry

 We stayed in Pondicherry for over a week. Its European heritage makes it both unique and easy - we could easily have stayed on for months. But our time was limited and hardcore India was waiting for us. Hold tight, it's gonna be one hell of a ride.

Electricity

A balcony with a view

I love the simplicity of these shots, taken from our balcony overlooking the leisurely Promenade. I will spare you the other 95 shots I took from this same angle. Yes, we liked our balcony.

[Ok, I feel like I have to explain. Our hotel in Pondicherry was nice, and after a month in a stingy room in Mamallapuram, we appreciated the hell out of it. And we missed it even more when we moved on!].

More bits & pieces from Pondicherry

Always coordinate your oxen to your cart.

Public toilets. I think I'll hold it a while longer.

'Nuff said.

Candy floss.

Just outside Pondicherry, damage from a recent hurricane.

Please note the lock on the door.

The other side of Pondicherry, the "Ville Blanche"

Honesty Engineers, Pondy.