[StarVegabond]

While Lalu presents the Shore Temple pictures in a authentic and grand manner, i will post my last two pictures from the Shore temple visit

After spending some time at Shore temple, we decide to move out. Temperature was already 38 degree C and sun was very scorching, we sub-conciously dropped the plan of visiting the beach and walkedout.

While walking out, we found some one really demonstating a bit more than friendship, these two were appeared to be in a mating session. I just missed capturing the scene


Powerpuff Angels made our decision simple as they were thirsty, so we took a drink break at the nearby cold drink shop. There are lot many stone carving shops around. Here is one of the angle checking out the stone carvings.


Let us wait for Lalu to process and post his pictures, then we will move to the next attraction.

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by laluks

The Shore Temple

Another view of the Shore Temple
Attachment 398259

Have you taken any oath to not put more than ONE picture in a post

Why sir? Why?

@Star. Thanks star for those free info. Eventhough I have visited Mahabs several times when in Chennai, never had a guide. Not sure why. But it just went off. May be because, it was in our place

Agreed, those are legends to know. The more you hear, the more you will be astonished for sure.

[rabnawaz_b]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Have you taken any oath to not put more than ONE picture in a post

Why sir? Why?

mjothi, your post of hilarious. I remembered the dialogue from chandramukhi
"Yenna kodumai saravanan idu"

Mods: sorry

[MX6]

You are too good to be an amateur hobbyist. Anyway, That odd treatment of that temple snap just makes it even more alluring to the eyes. What was the trick you used?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Have you taken any oath to not put more than ONE picture in a post

Why sir? Why?

Originally Posted by rabnawaz_b

mjothi, your post of hilarious. I remembered the dialogue from chandramukhi
"Yenna kodumai saravanan idu"

Mods: sorry

Guys -

We don't want to break the standing records in TBHP for the most number of photos, either of roads or monuments. I guess Star mentioned it before some where - LOL.

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

So current standing road photograph upload records on T-BHP stands as it is.

Let that be left for future master strokes, currently I guess it is 1 photo per km!!

Originally Posted by MX6

You are too good to be an amateur hobbyist. Anyway, That odd treatment of that temple snap just makes it even more alluring to the eyes. What was the trick you used?

Thanks, that gives me the needed encouragement in learning the skills of photography. Trick - tone mapping.

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by laluks

A total of 1100KMs and 48 hours.

Originally Posted by laluks

Guys -

We don't want to break the standing records in TBHP for the most number of photos, either of roads or monuments. I guess Star mentioned it before some where - LOL.

Let that be left for future master strokes, currently I guess it is 1 photo per km!!

Wow, a simple math says this itself will beat the standing record

Ok. back to log please.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Have you taken any oath to not put more than ONE picture in a post
Why sir? Why?

Answer to your question is here in the post of star!!!

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

I would request the readers to consider my pictures as Roti & Rice and Lalu's pictures as Deserts and Sweets.

Laluks is posting the pics like serving Gulab Jamun, only one at a time.

[laluks]

The Shore Temple

The panorama


A little closer


Still more closer


Details - The top of the gopura is made from Granite.


Power Puff Angels


Sky, birdie and nest




Guys hope you are happy . I have posted more than 1 picture.

We now move on to the next stop, The 5 Rathas.

Star over to you.

[StarVegabond]

Hi Lalu,

your images look fantastic, i liked the picture of the powerpuff angles posted by you.

I just realized one thing, your daughters got promoted from being the power puff girls to being a powerpuff angels. my simple daughter became a power puff angel when she came into contact with your girls.

Think of it !, what a mere few hours of friendship can do. What could a life time of friendship can bring to the people ?.

Today was a busy day for me...here i go with the next attraction.

After a round of cold drinks, we hopped on to our respective Honda Rathas and started driving towards Five Rathas. It appears that the Pallava King was a fan of Pandava's and he built these as a rememberance to the Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi. Imagine in those days also women demanded seperate vehicles for them, and it was indeed a compact Ratha, at least the one here is.

The Five Rathas called as Pandava Rathas.. In those times also people used to have vehicles as per their stature.


Some descriptions about five Rathas


Lion seems to be symbol of the Pallava dynasty


Stone Elephant


The Bull and the Beauty


Ratha for Dharmaraja


Ratha for the Mighty Bheema..the biggest and most spacious


My friend trying pose as Arjun


The Twins had to share everything from Womb to Love to a Ratha


Ardhanarishwara (half woman & half man) is an enactment of Lord Shiva showcasing the best qualities of the male and female lifeforms.


The view from another side


in approx 38 deg C and at almost 12 noon, we got almost roasted like a lamb


The Soothing Shade provided some temporary relief


The Heart and mind aspired for a cool shak to rest


or a cool shell to hide


This vehicle reminded us of the Honda Ratha and the cool AC it offers.


While returning to our cars, we saw this ancient brave woman chasing a tiger away


adjacent to the brave women was this statue of Began depicting the compassion and importance for beauty, arts and artisans in the kingdom of Pallavas.


Soon we jumped back into our own rathas and moved towards the next attraction.

Now over to Lalu for his wonderful deserts.. i mean photographs of the five rathas.

[v&v]

StarVegabond & Lalu, Nice narration and photos.
Once query to lalu reg the pana shot, did you shot this holding the camera horizontal or vertical ? Nice Pictures

[laluks]

Originally Posted by v&v

StarVegabond & Lalu, Nice narration and photos.
Once query to lalu reg the pana shot, did you shot this holding the camera horizontal or vertical ? Nice Pictures

Thanks v&v. It was horizontal.

