Driving in to Trichy, we saw a huge hill of rock jutting up out of the otherwise pretty flat landscape. You can't really tell from this picture, taken from the highway, but the rock dominates the skyline. We had no idea what it was, and Ashok, who's a born and bred Chennai boy, guessed "a temple maybe?"
He was right, of course, and if we had done better research before our trip we would have known that it is Trichy's famous Rock Fort Temple. (Read the "history" section on that site ... fascinating. You can also apparently do an "e-pooja" through the site. How on earth does that work?)
John took this picture as we drove toward the Rock Fort from our lunch spot. Before I go on, though, I have to mention the Breeze Residency, where we had lunch in their Madras restaurant. Lunch was a great buffet with an awesome appetizer of crispy prawns (Johnny was in heaven), but the real story is the bar. We had been told that we had to peek in at the Wild West bar to check out the wacky decor. Ha! There were weird mannequins all over dressed as cowboys and American Indians, wanted posters on the walls, etc. It was kind of cool, actually. An Indian imagining of the old American West.
We passed the Catholic Lourdes Church on the way to the Rock Fort Temple. Very Gothic.
The Rock Fort Temple is actually a temple complex, with some bits dating to the middle Pallavas (about 500 A.D.) The rock itself is thought to be even older than the Himalayas, and What's Up, Doc? fans will be pleased to know that it includes deposits of quartz and feldspar :)
There are three main temples at the rock -- one at the base, one about three-fourths of the way up, and one at the summit -- but there are smaller shrines and images all over the place. To get to the temples you have to climb hundreds of stairs that have been cut into the stone. Non-Hindus aren't allowed inside any of the temples here, but the atmosphere of the climb and the view at the top are more than worth the visit.
I was amazed at how well the kids did here. They made it all the way up and down over 400 steps, and no one had a meltdown until we were almost to the bottom. Then Samuel let us and everyone within a mile radius know that he was done for the day.
Here's the view we got when we came out of the enclosed portion of the stairway.
Samuel attracted more adoring fans on the way up the stairs.
The last flight of stairs goes up the outside face of the rock and ends at a small temple to Ganesh. This picture of Johnny reminds me to mention that this was all done barefoot, since you technically enter the temple complex at the base of the rock.
A view from the last flight of stairs ...
... and more views from the summit. It was stunning. We saw eagles flying below us, and since it was a couple of days before Diwali we saw the occasional firework, too. The spire to the left of the vimana is the Lourdes Church I mentioned earlier.
It was fun to look down on the narrow streets and colorful buildings of Trichy's old city.
If the air had been clearer, we would have had a great photo of the Sri Rangan Temple across the river. Boo smog. After we admired the view for a while, it was time to head back down.
We took a water break at the foot of the highest staircase, and John snapped this photo of me and the monkeys, I mean kids.
Heading down again ...
As I mentioned, non-Hindus aren't allowed inside any of the Rock Fort temples, but we did get to peek inside the one that's part way down the hill. These patterns on the floor in the doorway are meant to help your body cool down. You stand with your feet over the carved feet, bend at the waist (straight legs), and place your fingers in the indentations in the flower. Thanks to yoga, I was actually able to do it! I don't know that I felt my temperature drop, but I did feel awfully proud of myself.
Carved pillars just inside the doorway to the temple ...
We really went to Trichy to see the huge Sri Rangan Temple, but the Rock Fort complex was a great bonus. I especially liked the feel of the ancient, narrow streets just outside the entrance. I felt like I was walking in history.
He was right, of course, and if we had done better research before our trip we would have known that it is Trichy's famous Rock Fort Temple. (Read the "history" section on that site ... fascinating. You can also apparently do an "e-pooja" through the site. How on earth does that work?)
John took this picture as we drove toward the Rock Fort from our lunch spot. Before I go on, though, I have to mention the Breeze Residency, where we had lunch in their Madras restaurant. Lunch was a great buffet with an awesome appetizer of crispy prawns (Johnny was in heaven), but the real story is the bar. We had been told that we had to peek in at the Wild West bar to check out the wacky decor. Ha! There were weird mannequins all over dressed as cowboys and American Indians, wanted posters on the walls, etc. It was kind of cool, actually. An Indian imagining of the old American West.
We passed the Catholic Lourdes Church on the way to the Rock Fort Temple. Very Gothic.
The Rock Fort Temple is actually a temple complex, with some bits dating to the middle Pallavas (about 500 A.D.) The rock itself is thought to be even older than the Himalayas, and What's Up, Doc? fans will be pleased to know that it includes deposits of quartz and feldspar :)
There are three main temples at the rock -- one at the base, one about three-fourths of the way up, and one at the summit -- but there are smaller shrines and images all over the place. To get to the temples you have to climb hundreds of stairs that have been cut into the stone. Non-Hindus aren't allowed inside any of the temples here, but the atmosphere of the climb and the view at the top are more than worth the visit.
I was amazed at how well the kids did here. They made it all the way up and down over 400 steps, and no one had a meltdown until we were almost to the bottom. Then Samuel let us and everyone within a mile radius know that he was done for the day.
Here's the view we got when we came out of the enclosed portion of the stairway.
Samuel attracted more adoring fans on the way up the stairs.
The last flight of stairs goes up the outside face of the rock and ends at a small temple to Ganesh. This picture of Johnny reminds me to mention that this was all done barefoot, since you technically enter the temple complex at the base of the rock.
A view from the last flight of stairs ...
... and more views from the summit. It was stunning. We saw eagles flying below us, and since it was a couple of days before Diwali we saw the occasional firework, too. The spire to the left of the vimana is the Lourdes Church I mentioned earlier.
It was fun to look down on the narrow streets and colorful buildings of Trichy's old city.
If the air had been clearer, we would have had a great photo of the Sri Rangan Temple across the river. Boo smog. After we admired the view for a while, it was time to head back down.
We took a water break at the foot of the highest staircase, and John snapped this photo of me and the monkeys, I mean kids.
Heading down again ...
As I mentioned, non-Hindus aren't allowed inside any of the Rock Fort temples, but we did get to peek inside the one that's part way down the hill. These patterns on the floor in the doorway are meant to help your body cool down. You stand with your feet over the carved feet, bend at the waist (straight legs), and place your fingers in the indentations in the flower. Thanks to yoga, I was actually able to do it! I don't know that I felt my temperature drop, but I did feel awfully proud of myself.
Carved pillars just inside the doorway to the temple ...
We really went to Trichy to see the huge Sri Rangan Temple, but the Rock Fort complex was a great bonus. I especially liked the feel of the ancient, narrow streets just outside the entrance. I felt like I was walking in history.
Coming soon: The REAL reason we took this trip ... Raja Raja the Great!!
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