Fabric of South India: Crossing Paths with Chennai

Kindness pervades our world, whether we admit this truth or not; it can be just enough to keep going. Such a thought occurred to me.

My trip to Chennai was almost put off by the stresses of travel, its ability to rob one of sleep and energy. Because of mom's courage, I booked flights to give us around two days in the city.  Extra time for some exciting adventures.

Certain reasons inspired me to persevere. As a city of millions, Chennai is a prominent South Indian city with culture, food, and architecture quite distinct from Mumbai. Among these millions, 3 people I especially wanted to meet: a long-time online friend, and the elderly parents of family friends in the U.S. Lastly, of course, my mom came with me. In other words, the 7 AM flight time felt justified.

Once on the plane, coming to Chennai was not too challenging. (Though, at ~two hours, it was a longer flight for us.) Mid-flight, I in fact worked on another one of these travel writings. Our best efforts aside, we faced a challenge going from the airport to our hotel. Even without this obstacle, the hotel was an hour away due to brutal traffic. Ultimately, mom procured us a pre-paid taxi, working out sufficiently.

At this point, though, we were running late past the time I gave my friend to meet at the hotel. Just a little panic to start the trip!

Fortunately, being a flexible person, he had grabbed some breakfast nearby while waiting. At 10:43 in the morning, I met my friend (here on called F) holding a hand towel for sweat. With F in tow, I escorted him inside into the cool refreshment of air conditioning. As this goes on, my mom is handling the hotel check in. We converse meanwhile. His gift to me is a USB-to-headphone adapter for my phone, fixing a problem plaguing me the past few days.

After this, my mom walks up and introduces herself in a characteristically charismatic way to F. (He would later admit that my mom was easier to talk to than expected. My mom really can befriend practically anyone.) The hotel room then frees up after some delay sorting out the points applied. Quickly, I go up with my mom to our room to deposit some items and lighten up. 

Down in the lobby again, she hands me a bag of green-wrapped mint chocolates for my friend, which I gladly pass on. After that, a quick planning session about today's sites. Today was on track to be an excellent day.

Day 1: Chennai Exploration
The almighty search engine decreed that "noon" was closing time for the Kapeeleshwar Temple, which moved it up the queue. (Kapeeleshwar is especially praised even in an area known for beautiful Hindu artwork.) Our rideshare driver navigated the road skillfully, passing road closures and surprise blockades, but the arrival time of "5 min to noon" got moved and we apparently missed the timing. 

I insisted on stopping by to still check it out. Appreciating the beauty, as one does at these magnificent temples. That is when... we noticed that people are going inside. Nervously, we ventured forth. A full complex laid out before us; only the core temple, one building among many, was closed. The almighty search engine had lied to us.

Chennai's reputation for ethereal beauty in its temples is quite deserved. Certainly, the Red Temple (Laal Mandir) in Delhi, which I only glanced at in passing, also captures the imagination. 

Kapeeleshwar complex features an impressive mosaic of hues, including exotic colors like violets and blues. An excellent place to wander around. Minor problem: they asked us to walk barefoot, inviting hot stone to greet us. Perhaps now is the time to admit: Chennai must have the most visceral heat of India on my trip, above and below.

 

Naturally, the hall's shade, seen on the left in the above image, was a pleasant experience. My feet praised this movement. Ganesha, watching over in direct view, seemed excited to grant us refuge from the heavenly rays. Many others lined up in the hall, sitting down. While we, uh, played the role of tourists, taking a plethora of angles captive in our devices.

 

Kapeeleshwar draws admiration for its magnificent, ornate tower that you can see for yourself. Of course, it is not alone in this style though few have such an expansive area to themselves. I can see perfectly why this impressive iteration is recommended even above other temples in the area.  Humbling was the sensation of my feet on sweltering stone. A little bit of relief was to be had from putting shoes on.

 

Santhome Cathedral, a request by my mom, was designated our next stop. Hardly very far at all. So you might imagine no problems, right? We opted for a rickshaw, which should have been totally fine. But the driver asked for a steep rate. Then another rickshaw -- the one taking us to the Cathedral -- insisted on 200 rupees, scarcely better than the first. F helped us mediate this situation.

