Pondicherry – Malappuram – 91 km
The ride to Malappuram was brilliant—the weather was good as
January is a perfect time to cycle Southern India. The road was flat
and ran past rice fields and the ever-present coconut palms.
Once in Malappuram, finding accommodation was easy, as the town
was touristy and popular among backpackers, boasting a lively tourist
trade, from eateries to curio sellers. Add one of the best beaches
along this coast and it was no wonder the town was immensely
popular.
Malappuram
My reason for visiting Malappuram was to explore its UNESCO World
Heritage rock-cut temples dating to the 7th and 8th centuries.
The morning was spent at the beach—something I had not done in
ages. Later I meandered around Malappuram’s famous rock-cut
temples. Temples and sculptures were painstakingly chiselled out of
huge boulders strewn around town. The planning and work that went
into these constructions are mind-boggling.
Malappuram
In the morning, a bus ride took me to Chennai. I was in search of a
charger for my notebook (which I had lost) and also to see if anyone
could sort out my virus-infected laptop. The day was highly successful
as I found an Asus agent and a shop to clean the viruses. Instead of
waiting, I left the computer at the shop, and headed back to the
beach.