Making a note of stay in South India
It would be prudent to make a note of my stay in South India covering parts of Chennai, Rameswaram, Madurai, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thrissur, Guruvayur and Kochi, effectively speaking states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India. Having taken an early morning flight from New Delhi Airport (perhaps from Terminal 1D) , i reached Chennai a little after 11am on a Wednesday. The flight fare was steep with no proceedings as such that could break this heightened fare heat. In Chennai it was time to look for a lodge in the vicinity of Chennai Egmore station. There are no easy ways to approach the local station to take a local towards Egmore; more adding to the trouble are the less sighting of autos that would take you to your destination. Perhaps the persuasive skills of taxi men worked and i took a taxi ride - having negotiated the fare- that took me to Anna Salai. The entire travel made up of over 20kms took more than an hour and the taxi fare coming around 500rs. All along i resisted the taxi temptation but seeing no alternative i tried this option. It would have been better to take a local train, the station though is opposite the airport the fast moving traffic halts your movement. Buses do ply on this route but with the weather humid and taxing i didn't bother to check about them.
Staying in Hotel Ammu Palace in Anna Salai
I stayed in Hotel Ammu Palace, located in Bootha Perumal Street, Anna Salai with not to miss the opportunities which i had secured to stay in Ammu Palace in the past. The hotel owner happens to be a man from minority and very humble and i have had the opportunities to speak to him from New Delhi. Later i head to Egmore side to take meals from Sangeetha restaurant coming for Rs 95(hope they would have not raised it further) the return of five rs is done by unwilling hands. The train ticket to Rameswaram is procured from Chennai Egmore. In the LIC Mount Road Wellington Plaza in the vicinity of which is my lodge there is a Coffee House which serves one of the best prepared teas in the city.
Later i took an auto to reach Chennai Egmore station which has no porters and to approach platform six and seven is a hard task . Here in the station i came across Mohammad Shah Alam selling samosas (Indian food made from vegetables, spices, wrapped in pastry and fried). Hailing from Barauni in Bihar Alam gets the opportunity to visit his home state every second or third month with a word of praise for the administration in the state of Tamil Nadu and effective governance seen all around.
The train ride from Egmore to Rameswaram
According to wrist watch the train starts at 5.05, stops to start again at 5.10pm. Goes past Madras Christian School at 5.15, Coovam river 5.17, ST. Thomas Mount 5.24, Pallavaram 5.27, Tambaram 5.35, Vellimmai engineering college 6 and SRM University 6. Between 5.35 and 6 pm the train has slow speed, fairly good speed after 6. At 6.02 Kottaghuthur station and around 6.14 after a large lake few houses amidst greenery can be spotted. At 6.15 Chengalapattu Junction with a lake in the background is seen.
After AG Church there is a fair degree of greenery. At 6.40 we are in Madurakantam station, at 6.45 in Melmaruvathur, a fairly clean station with a railway personnel in a safari suit holding a green torch. At 7.45 we are in Villupuram. At 8.15 comes Tiruven. Somewhere in the middle of the night come Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram. At 4.12 am we are in Rameswaram almost half an hour before scheduled arrival. That early morning it would not have been possible to get a lodge/hotel and i stay in the station for the next one and a half hours. Looking for a lodge i first tried in the North Car street. A suggestion coming from a gentleman that i take a locker would have been inconvenient given the stay that was to go beyond two days.
No Rooms in Ramanajaneya Chatram; staying in a lodge in railway station road
The lodge where i had stayed about three and a half years ago, Ramanajaneya Chatram, the manager of the same Mr Girish expressed his inability to give a room citing prior bookings. Other lodges/ residential points in the North Car Street like Udupi Chatram, Sri Ram Lodge, Chola Lodge in the vicinity of Ramanajaneya Chatram either had no personnel manning the reception desk or were in no state to let out rooms. As the automan took me to Varthakan street, it is also known as railway station road, Hotel Queen Palace was looking like the probable lodge where i could stay. The manager of Sumathi Lodge called us and expressed his readiness to part with a room on the first floor. I would have got a room in Hotel Queen Palace but Sumathi Lodge manager was more eager to give a room.
