Madurai Meenakshi Temple

After a magical time in Rameswaram, I decided to take the early morning bus to Madurai. 'Twas a 4hr ride to this beautiful temple city. On the ride, I was wondering where to head AFTER Madurai. The options were Trichy, Tranquebar & Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. In between reading up on these locations, I was trying also my level best to stay awake and watching the palm trees turn more and more into paddy fields. But the cool breeze streaming in through a crack in the window just hurried on the sleep. I awoke just before the bus was to enter Madurai and gathered that it was best to get off at the juction of the bypass and take a bus directly to the Meenakshi Temple (my first and only destination in Madurai)!

By the time I reached, it was 5 mins past noon and I was in a hurry to get inside the temple (which shuts at 1230). Dropping my luggage off at a nearby wholesale store (thanks to my P&G connections ;-)), I headed, bare-footed, into the temple.

Its fairly dark inside, some places looking brighter thanks to some diyas that have been lit by pilgrims. I see a looong line snaking into the main chamber, where the Meenakshi Amman idol stands. I start following the line towards its starting point, but to my dismay, I find myself walking for over 5 mins and the line doesn't end. So I drop the idea of having darshan of the main idol (Quite stupid, I know, considering I came all the way!). My quest for the starting point takes me to an altogether different part of the temple complex. Its not tough to see that the place is huge, awe-inspiring, and entirely confusing to a novice like me. (In my defense, though, I allowed myself to get lost :-) )

Within the complex, there are several several different little temples, sometimes even in the form of trees, each having a different deity. There is quite some noise around, of people talking, praying and generally moving about. Many are in a hurry, to enjoy darshans of every possible deity.

As I wander around, I find myself suddenly in a place from where some people are rushing out. I move in for a closer look, et voila, I find myself thrust into the line to see the main deity! And its right there, just a few meters away! What luck! I skipped the line to see Her! The calm, powerful, dark-coloured statue is visible just for a few moments. Its like one of those moments in the airplane, when your ears go pop, and you can't hear a thing. Everything just seems to go quiet. And you're looking right into those powerful eyes which hold you ever so briefly, and yet for an eternity, in a trance.

I'm really happy to get this opportunity even after deciding that I won't have time to wait in the queue all afternoon. Once I'm out, I choose to sit for a bit in a quieter corner, observe the people around me and soak-in the charged, yet calm, atmosphere. There are families, couples, groups of women, school students... it sometimes looks like a picnic spot. Everyone is happy, generally having a good time. Then there're the intensely devoted, deep in meditation, prayer. There're a few wonder-struck foreign tourists, being taken around for guided tours.

A call from an office colleague gets me out of the observation zone. A hungry tummy realizes, its waited longer than usual, and before I know it, I'm off looking for the nearest exit.