2015/2016 Three Continent Tour: January 2016

Slept in, then went to the Hindu temple complex in Madurai. It was very impressive, ancient, and an enormous complex of gates in all directions, huge courtyards, different buildings, and temple. We went into the thousand pillar area, of ornately carved pillars, and pics were taken there. Then looked at the central bathing/washing area but the rule was no non Hindus admitted into the puja area where the rituals were taking place. No pics are ever allowed there anyways. Hundreds of people lined up for the ritual part. The complex had huge number of vendors selling all manner of spiritual goods etc. It was a good visit. Then the long 6 hour road trip to Puducherry. I forgot to say that sign posting is not common, especially in Madurai which is a big city. We were asking directions all the way. Interesting, as the driver could communicate in Tamil of course, but we had conversations with men on motorbikes while we were driving, multiple times. Yes, we did stop to ask directions many times, but we talked and drove next to auto rickshaws, and both drivers were engrossed in conversation on directions. To us, we could not have read the few directions that there were as they were mostly in Tamil script, but it was not easy even for Tamil people. The communication was successful, as we never got lost. We did stop for meals along the way, especially to drink a lime soda to cool off. This is winter!! Don't come in the 45C summer.....you may not make it!!!We got back to Puducherry at about 7 pm!! It was expensive actually, as the best way to travel is by bus. Not government busses, which are virtually free, but take forever, but luxury bus. I had no option but taxi, but the trip was amazing, and Sri Lanka so so close!

Madurai temple gate

Ornate carvings. We say stone masons actually carving stone pillars in the temple courtyard too.

BELOW the thousand pillars carved

Above on the stone elephant

Below main area

Above impressive shrine area inside the temple: many many shrines in the temple area

Above ornate ceiling paintings with pillars

Bathing/washing courtyard area with steps

Below one of the many gates

Above, ceiling decoration

Above, I persuaded these guys to pose for a pic

More gates

Complete with temple gate on head and tikka on forehead. Below there had been a celebration of the life of Ghandi at his statue, yellow garlands decorated it....on my walk after return!!

Sudden decision to leave Puducherry and go for two days to see temples in South India. My friend Guna arranged a taxi, and came with me as a guide. We left at 7 AM, with our taxi driver Daniel. Interesting countryside, mostly flat. Lots of sugar cane trucks passing by, groves of banana plantations, palm tree groves, etc. Traffic is your worst nightmare, impossible for Canadians to negotiate this with our traffic rules and mindset. Traffic congestion was rife in leaving Puducherry, as everything from goats, cows, bicycles, many motorbikes, rickshaws, cars and many pedestrians were using a very narrow road. It took a long time to cover a very short period till we could get to the main highway. Even on the main highway, the driver was using his horn all the time, as there were gorgeous flowering bushes planed on a wide median, but many people crossed the highway, and you hoot as a proactive precaution. Constant hooting!!! Breakfast, or Tiffen as it is called was shared by Guna, the driver and myself. It is a full South Indian breakfast, and we ate with our hands as is the custom. Always a place to wash hands before and after the meal. We went to Trichy, which is quite a big South Indian city, and visited an enormous temple. The temple gates are so impressive, so ornate and dramatic that I mistook these as the temple itself. There are gates in each direction of the compass, each gate is very impressive, and sometimes another gate before you enter the very high walled temple compound. In the compound are many vendors, many many decorative pillars before you get to the actual temple. So much to see as the pics show. In some temples only Hindus are admitted, which excludes us foreigners, and many other Indians of other religions. Trichy temple was great. We took a 100 km detour to Thanjur to see the Big Temple and Thanjur Palace. Very hot of course, and we stopped for soda and fresh lime ( no salt, no sugar added for me!!) This was the biggest I have ever seen. The top of the enormous structure had a sold dome. Various theories are put forward that this was placed there by a 2 km long ramp to place it on the top, as it is all ornately carved of course. Same temple gates are impressive, huge courtyard, all walled with cloisters filled with many many lingams. The lingam ( see pic ) is the male God Shiva ( a phallus in black stone) representing male energy, and the female Goddess Shakti, representing female energy. The female energy is the surrounding womb like structure below the phallus. All denotes energy. Then we left as the temple itself was closed. So we went to the Thanjur Palace. I don't know the history, and refused a guide, as it would have taken too long. Very impressive museum, and archeological displays. The history is all online anyway. Took lots of pics, and then we drove to Madurai, which was two hours away. It was dark, and driving quite hectic as there is lots of life on the highway. It was over four hours to get to Madurai. No hotel had been booked but I checked online, and we found a reasonably priced hotel for the night, and enjoyed a modest meal on the roof courtyard. Wonderful to enjoy a beer with the heat of the day!! Accommodation was great, very tired!!

Above flowers on the median on the highway: constant yellow on the road.

Trichy temple gate

Above: detail

Through the gate

Detail above

More gates

Above: temple elephant, with mahout aloft

This elephant did not put its' trunk on my head properly for a blessing. I think it ate the money it was supposed to hand to the mahout sitting on it's back.