Seeing the Sky through the Pines

The sky looks beautiful. How many days since you looked up at the sky?

Pine Forest at Kodaikanal

Trichy Rock Fort Temple

Rock Fort Temple at Tiruchirapalli.
My last leg of South Tamilnadu Tour. I started on 30th from Kodaikanal, drove down to dindigul via Vattalkundu (see the earlier posts for map) and then straight to Trichy or Tiruchirapalli and then to Chennai a straight 500 kms. The road map is here.



I did not go up the temple as it was evening and I did not feel like walking up the hill and by the time I reached Chennai it was night..

Coaker's WalK Kodaikanal

I stayed for 2 days at Kodaikanal after having reached on a Sunday evening.
Coaker's Walk was the best place in Kodaikanal to get lost in nature. Just sit on any of the seats on the path and watch the darkness slowly cast its cloak on the valley beyond. Do wear a warm clothing.. It does gets chilly due to wind. [I did not have any though].

Kodaikanal Hills

Here are the Kodaikanal Hills Photos.... How I reached here is told here.

When at Kodaikanal or Ooty you should always go to the shops and buy the products, which are not only somewhat cheaper but also pure and Fresh. The list of products available at Kodaikanal is here and a shop name also.

Lake photos are here. And the next post is of Coaker's Walk.

Kodaikanal-Lake, Tamilnadu

Kodaikanal Lake from top distance.

The buildings in the distance is Carlton Hotel.
Shikara Ride in Kodai Lake.

Now you can see the next post for the hills.

Kodaikanal Trip: Day-4

Day-4: After leaving Kannyakumari at around 2.30 pm I drove straight to Kodaikanal, a distance of around 380 kms ..via NH-7 to just before Madurai where I took a bypass towards Vattalkundu via some state highway and reached Kodaikanal at around 830 pm. The hill drive is only 40 kms! Nothing to compare with Hill Stations in Himalayas!! The road is having all the reflectors to protect you from the sides!

I stayed at Hotel Carlton. It is one of the costliest hotels or probably the costliest. But no I did not pay much because I had an arrangement with my office. But if you stay at normal rates it will be Rs 8,000 per room per day. I paid much much much less!! A few pictures of the Hotel. Hotel Carlton Phone no- 04542 - 240056-240071 Fax- 04542-241170 Email: carlton@krahejahospitality.com

You can see the next post for the Kodaikanal Lake and other photos in subsequent posts.

Banana Trees, Tamilnadu Village View

Banana Trees!!

A road across Tamilnadu Countryside.

The earlier slide of Tamilnadu villages can be seen below

Salted Snacks- South Indian

Other food post is here.

Padmanabhan Palace, Kannyakumari

The capital of Travancore until 1333, Padmanabhapuram is known for its fort which encloses, among other buildings, a palace and a temple. I visited the Padmanabhan Palace which is built fully from wood! Huge two storied structure & a sight to behold!!
This was my last visit at Kannyakumari and after that I drove down to Kodaikanal.

Suchindram Temple, Kannyakumari, TamilNadu

Chariot ("Ratha") in front of Suchindram Temple, Kannykumari. I went to this temple on day-2 of my Kannykumari Visit (day-4 of my South Tamilnadu visit: day-1- Chettinad, Day-2: Mandappam, Kurusadai Islands, Dhanushkudi). [My first day at Kannyakumari post is here.]

Suchindram- The presiding deity at Thanumalayan Temple here is a representation of the Hindu Trinity of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma. The temple has a collection of art treasures belonging to various ages. There are inscriptions dating back to the 9th century. Of particular note are the temple tower, musical pillars and the Hanuman Statue.

I went to listen to the musical pillars. It is said the 7 pillars produce tones of different musical instruments when you strike them and put your ears on to them! I heard nothing but metallic sound! God only knows whether I did it rightly. As I keep saying the major problem with this Region is the language.. and though they say english is spoken.. no it is not spoken clearly.. So unless you take a guide you will be lost.. if you want to see all these things and understand, that is. For the story of Suchindram download here.

The gateway to Suchindram Temple Area.

The Temple in white below.

Water tank inside the temple area. Incidentally in South India you are not allowed to take cameras inside the temples and hence no photos! In this temple males also have to remove their uppoer clothes and go bare chested! Do not worry nobody is Salman Khan.. all have larger paunches than you!!

For places to visit at Kannyakumari download this booklet.