South India Tour

Last month i took a trip to the South, a trip that i had been meaning to take for many years.  There were a number of places that i wanted to visit, but decided on a few after much thought. Breaking up targets into manageable pieces is what i had practiced in my work, though in this case, it would result in multiple trips.

This piece is the stringing together of the daily reports that i was sending back to my family. i have intentionally not spent much time in describing the places i visited.  Abundant information is available on the net, with more details that i can ever hope to provide.

i zeroed in on Kanyakumari, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Madurai.  i spent about 4 weeks in planning the itinerary and the logistics.  Enough information is available on the net about the places, distance, routes, etc, but i found very little information about the bus services.  A mail to Tamil Nadu State Transport did not elicit a response.

Finally, the route panned out to be Pune -> Chennai -> Kanyakumari -> Tiruchendur -> Rameswaram -> Madurai -> Pune.  If the 'to and from' Pune travel is not included, the total distance would be around 1200 kms, which i intend to do by local buses.

27th Sep 2016 - Day 1 - (On my way)

Left home at 1030 and reached Pune airport at 1115. Spicejet flight  to Chennai, via Hyderabad, on time. Reached Hyderabad as per schedule and had to change plane on the tarmac itself (a new experience). At Chennai airport, walked to Trisulam station (Across the road from the airport, but still a bit of work, carrying the bag) and got local train to Tambaram. Reached at 1630 and spent a few uncomfortable hours waiting for
Thirukkural exp (From Delhi) that arrived at 2015 (15 mts late). Just able to get into it before it left (2 mt. halt). Surprisingly, only about 10 berths were occupied out of the 38. Rather intriguing, because when i booked my ticket about 3 months ago, there were only 6 berths available. No wonder the Railways says it is running services at a loss. Had biryani for dinner (55/-, reasonable quality). Went off to sleep by 2030.

28th Sep 2016 - Day 2 ( Kanyakumari)

Woke up at 0500. Had coffee in the train (8/-). As the train neared Nagarcoil, passed through scenic fields / hills and landscape dotted with hundreds of windmills. Nagarcoil at 0805. Kanyakumari at 0840 (on time).  When i got down, i thought i was on the wrong station.  Being a tourist destination, i had expected some crowd, but there was no one at the station except the few that were getting off the train. Took auto to Vivekananda Kendra (50/- for a 2 km ride).  Checked in at 0900. Clean room, nothing fancy. i would recommend this place to anyone visiting KK. It is a large campus with tree lined avenues, nesting birds, roaming peacocks, access to the seashore and a wonderfully serene atmosphere.  There is a cafeteria which, though not having an extensive menu, serves good food.  It opens at 0500 and is open till 2200 ( i think) and is very convenient for an early departure.  The Kendra also provides free bus service at 30 to 45 minute intervals to Vivekananda Rock Memorial and back. (if interested about the Kendra please visit www.vivekanandakendra.org and for room reservation visit http://yatra.vrmvk.org/

I got a room in “Kashi” which is very near the reception and the cafeteria.

Vivekananda Kendra reception area

Kendra bus service to the Rock

Took the Kendra bus at 0930 to the sea shore, a 10 minute ride.  Went to Devi Kanya Kumari temple first.  Temple is said to be more than 3000 years old and is situated on the sea shore and is one of 51 shaktipeethams (literally, abodes of Shakti (Goddess). The temple is surrounded by lanes of shops and it was a bit confusing to reach it.  Though crowded, completed darshan in 15 mts (20/- special ticket).

Dress code – no upper garments for men and traditional dress for women.  Was told jeans are a no-no.

