Old Temples on the Shore

Today we drove to Mamallapuram the site of temples that are 1400 years old. There are several temples carved out of the gigantic granite rocks "in situ" -- really spectacular and for the most part never finished but quite obviously an incredible accomplishment.  By now we are coming to know the main Hindu gods and their accompaning animals.  There is Brahma, the creator -- Shiva, the destoyer and Vishnu, the protector and then there are 33million of their closest friends and relatives.  But for a few, I am not trying to remember them.  One of the few and my personal favourite is Ganeshe.  He is the son of Shiva who, one day in a fit of anger, lopped off his head.  But then Shiva was so remorseful that he cast around for the first other head, turned out to be that of an elephant, and plopped it back on his son's shoulders.  Now, Ganeshe is the happy god, god of prosperity and happiness.  He always has a mouse running around him and I have heard several stories about that mouse, each of which intrigues.  The first is that the mouse represents wisdom and knowledge, which are always found in small and unrecognized places.  The second story is that the mouse is always running around and getting into trouble so if you always keep sweets in Ganeshe's hand the mouse will keep busy eating the sweets and will not get into trouble.  Before I came to India I did not have too much interest in Hinduism.  Too many gods, too many poorly drawn pictures.  But I am appreciating more and more how the stories and the pictures and the carved figures on the temples helped a largely illiterate population how to live their lives and ultimately achieve enlightenment.  Its all there.  Layer by layer, figure by beautifully carved figure in temples sometimes going back over a thousand years.