This first journal features our first stop at Mamallapuram where we spent 2 nights. This small seaside village, (aka Mahabalipuram), is just 60kms south of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Once a flourishing seaport founded in the 7th century, the village is now famous for its centuries-old stone carvings & carvers. In fact, its most famous monument, the Shore Temple, is one of three UNESCO heritage sites in the state.

Tamil Nadu: We spent most of our tour in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerela. Tamil Nadu is one of 28 states in India. [Did you know that India is the seventh largest country in terms of geographical area, the second most populous country, and the largest democracy in the world?]

Tamil Nadu is the 11th largest state in India by area (about the size of Greece) and the 6th most populous state. It is the homeland of the Tamils* & has existed since prehistoric times.

The culture & artwork of this region are considered to be some of the oldest in the world. Tamil Nadu is also home to one of the world's classical languages - Tamil, & also has one of the oldest culinary heritages in the world.

*[Tamil people are a Dravidian language speaking people from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. The oldest Tamil communities are those of southern India and north-eastern Sri Lanka.]

One of the most industrialised & urbanised states in India, Tamil Nadu is also has many natural resources, rare flora and fauna, cool hill stations, grand Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one of them being the Shore Temple located in Mamallapuram.