Hi guys, just back from a trip to Tamil Nadu, Madhurai- Rameshwaram- Velainkanni-Thanjavur- Trichy- Kodaikanal to be precise! Now, how do I classify it - pilgrimage or food or leisure??? Well, I leave it to you and here are a few pics to give you an idea (PS a photolog will be put up soon and not a detailed travelogue because of some pre-occupations).

Here we go...

Czia's new-found friend at Chennai Airport

An engineering feat


Some tall claims about floating rocks


come here to wash off your sins


Just a view


some mouth-watering moments


The First Light


some mirage this!


Faith stands tall


a new look


Harmony between a big and a small


some unusual drinks


some aastha


Alongside some history


Welcome to this world


Vanakkam!!

Doctors have advise me not to ride for next two years but that does not mean that we kill the itch while sitting at home. So, here we go (the first outing of the year).....

D Minus 1/ D Day : Ambala to New Delhi and Delhi to Madurai via Chennai

Czia's hairstyle is indicative of her journeys. At a more practical level, it helps the mom a bit since daily combing is not required





Terminal 3 was impressive but Chennai was a disappointment.....Czia makes best use of time by making new friends (language...Illa, though) while we sulk with books in hands

.....unlike most of other airports where connecting flights means internal inter-gate transfer, Chennai necessitates check-out and check-in again. And on top of that, the departure area is small and not enough for the number of feet that tread across it in a day. It is only after you check-in through security that you get a better ambiance and place to sit (first floor is better). Our advice would be to spend bulk of the time in arrival area itself, without checking out and then do the drill just when security check-in is due. Also, while we had almost four hours to kill, we were advised not to venture into the city because of traffic issues and the 18 odd Kms distance to the city!

Madurai airport is small but good and there were some old pals waiting....

A warm reception at the airport made me feel like a star for a while

Just for info sake, these are retired soldiers who had served with me in the past. Interestingly, the man to my left (behind Czia) had walked 50 Kms (impromptu and without any notice) with me when I was a youngster and that was more than 20 years back. As the luck would have it, when I came back to command my unit as a CO, this very man had risen through ranks so as to be my Subedar Major (Those who know our work ethos, they will understand the significance of the association).
The first sight of raw mangoes and we halted in our tracks...for north Indians, raw mango in March is a real treat...

with two girls, i thought better to be part of the game rather than preach about the likely soreness in the throat!

and the roadside vendor who sold the mangoes, did not have the salt...so, this was a kind of innovation ...

on a serious note, we were planning to look up a soldier's family enroute...so, some shopping here

now, tell me who will not take a break!!

Beating 33 Degrees C

expression belies the real feeling....Czia loves south Indian food, just like me..

cheers

and cream on top (rather inside) of it...

and ....

[IMG][/IMG]

....a view of Madurai-Rameshwaram road. Again, the looks are deceptive. This is a pretty congested road

Ambushed again...

some old pals again....!! They had been waiting on the roadside for a while. Being an intelligent community, they had put mobile communication to some good use to track us down. This was actually a surprise. We also visited the family of another soldier somewhere here itself. Sight of a lady fending for herself and two young daughters, while her soldier hubby is away in J&K, was both prideful and depressing!

---------- Post added at 01:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 PM ----------As we closed in with Rameshwaram, two conflicting things came into sight...

Firstly, this rail bridge at Pamban. This 3 Km long bridge used to be the longest rail bridge in the country before 4.2 Kms long Idapally link bridge came up in Kerala) and it serves as a link to Rameshwaram that happens to be an island.....

It lies parallel to the bridge on the road. In addition to its beautiful looks, it is a illustration of some brain work. When ships and steamers have to pass through, a part, as seen, splits and swings open

And there is a story associated with this bridge. It is both tragic and inspiring. Once, during the British rule, a man on duty here had to close the track quickly in face of an incoming train. His young son who had come to deliver his food, realised the urgency and joined him but unfortunately, his hand got stuck in the gear system. As the machine started to pull him inside, his father had two options - 1. Try and save his son by abandoning his duty, and thereby, letting the train go into the sea OR 2. Do his duty and see his son die. He chose the latter and lost his son as the train, unaware of the accident, chugged across the bridge. He was honoured by the British and a statue depicting the sacrifice stands at this point today! 

The other side of the road bridge


And the bridge (underneath)

..and second was this temple.....

This statue of Hanuman ji has 16 arms

and here is the conflict...

you see, these rocks are supposed to be from the mythological bridge that was constructed during Lanka operations (not the IPKF one, though) at Dhanuskodi (easternmost tip of Rameshwaram island). The temple management claims that these rocks do float. So far, so good. And then they show you one such rock floating in a small water tank..... and as a next logical step, they want some donations and they will give you a piece of floating rock in lieu.

...obviously, I did not like the business idea. It reminded us of fleecing pandas at Puri where we had gone a few years ago. It was an innovative style, though!

