Detailed Travelogue
I did not want to plan the trip out entirely and so I jotted down the names of the must-visit places and then decided to come up with a route on the go, keeping in mind that if at any point I was not feeling it, I would simply turn back and head back home. No hotel bookings were made either because I wanted to be true to the impromptu nature of this trip. I decided that I would start the trip on a Saturday and I will try to return before the next Saturday.
Must visit places - 
As anyone working in the corporate world knows, the first step is always to get your leaves approved. December is usually a slow month for us which made it that much more easy for my leaves to be approved. Next, I had to figure out stay options for my dog. As much as I would have loved to take my dog along, India is not a pet-friendly country and an impromptu trip with a pet is not possible. Thankfully, my parents stepped up and that was step 2 checked off the list. Finally, I quickly inspected the vehicle and topped her up with Shell V Power. All set for the trip!
Day 1:
I got up the next morning at 5 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m. I was ready to leave. I was already craving Podi Idlis and I decided that the first stop will be at Murugan Idli Shop, Krishnagiri, for some delicious Podi Idlis. While munching on my breakfast, I decided that I would visit Sripuram Golden Temple, Vellore fort and stay at Vellore for the night. I immediately checked the hotel listings on Oyo and made a booking with Hotel Kumaran Millennium Residency.
Enroute to Vellore 
I reached the Sripuram Golden temple at 11:00 a.m. I left my phone, camera, bags, etc in my car as they are not allowed inside the temple. It was my first time here and I got duped into buying the 250 INR ticket by the guys at the counter. There was hardly any rush and the free Darshan queue took exactly the same time as the paid one. The temple is huge and well maintained. The architecture seems modern with strategically placed shops and stalls to attract potential customers. This temple is gilded with 1500 kilograms of pure gold. I was told that this temple is much more beautiful in the evening with all the lights on.
It was 1:00 p.m. and I decided to head to the hotel. I checked-in, had a quick shower (it was a hot day in Vellore) and started looking for places to have lunch. In one of our team-bhp meetups, we went to Tom's Diner. I remembered that the food was great and a google search showed that it was less than 3 kilometres from the hotel. I was not going to miss the opportunity! After a heavy lunch, I returned to the room for a nap.
At 4:30 p.m. I took an auto-rickshaw to the Vellore Fort, which is a large 16th-century fort situated in the heart of the Vellore city, built by Vijayanagara kings. The fort was constructed in granite from the nearby quarries in Arcot and Chittoor districts. The fort is surrounded by a moat which was once used as an additional line of defence in the case of an invasion. The fort is large and houses a temple, a mosque and a church among several other government office buildings. The weather was pleasant and I spent the entire evening at the fort.
Jalakandeswarar Temple inside the Vellore Fort 
Jalakanteshwara Temple is a fine example of Vijayanagaram Architecture 
Sunset at Vellore Fort 
I later had piping hot Pizza delivered to the room from Dominos which was less than 100 meters from the hotel. Post dinner, I started planning out the next day. Because of my proximity to Thiruvannamalai, it only made sense that the next stop would be Thiruvannamalai. Unfortunately, Oyo does not have any presence in this city and so I had to look up alternatives on Google. After a couple of calls, I made a booking with Hotel Arunachala which is bang in front of the Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar temple.
Day 2:
I checked out from the hotel, had tea at a nearby stall and started towards Thiruvannamalai at 8:00 a.m. To avoid the city traffic, I decided to stop for breakfast after crossing the main city and this turned out to be a mistake. The route I took from Vellore to Thiruvannamalai did not have any good restaurants. Fortunately, I had packed a few protein bars. After a couple of hours of uneventful driving across a lot of villages, I finally made it to Thiruvannamalai at 11:00 a.m. But the real challenge was yet to come - PARKING! My hotel had plenty of parking but it was right in front of the Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar temple, and the roads all around the temple were really cramped single lane roads packed with street vendors and pilgrims. It was a nightmare! It took me 30-40 minutes to get to my spot. As soon as I checked in, I went to the attached restaurant and ordered a veg deluxe thali. The restaurant attached to Hotel Arunachala is probably the best in the area.
Tea stall outside the hotel 
Now, the reason Thiruvannamalai was on my must-visit list was that I wanted to perform Girivalam. The circumambulation path is 14 kilometres (Although my watch and my phone showed close to 16 kilometres). There are eight Lingams located in the path and they provide an octagonal structure to Thiruvannamalai town. The eight lingams are Indra Lingam, Agni Lingam, Yama Lingam, Niruthi Lingam, Varuna Lingam, Vayu Lingam, Kubera Lingam and Esanya Lingam. The Adi Annamalai Temple that is glorified in Dhevaram is located in this path.
