Mandappam, Ramanathapuram, India

My South Tamilnadu Tour's 2nd day. I had reached Karaikuddi to see the Chettinad Houses that are a sight for people to see, on 25th Dec 08. Next day morning I woke up before 5 am got ready and got behind the wheels and just as the clock struck 6 am the sun rose and I started...and drove through NH-210 towards Devikottai then Tiruvadanai to just bypass Devipattinam (I went here last time when I visited Madurai- that is also a religious place with Hindu Mythological significance) to Ramanathapuram and then to Mandappam via NH-49 to halt there (135 kms total). The road map is shown at the end. It had rained the last night and so the day was cloudy. I really wonder how people get colourful pictures of cloudy days.. either my bad luck to have only dull scenes on a cloudy day or some do digital modification of the photos. In one way it is good that the photos are actually showing the original cloudy atmosphere..... but some days I do not feel happy! Simply not happy shooring such dull pictures.. ...

You can see how the rain in the night has flooded the farmlands by the roads. NH-49.

This is near the only petrol pump outlet in Mandappam. The photos below are behind the pump. This place is just 5-10 mts before the Pamban Bridge connecting Rameswaram with mainland....

Basically all fishermen at their various activities.

This is a StarFish, covered by sand.. I should have removed the sand.!! So I had to edit this photo to make the fish come out clearly.

Fish and Crabs!! Anyone??

And not to forget snails. !!!!

The detailed Chennai to Mandappam road map can be downloaded from here or from the sidebar link. Karaikudi to Ramanathapuram = 52 kms. Ramanathapuram to Mandappam= 35 kms. The Pambam Bridge to Rameswaram.

By the way Mandappam is just near Pamban Bridge. You can see that in my later post or the earlier one on Rameswaram. At Mandappam you will find no place to stay except a Govt Rest House available only through source.. I had so I got to stay there.. There are no eating places here.. Nearest ones will be at Rameswaram or 45 kms behind at Ramanathapuram.

Here you will also find a Tamil Refuge camp (Sri Lankan ones) and fishing community. The Govt Rest house is near that at the top of a hill.

In my next message I will talk about Kurusadai island & Gulf of Mannar) for which I had come here. Of course here people come to see Rameswaram Temple mainly. My earlier visit pictures are here for Rameswaram. And here is where I stayed- the only place at Mandapam besides a Coast Guard Mess probably - I am not sure but I did see coast guard. This is the Govt Bungalow. Old British Structure... not kep very well. But Surprise Surprise.. President Pratibha Patil was to visit this place (and did visit on 28th Dec 2009 to visit Rameswaram Temple) earlier and some 25 lacs was allocated to spruce up the bungalow.. Though her visit did not happen at that time due to cyclone and the money did not get used (she was not to stay here but just halt) JUST IMAGINE!! Poor People die without water and a complete meal in India.. and our Great Leaders waste taxpayer's money!!

My South Tamilnadu Tour - Chettinad

My solo car drive across Tamilnadu last weekend (Chennai- Karaikudi (Chettinad) -Mandappam - Dhanuskudi- Kannyakumar- Kodaikanal-Trichy-Chennai) took me across quite a few interesting places covering some 2000 kms totally about which I am going to write in the next series of my posts. Ever since the time I came to Chennai, people always responded with names of Temple Cities that one could visit in the name of tourism. And rightly so too. Because Tamilnadu is indeed a place of temples, temples and Temples, ample temples. Take Thanjavur (Brihadeeswar Temple- a world heritage site) or Madurai (meenakshi temple) or Rameswaram (the largest temple in Tamilnadu) or Thiruvannamalai or Vellore (golden temple) just to name a few.

But I did my own web search and found out quite a number of other interesting places to see. So just started my car on 25th December on the route out of Chennai via the NH-45 that takes you from airport to Tambaram to Trichy and then NH-210 to Pudukottai to halt at my first place of visit Karaikuddi in Sivaganga District. Later I drove down via NH-210 to Mandappam in Ramanathapuram Dt, near Pambam bridge that connects mainland to Rameswaram and halted there at Mandappam on 26th and then on 27th via NH-49 to Madurai and then bypassed it to catch NH-7 and went through Tirunveli to Kannykumari and halted there and then on 28th returned by same NH-7 to reach Kodaikanal bypassing Madurai to take the route through Vattalakkundu or Batalkundu and then back to Chennai via NH-45 bypassing Dindigul and through Trichy. The details of these travels will come up in my next series of posts. Please keep keep a watch.