[laluks]

The 5 Rathas

We hopped on to our respective "Honda Rathas" like Star mentioned and drove to the 5 Rathas nearly a kilometer away from the Shore Temple.

The only annoyance if I must say I felt at Mahabalipuram is the never ending following by the hawkers to sell you something. I also saw fans made of peacock feathers

Over to the pictures. Star has been keenly listening to the guide, and I was lazy hiding away in the shades. So I'll have to check his log to find which ratha is which


The 5 Rathas


Illustration of the 5 Rathas


The Elephant - Seems it is Airavatha.


The Elephant with some visitors


Dharmaraja Ratha


Roof of Dharmaraja Ratha with a beautiful sky as backdrop




Bheema Ratha


Dharmaraja Ratha and Bheema Ratha


The Lion




Arjun Ratha


Nakula Sahadeva ratha


Which ratha is this? Star need your help in identifying this.



Star over to you for the next pitstop - Arjunas penance and Butter ball.

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by laluks

Which ratha is this? Star need your help in identifying this.

The compact and cute ratha is for Draupadi. As i said before in those days also men used to think that women like compact cars.

Also note that Draupadi's Ratha is very close to Arjuna's Ratha. Mahabharatha stories tell us at the end (through Dharmaraja's quotes during maha nirvana) that Draupadi loved Arjuna more than her other 4 husbands. Draupadi also used Bheema for executing her vengence.
Mahabharata is a wonderful story where one can learn strategy and tactics.

Originally Posted by laluks

Star over to you for the next pitstop - Arjunas penance and Butter ball.

coming up...

[sami316]

Hello Guys,
The pics are awesome. Just gone through the 1st page.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Also note that Draupadi's Ratha is very close to Arjuna's Ratha. Mahabharatha stories tell us at the end (through Dharmaraja's quotes during maha nirvana) that Draupadi loved Arjuna more than her other 4 husbands. Draupadi also used Bheema for executing her vengence.
Mahabharata is a wonderful story where one can learn strategy and tactics.

coming up...

Well, the reason for this rests in the fact that it was Arjuna who won the swayamvara and not bhima.
The contest was to lift the bow gandiva and string it. Now everyone knows that Bhima is stronger than Arjuna. But why didn't bhima attempt at accomplishing the task and Arjuna did that?
There are two small stories that go in to it.
First one being the fact that Arjuna being younger, his accomplishment means that his elders are also capable. Youngsters never stake a claim in what elders acheived. So if Bhima or Yudishtra had done that, then Arjuna or even Bhima couldn't have married Draupadi. Nakul and Sahadev being sons of Madri don't have any issues with age. This is because, Veda vyasa seems to have met Bheema enroute to Drupada kingdom and had told him that All the 5 Pandavas will marry Draupadi.
So Kunti stating to Yudishtra asking all brothers to share the trophy called draupadi was possible and accepted by yudhishtra because of the fact that the younger brother accomplished it.
It's bizzare, but then that's the mahabharata.
The second reason for Draupadi having to garland Arjuna is because of Bheeshma, without whom the mahabharata wouldn't have happened.
We all know that Amba had vowed that she will exact revenge on Bheeshma. We all know that Amba was also re-born as shikhandi against whom, Ganga Putra Bheeshma didn't hold a weapon. Now Amba took a boon from Shiva, who blessed her with a garland. Who wears that garland would slay the mighty Bheeshma. When Amba took the garland to the streets of Hastinapur, people shunned her due to the love and fear of Bheeshma. Finally, Amba left the garland at the palace door step at Drupada. She was also born as Shikhandi and wore the garland for some times.
And the same garland finally came to Draupadi who had to garland the victor in the swayamwar.
Bhima would not kill Bheeshma. As Bheeshma is a vishnu bhakt. Bheeshma himself shows his devout for vishnu when krishna in a fit of rage holds the Chakrayudha the only time in the war. He claims there's no bigger fortune than being slayed by Vishnu himself! The only person who can vanquish him in such case is either krishna, who vowed not to fight, or Arjuna, who can do it at the behest and advice of krishna.
Hence Bhima didn't want to be garlanded. He let Arjuna be the slayer of Bheeshma.
But Bheeshma also has a boon. To chose his own death. Arjuna beat him and let him lie on the bed of arrows. But Ganga putra bheeshma wouldn't die until he knew Hastinapur was safe.

On a lighter note, amongst the pandavas, Arjuna was the most promiscuous and manly. He had to take the form of Brehannala to hide. His Manliness was so known that it seems one can make out it's Arjun in any worlds in any disguise. Thankfully Urvashi cursed him which he used for his 1 year Agyatvas. Anyway, Arjuna had the maximum wives amongst pandavas due to his promiscuous and manly qualities! So guess Draupadi wanted to keep in on leash and had her chariot close to him.
Go to Gujarat, there's a place near Madhapur where pandavas are supposed to have spent time during Agyatvas. You find 6 Shiva temples which they have prayed to. Bhima's temple has the biggest Linga. Draupadi's is small and close to Arjuna's.

An OT to this post: couple celebrate the 70th birthday of the husband as Bhima Ratha Shanti. Still trying to do an etymological reasoning for that.