Our Trip Down South

Oh Aishu,
Thanks a lot for stepping in. I am happy that I took you on a virtual tour.

 

With the happiness that CSK won the semifinals, we started on 1st of June morning to the next destination Courtallam. Using the previous two days experience (that if you go early to the falls, you will get free place to take bath for a long time), we had asked Mr. Shankar to come by 6.00 in the morning. But as we were watching the match, we slept late and got up only by 6.30 and we hurried to Courtallam. We did enquire whether there is water in Coutrallam and we were told that as the monsoon have started in Kerala, there will be water in the falls. But when we reached there, we were told that the main falls is closed due to repair works being done in the rods and rails and we should proceed to the five falls to take bath.

When we reached five falls, it was almost 9.00am and as expected there was a huge crowd, and the water was flowing from only one section, that is the largest section of the falls. We had to stand in queue for our turn. Though we had our bath, it was not satisfactory. The water flow was also not that heavy.

Like in Tipparappu, here also woman have changing rooms but here they charge Rs. 3 per adult.

There was a shop selling spices and we got some spices at a real good rate. As I was afraid to carry much, all I got was a full package worth Rs. 100 which had 10 different spices all packed for 200 gms each. While going to the falls, we saw some boys selling Nungu and a fruitshop selling different kinds of fruits. After a dissppointing bath in the falls, we thought atleast let us taste the fruits of the hills.

We got some Mangusthan(there were six sections and each section tasted differently), Panner fruits(these fruits, if they are ripe are supposed to quench your thirst) and some hill mangoes(they were really of a different taste). The nungus were very big and 4 of them filled our stomach. The kids breakfast on that day was Nungu.

After coming down the hills, we went to the KasiVishwanathar temple in Thenkasi. The temple is neatly maintained and is very quite and calm. We had a very good darshan. The Rajagopuram of any temple is a wonder of architecture. If you stand under the gopuram, one could experience the heavy wind flow. As we had to wait for the car to come back from the workshop(we had a flat tyre and Mr. Shankar went to fix it though we had a spare), we witnessed that wonder. The wind inside the temple was very calm. The wind on the road was also calm but under the Rajagopuram, the wind blewed us away.

We took some rest and went to Nellaiappar temple in the evening. Enroute we collected our Halwa packets. Only on reaching the temple, we came to know that it was Pradosham day. The abishekams were over when we went, and as the Lord and Lordess are coming around the temple, we were told that the archanais will be done only for Nandi. The temple has a very big white Nandi with the toungue thrusting into the nose. The archanai was done for the smaller Nandi in front of the sanctum sanctorum.

We had a good darshan of Nellaiappar and Kanthimathi amman. And we made the outer prakara pradakshinam which took nearly 45 mins to complete. It is a very big temple.

There is a Gubera Lingam Sannidhi outside Nellaiappar Sannidhi and on all Pradosham days, this Gubera Lingam is decorated with Sandalwood paste. It was a very beautiful sight to see. The Natarajar of this temple is also very famous. In the Durgai Sannidhi located near the Nellaiappar Sannidhi, you were asked to take the Kumkum in the right hand and it should be kept on the forehead using your ring finger of the right hand. You should not transfer the kumkum to the left hand to do this.

As Tirunelveli is nearer to Madurai, you get real big Malligaipoo(Jasmine). You can get the flower either in counts or in Muzham(one forearm length). The flowers are tied very closely and the muzham they put is equal to almost 2 to 2 and a half muzhams that is given by the Chennai flower vendors. Me and my daugther had the previlage of adoring our hairs with lots of Jasmine(thalai niraiya poo).

From there we went to Singapore shoppee to get some gifts for Mr. Shankar and his family. He have become a part of our family after being with us for 5 days. We bade him farewell and dispossed off the car too.


We didnot take any snaps in Coutrallam. But I have attached a snap of Nellaiappar temple Gopuram.

 

We had watched the finals and we all were highly dissappointed due to so many reasons. This is the last day of the trip. We are leaving Tirunelveli to Chennai by Nellai Express. Though we have been organising things on all days, without leaving much to pack, we still had some things to pack. We packed every thing that is left(except the wet clothes that were hanging) and went for breakfast.