Later i took tea from SS Grand restaurant. The idli (a savoury cake which is traditional breakfast in South India) and tea from SS Grand was something to relish about. Just before noon had the opportunity to visit Ramanathaswamy (Lord Shiva) temple.
On Friday visited the temple after 10 in the morning and i was told it was closed for the entire day except for early morning between 4 and 6 am. Afternoon took meals from a restaurant in South Car Street. Later purchased a bag and a belt from Mahadev Sea Shell shop in West Car Street run by Mr Purohit from Rajasthan. In the evening visited Tech Park, the cyber cafe in West Car Street and booked a train ticket from Madurai to Nagercoil. The staff in the shop and cyber cafe were quite cooperative. In the evening visited SS Grand restaurant. The Hanuman Temple across the road has a charm of its own.
Sumathi Lodge Manager rude
On Saturday the manager of Sumathi Lodge on station road was very rude. As i vacated the room, around seven in the morning, and expressed my desire to keep the luggage in the store room he told me to keep the luggage in the railway station. When i told him my train from Madurai to Nagercoil was at 1 in the night and and i would be leaving by bus from Rameswaram after 12 pm how could i keep the luggage in railway station as i had railway ticket only from Madurai railway station and not from Rameswaram railway station. What on earth brought a change in his behaviour was not known and after much persuasion he agreed to keep the luggage. A couple from the state of West Bengal were on their way to secure a room in Sumathi Lodge and the manager as usual was nice to them in the beginning with the couple not knowing how rude the manager could get at times. When i came from Ramanathaswamy temple, the manager again enquired when i would remove the luggage. He was again in a fighting mood and seeing his attitude i took the luggage and walked all the way to North Car Street. It was nine am and i tried different lodges for keeping the luggage. The personnel at Sri Ram Lodge were prepared to keep the luggage for a fee for a short duration.
Collecting Mysore Sandal Soaps
After collecting Mysore Sandal Soaps and visiting outer precincts of the temple i took the luggage and reached the Rameswaram bus stand at 11 am, one hour earlier, given the difficulty in keeping the luggage. In Rameswaram, R K Hotel Bus Stand stall managed by Mr Ramraj and he was very helpful. A little later i got the bus. The bus starts from Rameswaram at 11.23/24. Goes past Daiwik Hotel, Hotel Royal Park. The bus reaches Mattuhavani Integrated Bus Terminus , Madurai at 3.20pm
Automan drops me at East Chitrai Street in Madurai
Here i had some snacks and five sets of tea right outside the main restaurant. The lady serving the tea was simple and smiling. The ride from Madurai bus stand to Meenakshi Amman temple was accomplished in an auto costing 150 rs. The automan went by the name Veera. He dropped me on East Chitrai Street of the temple. And the Bhagyalaxmi Lodge where i am supposed to stay is in West Chitrai Street. With no porters in sight i walk all the way from East Chitrai Street to West Chitrai Street. Here i get the room in Bhagyalaxmi Lodge with manager Mr Arunachalam at the desk.
Visiting Meenakshi Amman Temple
Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai i visited in the evening. Frisking and metal detectors can be seen at the entry point. It took more than an hour to get darshan with the temple structure looking as vibrant as ever. Being a Saturday there was rush inside the temple and the proceedings were in fairly good order. The five sets of tea that i had at Mattuhavani Integrated Bus Terminus and the long walk to West Chitrai Street brought some stomach disorder. So i decided to have curd rice from Meenakshi restaurant.
A little before 12 a.m i left for Madurai railway station. My train for Nagercoil left a little after 1 a.m. A little before six a.m the train reached Nagercoil and i took a general ticket for onward journey to Kanniyakumari. In 20 minutes i reached Kanniyakumari. I get a room in Triveni Hotel which is fairly clean.
