Heritage Madurai.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last week saw us visit the beautiful </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Meenakshi Temple </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">in Madurai, devour traditionally prepared South Indian lunches served on banana leaves and get lost in a tropical haven created by </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Bawa"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Geoffery Bawa.</span></a></b></span></i><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6075396518/" title="her3 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her3" height="426" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6075396518_723feee226_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></span></i><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.heritagemadurai.com/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heritage Madurai</span></a></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is a 17-acre resort originally called the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Madurai Club</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and was designed by the famous Sri Lankan architect </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Bawa"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Geoffery Bawa</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bawa's style of blending indoor & outside spaces is evident through out the resort.</span></span></span></span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6074876945/" title="her12 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her12" height="427" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6078/6074876945_ccf64075c1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Locally sourced materials and natural elements makes this place very unique. Bawa's disciple </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vinod Jayasinghe </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">has restored this resort to it's former glory by blending tradition with modern luxuries. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6075438346/" title="her18 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her18" height="426" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6075438346_77e0f2e151_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Granite used liberally at the resort.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6074880593/" title="her13 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her13" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6074880593_7790e57595_z.jpg" width="427" /></span></span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Intricately carved door at the reception area.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6074873551/" title="her11 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her11" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6074873551_0380d911ae_z.jpg" width="427" /></span></span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Reception area with antique wicker work chair.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6074904349/" title="her20 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her20" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6069/6074904349_3e1b3b204b_z.jpg" width="427" /></span></span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Entrance lobby with fresh floating flowers in a granite urli.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6075424000/" title="her14 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her14" height="427" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6064/6075424000_8b639798b1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lotus leaves growing tall at the entrance area.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her21" height="514" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6075447176_961824a481_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'Frangipani' trees framing the Luxury Villas.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her5" height="426" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6068/6075400192_a76a4b510a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Granite pillars and furniture at the Luxury Villas.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her7" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6202/6074863155_1021bb8f23_z.jpg" width="427" /></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our room.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her15" height="427" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/6075428246_84e2e2f0c7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her8" height="427" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6074866479_b19a1a8bd7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traditional wooden doors and granite formed the main design in the room.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her4" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6075398340_d372b6c280_z.jpg" width="426" /></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our very own plunge pool with Frangipani tree!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her22" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6076/6074909483_9477413294_z.jpg" width="426" /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do we really need to head back home?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; white-space: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her2" height="426" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6209/6075393990_7f4cd78fd1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Temple Tank inspired pool at dusk.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archanasr_2000/6074851275/" title="her1 by archanasr, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="her1" height="426" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6181/6074851275_fa4c1d79b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dining area at dusk.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Geoffery Bawa~ I really adore your style. Madurai ~ I enjoyed your rich culture.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Images by Arch)</span></span></div></div></div>

Heritage Madurai.

Last week saw us visit the beautiful Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, devour traditionally prepared South Indian lunches served on banana leaves...

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