Team-BHP > Travelogues


Reply
  Search this Thread
133,008 views
Old 24th February 2010, 00:30   #106
Team-BHP Support
 
SmartCat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,334
Thanked: 42,095 Times

The main kodi Maram (stambha) - How did you take that photograph? The pillar looks really tall. How did you get the whole pillar in the frame?
SmartCat is online now  
Old 24th February 2010, 00:32   #107
Senior - BHPian
 
sbraj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: B L R / T V M
Posts: 1,071
Thanked: 9 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6 View Post
I waited for people to move. But this persistant guy refused to move till and even after I clicked the pic.
Isn't such moments that capture the essence of the trip? Expression on people's faces? I find it always interesting to have human expressions captured along with monuments. To me, these expressions in turn remind me of my own feelings at that moment. Sort of a reflection, a mirror.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
I always like carrying food.
I prefer to eat the local cuisine where ever possible. And at times, the best of the cuisine may not be available as parcel. Usually parcels tend to be the run of mill types - the dosas, idlis and pongals. To me, food is an essential ingredient of my travel experience; it is not complete until I experience the local cuisine.
sbraj is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 00:40   #108
MX6
Senior - BHPian
 
MX6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
The main kodi Maram (stambha) - How did you take that photograph? The pillar looks really tall. How did you get the whole pillar in the frame?
It is very tall. I used a wide angle lens. Now I've got a Super wide angle lens as well (10 - 18 mm) which translates to 15 - 28 mm on DSLRs.

With such a wide angle lens, this is what one can do.

A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-firth-forth-1.jpg

The bridge in pic is the firth of forth bridge in scotland. It's the photo of the rail bridge taken from the adjacent road bridge.
MX6 is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 00:44   #109
Senior - BHPian
 
sbraj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: B L R / T V M
Posts: 1,071
Thanked: 9 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6
Tanjore painting depicting Marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar
This painting looks remarkably similar to the Mural paintings at Guruvayoor temple. Is this done on the wall or a ceiling?
sbraj is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 06:31   #110
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,921
Thanked: 12,885 Times

Madurai temple is always an experience every time one goes there. I had been there last year with my 7 month old across the road ! (Almost the same state as you are in, but I did not do that long a distance and I also was NOT driving.)

We went Kanyakumari to Mayavaram on a temple visit tour. It included Kanyakumari, Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Mayavaram. NH45 was getting completed then. Even then the roads were awesome and so were the state highways.
ampere is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 13:52   #111
MX6
Senior - BHPian
 
MX6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by sbraj View Post
This painting looks remarkably similar to the Mural paintings at Guruvayoor temple. Is this done on the wall or a ceiling?
It's on the wall. High enough so that people don't go around adding their graffitti on to it. But in general, we find good people around south indian temples. They don't go around defiling the place.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Madurai temple is always an experience every time one goes there. I had been there last year with my 7 month old across the road ! (Almost the same state as you are in, but I did not do that long a distance and I also was NOT driving.)

We went Kanyakumari to Mayavaram on a temple visit tour. It included Kanyakumari, Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Mayavaram. NH45 was getting completed then. Even then the roads were awesome and so were the state highways.
That's good. Anyway, distance is always mind over matter. If you don't mind it, it doesn't matter.
MX6 is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 14:29   #112
Senior - BHPian
 
aargee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TSTN
Posts: 6,230
Thanked: 9,597 Times

Man MX6 - How come they allowed you to take so many pics OR how did you manage to take so many pics without them noticing everything? Also in TN temples, they usually ask if the infant is atleast 1 year old & only then they provide the "prasadh", how did you manage all this? But whatever you did, I'm getting a free darshan - Thanks man.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sbraj View Post
I prefer to eat the local cuisine where ever possible. And at times, the best of the cuisine may not be available as parcel. Usually parcels tend to be the run of mill types - the dosas, idlis and pongals. To me, food is an essential ingredient of my travel experience; it is not complete until I experience the local cuisine.
Count me in your list buddy; but I wouldn't do that unless my vehicle is guarded properly. I'd prefer to eat idlies & curd rice in my journey than anything else; when I drive, I enjoy the drive & when I enjoy the local cuisine it means I'm at my destination; I also eat less outside because I munch something during my drive like peanuts or chocolates.
aargee is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 14:30   #113
MX6
Senior - BHPian
 
