Tea Growing in Munnar, Kerala, India

After sweating at lower altitudes in Tamil Naru, the hills of Munnar were a welcome alternative. The hills abound with tea here. Tea or Chai is the most widely drunk beverage in the whole world. The tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is a cultivated variety of a tree that has its origins in an area between India and China. There are three main varieties of the tea plant: China, Assam, and Cambodia and a number of hybrids between the varieties. The China variety grows as high as nine feet (2.75 metres). It is a hardy plant able to withstand cold winters and has an economic life of at least 100 years. The Assam variety, a single stem tree ranging from 20 to 60 feet (6 to 18 metres) in height. Regular pruning keeps its height to a more manageable 4 to 5 feet tall. It has an economic life of 40 years with regular pruning and plucking. When grown at an altitude near that of Darjeeling (Assam) or Munnar (Kerala), it produces tea with fascinating flavours , sought after around the globe. The Cambodia variety, a single stem tree growing to about 16 feet in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties. Tea growing in this region was started by colonialists, starting in the mid-19th century.

Lost Wax Bronze Casting, Tiruchchirappalli, India

We watched a demonstration of lost wax casting of bronze figures in a shop behind the temple in Tiruchirappalli. Dokra (also spelt Dhokra) is an Indian Heritage Craft known for casting of non-ferrous metals (mainly Brass and Bell Metal). It originated in India over 4,000 years ago. Lost-wax casting technique used in producing Dokra artefacts is one of the oldest enduring metalwork methods on Earth. Dokra is a skilled craft form producing objet d’art. Dokra artisans create small, delicate artefacts, such as figurines (human, animal or divine), jewelry, lucky charms and utensils. One of the earliest known lost-wax artefacts is the ‘Dancing Girl o’Mohenjo-Daro’. The lost-wax casting technique is eponymic to Dokra Damar tribes, the main traditional metalsmiths which initially resided in Bankura-Dariapur belt in West Bengal, parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Despite different locations and difference in language this tribe extends from Jharkhand to West Bengal and Odisha. The members of the tribe, over the centuries, have moved to southern and western parts of the country, thus presently covering large parts of the country.

Key features of Dokra art because of which there is increasing demand for these products. • The oldest surviving metalcraft process – the lost-wax casting technique. • The historical and cultural significance of this art form related to temple art. This workshop is within line of sight of the temple. Lost-wax technique – A wax model of the desired object is painstakingly crafted in beeswax. The wax model is then covered in a clay shell, and the clay shell is baked. The wax melts and runs out of the clay shell, leaving a hollow space. The clay shell is then filled with molten metal, and the metal cools and hardens to form the final object.

Thanjavur Art Gallery, Thanjavur, India

Thanjavur Art Gallery, located in the Thanjavur Palace has an exquisite collection of ancient sculptures and coins. It is officially called the “Raja Raja Chola Art Gallery” and locally known as “Thanjavur Kalaikoodam”. These bronze sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses range from 9th century A.D to 19th century A.D. Some very unique deities and saints can be seen. Early Indian lifestyle, their clothing, ornaments and even hairdo are carved in these statues. I really enjoyed the sculpture on display here.

Artifacts are placed in a hall which used to be the Kings’ royal court (Durbar Hall). The walls and the ceiling of Durbar hall are ornamented with paintings and statuettes. Even the pillars and arches are decorated with fascinating scenes from Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. The highlight of the art gallery is the collection of stone sculptors and bronze idols that belong to the Chola period, Vijayanagara period and later periods. There is so much to see here that it is easy to get overwhelmed!

Brihadeshwara Temple Thanjavur India

This is a top five temple, in a trip replete with spectacular ancient temples. I would recommend a slower pace than we accomplished, but the content of the trip, the places we went, were all recommended, not a clunker amongst them. One of the largest temples in India, the Brihadeeswara Temple, also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is located in Thanjavur. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, represented as a huge ‘Lingam’, the temple was built around 1010 AD by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I. The temple continued the Hindu temple traditions of South India by adopting architectural and decorative elements, but its scale significantly exceeded the temples constructed before the 11th century. The Chola era architects and artisans innovated the expertise to scale up and build, particularly with heavy stone and to accomplish the 63.4 metres (208 ft) high towering vimana.

This is a telling of the building of this temple in ancient Tamil. The text wraps around the building, with no punctuation (we are told), as a chronicle of how they moved the massive granite blocks and built this temple.

