Madurai - Sri Meenakshi-Sundareshwar Temple

As we said, this was the year for the every-twelve-year cleaning and repainting of the gopurams. It'll really be colorful and gorgeous next year! One gopuram had already completely disappeared under the scaffolding and the screen, made of banana leaves, they put up to protect the workers from the sun.


	The Golden Lotus Pond is empty, but the lotus is there
Scaffolded south gopuram is not yet covered in banana leaves; on the right, the gold top of one of the sanctuaries is barely visible

Around the empty tank, several wedding parties were being celebrated.


Wedding parties

Within, though, all is a dark magic which recalls other temples we visited.


Walkway around the Shiva sanctuary	It looks pretty much like a clarinet

Gilt horse and silver elephant	Shiva and Parvati

Marriage of Shiva and Parvati	Incensed Nandi

Turning around and retracing our steps, we passed again by the tank


The sign says "Wearing of socks inside the temple are [sic] not allowed".	Temple musicians; the horn sounds like a sackbut

Steps by the tank, as the sun goes low	Tourist being blessed by the temple elephant

The architectural masterpiece in this temple is the beautiful Ayirakkal Mandapa, or Thousand-Pillared Hall.

Thousand-Pillared Hall

It is now used as a museum of sculptures and bronzes.


The Tamil god Murugan, son of Shiva	Tourist elephant-lover and elephant

The Mandapa	Worshipping Hanuman

In the evening, worshippers gather in the southeastern corner of the temple to woship Hanuman, the monkey god, and Ganesh, the elephant god.


Worshipping a god, probably Ganesh	Part of a gate holding 1008 ghee lamps

But that's not all. In the evening, there is a special ceremony to put Shiva to bed with Parvati. It's on the next page.

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