Happy Pongal (take two..) From Madurai

Opps!  I pushed the "publish post" by accident!

Hello Everyone!

Well, the adventure continues.......

Yesterday I went to the famous temple Minakshi Sundareshvara (good thing this is written, not audio, have no idea how to pronounce it).  In any case, it is a HUGE temple (basically like a gigantic compound) full of corridors, halls, museum and shrines.  But before entering, one has to check their Chupas (shoes) waay before you even get to the temple!  Yes, that means walking barefoot on the streets of India--eeks!  I never thought of myself as a germ-a-phob.....but seems India has certainly brought it out in me (great, another neurosis...)!  The temple is unbelievably beautiful--full of colorful ornate figures, drawings, sculptures and shrines. Unfortunately non- hindu's are not permit ed into the inner-sanctuaries (according to my guide, apparently their is a loop hole......just throw on a sari and place a bindi on your forehead..you're in!)  I smiled and politely passed.  I was in a house of worship...  no way was I going to be messing with my  kharma these days!! 

So it turns out that I"ve hit the jackpot and came during a huge holiday called Pongal.

Pongal is a holiday celebrated in the state of Tamil Nadu that symbolizes the harvest.  It brings many different types of celebrations...and today I experienced one of them.  I attended the Taming of the Bulls, (photos above) which is very different than Bull fighting in many ways: 

1)  No bulls get killed  

2) These bulls are covered with colored rice powder and decorations (think bright polka dots and sparkles)

3) Instead of prominent matadors, visualize unkempt local village men wearing short skirts (forgot the name of them, but all men in southern india wear them) and bare feet

4) The object is for someone to hold onto the bull as long as possible

5) Prizes range from toasters, irons, pots and cots (yes, seems like quite a large risk for such a small prize)

6) Everyone leaves a winner (If the village men can't hold onto the Bull, the bull's owner gets the prize

Tomorrow will be a day of chilling out by the pool and yes, yet another massage:-)  I am allowing myself to indulge...for sunday brings 2 weeks of a totally different lifestyle!!

Namaste,

Dayna

PS...will be down loading lots of photos tonight!