Airavatesvara Temple, Kumbakonam, India

Airavatesvara Temple was my favorite temple after the temples at Mahabalipuram. This temple, built by Chola emperor Rajaraja II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples. The temple is dedicated to Shiva. It also reverentially displays Vaishnavism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism, along with the legends associated with Nayanmars – the Bhakti movement saints of Shaivism.

There is just so much carving and detail throughout the temple. Hinduism is replete with myths and stories--there is a lot of material to work with--and a lot of it is carved into stone here. From the UNESCO website: The art work that adorns the temple is extremely detailed, intricate and beautiful. It’s sheer poetry in stone. Built in the Dravidian architectural style, the main stone work of the building resembles a chariot. The entire temple complex is filled with rich carvings and inscriptions that narrate stories from ancient Indian Puranas. Words don’t do justice to the charm and splendour that the structure emanates; it’s one to be seen and experienced. Every carving tells a story.

Climbing The Mango Tree by Madhur Jaffrey

My spouse and I picked this out to listen to while traveling by car together because the author is an icon in cooking. She is the most recognizable Indian cookbook author in America and the most prolific. This is not about that at all, but it is still worth a listen. Daniel Boulard encourages aspiring cooks to explore what they know, to understand the food of the culture that they grew up in, and the India of Jaffrey's youth was very multi-cultural before independence and partition. She had a very privledged childhood, in which her barrister grandfather lived on a road that was named after him and the family had a full-blown folk tale about its origin, involving an ancient kingdom and a massacre from which one infant boy was saved by the sheltering wings of a kite. This bird became the tutelary goddess of the family, henceforth held sacred by all its descendants. While the memoir is not about food, her taste memories sparkle with enthusiasm, and her talent for conveying them makes the book relentlessly appetizing. She provides many family recipes (which we did not listen to), including one for split-pea fritters, as well as directions for preparing both traditional and easy tamarind chutney. The whole package — fritters, yogurt, chili mixture and chutney — is a stupendous dish, and not too hard to make at home. But the full magic of Jaffrey’s description has less to do with the chaat’s extraordinary flavor than with the presence of the khomcha-wallah and the wondering appetite of a child. This is worth having a go at, but it is not about the cookbooks so much as it is about the author.

Pondichéry, India

Yet another seaside town on the Bay of Bengal. Pondicherry, India, was under French rule for 138 years, from 1674 to 1954. In 1673, French officer Bellanger de l'Espinay moved into the Danish Lodge, marking the beginning of French administration. In 1674, François Martin, the first governor, began projects to turn the fishing village into a port town.

The transition away from French rule was gradual. In 1948, the French and Indian governments agreed that the inhabitants of the French Indian possessions would choose their political future. In 1954, the French possessions were transferred to the Indian Union and became a Union Territory. Puducherry officially became part of India in 1963. Many Tamil residents of Pondicherry have French passports because their ancestors were in French governmental service and chose to remain French at the time of Independence. In 2013, there were 9,950 French nationals in India. I was looking forward to being here, but while the architecture is definitely French. there are signs in French, and some people even speak a little French to this say, there wasn't much left. The "French Fusion" was heavily Indian influenced, and overall glad we spent just an afternoon here.

Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

The area has astounding temples, this one being the least well preserved, but still quite spectacular--it pales in comparison to the others in the area, and while we saw it last, I recommend starting here. Along the shores of one of the largest bays in the world, the Bay of Bengal, stands a temple complex that draws inspiration from the sea and its naturally occurring rock formations. The majestic Shore Temple (known locally as Alaivay-k-kovil) sits beside the sea in the small town of Mamallapuram in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. This complex of three separate shrines was constructed under the patronage of the Pallava king Nrasimhavarman II Rajasimha, who ascended the throne in 700 C.E. and ruled for about twenty years. As an architectural form, the Shore Temple is of immense importance, situated on the culmination of two architectural phases of Pallava architecture: it demonstrates progression from rock cut structures to free standing structural temples, and displays all the elements of mature Dravidian architecture. It signifies religious harmony with sacred spaces dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu, and was also an important symbol of Pallava political and economic strength. According to legend, sailors and merchants at sea could spot the shikharas of the temple from a distance and use those majestic towers to mark their arrival to the prosperous port city of Mahabalipuram. In this way, not only was the temple a home for the gods Shiva and Vishnu, but also a feature of the landscape, and an icon of the dominion of the great Pallava kings.

Trimurti Cave Temple, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Like other monuments in Mahabalipuram, the Trimurti Cave Temple is a rock-cut structure, meaning it was created by carving directly into a large granite boulder. It showcases the artistic and architectural skills of the Pallava dynasty that ruled the region during the 7th to 9th centuries. The temple’s carvings are known for their intricate detail and the skillful rendering of various deities and mythological stories. Visitors can appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that went into creating this rock-cut marvel.