Our steady trio investigated the cathedral, observing the lovely stained glass and sorta creepy human figures. I stuck with F and talked about cathedrals. F had passed by this place several times but never set foot inside, so my mom and I were *his* tour guides in a way. This cathedral is pretty, especially in the context of India not being a traditionally Christian nation. For me, coming from the US, it was a bit more familiar. I say this though my mom took many pictures up and down.

Now outside, F and I both face the sweat pooling up. We appreciated the white steeples before us even amid the glare. With this humidity, with the heat index around 38°C (100 °F for Americans), it was certainly warm! If this were on the way to work, I would complain. With my friend F, though, this is closer to a party.

Once mom rejoined us, F called the rickshaw via rideshare auto in the direction of Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Temple, our second temple. Despite being raised Hindu, F has not seen these temples before either (though he is not from Chennai originally either). Kapeeleshwar is world-class, giving tough competition for this temple. Also, it was closed anyways and had no complex for us to wander around.  

 

Something a little unusual here happens. Our rickshaw driver, offering a more reasonable rate, also provided a more reasonable attitude; he agreed to continue with us on account of the short stop.
 

 From here on, he acted as our tour guide, carrying us to the Amir Mahal (lodging for a Muslim royal family of the area). Once inside, we were forced to turn around right away by the security guard. Might have been the expected response, actually! There was still a beautiful crimson gate flanked by trees to witness as you can see below.

  

New information from the driver changed my list around. Mount Road Bilal, a place I found on the search engine, was supplanted by a new suggestion: Buhari Hotel. Buhari is most famous for inventing the Chicken 65 -- an Indo-Chinese dish -- which just was notable enough to try. On the way there, I faced a moment of regret. We zoomed by the oldest Indian cinema -- the oldest in British India as a whole -- too quickly for my phone camera. This cinema is a gorgeous white-and-red number that must be a treat to visit. Simply not enough time for me, though.

My mom ordered the famous chicken 65 (red), I asked for the saffron-cooked chicken dish (orange), and F received the egg-fried rice (you know what that looks like). We captured three major food traditions of India: Indochinese, Persian, and Chinese. A little addition added variety for me: ordering a Kashmiri naan (flatbread with red flakes), with a sweeter taste. Oh, and mint chutney (green) to round out the dish. What a wonderful meal that we shared. To give back to F for his kindness, my mom covered his meal as well.

 

Bringing a friend along really made the city come to life. Passing through Chennai, site to site, like this had allowed me to enter full immersion in a way unlike any other Indian city. India is often known as a pretty conservative place. Our next rickshaw driver, summoned by F again, was a lady wearing an incredibly bright pink shirt; during our ride, she blasted some catchy music from the radio, which was another shock in turn.

Soon we were deposited in front of the Government Museum Chennai. Shockingly, this museum is from the 19th century -- much more recent than the temples we saw! Its look is an incredibly effective hook sinking in to us. My mom had actually vouched for this place because of that appearance. F helped us by getting the tickets, working out great. I participated too...as moral support maybe.

 

Below is a sign written in Tamil, the language of the state. Surprisingly, it was challenging to capture the elegance of Tamil and its separation from Hindi.

Red stone interrupted by white ran along a separate structure -- right by an impressive kettle. Surely, this is a very important building. ...It is, actually, the ticket office....imagine a museum so impressive that the ticket office looks this nice.

 

Eye candy abound at this wonderful museum. We had to take pictures with each building beckoning us. The big highlight of this museum had to be these incredible styles.

 

Remarkable Hindu sculptures were the highlight inside, though no photographs were allowed for much of the exhibit. Imagine my gratitude when F explains the context behind all of these sculptures. I still had trouble following but this helped me develop a deeper appreciation. Interestingly, like Rajasthan allowed me to engage with Jain spirituality, I interacted more with Hinduism on this trip. Remarkable temples help too.

