Chennai
Although
Madras, the largest city of South India , is localised on a site of
old civilization, the city is relatively new. Indeed, it was founded to the
17 th century. Since 1956, it is the capital of the State of Tamilnadu.
Madras is famous for the teaching of disciplines such as Bharatanatyam, ballet dancing (a south Indian classical dance belle form ) carnatic music, also of the south. Madras is the most significant center of production of films of India apart from Mumbai.
The Government Museum
(Museum of the State) has a rich collection of ethnology, paintings,
and miniatures. But this Museum is especially appreciated by international
travellers for the section of archaeology and its room of bronzes.
The splendid sculptures of the Chola period (to note in particular
the representations of Shiva Nâtarâja) carried this art on a level of examination
and refinement extremes.
The district of Mylapore, centers shivaïte, is known for the temple of Kapaleshvara (Lord of Craniums). This temple is the théatre significant processions, in particular that of the month of Magh (Jan.- Feb) for the period of full moon.
Several churches can be
visited in Madras: the cathedral of Saint Thomas, where the apostle
has been buried, the church Sainte Marie, located in the enclosure of the
Fort George Saint, where are also the administrative buildings of the Government,
and the cathedral of Saint George, of Anglican style , are most
interesting.
In the south of the city, in a village on the edge of the sea is the temple of Ashta Lakshmî, i.e. the eight forms of Lakshmî ;the goddess of good fortune.
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram the capital
of the Pallava Dynasty for several centuries has had an
exceptional artistic radiation. It remains one of the seven Holy Cities of
the hindus and still accounts many temples of its past:
Temple of Kailashanath (Pallava, 7 th century). This relatively small building was built under the reign of king Rajasimha Pallava. It is most famous, most beautiful and also the oldest Pallava temple which has remained almost intact. One regards it as a head of architecture and dravidian sculpture.
While arriving on the site, one is struck by the harmony which emerges some. Seen of face, the temple is announced first of all by small vaults containing each one a lingam. To notice, vis-a-vis the entry, a splendid bull of stone, Nandi. All the temples dedicated to this god are announced in the same way.
The peripheral vaults which punctuate the interior cloister, more precisely one the southern wall, contain many statues, have well have traces of old mural frescos.
Temple of Ekambareshvara :
one reaches the interior court by crossing colossal a 59 m height gopuram, going back to 1509. The mandapa of entry of the temple is a large hall with columns, open on outside. One will be able to detail the many sculptures of the pillars. To notice Nandi facing the entry of the temple.
On left, further, Kalyana Mandapa is not visited. It is in an interior court that is the crowned mango tree, of which the local legend said that it is old 3500 years; of its four branches, accounting for the four Veda, it remains only two about it.
Temple of Varadaraja Swami and the Temple of Vaikuntha Perumal(7th) are also worth a visit.
Vellore
Located at about
70 km in the east of Kanchipuram, this average city is worth a visit ,its
fort protected by powerful walls. In the enclosure of this fortress, the temple
of Jalakanteshvara itself is enclosed of fortifications which borer only one
impressive gopuram.
It justifies a detailed visit indeed, from the profusion and the quality of the sculptures which decorate the pillars: Ganesh in various forms, Narasimha Mahîshâsuramardinî Vishnu dancing on the Kâliya snake, Kârtikeya with six heads (three visible) sitted on its peacock, Durgâ and its lion, etc.
The peripheral pillars of this Kalyanamandapa decorate horses pulled up on their legs postpones, gone up riders, or of kinds of dragons, typical Vijayanagar style .
Tiruttani
At about 42 km in the north of Kanchipuram, very close to Arkonam, this agglomeration in addition without interest shelters a temple of Virattanesvara (Subramanya) of the Aparajita period, last phase of Pallava. It is thus a building of the 9 th century, representing the final transformation of the Pallava style, in architecture as in sculpture.
The walls of the porch carry a niche on each of the three sides, with Dakshinamurti and Ganesh in the south, Vishnu in the west, Brahmâ and Durgâ in north. The sculptures laid out in the room comprise, in addition to the dvârapâla, Saptamâtrikâ, Ganesh, Shiva, Sûrya and Chandikeshvara.
Uttaramerur
Uttaramerur (or Uttiramerur) is about 30 km in the south of Kanchipuram. Its Temple of Vishnu Sundaravaradaperumal outside does not pay a mine, but the interior is interesting, probably of the Chola period
Here, as in Kanchipuram in Vaikuntha Perumal, Vishnu is represented in its various forms: upright (Varadarâja), sitted (Vaikunta) and lying (Ranganath). Eight different Lakshmî (Ashta Lakshmî) are present ;
Birds Century
Between Uttaramerur and Mahabalipuram, in Vedantangal, it is suggested to visit the ornythologic reserve. This visit is especially justified from November to February, during this period the migratory birds come abound to nest.