Walked to the Vivekananda Rock jetty which is a just few minutes from the temple. Huge crowd, upwards of 2000 i would guess. Took about 45 mts to get into the ferry (Ticket 35/-).  2 ferries working in tandem. Seats about 150 persons. 5 minute ride and onto the ROCK!! Setting foot on it after 35 years (20/- entry).  Remember no crowds then, now a total circus.  Joined a small knot of people to see a short video on the history of the rock and the origin of the name “Kanya Kumari”.  Enjoyed the panoramic view of the gigantic Thiruvalluvar statue. Went to the meditation room and spent 15 mts.  No crowd.  Return trip by ferry, equally large crowd, but efficiently managed. The whole exercise took about two and half hours. Came back to the kendra, hot and sweaty by 1300 by the Kendra  bus.  Though there is a continuous breeze, sweating is unavoidable. A good morning.  Black mark was, forgot to take phone and hence no photos. Food at kendra cafeteria (95/- thali). Slept for a couple of hours. 

  
Made amends in the evening w.r.t. photography.  Went to the beach at 1700 by Kendra bus to view the sunset at 1805. Climbed a viewing tower (10/-) 5 storey tall.  The wind was gusting so much that it almost blew the phone out of my hands and me over the wall. Sun set at 18.06 and so rapidly that a bit of wandering eyes would have resulted in missing it. Not very clear because of the cloud cover. Will try to come again tomorrow.  Took the 1915 bus back to kendra.  Dinner at the cafeteria, food very courteously served.
 
  

Sunset at KK

Sunset viewing tower

Tomorrow morning, sun rise!!!!

 29th Sep 2016 - Day 3 (Kanyakumari)

Got up at 0515. Coffee at cafeteria (opens at 0500).  Walked to the beach (Kendra property) about 10 minutes from the room.  Passed through lovely tree lined avenues, past Vivekanada memorial, school, library, workshop, Ranade's Samadhi, all immaculately maintained.  Sh. Eknath Ranade was the founder of the kendra and the in-charge of Vivekananda rock memorial construction in the '60s. It is amazing and invigorating to read about this personality who was the main force behind the Rock memorial. ( if interested please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eknath_Ranade ).

Crescendo of birds waking up from their slumber and groups of peacocks strutting around everywhere. i think the center must be as big as small urban locality. Reached the sea shore  about 10 minutes before the sunrise.  There were already a smattering of people around, but not crowded. With the punctuality of  Japanese trains, the sun rose.  A bit cloudy on the horizon but the orb shone brilliantly through the clouds.  Took video of 4mts.

Had another coffee at the cafeteria and took a bus to Suchindram about 12 kms from the Kendra.  Suchindram ( a small town about 10 kms away from KK) is about half way to Nagarcoil, the nearest railhead.  Bus stand is just outside the gate of the Kendra. 15 / 20 minute ride and was dropped off very near the temple. Unique 17th century temple dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Beautiful temple, ancient carvings on the pillars and walls, excellently maintained. 

Dress code – no upper garments for men and traditional dress for women.  Was told jeans is a no-no.

Darshan finished in less than 30 mts. with no hassle. Sat for about 10 mts. on the temple pond wall, utterly peaceful in the early morning. Took a bus to Nagercoil, some 10 kms away to enquire about buses to Tiruchendur, (the next stop - tomorrow).  Lots of options.  It was just 8.50 with the whole day ahead of me.  On an impulse, got into a bus going to Tirunelveli, about 100 kms away (42/- only).  A good bus, no crowd, window seat, cool breeze, F1 driver and, above all, no purpose, nothing to accomplish.  Highway very smooth throughout. To quote Lalu Prasad Yadav, something that got him into a bit of trouble, "as smooth as Hema Malini's cheeks" (apologies to the very fine lady). Probably my best ride.  Had poori, vada and coffee at T'veli for 80/-. Reluctantly walked away from Tirunelveli halwa.  Took a bus back to Kendra and now am in the room at 1400.

A look at sunset again in the evening. Another place to visit that i would recommend would be to the “Wandering Monks Exhibition”. It is very near the Temple, sea shore and the place where the Kendra’s bus drop point.  There were no visitors when i went in.  If that is normal, it is a pity.  Inside, there are descriptions on the journeys Swami Vivekananda undertook to all corners of the country.  People he met, episodes, incidents in those places are very interesting reads.  

In the evening, went to Gangothri exhibition within the Kendra.  It is dedicated to the founder, Sh.Ranade.  The exhibition has information on the life of the founder and many very interesting letters written by him to parliamentarians, Dr.Karan Singh, the king of Nepal, exhorting them to support the cause of Vivekananda Rock Memorial.  A very good place to spend an hour or so. 

