#ibmcsc India 14
The team dispersed into different groups for the weekend. Some went to New Dehli, some to Sri Lanka. Susanna, Bas, Dilminder, Martin and I went to Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities of India.
Here we see a number of temples with Dravidian architecture. According to Wikipedia:
Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of the four following parts, arranged in differing manners, but differing in themselves only according to the age in which they were executed:[1]
We saw Kailashnatha Temple. This link provides the following information:
The Kailashnatha Temple in Kanchipuram, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. The Pallava king Rajasimha built this temple in one of the earliest styles of Dravidian temple architecture. The temple was built in the late 7th century AD and Rajasimha's son added the front portion of the temple later. The remains of the friezes of the 8th century AD within the temple complex still look beautiful and reminds of its original grandeur. There are several small shrines within the temple premises dedicated to Lord Shiva, his consort Goddess Parvati and their sons Ganesh and Murugan.
Then we drove by Sri Ekambaranathar Temple, but couldn't get to see much because of the blowing rain. From this link, I think we may have missed a lot.. oh well..
The Sri Ekambaranathar Temple in Kanchipuram, another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the largest temples in the city of Kanchipuram. The entire temple complex is spread over 12 hectares of area. The origin of the temple can be traced to the Pallava Dynasty while the Chola Rulers made their contribution by adding to the temple. Krishnadevaraya, the king of the Vijaynagar Empire, extended the temple by adding a 59 m high gopuram or the gateway and outer walls in the early 16th century AD. The most pronounced feature of this temple is the thousand-pillared mandapam or the hall.
Break for lunch at the GRT Regency, I had Karaikudi Yera Thokku, a traditional tangy South Indian prawn curry. Pretty good. We then was dropped at a government silk shop, which I became disinterested quickly.
The last temple, Sri Varadaraja perumal temple, was made more interesting from a clever tour guide, selling his service like a used car salesman. We did have good information and he's quite good at what he does. I was introduced to the several incarnations of Lord Vishnu, to whom the temple was dedicated. From fish, to human to potential destroyer of human kind. I felt relieved that Buddha was the 10+1 incarnation (according to the guide). Reach Nirvana, to be free from sufferings so it doesn't matter if the world is destroyed or not. We were tested the concept right away when Susanna found out that her shoes are missing: worry, angry, sad, etc.
The trip back was long with traffic. We probably moved at 15km per hour for the last 15 km! Tired and cold, I craved for Pho. I settled for room service: tomato soup and stir-fried vegetable noodles. Had my first cup of green tea (purchased from the "Big Bazaar" at Pondi Bazaar). Not bad at all. The whole day has been educational.
Here's the slideshow of the trip:
The team dispersed into different groups for the weekend. Some went to New Dehli, some to Sri Lanka. Susanna, Bas, Dilminder, Martin and I went to Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities of India.
Here we see a number of temples with Dravidian architecture. According to Wikipedia:
Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of the four following parts, arranged in differing manners, but differing in themselves only according to the age in which they were executed:[1]
- The principal part, the temple itself, is called the Vimanam. It is always square in plan and surmounted by a pyramidal roof of one or more stories; it contains the cell where the image of the god or his emblem is placed.
- The porches or Mantapams, which always cover and precede the door leading to the cell.
- Gate-pyramids, Gopurams, which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples.
- Pillard halls (Chaultris or Chawadis) are used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples.
We saw Kailashnatha Temple. This link provides the following information:
The Kailashnatha Temple in Kanchipuram, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. The Pallava king Rajasimha built this temple in one of the earliest styles of Dravidian temple architecture. The temple was built in the late 7th century AD and Rajasimha's son added the front portion of the temple later. The remains of the friezes of the 8th century AD within the temple complex still look beautiful and reminds of its original grandeur. There are several small shrines within the temple premises dedicated to Lord Shiva, his consort Goddess Parvati and their sons Ganesh and Murugan.
Then we drove by Sri Ekambaranathar Temple, but couldn't get to see much because of the blowing rain. From this link, I think we may have missed a lot.. oh well..
The Sri Ekambaranathar Temple in Kanchipuram, another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the largest temples in the city of Kanchipuram. The entire temple complex is spread over 12 hectares of area. The origin of the temple can be traced to the Pallava Dynasty while the Chola Rulers made their contribution by adding to the temple. Krishnadevaraya, the king of the Vijaynagar Empire, extended the temple by adding a 59 m high gopuram or the gateway and outer walls in the early 16th century AD. The most pronounced feature of this temple is the thousand-pillared mandapam or the hall.
Break for lunch at the GRT Regency, I had Karaikudi Yera Thokku, a traditional tangy South Indian prawn curry. Pretty good. We then was dropped at a government silk shop, which I became disinterested quickly.
The last temple, Sri Varadaraja perumal temple, was made more interesting from a clever tour guide, selling his service like a used car salesman. We did have good information and he's quite good at what he does. I was introduced to the several incarnations of Lord Vishnu, to whom the temple was dedicated. From fish, to human to potential destroyer of human kind. I felt relieved that Buddha was the 10+1 incarnation (according to the guide). Reach Nirvana, to be free from sufferings so it doesn't matter if the world is destroyed or not. We were tested the concept right away when Susanna found out that her shoes are missing: worry, angry, sad, etc.
The trip back was long with traffic. We probably moved at 15km per hour for the last 15 km! Tired and cold, I craved for Pho. I settled for room service: tomato soup and stir-fried vegetable noodles. Had my first cup of green tea (purchased from the "Big Bazaar" at Pondi Bazaar). Not bad at all. The whole day has been educational.
Here's the slideshow of the trip:
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