Map placed all around the Girivalam route 
After speaking to the hotel manager and a few locals, who informed me that it takes 4-5 hours to complete the Girivalam path on foot, I decided to start the Girivalam at 4:30 p.m. It was hot initially, but post 6:00 p.m. the temperature dropped significantly. I saw pilgrims of all ages performing Girivalam. A lot of foreigners perform the Girivalam too. The entire 14 kilometres has well-paved footpaths, toilets(I did not use them so I cannot speak about the maintenance), maps and chairs at regular intervals. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. It took me 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete. I walked at a leisurely pace and took lots of time at each Lingam along the way.
Arunachala Hill 
Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple at Night 
I reached the hotel at 9:00 p.m., inspected the vehicle in the parking lot, went straight to the restaurant and ordered veg pulao and milkshake. I had a good sleep that night with a full tummy and a sense of accomplishment.
Day 3:
The next morning, I went to the main temple, Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar temple. This temple is beautiful, to say the least! It houses four gopurams. The tallest is the eastern gopuram, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Arunachalesvara and Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls, and the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagar period. I was in total awe! I spent close to 2 hours within the temple premises.
One of the main shrines 
Nandi Bull 
Eastern Gopuram 
It was 9:00 a.m. and I still had no idea of where to go next nor had I made any hotel bookings. I was still a little tired from the Girivalam last night and I was sure that I did not want to drive all the way to Dhanushkodi. Keeping that in mind, I decided I would stop at Madurai. Once again, I made a booking using Oyo - Hotel PKN Residency and I was on my way. I stopped for lunch just before reaching Madurai at Hotel Temple City.
Hotel Temple City, just outside Madurai city 
I reached Madurai quite late in the afternoon and immediately checked in to the hotel. I did not have any place in my mind to visit in Madurai, so I decided to just take a walk towards the market and explore the city. Madurai is a crowded city with chaotic traffic. It was the first time I saw pedestrians use the flyovers as if it was the right thing to do. After walking for a couple of kilometres I realized that I was actually quite close to the city's main attraction, Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. I decided that I would go in only if it wasn't too crowded. To my surprise, there was hardly any queue. Well, taking that as a sign I went inside and had a good darshan. Once again, a beautiful temple, right in the centre of the city. I had dinner on my way back to the room and retired for the day.
The Meenakshi Amman Temple Street 
Savouries being sold on the street 
Meenakshi Amman Temple Gopuram 
Day 4:
I had a good night's rest and while I was waiting for my breakfast to be served in the room, I quickly made reservations on Oyo - Hotel Ram Leela, Rameshwaram. I was really looking forward to this leg of the journey! I had read many travelogues on Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi and I had built up very high expectations for it.
I checked out of the hotel at 9:00 a.m. It was a fairly short drive to Rameshwaram and so I drove at a leisurely pace stopping several times to take photographs. I saw traffic cops at many places here stopping bikers who were riding high capacity motorbikes. The roads were by and large in good condition except for a few places that had diversions. As I kept munching miles, I slowly started seeing the terrain shift to marshy wetlands on both sides and I knew that I was approaching Pamban bridge.
Somewhere on the way to Rameshwaram 
The sight of Pamban bridge absolutely blew me away! I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the place - the horizon, the birds in the sky, the colour of the water, the boats, the strong wind, and the sheer engineering marvel, i.e. Pamban railway bridge. It was a sight to behold!
I parked my car at the end of the bridge and walked all the way back. I spent an hour at the bridge, taking pictures and thoroughly enjoying the beauty of the place.
Pamban Bridge - A sight to behold 
I checked into the hotel at 1:30 p.m. I blasted the room air conditioning and ordered lunch via room service. There were two places I wanted to visit - the Ramanathaswamy Temple and Dhanushkodi. What I was not sure of was the order in which I wanted to visit them. After relaxing for some time, I went down to have a word with the manager to inquire about the temple timings and dress code, if any. Following the manager's advice, I started driving towards Dhanushkodi at 4:30 p.m. I had prepared a doomsday playlist on my phone for the drive to Dhanushkodi with songs by Lamb of God, Tool, Gojira, Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, etc. Driving towards Dhanishkodi while listening to my doomsday playlist was exhilarating!
Hotel Ram Leela 
Dhanushkodi is located on the tip of Pamban island. It shares the only land border between India and Sri Lanka, which is one of the smallest in the world. It is an abandoned town which was destroyed during the 1964 Rameshwaram cyclone and although the entire town was marooned by the Government of Tamil Nadu, a small population of fishermen have started living in this ghost town.
