Travel: Madurai-Rameshwaram-Kanyakumari

Bangalore-Madurai-Rameshwaram-Madurai-Kanyakumari-Madurai-Bangalore
5 – 8 July 2007 [Written 18 December 2007]

Our Madurai-Rameshwaram-Kanyakumari Trip Itinerary (4 nights - 3 days):
1. Bangalore --> Madurai (by Train overnight)
2. Madurai to Rameshwaram one day sight seeing and back to Madurai - night halt
3. Madurai to Kanyakumari - night halt - and return to Madurai next day morning
4. Madurai half day local sightseeing --> return to Bangalore (by Train overnight)

We had planned this trip few days before my in-laws were in Bangalore. We started as per our itinerary on the 5th of July, boarding the night train (Tuticorin Express) to Madurai from Bangalore, reached Madurai at around 7:30 am the following morning and leaving others at the station waiting area, I went in search of a tour operator and place to stay – All was finalized pretty soon and I came back to the railway station to move to the hotel in Madurai.

We started off for Rameshwaram the same day at about 10 am in a rented Indica. I was able to get a package-tour costing Rs. 4400/- for four people for our entire itinerary: Madurai to Rameshwaram - one day sight seeing and back to Madurai, night halt at Madurai, Madurai to Kanyakumari - one day sight seeing and night halt, return to Madurai next day morning, Madurai - half day local sightseeing, and final drop at railway station for our train (Mysore Express) journey back to Bangalore.

The road to Rameshwaram was pretty decent – it’s about 150 kms and it took us about 3 hrs to get there – stopping on the way for a refreshing flavoured (and over sweetened) lime juice and breakfast-cum-lunch of the regular idlis, dosas and ‘mini-meals’.

On the way to Rameshwaram one crosses over the 3-4 Km long ‘Indira Bridge’ from which one can see the older ‘Pamban Bridge’ - which connects the island of Rameshwaram and ‘Dhanuskodi’ (named after Lord Ram’s bow) to the main Indian peninsula. This is the longest bridge in India and it allowed meter-gauge trains to run over it earlier (The Indian Railways has plans to run broad-gauge trains over it now). One can have a beautiful view of the sea and adjoining landscape while crossing over this bridge.

Rameshwaram, itself is an island, the city is also an important south India pilgrimage spot. It is said to be the place from where Lord Ram built a bridge across the sea to the current Sri Lanka. Ram is also believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of killing the demon Ravan at a shrine called Agni-theertham, here.

Rameshwaram temple or the Ramanatha Swamy Temple, which was built in the 17th century, is situated close to the sea - this temple is famous for having around 1200 gigantic granite columns. The presiding deity is Sri Ranganatha, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas from Indian mythology. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the ‘Banaras of the South’.

Interesting part of the visit to the Rameshwaram Temple is the ‘bathing’ ritual at the 21 holy wells, before entering for the main darshan – we had actually got ‘ganga jal’ from Varanasi which we offered to the deity (it is said that offering fresh water from the ‘ganga’ is specially pious as the deity there gets only the ‘salty’ sea water on a regular basis!!!)

Next day we were off to Kanyakumari in the same car. We were able to enjoy most of Kanyakumari’s sight seeing places: Ferry ride to Thiruvalluvar Statue and Swami Vivekanada Rock, Gandhi Mandapam, Aadhi Sankarachari Statue and the 18Ft Hanuman Statue Temple, not to mention the sun set and sun rise views from the sea shore.

My father-in-law was on a shopping spree throughout the trip – buying local stuff and that too in ‘wholesale quantities’. We got some 24 pieces of ‘Rameshwaram’ inscribed mini corn shells, good quantities of ‘kaju’ and a mini box of pearls (about 120 pieces), not to mention the cheap eye goggles for each one of us (which actually came in very handy as it was quite sunny there!!!) and other sundry items.

On return from Kanyakumari, the remaining day (of 8th July 2007) we spent at the famous Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – is a marvel in architecture with abundant wealth of sculpture and long multi-pillared corridors with intricately carved archways and painting and colourful design patterns on the ceilings.

Other places of interest and for sight-seeing in Madurai are: Azhagar Temple, Pazhamudir Cholai Hills, Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Mariamman Temple and the Gandhi Museum. We being short of time didn’t actually see all these places – and as they say – keep something for the next visit!!!