Sunrise view from the Kendra

Wandering Monk Exhibition

 Dinner and bed .
 
 

30th sep 2016 -  Day 4 (Tiruchendur)

Got up at 0500.  Decided to take a bus from KK instead of going to Nagerkoil. Had 2 coffees in the cafeteria in preparation for the bus ride to Tiruchendur about 100 kms away. Will be travelling north east, along the Bay of Bengal coast, having started from the southern tip of the country. Checked out of Kendra at 0600, took a rickshaw to KK bus stand, reached at 0610.  Bus was already in the bay, got into it.  Bus to leave at 0700 to Rameswaram, via Tiruchendur.  Biggest satisfaction was that the airbag fitted nicely into the narrow luggage rack!

 
The driver got in and switched on a religious song ( a tad loud), burnt incense filling the bus with fragrance, performed a mini puja, started the bus and thus commenced my 2nd leg of the trip.

Soon, the euphoria of my continuing good luck started evaporating rapidly.  i had picked up the worst possible route to Tiruchendur. Only one choice in KK, but many options available from Nagercoil, as i had discovered the previous day.  As they say, hindsight is always 6/6. To begin with, the soulful music gave way to claptrap movie songs and the tar road to potholes.  I think the bus had taken a vow not to tread on a highway.  It went over all potted roads through all villages and hamlets, shedding and acquiring passengers.  Adding to the fun, we were joined by a drunk (8 a.m.) who insisted on loudly joining in on the songs blaring from the speakers. No one seemed to mind though.
 
Reached Tiruchendur at 0930 after a bone rattling ride and it was already hot and sweaty.  Auto to TTDC hotel (50/- 3 kms, pleasant driver), where i was told "no WiFi", "no towel", too late for breakfast.  All these with charm. Anyway, i was too tired to even frown.  Went out and had breakfast at a nearby restaurant (banana leaf, pongal, 2 vada, filter coffee, 4 variety of unlimited chutneys, thick sambar, lots of courtesy and smiles - all for 75/_). Maybe should migrate here. 
 
Went to the Murugan (Karthikeya) temple less than half a km. from the hotel. It is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga and the only one that is at ground level.  Others are built on hills at 1)Swamimalai, 2)Palani, 3)Tiruparankundram, 4)Pazhamudircholai (a bit mouthful these names) and 5)Tiruthanni   The temple in Tiruchendur is situated idyllically at the seashore and has a beautiful plaza dotted with benches, facing the bay of Bengal. 

Tiruchendur Murugan Temple (much better pics on the net)

As i reached the temple, i was expecting atmosphere like Suchindram, got Tirupathi on a festival day instead. Unadulterated circus.  Hundreds of shops, elephant, monkeys, beggars, thousands of people in a few acres space.  The cemented pavements were blistering to the feet.  Got discouraged by the overwhelming crowd.  A volunteer from the temple seeing my lost look, suggested i buy the 100 ticket which has a separate queue. Still, it took an hour of sweating and jostling to get a moment's glance of the deity. After which i was swept away to the exit without putting in any effort.  Reminded me of Kalyan “bada” fast. Purchased 4 small figurines of Lord Muruga.  Walked back to the hotel and on inquiry was told that there are not many options to go to Rameswaram. Better to go to thoothukudi (50 kms, 1hr 30 mts bus ride) and take a bus from there they said.  Bad news, but more or less on par for the day. Will take potluck tomorrow. 
 
 
Went again in the evening to the temple / seashore.  Crowd had thinned a bit but still formidable.  Didn't have the energy to stand in a line again with T-shirt draped on the shoulder (no upper garment for men, no jeans for any gender) Went round the temple, sat on the seashore for some time. Nice breeze, well content to just sit, hear the lapping of the waves and think of nothing. Could not take a single photo of the beautiful temple as a complete view was not available from any angle, obstructed by shops, pandals, tin roofs and such.  Took one of the top portion, not good. Back to the hotel (1800). Dinner and bed by 2100. Early morning exit tom.

