Mamallapuram in Photos

Mamallapuram, India

My curiosity about Mamallapuram was quenched when I made a trip to this fabled place on March 1, 2008. It is about 58 kilometers from Chennai which took us about a couple of hours. Mamallapuram is a spectacular site built in the 7th century by the Pallava King, Narasimha varman I, also known as Mamalla, " Great Wrestler." Located along the Bay of Bengal, it extends across a boulder strewn landscape and comprise rock caves and monolithic shrines, structural temples and huge bas-reliefs. As I was overwhelmed by the intricacy and beauty of the rock carvings, I wondered how their artists created them without risking their limbs and lives.

At the village center is the celebrated bas-relief known an Arjuna's Penance or the Descent of the Ganges. The panel depicts in great detail the story of the sacred river's decent from the sky. This divine act, made possible by the penance of the sage Bhagiratha, is witnessed on the panel by celestial and semi-celestial beings ascetics and animals. Nearby are the unfinished Panch Pandava Cave Temple and Krishna's Butter Ball, a natural boulder perched precariously on a slope.

There were other artistic depictions of divine and historic significance which we have not covered due to the heat which was unnerving. Nevertheless, from what I've seen, I can already tell how India's early civilizations used their talents to honor the divine.

More Dakshina Chitra Photos

Dakshina Chitra

The workshop on nutrition that I participated in Chennai was for five days; however, most of the sessions from the third day onwards were not relevant to my job. Instead of getting bored at the session hall, my colleague and I went to visit our office branch in the city and met with the officials. The meetings did not go well with so many people we were supposed to meet not turning up. On Friday afternoon, February 29, 2008, we decided to visit some tourist areas in the city. We were brought by the driver assigned to us to several places which not catch our attention. Finally, we visited Dakshina Chitra in East Coast Road, Muttukadu which is about an hour from the hotel. It is like a museum of sorts showcasing different types of traditional houses and crafts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. After paying the entrance, the staff gave us a map for our self-guided tour of the area. It is like a small village where you hop from one house to another. Inside these houses – fragments of which were part of antique houses somewhere – are dioramas of people engaged in what look like normal day-to-day tasks like weaving and cooking. Here are some photos I took during the visit.

Beautiful Windows

Intricate Doors

Sculptures and Carvings
The Hallway

New Friends

At the Nutrition Workshop in Chennai, I gained new friends. One of whom is Dr. Mikey, a dentist from Myanmar. He reminds me of my former colleague and friend in KL Weng. Both are short but funny. Weng is a Chinese and Mikey looks like a Chinese although he's a Burmese.

The Nutrition Workshop Misnomer

Part of my itinerary while India was to participate in a South-Asia Sub-Regional Nutrition Workshop. The five-day workshop (February 25-29, 2008) aimed to develop a sub-regional nutrition strategy to improve capacity and strengthen partnerships to implement interventions to reduce malnutrition (stunting, underweight and anemia) in the region.

Based on recent studies, about 34 percent of world’s malnourished children are found in South Asia. Anemia which is one of the main indicators and precursors of mal/undernutrition is severe in the region affecting 79 percent of children and 58 percent of women in India alone. In addition, 30-60 percent of child mortality under the age of five in the sub-region is closely linked to malnutrition.

Approximately 25 participants composed of World Vision senior program/operations managers and technical staff from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka will take part in the gathering.

Now, why I call it a workshop misnomer? Simply because the workshop was supposed to come up with nutrition strategies for South Asia and each of the participating countries. However, to my horror, during the workshop, the process used by the facilitators was operational planning! Apparently, the workshop team facilitators was composed of management and nutrition technical experts. The nutrition technical experts are extremely competent people but the putatively management “expert” turned out to have a very lame understanding of strategy development. Of course, the technical experts, who were engrossed with their own technical presentations did not realize it until my colleague pointed it out. Some changes were made along the way, but eventually, at the end of the workshop, the participants came up with operational plans rather than strategies.

I’ve learned a lot from the technical aspects of the workshop though. Although common sense tells us that nutrition is very important, I did not realize how essential it is for child survival and well-being and in preventing irreversible brain damage, chronic diseases and mortality. According to a study of brain scan results, an undernourished and sickly child’s brain has lesser gray matter essential for growth and development compared to that of well-nourished and healthy child. Applying economic analysis, an empty brain (otak kosong in Bahasa) results in loss of opportunity with the child eventually becoming society’s burden. In contrast, a smart child experiences life in all its fullness and eventually becomes a society’s resource.

Timing is very critical in addressing under nutrition. Health experts call this “-9 to + 24 mantra.” It means that any nutrition intervention should start from the onset of pregnancy right to delivery and at least until the child is two years old. Undernourished children before the age of two will have irreversible brain damage and will never be able to catch up with their health peers. In South Asia, 27 percent of children are already born undernourished.

To arrest malnutrition, the experts recommend what they call 3 + 6 packages. What are these packages?

- Pregnant women. During pregnancy, women should do the following three things: (1) Two additional meals, (2) Take Iron (Fe/folate) supplements, (3) Undergo deworming after 4 months of pregnancy.

- Under two (additional packages: Once the child is born, the following six things should be undertaken: (1) Exclusive Breast feeding, (2) Complementary feeding after 6 months, (3) Provision of Iron supplements to child, (4) Deworming after 6 months, (5) Taking of ORT, and (6) Vitamin A supplements.

The packages are simple to follow, yet, malnutrition persists due to poverty and ignorance!

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It is called the pearl city owing to its maginificent pearl products. From October 27 - 31, I was in this city as one of my organization's delegates to the 4th Asia Pacific Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Initially, I backed out from the trip as we already had a large contingent. But my boss convinced me to go as a side meeting for a project I managed was organized parallel to the conference. Like any growing Indian city, Hyderabad is abuzz with activities. People seem to be awake all the time. We were there when it was humid and dusty. I nevertheless enjoyed the trip. I've got so many stories which I will post in here in the coming days.

World's Dirtiest Cities

The Time Almanac for Kids 2007 which I bought for my nephew but ended up reading it myself, says that according to the World Health Organization, the following are the dirtiest cities in the world:

1. Mexico City, Mexico
2. Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Cairo, Egypt
4. New Delhi, India
5. Shanghai, China

Lacerda Elevator

This is the famous Lacerda Elevator in Salvador da Bahia which dates back to the 19th century. It provides easy access between the lower and upper commercial enclaves of Salvador.

Pelourinho, Brazil

At a square in Pelourinho - a UN Heritage site - in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, July 2007.

Tour Eiffel

A Day in Paris

I was in Paris for an 11-hour layover on my way back from Brazil to Malaysia. Instead of killing time at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, I took a train and explored this post-card romantic city.

Buenos Aires

I was in Argentina last July 2006 for a meeting. I took the opportunity to go sightseeing. Among the places I've visited were the grave of Evita Peron and the Casa Rosada (yes, the pink-colored Presidential Palace featured in Madonna's movie). I took a decrepit bus and ventured outside Buenos Aires to a barrio where Maradona grew up. It was not a safe place and tourists were warned to stay away from small alleys. The photo on the right was taken near what used to be Maradona's house. The house at the background is typical in this predominantly-Italian descent neighborhood. You can see at the balcony, the figures of three popular Argentinians - Evita, Maradona and the famous tango singer Carlos Gardel - molded out of paper mache.