Madurai

LunavadaLad

I am travelling to Madurai and I hear the touts can be a bit persistent around the temple. Are they as persistent as Agra or Jaipur. Has anyone some good suggestions for reducing the impact these people can have on you around the temple in Madurai.

Thanks
Wayne

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Sama

yes. take lots of aspirin with you because you'll get a migraine headache like I did....you can also run away, very fast.

but seriously, I usually used one of three statements with them:

"YOU buy ME something?"

"I'm a poor yoga teacher, no money"

"It's against my religion"

the last one usually worked.

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dhans

Just keep talking to them friendly about anything but the sale. They get the message eventually. And no, they are much less persistent than the AGRA/JAIPUR types. The south is more relaxed than the north anyway.

Have fun,

Hans

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Jorge jr

In South India touts are never like in Agra or Jaipur. Don't worry about them.

Jorge

hfot2

I usually just say "No thank you" sometimes before they even start to say anything and they get the message fast enough. I used to smile and say it, but my cheeks got tired from so much smiling.

Whatever you do, do not engage them in conversation or you'll never get rid of them.

Zeppy

The touts are about as persistent as the rickshaw drivers, whom you also have to fend off if you want to walk. They want to take you into (overpriced) shops around the temple, sometimes offering temple views from the roof, and make you hand-tailored outfits involving the sale of cloth. I thought it was relatively easy to get rid of them ("No thank you," "I'm in a hurry," etc.) and also, when I once went along with one, easy to wriggle out of the stores he took me to ("Beautiful! It's my sister/daughter/cousin who wants to buy jewelry and she's in the hotel. I'll tell her about you.") You can buy stuff in the temple shops too, minus touts. None of this is nearly as annoying as in Agra. Enjoy Madurai!

noflylist

How 'bout good ol' fashioned cold stare to get rid of touts.

moo

I don't entirely agree with hfot2, I thought the touts were ok.
Madurai struck me as being more than a little mental, but in a good way, so I stayed for five days and found lots of places to go.
I found it very friendly, when you smile, Madurai smiles back big time, but I met other travellers elsewhere who hadn't enjoyed it, I think it pays to relax a bit!

dhans

Best advice, If you're relaxed, you don't mindthe bothering (ans hey, there are great templeviews from some of the shops; and they offer good tea and soft drinks )

Hans

Sama

definitely go to the Gandhi museum when you hit Madurai -- I loved it, went twice.

bijapuri

touts-shmouts, that temple is infested with Skeeters! (mozzies) Take repellent.

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Nick-H

Tamil Nadu is infested with mossies.

My house is especially infested with mossies .

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noflylist

Kachhua chhap Machhar Agarbati - Will get rid of any stubborn mossies.

dhans

And it's free, unlike the weird government museum next door. They raised their price for foreigners last time we were there, so as we allready saw it, we gave it a miss. Might be fun to visit though.

Hans

hfot2

We went to the Puthu Mandapam across form the Eastern Gopuram to try to photograph the hall and its pillars. We were greeted by shopkeepers trying to sell us shirts, belts, shawls, fabric, souvenirs etc. Hard to look at the architecture when you enter a building brim full of shops.

In truth, in addition to photographing, I wanted to check out shawls to add to my collection. I tried to glance at them casually as I walked by while taking photos of the building. Wouldn't you know it, when we returned the next day - for me to actually bargain for a shawl or four - they remembered us and even knew I wanted shawls! I hadn't said a word about shawls, and hadn't touched any nor paused at a single shop. Clever guys, these shopkeepers. With a big smile on my face, I pondered which shopkeeper to hit first.

Long story short, I found several many shawls I liked, bargained, settled, and then was given a gift along with my purchase.

We thoroughly enjoyed Madurai. The touts here seemed no more bothersome than anywhere else - a smile [and sometimes no smile at the end of a long, hot, tiring day] and a no thank usually encouraged them to go to someone else. [I don't recall anyone being more persistent than the boat drivers in Varanasi]