Carvings

In case anyone's wondering where I've been these last couple of days, we're enjoying a long Easter break in Toronto so posting frequency is down. Back to normal after Tuesday.

Carvings in boulders lining the road through the middle of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. Mahabalipuram is the site of a port that flourished about 1400 years ago under the Pallava dynasty which dominated this part of the Indian subcontinent at about the same time as the Dark Ages in Europe and the birth of Islam in Arabia. It's the location of the Shore Temple which I've previously posted.

During the early European colonial period, the French and British vied for dominance in this region, with Madras changing hands a couple of times before becoming a major centre of British power while to the south Pondicherry remained a French possession until 1963. There's still a strong French influence along the Coromandel coast, and in fact the French government promotes French culture in the region with a series of subsidies. It's quite amusing to see the large number of restaurants lining the streets of Mahabalipuram, all with French names. I say 'restaurants' - they're shacks with a sign (in French) out front, and no visible kitchen or dining area. One suspects a widespread scam to wring a few rupees out of the French taxpayer... :)

Still, it's all good. I reckon the citizens of Mahabalipuram are very positively disposed towards their French benefactors so that's money well spent. :)

Details: Minolta X-500, 50mm lens, exposure not recorded. January 1998, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Placemark.