Madurai and the Shri Meenakshi Temple

We left Periyar and Kumali on a local bus to head towards Madurai, home of the Shri Meenakshi Temple. 6 hrs on an uncomfortable bus where the seats seemed to be designed for midgets and blairing indian music was a bit much, but the scenery was awesome. The temperature change from the mountains back into the valley was drastic. We went from a nice cool green mountain climate into a dry stifling heat. Like other Indian cities on the trip, Madurai is a busy place with a constant noise of beeping, dust and diesel fumes in the air. The temple itself was a sight to behold. It was built initially in the 1600s and is packed full with hindu symbols and statues. It was pretty awesome. We went on a tour on the inside with a guide and saw how hindus prayed, what the prayed for, and how they give thanks. The level of symbolism in the place is incredible. The lotus flower, for example, is a big symbol and is highly regarded. The plant itself grows in very muddy waters and the buds and the leaves have to work their way through all the muck and water to get to the surface...the flower itself is beatiful. It symbolised the struggle through the suffering and unhappiness in life to get to the enlightened state. When you consider hindu philosophy, it's a pretty deep concept. There's a lot of information to absorb, so I don't know exactly how it all ties together. I know that a lot of hinduism is based on 2 ancient epic stories...the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. All the gods and their numerous incarnations are present in these epics...again, too much info to really absorb, but those links should give you a good overview.