[darklord]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

I really find it frustrating - why do they want to charge extra for cameras? And that too, stratospheric prices fo video cameras? (My tuppence amateur digicam has a video mode).

I really have no idea. The Padmanabhapuram palace charges Rs.1500/- for video camera.

You are under-ambitious. How about Devanagari?

Oh well, I can only ask for what I can read on the go. If I have to stop the car in front of every Hindi boards and pick out one alphabet a minute, it sort of defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?

You mean due to the traffic, right? :lol

Now that you mention it, yes. On any normal working day, half the time would be spent on the road. But then there are a lot of locations to visit, listed out below.

I knew there were plenty of places, but did not know which. Why don't you list them out? WIth directions, if possible?

I really have no idea about the directions, haven't visited anything other than the above spots. But here you go for the listings:
MenuMatic Horizontal Example
Kanyakumari district - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hope it helps.

BTW, what is "VOC"?

I myself didn't know then. I just copied and pasted the entire quote from Wikipedia. I looked up after you asked and here it is, again from Wiki.

"The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch, literally "United East Indian Company")."

Dutch East India Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Nutty Nair]

Nice pictures, darklord. Brought back some fond memories, especially of Vattakkottai. Been there a lot of times. Earlier this place didn't use to fall in the usual tourists' radar, so used to be a quiet place. Hope it is still like that. But the waters used to be of a lovely turquoise blue colour, now it looks murky in your pictures. I am posting few pictures of the place back in 2003. Hope you don't mind.

Ranjith

[Jaguar]

Is Vattakkottai the same location where the movie Munnam Pakkam was shot? If yes, how come you missed the famous twisted coconut tree ;-)

[cvvikram]

Awesome pictures bro. It is really refreshing to looking at these pictures sitting thousands of miles away.

Please keep posting if you have any more.

[darklord]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

@ darkloard - Nice pics and narration... you missed the "anaya viallku" (ever-burning lamp) of the Padmanabhapuram fort - or is it off-limits now?

Thanks buddy. Nope, didn't see the lamp. I remember that from a previous visit, but I guess it must be off limits now.

There is also a pond in the palace that comes up in a lot of movies

If you are referring to this trash-filled, weed-infested waterbody, yes, I saw it. "Mismanagement" will be a mild word, I guess.


No other pic, but I guess you get the idea.

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

Nice pictures, darklord. Brought back some fond memories, especially of Vattakkottai. Been there a lot of times. Earlier this place didn't use to fall in the usual tourists' radar, so used to be a quiet place. Hope it is still like that. But the waters used to be of a lovely turquoise blue color, now it looks murky in your pictures. I am posting few pictures of the place back in 2003.

Yeah, even now, it was almost deserted, but we went there at around 2 pm, so can't say for sure.

Hope you don't mind.

I sure don't my friend.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Is Vattakkottai the same location where the movie Munnam Pakkam was shot? If yes, how come you missed the famous twisted coconut tree ;-)

I guess it's the same one. I saw that movie a long time ago, so don't really remember the tree, or else, we would have went looking for it .

Originally Posted by cvvikram

Awesome pictures bro. It is really refreshing to looking at these pictures sitting thousands of miles away. Please keep posting if you have any more.

For you

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by darklord

Thanks buddy. Nope, didn't see the lamp. I remember that from a previous visit, but I guess it must be off limits now.

If you are referring to this trash-filled, weed-infested waterbody, yes, I saw it. "Mismanagement" will be a mild word, I guess.

No other pic, but I guess you get the idea.

Oh my God! I remember scenes from lots of Malayalam movies dealing with kings/ royals et all having scenes of Lalaettan or Mammookka climbing up the stairs after a dip- this is a pond that is within the palace premises, and you have to climb a flight of covered steps to reach it, I hope you too are talking about the same!

[Majic]

Does this conclude the travelogue, i was expecting to find more to this, Please do continue if so if there is anything else, Nice narration and splendid photos.

[darklord]

I am afraid that is all I have, unless you want more pictures.

I should probably learn to make my finale more pronounced.

[Majic]

Originally Posted by darklord

I am afraid that is all I have, unless you want more pictures.

I should probably learn to make my finale more pronounced.

Thanks! Actually i think it was more completed, i was planning on a vacation with my family and was searching for threads from Trivandrum in my quest to know more i just felt that there is lots more to it. So i am sorrycontinue with any other travels gone recently

[darklord]

A few months after the above mentioned trip, I went on the same route; but this time with family. We visited two locations that we (me and friends) had skipped the first time; namely, Tirparappu and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial/Thiruvalluvar statue. So, instead of starting a new thread, I am adding those to this thread.

The first was Tirparappu/Thriparappu. It is a picnic/pilgrimage spot. There is an old shiva temple as well as a waterfall. One has to turn left from Marthandam and travel 16 km to reach here.

"Thiruparappu is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is known for its waterfalls, and for an ancient Shiva temple, which is one of the twelve temples visited in the annual Shivalaya ottam pilgrimage."

Thiruparappu

[darklord]

The second was Vivekananda Memorial/Thiruvalluvar statue. I don't think any description of the location itself is needed as these are the prominent attractions in Kanyakumari. So, I will just post the pictures.













That's all from this second trip. Still there are a lot of places that I missed out on this route. Planning my catch-up already .

[nairrk]

Nice photo's dear,
Padmanabhapuram Palace - If I remember correctly, some 25 years back, one can see 3 floors of the palace which was then reduced to 2 floors and lately only ground floor and few rooms in first floor?. Further the Palace is surrounded with BIG FORT and many people living inside the fort- they have been living for so many years. Those the people lived in the surrounding areas (Inside the Fort) were the King's people/soldiers their relatives etc. Now may be all local people who might have bought the houses from the yester year people who might have migrated to various places once the king has moved out of this place. There are many more things about this palace but could not recollect all.
At Kanyakumari (cape comorin)- seems you forgot about GAndhimandapam(Not seen any photo also). One can climb to the first floor veranda and can see whole of ARabian see (actually it' s thriveni sangamam i.e 3 sea's joining here and only you can see it in Kanyakumari (this name came after the unmarried -kumari- godess whose temple is there)
Thanks

[rxpaul]

Great travelogue. I had visited Vattakottai when i was a kid (long long ago) and still recollect the coconut tree with its trunk twisted spirally. Is it still there ? If any team-bhpians visit there, pl. take a photograph. I would love to put it on my desktop.