Tag: South Indian Culture
6 Posts
Bathing Elephants in Hill Stations of Periyar, India
One of our highlights on our recent spiritual adventure in south India was bathing elephants in the hill stations of Periyar. Periyar in the western ghats of Kerala in South India is a refuge of rolling hills, lush green forests, amazing wildlife and countless tea and spice plantations. The weste...
Read MoreWildlife, spices, & tea plantations in Periyar
As we explore all of the regional and cultural wonders that South India has to offer, we find ourselves traversing through the rolling hills of Periyar. Periyar is the green-thumb region of the west, the western ghats, or Sahyādri, offering cool respite from the customary heat of the south. Many ...
Read MoreBeauty in Bloom: A walk through the Madurai Flower Market
One of the most aesthetically beautiful parts of our meditation retreat to South India is our visit to the local flower market in Madurai. It is one of the biggest markets in all of India and provides exports of many different species of flora. Though it is an effort of the local Madurai c...
Read MoreCulture in Color: Sari Shopping in Madurai
Saris are a traditional type of dress worn in India, among many other places. They come in a variety of colors, patterns, designs, and are often tastefully embellished. During our South Indian meditation retreat we make sure to allow a little time to delve into the beauty of the culture with a li...
Read MoreThe Goddess of Madurai and her temple
This spectacular temple is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus the world over. The hallways and chambers are crowded from dawn to dusk, filled with pilgrims eager for darshan (sight) of the Goddess Meenakshi in the sanctum sanctorum. Pilgrims come to offer prayers, to have wishes fulfilled, t...
Read MoreRespecting your elders…including the cows
Chidambaram is an ancient pilgrimage place where for thousands of years pilgrims have come to discover their higher Self. Even the famed yogi, Patanjali, visited here and worshiped God in the form of Nataraja (Hindu god Siva in his aspect of dance). Chidambaram is one of my favorite places to vis...
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