The Retreat to the Chola Lands

When you expect for a thing to happen for a long time, you feel really really elated when it finally happens. The trip to The Living Chola Temples was something like that. Siva and I set forward on this trip, Arunachalan having dropped out unexpectedly. After a long day at the college, I hurried home on 10th August. It was around 6.15pm when I set out, all bags packed! I was so damn eager to see any place other than the bare walls of my college! I reached CMBT around 7.30pm and saw Siva standing there near the bus we intended to board. The destination: Tanjore. An 8 hour journey ensued - with funny recaps, story-exchanges, college abuse, experiences, songs and sleep. I remember getting up at Kumbakonam at around 3.15am the next day and I finally stepped onto Tanjore at around 4.45am.

A reflection photograph at Brihadeeswara Temple

After some thinking, planning and enquiry, we made our way to the pride of Tanjore: the Big Brihadeeshwara temple. Even from the bus-stand, the temple’s gopura-tip gleamed high. After some pondering, wandering and snaps, we stepped into the temple at 5.40am. The sculpture-gazing started at once! Wonderfully chiselled structures stood out beautifully. The huge Nandi and the Lingam in the inner sanctum were awe-inspiring too. To think that all these were built several thousand years ago is totally breath-taking. After the beauty-worship( and yeah, the snaps ;-) ) we set out from the temple at around 7.15am. We went to Thanjaipureeshwarar temple after which the town is said to be named. It has inscriptions implying kubera worship. Then we went on to 3 temples nearby that belong to the 108 divya-desams. We took a call whether to proceed to the palace that opened at 9am or go on to kumbakonam and decided to do the latter. It was around 8.20am. An hour’s journey to Dhaarasuram followed. We visited the popular Irawatheswar temple, another UNESCO heritage site.

A painting at Brihadeswara Temple,Tanjore

A look at the inscriptions, snaps and some pigeon sighting followed. We proceeded to Udayalur at around 9.30, to pay homage to the greatest Chola king – Rajaraja I. After a tea and a wee bit of waiting, a hitch-hike happened! Wind whipping your face always brings you a wide, satisfied smile! We got into an auto to Udayalur, which incidentally is near Pazhayarai- an old Chola capital, from the drop-point mid-way. A shock awaited us. I expected a grand tomb but all I got to see was a thatched roof with a lingam marking the burial site.

Emperor Rajaraja Chola's burial site

Apparently, we who build grand tombs and statues for politicians of our times don’t care to give statues to a king who gave us monuments to look at. I felt a little abashed at that point. We met the priest taking care of the site, who was clearly over 60. After getting info that politicians also had visited this place, I WAS abashed. We went on to Pateeshwaram where we roamed the temple there, still engrossed in thoughts. The huge temple there has two entrances and we had to look out for a while to get to the right entrance so that we could get back to our slippers. :p We got into a bus to Kumbakonam which was some 15kms away. We got down near Adhikumbeshwar Temple at around 11.15am. We went on to visit Sakkarapaani temple and Saarangapaani temple all of which had awesome sculptures, signs stating cameras were banned and WOW shrines in their main sanctums. After sugarcane juice, we did some after bus-chase there. We then went to Mahamaham tank, a few minutes away, and sat down for a while before getting over to the bus stand- a long walk! It was nearing 1.45pm. We did a judgement call again whether to proceed to Gangaikondacholapuram or return home. After a coin-toss and considering the 6 and half hour journey and Arunachalan’s absence, we decided to get back to Chennai. A bus-ride with songs, and planning for more trips followed. The trip ended when I and Siva went our separate ways at Perungalathur stop, at nearly 8.30pm. It was Sunday night and I reached home at 9pm. College next day was not enough for me to stop thinking of the relics left behind by the Chola rulers. I slept with a smile :)