Tiruchirappalli(India)

Tiruchirappalli is called Trichy by Tamilians..
http://www.trichy.com/
there's a river called Cauvery running through town..
it's a rather big town..I recall it was damn hot as well..
temperatures easily soar over 30 degrees Celsius in Tamil Nadu..
one gets used to it..but it's a sticky heat sometimes..
I visited both Rock temple and another one called Srirangam..
it's amazing that both temples are a city in itself...
with pandits(priests)doing puja ceremonies..
some parts of both temples are not allowed for non Hindus..
it always stunned me how they could built all these architectural
marvels..it's unbelievable really..the Srirangam temple was about
7kms..out of town..busride of course..around 20 *gopurams*like
in Madurai..inside this temple are shops,even a bazar..very hectic
life in there..lots of ceremonial activities were going on..
and some of them..are only for the eyes of devout Hindu's..
folks walk around barefoot..with strange markings on their foreheads..
priests usually wear a *rudra*some kind of talisman??
some priests put a white kind of string around their neck..
I used to have a rudra..given to me in Assam..it was supposed..
to have healing power..rudra in glass of water overnight..
then drink it..etc..one has to believe in it really..
http://rudrarudraksha.com/therapy.htm
http://rudrarudraksha.com/mala.htm
after all this buzz..went back to the railways station..
I got a retiring room..with private shower,toilet etc..
Indian toilets were very funny..a hole in the ground..
you cannot sit really on an Indian toilet...and no toilet paper..
usually a small silver pot was next..use your left hand..
well..I used my right hand..booh..and that's against the rules..
but nobody saw it anyway..bwaahah..crazy Indian rules??
I took some *masala dosa*food..looked like an Indian pancake..
I was gonna go to Thanjavur next..bit over 50kms from Trichy..
again temples to be seen..yes..of course..that's India..
Tiger