1^st Oct 2016 -  Day 5 (Thuthukoodi, Rameswaram)
 
Woke up at 0530 to the sound of temple music and the call of peacocks.  Found a few of them roaming in the hotel grounds and nestled in the trees.  A couple of clicks. Had coffee and checked out (0700). Auto to bus stand (60/-, 5 mts). Got a bus to Thuthukudi almost immediately. Conductor and co-passenger were very helpful and gave details of bus connections to Rameswaram from Thuthukudi. Co-passenger, an educated farmer, gave me a lot of information about the area.  Unfortunately, i couldn't understand much of it. That has been the problem during the trip. It was somewhat akin to England and the US, 2 countries separated by a common language.  i wonder whether they understand what I say.  Thankfully, till now, i have not been misdirected because of it.  Anyway, what i understood from him was that the Tiruchendur temple is not always crowded.  This is some festival time and hence the mob. "Come back sometime when it is not crowded and you will have a good experience", he said. I hope i do.

Reached thuthukudi New Bus Stand at 0830 (45 kms).  When asked, was courteously directed to the right bus bay.  A minute later a bus to Rameswaram slipped in.  Got a window seat on the west side to avoid direct sun for the next few hours (clever eh!).  Bus left at the the scheduled time of 0915.  Ticket 105/-.  Settled down for the 5 hour ride.  How will it be? Next few hours will reveal it.

(continuing in Rameswaram) The next 5 hours did prove that i am not good in choosing bus routes.  It was the same as KK – Tiruchendur ride, the roads not as bad, but the trip twice as long.  Through all villages and hamlets etc.  The distance to Rameswaram is about 180 km and could have been covered in 3 - 3.5 hrs , instead of the 5 hrs. About 10 kms before Rameswaram, the bus passed over Pamban bridge.  The bridge connects the mainland and Pamban island where Rameswaram is. The bridge is entirely over the sea and is about 2 kms long. The sea can be seen on either side. The view was so beautiful that i forgot to take any pictures.  Will make amends on the return journey. Pamban bridge has a good history worth reading.

Took auto to hotel (100/-, 4km).  Bad choice of hotel (Brindavan hotel).  Rooms small, no in-house restaurant and no good restaurants near by. On the other hand, the staff was very helpful, something i have noticed wherever i had gone. Went to the nearest one and gulped down a dosa for breakfast at 1500. What a come down from Tiruchendur! 

 
Went to Ramanathaswamy (Lord Shiva) temple, which was close by. The ritual is to take bath in the sea, go to each of the 22 tirthas within the temple (ponds and wells) where temple volunteers will drench people with water taken from the tirthas.  i found that physically there are 20 of which one is combination of Gayathri, Saraswathi and Savithri teerthas making a total of 22.  Met someone who offered to guide me through the maze.  Dipped in the sea, accompanied my benefactor (with a touch of commercial consideration) to each of the teertha sthala where the volunteers poured a bucket of water over my head and then to the main deity. Crowded and had the opportunity for a bare glimpse, before being ushered out. Not happy with myself for taking a short cut.  

The sea is just round the corner from the hotel and i spent an hour or so at the shore. Had dinner at TTDC (Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation) hotel, which had a reasonable menu. Next time, i will probably stay at the TTDC hotel which as a lovely property adjoining the sea, though a bit more expensive than the hotel that I had booked into. 

Tomorrow, the plan is to visit Dhanush koti and Dr.Abdul Kalam's home.  And maybe something more.  i had planned to stay here till 4th, but i will cut it short by 1 day and go to Madurai on 3rd. 

