Shoes off in Candy Land

Descending down from Kodai into the plains takes, well, quite a bit of patience. Rumbling along in a fifteen passenger bus playing the latest Tamil tunes, the winding solitary road down the mountain takes no less than 3 ½ hours to navigate successfully. Luckily you can stop for a quick bite of extremely yummy masala dosa (if your belly’s up for it of course). Yet, after this transportational adventure, at last, you descend on into one of Tamil Nadu’s major cities, Madurai.

Stepping off the bus, I instantly am reminded that I’m not in Kodai anymore, as once again, every square inch of space around me is swarming with city life. I quickly feel my salwar kamiz cling to my person in that special way that only 110 degree heat can offer. My body, having finally acclimated to the cool wet mountain temperatures, does not like this heat, and I can feel my pores wide open, gasping for a breeze.

Jutting up through the entire city like an obelisk from Candy Land is the main temple of Madurai. Walking towards it, street vendors invite you into their sanctuaries, cleverly hidden away from the heat in shady alcoves. At the temple, I remember the naïve vulnerability of tourism as clouds of men with postcards, incense, and ‘stuff’ swarm like locusts around me, their latest prey.

I finally reach the temple, take off my shoes, clear security, and step inside this fairytale of Hindu mythology. The colors of the statues and frescoes are so incredibly vivid that I feel like I’ve literally stepped into a rainbow. Everywhere around me people are doing pujas (worships) on a number of mismatched statues of deities, covering them in white ash for purity, prosperity, and good luck. True, there is nothing equal to the colors of Hinduism. Yet, being inside the womb of such a vivid space does remind me, in a certain way, of all the happiness present in the world and with it not only the experiences but the living.

Last stop, temple market, a covered hideout where the colors from outside have been brought inside in the forms of bold textures, luscious fabrics, and colorful people. Although bargaining wears on both body and soul, in a way, it has this unusual charm in that it constantly forces one to live deep within their own morals and values and whether dueling for the lowest price with someone only trying to make a living is worth those one or two more rupees at the end of the day.

Back on the bus now flashing with rainbow colored disco lights, I am unequivocally exhausted, dreading the ride back up the mountain. Yet, remained impressed on my mind is, “ah, the people, the smells, the chaos, and the heat of India”, following with a smile.