Tour of Tamil Nadu
5th - 8th December 2019
Movies somehow have always inspired us in varied ways. For me it was the 2004 Telugu movie Arjun in which the plot revolves around the temple of Madhura Meenakshi in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. What surprised me about the movie was the fact that the temple shown in the movie was actually a fake movie set, built from ground up somewhere in Hyderabad (if I'm right) about 1000kms away from Madurai!
It was this movie that had me hooked the grandeur of Madhura Meenakshi Temple for some reason. Back when I saw this movie I was 14 forget about a bike, I didn't even have a driving license. It was when I moved to Bengaluru in 2018 that Madhura Meenakshi Temple came to my mind again as it was just 450kms from the new city I was calling home.
15 years after I first saw that movie, I rode to this temple along with my dad on my new Tiger 800 (I call him Karma) - first of the many long trips to come.
What was planned initially as my first solo trip on the new bike ended up being yet another Father-Son road trip. Now that it was the two of us, we thought of adding a few more destinations and making it a good 4 day affair.
Starting from Bengaluru we planned to cover - Madurai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal. But the early morning rain on the way to Rameshwaram had us completely drenched resulting in an unplanned overnight stay, which eventually meant dropping Kodaikanal from the list :(
Day 1: Bengaluru to Madurai | 450 Kms
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Started at 5am (one of the rules my dad and I have when going on trips) and reached Madurai by lunchtime: 1pm
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We checked into Astoria Hotel, which I highly recommend if you are travelling on a bike/car for the safe underground parking they offer for no extra cost
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We visited Madhura Meenakshi Temple the same afternoon and spent about an hour and a half the evening walking around the temple complex.
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At the temple one will find artefacts, sculptures, a large courtyard, and a pond which was disappointingly much smaller than the one I saw in the movie and hoped to see for real. There is also a section of the temple apparently burnt from a fire and inaccessible to the public. Although I liked the walk around the temple looking at all the ancient beauty, I’m more the kind who enjoys the journey than the destination. I love taking photographs of landscapes and sceneries. That’s my thing.
Day 2: Madurai to Rameshwaram | 189Kms
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We were all set to start from Madurai at 5am, but it began drizzling, we waited for a bit and decided to ride in the rain as it was just a drizzle.
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The rain gods had a different plan. 30 mins into riding, it started raining cats and dogs and we were drenched. We decided to take shelter under a thatch and headed across the road to a coffee shop that was just opening for the day. (Check out the animated LED display board!)
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We started again 40min or so later. Lying ahead of us was a 150km ride to Rameshwaram.
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On the way we stopped for a quick breakfast at a roadside tea stall that was making fresh and piping hot vadas (savoury donuts made from lentils). When in South India, never miss vadas.
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Ride to Rameshwaram takes you through a 2-lane road which is flanked on both sides by the expansive ocean - of course, we had to stop by to take some pictures! What a gorgeous view and feeling.
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In fact, the entire route is full of scenic places, it made total sense to stop for a photo op :)
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The gateway to Rameshwaram is the Pamban Bridge which connects Pamban Island & Rameshwarm town to main land India
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To stay, I’d suggest SDM Golden Tower Hotel - it’s close to the temple and it too has a closed parking (by now, you’d know, that's how I choose my hotels)
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A few things Rameshwaram is known for and worth visiting:
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Definitely the views from Pamban bridge
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Hometown of India's past president, also known as the Missile Man of India - Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. The town has a memorial built for Dr. Kalam where he was laid to rest. The memorial is worth a visit to know the remarkable and simple life he led. I was awed by all the facts about his life and got a positive feeling visiting the place.
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Dhanbushkodi, an abandoned town destroyed by a cyclone in 1964. Also believed to be the starting point of the Ram Setu (Adam's bridge)
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Ramanathaswamy Temple - one of the 12 jyotirlingas. Intersting fact: The temple is situated next to the sea but has 22 wells which have sweet water in them - making it auspicious to bathe from all 22 wells before one enters the sanctum sanctorum.
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We all have a child in us, waving at the passing train - who doesn't love that
Day 3: Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari,189 Kms | Kanyakumari to Madurai, 250 Kms
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Our next destination was the southernmost tip of the country - Kanyakumari
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Since it was just 240-ish kms away we decided to go to Kanyakumari and head back to Madurai for the night
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Things Kanyakumari is known for:
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The sunsets, sunrises and moonrises
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Did I mention Karma loves eating Bugs not just guzzling fuel
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Due to the rain and heavy winds the ferry service to Vivekananda Memorial Rock and Thiruvalluvar Statue was suspended - we couldn't get to the islands
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Since there wasn't much to do, we decided to ride back to Madurai
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Travel Tips:
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Check the weather before you to head to Kanyakumari, so that you don't miss the ferry
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There is no parking available at the touristy places, you need to park vehicles in alleys. To get around this problem we got a hotel room just for the afternoon (good negotiation skills can get you the room for a few hours, don't need to pay overnight charges) and parked the bike there, right under the watch-full eyes of the receptionist
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Day 4: Madurai to Bengaluru | 450 Kms
So many road trips later, I have come to realise that the last leg of the journey, at least for me, just involves going back home, least number of pit stops, no more photo taking. The focus is just going home back to family.
Ending this story with some post road trip motorcycle wash pictures and videos - who doesn't like the before and after wash images after all? :)
Until next time, with a new destination and an improved story telling :)
It rained again on our way to Bengaluru from Madurai on the last day
Nothing comes close to a satisfying wash
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