Mahabalipuram Archives - Rickshaw Challenge

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Southern India

veronika — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 14:41:11 +0000

There are more than 30 protected sites in India altogether, which is no surprise: it is a country with a rich cultural and historical past. Let’s look at how many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Southern India we can list!
Churches of Goa
There is a long list of convents and churches in Goa that have been named UNESCO World Heritage sites. They were built by the Portuguese in the 15^th and 16^th centuries in an effort to spread Christianity. The most beautiful of these churches and convents are: Saint Catherine’s Chapel, Church and Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi, Basílica do Bom Jesus, Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, Church of Saint Cajetan and its seminary, Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and Church of Saint Augustine. The most famous churches of these is the Basílica do Bom Jesus, because it contains the relics of St. Francis Xavier.

The Basílica do Bom Jesus. Photo by Basheer Olakara

Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka
Situated in the Northern part of Karnataka, the ruins at Hampi symbolize a time long gone, but ever important – it was the last capital of the last Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. The absurdly rich royalty at the time built Dravidian temples that became famous among travellers in the 14^th and 16^th century. The temples were abandoned when the Deccan Muslim Confederacy invaded the city. The most significant temple among the ruins is the Virupaksha Temple, which still is an important religious site for Hindus. There are also a lot of other temples in Hampi that are worth seeing, like the Krishna temple complex and the Lotus Mahal complex.

Achyuta Raya Temple, Hampi. Photo by Arian Zwegers

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Karnataka
The group of monuments at Pattadakal are most well-known for their style of architecture. They were built under the Chalukya dynasty, and reflect the eclectic style used at that time, around 6^th and 7^th centuries. There are nine Hindu temples worth seeing here – all of them are equally amazing. There is also a Jain sanctuary, and the showstopper of all: the Temple of Virupaksha. It was commissioned by Queen Lokamahadevi in 740, to pay homage to her husband’s great success in defeating the kings from the South.

The temples of Virupaksha and Kashivishvanath. Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Great Chola Temples, Tamilnadu
As the name might suggest, these buildings in Tamil Nadu were built during the Chola Empire. Three temples are the most important: the Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the Airavatesvara Temple and the Brihadisvara Temple. The Brihadisvara Temple was commissioned by Rajaraja I. and is the most perfect example of Chola architectural elements. The Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was dedicated to Lord Shiva and built under the reign of Rajendera I., while the Airavatesvara Temple was built while Rajaraja II. was leader – its most distinctive feature is that it looks quite different from the other two temples. Al of the celebrations and spiritual rituals that have been held in the past are still being honored today, showing us just how important these temples are for the Tamil heritage.

Airavatesvara Temple. Photo by Arian Zwegers

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
There are a large number of temples and buildings that are worth mentioning when it comes to Mahabalipuram:, Ganesha Ratha, Cave Temples of Mahabalipuram, Structural Temples including the Olakkannesvara Temple and the Shore Temple, Descent of the Ganges, and the The Pancha Rathas Temples. Not far from Chennai, these structures were built during the reign of the Pallava dynasty and are famously carved out of rocks. There are forty sanctuaries among the monuments and the largest Open Air Rock Relief, called Ganga’s Descent. It is also important to mention the beautiful series of caves that constitute a Cave temple – it is a truly spiritual place to visit.

Beautiful Carved Monuments. Photo by Arian Zwegers

Western Ghats, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka
Also known as the Sahyadri Mountain ranges, the Western Ghats run northwards along the western part of the Deccan Plateau. They are not specifically only centered in one region, but in four: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The highest point of the mountain range is around 1200 meters, and the area spreads out on more than 160,000 square kilometers. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because this area is among the world’s top eight World’s Biological Hot Spots, which means that it has incredibly high numbers of different types of species, be it animals or botanical wonders. Most of the animals in the Western Ghats are highly endangered.

Peek-aBoo! Photo by Thangaraj Kumaravel

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Top 9 Sites from the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 05:58:24 +0000

From temples to hidden beaches, while the GamingZion Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run 2015 might not have followed the classic tourist route, but we have seen some amazing sites along the way, either from the backseat of a rickshaw or on our stops along the way. We drove deep into the heart of Tamil Nadu, which is one of India’s lesser visited regions with virtually no tourist infrastructure, and found some pretty amazing places on the way.
1. Brihadishwara Temple, Thanjavur

Brihadishwara Temple, Thanjavur on New Year’s Eve.

Capturing a palate of tawny browns and yellows, walking barefoot across this Ancient Living Chola Temple was a highlight of the trip. Over 1000 years old, pilgrims from all across India come to this vast temple complex to pay homage to the Hindu gods, from girls dressed up in scarlet saris marching in a precession for New Year’s purification to animated children begging us to photograph them, the life in the temple is as stunning as its towering pyramid-shaped gopurams detailed with elaborate stucco sculptures.
2. Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai on New Year Day.

