Immerse yourself in South Indian Dravidian culture

#AbsolutelyFreeTravel On March 20, 2025, I flew to Chennai, the central city of South India (one of the four major cities in India), on a relatively cheap flight from SriLankan Airlines. The purpose was to see the Dravidian-style Hindu temples, a symbol of South India. I left Chennai International Airport and headed to Mahabalipuram, where the temple is a World Heritage Site. I took a suburban train from Tirusulam Station near the airport, got off at Chengalpttu Station, and then took a bus to Mahabalipuram from there, which seemed to save time and money, so I used this method. This method took about four hours (with a waiting time of about one hour) from the airport to Mahabalipuram. Early the next morning on the 21st, I started sightseeing at Shore Temple, a World Heritage Site. This temple was built near the sea in the early 8th century, and its surface has been worn down by the effects of waves and wind over a long period of time. However, the statues of the holy bull Nandi lined up on the outer wall, the stepped towers, and the reliefs of Vishnu and Krishna give the temple a good old, prestigious feel. In Mahabalipuram, we also walked around the Five Rathas, a temple carved from a single granite block and said to be the prototype of Dravidian architecture, the Arjuna's Penance, a relief on a huge rock that tells the story of the goddess Ganga descending to earth, and Krishna's Butterball resting on a slope. However, it was hot. From Mahabalipuram, we took a bus to Tirukkalkundram and visited two Hindu temples, then headed to Kanchipuram, an ancient city and one of the seven holiest sites of Hinduism. It was about a two-hour bus ride. In the evening, we had dosa, curry, mango lassi, etc. at a South Indian restaurant near our hotel, Hotel Jaybala International. The delicious curry was spicy as expected. On the following day, the 22nd, we visited five Hindu temples from early morning until evening. Since many Hindu temples are closed between 12:00 and 16:00, I visited four temples in the morning and visited one temple from 16:00. The most beautiful temple was Kailasanathar Temple, built in the early 8th century, with wonderful lion sculptures. All the temples are characterized by their high Dravidian-style gopurams. However, since I am not a Hindu, I was unfortunately not allowed to enter the main hall. Around 6:00 in the evening, I took a bus to the state capital, Chennai. It was a direct ride, so I arrived at Chennai Central Bus Terminal in two hours. Chennai is quite large. I took the subway and got off at Chennai Central Station. This station was built during the British colonial period and features red neo-Gothic walls and a clock tower, making the exterior very beautiful. For dinner, I had chicken biryani at a restaurant. The next day, the 23rd, I visited two Hindu temples, Kapaleeshwara Temple and Parthasarathy Temple. The tower of Kapaleeshwara Temple is nearly 40m high, and is decorated with many reliefs of Hindu gods. I liked the reliefs of the gods praying. In Chennai, I also visited Madras University and St. Mary's Church, but I still think that the best thing to do when traveling to South India is to immerse yourself in a Dravidian-style temple with its high towers and reliefs of Hindu gods.