I visited the requisite sites today in Mamalapuram: the five rathas, the shore temple, the penance of arjuna but what really struck me was turning the corner of one of the town streets and suddenly being in the midst of a riot of color, of energy on the level of any new york city street, of people in action. Clearly more stuff happening per square foot of anywhere in the world. The sites fade into the background...to be pursued further in reading on the Pallava rulers of this coast of India from the 6th century on. But today...just life, life, life.
