Madurai

The soul of Tamil culture, the ancient city of Madurai is awash with more historic Hindu temples than you can shake a regional jil jil jigarthanda milk drink at. Ask any Madurai tour guide and they will tell you the city’s pièce de résistance is unquestionably the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple, a sprawling masterpiece of majestic gopuram towers decorated intricately with multi-coloured sculptures (unique to south Indian temple art). One of the largest and oldest temples devotees and tourists alike join the throngs who make their way to the sanctum for darshan; women bedecked in their best Kanchivaram silks and jasmine strings arranged in their hair, and men in their dhotis; don’t miss a visit to the Hall of Thousand Pillars while there. Temples and holy tanks aside, Madurai tour guides also recommend the Gandhi Museum (home to the blood-spattered veshti of the great man himself), Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Kazimar Big Mosque. For something a little less intense, a whole host of earthy eateries serving tasty Tamil curries and dosai cater to the techies (employed at the city’s booming IT industry) students (from the various educational institutions in and around the city) and pious alike.