22ND JAN. Mon. Silk Weaving and Local Street Scenes

I'd read that this area is famous for silk production (small scale/cottage industries) so when we were approached by a local guy asking if we'd like to see his 'house' where he had a small business supplying shops with sari lengths.

His house was in a small group of similar properties and each had lines outside with lengths of raw silk drying after being dyed with beautiful colours

After removing shoes (of course) we were shown into the centre section of the house which was almost fully taken up with the loom.   The lady operating the loom was very deft but we were told it takes between 4 and 5 days to complete an average saree and up to 15 days for a wedding saree.    A Saree length is approx 5 metres.

As with the ladies weaving cotton (earlier post) the weaver sits on the floor with her feet operating pedals which are in a 'hole' below floor level

Slight technical hitch being sorted here.   This saree length is being made to fulfil a shop order and the pattern is provided by the designer by way of these punched cards

The coloured threads are silk and the gold is real gold thread so any mistakes would be costly.

The silk comes from Karnataka which borders Tamil Nadu (where we are at the moment).  Because of its favourable climatic conditions its perfect for mulberry cultivation/silk worm rearing

The front section of the house had a bench and a cupboard from where the boss lady produced length after length of silk saree fabric to show us.   Whilst it was really beautiful I wasn't in the market but undeterred she bought out a couple of boxes of scarf lengths and I succumbed.   Heaven knows, I'm not a scarf person but its good to support these local industries and I'd rather buy from somebody like this than the Govt. approved outlets where the prices are hiked up.

I could just see past the loom into another section which appeared to be the cooking/living area of the house with another entrance onto the back street.    All the houses seemed to be narrow and long like this so they really are 'cottage industries'.

I think Joshy realised we didn't want to see any more temples so we agreed that he would drop us off in the town for a wander around on our own. 

A few pics of things that took my fancy

Cow ignoring the 'No Parking' sign

Some of the largest cauliflowers I've ever seen

flower wholesaler  - looking as bright as the marigold flowers he was selling

a very gallant gent who presented me with this beautiful bloom

Roses, marigolds and jasmine flowers on sale

Garland maker = these are offerings for the gods in the temple(s)

aspiring Bollywood actor wanted his photo taken

We were very hot and took shelter in the outer courtyard of a temple and came across this lovely elephant who had been trained to sway from side to side to make the necklace bells rings.   If given a gift of greens or sugarcane she gracefully accepted and ate them. 

If given money she deftly bestowed a blessing on the donor (tapping them on the head with her trunk) and passed the cash to the man at her side.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this.   But I have to say the elephant was in very good condition and seemed happy enough if a trifle bored.    Its got to be easier than carrying human passengers up steep slopes to  visit historic sites (Amber fort at Jaipur springs to mind) but it seems almost circus like and made me a bit uncomfortable.

One of the many shops selling brass and other metal statuettes.    This guy was chipping away at the outer mould with a hammer and chisel whilst his colleagues were busy painting and polishing others.

Tomorrow we will make our way slowly towards  Pondicherry, stopping off to see a couple more temples  (one of which I know closes from Noon till 4pm so we may just be lucky and get there too late to enter)!

We are planning to do a mangrove boat tour at Chidambaram - another thing Joshy is slightly unhappy about.   I read reviews saying that the trip is only really interesting if you bung the boatman a bribe to take you 'off piste' into the side waters where you'll see more birdlife.

When I told Joshy last year we wanted to do this boat ride he said he'd had bad feedback from clients in the past.     I'm assuming his clients were booked via travel agents who tend not to take 'risks'.    We want to make up our own minds.    Joshy could be right of course but it something we fancy and he's accepted that ... grudgingly! 

We will need to stay overnight at Chidambaram

Watch this space ...

22ND JAN. Mon. Airavatesvara Temple and local 'bugs' and wildlife

As mentioned earlier, Joshy had been a little strange yesterday but I think its really because his job is driving.   He drives for the major tour operators, Cox & King, Audley Travel, Kuoni etc and usually has a strict agenda and local guides organised by the tour operators. 

He is an excellent driver and very knowledgeable about the area (probably picked up quite a lot from the guides as well) but I think he was uncomfortable as he didn't really know this area/hotel too well and was worried we'd be unhappy. 

Kumbakonam is known as the Temple City ... I did a quick internet check but lost the will to live when I realised just how many there are ... I lost count at 21.   Most of these are very small, local ones.     In addition the town is famous for silk sarees (cottage industries again) and for brass ornaments.      The good thing about temple areas is that they can be relied upon to have some interesting side streets with market stalls and merchandise barrows to service the devotees.

