First Day - Indian Panorama Tour

Saturday – May 1st

We got up at 7am today to get dressed and have breakfast before our driver picked us up at 9:30am with a tour guide for the day. Our guide was Vani (female).

Our first stop was the Meenakshi Amman Temple. This temple dates back to the 13th century when the oldest tower was constructed. It has 12 entrances with a tower at each entrance. Some of the added towers were constructed in the 14th and 16th centuries. The colors were really vibrant and the carvings very intricate depicting various images of the gods of the Hindu religion. Over the centuries, Indian culture has identified 3 primary gods that are shared by the different varieties of Hindu worship – Siva, Vishnu and Brahma. Beyond that, different cultures within India have evolved their own versions of how they perceive and worship the gods.

 

There are so many things that Americans would consider ordinary – but they hold real significance to Indian culture. One example is the animals. Cows are sacred and are not slaughtered for food. The reason for this is that every thing the cow produces is useful for the Indian lifestyle. The milk is an alternative to breast milk for babies and used for dairy products. The dung is used to dry out and spread on the floor as an insect repellent for the home. Goats are also held in high regard. They are herded to a pasture and left there for one day to fertilize the soil – they move on to another location to repeat the process. Cows, goats, dogs and chickens are commonly seen on the streets – crossing in front of traffic or standing by the side of the road between scooters, cars – whatever. Another example is the banana tree. Everything on the banana tree is useful – the peel, the fruit, the leaves and trunk are all used for some purpose. Also – once the banana tree produces fruit it will die, but it will leave an “offspring” tree behind as a sort of reproduction process. So, banana trees are considered a symbol for fertility and sustaining life.

Our second stop was Thirumalai Nayak Palace. This palace dates back to the early mid-evil time period and was heavily influenced by Moorish Muslim architecture. Inside, there are enormous columns that are of Roman influence; the archways are of Muslim design with the peaked archways that are perfectly aligned in a straight angle. The intricate carvings are Hindu symbols. Inside the palace are many artifacts that have be preserved which represent Hindu worship dating back to 3 BC. Even during that early time period, there were indications of the three main gods that remain primary to their religion. Further on – we saw stone scripts that have been preserved describing past centuries in India.

I feel many of the same feelings I had when we visited Egypt in 1995. When you are American and only know of your own countries history – it’s enlightening to visit another country that has such a long and unique history that covers thousands of years. In some ways, it’s a bit overwhelming. Even Ramiah’s family is able to trace their own family history back 1,000 years. I was only able to document my own family history back to the early 19th century (about 100 years) which pales in comparison.

The Gandhi Museum was on our agenda today, but it was closed due to a political holiday. Both of tours we did do were very interesting and educational – Vani was a tremendous guide, full of knowledge and quickly able to answer any questions. She gave us her contact information if we needed help remembering anything when we got home.

During both tours, we were stopped on occasion by Indian people that wanted to shake our hand or take our picture (often times – children). Seeing pale skinned people is unusual for many of them and they are intrigued by it – but also filled with excitement and enthusiasm to meet us. We got back to hotel early today since the museum was closed – so I had a chance to update the blog. Tomorrow – we leave for Thekkady.