  

Outside the National Art Gallery, a series of photographs taken by children across the world. F and I noted the sorrow in the pictures by children from Gaza and how much they resonated. I could not photograph those shots because they had a deep beauty to them. Kids really are capable of great things that often go unnoticed -- an exhibit like this is essential.

Earlier on, F and I had (remotely) groupwatched a show called Tamayura, a show devoted to the different styles people have behind the camera. My photography style tends to be unobstructed; the exhibit beautifully captured the obstructions I tend to overlook.

My battery, however, was starting to run low as we entered the gallery. First floor was eerily half empty, with one room dedicated to paintings of Nehru, Gandhi, and more. There was an old Pakistani governor included as well from before Partition. Mom (a painter herself) was taken by this very modern-feeling, serious-looking portrait of Nehru. I started finding my feet dragging, and my heart thumping; classical signs of my getting tired.

Climbing the stairs took me over my legs. Plain for all to see is the third floor being closed. We spent some time on the second floor, seeing paintings in the Rajput style, the Mughal style, and more. Great complement here with my adventures already in the country.

The onslaught of 4 PM had gotten to us to consider splitting up the trio. Traffic time was resurging. What else is new in Chennai? After some discussion, my friend pointed out that our hotel was right near the metro station he needed. (F lives quite a distance from the city center.) Along the way, we passed by the beautiful Thousand Light mosque which shone with multiple golden green-rimmed domes. As luck would have it, again, I was not sadly not ready for the photo. 

 

Before my friend got off, my mom -- to my surprise -- told him he's very nice. Considering how long I've known F, this moment was incredibly warm. I offered him "thank you yaar" in great appreciation for his efforts and getting to see him. Once F got off at the metro station, my mom and I stopped by our hotel. Got me feeling just a little sad even though we had just spent 5 hours together!

Rested up, got up, and polished up. Social batter got powered back up. A pigeon outside our window preened carefully, seemingly oblivious to us. Indian pigeons provide such delightful entertainment. There was one more meeting coming up: the S's, parents of our family friends.

On the way, I sadly missed my chance to see the Thousand Lights mosque (soon enough the sight would come). Our rideshare driver had difficulty finding the S's house. One reason is simply the number of hospitals and pharmacies in the direct area. It was busy! Because neither of us have an Indian number, my mom asked the driver to call and receive directions, delivering us at the doorstep of a beautiful house. S aunt walks out to greet us, strengthening the vibes of our trip.

Currently, S uncle was still out at the gym. While waiting, I looked around and saw some incredible sights: this adorable red elephant (image repeated for your eyeballs), a lovely picture of our family friends, and this Olympian medal belonging to S uncle (amazing honestly). Not only were the S's incredibly remarkable, they were even nicer. S aunt even had the opportunity to show off some beautiful South Indian style saris like this maroon-and-purple one. More for my mom's education, but I liked them too!

When S uncle arrives, I saw for myself that he was also especially friendly. Gregarious even! Together we ate iftar -- the meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. If you are not fasting, one might call this dinner. Congee (rice porridge) and samosa was an unfamiliar combination for me. A little acclimation needed before I could fully appreciate this intrinsically South Indian dish. Other excellent food including shami kebabs. This was just the starter! After, we had chicken tikka and mutton biryani, which was also incredibly tasty. Kept eating the congee afterwards too.

  

With them, we discussed many topics, like Partition (of India and Pakistan in 1947). The S's were not directly impacted by the events yet they are universally known in the Indian Subcontinent. They influence the legacy of many South Asians, myself included. Partition is a favorite topic because of its complexity; its emotional weight is tough to linger on.

Talk moved on once more. Our hosts recommended we visit Mahabalipuram, a 7th century group of Hindu monuments that is among India's most famous sites. Others had recommended it, and I had even hoped to see it since before we arrived.

A remarkable moment happened next -- they offered their trusted driver and in turn he agreed to drive us there, back, and to the airport for our evening flight tomorrow. This kind of resolved everything. Our hosts, the S's, were even kinder than I'd heard. I could see where their son gets it from.