Most of us might have been recovering from a heavy New Year’s Party the night before, but the brilliant colours of Madurai’s 6 hectare temple was worth getting out of bed for. With 12 tall gopurams lined with gods, goddesses, demons, saints, and heroes in a rainbow of colours, the temple is a Technicolor Hindu dream. While non-Hindus were not allowed inside the heart of the temple, we could still stroll down the brilliantly coloured colonnades, watching the devout queue up in lines to enter the holiest part of the Meenakshi Amman Temple.
3. The Monuments of Mahabalipuram

“Descent into the Ganges” in Mahabalipuram.

Even though this seaside town was a victim of the Tsunami ten years ago in 2004, and many of the temples in the town were damaged, there is still plenty to see in this ancient port city dating back to the Pallava kingdom. The Shore Temple is still a spectacular site, and as been reconstructed since the Tsunami damage, sporting elegant carvings and spectacular position on the shoreline. Nearby, the Five Rathas, temples carved out of the bulging boulders, were still just as spectacular in the pouring rain of the cyclone that hit us, where local visitors huddled under the rock cut colonnades. The huge relief carving representing the “Descent into the Ganges” is one of India’s artistic masterpieces, with intricately carved characters like the cat doing penance.
4. The Beach at Kanyakumari

Sunrise over Cape Comorin.

Kanyakumari, known also as Cape Comorin, marks mainland India’s most southerly point, and is also the point where the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet. The most beautiful time to head down to Kanyakumari beach is at sundown and sunrise. Locals flock to the beach both at sunrise and sunset, some even camping on the beach to be there on time in the morning. It’s a spectacular sight to watch the sun move across the coastline, watching the colours change on the huge colossus paying tribute to Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.
5. Manimuthar Falls, Western Ghats

Manimuthar Falls

Close to Kanyakumari is a natural gem we had to visit as one of our challenges. Getting into Manimuthar Falls means driving up to a gate, where you pay a small 15 rupee fee before we had to drive down a very bumpy road to the falls. Although leaving any belongings behind in the rickshaw was dangerous due to kleptomaniac monkeys, it was worth it to go down and paddle in the cool waters of the falls. Local boys come here to bathe and cool off on the hot day.
6. French Quarter, Pondicherry

The French Quarter in Pondicherry.

Tucked behind the seafront and a stone’s throw away from the statue of Gandhi. The winding streets, brightly coloured buildings and wrought iron balconies recall Pondicherry’s French colonial history, while intermixing it with Indian vibrancy. The crumbling and damaged Hôtel de Ville on the seafront is worth a look in through the bars, and also checking out the Notre Dame des Agnes church.
7. The Seashore temple of Muruga Perumal at Tiruchendur

The Seashore temple of Muruga Perumal at Tiruchendur Temple

Backing onto a stretch of sandy beach hugging the Gulf of Mannar, the temple at Tiruchendur towers above in brilliant white stone. Even though it doesn’t even make an entrance in the Lonely Planet guide to South India, this temple to the Hindu deity Lord Muruga, the peacock god, is one of India’s largest temple complex by area and also one of the most visited by Hindu devotees.
8. The Hidden Beach Town of Manapad

Manapad Beach.

One of the hidden treasures we discovered on the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run is the coastal village of Manapad. A surreal step into Europe, this former Portuguese colony is all about little tight winding streets with brightly coloured façades and tall church spires. Fishing boats lie on the sandy flats of the long lagoon, as locals go down to bathe in the waters. On the top, the Holy Cross Church crowns the town from above in brilliant white. But even though it might look like a Portuguese fishing village, the curious locals surrounded our rickshaws, fascinated with Westerners in this tiny village that elsewhere would have been a touristic mecca.
9. The Temples of Kumbakonam

Kumbeshwara Temple in Kumbakonam.

On first impressions, this town between Pondicherry and Thanjavur seems like any ordinary junction town, but upon close inspection, the rows of fortunetellers and the colourful gopurams peering above indicate there is more to Kumbakonam than meets the eye. The Kumeshwara Temple dates back to the 17^th century, and supposedly was made by Lord Shiva itself. The temple opens up into a beautiful pond, where women in red saris take themselves in for a purifying bathe. There are 2 UNESCO World Heritage Chola Temples here, and the Mahamaham Tank, surrounded by 17 pavilions is one of the most sacred sites in the area.

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Tamil Nadu, India

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:04:34 +0000

In Chennai and Mahabalipuram. Film by Kim+Phil Photography

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