Weekend Trip to Madurai
Every other weekend Projects Abroad organizes a fieldtrip. This past weekend 2o of the 30 plus volunteers, who are spread out over southern Tamil Nadu, met up in Madurai.

On this map Sivajasi is the 4th named city up from the tip. That's where I'm living. The next city to the northeast, unnamed on this map but near Melur, is Madurai. Sivakasi's population is 100, 000 to 200,000. Madurai's is 1 million. The train ride from Sivakasi to Madurai took an hour and a half, more or less. And it cost only Rs 12 (30cents).

People travel to Madurai to see the Sri Meenakshi Temple. It was built in the 1500s, covers 16 acres, has great stone walls and corridors, courts inside of courts....and is currently going through restoration. So, the towers are covered with mats.

A peek behind the mats shows the towers will be beautiful when the restoration is completed.

Everyone entered the temple barefooted. Sacred music played over a loudspeaker. Hindu visitors paid homage in front of different gods. Some put their hands together in front of their faces, some bowed, some made themselves prostrate, some circled in prayer. One group chanted and paraded. I felt the devout belief of the pilgrims. In one corridor I watched an elephant giving blessings for coins. At each of the 4 gates religious memorabilia were for sale.

Outside the temple a visiting family wanted me in their picture and then posed for me.

An ironer set up his business at the side of the street. His heavy iron was made hot by burning charcoal placed inside and his cart made his enterprise movable.
As the morning progressed more and more people filled the streets. Bare feet, which are seen, were even more common near the temple.

By mid-morning the streets were full. Cars, buses, bikes, scooters, autorickshaws fought for space. Shoe repairmen, jewelry salesmen, flower vendors joined the ironers. Tourists, shoppers, pilgrims, students went about their business. Stalls selling tea, sweets, green coconuts, fruit, juice, vegetables set up. Sweepers and garbage collectors cleaned and yet trash and garbage lined the streets. Horns, bells, voices spread their noise. Guides and drivers sought my business. Cattle with painted horns remained from Pongal, the harvest festival. A slight stench from garbage and animal waste battled with the sweet smells of flowers and perfume.

Across town was the Gandhi Museum. In 1921 Gandhi went to Madurai. This is where he started wearing the dhoti that he is famous for. And it is where he encouraged all Indians to dress in local fabrics, to boycott foreign materials. The Gandhi Museum gives detailed information on India's 200 year (1757 -1947) struggle for independence. Even more interesting to me were the artifacts: Gandhi's round-lensed spectacles, his sandals, his correspondence, and the blood-stained dhoti he was wearing when assassinated in Delhi.

On Sunday we volunteers headed back to our separate placements. The train was full. Some of us joined others sitting with the luggage above the seats. Here are Mandy, from Germany, and Daniella, from Switzerland. They are volunteering in an orphanage in a village. They are remote enough to be without Internet!

The women in the seats below us entertained us...and, yes, were entertained by us.

One mother made a make-shift hammock for her sleeping baby.

Another friendly mother and her son posed.

Vendors worked the aisles . This man with his local guavas was a hit.



A woman sitting below me knotted blossoms together with string. The women wear these strings of flowers in their hair.


As you probably have already imagined, I was enjoying myself!