Being a Chennaitie, my first
tourist destination outside Chennai is perhaps Mahabs. But Mamallapuram being my ancestor’s town I
could not consider it as a tourist destination first and I have been there
countless time and many a visit to the town has sighted in any of the sculpture
site. My most favorite place then at Mamallapuram was Venna Tharatna Kal
(butter ball) and we frequent there esp. to have fun sliding on the rock slopes.
Krishna’s Butter Ball is a natural
wonder, where a large rock boulder balance on the sliding rock surface is believed
as a stone found on
Krishna’s plate. The Pallava kings had tried to pull down
the huge boulder with the help of their elephant force (thinking anytime the
rock could roll down) but failed in their attempt. The lush green lawn in front
of this rock (once an open ground for cattle to rest) take one for pleasant calm and as a group to sit
and chit chat.
I have been strolled behind the
rock slopes and crossing the gaps between rocks and there was a well with green
water, which was called Sita Kinaru (well) because it is believed that
Sita bathed in that well. I have no pictures on them, but I still hold memories on
those sight and there was also a path lead to our relative’s house then. I hope
everything were blocked and fenced by ASI, doing wonderful job in protecting the
sculptors and rocks. We never thought then these places will take such pleasant
enhancement and flourish in green.
Another place I liked and which
is close to butter ball was
Arjunan Penance. It is a giant bas-relief filled
with marvelous carvings of various human forms and animals; the most fascinating
part overall for me personally then were the Elephants. The sculptor of
elephant couple and cute calves carved on the bottom of the bas-relief could be
a favorite sight for any child and the pit reveal the bottom part was something
dragged me then to look what is inside.
Another pretty scene next to this
site was a sculptor of monkey looking lice on another. As kids (me and my bro) we
used to go and stand behind the sculptor and pose like looking lice on the
monkey sculpture. Beneath the monkeys, there’s a small slide to play and a rock
carved steps to climb on, but I don't like it much as the natural sliding near the
butter ball. The slide was partially hid now after the earth rose because of
the lawn making.
Footnote:
Just thought to write something
for the World Tourism Day today and here’s a brief account on my first tourist
destination out of Chennai.
