Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Kanchipuram - temples, monkeys, silk weaving

On Sunday, July 19, 2009, I went with a couple of friends to the temple city of Kanchipuram, considered one of the seven sacred cities of India.

Our first stop was the shrine of Sri Varadaraja, which is dedicated to Vishnu. The tall towers of the shrine were encased in scaffolding and undergoing restoration at the time I visited.


I spent a lot of time in the mantapam on the grounds. It is known as a "hundred pillar" hall, for the intricately carved stone pillars that support it. The walls are open to the air. The mantapam is used for weddings, although none was performed while I was there, as this is considered an inauspicious month for weddings.








The pillars have many different carvings, including different incarnations of Vishnu. This is an image of Vishnu's second incarnation as Kurma, a turtle. In Hindu beliefs, the turtle represents a stage of evolution when the ability to breathe air and walk out of water developed. It is a symbol of perseverance.



We had a vegetarian lunch on the temple grounds, which included spicy yellow rice with peanuts, served on a banana leaf. This was the first time I followed the South Indian custom of eating with one's right hand, rather than using utensils. Sorry, I have no photos of this, but I did manage to get most of the food in my mouth and very little on my clothing or the ground.

Just outside this temple I saw my first "free" monkeys!



Another temple we visited was Ekambareswara. It is believed to have existed since before 600 C.E. and is dedicated to Shiva. Over the years, many additions have been made and it now covers an area of more than 12 hectares. It's towers, or gopurams, are among the highest in south India, rising 57 metres, or 188 feet.



Inside one of the temple buildings are magnificent painted sculptures that are put on carts during special festivals.
I'll try to get more information on the sculpture in this photo later, after I've had a chance to share it with my friends who were with me that day.



Within the grounds is an ancient mango tree. Its four main branches are said to represent the four Vedas (earliest Hindu scriptures). Each of the four main branches is reputed to bear fruit which tastes different from those of the other branches. Some childless women eat the fruit of this tree hoping to be blessed with children.



Ekambaraswara is a name for Shiva, and is believed to be derived partially from the word for mango. One story about this temple is that Shiva was deeply immersed in creating, preserving and destroying the universe when his consort Parvati, in a playful mood, covered his eyes. This temporarily disrupted the cycles of the universe and Shiva, considering this a serious matter, sent Parvati to earth to repent. She came to a single mango tree near the banks of the Kampa river and did penance. The temple is said to be built on the spot where Shiva forgave Parvati and reunited with her.

The day moved from the spiritual to the material plane when we took time to do a little shopping. Kanchipuram is renowned for the quality of its silk weaving, especially its saris, the traditional dress worn by Indian women. Much of the weaving is still done by hand, and the intricacy of the work can be astounding. We visited the Sree Swamy Silk House and observed some of the work in progress.
Here, a weaver is creating a black silk fabric with an intricate gold thread border.





I didn't buy any saris that day - I would have so few occasions to wear one :-) However, I did pick up a few smaller items, like this cushion cover.



Another wonderful day!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Solar Eclipse

I got the shot! The day started out hazy, but the partially covered sun poked through the clouds around 6:10 AM on July 22, 2009. The maximum coverage in Chennai was 62%; northern Indian cities of Surat, Bhopal, Patna and Guwahati were in the totality path. Clicking on the photos below enlarges them, making the eclipse more visible.






There are certain beliefs in Chennai around eclipses. Some consider them inauspicious. Two different people warned me against eating around the time of the eclipse, as it could impair the digestive system. The Times of India reported that many temples, which usually open to devotees at 5:00 AM, would remain closed until after 8:00 AM. Previous experience had shown that people would not come until the eclipse had passed.

Canadians might be surprised to learn that temples would open at 5:00 AM on a regular day, but I'm learning that many Indians are morning people. This past Sunday I left the hotel at 6:00 AM for a day trip to the temple town of Kanchipuram, and found many people up and going about their business, meeting people and stopping at cafes for a good cup of Chennai coffee. This is the complete opposite of Amsterdam, which I visited in 2007. When I arrived at my Amsterdam hotel at 7:30 AM on a Saturday morning the streets were silent and empty, except for a lone jogger, and a couple of dog walkers. I found out why the following Friday night, when the party in the street didn't stop until 6:00 AM.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Places of Worship

Residents of Chennai have been graciously inviting me to visit temples and churches with them. I enjoy going for a number of reasons. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the culture and beliefs of the many different people who live here, and friends have patiently taken the time to explain things to me, and answer my questions. Artistically, I find that places of worship here are among the most interesting works of architecture in Chennai, and they provide encouragement to various visual and performing arts. Another thing I really like about them is their atmosphere of peace and calm. Chennai is a busy, happening place - traffic is heavy, construction of buildings and infrastructure is everywhere, its information technology, outsourcing and manufacturing economies are thriving, and the city is welcoming people from all over India and the world to help build it. It's exciting, but sometimes it feels good to shift gears and spend time in a quiet place.

There aren't many picture
s for this posting, mostly exterior shots. I tend to put the camera away to avoid disturbing people who are praying.

This is a photo from the Vailankanni Annai Shrine. It is known as the "Lourdes of the East" and is a pilgrimage site for those seeking health. Part of their tradition is to dress statues of the Virgin Mary in saris, a traditional Indian dress. The small cribs you see hanging from string are offerings from couples praying for fertility. For a Canadian connection, click the link above and turn on your audio. You'll hear Rufus Wainwright singing his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Not all the words of course, just the chorus. If you want to hear all the words, try here.


The Kapaleeswarar Temple is dedicated to Shiva, and is considered one of the most sacred sites for Hindus in South India. It is in the Mylapore district of Chennai. According to the Times City Guide Chennai "Shiva's consort Parvati was distracted by a peacock and did not hear him. Annoyed, Shiva turned her into a peahen and sent her to earth. It is believed that the peahen arrived at this temple and performed "tapas" (penance) and was eventually accepted again by Shiva. It is from this legend that Mylapore derived its name, "mayil" meaning peacock and "oor" meaning town."



This Jain temple is also in the Mylapore district. Unfortunately, I don't have the name or more information about it yet.


This is the Santhome Basilica, or the St. Thomas Basilica, where he is reputed to be buried. It was orignally built by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, and rebuilt by the British in 1893. It is another pilgrimage site for Christians in India.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Pondicherry & Auroville

On July 1, to celebrate Canada Day and our day off, some of the guys from the office and I went to Pondicherry for the day. It is roughly 1.5 hours south of Chennai, on the east coast. Pondicherry (also known as Puducherry) is a former French colony that was transferred to Indian administration in 1954, but retains special status as a union territory. It has its own legislative assembly, maintains French as one of its official languages, and has a favorable tax structure for those seeking cool refreshment on a hot day ;-)

Our first stop however was the community of Auroville. Auroville was created in 1968 and describes itself this way: "Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity."

At the centre of the community is a golden globe known as the Matrimandir, or Temple of the Mother. The temple and the surrounding grounds are intended to be a place of quiet
meditation.

The grounds are lush and beautiful, all the more remarkable because when the community started, the area was mostly barren. Careful stewardship of the land has transformed it into a green oasis that includes many trees, including this magnificent banyan tree.

A solar farm helps the town lower its dependence on other forms of energy.


After Auroville, we continued on to Pondicherry for a bite to eat, cool refreshment and photos by the ocean.

To round out the trip, we stopped at a marina where we rented paddleboats and enjoyed hanging out on the water. After a great day we headed back to Chennai.