Bangalore-Madurai-Kanyakumari-Rameshwaram route

On parking the car in our basement parking lot I thanked God for a safe trip. I am like that..give God credit for almost everything. The odometer gives a reading of whopping 1730 kms. Phew...the feeling is overwhelming, This was a long road journey initially planned for 4 days but stretched over to 5 days.

So why did  I want to go to Kanyakumari? I had been to Jammu and Kashmir and wanted to see the southernmost tip of mainland India. Lame and unoriginal. But what the hell ???

The journey from Bangalore to Kanyakumari needed to be broken for a halt as it is 700 odd kms. So Madurai was our choice of stop.

Phase 1 : Bangalore to Madurai

We took the usual NH 7 route (Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem-Karur-Dindigul ) . NH 7 is a pure pleasure to drive and one tends to speed. Best to keep  under 100 km on these highways..

Reached around 4 pm..and the highest priority was to check into a hotel as we did not have reservations. Madurai is an ancient city..almost 2500 years old on the banks of Vaigai river. I found it to be relatively clean (which most holy cities in India are, Ajmer comes to my mind). This is India's temple city. I really wanted to visit Meenakshi Amman temple.

We checked into Astoria Hotels. I loved the stay here. Pure luxury. Room was for  Rs.3000 with breakfast included. They took excellent care of us and the service was among the best I have experienced.
Including the hotel details as I highly recommend it :
No. 65, 70 Feet Road, Ellis Nagar, Madurai
Mobile : 91 9047400061/ 9585400071

Hotel where I stayed in Madurai

My room

There are many places to visit in Madurai which can be visited. Enumerating them :

1. Sree Meenakshi Amman Temple : This is huge and on research I found it is spread over 6 hectares. This is dedicated to Shiva and named after goddess Parvati.Thousand pillar hall is mesmerizing. I could not carry my DSLR inside and bags ,cameras and all your good stuff is not allowed inside. You are checked and scanned before you can enter the temple premises. I could only capture the temple gopuram which is mesmerizing,

Gopuram of Meenakshi Temple

FYI..Gopuram (Gopura (singular)), is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India

Let me take you through the streets of Madurai. Usual hustle bustle of busy Indian market of old cities. But the mannerism and friendly nature of people just bowled me over. Everybody just seemed so keen and willing to help. Just amazing.

This street market wraps around the Meenakshi temple complex

Other places one could see in Madhurai but I couldnt as it was already around 9pm and we were sheduled for a drive to Kanyakumari the next day:

2. Thirupparankundram Murugan temple- This temple is important as this was one of the places chosen by god Murugan as his abode.

3. Gandhi Museum - They say it was post visit to Madurai that Gandhiji changed his attire.This museum was constructed in his memory after his assasination. There is a picture gallery and hall of relics which preserves Gandhiji's personal belongings.

4. Samanar hills- about 10km away from Meenakshi temple. The caves were used by Samanar (jains) and contain Jain carvings and sculptors.

5.Koodal Azhagar Temple- one of the ancient temples in South India  and dedicated to Vishnu.
6. Pazhamudhir Solai : Dedicated to lord Murugan and located on top of a hill.

Phase 2 : Madurai to Kanyakumari :

Breakfast was a well served buffet at the hotel (complimentary )

Yummy buffet- breakfast

Rested and well fed we were on our way to Kanyakumari.  This was about 270km and so there was not much pressure to reach the destination. This was as usual our GPS guided trip (Tirumanglam-Kovilpatti-Tirunelveli-Panakudi) . On reaching the town when you get the glimpse of the sea- its just amazing. You are at the southernmost tip of  mainland India.

Windmill country

Kanyakumari welcomes us..finally here..

Pictorial journey of Kanyakumari :

Rushed to visit Padmanabhapuram Palace but was closed on account of May day

Palace was the residence of Travancore rulers....  highest on my list of must visits due to intricate wood carving done but alas it was closed. This place is ahead of Nagercoil and bit difficult to find. You will have to ask local people around for directions. They do not give out tickets beyond 430 pm though the place closes around 5pm. This was 60 odd kms from my hotel opposite the sea. We had reached around 3pm, checked into our hotel and was really rushed to reach in time..but of no use as the place was closed. Please visit the net to check the current status before heading for the palace as it is bit of a stretch.

Entrance to the palace

artifacts being sold around the palace (bit expensive)

Road alongside the sea- you could drive along/park

Famous Thiruvalluvar statue and Vivekananda Rock memorial

Thiruvalluvar statue is a massive 133 feet tall statue of saint poet Thiruvalluvar who was considered to be one of the greatest Tamil poets in India. Vivekananda Rock  memorial  is located 100 mtrs from the shore. This can be reached by a ferry.,,but the long serpentine never ending queue dissuaded me and i beat a hasty retreat from the area after clicking few pictures from the Sea View hotel.

Light house

Queue for the ferry..could not reach the end of the queue..where was the end???????

local market area

Names are written on the shells but am not quiet sure about the authenticity of the shells

mesmerizing sea

local dwellings- eco friendly ?

Gandhi Mandapam

Gandhi mandapam  is a place of historic significance as ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were kept here, before they were immersed into sea. Gandhi mandapam is designed  in such a way that on October-2nd of every year which is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the sun-rays fall on the exact spot where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were kept before immersion into the sea.

visit to south India incomplete without shopping for condiments

Phase 3- Kanyakumari to Rameshwaram :
This is a 300 km odd journey. I was going there for one reason only- Dhanushkodi.

Enroute to Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram is an island connected to mainland via Pamban bridge

Pamban bridge and railway line running parralel

Rail line

People stop for picture clicking on the bridge-at times congesting traffic

Ferries and boats galore

 We checked into
Daiwik Hotels. The rooms were Rs . 4000 with breakfast included but I was not too impressed with the service. Value for money did not happen.

Our hotel

My room

The hotel arranged a jeep for us to visit Dhanuskodi. It was a dilapidated jeep which broke down on reaching the destination. The trip cost us Rs 2000. The hotel did not play a role in ensuring that the transport provided to us was good if not excellent. I read in the papers that a road is being constructed till the lands end ..so soon this would defy the requirement of hiring a 4*4.

Dhanushkodi is a ghost town remanant of the 1964 cyclone.

Enroute to Dhanushkodi

A new road is being built till lands end

This is the sandy terrain through which our jeep drove through

Our run down jeep for the journey

Almost about to reach

 The following shots are taken at the lands end..you are about 18 miles from Sri Lanka from here!!
The Hindu scripture Ramayana says that Lord Rama built a bridge or causeway, called Ram Setu or 'Rama's bridge', between the mainland and Sri Lanka, in order to bring his army across

On the way back from lands end we stopped to explore Dhanushkodi ruins. Left me in a nostalgic state. Would have been a hustling bustling town and all gone within a matter of minutes during the 1964 cyclone..sad..nature reins supreme..lest we forget.

remnants of railway station

Church

This was a railway track once upon a time............

Read about the cyclone here :1964 cyclone which destroyed Dhanushkodi

Nostalgic..sad..but life goes on...with mixed feeling made my return journey to Bangalore