Allison's Wanderland

Rajagiri, Tamil Nadu, India

There are some places you visit that appear monochromatic, even boring on the surface. This is especially true if you’ve just come from a city alive with color.

I stopped at this piece of ancient history as I was traveling from Tiruvannamalai to Pondicherry. Tiruvannamalai is a destination for many spiritual seekers, especially students of yoga. As such, it is full of holy men wearing saffron robes or dhotis (cloth wrapped around the waist like a towel or skirt), women dressed in all the vibrant colors of the rainbow, sometimes all at once, and children adorned in things that sparkle and shine, auras included. The temples are rich with hues repainted regularly to keep them fresh and regular buildings are adorned with symbols and deities bright and lively.

Rajagiri, a fort built around 1200 is made of materials found locally allowing it to blend with its surroundings. But there is much beauty in the nuanced shades of browns, grays and golds. And set against an indecisive periwinkle sky the long shots look like old world paintings.

Plus, there are monkeys and that’s never boring.

[Click on the photos below to enlarge.]

Enjoying some alone time.

Inside the granary.

Looks like a painting.

BICYCLES blending into the surrounding ancient walls of Rajagiri Fort in Pondicherry, India.

Here comes the trouble-maker.

Beautiful huge shade tree.

Pooped.

Snuggling.