The central shrine is devoted to Shiva, flanked by Brahma on the left and Vishnu on the right. Shiva Shrine: The central shrine, dedicated to Shiva, is the most prominent, reflecting his role as the destroyer and regenerator of the universe. The figure of Shiva is depicted in a majestic form, symbolizing his power and divinity. Brahma Shrine: The left shrine features Brahma, the creator, depicted with four faces symbolizing his all-seeing nature. The carvings around this shrine reflect the creative energy of the universe. Vishnu Shrine: On the right, Vishnu, the preserver, is depicted reclining on the serpent Ananta, symbolizing the preservation of the universe. The surrounding carvings depict scenes from Vishnu’s various incarnations. The cave temple’s interior is adorned with intricate carvings and pillars, showcasing the Pallava artisans’ mastery in rock-cut architecture. The sculptures are not just religious symbols but also works of art that have stood the test of time.

Arjuna's Penance, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

This magnificent relief, carved in the mid-seventh century, measures approximately 30m (100ft) long by 15m (45ft) high. Its huge size and scale is difficult to imagine just from photographs; a person standing on the ground in front of it could barely touch the elephants' feet. The subject is either Arjuna's Penance or the Descent of the Ganges, or possibly both. In additive cultures like India's, logical alternatives are often conceptualized as "both-and" rather than "either-or." Arjuna's Penance is a story from the Mahabharata of how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Shiva's weapon. The idea, which pervades Hindu philosophy, is that one could obtain, by self-mortification, enough power even to overcome the gods. In order to protect themselves, the gods would grant the petition of any ascetic who threatened their supremacy in this way - a kind of spiritual blackmail, or "give to get." (This meaning of the word "penance," by the way, is specific to Hinduism. Unlike the Catholic rite of penance, it is performed to gain power, not to expiate sin.)

The Ganges story is of the same kind, in which the sage Bhagiratha performs austerities in order to bring the Ganges down to earth. Shiva had to consent to break her fall in his hair, because otherwise its force would be too great for the earth to contain. The symbolism of the relief supports both stories. Furthermore, both stories were interpreted in a manner flattering to the Pallavas; the heroic Arjuna as a symbol of the rulers, and the Ganges as a symbol of their purifying power.

The Five Rathas. Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Mahabalipuram, 50km south of Chennai, was the major seaport of the ancient Pallava kingdom based at Kanchipuram. We spent a morning exploring the temples, caves and rock carvings around it. The area was an important port town during India’s early history and developed as a key center for artistic activity under the patronage of the Pallava rulers. Nrasimhavarman I, who took the epithet Mamalla (meaning “great warrior”), ruled for about 38 years beginning in 630 C.E. and sponsored a large number of rock-cut monuments at Mamallapuram, including cave shrines, monolithic temples, and large sculptures carved out of boulders. While the Pallava kings primarily worshipped the god Shiva, they also supported the creation of temples dedicated to other Hindu gods and goddesses and to other religious traditions such as . The Pallava rulers were particularly inspired by the growing personal devotional movement known as bhakti, in which worshippers approach the divine as a cherished child or loved one.

The Five Rathas are each carved from one stone. Each of these fine 7th-century temples was dedicated to a Hindu god and is now named after one or more of the Pandavas, the five hero-brothers of the epic Mahabharata, or their common wife, Draupadi. The rathas were hidden in the sand until excavated by the British 200 years ago. Ratha is Sanskrit for 'chariot', and may refer to the temples' form or to their function as vehicles for the gods. It's thought that they didn't originally serve as places of worship, but as architectural models.

The Bay of Bengal

We had the pleasure of visiting several cities on the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu. It is a relatively shallow body of water that forms the northeastern portion of the Indian Ocean. It is shared by the Southeast and South Asia countries and separated from the Burma Sea (Andaman Sea) to its east by the Nicobar Islands and the Andaman Islands. The bay’s southern limit is between Sangaman Kanda in Sri Lanka and Sumatra, Indonesia. The Bay of Bengal is bound by several Asian countries, including India to the northwest and west, Myanmar to the east, Bangladesh to the north, Sri Lanka to the southwest, and Indonesia to the southeast. India’s Nicobar and Andaman Islands also border the bay on the east. The bay hosts the world’s largest mangrove forest (Sundarbans) and longest beach (Cox’s Bazar).

