Journey Across Southern India

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Monday, 17 December 2018 - Left Munnar early and drove toward Trichy, stopping to visit the Ayyanar Hindu Temple with its rich sculptural figures and then climbed to a rock-carved Jain temple to admire its carvings. Arrived in Trichy at the Gateway Hotel, met our guide Muhta, explored the temple city's rich history including Dravidian architecture at the Meenakshi Temple with its towering gopurams and vibrant festival scenes, and ended the day with a delicious dinner prepared by Chef Sanjay.

Up at 6:00AM, Arabica coffee to the room, breakfast and check out.

india2018 — Sunrise

india2018 — We depart at 9:00AM and Cal took a photo of the women cutting the tea leaves.

We head down the mountain from Munnar on a 4-hour drive to Ayyanar Hindu Temple.

india2018 — Coffee beans drying along the road out of Munnar

india2018 — The road ahead taking us down out of the mountains and onto the plains leading to Maduri.

india2018 — A cut in the mountain road

india2018 — Brick making in the hot sun

india2018 — We stopped by a large tree on the side of the road because it had 30-50 Indian Flying Foxes.

india2018 — 1:00PM after a 4-hour drive we tour the Ayyanar Hindu temple.

india2018 — This is our first temple on the trip and so we were amazed at the number of figures adorning the temple.

india2018 — Wonderful statues.

india2018 — A drawing on the ground is called a Rangoli - typically drawn in the morning

india2018 — Idols everywhere

india2018 — After the Hindu temple, we walk to a Jain temple which required we climb several steps to a cave where the temple was literally carved out of rock.

india2018 — Figures carved high inside a cave - or temple

india2018 — A carving of Mahavira about 20 feet off the ground near the entrance to the temple - this is the largest carving of Mahavira known.

india2018 — After a quick check-in at the Gateway Hotel we are assigned to Sir William Harvey's suite, the Englishman who settled in Madurai and built his home atop one of the highest hills overlooking Madurai.

india2018 — Tumil is spoken here. We meet Muhta, our guide.

Madurai is considered the Temple City and more than 25,000 people worship here every day. The major economy here is agriculture where high-end cotton is grown and exported as well as rice, sugar cane and bananas.

india2018 — We tour the Thirumalai Naicker Palace built in 1636 and occupied until the 1970's. Here we see examples of Hindu (finials), Muslim (domes) and Christian (clock tower) architectures designed by an Italian architect.

india2018 — Beautiful arches in the palace

india2018 — We had to keep looking up as the ceilings were spectacular.

india2018 — Light streaming through windows in the palace

india2018 — The top of a dome

india2018 — Another ceiling painting

india2018 — The palace halls

india2018 — Beautiful ceiling - almost three dimensional.

india2018 — The great hallway facing the plaza on the right.

india2018 — A long hallway in the palace.

india2018 — A sample of architecture in the palace

india2018 — Ceiling detail

india2018 — It took 1,000 years to build the Meenakshi Temple, a Dravidian style of architecture, which occupies 16 acres and four gates each facing a different direction - North, South, East and West.

This is the South Tower

india2018 — A 30 foot wall surrounds the temple - and is decorated with statues. This is one.

india2018 — Lots of arms

india2018 — Many more arms and heads

india2018 — The western gate - each of the four gates is huge and decorated with thousands of figures.

india2018 — All Hindu Gods are married - combining two energies (ying and yang).

Meenakshi is the avatar of the Goddess Parvati (wife of Shiva) and always has her eyes open which represents inner consciousness.

india2018 — The temple is repainted every 12 years and represents Dravidian architecture indicative of South India.

This is the West Tower

india2018 — Dancers

india2018 — Each God has an animal or bird to transport them.

india2018 — The very top of the west tower

india2018 — The West Tower

india2018 — Interesting god

india2018 — The North Tower

india2018 — More unique figures

india2018 — Kartikeya (the god of war) on his vehicle (transport animal) - the peacock

india2018 — Ganesha riding his transport animal - the mouse.

india2018 — The East Tower in the setting sun

india2018 — After the sun set we did a little shopping and then went across the street from the temple complex to a market like space which had a temple in the center. around the edges were shops selling to the religious pilgrims.

After entering the temple we came on this bull - he was getting ready for a little festival in the Market area. Virginia Ann wanted to pose with the parade bull.

We decide to hang around the temple until after sunset so we can see a religious ceremony and parade.

india2018 — Meenakshi - Goddess Parvati, the divine consort of Shiva

india2018 — Women gather in the temple to pray as the Meenakshi is prepared for the festival.

india2018 — The priests prepare Meenakshi for the festival parade. They were applying oil or some liquid to the idol.

india2018 — One of the priests held a lamp up to Meenakshi a couple of times during the ceremony.

india2018 — The cow is leading the parade

india2018 — Brahman with incense before Meenakshi arrives. I was very frustrated with this priest as he was standing and blowing incense right where I wanted to take pictures. Fortunately he moved out to the way before the idol reached us.

india2018 — Surrounding the temple are merchants selling items related to worship.

Around the merchant stalls was the festival parade with a bull in a colorful robe, Meenakshi on a pallenquin and people bearing torches.

india2018 — A giant bull statue at a busy intersection near the Meenakshi Temple

india2018 — We arrive back at the hotel, shower and have a wonderful dinner prepared by Chef Sanjay of several India dish small plates.

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