Chennai

On July 20th, the Fulbright crew flew to Chennai. Hillary Clinton also arrived to the town that day; although our paths did not cross, we did see signs plastered around town regarding her arrival.

The 21st was another hectic day. We traveled to Mahabalipuram, a town that lies on the Coromandel Coast, which faces the Bay of Bengal. The guide told us that this area was hit by the tsunami and trees were planted to prevent damage if another natural disaster occurred. It was great to see the ocean from the bus. I did ask the tour guide if we’d be able to stick a toe in the water, but was told no. However, during a stop to see an ancient temple that was uncovered during the tsunami, a few Fulbrighters ran off to the ocean, and I joined the midst to dip my feet in the water. Our tour guide called us the human tsunami. I have to say we were all very cheery afterwards ☺

We had a guided tour of Pancha Rathas (monolithic temples), the Mahishasura Mardhini (a cave with carvings), and Dakshin Chitra (a center for art, performing arts, and crafts). I had a woman apply henna to my hand for 50 rupees (around $1.25).

The day was capstoned with a dinner visit to homes of Indian Fulbright Alumni. Debbie and I traveled to Sri Devi’s apartment, and were surprised to meet her talented friends. Knowing of my interests of yoga and Bengali culture, Sri Devi invited a yoga teacher and two classical Indian dancers from Kolkata. The photos She also invited a Girish, a tv personality who hosts a Tamil music program. We had such a great night eating delicious food and talking. It was also a great mix of Indians, since there were Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Bengali speakers.