India 2007, part 15 (Thanjavur, Puducherry)
The coach from Madurai to Thanjavur was in its own way hilarious, while the drive was fierce – it dashed all 60 km/h, which in itself is not very fast, but is quite problematic when it hits potholes and bumps at that speed, shaking the kidneys of all the passengers. Or perhaps this was just a consequence of the absence (again) of shock absorbers. Of course, there were curves as well, but funnily enough I actually enjoyed the ride. I was sitting close to the back door which had only the lower half, while the upper one was just one big opening, with no glass. As a matter of fact it did not blow as much as one could expect, but on the other hand the view was fabulous since there was no smudged window. In the villages we were going through it was possible to see different architecture (roofs made of sugarcane and some, admittedly rare, houses made of mud or some similar material). Along the way we could also occasionally see peacocks in the fields (like pheasants in my country, only bigger) and there were also some structures made of soil for which both Sneža and I thought they could be anthills. After three and a half hours of this shaking and jumping all over the seats, we finally came to Thanjavur. There we took an auto rickshaw to get to our hotel (again a “proper” hotel) and then we went to the railway station to get tickets for the continuation of our journey.
This time, Sneža and I had some serious disagreements for the first time. We did agree about the places we wanted to visit, but we did not agree about the sequence and the organization. As a final argument I proposed that we should separate for a couple of days, each one visiting what she wanted and in whichever order she wanted, and then to get together again. Sneža did not like this idea in the least, so for the time being we just agreed to buy tickets to Tiruchirappalli that also has an alternative name which is Trichy.
Each one had her reasons and her logic, but also her own minor health issues which despite not being too serious certainly made us more nervous. I had more and more problems with my cold and I found it very hard to sustain that daily transferring from one place to another. Be as it may, we had our dinner in very cold atmosphere and this extended to the morning as well.
Like in all human relationships, thus in the relationship of two dear friends who occasionally travel together it is also possible to have disagreements. And like in all human relationships, it is important what the humans in this relationship do after the disagreements and/or the conflict (of opinion). To start with, the two of us fell silent. We would only squeeze a word or two, that were necessary, and this morning it was all linked to our visit to Brihadishvara Temple.
Brihadishvara Temple, together with two more temples that are located in towns north-east of Thanjavur, is inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List as the heritage that originates from the times when these areas were ruled by the powerful Chola dynasty. This dynasty is particularly interesting as one of the longest lasting dynasties in history – they ruled their territories from the 3rd century BCE until the end of the 13th century CE.
Sneža and I did not have the time to visit those other two temples, but even Brihadishvara Temple by itself is impressive enough. It was built at the very beginning of the 11th century CE (it was completed in 1010) and although it did get demolished throughout history, a lot has survived.
The temple is dedicated to god Shiva and in the garbhagriha, the central sanctum of the main temple, there is one of the biggest lingams (aniconic, i.e., an abstract depiction of Shiva) in all of India. Still, within the complex there are also smaller shrines dedicated to other deities of the Hindu pantheon.
Today, this temple complex is surrounded by two rows of high fortification walls that were built several centuries after the construction of the main temple.
In order to approach the main temple, it is necessary to pass under gopurams, specially decorated towers that rise above the gates through which visitors enter the complex.
When we passed the first gopuram, in the space between the two walls, we were greeted by an elephant. Of course it had a chain around one leg and there was also its guardian. Sneža really, really loves animals and even more she loves to feed them. So, here she took the opportunity and shared with the elephant some not spicy cashews that we had on us and I took the opportunity to make a photo. The two of us were still very much silent and withdrawn, but when I saw the photo I had just made, I simply had to tell her: “Perhaps you will continue to be angry with me, but at least you will have a great photo with the elephant.”
We did start to speak again a little later and that’s how, on speaking terms, we finished with this journey around India. However, by some circumstances even after our return home we stopped communicating. This time I got angry at her and I decided I would no longer speak with her (she was not even aware of this at first, she found out only when she called me once and then I “officially” communicated my decision to her). Still, there is one good thing in connection with the two of us – we can get angry at each other, but we do not sulk for too long. Thanks, I must say, to some fortunate circumstances, we have a mutual friend Ljilja who once told me that Sneža had told her she was sorry the two of us were no longer on speaking terms, so since I was the one who “officially” stopped talking with her, I thought it would be quite all right for me to make the first step, so I called her and everything was cleared up.
After these events we travelled together several times and I must say that we do not see eye to eye each time and about all things, but somehow we always find a way to overcome our disagreements. I’m mentioning all of this first because this is what actually happened and second because I believe that it is important to say that not everything is perfect in good relationships, but if there is a good quality base and mutual values are shared to a larger degree, then it is important to overcome vanity, try to align the differences through conversation and then enjoy in the company of people that are essentially similar and dear to us.
