Temple country

On to Tamil Nadu, the land of temples and tigers. And so in Madurai we began our temple hopping, along with the droves of pilgrims making their way to the beautiful, historical holy sites. For several days, we would start out early, trying to beat the crowds and caught several temples in the early hours of the morning. At each temple, we add to our knowledge and understanding of the Hindu faith, with all of its deities, rituals, and festivals. A simple question often leads to a long conversation with a Hindu explaining just one aspect of their relgion. The temples are truly awe-inspiring, with their grand gopurams or entrance towers and intricate carvings. Many of the temples are proudly painted in bright pastel colors. Some of the temples we visited date back to as much as the 10th century, which makes standing within the walls truly a humbling experience. Our favorite was the magnificent Brihadishwara Temple, a World Heritage Site. We caught the temple at sunset one evening and returned at sunrise the next morning. The sun lit up the sandstone carvings and bathed the whole courtyard of the temple complex in a brilliant glow. The pictures paint a better picture than my words do!