We allowed Joshy to show us to the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram (near where we were staying at Kumbakonam).    It is another Unesco Heritage site, an all stone temple built in the 12th century and devoted to Lord Shiva.   We got there to find our friends from last night (Swiss man and Finnish wife) being shown around by their Cox & King guide.    We know from our conversation with them that they, too, are 'templed out' so couldn't resist grinning at them as we whizzed past on our own and completed our tour whilst they were still standing at the first hurdle hearing about the history in minute detail.    I do think the buildings are amazing and the fact they have survived for centuries is fantastic but my mind just wanders when I'm bombarded with too many facts and figures.

Just a few temple pics to prove we were there today

These pillars were pretty amazing ... all intricately carved

and, of course, being a temple devoted to Lord Shiva means that the faithful Nandi (bull) is waiting patiently outside dutifully facing towards his master

Outside the temple was a large grassy field and I could see some derelict buildings on the far side which I thought might be interesting .... they weren't!    However, we did spot some lovely wildlife/bugs

A very large lizard

These stunning creatures ... I saw one on a leaf and thought it was a piece of jewellery - beautiful iridescent colours.    Apparently they are true bugs (not beetles) and called Indian Jewel bugs or Lychee Shield Bugs.    They fascinated me ... so much so that I stepped backwards into a wet boggy patch and had a wet foot for half an hour afterwards.

Photos don't really do them justice, their colour changed as they moved - varying from bright green to gold and red

and a pretty butterfly

Hoopoe

Peed off Hoopoe .. not happy with me stalking him!

22 JAN. Mon. Kumbakonam - our Hotel 'Paradise Resorts'

Our driver, Joshy, is being a little 'sniffy' with us.   When we planned this trip he suggested we stay overnight (last night) at Tanjore (where we visited the Big Temple) but we wanted to move closer to our next destination and I found this town called Kumbakonam and asked him to arrange accommodation for us. 

As we left Tanjore yesterday he kept grumbling that he didn't know why we'd chosen this place, what on earth we were  planning to do here, he's sure the hotel won't be to our liking etc., so much so that he had us quite worried by the time we got here.   In the event, the hotel is a little 'tired' but its more than adequate with working aircon, good shower and plenty of space.      Our only gripe is that the hotel caters for coach parties and that makes dining difficult as we don't want to eat buffet with them.

We went down to breakfast at 8am this morning to find the dining hall looking like a bomb had hit it - all the food had gone, no cutlery on the tables and no fruit juices etc.     We found a member of staff and eventually got a table set up and organised toast and eggs but it took nearly an hour by which time David had the hump and we were late meeting Joshy.        Anyway, we've complained to reception, and the dining room manager, and he's promised to reserve us a table tonight at 8pm on the verandah away from the madding crowd.    Time will tell.

Apart from that its a nice enough place.    Its actually much bigger than we first thought and spread out over a large area.   We're in a two storey house overlooking the pool but there are lots of bungalows further out.     The gardens are planted with fruit and blossom trees/shrubs.

Lots of interesting things to see around the lobby areas of the houses

I love these huge doors ..... and you should see the size of the room keys.   They're heavy brass and around 6" long

We're on the top (1st) floor and there are 3 rooms  on this level with an open atrium and balcony. 

Last night we had our very own visiting bat who periodically flew in and did a circuit of this landing (presumably after the bugs that were attracted by the wall lights).   Its the closest David and I have been to a bat and we were fascinated

Now, answers on a postcard please.   What do you reckon the steps are for on the left side of our huge shower area?    David reckons its a viewing platform!!

Actually, the bathroom is the strangest thing about our accommodation.   The basin is set at the back of a black stone surround which is so deep that I have to stand on tiptoe to lean over it to clean my teeth.   Bearing in mind how petite most Indians are I wonder how they manage?   Also, the loo is very high.   When seated on the throne (as it were) one's feet don't touch the ground.   

Some of the single storey accommodation

There are lots of these shrubs around, with red and orange flowers.   I thought they might be plumbago but a quick Google check shows plumbago having more than 4 petals so I don't know ... haven't got time to do a proper search

Plenty of bananas ripening in the gardens

and masses of Jack Fruits.   Thanks to a recent Quiz question (which we got wrong) we know that Jack Fruit is part of the Fig family

and Tamarind