Stay in Kanniyakumari
Having secured a good sleep, Monday was the second day in Kanniyakumari. In little over 15 minutes from Devdas store which i visited to get writing pad i reached the Kanniyakumari temple. The temple is fairly clean and the movement of the queue inside has a semblance of order. Sighting the Goddess is a moving experience and the idol looked as radiant as ever. The stay in Kanniyakumari was for three days. As you enter Vivekananda Ashram few metres away on the right side is a Mahaganapati temple which sends good vibes. Meeting Mr Velapan the security guard in Vivekananda Ashram. I came across Mr Vativael from Pondicherry and a family from Coimbatore. They were on a vacation to the temple city. Ganesh the automan was very helpful. Mr Abdul from Aashiq footwear was kind enough to replace the soul of the shoe. On way to railway station there is Wonder Wax and the board lays emphasis on the fact that it is India's first Wax Museum.
The temple city has a charm of its own flanked by tourist arrivals round the year. The clean air and clean water puts it in a different template from metros of India which have excessive pollution. A measure in Delhi city like a surcharge once a year on any household having second car from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 for cars from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and a surcharge once a year of Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000 for cars from Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 12 lakh would help to tide the crisis. Further, cars being sold through draw of lots in a year (3000 cars in a year) in the national capital of Delhi would help to check vehicular pollution.
Kanniyakumari has fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In the temple city, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet, Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples oulet and Janki at the railway reservation counter. A gentleman hailing from Uttaranchal whom i had spotted at Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda Ashram was expected to take the same train. The porter who went by the name Mr Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.
Leaving Kanniyakumari
The train for Kanniyakumari leaves at 10.34. Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. Ernakulam comes at 6.25, Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56. At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival. At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport.
At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur. Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayur. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal.
A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayur. I manage to stay for one week. Apart from Guruvayur temple i was lucky enough to get an opportunity to visit Chavakkad Beach and Elephant Sanctuary.
It would be prudent to make a note of my stay in South India covering parts of Chennai, Rameswaram, Madurai, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thrissur, Guruvayur and Kochi, effectively speaking states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India. Having taken an early morning flight from New Delhi Airport (perhaps from Terminal 1D) , i reached Chennai a little after 11am on a Wednesday. The flight fare was steep with no proceedings as such that could break this heightened fare heat. In Chennai it was time to look for a lodge in the vicinity of Chennai Egmore station. There are no easy ways to approach the local station to take a local towards Egmore; more adding to the trouble are the less sighting of autos that would take you to your destination. Perhaps the persuasive skills of taxi men worked and i took a taxi ride - having negotiated the fare- that took me to Anna Salai. The entire travel made up of over 20kms took more than an hour and the taxi fare coming around 500rs. All along i resisted the taxi temptation but seeing no alternative i tried this option. It would have been better to take a local train, the station though is opposite the airport the fast moving traffic halts your movement. Buses do ply on this route but with the weather humid and taxing i didn't bother to check about them.
Staying in Hotel Ammu Palace in Anna Salai
I stayed in Hotel Ammu Palace, located in Bootha Perumal Street, Anna Salai with not to miss the opportunities which i had secured to stay in Ammu Palace in the past. The hotel owner happens to be a man from minority and very humble and i have had the opportunities to speak to him from New Delhi. Later i head to Egmore side to take meals from Sangeetha restaurant coming for Rs 95(hope they would have not raised it further) the return of five rs is done by unwilling hands. The train ticket to Rameswaram is procured from Chennai Egmore. In the LIC Mount Road Wellington Plaza in the vicinity of which is my lodge there is a Coffee House which serves one of the best prepared teas in the city.
Later i took an auto to reach Chennai Egmore station which has no porters and to approach platform six and seven is a hard task . Here in the station i came across Mohammad Shah Alam selling samosas (Indian food made from vegetables, spices, wrapped in pastry and fried). Hailing from Barauni in Bihar Alam gets the opportunity to visit his home state every second or third month with a word of praise for the administration in the state of Tamil Nadu and effective governance seen all around.
