There are quite a few shops all around Mamallapuram. Many of them sell stone carvings. There was also considerable activity going on with carving in progress. Mamallapuram is next to the sea. The coast drops off sharply and the beach is steep.
Signs warn of dangerous waters and contain an ominous tally of how many have drowned each year.
It was somewhat nice and relaxing to watch the waves come rushing in. It was five weeks until elections in India. Each morning I would read an english newspaper, the Hindu. Considerable space was spent reporting on exactly which parties were forming alliances and how these alliances were being forged to contest different seats. It was all pretty intricate to try to figure it out since these parties would then enter into agreements to share seats Each party also had a symbol.