We woke up early after a restful night’s sleep to join Katie Jo for some morning temple tours before the day’s official program began. I’ve been making sure to take advantage of every optional trip and activity in order to soak in as much as possible and experience all I can. We ended up only seeing one temple since the driver claimed there was too much traffic to make it to the others, but the one we did see was absolutely incredible. It was built during the Chola period, around the 11th century and is unique in that it is still actively used today. It was practically empty, though, save for a few young boys asking for pens, a women resting near the gate, and a priest at the Shiva Lingum inside the temple. The temple complex was huge and the temple itself grand both in stature and beauty. The intricate carvings on the pillars and the walls reminded me of the style at Angkor Watt in Cambodia. We marveled at its beauty and as I wandered among pillars and up staircases, I traced my fingers over the ancient granite. The priest led us in a Shiva chant and gave us powder for our foreheads. We had some time to spare before meeting up with the rest for the days activities, so I wandered the hotel, admiring its style and artifacts.
Later, we drove to a neighboring village to learn about Kalamkari, a traditional painting style done on cloth. The Kalamkari house was established as a collective to employ local women and to revive a once dying craft. When we arrived, the owners of the Kalamkari house had invited one of India’s most renowned temple and wedding musicians to play for us. The band played a variety of traditional songs, many of them Tamil. We were lucky and honored to be treated to such an experience. Once the musicians had left, off to play at some large festival in Chennai, the Kalamkari artisans displayed some of their work for us. It was absolutely exquisite. The traditional designs were intriguing and the colors popped off the fabric. The women were so kind and welcoming and though they didn’t speak much English, if any, they stuck to our sides grinning and giggling as we went for a walk and visited their local church.
We were invited in to one woman’s home. It was clear she had not warned her family we would be coming (her father didn’t even have pants on when we arrived), but they were so hospitable, especially on such short notice. Leaving our shoes at the door, we stepped inside their moistest home, all crowding into their main room. We sat in silence for a while as they stared at us smiling. It reminded me of rural week in Kenya, where people would parade you into their homes and have you sit there for a while, not really talking, just glad you were there, happy to show off their homes. While we sat inside, the father and another local man had collected a bunch of coconuts, which they cracked open for us to drink. The water was refreshing, despite not really having an affinity for it. Earlier in the morning we were also given raw coconuts at the hotel, where Steve, the owner, showed us how to drink them in the traditional way without straws, using thick piece of palm leaf instead. But here we used straws. Once we had drained the juice, the coconut was split in half, a spoon created from the shell, and the raw coconut could be scooped out and eaten. The texture was awful, but the taste wasn’t too bad. Though we didn’t share a common language and were only just strangers, the hospitality and kindness shown to us was unmatched. It just served as another reminder of the wonderful aspects of humanity and why I love to explore and have the opportunity to meet people like this. It was also a wonderful glimpse into their lives, a way of living so different from our own.
We took a walk up a dried up river, children from the village following us for a ways until we reached the Kalamkari house once again. We were served a huge banana leaf lunch cooked by the women with at least six different kinds of rice amongst other things. The food was great, though I struggled to finish it all. After thanking the women and our hosts for the incredible morning, we jumped back into the bus for our next adventure to a bronze-casting workshop.
At the bronze-casting workshop we were able to witness all the steps of bronze sculpture making. It begins with the creation of an incredibly detailed wax figure, then covering with clay, pouring molten metal into the clay, which melts the wax and creates the sculpture in its place. The clay-coated figure is left to cool for several days at which time the clay is cracked off. Extra details are added to the metal and it is polished. All of this was being done at the workshop we visited and we were able to see the process in every stage and talk with some of the artisans, who shared a cup of chai with us.
Back at the hotel we took a ride on an old bullock cart pulled by two oxen. This was a perfect example of India as a living museum, a concept introduced to us in our Contemporary India class. This concept explained how many things, though ancient, are still used and put in practice rather than being stored in a museum, as they would be in many other countries in the world. In parts of India, it is not uncommon to see ox pulled carts carrying loads of sand or other materials. We toured around the neighborhood of the village where children and families gathered at their doorsteps to watch us pass some children running after us asking for pens. The oxen moved slowly and the cart swayed rhythmically to their steps as it bumped down the semi-paved roads. The sun was just lowering in the sky and the atmosphere was peaceful. The ride was short and only ten or so minutes later we were back at the hotel.
We met Steve back at the hotel for a personal tour of the property and of all the museum items. While Steve was relatively pretentious and self-gloating, it was easy to look past it in order to learn about some of the amazing things he had collected. He explained so many interesting facets of Indian history, art and culture, and had an incredible collection he had put together over the years. Each room in the hotel was unique, adorned with historic art pieces, furniture, etc. and each had its own character. In the center of one of the main buildings, an old Tanjore house, were all the incredible artifacts. It is so apparent that India has some of the richest and most incredible history and culture. It really is a shame how much of it is lost to students studying in the Western world. It was also clear what an impact colonial rule had on the country. There was a quote in the hotel restaurant that noted how prosperous and thriving India and Indians were and that in order to conquer the nation, the people and systems most be broken. People must believe what is foreign is better and only then will they fall to colonial rule. Kind of a horrifying thought if you think about it…
Following the tour we were treated to a Bharatanatyam performance. The performer was absolutely incredible, and now, after having tried the art once, I realized just how hard it is and could appreciate it so much more. Her movements were effortless and her face so emotive it told a story.