MX6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times

On the 8th of Jan, we had our breakfast quickly in hotel Aarthy. For the first time in the trip, we took our daughter in an Auto! She was let loose from her usual car-seat. I told her very clearly, that there's no waving hands or other body parts outside the auto. Wriggling, jumping, holding on to the bar in front or pulling the auto driver's hair is also a strict no.
The auto driver couldn't help avoid laughing listening to my comments. God knows what my daughter understood, but she was just standing and watching things zoom by. It was amazing for her to see traffic up, close and personal. And the shops that dot the veli veedhi and chithirai veedi was a great attraction for her.

The great Auto trip.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-1.jpg

Traditional places call for traditional dresses.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-2.jpg

Feeding the calves. It's so much fun to watch these people much from our hands.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-3.jpg

Don't know what grabbed the attention of my mom and my daughter. In a temple, I guess, I'm the least interesting person!
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-4.jpg

Meenakshi's weddign with Sundareshwara. Vishnu in the middle.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-5.jpg

We got the 100 rupees ticket for us to save time. Because it's already around 10 when we reached the Golden lotus tank. And the temple closes at 12. There is a 15 rupee ticket as well, which offers slightly longer queue. Armed with tickets of 400 rupees, we were given a royal entry. Just before the Sannidhi (sanctum sanctorum) they held people briefly, just to let them in batches of 8.
At Meenakshi's altar, we performed Archana. The pujari's were so nice that they let us sit and watch the whole puja for 5 mins. And after the puja was over, one of them came and smeared Kumkum on our baby and smiled. We were allowed to stay till the next batch of 8 came in.
I never could imagine that on a busy crowded day one can stand at the altar with a 1 year old for 10 mins. Also it was cool in the altar. My daughter was transfixed seeing the giant statue of meenakshi and the parrot on her shoulder!
Next we proceeded to the Altar of Shiva, who's also Sundareshwara or Chokka for locals.
We were asked to come inside the sanctum sanctorum and asked to sit! No we didn't pay anything extra. My daughter sat right in the middle while the puja went on. After 10 mins, the security and police asked all people to move out so that he can let in the next batch of 8.
When he saw me and my daughter sitting there, he let us sit and asked others to move out.
I sang the song Aadal kaaneero with my grotesque voice. My daughter was on her knees, moving up and down clapping. We sat in the altar for almost 30 mins. It was nearing 12. I showed her the two big elephants near the door (the sculptures) and told her that Shiva fed these with sugarcane. And the stone elephants ate them! Don't know what she understood. She was happy.
We moved out of the altar very happily. I never imagined that this would be a very special trip to Madurai.

As we come out of the Altar.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-6.jpg

Mukkuruni Vinayagar.
The seven foot high idol of Mukkurini Vinayakar on the way to Swami sannidhi from that of the Godess is carved out of a single rock, is unique in many ways. This idol was installed by King Thirumalai Nayakkar in the year 1645. Legend has it that this idol was found when the Mariamman Teppakulam was being dug.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-7.jpg

Traditional Pattu Pavadai.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-8.jpg

And sometimes you do manage to drive out strangers when you take photos of the scale model.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-9.jpg

Koodal Azhagar Perumal temple behind Hotel Aarthy. We wanted to check it out. But we were running low on time. Hari and Hara are the same. We saw Hara. So we decided to skip this temple and probably go there the next time we are there in Madurai.
A trip close to heart - Pune to Tirunelveli-madurai-10.jpg

It was time for lunch. We came back to the place where we left our footwear. There are free govt authorised places. My father literally grew up in this temple. So we avoided repeated requests for guides. We knew how to go in and how to come out. This temple has a special place in my heart, just like every other temple of TN!
Now began the discussion where to go for lunch. We decided not to take our father's opinion, as he doesn't have any other choice other than college house. That's the only place on his map!
Coming up! A grand luncheon!

