St. Thomas Mount

The Holy Apostles Convent. Come here for the view. You can even have a snack and tea while you enjoy it as there is a tea place here.

There are more statues like this all over the place. I actually didn't shoot many pics as my camera developed a zoom problem.

The view from the top.

Another view from the top.

Actually you can see the Chennai airport from here and watch take-offs and landings. Most people crowd around for that alone. But this place is much more than an airport view point.

This place is a part of recorded history, so don't miss it.

The sculpture of Jesus on the cross.

This banyan tree is massive. And very, very old.

Right under this banyan tree sits the bust of Col. William Lambton, born 1753. Apparently, this genius in trignometrical survey launched his field work from St. Thomas Mount.

St. Thomas Mount gets its name from Saint Thomas, the apostle of Christ, who is believed to have been martyred here. A church built in 1523 by the Portuguese and dedicated to Mary stands at the summit of this 300 feet high mount. People believe that the altar of this church was built on the very spot where St. Thomas died in AD 72.

Read more about St. Thomas Mount here.

Chunnambar Beach, Pondicherry

Here's what one website says about Chunnambar:

"One can swim, row a boat, stay on a tree house and watch the sunrise, have a picnic at the beach and play beach volleyball, go trekking, or even fishing! It has a fully functional water sports center and a breathtaking pool amidst the backwaters."

I'm not sure there's a pool or fishing facility, but the beach here is blissfully relaxing. You won't find a huge crowd about. Chunnambar is around 7 kilometers from Pondicherry, at Ariyankuppam. Get that right. People you ask directions from just might not know Chunnambar. So ask for Ariyankuppam.
The beach is at the mouth of the backwaters. The sand is clean and sprinkled with shells. Boy! That's something you don't find on beaches these days. Plastic, maybe, but shells in such numbers... oh no.

To reach this beach called Plage Paradiso or Paradise Beach, you need to take a boat ride that lasts about twenty minutes or so. If that's too many names to handle - Chunnambar Beach... Paradise Beach... rest assured. They are the same. Though I must confess that I didn't hear anyone refer to the beach as Paradise Beach.

I was so taken in by the ride along the rather dense forest that closely fringes the waters that I didn't exactly count the minutes. The waters are even fringed with palm groves in some places.

And then, quite abbruptly, you spot a small sandy bar in the distance and beyond it, the bright blue sea. The boat berths at a tiny wooden pier, below which you'll find the water teeming with tiny black fish.

The small bamboo deck on Paradise Beach, quickly knocked up as it appears, is still a good observation point. I guess the beach would be more attractive with fewer crowds, which would be on working days after the schools and colleges open. We went there during the beginning of the summer vacation, on a holiday and found the place a bit too crowded. Not crowded like Marina Beach on a Sunday, but a little too crowded for a beach that is supposed to have just a few people about.

You better not swim out far into the sea as the undercurrent is pretty strong here and there was no lifeguard in sight while we were there. But the waters close to the shore are perfectly safe. Quite a stretch of it is shallow too.

You might want to check out the Chunnambar Beach Resort and the Sea Gull Chunnambar Beach Resort if you plan on a longer stay and not a picnic. I guess both these resorts are the same. Mine was a quick trip to Chunnambar. We didn't stay here.

Kapaleeshwar Temple - Mylapore

The Kapaleeshwar Temple at Mylapore, Chennai is a real treat. You mustn’t miss a visit to this Shiva temple, which is a fine example of 8th century Pallava architecture. It's the oldest temple in the city. You can even find fragments of inscriptions dating back to 1250 AD. That sounds like a real long time to me.

There's legend behind this temple as well. Folklore has it that Lord Shiva pinched off one of the heads of Brahma so as to nip his pride. (He’s four-headed, remember... the Lord of creation…) In penance, Lord Brahma built a Shiva Lingam, known as Kapaleeshwarar, at this spot.

The quaint courtyard of the Kapaleeshwar Temple houses a small shrine of Goddess Parvathi in the form of a peacock, worshipping her consort Lord Shiva. Images of 63 Saivaite saints – the saints who worship Lord Shiva - called the Nayanmars adorn the outer courtyard. Each made in stone. But it's the gopurams atop the various gates that are alive with sculptures, painted in happy, bright colours. A roit of happy colours, I must say.

The temple has other shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and smaller shrines dedicated to other forms of Shiva - Annamalaiar, Sundareswarar and Jagatheswarar. The stone works are a marvel, detailed and intricate. You'll wonder how many patient hours have gone into the making of these sheer masterpices... Look at these two examples below.

