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Kanchipuram/Kanchi
75km from Chennai, lies one of the seven holy cities of India - a pilgrim centre for Hindus. This town was once a capital of the ancient Pallavas. There was a time when it could boast of more than a thousand temples and even today it has well over one hundred. We visited only two - the Kamakshi Amman Temple where legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivalingam made out of sand, under a mango tree and gained Shiva's hand in marriage and the Ekambara Nethar temple - a vast temple that spreads over 40 acres with tall gopurams (temple towers) and an impressive pillared hall.The details below shows some of the carving on the main gopuram at the Kamakshi Amman temple. These offer safe haven and a fine vantage point to the bands of monkeys that roam the area.
Shoes are not allowed inside the temples. The paving slabs are normally worn smooth by the passing of thousands of feet, but in the large Ekambara Nethar temple the area inside the gate is sandy gravel - tough on soft Western feet. It was early evening when we arrived, even so the walkways were baking hot causing me to hop from foot to foot. It was a relief to enter the cool covered courtyards.
Our visit coincided with the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Ganesh is an important, non-sectarian deity that is worshipped all over India. As we drove towards our destination we saw countless idols such as the one below. These are worshipped over a period of days and at the end of the period, in great festive spirit, they are transported to the nearest body of water for submersion.
Hindus worship Ganesh, the son of Shiva, before starting anything new in their lives. He is believed to be the remover of obstacles and is worshipped as the God of new beginnings He is also worshipped as the God of Knowledge, Wealth, Wisdom and Education.The two elephants below stood inside the temple and took a small donation of money from people. The donation was slipped quietly back to their keeper with a deft swing of the trunk. Then elephant raised its trunk to the head of the worshipper to bless them.
The elephants seemed willing enough and the crowd loved them, laughing with glee at the blessings they gave,
but when I looked at this photo, I thought the elephant's eyes looked resigned
Tucked away in the background this one stood, tethered on a short chain. It was swinging its trunk in the most unhappy way. We would like to have seen some water nearby for it.
I was fascinated by the clearly visible shape of the baby inside this pregnant monkey's tummy. Once it is born it will cling to this very same spot.
The gate of each temple is a place where the needy wait in the hope of a little kindness from visitors .... and, of course, there are business opportunities too for scented oils, wicks, fruits and flowers to offer to the gods.
Vehicles undergo a puja ceremony which is supposed to protect them from harm. The puja usually involves cleaning the vehicle, decorating it with flowers and images of deities, then performing an arati (this is what the man below is doing - showing a flame) and a prayer will follow. Fruits and sweets are offered to the vehicle and then consumed in blessing. 
A return visit to Delhi was a pleasurable experience - a chance to really see the beautiful, wide, leafy avenues and magnificent buildings of New Delhi.
At India Gate, the crowds thronged ... most picnicking on family days out. Young lads learned to swim in the pools beside the monument. There were very few beggars, but the hawkers were out catering for every need.
Families gazed at the huge monument, took photographs, and in amongst the crowds an old lady sat pensively....
A later snap of the scene revealed her wiping her eyes and it was only then that the reason for this monument hit home. The eternal flame that burns in the middle of the monument to remember those who fell serving in the Indian Army during the wars is not just for the tourists but is a place for the memories and the private thoughts of all the families who lost someone dear to them.
We left the order of New Delhi behind and headed for Old Delhi. As we approached the centre the crowds grew thicker. Rickshaws carried everything from people to goods - filling the small vehicles to incredible capacities.
The scene was rich in colour and content - a van full of live chickens here, a colourful fruit stall there - the incessant weaving of shoppers, vehicles, traders creating a kaleidoscopic ever-changing image. 
Every need was catered for and, in the midst of the bustle, some managed to enjoy a peaceful chat.
In Delhi, the grand gives way to the dilapidated. Strangely, more cows roam the streets in Delhi than in Chennai. We saw a cow suckle her calf in the middle of a busy thoroughfare in rush hour.
There are so many magnificent monuments here. We only had time to take in a few ....the enormous Jama Masjid mosque which overlooks the streets of the city from its elevated position.
Then Safdarjung's Tomb with its Mughal dome - a haven of peace in gardens that were full of birds and butterflies.
