tajore or madurai

junkone · Oct 5th, 2009, 10:39

which is better?
tanjore or madurai.
do u have to pull strings/pay money to see the inner sanctum of madurai meenakshi temple without much hassle?

dominoes · Oct 5th, 2009, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkone

which is better?
tanjore or madurai.
do u have to pull strings/pay money to see the inner sanctum of madurai meenakshi temple without much hassle?

Only Hindus are allowed in the inner sanctum at Meenakshi Temple.
However you can witness the gods being escorted to their beds during the evening.

However at Thanjavur you may well be invited to offer puja - also many temples in Kumbakonam.

Note that Meenakshi temple is much the busiest temple and more rewarding in terms of people watching.

junkone · Oct 5th, 2009, 11:13

i am a hindu. but i want dont want to spend time waiting in queue. what is the best option

Quote:

Originally Posted by dominoes

Only Hindus are allowed in the inner sanctum at Meenakshi Temple.
However you can witness the gods being escorted to their beds during the evening.

However at Thanjavur you may well be invited to offer puja - also many temples in Kumbakonam.

Note that Meenakshi temple is much the busiest temple and more rewarding in terms of people watching.

machadinha · Oct 5th, 2009, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkone

i am a hindu. but i want dont want to spend time waiting in queue. what is the best option

LOL. Not go to India?

...

btw Meenakshi's eternally up in scaffolding it seems if you're interested in its outside, I don't know what the current deal is. It gets written about here, so you could search around for the latest on it.

I thought it was still interesting and impressive enough when I found it so (it's been non-scaffolded inbetween, mind) in, er, 1993 or so, but I guess it can be disappointing if you weren't expecting this.

n kumar · Oct 5th, 2009, 16:36

If you buy a special entrance of rs 50/= or 100/= you need not stand in the queue.

Eastern Mind · Oct 5th, 2009, 20:37

It really depends on what you want. Are you people watching or going as a Hindu for blessings?

I (a western Hindu adoptive) went to both within about a week last April. Personally I preferred Tanjore.

Meenakshi: The scaffolding is down. The 12 year kumbabhishekham finished in April. It's crowded, but you can bypass the queue with special tickets. Stop and ask at the "Hindus only beyond here" sign. I actually had an older priest take me around. My experience was perhaps once in a lifetime, so I had a guide, who found a priest. Once the authorities saw my Guru's picture, they gave me special attention. There was no set fee, just my dakshina afterwards. There is a lot of queue security around as well, who all have this nasty little habit of sticking out hands for money as you pass. I felt obliged to give, as I thought they might very well give me, a westerner, a rough time if I didn't. They probably wouldn't have, but I wasn't about to take that chance. Just take a stack of R1 coins with you as you follow the crowd.

Tanjore: I went for the opening in the morning, 5:30 or 6 only and that would be my suggestion. There were about 20 devotees there,chanting variations of Aum Namasivaya. I went in with them all, and after about 20 minutes, everyone left, so I was the only one there besides the priest. That was really quite something, as you can imagine. Again, my Guru's picture really opened the priest up to me. He did archana for free, except dakshina.

I hope this helps.

snonymous · Oct 9th, 2009, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkone

which is better?
tanjore or madurai.
......

What are you going there for? If it is architecture, sculpture, history etc. rather than pilgrimage, then the Tanjore Big Temple is in my opinion, superior.

Oct 5th, 2009, 10:39	#1
junkone Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: tornado Posts: 24	tajore or madurai which is better? tanjore or madurai. do u have to pull strings/pay money to see the inner sanctum of madurai meenakshi temple without much hassle?

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Oct 5th, 2009, 16:36	#5
n kumar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 975	If you buy a special entrance of rs 50/= or 100/= you need not stand in the queue.

Oct 5th, 2009, 20:37	#6
Eastern Mind Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 431	It really depends on what you want. Are you people watching or going as a Hindu for blessings? I (a western Hindu adoptive) went to both within about a week last April. Personally I preferred Tanjore. Meenakshi: The scaffolding is down. The 12 year kumbabhishekham finished in April. It's crowded, but you can bypass the queue with special tickets. Stop and ask at the "Hindus only beyond here" sign. I actually had an older priest take me around. My experience was perhaps once in a lifetime, so I had a guide, who found a priest. Once the authorities saw my Guru's picture, they gave me special attention. There was no set fee, just my dakshina afterwards. There is a lot of queue security around as well, who all have this nasty little habit of sticking out hands for money as you pass. I felt obliged to give, as I thought they might very well give me, a westerner, a rough time if I didn't. They probably wouldn't have, but I wasn't about to take that chance. Just take a stack of R1 coins with you as you follow the crowd. Tanjore: I went for the opening in the morning, 5:30 or 6 only and that would be my suggestion. There were about 20 devotees there,chanting variations of Aum Namasivaya. I went in with them all, and after about 20 minutes, everyone left, so I was the only one there besides the priest. That was really quite something, as you can imagine. Again, my Guru's picture really opened the priest up to me. He did archana for free, except dakshina. I hope this helps.