Uncle drove us a short distance through the Thousand Lights area, alight at night with fashion stores, eateries, and nightlights. We did not pass by the mosque, unfortunately. (Continue reading though!) Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the S's company one more time before my mom and I appreciated their thoughtfulness. Uncle dropped us at our hotel, closing off an incredible day.

Sleepiness ate away at me, but I still went to the gym for a little tiring out before bed. Meeting F and the S's had filled me with an incredible feeling of adrenaline and happiness. This really was an incredible day. Mom was already asleep by the time I came back, which gave me a cue too. Well-needed rest after a stressful couple of days.

Day 2: Mahabalipuram and the Ancient Coast

The power of caring for others coursed through this day as well. Because of the S's incredibly thoughtful gesture, my mom and I would be able to work in Mahabalipuram, a top Indian monument of many centuries past. S's driver was in fact sent not just to take us on the 1.5 hour one-way route. His second, equally important task, was to keep us safe in this journey; after all, this driver comes with the trust of our family friends. Of course, removing the task of haggling prices or managing rideshare was a plus too.

Woke up at 6:30, feeling refreshed from my night's rest. Idled on my phone for an hour. Studied a little Urdu.

 

Mom asked me about how we can possibly reward the S's for their generous gift. On the phone, dad said to just accept the gift and tip the driver. That seemed like the best answer to me.

 

Once downstairs, I learned that our room did not include breakfast. However, at the front desk, I ask for a discount and receive free breakfast for both of us. The food tasted quite good, especially aloo paratha, poached fish, and more like lemon rice. Well, uh, the lemon rice gave me throat itchiness. Sure enough, peanuts have met with me again. Stopping eating helped well enough here (with allergy meds ready in case).

With this excitement, the eating process took a while and the driver had already arrived. We get ready to leave quickly in our room and meet with the driver. In the car, my mom asks for information on our surroundings. Driver points out many fine universities, the Consulate General's block-long house, and even kiddy amusement parks like Dizzee World. Our drive through Chennai and onwards is quite smooth

Pockets of blue await us, even as the coast is off in the distance. Actually caught more of a glimpse of water from the river along the highway.

Mahabalipuram, the 7th century Hindu group of monuments, faced us solidly with very few signs of damage from the eras. To make things smoother, driver got us tickets for our visit. We had already passed parts of the town, still itching for business. Cloud cover shielded us from some sun but seemed to hammer humidity into us, driving my sweat. Tamil Nadu surely could make clothes stick to one's soul. I did wish that F was here with me to explain all of the Hindu lore depicted here.

My trusted Cambridge hat betrayed me because the entry booth had questions for me. Why is this foreigner coming without paying the pricier ticket? The driver argued with them to let me in and they gave in after a few minutes. The Pancha Rathas (five Rathas) were awash with sand and stone, creating a mystical feeling. The first one, Arjuna Ratha, left quite an impression. Many tourists gawked, us included, and we got the chance to take photographs in the entranceways (partially visible there). Couldn't quite shake the feeling that this trip was going by pretty fast, especially as we will likely not see everything. 

Going back to the car, we passed by some young goats (again). A few sprinted past us to join their fellows near the stalls. This sight was adorable to witness. My mom even recorded a video of this incredible cuteness before we continued. Tucked my Cambridge hat away in the car to try and avoid more questions.

Dhamaraja Ratha, flanked by distinctive trees, is smaller than other Rathas but remarkable in aura.

 

A veritable barrage of impressive sculptures, buildings, and more faced us before heading to our next main spot. 

Prior research (very intensive obviously) pointed out the Shore Temple is an especially beloved, incredible site. Another ride in the car led to my third temple of the Chennai visit. Once again, non-Hindus not permitted inside, but this one was a little more festive than temple 2. There is a magic to a well-contrasted red and blue color to me that came out excellently from this area.

 

Of course, refuge from the sky proved valuable here too. It is still Tamil Nadu after all. Our photo routine continued of course, mainly with pictures of us. I noticed incredible work in the ceiling, like this gorgeous lotus.

