Thanjavur - Day 2

Entrance gopuram, Brihadishwara Temple, Thanjavur

In the morning, we went back with Raja and Senthil to the Brihadishwara Temple. It was a beautiful day as we walked in to the huge inner court where we had watched the Nandi Ceremony the evening before.

Brihadishwara Temple and the Nandi Temple (on right)

Coming back from the tour around the temples, I started lagging behind John and Raja and at one point, trying to catch up and running barefoot on the hot sand alongside the temple, I thought the soles of my feet were going to burn off. I got to where they had put down mats to protect from the burning hot sand, but it didn't get much better. I did get some blisters under my feet and from that day on I was careful to wear bandaids on my sore feet. We later on had another experience of burning hot sand in Trichy that we will not forget for a while.

I managed to calm down sufficiently after burning my feet to take this vertical pan of John and Raja approaching the exit gopuram.

Raja was really in his element at the Brihadishwara Temple. It was his temple. He knew the elephant trainer and got him to have the elephant blow in Siv's hair, which was a new and comic experience for her. We also met some friendly young ladies, students in various subjects, all of whom spoke excellent English.


Raja chuckles as Siv feels hot elephant breath	Siv, Raja and young lady students

Entrance to inner temple	Dvarapala (door guardian)

Then we walked up the steps and past the threatening dvarapalas and into the inner temple. Raja seemed to know all the priests and soon we were brushing our hands over the flame he held out on a tray and pulling the heat (energy) up towards our faces, which was surprisingly pleasant given the temperature of the day. We had our foreheads marked and were good for the day. After that, we walked around the temple. This was one of those wonderful moments when Raja sang sacred songs -- but happy ones! -- and danced in illustration. It was a great tour!


Ganesh, the elephant god	Buddha seated under his Bo tree

Arcade and elephant-trunk balustrade	Looks like a drain in the form of an elephant trunk

After lunch, I (John) walked around some in the street near the hotel, looking into shops and taking pictures of smiling, friendly people. It really felt good.


Colorul tissues for saris	The "boss" of a lungi store

A cooking-ware dealer with a wonderful moustache	An extraordinarily friendly man with his baby I met in the street

That afternoon, Raja had asked us if we wanted to see some of the less touristy parts of Tanjore that evening and of course we replied "yes" instantly. (We'd have followed Raja into hell!) So he and Senthil came by just after supper and took us up to the neighborhood where Raja lives. We got out of the car to look at a temple and, as usual with Raja, left our sandals in the car. But after we'd seen that temple, we walked a hundred meters or so up the street to look into another one. So here we were, wandering barefoot around the darkened streets of Thanjavur by night! We'll probably never do that again.


Thanjavur by night	A whole family (we presume) of tailors

The moon above a gopuram	Brahmin boys practicing Hindu part singing

So Thanjavur is a great place to visit, full of sites and of friendly people. If you go there, Raja has an office in a small house in front of the entrance to the Brihadishwara Temple. Bon voyage!

Next stop, Tiruchirapalli. Got that? No? Then try Trichy.

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