Shore Temple, Kancheepuram

Best part of India? THE FOOD (well the ancient relics and beautiful temple and artisanship and hospitality and gorgeous weather and splashes of COLOR everywhere, so I lied).  I was at the Murugan Idli Shop in Chennai.  Idli is a fluffy "bun" made from a fermented batter of crushed lentils and rice.  Fluffier than a pancake, yet spongier than bread, idlis (the white one in the photo) are dipped into a variety of chutney (top four condiments).  My favorite was the top right, the white coconut chutney, which was savory, salty, and creamy.  The bowl at the very left is actually a molded and dried leaf, and all the food was eaten on one giant banana leaf.  Just LOOK how big it is; it's just bananas (see what I did there?).

The next day: Shore Temple (Mahabalipuram), right by the beautiful Bay of Bengal.  

I feel nostalgic when I recall the crunching of sand under my sandals, the salty breeze of the shore, and whistle of wind through the temple columns. 

Hand-stitched rugs: the detail is exquisite!

Pancha Rathas temple: Pancha Rathas, or "Five Brothers" is a complex of five monoliths dedicated to... you guessed it, five brothers.  AND THEIR COMMON WIFE (dang, girrrrrl!)  

The Five Rathas

Legend has it (or according to my friend,) that one of the brothers came back from a long journey and the conversation went like this: 

bro: hey ma, I have great news to share!

ma: if you have anything to share, share it with your brothers too

bro:...

Five Rathas

I added this last photo because when I was in a rural village of Kancheepuram, I met a group of girls who were thrilled to have their photo taken... as they have never seen a dslr camera before!!  The look on their faces as I showed them their own photo was priceless.  I take instant photos for granted, and seeing their reaction was astounding.

Cheese!!