"TOUR DE SOUTH INDIA" :- A solo whirlwind tour of South India by train ,road and walking.

The tip of India where the Bay of Bengal ,Arabian sea  and Indian Ocean meet  at  Kanyakumari(Cape Comorin)  as also the  ghost town of  Dhanushkodi  was missing from my list of exotic places travelled in India . Internet travel research made me plan a whirlwind  tour of South India which included Thrissur, Guruvayur, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram,Dhanushkodi and Coimbatore.Purchased  train tickets well in advance in January through the "Internet" for my solo adventure which i titled "Tour De South India"  being a cycling fan and physical fitness fanatic.The tour would not be by a cycle but a ten day hectic combination of  train , road, auto-rickshaws and the use of my own  two feet.I would be spending 5 nights sleeping in the second class sleeper reservation of trains and the other 5 nights in hotels/lodges.

Beginning of "TOUR DE SOUTH INDIA":- Arrival Thrissur

Departure Mumbai (Saturday 28-2-2015) :- Left my house at approx 1400hrs and waited for Nos 53 bus at Adarsh Nagar bus stop in Worli. .The sky was cloudy and a  freak non-seasonal drizzle began.Was it a Omen of things to follow ! Inquiries with a fellow  commuter at the bus-stop made me change my route as the bus frequency of 53 Nos bus was unpredictable and hence boarded the 162 nos bus to Sewri station.From Sewri station caught  a train to"TilakNagar Station".The shortest and convenient route  to "L.T.T Station" from my residence in Prabhadevi. Reached LTT Terminus very early at approx 1500 hrs and whiled away my time reading "The Bourne Supremacy".Books are my companions on all "Solo travels".The train  "22113 LTT -Trivandrum Kochuveli Express"departed the station on schedule at  1655 hrs and it was a pleasant journey in cool pleasant weather .My section had a group of young college girls studying in Panvel returning to Kerala for a holiday.There was a continuous drizzle throughout the night and early morning upto "Karwar Station" in the State of Karnataka.

"Basilica of our lady of Dolours" in Thrissur.

Sunday(1-3-2015) Arrival Thrissur:- The train journey in the morning took me through nostalgic stations of Udupi and Mangalore ,my ancestral roots, having spent numerous school holidays in my parents ancestral villages of Barkur and Mabukala..After passing Mangalore and entering the State of Kerala i was baffled by the greenery and backwater rivers of this state.Had visited Kochi(Cochin)  in the 1980's , a beautiful port city .No wonder Kerala its called "God's  Own Country" and a favourite tourist destination.Spent the rest of the train journey reading the "Bourne Supremacy" a novel that is outdated in 2015 with the capture and imprisonment of "Carlos the Jackal", one of the most invisible terrorists before the emergence of  Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida and now "I.S.I.S" in 2015.At approx 1430 hrs reached Thrissur station and bizarrely no "T/C (Ticket Collector)" checked my train reservation either on the train itself or at the arrival station Thrissur.This was a first of its kind of  train travel experience in India having travelled thousands of train kilometers within the country. A real authentic  beginning to the "Tour De South India-2015". Thrissur is World famous for its annual "Thrissurpooram festival" also known as the "Elephant festival" held in either mid-April or mid-May and scheduled for Tuesday   28th April  in 2015.This festival of decorated elephants parade is considered the festival of all festivals in Kerala where elephants are commonly used for temple festivals and celebrations most notably  in Guruvayur..Viewers must have seen on television or internet  a assembly of elephants in splendid decor standing in a single file followed by a sea of humanity which is the "Thrissurpooram Festival".This is one of the most iconic images of India to the International tourist map .Besides Hinduism Thrissur  also has deep cultural roots to Christianity in India. After alighting the train  made my way to the public auto-rickshaw booth  just outside the railway station and hired a rickshaw for visiting the "Basilica of our Lady of Dolours" locally called "Puthan Palli" and having the unique title of  the being the  tallest church in Asia.Pope John Paul II had visited this church during his tour of India in 1986. I was also on a simultaneous personal  study tour of researching the roots of Christianity in India which has its origins in the State of Kerala.This was the first Catholic Church in Thrissur..It was a short drive of approx 1 km to the church from the railway station  costing the minimum fare of Rs 20.

Panoramic view from "BIBLE TOWER" of Thrissur city.