So, although we did not continue with our cordial relationship right away after the photograph with the elephant (it happened a little later), we did visit the temple complex well and successfully, as much as it could be done.
As it can be seen in the photo above, as opposed to some of the gopurams we have seen in some other places, this second gopuram within the temple complex (like the first gopuram that we have already passed, which is behind me in the photo above) is not particularly high, but it is certainly very richly decorated.
What stands out in particular here are two big dvarapalas, gate keepers, who use their hands to invite the believers into the central courtyard of the temple.
In addition to the opulent decoration of the gopuram, along the wall that goes around the inner courtyard, there is a sequence of a large number of sculptures of the holy bull Nandi.
Nandi, but this time huge, is also found in the pavilion that is seen first once you enter the inner courtyard. Nandi faces the main temple and its central sanctum, garbhagriha, above which there is an impressive vimana, a tower typical of the South-Indian or the Dravidian architectural style.
This is only natural, since Nandi is the deity that is the guardian of the gates that lead to the holy mountain Kailasa where the abode of god Shiva is and if necessary Nandi is also Shiva’s mount.
Around the rectangular inner courtyard there is a wall and along it there are numerous smaller shrines. Although this entire site is an archaeological and historical property, this temple is also absolutely active. Thus we see two believers in the courtyard.
When we reached the main temple within the Brihadishvara temple complex, we came across some celebration. It was fun to hear the very loud noise that was coming from the temple – like a brass band only seemingly out of tune. Still, taking into account that this was some kind of religious service, not only that it was not allowed to take photos within the temple, but also the two of us did not want to bother people there too much.
The main temple consists of two connected mandapas (mandapa is a hall/pavilion filled with pillars) that need to be crossed in order to get to the inner shrine (garbhagriha) above which rises the vimana, i.e., the tower.
As I’ve mentioned, the lingam that is in the garbhagriha is one of the biggest in India and generally speaking this temple holds the record for a couple of more elements. With its 66 metres in height, the vimana of this temple is the highest in India, at least as far as the ancient structures are concerned.
Apart from its height that incorporates 13 floors and the opulence and beauty of its decorations, this vimana that is made of granite also impresses with the octagonal dome on its top. The dome itself which is also made of granite and which is also richly decorated weighs 80 tons and nobody actually knows for sure how the builders managed to lift it and place it properly so high.
On the top of the dome there is a gilded finial that was gifted by the king during whose reign the temple was built – Rajaraja Chola I (ruled in the period 985-1014).
Although we first only passed by the Nandi Mandapa going towards the blasting music that could be heard from the main temple, now we went back to the pavilion and looked at this divine bull a bit better.
This Nandi is impressive, too. It is a statue made out of a single block of granite, it is 6 metres long and weighs 25 tons.
Then we went to one of the side temples that we could visit. Within the whole temple complex, in addition to the sculptural decorations, there is also a large number of wall paintings (see the paintings on the ceiling in the photo above). This could also be seen in the side temple we visited.
Of course, after many, many centuries and with the specific climate, as well as the burning of incense sticks and oil lamps, a lot of those paintings, as well as walls may seem decayed, but certainly not any less beautiful.
At the entrance into the temple they were selling different trinkets, in addition to which there were postcards and posters on sale, but there was also a priest who very kindly agreed to have his photo with me taken. By the way, in the meantime I have learned that three horizontal white lines mark the celebration of god Shiva.
Then we walked a little around the temple complex and made a circle around the main temple admiring its different ornaments and the size. It is important to bear in mind that this structure is now more than a thousand years old!!!
I really enjoyed this visit. The temple complex in Thanjavur is significantly smaller than the one in Madurai and it was incomparably less crowded, but it was all very impressive nonetheless.
After we had finished with our visit to Brihadishvara Temple, we got us an auto rickshaw and went to the Royal Palace. The palace was originally built by rulers from the Nayaka dynasty who reigned in the 16th and the 17th centuries and who had Thanjavur as their capital, but was later taken over by the rulers from the Maratha dynasty whose descendents continue to be the owners of the palace to this very day.
Within the palace there are numerous sculptures and paintings on display, but there is also a pyramidal tower that is similar to the temples’ vimanas.
The two of us were not idle, so we climbed up within the tower – some 4-5 floors. In the interior of the tower there is nothing striking – mostly pillars and arches, but in the middle of each floor there is some marking, a painted mandala in that part of the ceiling and/or a wheel hanging parallel to the ceiling.
From the courtyard it was also possible to see the nearby observation tower, but we were no longer interested in any climbing. Admittedly, I actually don’t know if it was possible to climb up there.
We walked a little more around the museum that goes along the palace and then we returned to the hotel, since already around noon we had a train to Tiruchirappalli. When we got there, we immediately had further connection to Viluppuram, and when we got there, we left the trains and took a taxi to the city of Pondicherry that is actually officially called Puducherry.