Ashtalakshmi Temple; Chennai, India

Mamallapuram’s central attraction is of course the (Pallava) seventh century Shore Temple. The temple and surrounding area, as I explained in a previous post, has been designated a World Heritage Site. Not quite rising to the level of world status is the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Chennai’s Besant Nagar district, overlooking Elliot’s Beach.

The temple, I’m told is not very old – perhaps thirty years or so. (You could have fooled me.) Though practically within walking distance from where we live, we had never known of this particular temple before. It is overshadowed by the considerably more hectic Our Lady of Velankanni (Christian) Church - which ministers to the sick and boasts of apparitions by Mary, Mother of God – behind which it lies almost totally hidden. Ashtalakshmi is only accessible either from the beach or by a series of narrow streets alleyways. It is nevertheless one of the stops on the Chennai hop-on; hop-off tourist bus routes and ranks as an Indian Heritage Site.

We found the temple by accident. We had told our driver to take us to a temple we had seen earlier that day in passing. He misunderstood and took us to Ashtalakshmi. I was immediately intrigued. The architecture and the color scheme were a decided departure from the usual South Indian temple fare. It seemed as different from classical Tamil temple architecture as gothic is from rococo. Noting the 10 Rs. entrance fee, we decided to first see the temple from the outside and save a more thorough exploration for later.

We went back the following week – a little earlier in the day, when the legendary Chennai summer sun would still be in the process of gearing up to do its worst. The temple’s layout is unique. There are eight Lakshmi goddesses installed on four levels. At each of the Lakshmi idols sits a Hindu priest prepared to perform a ritual that bestows blessings on the visitor. For each of the ceremonies a modest gratuity is asked for. It is therefore smart to carry small bills and coins with you as it becomes awkward to ask for change from holy men.

The temple affords the visitor stunning views of the Bay of Bengal. Officially, it is not permitted to take pictures there. If people happen to see you trying, they will ask you to put your camera away. Still, I managed to capture some images on the sly, either when no one was looking or with my wife pretending to pose.

A second caution worth mentioning is that you’re expected to leave your shoes outside the entrance before entering. As hot as Chennai gets during the day, it is conceivable that the ground exposed to the sun will burn your feet. Do not leave your footwear in the car as you will have to cross burning blacktop in order to get to your vehicle.

Lakshmi is the consort of (the) Vishnu (part of the Hindu male trinity). She is goddess of wealth, prosperity; learning and wisdom; courage and strength. Each of the eight Lakshmis is said to have distinct powers. If you’re going to pray for a child, for instance, you’ll want to walk up the stairs to the third tier where the shrine of Santaana Lakshmi (bestower of offspring) is located and perform your devotions there.

It’s easy to be swept up in the emotion of need-based worship even if you happen not to be Hindu. It is quite evident from watching the people around you here at Ashtalakshmi (as well as at Our Lady of Velankanni, a mere stone’s throw away) that Hindus take their gods very seriously.

Peter Koelliker; pkoelliker8@yahoo.com

Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, South India

Less than two hours drive south from Chennai is historic Mamallapuram, now designated as a World Heritage site. It was the second capital and seaport of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram who ruled much of Tamil Nadu from the 4th to the 9th century. Today, they are remembered primarily for their patronage and promotion of Dravidian architecture. The landscape in and around Mamallapuram features huge rock outcroppings which have traditionally attracted armies of stone cutters whose progeny to this day still ply their trade producing intricate sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses.

The principal attraction here is the Shore Temple. It has been a matter of intense speculation, some claiming that seven of these were originally built (six, they say, having since been claimed by the sea). Though now largely relegated to myth, the tsunami - which hit the coast in December of 2004 - nevertheless re-ignited the controversy after some eye-witnesses recalled seeing patterned arrangements of stone emerge briefly from the water.

Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram, as it was called up until only a few years ago) also boasts of having the largest open air bas-relief monolith in the world, known as “Arjuna’s Penance” or “The Descent of Ganga”. In addition there are the “Five Rathas”, or vehicles, which, scholars suspect, was the result of attempting to determine a suitable architectural style for yet to be commissioned Pallava-sponsored temples built to honor the gods they revered.

Virtual tomes have been published about all the antiquities that can be found in Mamallapuram. Of more immediate interest to the casual traveler might be the fact that Mamallapuram is the only spot on India’s arid east coast that can claim to have world class resorts. The area is an amalgam of the very old and the very new and, as such, a fair representation of present-day India.