The four gates of Meenakshi Amman Temple
The gang above Madurai
The ride to Madurai today was much more comfortable, probably due to the fact that we had three less people in the same size care, but nonetheless it felt great. On the way I found out that the highways really don’t have speed limits, and even if they did there wouldn’t be anyone to enforce them. I also saw my first functional traffic light in India, and surprisingly enough, most people followed it. Visiting the Hindu temples gave insight into the culture and mindsets of the people in India. With such intricate temples and rituals, I can see how religion and superstition can play a big role in how people respond to medicine and outsiders in general for that matter. On that note, for Indians to enter the temple it was five rupees and for foreigners it was fifty. We were only there for the afternoon and it still felt that we could not escape the heat. It was 39 ⁰C, which is about 102 ⁰F, and the humidity of the plains surrounded us. I cannot fathom how more people did not perish when the heat wave came through cities like this, but I am beyond thankful for being in the mountains most of the time. We sweat so much that we would drink a liter of water every couple of hours and still not have to use the restroom. The ride home was cool, and the car didn’t break down once. Exploring the rest of this beautiful country will never get old.
Inside Meenakshi Amman Temple
Sunset on the plains