My tour of Tamil Nadu cities continued south, from Trichy to Madurai. It is often referred to as the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu, with a rich history dating back over 2000 years. The city is dotted with temples across the small streets and alleys of the old city.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace dates back to the 17th century, built by the then ruler and king of Madurai. Whilst not all of the palace survived to this day, the section that stands is well maintained and good for visiting.

I enjoyed wondering the different streets with an assortment of old buildings, amongst all the shops and bazaars.

The main temple was very busy with entrances on each of the four sides. It is called the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

The entrance towers to the temple complex are particularly impressive and colourful.

I had to take a general class train for the six hour journey from Madurai to Trivandrum. It was busy for the first two hours, but after that not packed and had a nice time talking with this family group. Trivandrum was my destination to go to the nearby Kerala beach of Kovalam for Christmas.