Day 7 September 29
Up early this morning to do our own discovery of Tanjore. A short walk and we were at the train station along with hundreds of people running for the train.
Tanjore 2
Our day started with a visit to Tanjore 2 and its suburbs. Tanjore is important to India for its rice fields and our day included a rice paddy. In addition to rice we saw ducks and of course a temple. You will see photos of bull ox in the river. These men are “mining” for building sand. They drive the bull ox cart into the river and load the cart with river sand. The sand is then dried in the sun and sold for construction projects.
Village Visit
We stopped for a Village Visit that appears to be very affluent. They have a new tractor and the houses are very well maintained. This village gets their funding from Jayalalitha, an actress turned Politian. Jayalalitha’s [picture adorns many house sin the village and her face is plastered on many billboards throughout the state. She gives money and supports schools, hospitals and the people of Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalitha
While we were on our Southern India visit a special court in Bangalore found Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha, guilty of owning “assets disproportionate to her known sources of income,” and sentenced her to a large fine and four years in jail. Supporters of Jayalalitha, who became a politician after a successful career as a movie actress, claim the charges are politically motivated. Jayalalitha, who is locally called “amma” or mother is a colorful personality known for her opulent lifestyle, is an extremely divisive figure in her home state, and the court's ruling was greeted by widespread violent protests across the state. 16 supporters reportedly committed suicide in protest. The charges were originally brought against her by the leader of another political party in 1996, 14 years ago.
Tanjore 3 A few photos of interest in and around Tanjore.
Bronze Foundry
The previous day we visited the Thanjavur Art Gallery at the palace. Today we visit a Bronze Foundry where artisans make bronze objects as they did centuries ago. Many of the bronze works are made using the lost wax art form. Please note that this bronze foundry is not OSHA sanctioned.
Before we left home we bought toys and educational gifts for the children at the orphanage. We had been told how many boys and girls there were and we bought things that they could use. It was a great learning experience as we talked to the teachers and students. One of our fellow travelers brought along a guitar and the kids had a great time learning to play. The children at the orphanage range in age from a new-born baby to around 15 years old. But there are also adults at the orphanage. Those are adults without a family to care for them and if not for the orphanage they would be out on the street.
- Southern India
Southern India Photo Page 8
Southern India Photo Page 6