The ignomious East India Company established the first Indian factory in 1611 at Masulipatnam on the Andhra Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and its second in 1615 at Surat. The high profits reported by the company after landing in India initially prompted James I to grant subsidiary licences to other trading companies in England. All views we had of the bay were quite peaceful--but we managed to miss a typhoon as well as monsoon season.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Chennai, India

This was the firt of many temples we visited in Tamil Nadu, and the detail of the sculpture is spectacular--both breath taking and overwhelming--I spent hours looking at my photos in close up to appreciate what I could not see quite as well from the ground level. They are exquisitely detailed and life-like. Zoom in! The temple is of typical Dravidian architectural style, with the gopuram overpowering the street on which the temple sits. The original dates back to 700 but this location is believed to have been built in 1566 after Portuguese destruction of the original (the French and the Portuguese were in Chennai before the English took hold in the mid-18th century).

The temple's name is derived from the words kapala (head) and Ishvara, an epithet of Shiva. According to the Puranas, during the meeting of the deities Brahma and Shiva at top of Mount Kailash, Brahma failed to show the due respect to Shiva. Due to this, Shiva plucked off one of the five heads (kapala) of Brahma. In an act of penance, Brahma came down to the site of Mylapore and installed a lingam to please Shiva.

Chennai, India--The Home of Madras Fabric

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu state, located on the Coromandel Coast of the beautiful Bay of Bengal, is known as the “Gateway to South India.” Yes, India is a country where vibrant colors abound, but Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the origin of Madras fabric. The quilter in me needs to point this out. In the 17th century, British traders of the East India Company established a presence in Madras, where they encountered the local handwoven cotton textiles. Enthralled by the fabric's lightweight and breathable qualities, they began exporting it to Europe. Traditionally, Madras fabric was meticulously handwoven by skilled artisans in India. The cotton yarns were dyed using natural vegetable dyes, resulting in a vibrant range of colours. Weavers employed intricate techniques to create the distinctive plaid patterns, characterised by their irregular and lively designs.

During the 19th century, the popularity of Madras fabric soared, primarily due to its association with the Scottish influence on Indian textile production. Scottish soldiers stationed in India, particularly in the Madras region, developed an affinity for the lightweight fabric, which suited the tropical climate. The demand for Madras fabric skyrocketed, leading to the creation of plaid patterns specifically tailored to the Scottish market. As the British Empire expanded, Madras fabric made its way into international markets, gaining increasing recognition in Europe and the Americas. It was embraced as a vibrant and distinctive textile, capturing the fascination with Indian craftsmanship and cultural influences of the era.

Bếp Mẹ ỉn (Le Thanh Ton Street), Ho Cho Min City, Vietnam

This is a Bib Gourmand restaurant on the Michelin website. As an aside, and as this is the last restaurant we ate at in Vietnam, and I haven't mentioned this, this is my last opportunity to do so, but I am very happy that there are Michelin rated restaurants in Vietnam. Is it flawless? No. They do look at places that are noodle places, but really just pho restaurants, which as far as I am concerned is not the greatest broth and noodle dish that Vietnam has to offer, but in doing so, Michelin elevates the cuisine. The only downside is that the places we ate at without this recognition were amazing, and they were also places where we ate our fill, each had a beer, and the bill was well under ten dollars. In any case, at this place, which is traditional South Vietnamese food, there were quite a few people like us, there because of Michelin, and from all over the world. I got a chance to teach some South Koreans how to use the translucent but not rehydrated rice paper to eat their Bánh Xèo with, which was very pleasureable.

The food here is really good, and the menu is much more varied than many more traditionally Vietnamese restaurants where we ate are--so it is likely to be geared to us as tourists. We ate at one restaurant in Hue that was this varied, and while there were many Vietnamese eating there, many of our fellow patrons were like us. In any case, it is worth trying this place and places like this, especially if you are on a short trip. We were in country for two weeks and I feel like I barely got started on cracking the code on Vietnamese food. I laughed at a characterization of the Vietnamese that I read in a memoir I am reading by a việt kiều (an overseas Vietnamese person) that characterized the Vietnamese as a skinny people obsessed with food.

Independence Palace, Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam

Surrounded by royal palm trees, the 1960s architecture of this landmark government building and the eerie ambience of its deserted halls make it an intriguing spectacle. The first Communist tanks to arrive in Saigon rumbled here on 30 April 1975 and it’s as if time has stood still since then. The building is deeply associated with the fall of the city in 1975, yet it's the kitsch detailing and period motifs that steal the show. It's also known as the Independence Palace. After crashing through the wrought-iron gates – in a dramatic scene recorded by photojournalists and shown around the world – a soldier ran into the building and up the stairs to unfurl a VC flag from the balcony. In an ornate reception chamber, General Minh, who had become head of the South Vietnamese state only 43 hours before, waited with his improvised cabinet.

