18-Oct-2023 (Onboard train from Blr to Madurai)
Departed Bangalore by Train (via DADAR EXP from YPR Junction) @ 09:20 PM towards Madurai.
It was an mini adventure that we had to take to reach YPR station on time. We anticipated that we might take around 1hr ± 10 min to reach YPR, but unfortunately because of peak hour traffic we ended up taking 1 hr 45 min, and we reached just in time (indeed late by 10 min) to reach the station. Luckily that day the train started late by 10 min and our trip was saved 😊
19-Oct-2023 (Madurai)
Our train reached Madurai on time i.e., exactly @ 08:10 AM.
Yes, of course kids were eager to get out of the train and explore around.
We checked into our hotel, got fresh, had Tamilnadu style Idli vada and started our day tour.
Visits in Madurai:
- Visit Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple
This was the second time we were visiting Madurai Amman Temple. No doubt, the temple is so vast that we will end up feeling that we surely have missed some part of the temple in our previous visit.
As soon as we reached temple premises, we saw that the general darshan queue was very lengthy and the person issuing tickets suggested to go with VIP darshan which costed a bit dearly in terms of charges 😀 But VIP darshan tickets surely helped as we had quick darshan and we were out of the main temple. We needed to hurry up as we had to start towards Rameshwaram post lunch.
After Meenakshi Amman darshan, we noticed that there is a museum () within temple premises. This museum is also called as Meenakshi Amman Temple Museum and also known as Temple Art Museum. The Meenakshi Amman Temple Museum is located within the temple complex in the 1000-pillars hall. The museum gives travelers a glimpse of the vast Hindu religion and the 1200-year-old history of this splendid temple. The museum is also a site of knowledge about Dravidan sculpture. The temple museum exhibits several icons, paintings, photographs, etc. of Hindu deities and their stories. This museum is one of the must visits if you get to visit Meenakshi Amman temple.
- Visit Thiruparamkundram Murugan Temple
Thiruparamkundram Murugan Temple is also known as Arulmigu (means the one who is with abundance grace) Murugan temple.
This temple is mostly built with big sized rocks and is constructed over a small hill and hence the name Thiruparamkundram. This temple is believed to be the first house of Lord Murugan.
- Visit Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal
Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace erected in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, a king of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai during that time.
It is said that the king hired an Italian architect to design the complex, and hence this palace is in Dravidian – Italian architecture.
Post Lunch, we started towards Rameswaram which is at a distance of 172 km and expecting a journey of around 4 hours. Around 6pm in the evening, we reached Pamban bridge.
The Pamban bridge is the first-ever bridge built across the sea in India, that connects town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island with Mandapam in mainland India.
We continued our journey and finally we reached our hotel in Rameshwaram at around 9pm. We went for a small walk as the main temple in Rameshwaram was just a cross away. We got a glimpse of the temple during the night and came back to our hotel.
Stay in Rameswaram.
20-Oct-2023 (Rameswaram)
Day trip in Rameswaram
- Visit Ramanathasamy temple
We had got a local contact from our driver about a Purohit in Ramanathasamy temple, who had asked us to reach the temple premises around 4AM in the morning, and so we had reached the temple premises on time.In few minutes the main entrance of the temple was opened for darshan and so we barged into the darshan queue. When we walked further for darshan, we realized that we were literally standing at the very front of the queue. Our family was standing at the front of the queue.
This really helped and we were able to get Nija Darshana of lord Ramanathasamy and also special abhisheka that happens just once in the early morning for infamous Spatika Linga.
Our darshan and the trip was really blessed 😇. We came out of the main temple after having blessed with a good darshan of Lord Ramanathasamy.
We had asked for a Special Rudrabhisheka for the lord, with the Ganges water that we had brought from Kasi.
- Visit Kodandaramar Temple
This temple lies on the road to Dhanushkodi, about 15 kms from Rameswaram. This temple is over 500 years old. It is surrounded by sea on all sides.
This is the only temple in whole India dedicated to King Vibhishan. This is the place where Sri Ram ji coronated King Vibhishan for Srilanka Throne instead of Ravana before and after the war.
- Visit Danushkodi Beach & Tip of India
We started our drive from Kodandaramar Temple towards Dhanushkodi beach. The drive is mesmerizing as the route has beach on both sides of the road. We were forced to stop midway as the beach was looking soo beautiful on both the sides. Some pics of the beach place midway while driving to Danushkodi.