There is a small temple on the outskirts of Rameshwaram. Here, one can see the foot marks of Sri Ram...... I would now reserve my views but visual views from the courtyards of that temple are pretty good...

This is the main Rameshwaram Temple in the middle distance

And sun prepares to set for the day

Time for a walk on the beach at Rameshwaram...

A short strip stands for the beach that is used more as a bathing ghat before darshan


This is Agniteertham, the main bathing ghat

...and...

one more view of the sea close to Agniteertham

BUT HERE IS A HEART-BREAKER...

You see, the area, despite its natural beauty and magnificient ghat, is un-maintained and makes for an eye-sore

This part of the country, unfortunately, looks under developed and though houses are pretty clean, over all muck situation is bad. Ramnad District, as it is, a thirsty district. The saving grace, at this particular point, however, is the fact that this muck is natural (more or less) and not really man made. Seas, as we know, have own personas and personalities and they throw lots of things back on to the beaches world over. So, while there is hardly any toxic waste here, lack of maintenance clearly shows. Such a narrow strip of land does not need too much of an effort to maintain and keep clean. 
More importantly for her, Czia gets clearance for her sand castle...

A long pending demand met!!

This is the hotel we stayed in.....

Claims to give you the best view of the sunrise...not exactly, though.....more later

Time to do darshan now. Ideally, 0430h is the best time for the ritual. But our GOD is available all the time. So, we chose 1930h, just an hour before the temple shuts its doors (and there are many such gates)...

Only some portions of the temple are allowed to be photographed

One common feature we would observe during our visits to temples during this trip. Cameras and foreigners are allowed only till a certain point. But the naked lights inside as well as outside actually make your efforts useless (not that i am an ace photographer). o, while exteriors can still be clicked during day time (ie, before ill placed lights screw your happiness), nothing much can be done for the interiors.

---------- Post added at 02:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:02 PM ----------For a place that is so very popular with Indians and foreigners alike, there is a lot that remains desired to be done. Streets are dusty and surroundings of the temple are also not really worth writing much. There are two newer restaurants opposite eastern gate and while they are not very glamorous, food served there is pretty good. And as it is everywhere, interiors are always clean. We went in here...

Some cockeyed lighting again


A sign of good things to come


All this plus RASAM for Rs 35/- and mind you, unlimited supply of each component



Just before the Cheer-Haran....hungry that we were!!


I have only one definition for South Indian Food...combo of Dosa and Idly. As it is, I am a kid and I can not stand chillies in a tiffin

Our hotel at Rameshwaram, Sun Rise View had tall claims about the views of a rising sun. While for 1.5K a night, room was good but views were a distant dream. There is a building between the hotel and the sea and view is effectively blocked. This is what I could manage when I got up at 0545 next morning..

And this is an interesting pic, in fact, pic of the day.....a squatter amongst pigs...

And imagine the pigs demanding, 'SADA HAQ, ITHEY RAKH'

and of course the muck (and it is toxic too).....



Brighter now...

and time to get ready...

The day starts...we move back towards Ramnad for onward journey. I had been here in 1992 and it was a re-visit after 20 years. Things have changed. The coastal highway towards north was not there at that time and one had to take a loooonger route to reach Velainkanni, Thanjavur and Trichy from here. These places are on the menu today. But before anything else, the actual menu...

some patriotism

From Ramnad, we turned northwards, on our way to our next stop at Velainkkanni. But there is an interesting place that we visited enroute....Navapaasahanam, a place in the sea where all nine grihas/planets stand in a geometric symmetry and in a submerged state.

The route in....the existing ramp is under re-construction and the only way to reach the spot is this!


Out of 09, six have been able to keep their necks out of the water (including one who is in a critical state) while three are underwater, though clearly visible. Devotees make rounds and lesser mortals click pics 


...and a dog, fed up with non-fishing day routine, wants to go independent


On our way back....!


Some success there!

Back on the road...

Some real salt....no iodine?


...and some fake water! 


Old soldiers do not die; they just stop colouring their hair and moustaches........another old buddy!


Some home-grown coconuts (from soldier's garden)


Velainkinni, I am back (visited last time in 1992; 20 years on, the place looks better, markets have grown but the peace remains!)


Adventures of faith

some random shots of the place. There is a way this place has been maintained and all credits to the management...

Back to more practical issues. The complex has a restaurant (they would call it a canteen). It has a non-AC (ground floor) and an AC (first floor) dining halls. Just make sure that you buy your coupons from the respective floors only... 

Some yummy stuff here. Can you beat it, all this for four (including driver) of us costed us less than 200 INR...burrrrppp!!

Next stop at Shri Muthu Mariamman Temple on the outskirts of Thanjavur...

and Czia decides to go for native looks..

Thanjavur Temple...Brihadisvara Temple Complex...

