shiva kumar's video: Moods of Madurai

During my travel to the temple town of Madurai last month, I was in 'awe' from the moment I saw the riotously colorful towers of the Meenakshi Temple soar into the sky with gorgeously crafted sculptural work reflecting the ancient mythological history of the surrounding area and its deities. The temple is a site of continual devotion and is a holy center visited by pilgrims from all over India. The streets which radiate out from the temple are filled with Madurai’s vibrant life. Vendors selling fragrant jasmine flower garlands, deity pictures, plastic trinkets, glass bangles, exotic fruits and vegetables lined up in the streets. The bustling Puthu Mandapam towards the East tower is definitely my favourite place in Madurai, which teems with cloth stalls and tailors' shops. A great place for getting cottons and printed fabrics. Here you'll find rows of tailors, all busily treadling away and capable of making a good replica of whatever you're wearing in an hour or two. There are other places that I visited in Madurai, but this video is a compilation of my walk around the meenakshi Amman temple area. There was never a boring moment, though on foot the whole day! and not to miss the Madurai's famous almond drink "Jigarthanda" when you take a break!