Mulling over what to do in Madurai? Sri Meenakshi Temple takes the top spot here. If you only see one temple in India, make it this one. You’ll recognize its towers from the guidebooks: 14 enormous gateway towers – some more than 170ft tall – rise into the air, each with hundreds of brightly colored figures carved into its walls. Look out for the elephant that guards one of the gates – she’ll bless you if you give a small donation.
A particular highlight of this temple is the ‘hall of a thousand pillars’. Each of the 985 pillars emits a different tone when struck, giving this chamber an almost spooky atmosphere.
But this temple is much more than just a photo-op. As a place of worship, it’s fascinating to spend some time here, respectfully watching the local people give offerings of flowers, kneel before the shrines and pray in their hundreds. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and not to take pictures of individual visitors.
The Mahatma Gandhi Museum is also one of the most popular Madurai attractions. Here, you can see some pretty interesting stuff from Gandhi’s lifetime, including his reading glasses, his shawl and even the bloodstained dhoti he was wearing when he was assassinated. Slightly unnerving, yes, but fascinating, too.
Embracing Madurai is all about embracing the joys of an Indian city: ride in auto rickshaws, pay 7p for a samosa on the side of the road, and chat to the locals about their days. Go on, dive in.
