From Madurai to Guruvayur

FRom Madurai to Guruvayur


Having reached Madurai late in the night the stay was for less than 12 hours. With a visit to Meenakshi temple not going beyond an hour, the next destination happenned to be Guruvayur. Howsoever hard i may have tried the 7am direct bus to Guruvayur would have been difficult to catch hold of and bus-hopping seem to be the logical way to reach my destination. Famed laddoos (dripping in oil) and the glimpse of the Goddess were inducements strong enough to go for the grind.

Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus was the first halt after i left the Neww College House. At Mattuthavani i was told to get to Aarapalyam bus stand to reach Guruvayur. The bus from Aarapalyam bus stand started at 8.43; going over Vagai River. With a seat as comfortable as the broad view that one could get from the broad windscreen, the accretion to those inside began once the bus hit the outer limit of the city. There were women holding babies in one hand and other used to hold hand rails and there others who just stood still for the entire journey. Holding hand rails for the entire journey showed the enriched template they worked against. And this is precisely the reason they stay lean and have a long-lasting endurance.

Ottau Chatram came at around 10.40 am. From here one could sight Palani Murugan Temple on hills . The bus entered Palani bus terminus at 11.17. And few metres away the board showed Kodaikanal 62kms.
Udumalpet coming at 12.31, Guruvayur was still 160 kms away. Polachhi was all that this bus could take me to and it was still a good distance away. In between Udumalpet and Polachhi there was a milk tanker standing aside with two rightful occupants getting down and caught in an animated conversation. Probably the argumentative bit they were in was whether the milk tanker needs to be taken to a destination desired by the milk company which had been magnanimous enough to hand over the filled milk tanker to these gentlemen. Or they be the desired middlemen to dig deep into this milk and rewrite its destiny. Udumalpet had one shop - Boss - your style, your store and here was this milk tanker which its occupants were mulling to tore.

Against the brutal nature of the tanker occupants to let the vehicle drip in the searing heat there was this Amby TNX 7667 plying to record a new feat.

Finally Polachhi was accessed at quarter past One from where a Kerala State Transport Corporation bus showed its renewed agility to move at half past two. The State of Kerala the bus entered through Govindapuram at 2.55. Other stoppages were Naramma 3.25, Chittilamcherry 3.39 , Mudappallur 3.45 , Vadakkencherry (Palakkad distt.) On way to Thrissur - coming at 5 - a mini bus KL 17 5881 stuffed with people had at its back: 'In town speed limit 35 km; Don't Overtake.'

THe ride from Polachhi to Palakkad has even road and best laid out houses on either side. This ride up and down is worth trying for and is the first glimpse of the best and not cluttered Kerala. As one comes to highway, the road gets uneven for an hour. Still a motorable one and from what one could make out plans are afoot to make it broad. In the towns and small cities of the state roads may not be broad enough but evenly laid. And herein the govt. buses are the best way to commute as traffic rules most of them have a clue and root.

Some vehicles of durable nature i came across hailing from ambassador and fiat fraternity:

klb 4442 amby, keh 1720 fiat, tmx 1573 amby, keh 1676 amby and kee 4337 amby.

The ride to Guruvayur may have been taxing to a point. Once lodge was secured in Guruvayur on East Nadar; something i decided when i was here in June 2011, the plan has been to stay a little longer.