Comments on: Madurai http://indianwriting.blogsome.com/2007/04/27/madurai/ "That was the beginning of the century; this is its end. I have been thinking not only of the people who lived there once, but also of the generations of dogs accompanying them in their everyday bustle, and one night— I don't know where it came from— in a predawn sleep, that funny and tender phrase composed itself: a road-side dog." - Czeslaw Milosz, Borderlines. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:23:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: ARVINDH http://indianwriting.blogsome.com/2007/04/27/madurai/#comment-975 Sat, 05 May 2007 16:20:06 +0100 http://indianwriting.blogsome.com/2007/04/27/madurai/#comment-975 The Devadoss couple is just amazing. Please read this to know more about what Manohar and Mahema Devadoss do: http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=1120 http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/01/24/stories/2002012400200300.htm http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2002/04/28/stories/2002042800330400.htm The Devadoss couple is just amazing. Please read this to know more about what Manohar and Mahema Devadoss do:
http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=1120

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/01/24/stories/2002012400200300.htm
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2002/04/28/stories/2002042800330400.htm

]]> by: Kishore http://indianwriting.blogsome.com/2007/04/27/madurai/#comment-957 Sat, 28 Apr 2007 06:13:24 +0100 http://indianwriting.blogsome.com/2007/04/27/madurai/#comment-957 I lived in Madurai for 2 years during my student days, and had some interesting experiences. Needless to mention, the Temple City has a temple - a tiny room like one, or a full fledged one - in almost every street. And every temple, irrespective of it's size has a festival every other month. So, you'll have a bunch of people carrying a receipt-book knocking your door and asking you for "Koil Vari" (Temple Tax). This happens everytime there is a festival in any of those temples (which is pretty much round the year!). The interesting thing about this is that - people <i>always</i> have a tendency to donate for every such festival (as a <i>Koil Vari</i>) ranging from 10 to 100 rupees. I lived in Madurai for 2 years during my student days, and had some interesting experiences. Needless to mention, the Temple City has a temple - a tiny room like one, or a full fledged one - in almost every street. And every temple, irrespective of it’s size has a festival every other month.

So, you’ll have a bunch of people carrying a receipt-book knocking your door and asking you for “Koil Vari” (Temple Tax). This happens everytime there is a festival in any of those temples (which is pretty much round the year!). The interesting thing about this is that - people always have a tendency to donate for every such festival (as a Koil Vari) ranging from 10 to 100 rupees.

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