We have a very pleasant time there. It was like our personal beach 😊
But we have to be careful as there are no security personnel and the waves are prominent.
We started our drive towards Danushkodi beach. It was hardly another 5 minutes drive and we reached there. But by the time we reached Danuskodi beach, it started raining crazy and we had to wait in our vehicle for a minimum of 15 minutes. The beach was looking so beautiful, and we were very eager to go and get drenched in the water.
The feeling of sand between our toes and the waves crashing around us was a wonderful feeling. We had our gala time, had a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Kids were not ready to leave the beach as expected 😃
Well, we couldn't miss taking a picture at the small circle near Danushkodi, which is the southeastern tip of India.
We had spent more than 2 hours here and we had to drive back as it was getting late.
- Danushkodi Lighthouse
As we drove back from Danishkodi, just with in around 3-5 kms (before we reach the main land), we have this Lighthouse. This light house is around 10+ floors and we had to take ticket to reach the top of the tower.
It was worth visiting this light house as have a view of the entire southeastern stretch till the tip. We could almost see the stretch from mainland till the Danushkodi beach.
Below is the picture of stretch towards the southeastern tip (i.e., towards Danushkodi beach).
Another picture showing the stretch towards the mainland. We can see the deviation towards Kodandaramar Temple in this pic, which is way back towards the main land.
Well, we couldn't miss taking our picture in light house 😊
- Dr. Abdul Kalam House Museum
Once we reached the main land, we planned to visit 'Abdul Kalam' house, which is turned to a museum. This museum presents a glimpse into the life of one of India’s greatest leader Former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, an insight into his childhood and his various achievements.
Well, there is still an opportunity to get a memento from Dr. Abdul Kalam himself 😉
- Visit Ramar Patham
After visiting Dr. Abdul Kalam house, we went towards Ramar Patham temple.
It was a long day, and we were eager to rest. We spent the night in Rameswaram.
21-Oct-2023 (Rameswaram and Kanyakumari)
Started towards Kanyakumari early in the morning. Its going to be a long (308 km) drive which might take around 8 hours including our Breakfast, Lunch and Chai/Coffee breaks.
We have some places to visit on the way to Kanyakumari. So we were confident that we will be reaching Kanyakumari only by night. But we didn't wanted to miss Sunset in Kanyakumari.
Places of visit before we reach Kanyakumari.
- Aadhi Jaganatha Perumal Temple, Thiruppullani
The Adi Jagannatha Temple in Thiruppullani, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is believed that Rama used grass ('pul' in Tamil) as a pillow (thalai annai in Tamil) to sleep and hence the village attained the name Thiruppullani.In this Thirupullani temple, the main deity is Lord Dharba Sayana Rama. The speciality of this temple is that Lord has been shown in reclining posture.
As per Hindu legend, Rama is believed to have done penance to worship the god of ocean to seek way to Lanka in grass, giving the name Dharbasayanam to the place.
This is one of the oldest temple built during the late 8th century CE and later maintained by various kings and nayakas.
We can see the beautiful temple corridor in this picture.
- Arulmigu Mangaleswari and Udanurai Mangalanatha Swamy Temple, Uthirakosamangai
Not too far from Thiruppalani temple, we have another very old temple of Lord Mangalanatha (Lord Shiva)and Devi Mangaleswari (Devi Parvathi) in Uthirakosamangai.
The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Mangalanathar, Mangalambigai and Natarajar being the most prominent. This temple is famous for emerald lingam and Natarajar statue (6 ft tall) which is always covered with sandal paste. The priest explained that the reason for covering the deity with sandal through out the year since the idol is always very hot, as its made of emerald and is susceptible for cracks to occur.
Kanyakumari
After a loooong drive, luckily we were able to make it to Kanyakumari just in time. We headed straight to the Sunset point and we made it by 5:15 PM.
- Sunset point in Kanyakumari
Sunset was just a couple of minutes away, and we eagerly awaited a glimpse of the beautiful scene. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy, and we weren't lucky enough to see the sunset.
Nevertheless kids had already decided to have another fun round in the beach and they had already started 😊
- Bharath Matha temple
Bharath Matha temple in Kanyakumari is a unique temple of its own, as Bharath Matha herself is the main deity in this temple. I have not seen any other temple of Bharath Matha till today, or may be I've not explored.