This building clearly holds significance for the Vietnamese--not only were we very under-represented as Americans touring an iconic Vietnamese building, many of the visitors were in groups, from the veterans on the front lawn posing in front of the tank that stormed the gates so many years ago, to groups of youth, the palace that was for the most part uninhabited remains fixed in time, with it's red reception room representing power, it's green meeting room decorated to promote negotiation, and the yellow dining room to advance good digestion, it is stuck in the time when the modern Vietnam began. And to remind each visitor that it had a violent pastm there is a Huey on the roof. If you get to Saigon, this is a must see.

Dim Tu Tac, Saigon, Vietnam

Saigon is an overwhelmingly large city, with 12 million people, and while people drive slightly less crazily than in the rest of Vietnam, and it is easier to cross the street here than anywhere else we were, we were still committed to walking to dinner, and trying to make it a 1/2 hour radius around our hotel. There are a number of well reviewed European restaurants in Saigon, but we were interested in staying in the Asian food realm, and chose this one, which is Cantonese food with a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating.

The restaurant is continuously open in the afternoon to evening, which is another plus, because we enjoy eating our last meal of the day earlier than most these days. We do not have even an acceptable Chinese restaurant in our town, so this was a real treat for us. The duck, which is a favorite of my spouse, was the highlight, but every dish we got was excellent, and we would highly recommend this if you were willing to veer off the Vietnamese cuisine path for a meal.

Ancestral Temples, Hoi An, Vietnam

Ancestral Temples in Hoi An. We were here on the eve of Hung King Commenoration Day, a holiday dedicated to remembering. Since Confucianism was introduced to Vietnam during the Chinese domination, filial piety, the most fundamental of Confucian values, is very influential and important to Vietnamese families. Accordingly, children are obliged to respect their parents in life and to remember them after they die. The practice of ancestor worship is thus an expression of filial piety toward deceased parents, relatives and ancestors.

These incense coils (which pack flat if you would like to bring one home to burn in your own temple, or you can purchase one here, and they will burn for you) are very cool! Ancestral Temples in Hoi An. We were here on the eve of Hung King Commenoration Day, a holiday dedicated to remembering. Since Confucianism was introduced to Vietnam during the Chinese domination, filial piety, the most fundamental of Confucian values, is very influential and important to Vietnamese families. Accordingly, children are obliged to respect their parents in life and to remember them after they die. The practice of ancestor worship is thus an expression of filial piety toward deceased parents, relatives and ancestors.

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An Ancient town is located in Viet Nam’s central Quang Nam Province, on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River that at one point was the capital of ancient Vietnam. The town reflects a fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures (principally Chinese and Japanese with later European influences) that combined to produce this unique survival. This is considered a "must see" city in central Vietnam, and it is charming, to be sure--the City of Lanterns. We didn't avail ourselves of this, but we hear a woman talking at some length about taking a class in lantern making. This was a stop where we did typical tourist things, like traditional performances and a canal boat ride in a round woven boat. We stayed at a resort, sat by the pool and ate at restaurants where we could have ice and lettuce.

The town comprises a well-preserved complex of 1,107 timber frame buildings, with brick or wooden walls, which include architectural monuments, commercial and domestic vernacular structures, notably an open market and a ferry quay, and religious buildings such as pagodas and family cult houses. The houses are tiled and the wooden components are carved with traditional motifs. We liked it here, but I think if I were to do it over again, I would spend more time in Northern Vietnam. As Americans we are more familiar with the south, but culturally and artistically, the North is where it is at.

My Son, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.

The property is located in the mountainous border Duy Xuyen District of Quang Nam Province, in central Viet Nam. It is situated within an elevated geological basin surrounded by a ring of mountains, which provides the watershed for the sacred Thu Bon river. The source of the Thu Bon river is here and it flows past the monuments, out of the basin, and through the historic heartland of the Champa Kingdom, draining into the South China Sea at its mouth near the ancient port city of Hoi An. The location gives the sites its strategic significance as it is also easily defensible.

The tower temples were constructed over ten centuries of continuous development in what was the heart of the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan which unified the Cham clans and established the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 CE. During the 4th to 13th centuries CE this unique culture, on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam, owed its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of the Indian sub-continent. Under this influence many temples were built to the Hindu divinities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva. Although Mahayan Buddhist penetrated the Cham culture, probably from the 4thcentury CE, and became strongly established in the north of the kingdom, Shivite Hinduism remained the established state religion.