India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [262]
Chapter 8: Tamil Nadu: The Temple Tour
If your idea of India is one of ancient temples thick with incense and chanting masses worshiping dimly lit deities covered with vermilion paste and crushed marigolds, then Tamil Nadu is where your mental images will be replaced by vivid memories. Occupying a long stretch of the Bay of Bengal coastline known as the Coromandel Coast, India’s southernmost state is dominated by a rich cultural and religious heritage that touches every aspect of life. For many, this is the Hindu heartland—home to one of India’s oldest civilizations, the Dravidians, who pretty much escaped the Mughal influence that permeated so much of the cultural development in the north. Ruled predominantly by the powerful Chola, Pallava, and Pandyan dynasties, Dravidian culture flourished for more than 1,000 years, developing a unique political and social hierarchy, and an architectural temple style that has come to typify the south. In spite of globalization and the political dominance of the north, Tamil Nadu has retained its fervent nationalist sensibility—an almost zealous pride in Tamil language and literature, and in its delicious and varied cuisines. Outside of Chennai and the coastal stretch south to Pondicherry, it is also a state that remains virtually unchanged despite the tourism boom of the past decade, and exploring it provides a far more textured experience than provided by its popular neighbor, Kerala.
Thanks to heavy summer downpours, Tamil Nadu is green and lush—particularly in the Cauvery Delta toward the west, where the great Dravidian kingdoms were established and some of the finest temples built, and a road trip through this region, with the wind in your hair, is pretty much a quintessential south Indian experience. By contrast, Chennai (or Madras, as some still refer to it), the capital established by the British in the 17th century, exudes no such appeal. It’s primarily of interest as a gateway to some of the region’s best attractions, like nearby Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities of India, and well worth the detour, and Sri Venkateshwara Temple (in Tirupati, just over the border in Andhra Pradesh). It is said to be the wealthiest temple in the world, where devotees are prepared to line up for hours—even days—to hand over an annual Rs 1.5 billion to help Vishnu settle his debt with the god of wealth. By contrast are the abandoned temples in the seaside village of Mamallapuram, just 2 hours south of Chennai. Here, right near the water’s edge, the Pallavas built the earliest examples of monumental architecture in southern India during the 5th and 9th centuries. From Mamallapuram it’s a relaxing hour’s drive farther south to the former French coastal colony of Pondicherry, which—with its charming colonial mansions, eclectic community, and bohemian atmosphere—is perhaps the best shopping destination in southern India. Although the French officially left years ago, Pondicherry’s Gallic spirit is still very much alive—traditional Indian snack joints feature signs proclaiming MEALS READY; BIEN VENUE; locals clad in lungis (traditional Indian clothing) may converse in French; and gorgeous antiques-filled Indo-French colonial mansions have been restored as hotels—the kind of “temple” that will appeal to the lazy hedonist in you. Having caught your breath in the wide boulevards and air-conditioned shops of Pondicherry, you should travel to Tiruchirappalli, to explore the holy temple town of Srirangam, before moving on to the 11th-century Brihadeshvara Temple, situated in nearby Thanjavur, the Chola capital for 400 years. Or skip Srirangam and head (via Thanjavur) to the Chettinad region, where the wealthy Chettiars built palaces and painted mansions to rival the havelis constructed by the merchants and aristocrats of Rajasthan, one of which is now a fine boutique hotel. Either way, your final and