Shopping here offers everything .... beautiful jewellery, silks and laces, spices and handmade papers. Grand shopping malls boast European chain stores. But the most fun is when you haggle with a friendly stallholder till both of you come away satisfied.
We spent too few days in Delhi to do it justice ... but I hope to return. Delhi, the capital of India, is now its largest city and is also one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Traffic in Delhi made Chennai look quite provincial - the roads are so much wider and busier. We found evidence of their danger immediately as we made our way from the airport, when our car almost ran over a dead body lying prostrate in the middle of the road. It was shocking to me that the crowd at the side made no attempt to avert or warn the approaching vehicles. Brakes were hastily applied as cars edged their way around the man.
Delhi is a city of extreme contrasts from the wide pleasant avenues (many designed by Edwin Lutyens) of the areas which house members of government and foreign embassies to the crowded streets of the busy and traditional town that is Old Delhi. Fine examples of new architecture and development sits alongside the decay that is found by the side of almost every street.
When we arrived the temperature was a welcoming 30 deg. C. following some days of rain but it didn't take long to reach a steamy 40 once again. This limited sightseeing making it exhausting. However, armed with an umbrella for shade I explored the ruins of Qutub Minar which date from 1193. The main feature of this is a dramatic 72 metre high tower. whose original purpose is unknown. Speculation is it might have been a minaret or a watch tower. The red sandstone is beautifully and intricately carved with verses from the Qu'ran. Some of the work reminded me of the work of Escher.
The Mughal architecture of Humayun's Tomb, started in 1562, is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal. In the same grounds lie the smaller, but charming, Isa Khan tomb and mosque.
The grounds are peaceful and filled with birds and chipmunks. To my pleasure and astonishment, I was able to get near to one of the black kites which soar majestically in the Indian skies. I have been trying to get a decent shot of these since I arrived.
There was a downside to Delhi - our tummies suffered as we succumbed to the notorious Delhi belly. On our way to Agra, going through security in Delhi airport, there was a delay ... our bags, partly through, reversed a little into the scanning machine. Security officials gathered around reaching down to rotate the rollers as if there was a problem .... people muttered, asking what was holding things up. The next day, I discovered the loss of a great deal of money and some chequebooks out of a wallet tucked away in my handbag. The bag had been with me night and day but as it went through security it was out of my sight temporarily when it was supposed to be in the machine. There is no absolute proof but if I were to travel through the airport again, or if anyone I knew were to do that, I would think of carrying any money on the person in a pocket ... or do, as I have since heard, the Indians do ... spread the money around a number of locations so that if some disappears some will be left.
Shoes are not allowed inside the temples. The paving slabs are normally worn smooth by the passing of thousands of feet, but in the large Ekambara Nethar temple the area inside the gate is sandy gravel - tough on soft Western feet. It was early evening when we arrived, even so the walkways were baking hot causing me to hop from foot to foot. It was a relief to enter the cool covered courtyards.
Our visit coincided with the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Ganesh is an important, non-sectarian deity that is worshipped all over India. As we drove towards our destination we saw countless idols such as the one below. These are worshipped over a period of days and at the end of the period, in great festive spirit, they are transported to the nearest body of water for submersion.
Hindus worship Ganesh, the son of Shiva, before starting anything new in their lives. He is believed to be the remover of obstacles and is worshipped as the God of new beginnings He is also worshipped as the God of Knowledge, Wealth, Wisdom and Education.
The elephants seemed willing enough and the crowd loved them, laughing with glee at the blessings they gave, but when I looked at this photo, I thought the elephant's eyes looked resigned
Tucked away in the background this one stood, tethered on a short chain. It was swinging its trunk in the most unhappy way. We would like to have seen some water nearby for it.
I was fascinated by the clearly visible shape of the baby inside this pregnant monkey's tummy. Once it is born it will cling to this very same spot.
The gate of each temple is a place where the needy wait in the hope of a little kindness from visitors .... and, of course, there are business opportunities too for scented oils, wicks, fruits and flowers to offer to the gods.
Vehicles undergo a puja ceremony which is supposed to protect them from harm. The puja usually involves cleaning the vehicle, decorating it with flowers and images of deities, then performing an arati (this is what the man below is doing - showing a flame) and a prayer will follow. Fruits and sweets are offered to the vehicle and then consumed in blessing.
