Madurai

Day 6 - 9th February 2019

Madurai, and onwards



Before leaving Nemathanpatti on the next leg of our journey, I wanted to send the postcards that I had bought in Mahabalipuram.  F. had a touch of 'Dehli belly', so remained in the hotel til things settled down.

Meenakshi Amman Temple

A post office was marked on the map, and was supposed to have been a landmark for our arrival.  So, the instructions from the hotel staff as to how to find it seemed straight forward. I set off on foot.  I had not gone far, when the hotel security guard arrived on a moped.  He stopped me and pointed to a small hole in the wall, with a grill, that I had just passed. This was the post office.

A conversation ensued and it transpired that the post lady did not have stamps of the required denomination, so I was invited onto the back of the moped and we set off for Kanadukathan.  Finding the post office entailed touring streets I had not visited before, seeing mansions I had not seen before.  The postmaster advised me which denomination of stamps were required, but he did not have any either, so off we went again to a post office near the railway station.  This involved a cross-country journey passing a charming small temple which I would not otherwise have seen.  The stamps had doubled in price by now, but I stuck them onto the postcards and left them on the counter, wondering if they would ever reach their recipients.  They did, within a week.

I have always advised my children against hiring scooters, but if they did, to wear helmets.  But, hey, this is India!  And what fun.

Back to the hotel, and time to pack, have lunch and depart. The hotel had organised a taxi for us which was to take us to a couple of temples in Madurai before dropping us at the station. The drive to Madurai took a couple of hours, and the roads were relatively free of traffic til we reached the city limits - where we entered a traffic jam that we stayed in for the rest of our time in the city.  Madurai is on the holiday destination list of most tour operators, but we were glad that we had chosen a different option. Perhaps we did not experience the 'true India' by not staying in one of the cities, but we so enjoyed being in Nemathanpatti , and what was to come was even better.

Main gate to Meenakshi Amman Temple

A visit to Madurai is unthinkable without including going to the Meenakshi Amman Temple, one of the oldest and most important temples in India. The temple has a great mythological and historical significance. It is believed that Lord Shiva assumed the form of Sundareswarar (the handsome one) and married Parvati (Meenakshi) at the site where the temple is currently located. Renowned for its astonishing architecture, Meenakshi Temple was nominated as one of the wonders of the world, but couldn’t make it into the list of ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. However, the temple is definitely one of the ‘Wonders of India’. It is also one of the main attractions of South India with thousands of devotees thronging it every day. During the ‘Tirukalyanam Festival,’ which takes place over a period of 10 days, the temple attracts more than a million devotees. 

Meenakshi Amman Temple interior

The complex is in the center of the city and instantly stands out with its towering gopurams. 13 acres of fascinating shrines, a golden lotus sacred pool and mandapas waiting to be explored. The heart of the temple was out of bounds for us, but we could still have spent hours here and without being able to explore it all!  Shoes and cameras are handed over, for a fee, before gaining entry, so the photographs are not ours.  Our taxi driver waiting had dropped us off some distance away, leaving is to walk through the throng of market stalls. We might have been better to set a time and place for a pickup, though he seemed to know a back-court where he could wait. 

Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple

The Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple, around 20 minutes southwest of Madurai, is an impressive ancient temple, dedicated to Hindu god Murugan (handsome son of Lord Shiva), who's revered as a favourite god of Tamils. 

The ancient structure is breathtaking in architecture particularly because it’s rock-cut. Another distinct feature is the placement of the gods, Shiva and Vishnu, who face each other. Considering Shaivites and Vaishnavites have always been two different groups, this aspect sets the temple apart.

We had been dropped off about a quarter of a mile from the temple, and made our way along a busy street full of traders and their customers, and on arrival were met by a self-appointed guide who showed us where to pay to leave our shoes, and then conducted us around the temple. He was not averse to pushing women out of the way to ensure we had the best views, and showed us how to pray. Much bobbing and bowing was involved. Were we on candid camera? Or am I being sacrilegious? There was a small elephant in the temple.  I initially thought I was being shown Shiva, but no, it was the real thing, in a side chamber.

It was the end of the day, and our photographs did not do the place justice, so this image is not ours.  There is another ancient temple on top of the hill, but even then, we reckoned it was too hot to climb. 

It was now time to head for the station to let our driver get home.  We would be early for the train, but felt we did not need a taxi any longer.  The thought of spending four hours in a railway station did not appeal, but we were surprised at how quickly the time passed.  Once we had identified which platform at Madurai Junction we would be using, we settled down on the plaza outside the station to wait.  Us, and a hundred other, ever changing, group of people.

Behind us, were two men, lying on the earth in what might have been a small garden, who had settled for the night. In front, people who were organised for their wait, with mats to sit on and their evening meal to eat.

One small group of mother, grandmother and child beckoned to us and made signs of writing. I deduced that the mother wanted a pencil for her son.  Begrudgingly, because I had thought not to bring any, I gave up my pen. As I got up to approach them, the boy went into hysterics. Clearly a white man was terrifying!. It soon became apparent that the pen did not work, so I found another, and again set the boy off caterwauling.

Finally, the large display screen reported the impending arrival of our train, and so we set off to board it.  This involved climbing, carrying our luggage, onto a railway bridge to cross the tracks, and descending to the platform. We were able to go down on a newly installed escalator.  But a multi generational family got there first.  And they had never encountered an escalator before. With much shouting from a man behind, the elderly lady was first the brave this phenomenon, but failed to let go of her daughter, who certainly was not going down til it was proved afe to do so.  Granny was retrieved, and the family turned around looking for a safer way to descend.

There train arrived and we found our carriage. There were no lights, but the whole crowd of us bundled on board.  F. found signs indicating berth numbers, but no beds!  It was pointed out to us that these had been folded down, and needed to be erected.  Job done and the lights came on, and fans started whirring. Things were looking up.

Our 'compartment' had three tiers of bunks on each side, and three across the corridor.  Any fool can be uncomfortable, and it looked as though I was in that category for the next ten hours.  I am not sure what class of sleeper train we were in, but these had been the only tickets on offer, at Rs 500 for a near 400km journey, we did not complain. Our journey took us almost to the southern tip of India, but that passed unnoticed.  We had hoped to have time to spend a couple of days there, but are now saving that for another time.  The carriage had no windows, and with the shutters open, there was a pleasant supply of fresh air to keep us cool.  After dawn, food and chai sellers came on board at the various stops, but were not brave enough to try out their wares.  Once some of the overnight passengers left the train, commuters boarded, and so we folded up our beds to convert the compartment into a seating area.

An important factor if you have 'Dehli belly' is the state of the loos.  We were pleasantly surprised.

And then we were in Kollam.

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