2nd Oct 2016 - Day 6 (Rameswaram)

Got up at 0500, had a quick bath, went to the temple to catch the morning puja before the crowd collected.  Found that at least 5000 people had had the same thought.  The whole area was awash with people and the sun not yet risen! The sea was full of bobbing heads, people preparing for the teertha sthalas.  The temple is about 200 metres from the seashore and the path was slippery with the water dripping from those hurrying towards the temple after taking bath in the sea. Bought the mandatory ticket (50/-) and went into the temple.  30 minutes for darshan. The sea shore near the temple is beautiful but spoilt by the trash people had thrown.  Except for a patch where people take a dip, the sea was unapproachable without wading through the filth. What a pity! Where art thou Swach Bharat?  ( i later learnt that the bulk of trash is the clothing left back by bathers.) Back to the hotel at 0600. Had a pongal and coffee at a roadside dhaba (50/-) on the way. 

The manager, of the hotel, a very genial Malayali named Anand has fixed up an auto riksha for local tour that arrived promptly at 0900. The ride in the auto for about 3 hours was very pleasant, with cool breeze blowing, mostly good roads and a friendly driver sharing his local and historic knowledge. Went to:

Ramar padham.  Lord Rama is respectfully referred as Ramar in Tamil. It is a small shrine the has the imprint of Lord Rama's feet.  The view from the roof of the shrine afforded a breathtaking view of the Bay of Bengal and the surrounding landscape. 

Sakshi Anjaneyar: a small temple.  Sakshi in Tamil (also hindi and maybe in other Indian languages) means "witness".  i asked the driver the reason for the name and he said, as per puranas, Anjaneyar (Lord Hanuman) stood witness to the visit of Rama through the spot. 

Villoondi Thirtham: it is a freshwater spring in the sea (maybe 30 feet away from the shore into the sea). It is approached from a small bridge and is unattended.  One can draw water from it and drink it for blessing. i did and found it a slightly salty. The driver said that earlier, the water was sweet but changed after the Tsunami in 2004. The legend says that while walking on the shore, Rama shot an arrow at that spot into the sea to get water for his people.
 
Pamban bridge:
Next to Pamban bridge about 10 kms away.  Its an awesome sight, the road and rail bridges spanning across the mainland and pamban island.  It was the longest sea bridge before Bandra Worli sea link was built.  The rail bridge opens in the middle to let larger ships pass under it.  Was told that this happens once in one or two months.  The road bridge is much higher than the rail and does not need this facility. 10 minutes of viewing and back on the road.
 
Dr.Abdul Kalam memorial:
This was the most shameful thing i have seen.  It was inaugurated one year ago.  It a large sandy, unkempt ground with a nondescript sign board at the entrance.  There is a statue of the great man on a pedestal and a bit behind that his burial place on the ground, with a dusty shroud covering it and the small area cordoned off with iron rods. The driver was equally incensed by the state of affairs.  i did not take a photo of the burial place. 
 
Dr.Abdul Kalam's home:

It a two-storey structure in a narrow alley. A narrow staircase leads to the first floor where the memorabilia are stored.  Among many things i saw the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan medals along with quite a number of others. i did not see Bharat Rathna medal.  i also saw a group class photo of St.joseph college (with  Dr. Kalam circled) and tried to see whether my father-in-law (classmate) was in it. Couldn't though. Maybe i got the years mixed up.

Dhanush Kodi:

About 20 kms away and a marvellous drive.  Constant cool sea breeze keeping at bay the hot and humid weather. i could see the Indian ocean on my right and Bay of Bengal on the left.  What a sight! i couldn't see the color difference though.  On the bay of Bengal, i could faintly see the natural road bridge between india and sri lanka.  It is called Adam's bridge / Rama Setu.  Only part of the bridge is above water.  It is now a off-limit area and is controlled by the army. It was said to have been built by Rama' army. A few photos. 
 
Visited a few more places, one of them having large stones that were floating in water.  Tried to lift one, found it very heavy.  According to legend these stones were used by Rama's army to build a stone bridge to Lanka. Maybe there is a scientific reason for the stone to float, but no one seems to have found that out yet.  

My purse, which was constantly popping out of my back pocket when i started out from Pune, was now fitting snugly. It needed some victuals and the driver took me to an ATM.  An old person was sitting inside the ATM enclosure (maybe taking advantage of the air conditioning).  As soon as i went inside he took charge.  He ensured that i entered the right commands, looking over my shoulder all the while. May be my grimy state, unkempt hair and general shabby appearance prompted him to provide assistance. i didn't have the heart to tell him to buzz off. i could just manage to hide my PIN from him. 