The train ride from Egmore to Rameswaram
According to wrist watch the train starts at 5.05, stops to start again at 5.10pm. Goes past Madras Christian School at 5.15, Coovam river 5.17, ST. Thomas Mount 5.24, Pallavaram 5.27, Tambaram 5.35, Vellimmai engineering college 6 and SRM University 6. Between 5.35 and 6 pm the train has slow speed, fairly good speed after 6. At 6.02 Kottaghuthur station and around 6.14 after a large lake few houses amidst greenery can be spotted. At 6.15 Chengalapattu Junction with a lake in the background is seen.
After AG Church there is a fair degree of greenery. At 6.40 we are in Madurakantam station, at 6.45 in Melmaruvathur, a fairly clean station with a railway personnel in a safari suit holding a green torch. At 7.45 we are in Villupuram. At 8.15 comes Tiruven. Somewhere in the middle of the night come Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram. At 4.12 am we are in Rameswaram almost half an hour before scheduled arrival. That early morning it would not have been possible to get a lodge/hotel and i stay in the station for the next one and a half hours. Looking for a lodge i first tried in the North Car street. A suggestion coming from a gentleman that i take a locker would have been inconvenient given the stay that was to go beyond two days.
No Rooms in Ramanajaneya Chatram; staying in a lodge in railway station road
The lodge where i had stayed about three and a half years ago, Ramanajaneya Chatram, the manager of the same Mr Girish expressed his inability to give a room citing prior bookings. Other lodges/ residential points in the North Car Street like Udupi Chatram, Sri Ram Lodge, Chola Lodge in the vicinity of Ramanajaneya Chatram either had no personnel manning the reception desk or were in no state to let out rooms. As the automan took me to Varthakan street, it is also known as railway station road, Hotel Queen Palace was looking like the probable lodge where i could stay. The manager of Sumathi Lodge called us and expressed his readiness to part with a room on the first floor. I would have got a room in Hotel Queen Palace but Sumathi Lodge manager was more eager to give a room.
Later i took tea from SS Grand restaurant. The idli (a savoury cake which is traditional breakfast in South India) and tea from SS Grand was something to relish about. Just before noon had the opportunity to visit Ramanathaswamy (Lord Shiva) temple.
On Friday visited the temple after 10 in the morning and i was told it was closed for the entire day except for early morning between 4 and 6 am. Afternoon took meals from a restaurant in South Car Street. Later purchased a bag and a belt from Mahadev Sea Shell shop in West Car Street run by Mr Purohit from Rajasthan. In the evening visited Tech Park, the cyber cafe in West Car Street and booked a train ticket from Madurai to Nagercoil. The staff in the shop and cyber cafe were quite cooperative. In the evening visited SS Grand restaurant. The Hanuman Temple across the road has a charm of its own.
Sumathi Lodge Manager rude
On Saturday the manager of Sumathi Lodge on station road was very rude. As i vacated the room, around seven in the morning, and expressed my desire to keep the luggage in the store room he told me to keep the luggage in the railway station. When i told him my train from Madurai to Nagercoil was at 1 in the night and and i would be leaving by bus from Rameswaram after 12 pm how could i keep the luggage in railway station as i had railway ticket only from Madurai railway station and not from Rameswaram railway station. What on earth brought a change in his behaviour was not known and after much persuasion he agreed to keep the luggage. A couple from the state of West Bengal were on their way to secure a room in Sumathi Lodge and the manager as usual was nice to them in the beginning with the couple not knowing how rude the manager could get at times. When i came from Ramanathaswamy temple, the manager again enquired when i would remove the luggage. He was again in a fighting mood and seeing his attitude i took the luggage and walked all the way to North Car Street. It was nine am and i tried different lodges for keeping the luggage. The personnel at Sri Ram Lodge were prepared to keep the luggage for a fee for a short duration.
