Day 26

In the morning Hari, Harini's friend, came to take me for a ride. He was on a motorbike so I had yet another trip on it in India. I didn't expect that he will take me so far out of Madurai so it was in the same time the longest ride so far, although in the flat terrain.

So far I didn't dwell on one specific topic, but I think this time it's good moment to touch it. Around Madurai I noticed more garbage lying around everywhere around the roads and farther. The reason I didn't cover that topic is because I feel that Kerala and Tamil Nadu so far also, were relatively clean. It's not the level of Poland, especially there are some pockets full of litter, but it's not what is commonly associated with India. Yet here I couldn't ignore this completely.

We reached one temple that looked monumental with rock mountains in the background - 18 Padi Karuppasamy Temple. There were a lot of pilgrims and a lot was going on. We rounded up the area and entered what we could. It was my first temple of such scale and that was the reason why I came here to Madurai. We couldn't enter inside and I didn't fully understand the reason. Is it because it opens only at certain time or is it generally closed? Either way we went to some queue for a blessings.

After that he said that we will go to the next temple and above there are stairs leading up on the mountain which we could climb. We went there and actually passed Madurai again. Along the way in Madurai we stopped to see one church, which has typical clean aesthetic for churches here. When we reached to the temple - Shri Arulmigu Subramaniya Swami temple - it was closed. But actually we could still enter inside to the outer parts, where a lot of people were sitting, resting, waiting. After some time when I was satisfied with observing it, we went for the stairs up to the mountain. At the gate Hari, his friend and the policeman who was at the gate had some discussion in Tamil. Thanks to bits in English and after the fact explanation, I know that they were talking that they shouldn't take me above certain level, despite of the fact that locals were going at the top all the time. Policeman also asked if I'm transgender since I have long hair, they didn't translated that part of conversation to me so I asked them directly what was that talk about transgender. I was climbing quickly, Hari somewhere just behind me, but his friend slugged behind. Eventually they said that we shouldn't go further, because it's apparently too dangerous for foreigner to go, according to policeman, but good enough for whole families with children.

Hari taken me back to Madurai. He had to go for work or other duty and he was concerned if he should leave me at my hotel, because otherwise how would I return to my hotel, it wasn't comprehensible for Indian mind that it could be walkable distance for me. I insisted on leaving me at the center, close to Meenakshi Amman temple, because it was still early. He left me there, but said that later on I should call him so he could drop me back to my hotel. I wandered around looking for something to eat, but somehow I couldn't find anything sensible for lunch for a long time in proximity, while it started raining. It wasn't short, barely noticeable rain as I experienced once on the trip to Jatayu's statue. It rained for longer, but still it was warm rain and going in T-shirt was fine.

Situation at Meenakshi Amman temple at first didn't give me much hope. It's in a way the main monument to see in Madurai, so I was little concerned. First issue was that the towers were covered with wooden skeletal construction, for renovation purposes. Second was that there were huge queues leading to entrances. This problems came out to be quite moot, because towers, however characteristic, are just gates leading to huge complex where there is a lot to see otherwise. And for the queues, there was separate queue to every gate (each for four cardinal directions) and some had any barely queue. So after leaving backpack, chappals and phone at the gate (which weren't allowed inside) I entered. At ticket counter I saw that there are two types of tickets, one ₹100 and ₹50 other. Obviously I wanted to see everything possible so I wanted the more costly one, but couldn't understand ticket lady. Indian family that was also buying tickets helped me and I got ₹50 ticket. I didn't understand why I got automatically that one, but I didn't feel like arguing. We entered courtyard and started to go around. I have been keeping close to the family that helped me at the counter, because I already felt at loss where I suppose to go. They explained to me that the big queue is for free entry and since I already bought the ticket they will help me found my smaller queue.

Going around the courtyard barefooted, on wet warm stones was surprisingly pleasant. While we were going around courtyard there was some procession moving in opposite direction to us. Among them there was decorated elephant. I had mixed feelings in that moment. I know that domestication and training process is ugly, but I couldn't help and being awestruck seeing that creature so up close just passing by me. It was so close that I could reach it with my hands if I would want. We entered some area where courtyard blended with area with the roof and there was smaller, but serpentine queue for us, leading among monumental pillars with yalis on it. It went surprisingly quickly and we entered crowd, but for some reason guards lead me to other direction that the family. Nobody was explaining it to me, but when later I asked directly some guard explained me that I couldn't go to the innermost chamber where yet another big queue was leading.

It's good moment to explain how South Indian Hindu temples are, at least from the perspective of such an onlooker add me. As much as I tried to educate myself on historical and philosophical aspects and development of religion in India, I was mostly ignorant about its practical and ritualistic side, so it's what I could gather by simply observing for the limited time. They are absolutely not like Christian churches, just with characters from one religion replacing the other. They are more like whole complexes, with tower gates, walls, courtyards, smaller buildings, inner temples and many smaller shrines dedicated to various gods or their various manifestations. Buildings seamlessly blend into each other, so there's perception that you are not leaving courtyard in way go through precise doors, but slowly move into area that is more enclosed until you're in the inside.

At first it looked very labyrinthine for me, but with time I started to understand outline better when I tried to cover as much available area to me as possible. There were signs like "Below this point non-Hindus not allowed" or "No entry to foreigner" at innermost chamber entrances. It was disappointing, but I still had a lot to see everywhere else. Whole area, especially the encapsulated one felt really atmospheric, little dark, especially when it started to be literally dark outside and I kept trying to notice as much interesting things possible. While I could recognise certain characters or scenes, most of it remained mystery to me. Statues of various characters were crowded everywhere, character standing by the next one, never anyone getting full spotlight, except closed shrines were proper gods reside. Statues were usually painted in bright, vivid colors - if not, sculptures in brown stones were adding more to impression of darkness, despite of good lighting and candles everywhere.

One observation struck me when I was in more crowded area, where people were sitting and eating (because temples could sell food inside, you see). It's not really observation about this place, but rather about my place, Poland. It sounds absurdly simple observation to make about your own culture suddenly. It is weird to spell it out, but here it is: in Poland adult people, especially elderly, don't sit directly on the ground, with exception if there is some elevation like steps or stairs. I scanned my lifetime memories and I think it's quite accurate assessment. I think I always knew that to some degree, always feeling that there's something youthful when I sit on the ground cross-legged. I think that thought bugged me here for a long time here subconsciously. I tried to fit it into my mind for a long time and maybe I thought it's sign of poor, but I don't think it's the case. It's common here and it is quite practical in warm climate.

I strolled around the available area, trying to cover whatever I could, at some getting good sense of the layout. I didn't feel like I could see everything, even if I would spend whole day. Without my phone I lost the sense of time and only after some time I realized that Hari or Harini could be trying to contact me. I was already quite satisfied, feeling that Meenakshi Amman temple, even with it limited to me area, is one of quintessential experiences of my trip. I decided to made few more rounds before leaving the temple.

After leaving I contacted Hari and Harini and they came for me. They ordered motorbike ride for me, them going by two on Hari's bike. Ordering motorbike as passenger was new to me, but it weirdly makes sense here. We ate in another great restaurant and I felt that if Madurai indeed has good reputation for its food, it's very justifiable from what I was able to taste so far. I had to say goodbye to Harini, because it was last time seeing her according to plan. I felt like I didn't really have much time to get to know her, but she seemed like sort of person I wish I could know better. I returned to hotel with eagerness for the next day, when I'll see Shiva's village.

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