Here is the travelogue of the trip we had on the cave temples built by Mahendravarman I, 21st March 2009.
I have tried my level best with the references and the notes I took during the trip. Incase, there are any mistakes or errors please send your comments, I will change the needful.
Please click on the link below for the entire text and pictures
Wonderful writeup Ragothaman. Thanks a lot. i really am missing all these beautiful trips.
Reading your travelogue, the one thing I missed most is the idlies from Venkatesh's house...The best idlies I have ever tasted in my life...his wife prepares wonderful chetinadu idlies and my usual count of idlies is alwasy 5 or 6 but I had more than 12 idlies at his house once :) I cant forget the breakfast meet we had in his house (in 2006?) with all the chetinad items...kuli paniyaram, pongal, kara chatni, chetinad idly....Dhiwakar baskaran who said he will come so early on a sunday, came running at the mention of chetinad breakfast :)
Coming to the travelogue, good photos and good write up..Dalavanoor resembles 'Tirukazhukundram Narasimha varman's cave temple'. The 'taranga podigai' is a masterpiece of Pallava pillars.
The siyamangalam dwarapalagar...the one on the right -- the proportion clearly says that its one of the earliest sculptures. the proportions, especially the hand is not in line with the body proportion. but still a masterpiece for such an early attempt.
Really wonderful and you transported me to those places, which I have never seen. Thanks.
And Venkatesh never m isses a chance to visit the hilltop temple in Chengleput.a very good temple indeed with a breathtaking view.
>>>>>To conclude, some questions Vijay and others raised during the trip are open for discussions: 1.Why did MV I chose such locations to excavate his cave temples? 2.What is the association with the water body near to the cave temples?
my opinion was based on gift siromoneys thoery that cavemen always lived on hills ovelooking waterbodies.
even iron age settlement he said are almost in such locations. and to prove it he has found iron slag- the remnants of primitive iron foundries is such places. actually many places on kelambakkam vandalur road.
looking at it from a primitive man's viewpoint, the safety of raised land accompanied by the convenience of water nearby.
in siyamangalam the local boys said the lake waters during monsoon literally form a border to the caves.
Hi, Yes you did mention these points on that day as well. Hadn't noted them down and hence wasn't able to include but will append them soon. Is it possible to find any evidence of iron age settlement near these caves? Has this been reported before? If so, I guess we need to go for another trip to check them out...
Most of us have missed both the treats; one was partially fulfilled by Ragottaman. The second also will be partlt fulfilled if Mrs. Venkatesh posts the recipe for the soft idlis (without leaving out the family secrets). Sampath