Visit Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Madurai is a temple town like no other, with the huge Meenakshi Temple being virtually a town in itself. Built at the same time as the Taj Mahal, it is an outstanding example of south Indian Hindu architecture with nine towering gopurams smothered in a riot of colourful stucco images. This is an amazing place to absorb the atmosphere of Hinduism, with the dark pillared halls filled with thousands of pilgrims, bare-chested priests and the scent of flowers, coconut and ghee. Elsewhere in the city the Gandhi Museum chronicles the life of the great Indian leader and exhibits the blood-stained dhoti the Mahatma was wearing when he was assassinated.