Madurai Musings: Ancient Temples and a Whole Lotta Humidity
okay, so i'm still processing madurai. it's…a lot. literally a lot. the air hangs heavy, you can practically feel the humidity clinging to you. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather report said 22.99°C, feels like 23.51°C, with 83% humidity. seriously.
madurai is apparently one of the oldest cities in tamil nadu. like, really old. they say it’s been continuously inhabited for millennia. it’s got this incredible history thing going on, temples everywhere, and it’s a major cultural hub. i spent a good chunk of time just wandering around, trying to soak it all in. the meenakshi temple? wow. just wow. the architecture is insane. seriously, you have to see it to believe it. someone told me that the intricate carvings tell stories spanning centuries. it felt a little like stepping back in time, except everyone was checking their phones. you know how it is.
the geography is interesting too. it’s on the plains, but with these hills surrounding it - the palni, sirumalai, cardamom… it's a bit of a landscape puzzle. they get a decent amount of rain, which is probably why everything feels so…lush? i'm not sure. it’s definitely hot. like, consistently hot. they have a wet and dry season, but honestly, it felt pretty humid all the time. i’m pretty sure my hair is permanently frizzy now. i packed light cotton clothes, and honestly, they’re doing their best.
if you get bored, dindigul, theni, sivaganga, and virudhunagar are just a short drive away. apparently, they have their own charms. i didn't really get to explore those, though. madurai itself is just buzzing with life. there's a lot of focus on agriculture and, unsurprisingly, its historical continuity. it's a district headquarters, which probably means lots of bureaucracy, but i didn't really run into any of that.
food-wise, i didn’t really dig into the local cuisine as much as i’d hoped. search results didn’t offer much specific info. a shame, really. i did see a lot of street food though, and it smelled amazing. i’ll have to come back and investigate that further.
madurai definitely has a vibe. a sleepy, ancient, slightly chaotic vibe. it’s vulnerable to extreme weather, which is something to keep in mind. but it’s got this undeniable energy, this sense of history that seeps into everything. it’s a key cultural landmark in southern india, and it's definitely left an impression. a sweaty, humid impression, but an impression nonetheless. i’m off to find some air conditioning and maybe a really strong cup of tea. feels like i need it.
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