Life after Annandale High: Madurai by Night and by Day

The ninth day of our tour began with another bus ride, this time from Thanjavur to Madurai, another city in Tamil Nadu. This would be our fourth city in nine days. We had already seen and done so much that I wondered what more there could possibly be. But when Jaisingh told us that Madurai is often called “the city that never sleeps,” I had a feeling that we were in for something different.

On the three-hour drive through a fairly arid agricultural zone, we rolled past rice paddies, groves of cashew nut trees and eucalyptus trees, and fields of manioc. (My thanks go out to Jaisingh for identifying them for us.) I followed along on the road map of southern India that O.A.T. had helpfully provided in our welcome packets. Along the way, I noticed some interesting road signs. My favorite said “Drink whisky, Drive risky.”

Once again, we had some enlightening discussions about life today in India. This time, the conversation centered on arranged marriages, which are still the norm in India. That is changing, however, as higher education brings young people from different social strata together more and more. As I mentioned in my previous post, there is still a great deal of family opposition to these love unions when they cut across caste lines.

When it comes to arranged marriages, an eight year age difference is considered ideal since males supposedly take longer than females to mature. Families often consult a matchmaker, who checks the astrological charts of the young people. Of twelve compatibility points, they must have at least seven in common. Astrology continues to influence Indian life in other instances as well. For example, couples expecting a child are now requesting Caesarean sections to ensure that their child is born under a good star.

Another controversial issue is the idea of dowries, which have a long history in Indian society. In the past, this sometimes led to “accidental” wife burnings if the husband’s family felt the dowry wasn’t sufficient. Laws have no outlawed dowries, but most families ignore the prohibition.

As usual, we made a couple of stops on our way to our final destination. The first was about halfway between Thanjavur and Madurai, in a Chettinad village. Jaisingh explained that the Chettinad group of villages was started by members of a Tamil merchant community after violent tsunami destroyed their coastal homes over a hundred years ago. They decided to relocate and in the first decade of the 20^th century, they established over 90 villages in an area far from any source of water (including rivers). Many members of the community were wealthy bankers and traders who built enormous mansions for their large extended families. They furnished these homes with the most luxurious furnishings and imported pieces from around the world.

One of the mansions (now a hotel) in the Chettinad village

Today most of these mansions are uninhabited, as the descendants of the original owners prefer to live in larger cities, either in India or in other countries. Some of the mansions have recently been turned into hotels. The mansion we visited in a Chettinad village now takes paying guests. Its rooms feature carved teakwood and rosewood, beautiful stained glass windows, Italian granite columns, and crystal chandeliers.

Afterwards, we made a brief stop in nearby Karaikkudi to see a small Hindu temple where people leave colorfully painted ceramic horses as offerings.

Then it was on to Madurai, where our temporary home was the Gateway Hotel Pasumalai, located on a serene hillside overlooking the city. With its many terraces and a resident population of strolling peacocks, the hotel was the perfect place to spend a couple of relaxing hours before our evening tour of Madurai by night.

The setting of the Gateway Hotel in Madurai

Darkness was just falling when we boarded our auto-rickshaws and descended into the heart of the city. Streets were packed with vehicles of all kinds making their way through the busy commercial areas. Bright lights, dazzling colors, and the constant blare of horns assaulted us on our way to the temple bazaar, located directly across from the looming Sri Meenakshi Temple. Inside a huge granite hallway that dates back to the 16^th century, we found sellers of cotton and silk fabric, shawls and scarves, costume jewelry, pots and pans, clothing, fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, and so much more.

The entrance to the nighttime temple bazaar in Madurai

Tailors at work in the bazaar

I jostled my way through the crowd and, of course, ended up buying more fabric and ordering some more custom-made clothing.

I chose the fabric and they stitched up this tunic.

Being in this hive of activity was so stimulating that I temporarily lost my bearings when I exited the bazaar. I rushed around in the dark for several minutes, trying to find our group, before Jaisingh rescued me and we were able to continue our auto-rickshaw tour. After stopping at a street-side stand for some delicious warm masala (spiced) milk, we made our way to a popular street food stand. We watched the cooking of kebabs, breads, and vegetable mixtures, and then sat down for a very authentic and satisfying snack, which served as dinner. I must say that Madurai certainly lived up to its reputation as the city that never sleeps.

Piping hot masala buffalo milk

Food being prepared on the street

Cooking parathas on the street

Enjoying an evening snack with fellow travelers (photo credit: Becky Hanks)

I woke bright and early the next morning to the sounds of peacocks (they sound like angry cats) and squirrels (Indian squirrels look like a cross between a chipmunk and a squirrel and they make a bird-like chirping sound). After another wonderful Indian breakfast, we set off to see Madurai by day. We starting with a harrowing auto-rickshaw ride through the streets of the city (the usual near-collisions) before we reached the city’s most famous attraction, the Sri Meenakshi Temple. The temple’s four tall gopurams, or towers, serve as gateways to the temple complex. As you can see, they are covered with multiple tiers of colorful sculpture. According to Jaisingh, the temple complex incorporates over 333 million works of sculpture. While the temple interior dates to the 12^th century, the towers were built during the 17^th century.

The East Tower of the Sri Meenakshi Temple

The North Tower of the temple

The temple is devoted to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Shiva’s consort Parvati. Sri Meenakshi Temple is a popular site for weddings because this is supposedly where Parvati married Shiva. In fact, we saw several splendidly dressed wedding parties during our visit. The temple also attracts many “men in black,” i.e. male pilgrims of the Shaivite (Shiva-worshipping) sect, identifiable by their black dhotis. As usual, the interior was a scene of bright lights, vividly painted designs, and vendors selling flowers. We walked through hallways of beautiful carvings, and past shrines and free-standing sculptures, stopping frequently to talk to Indian visitors who were curious about these westerners in their midst.

A wedding party at the Sri Meenakshi Temple

Inside the entrance to the temple

Our next stop was the Thirumalai Naick Palace, built by 17^th century ruler Thirumalai Nayak. Only part of what was once a large complex remains. The palace was designed by an Italian architect and shows the influence of traditional Dravidian, Islamic, and Italian architectural styles.

The courtyard of the palace is used for concerts and special events

Making a fashion statement with saree and baseball cap at the palace

One of the splendid rooms at the palace

We had a brief break from touring for lunch and an hour of recovery time at the hotel before setting out for a late afternoon visit to a typical residential neighborhood. Traveling by bicycle rickshaw, we made our way through small lanes that were impassable by auto-rickshaws. Below are some scenes from our ride through the neighborhood.

Everywhere we went, we attracted attention. Small children ran after us, waving, and even the older people peered at us from their doorways. As the sun was setting, we made a stop at the local Sufi Muslim mosque and watched as Muslim worshippers lit oil lamps identical to those used by worshippers in Hindu temples. It was heartening to hear from Jaisingh that Muslims and Hindus have lived peacefully together in Madurai, and in Tamil Nadu in general, for centuries. Over the years, they have borrowed customs from each other and they continue to celebrate festivals together to this day.