I visited Chennai and Madurai between 17th May and 27th May via Delhi. I have posted some pictures earlier.Click on pictures to enlarge them.I post more pictures taken by me:

Anamalai near Madurai. Jains lived in eight hills sorrounding Madurai. Thirujnana Sambandhar sang about Anamalai Jains 1300 years ago. The shape looks like an elephant and so it is called elephant hill= Ana Malai in Tamil.

Narasingham is at the foot hill of Anamalai. There is a huge Narasimha statue in a cave temple. The temple walls have beautiful Vattezuthu (old Tamil script) inscription. The temple was constructed by the chief minister Maran Kari of Pandya King Srimara Sri Vallabhan of eighth century.

Narasingham Temple Golden Tower

Vaishnava Acharyas inside the temple.

Madurai Perumal /Vishnu Temple is as old as Meenakshi temple. This is the ashtanga Vimanam of the temple. Only few temples in Tamil Nadu have this Ashtanga Vimanam.

Homakundam (Fire Altar) in Narasingham Temple

Madurai Perumal Temple corridor after the rain.

I was walking along the duty free shops in Delhi airport and fond out some porcelains on sale with good slogans: ALL ROADS LEAD TO OM.

Purna Kumbham means FULL POT. It is filled with holy water and placed in the Puja. After Vedic Mantra recitation the water is used for bathing or Abhishek (ritual bathing) to Gods or sprinkling over people’s heads to get them purified. The pot has mango leaves and coconut on the top. The threads are wound round it with mantra recitation. Vedic priests invented geometry 3000 years ago to construct Vedic Fire Altars and to draw Rangolis. Geometrical shape can be seen on the pot.Purna Kumbham is an auspicious symbol.This is taken in my brother’s house in Chennai.

For all the pujas(worship of God), Hindu priests use only environmentally friendly materials. They use big banana leaves for eating and cups with banana leaves for drinking. Those cups are called Donnai (Drona). A priest (Sri K Raman) is making Donnais.

This big rope is used to pull the very big Temple chariot once a year. This is to strengthen unity among Hindus. Thosands of devotees will assemble and pull the chariot along the main streets of the town. Old and invalids who cant go to temple will have darshan (Seeing) of God. If devotees dont go to God, God will come to the devotees!

This silver snake is used for Puja. The Sivalinga is seated under the hooded snake. Sometimes they donate it to temples to get issues. All the ladies who have no children are advised by the astrologers or priests to worship snakes. Snakes are associated with fertility in Hindu religion. They fear harming snakes and beleive they wouldn’t get children if they harm them. Again environmentally friendly religion! If the snakes are killed illions of rodents (rats) will destroy the crops. Malnutrition will lead to infants death or childless couple.

 
Palmyra fruits (Nungu in Tamil) are sold in streets in Tamil Nadu during summer. They are good fro health and quench ones thirst.