The road map for Chennai to Kadaikuddi is posted below. I drove from Chennai to Trichy (Chennai Aiport to Trichy town=316 kms). NH-45 is good considering I started at 6:25 am and crossed Trichy at 11 am - just 4.5 hrs.. because I could drive @ 140 km per hr in first 2/3 hrs which allowed me to cover 100 kms per hr in first 2/3 hrs and then because of road diversions.. overbridge constructions on NH-45 I slowed down. The NH-210 from Trichy to Karaikuddi (and then Ramnathapuram, Mandappam, Rameswaram) is like a State Highway (SH) and a broken at the initial stages but after that is quite good and you can reasonably attain a speed of 100 kmph at many places and average 80 kmph. The Distance from Trichy to Pudukottai (NH-210) is 52 kms and to Kadaikuddi is 97 kms.. so Total from Chennai to Kadaikuddi is around 416 kms. That was my first day's journey. I reached Kadaikuddi at 2 pm or so. [Trichy to Ramanathapuram= 247 kms)



This district was once a part of Ramanathapuram District and now is headquartered at Sivaganga District. The places to see in Sivaganga are:-

1. Chettinad- this comprisesof Karaikuddi and 74 villages which are the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars. The Chettiars were a prosperous Banking Community who ventured overseas to do business of money lending in South and South East Asia in the 19th century and early 20th century. They can be equated to the Marwaris of the North and many of them have today diverted to different businesses. Their legacies are the fascinating houses of Chettinad they built with simple materials. These are artistically built houses that have to be seen to be believed.


2. Karaikuddi -just 10 kms from Chettinad. Actually both towns are inseparable. Apart from the houses, Karaikuddi offers extensive antique shopping [ No I did not try it] and a good eating place called Bungalow [- as I was told after I left the place!!!] and of course Chettinad cuisine is spicy and tasty), weekly shandy (village market), a number of temples worshipped by Chettiars, visits to craftsmen working with wood, silversmiths, goldsmiths etc. The Alagappa University building is a treat for the eye. I could not take photos of the city roads and these magnificient buildings becaue there was something wrong with the battery and I had to save it for the Chettiar mansions, which were the prime attraction and which photos are posted here below.

I saw one Chettiar Mansion and the Pillaiyarpattu Temple- which is a Ganapati or as he is called in Tamilnadu- Vinayaka Temple.

Sivaganga is 501 kms from Chennai but Karaikuddi via NH-45 and then NH-210 is just 416 kms odd. The map of the route is downloadable here.

Large Road map. For detailed downloadable road map districtwise click here.



At Karaikuddi I stayed at Hotel Subhalaxmi Palace, (Ph 04565- 235200 (6 lines). They charge Rs 825/- for an Ac room single occupancy. They have a veg restaurant, I believe, but I do not know why the boy got me food from outside! The hotel is okay for staying. Foreigners too are staying there I saw. Has a car parking place.
To get guide you can contact: Mr A N Karuppanchetty c/o Kannathal Travels, New Bus Stand, karaikudi Cell- 91 98428 26653 or his wife who is a trained guide KR Annam cell- 9198422 80533

My next post is here.

Indian Buffaloes do not walk

India's Tryst with Christianity- St. Thomas Basilica, Chennai, India

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!
India is a secular country. You will find people of all religions cohabiting peacefully side by side here in India. The general mass of people - the vast majority of people in India live side by side peacefully irrespective of their religions.

I, personally, like churches for two reasons-- anybody can enter without being pestered by the "Pandas" or the Touts of Gods as I will call them who will insist on your taking their help for a "Darshan" (View) of the God/ Goddess inside the temple and a conducted tour (Parikrama) AND the utter cleanliness.

Anyway without raising any hackles of anybody by comparing religions in India, which is not my main purpose I post here some photos of St Thomas Basilica at Chennai, India.

St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, came to India in AD 52, died as a Martyr in AD72 and was buried at Mylapore, San Thome, Chennai, India. [I am sure San Thome name of the locality came from his name only). The Basilica is built over the Tomb of St. Thomas. This is one of the Only Three Basilicas that have been built in the World over a Tomb of an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

This is also the shrinewhere the next mos famous Missionary to India, St Francis Xavier (whose body is venerated in Goa) spent four months in the year 1545 and used to pray before the Statue known as "Our Lady of Mylapore". Even Marco Polo is said to have visited this Shrine in the 13th century.

