Tue 12 Jan
Early
start for drive to Thanjavur. Passed
through a lovely rice field and stopped en route to see rope making with
coconut fibre. We all had a go at
teasing out the fibre.
We
also stopped to see a mud house and family by the side of the road. We
crossed a dam and saw many crocodiles in the water, bathing on the banks or in
the shallows not far from where fishermen were sitting on little rafts with
their feet dangling in the water.
Very
pleasant South India lunch at the Paradise Resort mid-way on the journey. Arrived
at Thanjavur approx. 3pm and dropped our luggage off at the Tanjore Hi
Hotel.
Guided
by Mr Raja to the Palace to see the wonderful 7C – 11C bronze statues. These are truly great pieces of art, mainly
of Shiva and Parvati. Late in the
afternoon we visited the famous local temple with its impressive Nandi and
great towers. It was atmospheric to
enter the interior of one of the “shrines” and observe Shiva in the form of a
lingam.
After
this, we went to a genuine small bronze-making business and observed the
procedures for making bronze items. We
bought a little statue of Lakshmi and a little sleeping Buddha. B and P bought a larger impressive Nandi.
Our
evening meal was delightful sitting out on a balcony looking up at the starlit
sky and a beautiful moon. Nats helpfully
suggested which dishes we should sample.
His advice in this area is a real bonus on this tour.
Slept
well in a beautifully decorated room.
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