Madras Afternoon Madness

Exhausting, exhilerating, exciting and intense!!

This afternoon we  joined thousands of joyous Madras devotees for their annual Aruppathu Moovar festival at the Kapaleeswara Shiva Temple.  It was an exuberant cross between a carnival with religious overtones and a high-spirited celebration of abundance and sharing.   Narrow streets, food vendors, musicians and swelling crowds all dressed in their festive  best added to the richness of the adventure.  We OAT travelers to a person were exhausted yet thrilled that we had had had such a firsthand experience.

I was glad to descend into the cool gloom of the subway station away from the intense press of revelers.  While waiting for the electric train we were able to relax and regroup while chatting with a troop of Boy Scouts who wanted to practice their English.  A four stop train ride got us quickly back to our hotel.