The well-maintained arrow-straight road leading to the tip of Dhanushkodi is breathtaking! The sight of the water on both sides and the sound of the water hitting against the thin patch of land was truly overwhelming! When I reached the Ashoka Pillar point, I was actually quite disappointed that the drive was over. This place was quite crowded and of course there were people playing dangerously in the water, however, the land's end was well guarded by the authorities. I chose a slightly desolate place to relax, take pictures and enjoy the sunset. It was quite dark and when I decided to finally leave, I was fully satisfied! Pamban Bridge and Dhanushkodi had not just lived up to my expectations, they had exceeded it.
Ashoka Pillar Point 
Sunset at Dhanushkodi 
Waves 
Temple with the sample rock that Ram used to build the bridge 
Dhanushkodi Pier 
I reached the hotel, asked the manager to have my dinner delivered to the room at 9:00 p.m. and then I went outside for some tea and to explore the place. The streets leading up to the temple were quite crowded with lots of police personnel trying to manage the traffic and the pilgrims. After a short walk, and some strong tea, I went back to the room, had a shower, ate my dinner and fell asleep whilst reading a book. It was a good day!
Day 5:
I got up quite early to visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy(Shiva), is believed to have been established and worshipped by Ram, to absolve the sins committed during the Ramayana war in Sri Lanka. I had a good darshan at the temple and came out of the temple feeling blessed.
While having breakfast at a mess, I deliberated with myself if I should head back home on a high note, especially now that I had also covered all the must-visit places on my list or if I should carry on to the next destination. I was not able to come to a conclusive decision and I just decided to head out of the city and make the decision on the way. At 10:00 a.m. I checked out of the hotel and started exiting the city. On my way out, I saw Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's museum and thought of stopping, but I saw several school buses parked outside the museum and figured that the students might be in there for a school trip. Furthermore, museums are really not my kind of place. With that said, I just continued driving. I reached Pamban bridge, stopped the vehicle, took a nice long look at it and then I was on my way. After driving for a few kilometres, I stopped to fuel up and just as I was coming out of the petrol bunk, I saw the turn towards Kanyakumari.
To Kanyakumari it was! The journey to Kanyakumari is a 6-hour drive along the coastline. The roads were not perfect, and there were several villages along the way. But it was beautiful and peaceful! I truly enjoyed this moderately paced drive on desolate roads and I was glad that I took the turn to Kanyakumari. I stopped on the way for tea and snacks several times. On one such tea stops, I logged into Oyo and booked a stay at Hotel Vishnu Ram. As I was nearing Kanyakumari, I noticed hundreds of windmills. It was mesmerizing, to say the least!
Upon reaching Kanyakumari, I first checked in to the hotel, freshened up and then immediately headed out for lunch! It was quite late already and I was starving! After a heavy meal, I walked towards the market and spent some time here before I finally walked to the sunset point. The view from the sunset point is magnificent! You truly feel the vastness of the ocean! As I sat there watching the sunset, I reflected on the year and relaxed! I then went back to the hotel and had a word with the hotel manager who informed me that he would be happy to wake me up at 5:30 a.m. and take all interested people to the sunrise point. I readily agreed! At 9:00 p.m. I ordered dinner through room service and called it a night.
Street Vendors 
The vast ocean 
Market near the Sunset Point 
Day 6:
True to his word, the manager woke us all up at 5:30 a.m. and asked us to assemble at 6:00 a.m. A few of us then walked to the sunrise point and waited for the magical moment and when it finally happened at ~7:00 a.m., it was truly magnificent! I later had a quick darshan at Bhagavathy Amman Temple and decided to skip the ferry ride because there was a long queue and I had heard and read that it was nothing to die for. I had a sumptuous breakfast while pondering over the next destination of the trip. After giving it some thought I decided to head back home with Coimbatore as an optional stop.
Sunrise 
At 9:00 a.m. I checked out of the hotel and began my journey home. It was going to be a long day of driving. I had to cover close to 700 kilometres and I knew that the approximately 50 kilometres after crossing Hosur was going to be hell on earth. So, without too many breaks I munched miles at a good rate. When I was near Dindigul I took a tea break and decided not to take the turn towards Coimbatore. I was feeling fresh and I really did not have anything to do in Coimbatore.
I stopped near Salem for a late lunch and then continued the drive back home. I reached Electronic city flyover at 5:30 p.m. and then from there, it took me a solid 2 hours to reach home. Needless to say, I used the clutch more in the last 2 hours of the trip than I did on the entire trip!