Now here's a tidbit that might amuse you. Did you know that Mylapore has existed for thousands of years long before Madras came into being? I was surprised, because there is no beach near about Mylapore. Didn't Madras come to form as a little fishing village somewhere near Parrys? Or did I get my history wrong? Nevermind. Mylapore is still a treat.

There's something else. Apparently, the original 8th century Shiva temple was built by the Pallavas on the shores of Chennai. But it was destroyed by the Portuguese and was re-built as a church 300 years later. Guess which church? The Santhome Church! Now I'm not sure of this. Like I have already said elsewhere, I'm no historian.

Oh, and did you know that a shrine at the Kapaleeshwar temple with an image of a peahen (a female peacock, if you will…), is where Mylapore derives its name from? Mylapore is also called Maylai or Tirumaylai. That had me confused when I first came here to Chennai, about when the so called flying train used to ply only between Beach and Mylapore stations. When the train stopped at Mylapore, which is where I had to get off, I stayed on because the name board at the station read Tirumaylai!

Confusing, I know. But don't miss the Kapaleeshwar temple when you are in Chennai next. Right near the temple is this restaurant, Saravana Bhavan, where you must pop in after, for some divine vegetarian food. And some ice cream, if you haven’t yet tasted guava or jackfruit flavours.

But that's before you feed the fishes at the temple tank.

More from the Kapaleeshwar Temple - Mylapore

Mahabalipuram - The UNESCO Heritage Site

Mahabalipuram is a small fishing village by the sea, 60 kilo meters south of Chennai. Some people say that it’s fast becoming the Goa of south India. (God forbid!). You’ll bump into many travellers at this seventh century port city.

There are beaches and then there are temples in this ancient place.

You must stop by at the rock-cut shore temple. And also take in the art of stone carving. Did I catch you by surprise? You really can watch artisans carving stones into exquisite figures and figurines. But the shore temple is the one you mustn’t miss.

The ancient Pallava (650 – 893) dynasty built many cave temples. The shore temple is one of the earliest. I must say here that this shore temple along with the rock-cut sculptures fall under UNESCO’s world heritage sites. (Or is that the entire village itself… I’m not sure. But it definitely is a UNESCO site.)

Set against the canvas of the endless blue sky and the majestic sea, the shore temple is a treat for your eyes. Follow the exquisite forms carved in sheer rock and you’ll begin to appreciate the effort that has gone into making this abode of Lord Shiva as well as Lord Vishnu.

Scattered throughout the village are various other rock-cut temples. The vivid tableaux in rock transports you to an era when all you could hear were the lapping of waves timed to the bang of a thousand hammers, the chirping of birds and the measured chatter of artisans going about their commissioned work. Here you will find some of the finest examples of ancient temple art.

The rock sculptures date back to 630 BC. (How could that be when the Pallava reign commenced only in 650 BC is hard to tell. I aint no historian, so you must forgive me. I’ve culled this part from sources all over the net.)

But imagine this… 1400 years after Tamil artisans first began chipping rocks into beautiful temples; sculpture still remains a part of everyday life at Mahabalipuram, also called Mamallapuram.

Katherine Tanko of the International Herald Tribune describes this quaint land in four words – sun, surf and ancient ruins. That’s a potent combination, you’ll agree.

This great rock is called Krishna's Butterball. Remember Lord Krishna and his liking for butter? That's some imagination, huh? I call it the gravity rock. Does that sound frivolous?

Watch the Mahabalipuram stone carvers at work here.

Santhome Church

You’d never guess there’s so much behind a name. Gosh! There I go putting the cart before the horse again. Typical of me.

Santhome Church at Santhome, the southern end of Marina Beach derives its name from St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime in 52 A.D. But of course if you know a smattering of Portuguese, you’d have guessed as much. Saint Thomas in Portuguese is São Tomé.

Legend has it that the Apostle, after preaching on the west coast of India, arrived at the east coast and fixed his see at Mylapore, which was then a flourishing city. The number of converts he made, aroused the hostility of the local priests so much so that he had to flee from their anger to Little Mount (Chinnamalai in Tamil).

He was martyred in 72 A.D. at Little Mount (Saint Thomas Mount, as it would be known in later years) and was interned in Santhome Beach, where a church was presently built.

Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were moved from the old church to the new one. In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral. In 1896 it was made a basilica.
The beautiful stained glass windows at the basilica portray the story of St. Thomas and fourteen wooden plaques at the central hall illustrate scenes from the last days of Christ. The statue of Virgin Mary, three feet high, is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.


So much history here. It’s a place you mustn’t miss when you’re in Chennai the next time.