We set out for Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram, as the town is known today, a tourist and remarkable city 60 kilometres south of Chennai. The charming city with its temples, beaches, colourful houses, and many rock sculptors is a perfect gateway form the busy Chennai. We explored in a few hours the main sightseeing scattered around including the Krishna's Butterball, the lighthouse, Arjuna's Penance, the Five Rathas and the Shore temple.
We started by the Krishna's Butterball and were bluffed by the structure in defiance of all laws of physics. The gigantic granite boulder, weighing around 250 tons, is resting on a short incline in the historical town. No one seems able to budge it. Even the seven elephants which attend to move the rock in 1908.
The Shore temple, which is now UNESCO heritage site, was costly for the foreigners at 500 rupees but it gave us access to the Five Rathas. The Five Rathas (or chariots) was the highlight of our trip to the Mahabalipuram. Each chariot was carved out a single and long stone was astonishing.
As we strolling along the city we could not forget that the Diwali celebrations were booming. We use this word for a good reason. The vibrant festival of lights is without a doubt one of the biggest and noisiest religious celebrations in India. Everywhere locals were exploding dozens of firecrackers to express their joy and were shouting `Happy Diwali` as we were passing by. The story behind Diwali in Tamil Nadu is different from other places in India. Most Tamilians celebrate this day as the death of the evil demon Narakasura, a feared demon, at the hands of Lord Krishna.The Diwali is not only about fire and setting off explosives. It's also about spending time with family, eating sweets, buying gifts, and celebrates gods. The noise is just the obvious part as Indian people are setting off a shit load of explosives during those days. So much that some cities, like Delhi, are banning the sale of firecrackers!