Pondicherry, Mamallapuram, and Tiruvannamalai

Before I get into these three places, let me recap my trip so far, giving a quick rundown of all the places I've visited during the past month:

Mumbai - Family
Bijapur - Gol Gumbaz, Adil Shahi Empire
Badami - Cave temples, Chalukya Empire
Pattada Kalla - Many temples, Chalukya Empire
Hampi - Ruins and relaxation, Vijayanagar Empire
Bangalore - Family
Mysore - Palace and Incense, Wodeyar Empire
Somnathpur - Keshava Temple, Hoysala Empire
Chennai - Wedding
Pondicherry - Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Mamallapuram - Beach and Ruins, Pallava Empire
Tiruvannamalai - Aruchaleswara Temple
Tiruchchirappali - Rock Fort and Srirangam

Now, let me describe Pondicherry, Mamallapuram, and Tiruvannamalai in as simplistic terms as possible:

Pondy: Spirituality
Mamallapuram (also called Mahabalipuram outside Tamil Nadu): Friends
Tiruvannamalai (also called T.V. Malai): Contrasts

Pondy:
I stayed with my Uncle's brother, Madhu Bhai, in the famous Park Guest House. This place usually fills up months in advance, and it's prime location right on the Bay of Bengal makes it highly popular. Whenever I would tell someone that I was staying at the Park Guest House, I savored the look of jealousy that would suddenly come my way. And of course, Madhu Uncle paid for my stay, though I really wanted to contribute something. We spent our time at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, at which he is a great devotee. I did my first ever meditation...man, is it hard! I would try to clear my thought, but my busy mind didn't allow it. Then, I'd focus on my breathing, but as a psychosomatic thing, my asthma would always kick in. So, I'd start to focus on how I can't cough...and before I know it, thoughts are shooting through my head like mad. Also, at the Samadhi (the shrine), the hundreds of agarbatis (incense sticks) really aggravated my coughing. So, my meditations never lasted for very long. Still, I discovered a great Ganpati temple, which I started visiting twice a day. I was also caught in my first Indian downpour. At first, the rain felt great...that was until it soaked all the way through me. I went on a few tours, one of which had the goal of selling me anything made by the Ashram. Still, Pondy was very nice. I had fun with Madhu Uncle, though sometimes the amount of spirituality overwhelmed me. Pondy was a good place...just perhaps not fully for me.

Mamallapuram:
I loved this place. It never once felt like I was in India. That's because this place was so laid back that I really could let go. Also, this place had an amazing combination of things, all of which I mentioned earlier: New Years, the beach, ancient ruins, many travellers, great seafood, the sound of expert sculptors, the South Indian Dance Festival. The ruins were great, but what was better was hanging out with my friend Mark as we went to see them. Eating was great, but what was better was sharing meals with my friends Soeren, Mark, Sarita, Cora, Sille, and Klaas. New Years was great, but what was better was dancing and drinking with Soeren, Mark, Sille, and Klaas. The Festival was great, but what was better was seeing the dances with Mark, Soeren, and Cora. Get the picture? However, one of my favorite things was to sit on the beach on Sunday and watch the interactions between the people there for holiday. And of course, there was the crazy night before. I will write later about my New Years, as it was by far the BEST NEW YEAR CELEBRATION I HAD EVER HAD!!! But, later...

Tiruvannamalai:
This was the first time I travelled with people I had previously met. I came with Soeren and Sarita, from Denmark and Italy, respectively. The two main sights here were the Arunachaleswara Temple, which celebrates Lord Shiva as an aspect of fire, and the Sri Ramana Maharishi Ashram, which provides quiet meditation for its devotees. We visited the Temple Complex twice. Each time was a tumultuous experience, with many sights and sounds wafting all around us: Pilgrims dressed solely in red and yellow swarming all around, a shackled elephant blessing anyone for one rupee, the constant tug of beggars asking for a little something, the blare of the puja songs coming over a loudspeaker, the loud colors covering all the smaller temples, the singularly painted peacock on a temple of all white, the overwhelming size of the four gopurams (the four outer temples), the massive crowd pushing and shoving just to glipmse Arunachaleswara during darshana, the many merchants peddling their wares inside the complex, etc. Every time we entered, we felt battered to the point of utter exhilaration. This contrasted entirely with the Ashram, which was a haven of peace. No talking. Only meditation. And climbing the mountain to the cave in which Sri Ramana Maharishi did sadhana (meditation) for 20 years. This climb came with an excellent view of the Arunachaleswara Complex, and it allowed me to work for my meditation. Our time in T.V. Malai was short, as we saw everything possible within a day. We never got to say farewell to Sarita, who had left for a day trip a little early. From Tiruvannamalai, I left on a 6.5 hour bus ride to Tiruchchirappali...better known as Trichy...where I currently am.