A day in the country-on the road to the temples

A day in the country

We left early in the morning, skies still misty and overcast. On the way to see temples...how did that happen. These temples are nearby Mysore (relatively, about and hour and a half), and they are jewels of the Hoysala era (1006-1346 AD). The intracacy of the carving and the shape of the temples are remarkable as they are beautiful. I had been to Somnathpur on the last visit and it has inspired me to this day. Going to see two temples that led up to that one was a not to be missed excursion.

Traveling through pretty countryside, rice patties, oxen with carts, small roads with beautiful trees all wrapped in a cool mist was delightful and another universe compared to my last temple expedition. I will post some photos of the way there and then some of the temples. It really isn't the temples, it's the sculpture in them that is the draw for me. I was in Ganesh (sculpture) heaven!

But let me post some photos of the nature and land, the other side of the temple culture which in Indian sensibility is all part of the unity of one! Duality is considered an illusion, the differences are not real, it's all the same. That would mean that Madurai, my sickness, the lovely countryside and beautiful carving are all the same. Well I guess in my experience they are all within the trip I've taken. But I give preference to the comfortable versus the 'un-' (damn right). That is my lack of enlightenment for not suspending judgement. Well, I do not claim to have any kind of 'enlightenment status' on my scorecard, so, yes I prefer one to the other. Perhaps time and distance....the memory of it will blend it all together as a clear thought without emotion or judgement. Or maybe it will just receed into a forgotten memory. (even on the internet). Ok, I'm off the soapbox, I'll just post some pictures and let them do the talking.

Madurai Temple Pix 2

These are all from the temple, along with the last post, except for the chai walla who was across the street. I think I prefer the chai ritual to the oil lamp rituals. Well, at least I have a better understanding of chai than Hinduism. My western roots do proceed me.

Madurai in hindsight: Temple photos

Some zoo pix

tiger from very far away, not chipmunk in lower left

big African tusker, love those ears!

they may be strange looking, but what a great coat!

I would have taken more photos, but it would have been through
a lot of wire mesh and it just didn't read well in the picture.

It's all happening at the zoo

I do believe it, I do believe it's true....
(sorry for the lapse into Simon & Garfunkel)

Anyway, it is a nice zoo, the one here in Mysore. The animals seem fairly content. The big cats seem to be the least so, they pace in their cages or sleep. Those big cats are quite beautiful, the white tiger with the deep blue eyes is a real stunner. All of them have been 'adopted' by individuals, including BKS Iyengar or companies like Infosysis, even a few youngsters have 'adopted' some of them. They have signs on their cages telling us so. There are also signs that non of the animals have been captured from the wild unless sick or young and motherless. Another words, these animals would be dead if they weren't here. The orangutang seems bored, but philosophical. The birds are beautiful and seem to have a good social network going.

I was pleasantly surprised at seeing all the creatures here. I've seen a lot of them in film and TV, but to see them close up, I do admit to being a bit 'star struck'. The birds were much more engaging to me, so much more vital and strong and colorful than seeing them on a flat screen. I loved the flamingos soft pink feathers, standing on one deep salmon colored webbed foot, head tucked into his wings sound asleep. The tigers were massive, but leaner and softer (from being in captivity? or just seeing them closer?) The markings are remarkable. The giraffes were HUGE! And kind of strange looking. Those nobby things on their heads and the long neck and short body, kind of weird, and very massive. The young leopard allowed his zoo keeper to scratch him behind the ears.

It was a lovely way to spend a very hot day. This zoo does not seem to be about gawking at animals in cages, though that is one thing one does, it seems more involved with the wildlife. There were hand painted signs with hand made illustrations of the animals describing where there habitats were, their size, gestation period, life span, what they normally eat and what they are fed at the zoo. I appreciated the info and the effort. I am not much of a zoo attendee, assuming they are cruel, inhumane places, but it didn't seem that way here. Afterwards I felt a bit closer to the animals, after getting a bit closer to them. It was a pleasant, benign excursion, finished off with a coconut water and gungee (the white meat inside) for a little electrolyte and hydration.

How do you like India?

When asked this question my response was, 'Depends on the day.' A good day in India is difficult, a bad one, extremely difficult to soul crushing. Being in India one tries to be philosophical and see how one is being 'tested'. It seems I had a three day 'bad day' bender in Madurai. It started with the overnight train ride. In the past I've enjoyed the lull of the train, looking out the window till dark, reading, knitting. All this was going to plan, until I started getting sick (diarrhea) in the middle of the night. It was messy, tedious and dreadful. Then I got to Madurai which was about the same. Why is it that the most holiest of cities are also the dirtiest? Varanase/Benares is also filthy, but it has the Ganges, the ghats can be quite magical. That's not how Meenakshi temple was to me. It was interesting, there were moments. Maybe because I was sick. Or I was sick and it was loud and the city was dirty. The temple was kind of dirty. Or I didn't understand what all the ritual was about. It was really hot. Maybe I'm not as interested as I thought I would be in 'temple life'.

I ended up spending most of the time in the hotel room, which had a window facing an air shaft, but AC, a flat screen TV with remote,  and a surprisingly comfortable bed. I sat inside watching movies after going to the temple in the morning. On the way back from the morning temple visit, which you must enter barefoot. I would go to the recommended veg place to get something to eat then go back to the hotel room, scrub my feet, watch movies, knit, doze, while the food moved through me and out in a gurglie sick kind of way. Not a great way to spend a 'holiday'.

Meenakshi temple is dedicated to Shiva's partner/consort of the same name. It is considered a 'woman's temple' and pilgrammages are made to enhance female fertility. It is said there are a thousand pillars and I can tell you there are at least half as many vendors selling Hindu memorabilia, prasad (offerings), flower garlands and kid's toys (fertility?). There were a fair amount of kids there, I guess proof of answered  prayers to Meenakshi? The kids seemed to treat it as a Disneyland of sorts. There is even an elephant there, a very cute elephant, that blesses the person who gives him rupees with a tap on the head with his trunk. Blessings can be bought it seems, even from elephants.

I was very busy at the temple too, busy feeling sorry for myself. I hit the wall of India and I wanted to be gone. I didn't care for the town, it seemed more dirty and functional than anything else. And the calm roof top restaurant at the nearby hotel at dusk didn't cure me either. Leaving cured me. Of course the Mr. Magoo of a driver I had to take me to the airport hit someone (brushed really) and the guy came after the driver half a block later. Lots of yelling and pounding on the hood ensued. Perfect way to end the trip. I am beginning to feel there is some karmic debt I need to pay here, mostly via my intestines.

Otherwise the return to Mysore was fairly uneventful. Waiting for the driver 45 minutes at the Bangalore airport, a flat tire 45 minutes outside of Mysore. It was his second flat of the trip, he told me. "Very unlucky trip", he said. How true, how true... Maybe this is 'special Shiva test for white lady'?

It was very good to drive through the Green Hotel's gates...whew! What a relief to be treated well, friendly chats with the staff and my few friends staying here. *sigh* Immodium made me more optimistic and ready yet again to do battle with the many armed god of India.