Last edited by Technocrat : 9th April 2011 at 00:01. Reason: Removed unnecessary formatting tags, thanks
MX6 is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 14:37   #114
Senior - BHPian
 
Gansan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 4,521
Thanked: 5,471 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6 View Post
Meenakshi's weddign with Sundareshwara. Vishnu in the middle.
Attachment 294692
Great photos! But look closely, that is Meenakshi in the middle, Vishnu (her brother) is on her right, offering her hand to Sundareswara who is to her left!
Gansan is online now  
Old 24th February 2010, 15:07   #115
MX6
Senior - BHPian
 
MX6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gansan View Post
Great photos! But look closely, that is Meenakshi in the middle, Vishnu (her brother) is on her right, offering her hand to Sundareswara who is to her left!
True. Vishnu is on her right. It was a typo as I was typing out very fast.
Only in the painting you find Vishnu in the middle.
Apologies for the oversight. Eagerness to step on the gas can lead to missing out on minor points.

Thanks for pointing this out Gansan.

@aargee. Photography is allowed in parts of the temple. There are clearly marked areas where you are not allowed to take photos. Even cameras are not allowed in the sanctum sanctorum. There are so many halls (mandapams), museums, sculptures etc which you can blissfully shoot with permission. There's a small fee for taking your camera in.


And Hey! Now my travelogue has got a 5* rating. I profoundly thank all the people who liked this and have rated it! I'm on cloud 9.

Last edited by MX6 : 24th February 2010 at 15:10.
MX6 is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 15:15   #116
Senior - BHPian
 
Gansan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 4,521
Thanked: 5,471 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6 View Post
And Hey! Now my travelogue has got a 5* rating. I profoundly thank all the people who liked this and have rated it! I'm on cloud 9.
It is real five star stuff MX6, that is why we voted it so!
Gansan is online now  
Old 24th February 2010, 17:39   #117
J.Ravi
 
Posts: n/a

Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6 View Post
he doesn't have any other choice other than college house. That's the only place on his map!
Whenever I visited Madurai, College House used to be my first port of call as it had ample car-parking facility in the heart of city. I heard that it is closed long back.

Great travelogue and superb photographs, MX6. It is as if you have taken us for a ride [literally and not metaphorically] of temples of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu!

Last edited by J.Ravi : 24th February 2010 at 17:42.
 
Old 24th February 2010, 18:57   #118
BHPian
 
hotstuff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Campus @ IIMA !
Posts: 368
Thanked: 120 Times
* * * * * !

Truly a 5 star thread.

Quote:
...The most famous of those stories were compiled and made in to a blockbuster Tamil movie called Thiruvilayadal, starring Sivaji Ganesan.
Interesting, I'll look for the VCD/DVD the next time I am at the Landmark.
hotstuff is offline  
Old 24th February 2010, 22:04   #119
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,921
Thanked: 12,885 Times

Madurai is one place where once in city there would be dearth of options for food. But having said that, every one has a special place which he/she will cherish. For me its always Hotel Arthi on my map .
ampere is offline  
Old 25th February 2010, 09:41   #120
Senior - BHPian
 
Gansan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 4,521
Thanked: 5,471 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Madurai is one place where once in city there would be dearth of options for food.
Hey, I think you actually meant to say "no dearth", right? Madurai can be accused of many things, but lack of options for food is not one of them! That city never sleeps, you can get piping hot tiffin even past midnight.

Last edited by Gansan : 25th February 2010 at 09:42.
Gansan is online now  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks