Picnic time at World Heritage site

The Brahan Natyanjali held inside Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple, a World Heritage site is now held over seven days, to accommodate requests from artistes from across the country.

Dancing at the base of the giant Nandi ( photo above) and in the heart of the majestic temple complex at night is a rare experience and many dancers look forward to it.

The last recital though is closed at 9 p.m. - to give enough time for the temple staff to secure the complex.

Though many foreign and Indian tourists stop by to watch a bit of the recitals, the attendance of local people is thin.

Often, there are hardly any people for the final dance concert of the festival.

But you cannot miss the streams of school children who file into the complex even as late at 8 p.m. - the last quarter of the academic year is for picnics and educational tours!