Where else we come to witness a clash of sellers and buyers of all trades? Bystanders pounced upon an unsuspecting pilgrim making her way to the Meenakshi Temple, revealing themselves to be talented tailors whom can solved her nagging wonder on where could she get a replica of her yoga pants made "exactly your style, madam!" for Rs50?
Where else we see the hungry collapsing into this blissful circle around the dosa hands that ceaselessly wound themselves above the ebony pan resembling an oily, greasy UFO that hissed and spat out clouds of vapour when the idli wallah cleverly cleaned it with a spatula of water? Oh yes, you can have your stand-and-sip chai and "kaapee" that shamed your most Seattle-ran coffee joints. Where to pay? Just that old man sitting by the flaky wooden table the size of a small box. Yes, all the dosa and chai you could stuff down. Rs5 and there's change too.
Where else you get a Chennai local telling you that "Madurai is all about temples, temples, temples... and nooooothiiing else"? "And here they are nice people, not cheat you. Only maybe making one two Rupee from selling you things...". And some darn good vegetarian banana leaf lunches too. Plus, the best butterscotch ice cream I had had in a while. On the highest building in town, overlooking the temples at sunset.
Welcome to Madurai, the celebrated city of the celestial union between Lord Shiva and his consort, a reincarnation of the holy mother of Ganesh and Murugan, Meenakshi, the blessed olive-skinned Goddess with the famed fish-eyed gaze. Here, time your travel well and you can participate in just about a Lord Shiva-themed celebration every month, with some such as Thai poosam, equivalent with our home-grown Thaipusam, as one of the times in which you would be lucky to get beyond an elbow and a finger to the next warm body should you walk on the streets.
The must-see here is of course, quite recommendedly at sunrise and sunset, but also at selected times of thoroughout the day (minus lunch time okay?) to pay homage to one of the greatest Dravidian inheritance of temple architecture, reverence, communal living, faith and trade. Even though the inner sanctum of Golden Temple that housed the holy mother was off-limits to non-Hindu (a rule that hubby vehemently is against) the surrounding display of one of the finest workmanship of worship and representation of their devotion and belief in their Gods and particularly here in Tamil Nadu, in which the Goddesses are prayed to first, will have you in quiet awe. The temple's cloistures were busy but everything seemed to move in this noiseless energy, offerings, postrations, rests, bhajan were all done in this cosmic cocktail in which everyone came with a single different purpose yet we all came away with one common gift - spiritual nourishment. You may not believe in the bowing to the red-cladded and very impressive depiction of Kali nor will you understand the significance of Agni. You may stared in disbelief at young couples offering the temple's elephant cradling their newborn wrapped in a warmer between the giant's trunk in return for Ganesh's blessings. Why would men and women lay themselves flat on the ground? Why would a Nandi looked on dutifully upon the Shiva Lingam while many a one offer one after another an oil lamp?
Where else then would you find that faith and belief, no matter where you came and went, in whatever form, touched the individual as commonly as how your own God does to you? You may not participate in their Gods and Goddesses. However it was so ever humbling to see such devotion, such unwavering steadfast acknowledgement that something deeper and further than our beyond guaranteed the salvation of the soul. Nothing around the temples deterred you from whatever your chosen path, but they all served as a very real reminder on our own alliance with whatever our chosen faith, and that to me, was the single most important ingredient - faith and trust, solely and concentrated on one thing that rose above the worldly attachments, such as cares and worries.
Where else too you see Kashmiri owning yet again streets and shops, selling the most unique and exotic from Orrisan tribes to monolithic cuts of the thickest jungles? Where else would you participate in a getting-to-know-you conversations and put the knowledge of what you've learned thoroughout your journey in India and spar with a Kashmiri that perhaps knew already all that you know? (smile) The barters, the promises, the "just only for you I sell this price", the exchange of cards, the tea and unfolding of carpets, pashmina. It's Valentine's Day and the first day of the Chinese New Year. Hubby bought me a beautiful snowy cream poncho, with hand-sown flowers Kashmiri style. Flowers that live on forever, sweet and so thoughtful! Ah, at times, it's nice to be just that - enjoying all being a much loved wife and woman - uncomplicated, no need to think more!
The nights passed by with the coming and waning of the moon and the auto hornings. Another train trip overnight concluded. Another Ambassador ride to the next town. So here, we just put this little gem into the box of our travel memories in which where all the other things and "else" could rest in one warm cushion of colours, smells, sounds and words.
Where else, but here all of it, in marvellous Madurai.
