Nicole and I stayed in the small town of Mahabalipuram over Christmas and we have been busy exploring the local ruins which are all counted as World Heritage Sites.

One of the most impressive locations was the Five Rathas which the British unearthed from centuries of being buried in sand. The temples are each given to a specific deity and each deity was also given a life-size carving of their mount just outside their temple. The large elephant was the best preserved, and certainly the star of the attraction. It took me a long time to get a moment without other tourists in the frame as there were scores bustling around.

In one of the following photos, the keen eyed amongst you might see a carving of an Egyptian Pharaoh. This is seen by many Indian scholars to indicate the existence of an ancient trade route between Egypt and Mahabalipuram.