I wanted to show the house where we lived(ofcourse 20 years back) and also the school where I studied. So we took an auto (we had disposed the cabs the previous day after the Nellaiappar Koil trip) and went straight to MaharajaNagar Terminus(enroute showing the different colleges, the tennis court, stadium(where I participated in various sports events then) and the temple of that area). Like many other towns the place where we lived also had changed. There were even more houses and the park near our house was well maintained(when we were there, there used to be nothing in the park except junk). But the house remained just the same. As we didnot know who lived there we didnot go inside. Just took a snap from outside to show it to my parents.

Then we tried to go by the route which we used to take to go to our school, but the entire road was blocked and so we had to go by a differnt route. Daughter was so thrilled to see the school. The school which we studied(me and my brother) also had a facelift and all the asbestos class rooms are changed into concrete blocks. This school Sri Jeyandra Swamigal Silver Jubliee School was started by my Athai(aunt, my father's cousin). Though she is no more, her youngest son and eldest daughter are taking care of the school. As they are my cousins, they recognized me and we went around the school to show the class rooms where I studied. It bought back so many nostalgic memories. (If I had to write about them, then I need to start a separate thread for that).

There is a Science Centre in Tirunelvei (near the banks of Tamirabarani). I am not so sure, how many people whose native is Tirunelveli have been there, but it is a real good place to visit with kids of age around 8 to 14. Lots of scientific theories are explained very nicely practically and kids will never forget. Make sure to add this place too to your list, if you are planning a visit to Tirunelveli. The entry fee is Rs. 2 per head(which is very nominal for such a place with huge information). It took us nearly 2 hours to see the entire centre.

As I had promised to take my daughter to Arasan Icecream centre to have the biiiiiiiiig icecream, we went there straight from the Science Centre. The name of the Icecream is Fantasy(if I am right) and it comes in a biiiiiiig bowl. There will be 8 scoops of different flavours of icecream, topped with fried nuts, fruits and honey. If you are a icecream crazy person, then you wont share it with anyone. But still you will not be able to finish it off all by yourself. We all shared the entire bowl of icecream. It was yummy.

We went back to the hotel, had our lunch, took some rest. By 4.30 we checked out and when we I was ordering for milk for the kids coffee for me and DH, DS who was standing with DH came running inside and fell down. Though I picked him up immideatly only on coming to the table I found that he had a small cut in his head and it is bleeding. The waiter provided with a ice cube and I held it tightly wrapped in a hankey on the cut area. Luckily the bleeding stopped in a few mins and he too stopped crying (Thrishi Kazhinjithu).

We went to the station in an auto and as usual had to lug our luggage to the third platform as some repair work is going on in the first platform. We were well before time. The train was in the platform and we were told that it will not be opened untill 5.30. Only on reaching the place opposite to the third Ac compartment we found out that there is another road, that comes close to the other end of the platform. So pls make a note of this, all those who are planning your trip, especially by the Ac and firstclass compartments to go out and come in to the station through that road. They are just laying that road and probably now it would have been completed.

The train started in correct time and our co passengers were elderly couple with a young girl and a man who had joined job recently. TT of that compartment was also our co-passenger. Ours was just near the entrance, and so the jolt was heavy (all of us slept with backpain).

The train was almost 45 mins late when it reached Tambaram and as we all were very tired due to the heavy shake of the train we arranged for a trolley with porter to take our luggage out of the station.

Here we are back in our home sweet home.

 

Hi Gayathri, I am happy that you enjoyed the travelogue. Thanks.

 

Yes Cinhuja,
There is a place called EB colony, near Maharajanagar. If you go by bus, you have to get down at Maharajanagar bus terminus and walk even further, cross the railway line and you enter into the EB colony. I had friends there too. When you are planning your next trip to India, do plan it in the month of May so that you could taste the Nungus again. They are available even in Chennai now a days. Just that the size is not that big.

 

Hi Saraswathi,
Yes the season have started just now. And we have planned to go there by July end, August. Just to coutrallam this time. Keeping my fingers crossed, as that plan depends upon so many things.