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| This site includes private photos taken in December 2002 and January 2003. If you want to use one of these photos, please ask first via email. |
| The
temple IS the town Talk about massive, the Sri Meenakshi Temple complex in Madurai is practically half the city. Well, at least it seemed that way. It dominates the skyline and happens to be a large, cavernous place. Outside the temple, the city was an obnoxious mix of dust, curiously strong malicious odors, street vendors, and auto rickshaw exhaust. Inside the temple, despite all the crowds, it was serene and unhurried. The place emptied out completely during the lunch hours, so Ajay and I rushed back before the temple doors closed to wander and photograph the courtyards, museum spaces, and and most non-sanctum places. At Madurai, we learned why non-Hindu foreigners are disallowed entry into the sanctums. It was, to our surprise, more because they were afraid of our ignorance of the proper customs. Western women were espeically derided as the cause of policy change. Apparently, western women would unknowingly present themselves to the temple dieties in the innter sanctum during the 'unclean period,' thus possibly offending the gods. (The correspondence is notably similar to Old Testament culture-based law.) Thus, all foreigners were banned. However, I was told that I could enter since I was a guest of a Hindu family, but I decided to save that for the next time. So, after hours of wandering throughout the temple and staring at gopurams, I came out with about five rolls of film. The ones here are the most representative and clear. What's so interesting is the striking differences in construction between this temple any many of the others that I had already seen. Rather than have actual stone carvings, Meenakshi appeared to have a stone and wood inner framework that supported an external array of plaster sculpture. They were all brightly painted and depicted various dieties from the Hindu Pantheon. There were many of the common images described in books I read to prepare for the trip, and plenty of others that were skillfully crafted and painted; a tribute to the artisans who labored in this temple. As for Madurai, the hotel I chose was well positioned within the city but was not what I had expected. (I was also a bit embarassed and instantly knew I should have just gone for the five-star Taj about 15-20 mintues from town. I mean, I was traveling with Ajay's parents and felt the need to impress them.) The food in Madurai wasn't what I would call great. I did have a great breakfast of Pongal and Varda at a place just down the street, but the food later that day was apparently terrible. I'm glad we went though, not just for the temple, but to just have time to hang with Ajay's sister Rachana (miss ya!). |