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MADURAI, INDIA, January 1, 2004: There was a marked silence last night in the Temple city. The fun and pomp typical of the dawn of New Year was conspicuously missing at almost all places in the city. The unusual characteristic of welcoming 2005 this way spoke in silence about the impact of tsunami among the Maduraiites living far away from the coastal belt. There was no extravaganza or lavish spending. For, many of the city hotels had cancelled their New Year parties. Except for bursting of crackers in some pockets and few pastry shops with decorative lightings, the arterial roads wore a deserted look. With all the traditional and customary revelry put on hold, the only thing that attracted the crowd was special prayer conducted in churches and temples. Serpentine queues were the order of the day at many temples, especially, at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, the Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple at Tallakulam, the Sri Koodalazhagar Temple and the Sri Kalamega Perumal temple at Tirumogur.

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