the light baggage

Overview: Tamil Nadu is always known for its majestic temples with huge towers. While travelling to Tranqebar, we planned to visit a few of TN's heritage temples. The first temple was the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram, which is a huge complex. It was not as crowded as we had expected, and we went straight to the main deity of Natraja. Going by the famous Chidambara Rahasya, we could see the images of Shiva and Parvati, but on the left side of Lord Shiva, there was a blank space, which the priest said, is the place where another image of Lord Shiva is present but not seen by common public. Within the complex can be seen a huge Kalyani (tank), which is again very common in this part of the country. Next temple is the Brihadeeswarar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. It resembles the temple with the same name in Tanjore, and also is a UNESCO World heritage site. Living upto its title of one of the 'Greatest Living Chola temples', we were welcomed by a gigantic Nandi sta...

Overview: I stumbled upon this place when I was searching places around Pondicherry. Pichavaram is the second largest mangrove forest in the country, the first one being the Sundarbans in West Bengal. Pichavaram is around 14kms away from the temple town of Chidambaram and can be reached via Killai. The place is well maintained by the Tamil Nadu tourism department, and boat rides are offered depending on how much one wants to explore the backwaters. We took a 1 hour row boat ride, and traversed through the thick of the mangrove forests, at places the trees were so dense that it formed a complete umberlla as we crossed through that section. The trees are rooted into shallow waters and is home to several species of birds and marine life. The waterways spead aross a vast area which finally merges with the Bay of Bengal.           How to reach: Pichavaram is around 15kms from the temple town of Chidambaram. Autorickshaws can be hired from Chidambaram to re...

Overview: Walking along the King's street from the fort gate towards the Danish fort makes one feel traversing through one of the streets in Europe. The old Danish houses, Mühldorff’s House and Lutheran church and the new Jerusalem church have their own share of history in colonial India. The Zion church, commissioned in 1701, just close to the beach is the oldest protestant church in India. The main attraction of the city, the fort Dansborg, was built in the mid 17th century, is one of the biggest Danish forts ever built. Right next to the fort is the Bungalow-on-the-beach, which is an old colonial Danish house, currently offers accommodation to the tourists. Also lies on the beach is a very old temple of Lord Shiva, built during the Cholas in the pre-Danish era. The cool morning breeze along the sea and the rustic charm of the place was a pleasant experience. I would rank it one of the must visits if one is in Pondicherry. How to reach: Tranquebar is around  120kms ...

Overview: One of the few places where we see the glimpses of French influence in India is Pondicherry. However, it has an even ancient past, having Chola footprints. As we started from the southern part of the UT of Pondy, we visited the ancient living temples in Bahour and Villianur. The Mulanathar temple in Bahour is believed to be an ancient Vedic centre of learning and the 9th century inscriptions on the outer walls of the temple tells the story of the village. Around 9kms north of Bahour is the Thirukameshwarar temple of Villianur, which again is a highlight of the Cholan architecture. The temple has typical of the South Indian architecture and has a beautiful pond within the premises. Coming to the hub of the city, the city was in existence right from the 3rd century, and the city was earlier named as Vedapuri, after the Vedapureeshwarar temple in the heritage town. This temple was destroyed by invadors during the 16th-18th centuries. Another temple built by the Cholas in ...

Overview: There are lot of places of historic, religious and natural importance around Mangalore and the district of Dakshina Kannada. Vitla: The historic town of Vitla is known for the Panchalingeshwara temple, built by the Mayippady royal family of Kumble, in a typical Malabar architecture similar to the temple at Kavu. Legend has it that the temple diety was installed by the Pandavas.     Polali: Located around 19kms from Mangalore is the temple town of Polali, known for the 8th century Rajarajeshwari temple on the banks of the river Phalguni. The temple is mentioned in several scriptures and inscriptions including Markandeya Purana and Ashokan edicts. Puttur: Known for the medicinal herbs and plants grown in the region, Puttur also has the 11th century Mahalingeshwara temple, where the car festival is held annually. Around 15kms from Puttur is the hot springs of Bendru Teertha.     Moodabidri: Moodabidri was one of the main learning centres of Jainism, ...

Overview: Today's Mangalore is a bustling metropolis and competes with the biggest cities in India, but still maintaining the rich culture and heritage. Several heritage structures don the skyline of Mangalore, like the 9th century Mangaladevi temple, which gives its name to the city. Other attractions are the St Aloysius Chapel, built by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Moscheni in 1884; Sultan Bathery, which is a watch tower constructed by Tipu Sultan in 1784; and the Milagres Church built around the same time, Light house hill tower, which served as a watch tower for British Navy. The Kadri Manjunatha temple was initially built in the 10th century, but its outer walls were completed by the 14th century. This is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dedicated to Lord Manjunathaswamy and several caves and inscriptions being found near the temple. A popular temple of Anantha Padmanabha temple at Kudupu is another attraction 10kms from Mangalore. Once in Mangalore, it is hard to mis...