Madurai (Tamil Nadu) - January 23rd, 2007

I said goodbye to Richard since I was traveling to Madurai, another pilgrimage town, and he was going to a different place.
The British East India Co. in 1840 built a fort that surrounded the city. Four broad streets were constructed where the fort walls were previously located, defining the limits of the old city.
In the evening I went to the hotel rooftop to see the beautiful colors of the Sri Meenakshi Temple at sunset light. A expectacular temple complex designed in 1560. The Southern tower is the tallest building, and all 12 towers are adorned with carvings of celestial and animal figures. Within the walls of the temple, long corridors lead to gold topped sanctums of the deities.
Within the temple complex there is a 1,000 pillar hall with the temple art museum and great exhibit of Hindu deities.