March 19, 2009

LEAVING NO STONE UNCARVED


With P away on business, I spent the following days exploring the temples. Ducking and diving in and out of ancient carved stone doorways and stumbling my way round miniature stairways and towering temple pillars, I walked around battle-scarred temples with stunning statues, stone sculptures and multi-layered towers. Many of the corridors crumbling due to tree roots forcing their way slowly between the blocks. Temple walls decorated with magnificent detailed carvings of people, cows, wagons, daily life and great battles.

Giant granite lions, tigers, eight-headed snakes and elephants guarding the ancient steps. Next to them, sandstone gods with eight hands sitting cross-legged on lotus flowers watching over the temple ponds. I got up at 4am for great sunrises over ancient temples and stayed till 5pm for sunsets viewed from the tops of others.

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