City of Jasmine....

One of the oldest cities in India, Madurai , derived from Madurapuri - the city of divine nectar , is famous for so many things and the cuisine there is worth mentioning. The five hour journey from coimbatore took Eight hours reaching madurai at two in the night, with tiring legs and hungry stomach ,I got down from the bus cursing the driver for his skillful driving, but the glowing shops, with hot idlis , parathas and food and food brought all the happiness in me. Yes Madurai is a Sleepless city indeed.

In the morning back from the Algar temple, the hot hot sun and the dusty dusty street made me to settle for something cool and relaxing. Nothing will match the authentic Madurai Jigarthanda. A tall glass filled with chilled reduced milk , with sabudana, china grass, nannari, sugar and an Awesoome scoop of ice cream . The real cool and relaxing drink

Its the best refreshing drink for summer, a single glass will make you "cold heart" thats the meaning for Jigarthanda, add the word JIL JIL(Cold Cold)to it, I am sure you will go for a second and third glass.

With cold cold energy, the hot hot sun and the dusty dusty streets turned out to be a cool cool walk, a solid one hour walk to the Nayakar Mahal palace, with huge Pillars and painting inside, with idols and carvings inside, I din't knew that the local "Sourashtras" community food was waiting outside, The "Sourashtras" community with their original homes in Gujarat , settled in Madurai long long ago, their food is all vegetarian with mouth watering taste. U try it sometimes ,no wonder you will stop eating meat.

Just outside the palace , there is a small road side stall, and the process goes like this, three containers of soft dough, one with rice flour, drumstick leaves and seasonings(green color). another with Ragi flour, onions and seasonings(brown color) and the last with refined flour with a stuffing of semolina, sugar and ghee(white color). All pressed in palms and deep fried in oil. Two rupees for the green ones and Three rupees for the brown and white ones. I ate ate and ate with hundred and six rupees out of wallet the fellow in the stall is tired frying the dough

Wishing the cook with heart and soul the taste of it lingered in me all through the visit to Meenakshi sudareswar temple. Visit here at-least once in a life time , you/One will understand why Madurai is called the city of temples. Kannagi burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan, they say almost everything burnt except the Meenakashi sundareswar temple. I do believe in god and this is the way I pray, I close my eyes and pray to god that save everyone who comes to my mind, the best part is, my tamil tutor who torn me aprt in my school days will come first, followed by the neighbor who broke my nose when I was 17, all my enemies, atlast my family, friends, well wishers, and in this temple something also came towards the end, its the Simmakkal Konar Mess Kari Doasai.I prayed that the mess should be open.


My prayers coming true, Konar Mess Kari Doasai is my next post