There are many temples in southern India, but there are also churches and mosques. Yesterday, I visited a striking Catholic Church storied to be one of the first places to which Christianity spread. St. Thomas the Apostle martyred himself in the year 72 after 22 years in India (thus, his arrival in 50ce marks the "beginning" of the spread of Christianity). We saw the stone carving he made and on which he bled once killed. Miraculously, the stone produced blood every year until the Portuguese arrived in the late 15th century. While I could not photograph it (or the relics of St. Thomas' body), I can say it was really beautiful...a cross with a dove on top, now well worn. The church sits atop a mountain and the steps leading to it were steep. About 2/3 of the way to the top, we encountered a pilgrim prostrating herself by crawling her way to through the (very spread out) stations of the cross. I did not photograph her or the sacred places, but I did meet a man who invited me into his home, which was beautiful, and snapped a shot of him in front of his house.
After that thought-provoking visit, we drove about 45 km south of Chennai to Kancheepurim, or Temple City. When I asked why the there were so many temples there, the driver explained: "because it is temple city." Gotcha! In the temple, there grows a grafting from a 3,000 year old mango tree. People prayed to the tree and the petrified chunk from its trunk that is housed in a glass case. The signs were all in Hindi, so I am not sure what makes the mango tree so special (or why it has been worshipped for so long).
mom and I bonded over this beautiful 11-month old
a peacock for Savita
photo buddy--Alejo
After a visit to the mysterious mango tree, we visited a saree weaving center with a model loom and hundreds of patterns and thousands upon thousands of silk sarees!
The last stop was actually the focus of our day--Mahabalipuram. About three hours drive from Chennai, this ancient sea town was a bustling port in the age of Ptolemy. What draws people is a constellation of open-air sanctuaries carved from stone. First we went to the Shore Temple, which is beautiful and offers insight from the past and present because many Indians take vacation to come and see the Shore Temple. It looks like one of the "crazies" sand castles John and the kids make at the water line (in that it is weathered by water and time). A short distance away are rathas (temples in the shape of chariots) and cave temples. The rock formations in and around these temples are stunning. I saw one with a mighty crimp and another that was a glorious boulder (set, however, against the setting sun so hard to get a good pic). The place is ancient and beautiful (and offered an amazing, welcome breeze from the sea), but its real beauty seemed to be in the joyful, relaxed mood of vacationing Indians who went to Mahabalipuram to honor their culture.