Went back to the hotel 1400 and without realising it, went to sleep.  Went to the beach in the evening walked around a bit, had dosa, coffee and a bottle of water (95/-) and have now come back to the hotel.  Plan is to leave for Madurai as early as possible tomorrow.
 

Ramar Padam Shrine

Villoondi Thirtham

Villoondi Thirtham well.

Pamban Rail / Road bridge

Dr.Abdul Kalam Memorial 

Dr.Abdul Kalam Home

3rd October - 7th day (Madurai)

Got up by 0500, just beating the rooster.  Had 2 coffees in preparation of the 170 km journey to Madurai.  Hope the hotel there is better.  Got a bus to the main bus stand from just outside the hotel (5/- as opposed to 100/- charged by auto rickshaw).  Got a bus to Madurai at 0640.  Was looking out for an express bus. When i asked the bus driver about it he took umbrage.  He said that his bus was equally fast with only 2 extra stops.  i hopped in meekly. Traveling in a north westerly direction leaving the coast behind.  Bus almost empty throughout the 3.5 hours trip (98/-).  Nice breeze, reasonably good road, not much traffic till 0830 hrs.  Dense coconut groves much of the way.  Passed again over pamban bridge, a corroded signage for Center for Corrosion Testing, Indian coast guard unit which covers long coast and protects the indian fishing vessels when they stray towards sri lankan waters.  Otherwise, uneventful journey reaching Madurai at 1000 hrs.  Auto to the hotel (8 kms, 120/-).  Prayers answered!! Good hotel (Madurai Residency), good reception, good room. Bargain at 1250/- (rack rate 2200/- less Makemytrip discount). Booked a taxi (1200/-) for later in the day to go to Tirupurakundram (16 kms up and down) and pazhamudircholai (55 kms). They are on opposite directions and will need to back track.  Had breakfast around 1100 (onion uthappam, vadai, coffee 70/-).  Migration looks more and more attractive.  
Met an IOB friend after 23 years. Back in hotel now for a couple of hours rest.  
  
At 1445 the taxi picked me up (a spanking brand-new Toyota Etios). We went towards Pazhamudir solai  temple.  It is one of the six abodes of Muruga (aka Karthikeya, skanda) all situated in Tamil Nadu. Not much crowd and i was able to sit within the temple for an hour, soaking in the atmosphere and the silence. The temple administration runs a bus service to the temple from the Madurai town.

This was followed by a visit to Tiruparakundram , another abode of Lord Muruga. Reputedly built between 7th and 8th centuries BC. Apart from Muruga, the temple also has deities of Shiva, Vishnu, Vinayaka and Durga. The parking is a bit away from the temple and i had to hop my way shoeless towards the temple because of the hot cemented pathway. 

Both Pazhamudhir Solai and Tiruparakundram temples are situated on top of hills, as Murugan temples are, except Tiruchendur, where it is on the seashore. 

Later in the evening had enough courage and stamina to visit Meenakshi Amman temple which was walking distance from the hotel. A very large crowd as usual but managed it in about an hour or so.  Went to the hall of 1000 pillars within the temple.  Actually, there are 980 or so pillars only.  Many of the pillars had beautiful sculptures and they are reputed to make musical sounds when struck. Did not try to check it out.  There are 4 entries to the temple viz, East, West, South and North gates.  The temple premises is so large that one gets a bit lost.  There are signages inside the temple pointing towards the entrances.  Luckily i had noted that i had entered through the west gate and was able to get back to my sandals left outside the temple.

Again, found that i could not get a full view of the temple to take a photo. 

2000 hrs now and am back in the hotel. Dinner at the roof top restaurant of the hotel which had a good menu and view of the town.

Tomorrow will be the final leg, homeward bound. Train at 1130 and back in pune the day after.  

This will be the last missive from me. Actually i enjoyed writing it as it kept me occupied till it was time for sleep.  And everyone has been tolerant and no one sent me 😢😢😢😢 messages.