Madurai...Elephants....Cows...and city streets

Busy city streets in Madurai hum with energy...but it is a less fearsome and modern energy than that of Bangalore. It is an artist's paradise. The temple in the heart of the city was constructed in the 4th century, with improvements and additions made through the years. In the center of the temple there is a 1000 pillar court where artists, poets, and musicians worshipped Shiva and Meenakshi and celebrated new works of art together. I will post pictures from this temple at a later time....breathtaking and beautiful.
It is common to see cows walking, sleeping, and sitting right in the middle of city streets. Picture cows plopped down in the heart of Manhattan. The cow is sacred and roams the streets of india along with stray dogs and cats. Here you can see the cow eating trash by the side of the road. Another very, very common sight.

At the Meenakshi Temple, visitors can pay 5 rupees, a dime in US, directly to the elephant. She then raises her trunk and rests it on your head as a blessing. Sadly, the blessing elephant is chained to the temple wall and has been trained to give the money to a man sitting out of view. A mixed emotion. Note to Ingrid: an elephant's trunk feels like a hairy old shoe, and it's trunk gets your head wet. My head had elephant snot on it for 2 hours!!!