Mahabalipuram - Riding like a Ghost
This trip was epic in many ways “The Ride”, “The Fall”, “The Terrains”, “The Temples” & “The Mysteries”.
By this time it became usual that we started travelling every weekend. I picked up this chunk from those stories as it's very close to my heart for special reasons.
Not bragging anymore! Let’s begin -
Ajju denies to join but wholeheartedly he lends his bike & gears to us (Nayyu & Me). So, Friday night at 11PM Nayyu picked me up from the office gate in the moderate rain. We weren’t ready to write-off. Moreover, we were crazy to drench on the flowing free rain ( Madness of Riding). By the time our wheels spun for 3-4 Kms we soaked completely. I asked Nayyu, “Did you have dinner? He replies No! & it's the same with me too” 12PM in the night & en-route we couldn’t find any restaurant or dhaba to charge our bodies. Rain was on its harsh side by now & we decided to have a pit stop & wait for the conditions to look better. Unfortunately, Nothing seemed promising & we finally found a dhaba which wasn’t to our choice but it was inevitable for us to stop there & feed up. By the time we washed out, the conditions looked promising & rain started slowing down. We felt it's a perfect time to resume. We started our bike & began our journey.
Rain completely stopped after we rode for 30Kms Approx. We took Chennai highway to travel here . People of Bangalore very well know the joy of riding on the Chennai Highway. It’s a 8 Lane road & pretty well conditioned. We enjoyed the roads driving till the dawn light appeared. We stopped for a daybreak to see the beauty of sun rising in early lights.
We reached Mahabalipuram around 8AM in the morning & we took up a small room to freshen up & halt for 1 night - 2 days. We jumped into sleep after hitting the bed from a refreshing shower & by the time we woke it was around 11AM & we began our quest as we were unfamiliar with the place. We had a few sightseeing's in our bucket list & we managed to visit them all. Let me give you a brief history about this place & its significance.
Group of Monuments
History & Mystery of Mahabalipuram
The historic name of Mahabalipuram is MAMALLAPURAM”. Mahabalipuram’ s early history is completely shrouded in mystery. Ancient mariners considered this place the land of the Seven Pagodas. There are others who think that Mahabalipuram suffered from a great flood between 10,000 and 13,000 BCE. Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tamil Nadu, India.
Shore temple , Pancha Ratha , Descent of Ganges, Cave Temples, Olakkanneshvara Temple are the masterpieces of this place & in the modern days there was an addition to this place which is mysteriously Butter ball of Sri Krishna. This is a new fascination to everyone for its structure & the way it's structured. It’s a giant stone which is like a ball in structure standing on a slanted surface. This place attracts more tourists than any other.
Krishna's Butter Ball & Shore Temple
Ironically, During the Tsunami in 2004 Mahabalipuram faced a lot of damage which cannot be recovered. They also say that lots of treasures are hidden in the bosom of the sea after Tsunami drowned this place for a few days. The Underwater survey is an ongoing process & yet to reveal a lot more edifices & to answer the questions of the past.
While heading back to Bangalore , We went into a bike accident where we fell down from a bike at an average speed & had minor damages to our hands, Legs & bike. Thanks to people of the city for all the support & help in doing first aid. After this we were good to go. Wait! Let me tell how we fell down. I was riding the bike & a person tries to cross the road diagonally which makes me presume to take right & let him go but the person doesn’t respond to any indications & he just passes by. To save him from hitting I tried to control by turning & the back wheel was toggled to a reflector & we slipped down. Moving forward we went to a coffee shop to get rid of this mood & pain. Had a coffee which felt soothing in those circumstances. After some relaxation we drove anxiously the rest of miles & reached Bangalore by 6PM.
This trip changed a few perspectives in us. We never had a second thought in planning our trip. This trip taught me how disastrous it could be if things don't go our way. There is always a risk factor in the decisions we take but it shouldn’t be overridden.
Like Said “ LIVE WITH NO EXCUSES & TRAVEL WITH NO REGRETS”