When the Apostles dispersed to preach in different parts of the world, St.Thomas left for Parthia and India. His stay and preaching in North and South India is mentioned in two well known thirteenth Century Books: The Acts of Thomas (Acta Thomae) an The Teaching of the Apostles (Didascalia Apostolorum).

The Syrian Christians of Kerala, India strongly maintain the tradition, handed down from generation to generation in their Churches and Families, that their forefathers were converts were converts of this Apostle. According to this tradition, the apostle landed in Kodungallur (Cranganore) in Kerala around the middle of the first century of the Christian era (probably AD52) and founded Christian Communities in several places like Kodungallur (Cranganore), Niranam, Kollam (Quilon), Palayur etc.



The stained glass window which you will probably find in every church was constructed in 1896!!

You can download this mini book on the Basilica here. [Please click the link given to get the pdf file] or the pamphlet giving brief information here.

Sunset on the backwaters off ECR, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

Earlier also I have posted some scenic photos from East Coast Road (ECR) that connects Chennai to Pondycherry (Puducherry).The best ones, of course, are the ones where light plays with water. This is another one shot by me on 6th Dec 2008.

The photo below is from a slightly diferent angle and in Black and White.

Fire in the Sky

We went driving on the ECR (East Coast Road) to Chennai looking for some photo Shoot Opportunities. I got one near Auroville. This is Bay of Bengal ocean, of course, and the boats are Indian Country Boats fishermen use to fish (what else!!)


This is a B&W rendering of a photo shot in a different direction at the same place.

Chicken Biryani at Chennai

MGM Grand, 31, Santhome High Road, Mylapore, Chennai. Good food. The joint is in the basement. The ambience is not good, but the food is tasty. Cost? Well Beer costs Rs 160/- plus taxes. The chicken Biryani cost was Rs 80/- or so ..i am forgetting now.. [tsk tsk]

My other posts on Food here

Ranikhet, Uttarkhand, India

Life: There is always light beyond darkness. Just keep walking.

Deep within nature

Fairy Tale House - I will live here in my next life.. far from the maddening crowd.

Beauty forever. ............................................................................Fire Purifies.

[I do not know how I missed posting some of these photos. These had been taken by me at Ranikhet Hills Uttarkhand 2/3 years ago.]

Honda Cars, India

This post is just to test my skills at shooting cars!! Next I will graduate to modelling portfolios... hmm.. ... The above is a conversion of two photos from below..

These cars do have something in them. The Hondas and Toyota prices are a bit on the higher side. But again it can be argued that one should pay for Quality. But a word of caution here. My experience with them is that the Japanese do not believe in communication with customers. Also it is a fad that Honda cars does not have complaints-- either that or their service people are not trained-- otherwise how can brake pads fail in 30,000 kms when same driver can get 80,000 kms on same roads in Santro? And then how can the EPS fail in 30,000 kms too? So do not think that just because it s Japanese the car will be fault proof! It is not so. And I have a theory. I think when they treat India differently than other countries because we do not have a Consumer Movement like Developed Countries have. .

In fact even Toyota seems to have complaints as I did a google search and discovered. However Honda and Toyota does have something in their cars. Grudgingly, I admit that. If you are lucky you will get some wonderful experience when you buy a honda or a Toyota, I believe... So here are some pictures, because I tried my hand in car photos...... not bad I think.. However I am trying to see how I can change the backgrounds to make the cars appear more prominent in adobe.. let's see.

The CRV is fantastic.. and of course price is too.. 22 lacs on road... it has motorised seat movement.. none of those muscle twisting movements!!... The automatic accord- new Honda city too comes with automatic transmission.. 10.5 lacs or so on road... do not ask me for technical specs.. like I do with other objects of my photos.. I leave the writing to other people.. who have already put up lots of details.. in this case you can visit the honda site itself. and since they have not given me commission I will also not say anything in their favour.

Remember one thing in India-- In India it is a  caveat emptor. situation.. it is a sellers' market here and even the Japanese forget their kaizen ad TQM etc when they sell cars here.. You may find to your chagrin.. if you are unlucky. Of course if you ask me what I like.. nothing beats a Ferrari... sighhhhhhhhhh I am dreaming .!! me with a Ferrari? Haha Next life maybe!! LOL !!