1006 posts since 2008

Tag: tamil nadu

Welcome! Sharing my reflections on the spiritual path.
Join me on a profound journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Jun 27, 2012

Off to India!

So, I'm off to India again to conduct my 3rd spiritual adventure for the year. First stop is Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and it is a brief stay here before heading further south to Madurai. I came across this Tamil movie poster that I had photographed a few years back. I love the posters that are pasted all over the city. So much color and so much drama... More from south India coming very soon. ...

Mar 9, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Hiking in the Western Ghats

At the end of our Culinary and Spiritual Tour Markley spent 4 days hiking and camping in the Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs down the spine of South India and divides Tamil Nadu from Kerala. After the heat of the plains, the cool mountains and spectacular scenery was
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Mar 5, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

In the Madurai Airport

Madurai has a brand new state-of-the-art airport. But there are still some traditional Indian touches...
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Feb 26, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Smashing the Ego

At a small Shiva temple in the countryside of the Chettinad region, we stopped to participate in a Hindu custom in which a coconut is smashed on the ground in front of the temple to symbolize the smashing of the ego. The temple was beautifully kept and practically deser
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Feb 25, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

At the Ayyanar temple

Ayyanar is a village god, loosely affiliated with Hinduism, but emerging from a folk tradition of protective deities that keep disease and misfortune away from small rural villages. In one area of Tamil Nadu, the Ayyanar cult is particularly strong and many villages have Ayyanar
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Feb 25, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Fire ceremony at Pillayarpatti

Today we went to the small town of Pillayarpatti in the heartland of Chettinad to an ancient Ganesha temple. The priests in the temple come from the best priest training school in South India and the ceremonies are conducted with incredible rigor and to the highest standard. Anci
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Feb 24, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Bathing the Elephant

Driving down the road to Thanjavur, we crossed a river where a temple elephant was about to get one of her two daily baths. We leapt from the bus and hurried down to the river side to watch. Olga led the charge and quickly developed a special affinity with Shamala the eleph
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