Friday, March 2, 2012

Meenakshi Amman Temple

This temple is absolutely amazing a recently named wonder of the world, a maze of beauty, the main pooja ceremony with hundreds of worshippers, the pooja inside layers and layers of caves. The temple is dedicated to Parvarti and it is the heart of the 2500 year old city of Madura(Wikipedia). My favorite temple in India thus far and shows how incredible the culture of India truly is and the museum is amazing, the pottery work, religious work on the ground, the instruments and sounds. Staring deep back into a deep fortress for the God, I just sit there stuck in the religious moment and appreciation for God.  The security guard lets me sit longer than the locals because he recognizes how much I love it.   
Cruz and I sat on the steps chatting about meditation.  He is such a calm human being and I wanted to be open minded and learn about what works for him.  It was his birthday and he was spending it with a stranger.  I did not understand, but he took such interest in learning about me.  It was really sweet and innocent and for a birthday gift I gave him my prayer box, which he said he would cherish forever-sweet. 

Stopping by a store to pick up our shoes and drop off the durga, I am asked to sit down and chat with Adelz.  He owns the jewelry shop in front of the temple with amazing pieces from Kashmere and Rajasthan.  He tells me that, “There was a time when I expected everyone to think and act like me and then I realized that this way of thinking is not possible.”
When I originially came in I was irritated that I had to put on a dorga when my knees were covered with long pants.  It was just the security picking on me because I saw many tourists wearing the same pants and no one in any temple has ever commented on these pants. 

Adelz felt the frustration and sat down having this heart to heart with me. I tell him that I sometimes get annoyed with the backwards things India does and the inefficiency.  I speak to him very open and honestly and I expect to hear somemore advice, but instead of begin to hear how lucky Cruz is to be accompanying me for the day and how beautiful I am.  This came out of nowhere and I begin to look confused. 

He asks me to please come for tea tomorrow or his heart will be broken forever.  I look around for cameras as I really do not understand how/why men do this.  I looked disheveled from going around on motor bike and running around.  I thought he was joking, but he was being so dramatic and serious about it-weird.

Ended the night with veg korma, paroda, and gulab jalmoons with the couple from Switzerland who were biking through India and my host Pradeep-nice day=)

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