                       The tallest architectural structure in Thrissur is the "Bible Tower" situated in the precincts of  "Our Lady of Dolours" church. The Church has  two front towers 146 feet in height  as seen in the photo on the left  while the central tower is the 260 ft   high "Bible Tower" from which i clicked the photo. Admission fee   to the "Bible Tower" was  Rs 10 and to add to  my penance the tower lift was in-operational on that day.After a hectic overnight train journey it was a tedious walk up the steps  to the top of the bible tower, the tallest structure in Thrissur. It put my physical fitness and mental stamina to test.While  walking up the stairs got to view  the inner walls of the tower which depicts the entire life of Jesus Christ in the form of Mural  and canvas paintings.It is the first Christian art gallery in Kerala and my walk to the top of the tower also refreshed my Christian catechism classes.The view from the top of the tower was amazing, the entire city of Thrissur visible from a  birds eye view angle as seen in the photograph. After regaining my energy  at the top and also enjoying the majestic view of Thrissur city made my way down the tower steps and  also viewed the gallery on one of the floors  in which a collection of old bible texts were on display.Finally made my way out of the "Bible Tower"  and walked towards the city bus-stop for my destination to Guruvayur.

Guruvayur Temple(Sunday 1-3-2015) :-Temple Elephant entering the main temple on the West Nada  entrance side.

                                                                                                                                                At approx 1530 hrs boarded the bus to Guruvayur a distance of approximately 28 kms by road from Thrissur. Reached Guruvayur private bus depot situated in East Nada  at approximately 1645 hrs.From the bus depot  boarded a auto-rickshaw to "Sathya Inn " situated  just opposite the "K.S.R.T.C Bus Stand" in the  West Nada locality of Guruvayur township.I had reserved a room through on-line booking on "www.booking.com" and hence on arrival at the hotel was directed into "Room Nos 109" , a nice comfortable self-contained room with T.V at a rental of  Rs 1000/day.The Guruvayur temple is the fourth largest temple in India in terms of devotees visiting the temple every day and famous for its elephants.Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the main sacrosanct temple..The plan map of  Guruvayur  city and the temple complex is given below, exact to the detail.After having a bath  ventured out of my hotel and walked the short distance to the outer sanctum of the temple complex  in West Nada where non-Hindu's are allowed. West Nada is the back-door entrance to the temple while East Nada is the main gate entrance.As usual the  temple complex was busy with the movement of pilgrims and tourists.

Inside Guruvayur Temple complex.

                                                            Two beautiful tuskers were tethered  on the open ground besides the paved temple complex.These elephants were a advertisement of a healthy well cared elephant and absolutely docile.As the Sun began setting one of the temple elephants was led to the main temple entrance gate carrying a bale of green grass and finally entered the temple.The docility and obedience of these temple  elephants proves that Elephants are one of the most intelligent animals and later the next day  during the temple  "Anayottam(Elephant Race)" i was also privileged to witness the temper and damage to property  inflicted by a domesticated temple elephant. After watching the elephant temple ritual walked out of the temple complex into West nada  and explored the locality.As seen on the map Guruvayur is a small temple town divided into two sections, East Nada and West Nada with the temple in the centre of the town.Dinner was at a non-vegetarian hotel that also served  beef ! I was baffled at beef being served in a temple town where elephants hold the pride of place, a total vegetarian animal.This is the cosmopolitan living of India where every community has its own food habits and communal living. Next time i woudn't be surprised to find pork dishes in a restaurant in Guruvayur. Dinner was a middle-eastern dish of "Khabush", very common and popular in Arab country's and Malayali's form the maximum Indian working population in the Middle-East Country's.Later in my hotel room browsed the T.V channels and found not much of a choice of entertainment programmes, most being in Malayalam language  and the rest just common news channels.Had a good nights sleep on the soft hotel bed compared to the trains second class sleeper berth .

GURUVAYUR TEMPLE TOWN COMPLEX  LAYOUT.

Monday(2-3-2015)Guruvayur:-Woke up early as usual and after my toilet formalities headed to the hotel reception.My plans were to visit the "St Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church" and later the "Punnathur Kotta".The hotel receptionist told me that there was a total"Thrissur  Bandh"due to some political murder the previous night.Thankfully private transport was allowed and this was the saving grace of my Thrissur/Guruvayur tour.

Pune Cyclists on a "Tour De South India".

