Maduri

Highlights: Temples, Maduri Marketplace, Teppan festival

Dates: late January/early February, 2000

Travelogue: to be linked here when ready.

A little background: The second largest city in South India (after Chennai) Maduri (population 1.3 million) is a lively pilgrimage center in Tamil Nadu and has been since the 4th century. The Sri Meenakashi temple is most popular -- a gaudy, colorful templed piled higher than a wedding cake with fanciful figures. The marketplace is famous for its herbs and perfumes, locally made batiks and cottons, bronzes and wood carvings.

I'm going to try to make the Teppan (Float) Festival in late January-early February, celebrating the three aspects of Hindu philosophy: world, life, and god. Floats are adorned with images of the gods, decorated with lights and flowers, and pulled around the Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank for several days.

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