 

Golden tower standing above the temple was a remarkably imposing sight. It lacks the flamboyant colors of other South Indian temples, but makes up for it in a straightforward sense of awe.

  

Our visit was not especially long to the Shore Temple. Not to mention skipping Krishna's Butterball (apparently saving me some hiking up a rock incline) and the Cave Temple monument.  A little disappointing but our visit was also facing certain practical considerations. Plus even this much is still remarkable.

 

Next up was a ‘Beach” section that we had to pay to get into. Mom opted  dind’t go, and driver got us tickets. I was interrogated about where I’m from and I said Mumbai. The staff were reluctant to let me in again. To convince them, driver shows them the earlier tickets. There was no beach as it was just fenced off. 

 

But an old royal monument was back there, and gave me a chance to see some neat white birds with long peckers by bold red flowers. More tourists there, but I dared to take a picture there myself. Not a massive one, but complements the area beautifully.

Not doing every section of Mahabalipuram left me a little self-conscious. We had, however, spent plenty of time within our limits and reasons. I asked for a little stop over at the beach. Just me and the driver going across the sifting sand, catching sun. Trash was scattered across the beach, making me grateful for my shoes. Driver took a quick photo of me by the water and we began heading back.

Pointing at the water, he alerts me to some birds with his finger. In Urdu, I asked what pelicans are called in Urdu. After hearing the answer, I shared their English name. He talked a little  bit about not knowing much English. I pointed out that my wanting to learn Urdu gave us something in common.

 

 

Properly, we began our way back towards Chennai, stopping by to buy sweets from a recommended local shop. Buying sweets before lunch -- at 1 pm -- is an amusing change of pace. However, we did not take the S's recommendation to eat at a resort on the beach. Instead, driver pointed out Mount Road Bilal as a tasty spot for food. Mount Road Bilal had, in fact, been on my list until I swapped it out for Buhari. We were in a hurry because of the immense traffic expected around 2 (not so surprising at this point). I ordered a fish tikka to go and mom orders a combo dish of rice, daal, and chicken 65. A chicken biryani for the driver (our chance to thank him for his help).

Traffic stalls us still with motor vehicles holding the road hostage. An extra ten minutes at least thrown in before we finally make it. Mom and I take some photos with us in them. Of course I also notice pigeons flock near the mosque with people feeding them.

Because it was not prayer time, the person at the door did not fuss about my shorts. We were let in for a couple photos, paused outside to take in the beautiful mosque and head on our way. 

 

After all this adventure, you may wonder "is it time for sightseeing to end?" Technically, yes, but my mom wanted to stop by a sari (shawl) shop for a few moments. We spent half an hour actually. The answer why is that they were having a significant sale on a wide portfolio. However, I made a rare contribution for clothes shopping and helped my mom pick out a red and blue sari as well as a blue and green sari. Apparently, our tastes aligned well, and my mom bought both of them.

NOW, now, now is a brief moment of recuperation. Finally have my opportunity to dig into my fish tikka, and find it suitably spicy without being dry. Here in Chennai there is more access to fresh seafood, which was made abundantly clear by this stellar dish. The food's taste lingered in my throat for a few hours. Also, a little time to relax.

 

Rest gave way to the airport. Along the drive, riddled with Chennai's persistent jams, the sun dipped down below. Not unlike Delhi, this city has many leafy vistas, even along busy roads. Pretty sights AND we arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before the flight time. Naturally, we tipped the S's driver for this tremendous effort.

Now inside the terminal, my mom vied for an upgrade to better seats. Our flight was also delayed by half an hour because of Mumbai air traffic control. On top of that, my mom was led away for 15 minutes because her checked in baggage had to be manually inspected. Apparently, the staff mistook the water bottles packed away for a phone battery bank (which India is very strict over for some reason). Finally, we got on the plane headed back.

South India, in my view, had proven to be a dramatic success. Before, perhaps Mumbai had seemed like the south. This trip gave a proper introduction to the region. I met people tremendously generous with their time and energy -- both F and the S's. Ate some excellent food and witnessed human achievements from a millennia ago. What more could I have asked for?