The actual traveling part of traveling was a fun was to see lots and lots last weekend. The standard bus to Madurai served Leslie, Shawn and myself well. We paid rs 50 each way (about $1) to travel the 4 hours from Thanjavur. Although it was a tight squeeze and there was no AC, the constant cross breeze made for a comfy ride. What was really exciting was being part of the hustle of all the bus stations we passed through. So many travelers, vendors yelling about their jackfruit, pineapple, samosas and random gadgets, and vehicles flying in and out of the crowded parking lots.
A bit about our destination city:
Madurai is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world. It's known as the cultural hub of the area, both historically and presently. Historically, it was described by various royal visitors as the most beautiful city they had seen. Today it's know for the Sri Meenakshi Temple, Gandhi Museum, various textile artisans and jewelers.
So, a big tourist spot. We saw so many white people!! The urban feeling in Madurai was nice, even if a bit bland, apart from the touristy stuff. I mean, it was great to be in an urban area. Alas, I am a city girl. Even though it was a relatively small urban/unremarkable area by Indian standards (2 million people). Makes me really want to fit some time in Bangalore into my upcoming travel itinerary...
So...the things we did. The Sri Meenakshi Temple was a sight to see. What really struck me though was the way in which I felt gaudy and touristy, and still spiritual at the same time. The outside of the temple is full of vendors shouting at you to buy their goods. The inside of temple was equally full of noise and bustle. Perfect example of how nothing in India is quiet. Ever. It was a new experience to feel spiritual in the midst of all of the people chanting, making their way from one god's station to another, lighting candles and incense, bowing, singing...I even was able to meditate for quite a while in the meditation hall. So wonderfully refreshing.
A bit on the history of the temple, too. It's dedicated to Meenakshi, who is the wife of Shiva. Shiva is one of the three central gods in Hinduism, Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is the destroyer, Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver. Without going into too much detail and messing up the mythology, the basics are that Meenakshi was born to a king, who was unable to have a child, as an avatar of the Hindu goddess Pavarti. She was born with three breasts, and the king was told that when she met her true love, her third breast would fall off. And so it did when she met Shiva. These stories are depicted in much detail throughout the temple in paintings and stone carvings. One carving that represents the marriage is a popular place for couples to stop during their marriage ceremonies (of which we saw many). Overall, the attention to balance in all of these mythological stories has been really fascinating to me. Seems so deliberate, and yet doesn't always play out in day-to-day life (I'm thinking specifically of some of the gender roles I've observed), which is the same for any religion in any place. Or any philosophy in any discipline...oh the disconnects between theory and practice.
After the temple we visited the site I was most excited about, the Gandhi Museum. Having been a peace studies major in undergrad, Gandhi's teachings and methods have really inspired my path. And wow. To see Gandhi's story, written so honestly, and in English (wah wah), was a really emotional experience for me. I'm not sure how to describe it. I keep imagining what was going through Marin Luther King Jr's mind as he visited this place. Surely so many more intelligent things than I could ever say here. However, the bottom line is that satyagraha, the philosophy of eliminating oppression through transforming the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed, is pretty amazing. Go figure, resisting the actions of the oppressor, without resisting the actual oppressor...just what if we all were committed to employing such sole force, with the really big picture in mind...in what ways would that manifest itself? Not just in the grand scale of fighting oppressive regimes, but in everyday life too...living simply and modestly, honoring the dignity of living things and the earth, recognizing our own limitations and seeking ways to grow as individuals and in community...
And to make the most bizarre transition from that...we also visited Apollo 96, a spaceship bar. Yes, a bar made to look like a spaceship. In India. A fitting was to process the the idiosyncrasies of the days events...
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