There is a place where you can feel the craziest and messiest movements of India. Kumbakonam, a town in Tamil Nadu a.k.a “temple town”, is where we decided to stop and explore. And man, what an adventure!
Getting lost in its crowded, yet extremely warm and why not, dirty streets is an experience that not everyone may feel comfortable with. But Kumbakonam is the door of a low working class of South India; a door that is always interesting to open to get a glimpse of a different way of living.
We arrive early in the morning by taxi from Auroville to Hotel Chela, which is close to some of the main temples of the town. [Note for the readers or for the future: the low budget room would be good if the window could close and so avoid mosquitoes!!! Thanks Shiva -or whatever- we brought our own mosquito net ! Otherwise we would have been eaten alive ! After a very cold shower (still find it difficult to call it shower) and a lovely view on what looks like the city dump i’ve got only a thing to say: this hotel… is NOT RECOMMENDED].
Colors of Kumbakonam
Anyway, once we step out the building wearing thin clothes, sun glasses and hat, we realize that we are like a fish out of water. With our cameras out all the time, shooting and trying to capture all this chaos in our pictures, we end up getting lost in the labyrinthine streets of Kumbakonam.
We manage to get visit the temples that we have in our list, but we also discover new ones in our way-to-nowhere. They all have very stunning and colorful figures & art works, but they are at least as dirty as the streets. Discouragement kicks in. Later, we decide to visit one of the best and most recommended temples in town, Airavatesvara Temple. This one is away from the center, but despite the extremely hot temperature of midday (not very smart idea), we decide to walk the 5 kilometers that separate us from the temple. Yes, we are crazy!
And here we are, Mad Max and Marta Madness, sweating like a rump roast under the Indian sun. Finally, after a long long walk, asking the direction to people and even meeting some nice guys willing to help us find our destination, we make it!
The effort result in being well worth! The satisfaction to arrive and see the beautiful gardens surrounding the Temple dedicated to Shiva cannot be described! Immediately, we realize that this one temple is not like the others, its very different indeed. The majestic carvings and its good state of conservation inspire us. The dust and noise, have been overwhelmed by beauty and quietness ! Simply wow !
Airavatesvara Temple
We are delighted by the incredible shapes, statues, perspectives, lights and shadows that Airavatesvara Temple offers. Bare feet, almost alone and in complete silence: truly a place of peace. We give a little tip to the woman in charge of guarding the temple and out of the blue she opens another smaller temple close on the side of the complex. What a surprise ! This one, explains a devotee that approaches to us, is the first temple dedicated to a female Goddess in India.
We smile and enjoy what we see. It’s amazing to discover, finally, a place where people can connect their souls to their divinities without noise and distractions. It seems a refuge in the middle of a battlefield.
Beautiful sculptures inside the temple complex
On the way back -before a well deserved tuk-tuk ride-, we buy two beautiful scarfs from a little handicrafts store placed close to the entrance of the last temple. While the owner spreads lots of the fabrics on the floor to show us what he has and we can also see how his mother is making them with a knitter just a few steps away. Also his two daughters are assisting him in the negotiation process, as we try to get the best deal for the gifts. I’m sure our mums will love the scarfs.
Well well well. What an experience, this messy and surprising Kumbakonam!
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