Ancient Temples, Hill Station, Offbeat Travel, Last Point of India, India-Sri Lanka Border, A Unique City

My trip to Tamil Nadu was mostly about my volunteer experiences but I did manage to explore tourist places in Tamil Nadu periodically. I started my journey in Tamil Nadu in Madurai and ended in Chennai. During my 70-day long trip to Tamil Nadu, I had diverse experiences in Tamil Nadu from visiting a hill station, beautiful ancient temples, the southernmost point of India, the capital city, an offbeat small town, the India-Sri Lanka border, a unique city, largest temple compound in India. This is My Journey Down South exploring enchanting Tamil Nadu. Below are the tourist places in Tamil Nadu. Read on!

MADURAI: FOOD AND CULTURE

I was volunteering at an organic farm near Madurai. During a weekend, I explored Madurai City. I started with the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. It took me a couple of hours to explore the temple. Such beautiful architecture! It was my first time visiting a temple in Tamil Nadu and I was truly mesmerized. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi (a form of goddess Parvati). It is an ancient temple built by the Pandya dynasty. You have to try the Prasadam(sweets) in the temple! My next stop was Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace. It was built in the 17th century by the Nayaka dynasty. This beautiful palace was once known to be one of the wonders of South India. In the end, I visited the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam Temple famous for the Float festival which takes place from Jan to Feb. No visit to Madurai can be complete without trying local delicacies. To beat the heat, Try Jigarthanda: This milk-based cold beverage is a must! Non-vegetarians can’t miss Mutton Chukka with Bun Parotta. Other dishes to try are Kothu Parotta, Three-tiered dosa, Non-vegetarian Meals at Amma Mess, Idiyappam, Madurai Halwa etc.

KODAIKANAL: PRINCESS OF HILLS

After Madurai, I volunteered in a forest near Kodaikanal. During a weekend, I spent a day exploring Kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is a famous hill station in Tamil Nadu located at an elevation of 2100 m. I begin my afternoon by having lunch at Kamaraj Mess. By skipping the usual places, I went straight to hike to Dolphin’s Nose and Echo Point (It is exactly as the name suggests). The hike starts from Vattakanal. The views are amazing from these points. It took me half an hour or so for one-way. I totally enjoyed the hike. One can also hike all the way to Kumbakkarai Falls following the same route. Do try the local fruits i.e. Starfruit and Rosehip. Afterwards, I went to Byrant park to relax for a while followed by an evening stroll at Coaker’s walk to witness the beautiful sunset. Other places to visit in/around Kodaikanal are Pillar Rocks, Guna Cave, Solar Observatory, Velappar temple, Kodaikanal Lake, Berijam Lake, Chettiar Park etc.

OFFBEAT TRAVEL: EXPLORING A SMALL TAMIL TOWN

During my stay at a Yoga Ashram near Madurai, I became friends with a Tamil guy. Later, he invited me to his hometown. Together, we explored the non-touristic small town called Ambai over the span of a couple of days. In the morning, I was served the delicious Idiyappam with sweet Milk. Later, we traveled to a tea village called Manjolai located a couple of hours from the Ambai town. It is a beautiful sleepy village that reminds me of a Himalayan village. We had a nice time. Later, we went to the river at Ambai town for a pre-sunset bath. I was totally digging the small-town vibes. We end our day by feasting on Kothu parotta with Pumpkin juice. The next day, we traveled to a remote temple famous among surrounding villages. The temple is known to fulfil the wish of fertility. Later we traveled to a water reservoir-cum-mini waterfall. We took a dip there followed by lunch along the water stream. It was as soothing as it gets. To end our day, we visited a beautiful ancient temple in Ambai town where I learnt the significance of Dhwaja Stambha (flagpole) in South Indian temples is to arrest the lightning. I had an enriching two days exploring Ambai while experiencing true Tamil hospitality. It may not be a great touristic place but my belief that “People make places” was fully realized during my stay in Ambai.