Collecting Mysore Sandal Soaps
After collecting Mysore Sandal Soaps and visiting outer precincts of the temple i took the luggage and reached the Rameswaram bus stand at 11 am, one hour earlier, given the difficulty in keeping the luggage. In Rameswaram, R K Hotel Bus Stand stall managed by Mr Ramraj and he was very helpful. A little later i got the bus. The bus starts from Rameswaram at 11.23/24. Goes past Daiwik Hotel, Hotel Royal Park. The bus reaches Mattuhavani Integrated Bus Terminus , Madurai at 3.20pm
Automan drops me at East Chitrai Street in Madurai
Here i had some snacks and five sets of tea right outside the main restaurant. The lady serving the tea was simple and smiling. The ride from Madurai bus stand to Meenakshi Amman temple was accomplished in an auto costing 150 rs. The automan went by the name Veera. He dropped me on East Chitrai Street of the temple. And the Bhagyalaxmi Lodge where i am supposed to stay is in West Chitrai Street. With no porters in sight i walk all the way from East Chitrai Street to West Chitrai Street. Here i get the room in Bhagyalaxmi Lodge with manager Mr Arunachalam at the desk.
Visiting Meenakshi Amman Temple
Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai i visited in the evening. Frisking and metal detectors can be seen at the entry point. It took more than an hour to get darshan with the temple structure looking as vibrant as ever. Being a Saturday there was rush inside the temple and the proceedings were in fairly good order. The five sets of tea that i had at Mattuhavani Integrated Bus Terminus and the long walk to West Chitrai Street brought some stomach disorder. So i decided to have curd rice from Meenakshi restaurant.
A little before 12 a.m i left for Madurai railway station. My train for Nagercoil left a little after 1 a.m. A little before six a.m the train reached Nagercoil and i took a general ticket for onward journey to Kanniyakumari. In 20 minutes i reached Kanniyakumari. I get a room in Triveni Hotel which is fairly clean.
Stay in Kanniyakumari
Having secured a good sleep, Monday was the second day in Kanniyakumari. In little over 15 minutes from Devdas store which i visited to get writing pad i reached the Kanniyakumari temple. The temple is fairly clean and the movement of the queue inside has a semblance of order. Sighting the Goddess is a moving experience and the idol looked as radiant as ever. The stay in Kanniyakumari was for three days. As you enter Vivekananda Ashram few metres away on the right side is a Mahaganapati temple which sends good vibes. Meeting Mr Velapan the security guard in Vivekananda Ashram. I came across Mr Vativael from Pondicherry and a family from Coimbatore. They were on a vacation to the temple city. Ganesh the automan was very helpful. Mr Abdul from Aashiq footwear was kind enough to replace the soul of the shoe. On way to railway station there is Wonder Wax and the board lays emphasis on the fact that it is India's first Wax Museum.
The temple city has a charm of its own flanked by tourist arrivals round the year. The clean air and clean water puts it in a different template from metros of India which have excessive pollution. A measure in Delhi city like a surcharge once a year on any household having second car from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 for cars from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and a surcharge once a year of Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000 for cars from Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 12 lakh would help to tide the crisis. Further, cars being sold through draw of lots in a year (3000 cars in a year) in the national capital of Delhi would help to check vehicular pollution.
Kanniyakumari has fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In the temple city, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet, Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples oulet and Janki at the railway reservation counter. A gentleman hailing from Uttaranchal whom i had spotted at Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda Ashram was expected to take the same train. The porter who went by the name Mr Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.
Leaving Kanniyakumari
The train for Kanniyakumari leaves at 10.34. Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. Ernakulam comes at 6.25, Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56. At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival. At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport.
At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur. Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayur. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal.
A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayur. I manage to stay for one week. Apart from Guruvayur temple i was lucky enough to get an opportunity to visit Chavakkad Beach and Elephant Sanctuary.
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