welcome to paradise

I'm not one to romanticize village life over city life, but this past weekend I made a day trip to the nearby village of Mangulam and being there made me wonder why I ever decided to live in the city. Late November is a GLORIOUS time to be in Tamil Nadu. And the rural landscape of the southern districts of this fair state is really at its most beautiful this time of year. The tanks, irrigation channels, and rice paddies are full of post-monsoon water. The rice paddies and sugarcane fields are bright green and the sky is a dark clear blue. There is also a nice wind blowing at this time of year. The air in Mangalam was fresh and not choked with pollution like Madurai, and it was actually peaceful without the blare of car horns, blasting of crackers, booming radios, etc.

In somewhat typical village (and even city) style I was treated with overwhelming hospitality such that I ate two breakfasts and one enormous lunch, alone. And by eating alone I mean I was the only one eating -- with 25 people standing around watching me. And after the amazing lunch I was made to lay down and take rest on a special mat and was also carefully observed during nap time as well. Normally I would find it difficult to sleep under surveillance, but this day was different as we had just marched several miles in the hot sun to a festival out near Melur and I was exhausted. It was Kartigai Deepam, a very special day for Murugan. Because I was there the family arranged transport to a drop off point, from which we walked several kilometers to reach a huge festival going on basically in the middle of nowhere countryside. (It was funny to me that the only reason we took transport was because of me; otherwise they would have walked many more miles!) Here Murugan is worshipped with no statue or any image whatsoever. They say that if there is an image of God in this place it signifies a lack of faith among the people. Basically the "temple" is merely a platform covered in garlands that everyone circumambulates. The priests crack coconuts on it for devotees and distribute ash. Nearby there is a mountain of sand that people climb up, dumping handfuls of sand and salt on a plant at the top. They say that you should pray while doing this and whatever you ask for will be granted. Also near the temple there is a huge field filled with water. This water is considered holy, and one must remove their shoes to go into it and collect the water to take home. I was the only one participating in any of these rituals as the family I went with is still considered impure for several more days because of a death in the family. It was very nice of them to take me to this festival, just so I could witness it. And it was certainly a lot of fun, and the festival was like nothing I have ever seen. A lot of festivals are like this in Tamil Nadu. So many of them are completely unique.

On the way back to Madurai, we were treated to some very beautiful views of the countryside. It was evening when we boarded the bus, and since it was Karthigai Deepam everyone had lit lamps in the doorways, windows, and on the steps of their homes. It was quite a sight, and reminded me of Christmas in the U.S. except even more beautiful. I think this is probably my favorite holiday here, perhaps because it is so peaceful. But some people are introducing firecrackers/dynamite to the Karthigai Deepam celebrations, probably because they simply cannot help themselves. What else are you going to do with any atom bombs left over from Deepavali?

My dream house is straight ahead on the water's edge.

Mangulam, TN (Madurai district)

Collecting holy water

Dumping sand and salt on the mystery plant

This smiling man will give you a tattoo using the communal needle
pictured at the bottom of the photo. It's a bargain at Rs. 3 per tattoo!



Thankfully, much more benign body art is available at the festival.
For Rs. 1 this gentleman will put henna designs on the kids' hands.

My neighborhood, Meenakshipuram, is known for
very nice Karthigai Deepam displays.

It wasn't until after this picture was snapped that I noticed
the three interlopers behind us!