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• Sittannavasal: Rock Cut Cave Jain Temple of Pudukkottai

  In Destinations, Temples / By Chris Chopp / 2 May 2012 / 0 comments

  

  Lonely Planet described the rock cut Jain temple of Sittannavasal best when it wrote, “the cave is widely ignored by day trippers, which means you’ll likely get to appreciate these masterpieces of Jain art on your own”. Located about 16 km north of Pudukkottai on the Pudukkottai-Annavasal-Viralimalai road, the small temple is easily overlooked if not for a bright blue signpost along the road. Sittannavasal is best known for the [...]

   

• A Brief Visit to the Villages of Chettinad,Tamil Nadu

  In Destinations / By Chris Chopp / 2 May 2012 / 3 comments

  

  Decaying mansions and dusty intersections are what tourists initially find when they stumble upon Chettinad, a once powerful business community located in the heart of Tamil Nadu. More than 100 years ago it was a region consisting of 96 villages filled with huge country homes of the Nattukottai Chettiars, a community considered to be the pioneers of modern banking. Their palatial mansions were stuffed with imported period furniture, chandeliers, curios [...]

   

• Bandipur National Park of Southern Karnataka

  In Destinations / By Chris Chopp / 25 April 2012 / 0 comments

  

  Located along Ooty Highway between the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Bandipur National Park is one of South India’s best known tiger reserves. Sadly, time constraints kept me from stopping for a safari in-between my travels from Mysore to Ooty; a shame given the rich history and area devoted to the rich flora and fauna of the area. Tourists traveling through the area won’t completely miss out as the [...]

   

• Sri Meenakshi: A Photo Tour of South India’s Most Famous Temple

  In Destinations, Religion / By Chris Chopp / 17 April 2012 / 0 comments

  

  Thousands of temples dotting South India’s landscape vie for the attention of tourists each year. As Taj Mahal is North India’s most famous landmark, Sri Meenakshi Temple of Madurai is known as South India’s must see destination. No temple exemplifies the wonders of Hindu architecture, nor the level of activity pervading every space enclosed within the temple’s high walls as at Sri Meenakshi Temple. Twelve intricately carved colorful gopurams reaching [...]

   

• Exploring Kochi in 16 Hours On Foot

  In Destinations / By Chris Chopp / 7 April 2012 / 0 comments

  

  I was scheduled to arrive in Kochi somewhere between 4 and 5 pm one afternoon with a 9 am departure the following morning. Ideally one would want more time in Kochi based on all that is listed to see and do in guide books of India. But I’d have to settle for this brief layover as the only way to see Kochi until my next course through Kerala or skip [...]

   

• Filth at Sam Sand Dunes Stirs Clean Up Cause

  In Destinations / By Chris Chopp / 7 April 2012 / 0 comments

  

  A recent article about the Sam Sand Dunes of Rajasthan, written by Vimal Bhatia for the Times of India, turned some heads when it criticized the reality of what many locals already knew about this popular destination; it is filthy. The remote location about 40 kms from Jaisalmer is the gateway to Desert National Park but better known as THE spot to glimpse picture perfect Thar Desert sunsets. With more [...]