On the Tamil temple trail

Chidambaram, Tanjore, Madurai; possibly the most dusty, smelly, sticky places I have ever seen. The crowded cities give an almost hostile welcome to visitors: masses of people, tons of litter and an exhausting damp heat. And while this might be written off as simply being „India“, it does not make the experience any easier. So is chasing holy smoke rewarding? I guess so. And hard work? You bet your ass. [below basin at the Chidambaram temple]


Nevertheless, the sight of the temples with their huge gopuram gates, ornamented with faces of various deities sporting "pointy big teeth", coupled with the experience of the life crammed within the temple walls, all the way to the holiest of the inner sanctums, is a remarkable testimony of the traditions of hinduism that is placed at the forefront of Indian life still today. Again, parallels to Indiana Jones and holy cows spring to my mind. Haggling over donations with brahmins is not uncommon, nor slipping on buttermilk on the stone floors, or stepping into cow litter with bare feet. Do not miss the blessing of an elephant (slimy trunk!), live music and the evening puja. The mood is sometimes eerie, sometimes magical – especially at dusk when temples come to life in a different light; maybe a memory of pagan mysticism we left behind a long time ago? [below gopuram gate at Chidambaram temple]