Route and road conditions -- As of December 2018
Bangalore --> Vellore
https://goo.gl/maps/Rk17tMrqHfs
Once you cross the Bangalore city, the roads are smooth and wide! Driving is a breeze with lots of restaurants en route.
Vellore --> Thiruvannamalai
https://goo.gl/maps/hspfc1tSQLQ2
2 lane road throughout. Roads are not in great condition. Lots of small villages on the way. It is better to travel at a reasonable pace. Do not expect any restaurants on the way.
Thiruvannamalai --> Madurai
https://goo.gl/maps/Ymb9A2zWyX52
Reasonably good roads. Expect potholes and speed breakers near village crossings.
Madurai --> Rameshwaram
https://goo.gl/maps/4YpF5s8DkHo
Good roads except for small patches. Expect some deviations caused by road work. Quite scenic as you get closer to Pamban bridge. There are small stalls on the way for tea and snacks.
Rameshwaram --> Dhanushkodi
https://goo.gl/maps/4NDacqM31iK2
I have spoken enough about this road already. Very scenic! You can find snack stalls once you reach Dhanushkodi
Rameshwaram --> Kanyakumari
https://goo.gl/maps/R3fs6YrwNfp
My favourite road on the entire trip. Roads are in good condition. Perfect road if you prefer the toll free route. Very scenic with salt evaporation ponds, old factories and lots of windmills. I would not recommend this road post 7:00 p.m. especially if you are travelling on a two-wheeler.
Kanyakumari --> Bangalore
https://goo.gl/maps/9Y2rmb5EhR62
The road is in excellent condition. Expect deviations in one or two places. Things can get a little irritating when you are passing cities.
Some points to note:- While booking a hotel, call and check if the parking lot can accommodate your car. This is essential if you are travelling in a large car.
- In many of these places, it makes a lot of sense to take your car, park it at the hotel and then use auto-rickshaws or other local means of transport.
- December - February is the ideal time to travel to Tamil Nadu.
- If you are like me i.e. you are travelling from Karnataka, you are bound to fall in love with the roads in Tamil Nadu.
- Tamil Nadu is obsessed with having barriers on the highways. Something to watch out for!
- It is always good to carry a few protein bars.
- I used FASTag all through. I had no issues at all. The tolls in TN are comparatively well managed.
- If you are a vegetarian, your options might become less in some of the highways unless you are ready to take detours. So make sure to finish your meal in the cities/towns.
- The roads are full of idiots. :Frustrati
- Thiruvannamalai:
- There are auto-rickshaws that charge a nominal fee for the Girivalam.
- The last 2 kilometres, is on the main road with a lot of traffic.
- Around a radius of 3 kilometres from the main temple, google maps will start throwing weird suggestions. It asked me to turn the tusker into lanes where even a bike would find it hard. So, call and get some guidance from the hotel manager or locals.
- The temple is large and beautiful, reserve some extra time for it. It'll be worth it.
- Dhanushkodi:
- Entry to the place is restricted after 6:00 PM. So, ensure you reach the place before 6:00 PM.
- Kothandaramar Temple, on the way to Dhanushkodi is often overlooked. The road leading to the temple is quite beautiful!
Numbers game:
Total Distance: 1,873 Kilometres
Average Fuel Economy: 13.68 km/L
Average Fuel Cost: 69.23 INR
Total Fuel Consumed: 136.91 Litres
Total amount spent on fuel cost: ~9,500 INR
Total amount spent on tolls and tickets: ~2000 INR
Total amount spent on hotel rooms: ~8500 INR (incl. tips)
Total amount spent on food, drinks and snacks: ~2500 INR
Total cost: ~22,500 INR
Excellent essay. Lovely photos. Thank you for sharing and putting this all down for the benefit of our readers.
Thank you very much for a very good write up. This is very crisp. The photos add to the value of the blog. I have been planning for a long time to cover these places but somehow I have not been able to execute it. I have better motivation now.
Thank you for such a nice travelogue Paradiddle. Very thoughtful of you to include so many details like road conditions, expense and mileage in a separate section. Tamilnadu is arguably one of the foremost places for Temples. You can't go one kilometer before you see a temple - most of them built hundreds of years ago.
Thanks a lot for sharing this beautiful travelogue! The photos have also come out remarkably well. This thread is surely going to help a lot of readers in planning their next trip.
P.S - I specially liked the way you have written about the route and road conditions in a separate post.
Nice write up and lovely pictures. Thanks for sharing
