Page 19 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

DISC OVERING INDIA  17

1 Week in Day 5: North of
Tamil Nadu Mamallapuram
Spend the morning counting
• Airports Arrive and depart the myriad reptiles that lounge
from Chennai’s Aringar Anna languidly in the many compounds
International Terminal and of the Crocodile Bank (p582,
Kamaraj Domestic Terminal. closed Mon & Tue) north of the
• Transport Trains run between village, where visitors can also
Chennai and Kanchipuram, watch Irula tribesmen extracting
while the other towns are snake venom. Then relax by the
connected only by road. All quieter stretch of beach in front
journeys take between two of the skillfully carved Tiger’s
and three hours. Cave (p583), before taking a
seaside stroll back to the village.
Day 1: Chennai Day 6: Puducherry
Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai Typical French restaurant serving Gallic Get a feel of the colonial
(p560–79), formerly Madras, cuisine in Puducherry French influence on Puducherry
is a hot and bustling city, with (pp590–93) in the quiet and leafy
some relief provided by the sea on the beach at the stone-carving boulevards and streets of the
breezes that can be enjoyed centre of Mamallapuram, elegant French Quarter, which
anywhere along its extended (pp582–3), swimming and occupies the grid of blocks
seafront. The oldest and watching the fishermen from between the canal and the
most attractive parts of the one of the beachside restaurants. seafront Goubert Salai. Towards
metropolis are both at Visit the famous Shore Temple the north end of the quarter
the north end of the centre: (p582), which juts out into the Bay visit the Aurobindo Ashram
Fort St George (pp564–5) is of Bengal on a rocky promontory. (p593), which contains
Britain’s original foothold in the the mausoleum of the
subcontinent; nearby George Day 4: In and around revolutionary-turned-guru
Town (p565) boasts a collection Mamallapuram and his wife, “The Mother”.
of colonial edifices. For a good In the centre of the village stands
introduction into the ancient the elaborately carved bas-relief Day 7: In and around
architectural and religious best known as Arjuna’s Penance Puducherry
art of South India, visit the (p582). Above this, clamber along In the morning visit the French-
Government Museum with the local goats across a hill- themed Puducherry Museum
Complex (pp568–9, closed Fri). top strewn with monuments and (p592, closed Mon), the white
a huge natural boulder called Basilica of the Sacred Heart of
Day 2: Kanchipuram Krishna’s Butter Ball (p582). A Jesus (p592) and the peaceful
Kanchipuram (p586) is one of short walk to the south of the Botanical Gardens (p592). After
India’s most renowned temple village stand the Panch Rathas lunch head for Auroville (p593)
towns, dominated by the soaring (pp584–5), an impressive set of to see a New Age spiritual
gopuras so distinctive of southern five rock-cut shrines and other community and visit the Matri
temple architecture. First visit monolithic structures such as a Mandir (p593) meditation centre.
the delightful Kamakshi Temple life-sized elephant. Relax in the Round it off with Gallic cuisine
(p586), which sports a dazzling travellers’ hangouts in the village. and palatable local wine.
gold-plated roof. After a delicious
vegetarian lunch at one of the
many small restaurants, move
on to the majestic 8th-century
Kailasanatha Temple (p586),
adorned with fine frescoes. The
town is also a fabulous place to
buy quality silk products.
Day 3: Mamallapuram
Before leaving Kanchipuram, don’t
miss two more Pallava dynasty
sanctuaries, the magnificent
Ekambareshvara Temple (p586),
whose compound contains an
ancient and sacred mango tree,
and the Vaikuntha Perumal
Temple (p586), dedicated to
Vishnu. Spend the afternoon Tiger’s Cave, Mamallapuram

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