This place has a giant status of lord Hanuman made of granite just at the entrance, that is around 27 ft tall. It looks spectacular.
This place also exhibits a pictorial exhibition of Valmiki Ramayana in 108 wood panels, which is known as Ramayana Darshan.
Stay in Kanyakumari.
22-Oct-2023 (Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram)
Morning visits in Kanyakumari,
- Sunrise in Kanyakumari
Sunrise view is one of the most sought-after plans for anyone visiting Kanyakumari, and we were excited to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise by the beach. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy morning, and our sunrise plan turned into just another early morning walk near the beach.
However, an early morning beach walk is something we hadn't tried before, and it was quite enjoyable 😊.
- Vivekananda Rock & Thiruvalluvar Statue
This is one of the best and must-see destinations in Kanyakumari.
Vivekananda Rock holds significant historical importance. In 1892, Swami Vivekananda is said to have swum to the rock from the shores of Kanyakumari for meditation. After meditating for 2-3 days, he attained enlightenment at this very place.
We are required to take a ferry ride to reach Vivekananda rock. It is better to plan this ride early in the morning as it tends to get real busy during the day.
Located on a rock right next to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari is the breathtaking statue of Thiruvalluvar. This statue commemorates the renowned Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, who is celebrated for his timeless contributions to Tamil literature and philosophy.
We reached Vivekananda Rock Memorial after a short 10-minute ferry ride, covering a distance of 500 meters from the mainland. The memorial consists of two main structures: the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam.
The Vivekananda Mandapam was erected in honor of Swami Vivekananda. It includes the Dhyana Mandapam (meditation hall), Sabha Mandapam (assembly hall), and Muktha Mandapam (liberation hall).
The Shripada Mandapam is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kanyakumari. According to legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kanyakumari (Parvati) performed tapas (austerities) in devotion to Lord Shiva.
By the time we returned to the mainland by ferry, it was already lunchtime. After a quick meal, we visited the main shrine, the Kanyakumari Amman Temple. This temple is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas and is dedicated to Goddess Devi Kanyakumari, referred to as the virgin goddess.
After visiting the Devi Kanyakumari Temple, we started our drive towards Thiruvananthapuram.
On the way, our driver suggested a beautiful backwater river rafting experience on the Neyyar River, located near Poovar. From the boating/rafting area, it takes about 30 minutes to sail through a mangrove forest to reach the juncture where the Neyyar River meets the Arabian Sea.
It was a wonderful experience sailing through the mangrove forest and finally arriving at the beach. The estuary features a marvelous stretch of golden sand.
After visiting the beautiful golden sand beach and enjoying the relaxing mangrove kayaking, we headed to the next place our driver had suggested: The Lord Shiva Temple in Azhimala.
I was initially skeptical, thinking my driver might have been exaggerating about the temple's significance. However, to our surprise, the Lord Shiva Temple was truly extraordinary.
This temple is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea in the Thiruvananthapuram district. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is known for the 18 m tall marvelous Gangadhareshwara sculpture.
We arrived at the temple around 8 p.m., and to our delight, a special pooja was underway with around 200 people in attendance.
We felt fortunate not to have missed this temple on our journey and then began our drive towards our beach homestay in Thiruvananthapuram.
23-Oct-2023 (Thiruvananthapuram)
I was thrilled that we had chosen to stay at a beach homestay. From our balcony, we had a stunning view of the beach and enjoyed the opportunity to play on the sand early the next morning.
The beach was quite rough, but we made the most of our morning adventure. After finishing our breakfast, we set out to visit the renowned Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
It was Dussehra (Maha Navami), and as expected, the temple was crowded. We were glad to have been able to attend the darshan on such an auspicious day.
After enjoying a delicious and satisfying lunch, we headed to Veli Tourist Village, the nearest attraction to Kochuveli Railway Station. Unfortunately, it started to rain heavily, so the kids had to miss out on their final attraction, the Toy Train.
It was nearly 4:30 p.m., and the rain showed no signs of letting up. We had to rush through the downpour to reach Kochuveli Railway Station in time for our train, scheduled to depart at 5 p.m. It turned into yet another adventure as we tried not to miss our train back home.
Fortunately, we had a down-to-earth and exceptionally kind driver who went above and beyond to ensure we caught our train. He also never missed an opportunity to suggest must-see places, making our journey truly memorable.
And now, we’ve finally completed our Kasi Yatra! Signing off !