Later, we drove to a neighboring village to learn about Kalamkari, a traditional painting style done on cloth. The Kalamkari house was established as a collective to employ local women and to revive a once dying craft. When we arrived, the owners of the Kalamkari house had invited one of India’s most renowned temple and wedding musicians to play for us. The band played a variety of traditional songs, many of them Tamil. We were lucky and honored to be treated to such an experience. Once the musicians had left, off to play at some large festival in Chennai, the Kalamkari artisans displayed some of their work for us. It was absolutely exquisite. The traditional designs were intriguing and the colors popped off the fabric. The women were so kind and welcoming and though they didn’t speak much English, if any, they stuck to our sides grinning and giggling as we went for a walk and visited their local church.
We were invited in to one woman’s home. It was clear she had not warned her family we would be coming (her father didn’t even have pants on when we arrived), but they were so hospitable, especially on such short notice. Leaving our shoes at the door, we stepped inside their moistest home, all crowding into their main room. We sat in silence for a while as they stared at us smiling. It reminded me of rural week in Kenya, where people would parade you into their homes and have you sit there for a while, not really talking, just glad you were there, happy to show off their homes. While we sat inside, the father and another local man had collected a bunch of coconuts, which they cracked open for us to drink. The water was refreshing, despite not really having an affinity for it. Earlier in the morning we were also given raw coconuts at the hotel, where Steve, the owner, showed us how to drink them in the traditional way without straws, using thick piece of palm leaf instead. But here we used straws. Once we had drained the juice, the coconut was split in half, a spoon created from the shell, and the raw coconut could be scooped out and eaten. The texture was awful, but the taste wasn’t too bad. Though we didn’t share a common language and were only just strangers, the hospitality and kindness shown to us was unmatched. It just served as another reminder of the wonderful aspects of humanity and why I love to explore and have the opportunity to meet people like this. It was also a wonderful glimpse into their lives, a way of living so different from our own.
We took a walk up a dried up river, children from the village following us for a ways until we reached the Kalamkari house once again. We were served a huge banana leaf lunch cooked by the women with at least six different kinds of rice amongst other things. The food was great, though I struggled to finish it all. After thanking the women and our hosts for the incredible morning, we jumped back into the bus for our next adventure to a bronze-casting workshop.
At the bronze-casting workshop we were able to witness all the steps of bronze sculpture making. It begins with the creation of an incredibly detailed wax figure, then covering with clay, pouring molten metal into the clay, which melts the wax and creates the sculpture in its place. The clay-coated figure is left to cool for several days at which time the clay is cracked off. Extra details are added to the metal and it is polished. All of this was being done at the workshop we visited and we were able to see the process in every stage and talk with some of the artisans, who shared a cup of chai with us.
Back at the hotel we took a ride on an old bullock cart pulled by two oxen. This was a perfect example of India as a living museum, a concept introduced to us in our Contemporary India class. This concept explained how many things, though ancient, are still used and put in practice rather than being stored in a museum, as they would be in many other countries in the world. In parts of India, it is not uncommon to see ox pulled carts carrying loads of sand or other materials. We toured around the neighborhood of the village where children and families gathered at their doorsteps to watch us pass some children running after us asking for pens. The oxen moved slowly and the cart swayed rhythmically to their steps as it bumped down the semi-paved roads. The sun was just lowering in the sky and the atmosphere was peaceful. The ride was short and only ten or so minutes later we were back at the hotel.
We met Steve back at the hotel for a personal tour of the property and of all the museum items. While Steve was relatively pretentious and self-gloating, it was easy to look past it in order to learn about some of the amazing things he had collected. He explained so many interesting facets of Indian history, art and culture, and had an incredible collection he had put together over the years. Each room in the hotel was unique, adorned with historic art pieces, furniture, etc. and each had its own character. In the center of one of the main buildings, an old Tanjore house, were all the incredible artifacts. It is so apparent that India has some of the richest and most incredible history and culture. It really is a shame how much of it is lost to students studying in the Western world. It was also clear what an impact colonial rule had on the country. There was a quote in the hotel restaurant that noted how prosperous and thriving India and Indians were and that in order to conquer the nation, the people and systems most be broken. People must believe what is foreign is better and only then will they fall to colonial rule. Kind of a horrifying thought if you think about it…
Following the tour we were treated to a Bharatanatyam performance. The performer was absolutely incredible, and now, after having tried the art once, I realized just how hard it is and could appreciate it so much more. Her movements were effortless and her face so emotive it told a story.