Indian Columbus

All of us know about the famous Great Penance Relief Panel in Mamallapuram. It is popularly known as the Arjuna's Penance or Bhagiratha's Penance. (Those who would like to know every sculpture about that giant monument, read my detailed coverage by clicking on this link .) However, not many of us might know or bothered to visit another open-air relief panel that follows the same theme. It is located at a distance of around 350 meters south of the main panel. While the Great Penance Relief Panel remains an unfinished monument, the other relief panel remains more incomplete.  Both the relief panels depict the same theme. There are differences of opinion among scholars and historians on identifying the theme. According to many, the central theme is Arjuna's penance; a few others claim that it is Bhagiratha's penance, and others think the descent of Ganges is the central theme. Whatever be the theme, there is at least consensus that both the panels follow the same theme.  P...

No wonder this beautiful pond remains unknown to Chennaiites as they hardly know even the adjoining temple with sculptural marvels. Spread over 0.7 acres, this vast unpolluted lily pond belongs to Somanatheeswara temple in Somamangalam, the southern outskirts of Chennai. The peaceful surrounding enhances the beauty of this water body. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. Most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water had been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without any lake in the vicinity. There is a high possibility that even the few water bodies we have today might vanish soon. I thought of visiting the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a series.

Mamallapuram is a unique site where the great sculptors during the Pallava reign have experimented with many varieties of monuments. We can find gigantic relief panels, Ratha-type monolith structures, rock-cut shrines and structural temples. Among all these types of structures, the open-air relief panels are unusual ones. The gigantic panel known as Bhagirata's Penance or Arjuna's Penance is very popular. Adjacent to that great monument, there is another open-air relief panel named Govardhana Giri.  Those who visit Bhagirata's Penance panel would generally not miss visiting the Govardhana Giri panel. However, not most of them would realize that it is actually an open-air relief panel. Many consider the structure as a rock-cut shrine. The presence of a mandapa (pillared pavilion) on the front side and the current name of the shrine, "Krishna's Mandapa", make all of us consider it so. Measuring the length of 48 feet and the height of 11 feet, the massive panel m...

It's an unbelievably large tank. More than the temple (Bheemeswaran Temple), the tank associated with it is a famous landmark in Tambaram/Mudichur locality. Spread over about two acres, it remains one of the largest and unpolluted water bodies of South Chennai. As it is located right on the main road, many would pass through the route. And none of them would miss to notice it and appreciate its beauty. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. Most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water had been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without any lake in the vicinity. There is a high possibility that even the few water bodies we have today might vanish soon. I thought of visiting the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a...

Had this been completed, it would have been the largest rock-cut shrine in Mamallapuram. But, unfortunately, like many other monuments of the town, it also remains an unfinished Pallava marvel.  Standing right next to the Great Penance Relief Panel, this monument is called Pancha Pandava Mandapam. However, it has nothing to do with the Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata epic.  The outer view of the cave shrine gives us an impression as if the monument is finished. However, once we enter inside, we would realize it is mainly left incomplete.  The facade of the cave shrine is supported by six pillars and two pilasters. Five of the six pillars have Vyala base. (Vyala here refers to the lion with horns on its forehead.) One pillar does not have Vyala base. It was damaged and was probably restored during the British period. If we observe intensely, we can realize that not all the Vyalas look similar. Some of them are complete, and the rest of them are unfinished. The pilaster...

Spread over a small area of about 2 acres, this small but beautiful lake remains a lesser-known destination of Chennai. However, the old residents of Madhavaram might remember the areas around the lake very well. It was full of pine trees, and it used to be a hangout zone. Now, the site has been developed as a horticulture park. In addition, the lake is used for recreational activities such as boating. Especially, people love to travel in round-shaped boats called coracles. Also, it is an ideal place for bird-watching.  There is no particular name for this lake. Due to its size, it is mistaken to be a pond. But it's technically a lake.  Happy travelling.  Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. Most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water had been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-vie...