Trichy is known for its temple, its peace and its scenic beauty. Today, we have to visit the Rock Temple. We have already visited Srirangam Temple last evening but photography inside was not permitted. We will, however, have a brid's eye view of that temple complex from top of the Rock Temple.

But before all this, let us have an unusual drink. We all have tasted Coconut water and many of us have shared Toddy with friends too. This fruit grows on Toddy tree but as we know, the Toddy is extracted from the sap of the tree while this fruit watches over the process. Not may of us get to drink this drink that comes from the fruit itself....it is yummy!! (thanx to a local friend, Bharati)

This is the Rock Temple and the views from there...

This is Srirangam Temple complex, as seen from Rock Temple

Time for some pet-pooja...

From Trichy, on our way to Kodaikanal, we spot a huge, naked rock (actually a hill that appeared to be made up of a single rock; it runs for a few hundred metres, along the Trichy-Madhurai Bypass). There is a temple dedicated to Lord Narsimha at the bottom of an edge of this rocky hill. The place is called Annamalai since the head of the rock resembles that of an elephant .....

Moving on, as you leave the highway and start the climb into Kodaikanal Hills, you see plantations and plantations and more plantations (not to mention man's folly in creating housing colonies in between)..

Being March, the first view point on the road, Rat Tail Falls, had no water in the falls and rats were only in the form of a statue or two. 
The climb is through a winding and not very comfortable road but end result is worth it. Checked into Hotel Anjay at Annasalai (if you are not concerned about own parking, this is a good choice @900-1500 a day budget. We chose the middle path @ 1200..from the room (in and out)..

Chota Bheem effect!!

There is one old and the only real Punjabi restaurant here. It is on the first floor opposite the church on Annasalai main road..

All this for INR 75...tasty and delicious!


This church has cheap and neat accommodation (common toilets and bath)

Here n There...the local sightseeing at Kodaikanal!

This was too tempting for the girls as well as me...

Czia at work..

some more views... 

The local sightseeing is just about OK. For highlanders like us who have grown up amidst Pine and Fir trees, imagining a hill station without such flora is simply tough. While, there are a few pine trees at one location, rest is all routine vegetation. Over all, the experience of just lazying around at Kodaikanal is far better than such sightseeing trips. We found the leisure factor coupled with quaintness and lack of crowds as big plus points for this place.

There was, however, a big silver lining during the sightseeing; a very basic and raw place to have food but taste (and price of INR 60/- per plate; unlimited fare) was simply amazing...

Basic, I said!

Good food; please ignore the artificial banana leaf

An equally rustic view point...

...but with a great view of the valley below

The kitchen


And the exteriors........ and still memorable!!


and the life moves on...!

Back to Leisure ...

Added some artificiality to the style


Czia clicked this

A naughty daughter, an unseen but indifferent husband and a tortured mom!!

With hair thrown open, she still has to do her chores....time to hit the sack!

When it comes to good, cheap and yummy street food, Tamil Nadu stands out. So, while in Kodaikanal, do try this road-side eatery (it has no roof, no counter, no frills and no identification). We have included the bank in this pic for ease of identification. This is on Annasalai main road, opposite the church (shown earlier). Stephen is the guy who sells tea and coffee throughout the day but his buddies, a man and a middle aged woman (presumably from the same family), start at 0730 and wind up before 0930 or so...

and the fare...

And this is Stephen...

A post breakfast stroll....

some history here..

Bryant botanical garden, though not as impressive as the one at Ooty, is worth a visit...

you would know who clicked it!!

This children park is part of the botanical garden...

...
and these are 10 years old children who were actually having a ball there..

Czia carried on, regardless..

some hair-raising this..

One may have done it all, may have seen and experienced it all (or even better) but once your child comes of a particular age, you get a chance to re-live many such experiences. And believe us, even though one may have seen it all and in bigger formats, the fun that you experience while doing the same thing once again with your child, beats all the previous experiences. So, here we are...

BTW, Kodai has an interesting method when it comes to horse handlers. They take you on a soft gallop while being seated on a bicycle. So, the handler handles his bicycle with one hand and directs the horse with the other.,,,,

Now, do I have to tell you where is the second cyclist??

Just relaxing and clicking around...

Now this joint, on Annasalai road, is sandwiched between bigger and grander shops that sell chocolates and other stuff. But despite its humble looks, the shelves are empty by 1800h or so and they coolly close it even while this happens to be the rush hour. The owner is a happy-go-lucky man who is satisfied with life. And the staff is very courteous and as happy as well...

She hates to sit and study and knows nothing beyond abc and here she is, deciding on the menu..

with patience soon running out, she is back to her original self..

Three nights/four days later, we get back to lower plains. But before we board the flight home, one place needs to be visited......The Meenakshi Temple at Madurai..

changing face of Indian Railways..

End of the journey....VANAKKAM!!