                                                                                                                            Had a classic breakfast of local fried banana fritters and tea at the busy tea shop close to the hotel in  West Nada. Since my arrival in Kerala  the unique long yellow coloured Kerala banana was my staple diet and snack, costing Rs 12 for a single banana. These banana's are a specialty of South India, especially  the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.Suddenly to my bizarre amazement  spotted a group of professional  cyclists with cycle backpacks  riding towards me on the West Nada road .Stopped the eldest looking cyclist as the others rode along and  50 year old Cyclist Mr Anand.Ghatpande of Pune told me that they were a  group of 9 cyclists from Pune on a "Cycle Tour" of South India that began in Pune and was to end in Trivandrum..They were  now on their way to Kanyakumari and scheduled to reach on Thursday.They would then ride to Trivandrum and fly back to Pune, a real enthusiastic bunch of cyclist tourists.Cycle tours are very popular in most popular  tourist locales of the World and it was heartening to see the trend in India.Due to the "Thrissur Bandh" they must have had a clear road throughout the day.They cycled all day and took rest only  in the night at lodges/hotels.What a bizarre co-incidence of naming my solo tour as "Tour De South India" and actually coming across a group of cyclists on a South India tour. Truth is stranger than fiction. Payalur village  is approximately 2.5 Kms from Guruvayur town and i was in no mood for a early morning walk .After a quick tea managed to hire a rickshaw costing Rs 70 and  reached   "St Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic church",the oldest Christian church in India.

Tracing the origins and roots of Christianity in India :- At  entrance of  "St Thomas Church" in Palayur.

                                                                                              On reaching the church at  0715 hrs it seemed empty barring a few parishioners who were at the church graveyard compound.  Due to the  "Thrissur Bandh" the church school was closed and the entire complex was a desolate sight.  All Christians in India including myself actually trace their roots from this Church in Palayur which is claimed to have been established in 52 A.D by one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ named St Thomas .2000 years ago this part of Thrissur was a Jewish and Brahmin Hindu bastion..St Thomas had arrived in the backwaters of Palayur by boat and began preaching to the locals and converted  many of the Brahmin Hindu families to Christianity and also  established  the Church.Today  the entire area is covered by land and cottage style exotic houses with beautiful gardens , some of the best bungalows i have seen in rural South  India. Thus the original and earliest Christian converts in India are from Kerala and it was centuries later with the arrival of Vasco DaGama and the Europeans that Christianity spread to Bombay(Mumbai), Goa and Mangalore as also to parts of North India.As a Mangalorean catholic by ancestry i had finally traced and visited the roots of Christianity and Catholicism in India. So finally i had traced parts of the roots of my religion  in India.

Inside "St Thomas Church "  grounds.

                                                                    The Church looked ordinary , a typical simple village church that reminded me of my parents ancestral church in Barkur and Sastan villages  of  Udipi district of Karnataka.Between Mangalorian Christians  and Keralite Christians there is negligible cultural differences barring the language , both having strong Hindu influence rather than a Western European  influence.There were no benches inside the small church and the congregation sat on the floor.Footwear was to be kept outside the church unlike other  churches in Mumbai and other parts of  India  where the congregation walks into the church with footwear. The Church complex had a museum which opened at 0800 hrs and hence i whiled away my time strolling around the church ground and was  surprised at the simplicity and commonness of one of the most significant historical religious  sites in India.Wandered around the narrow village lane and came across a fish vendor selling fish to the local villagers  with a bunch of cats following him like the Pied Piper  for leftover morsels of fish, typical rural South India topography.On returning to the Church compound met the care-taker Mr A.A.Joseph  who explained me the lay-out  and his own personal employment status.The Church has its annual which lasts for two days and in 2015 is scheduled on the 6th and 7th of May.Its a grand 2 day festival  of orchestra, pageantry and fireworks  akin to Hindu festivals.Later when the tourist counter opened , the same managed by a Nun he  took me on a guided tour of the Church museum on a entry fee of Rs 5 only.

"BOTTUKULAM" in St Thomas Church estate.

                                                                                                                                                   I was the first and only visitor at  approx 0815 hrs and hence got a personal educative tour of the entire Church complex. Photography was not allowed inside the Church museum and as a art and articraft collector myself  was surprised at the wealth of religious  historical icons and relics on display. Most of the historic religious icons and monuments displayed belonged to the "St Thomas  Syro-Malabar Church" as 2000 years is the complete history of Christianity as a religion in the World let alone India.Learnt from Mr A.A.Joseph that the first symbols of Christianity in India  was the "CROSS" as shown in the museum. It was only with the arrival of Vasco  Da Gama and the Europeans that later the human descriptions of religious figures and saints in the form of statues and icons was introduced  in India.Initially all the statues were made of wood and strangely elephants played a vital role  in Church architecture and design akin to Hindu temples.

Thaliyakulam:- The Baptimisal site 2000 years  ago. .

                                           The Church pulpits always had a elephant  sculptor of wood supporting it, typical Hindu temple  architecture.Today Christian churches do not have any internal  animal pillar supports .Sadly i couldn't photograph these historic church relics  but came out of the museum a very educated Catholic on the subject of  Indian Catholic theology.From the museum i was taken to the boat jetty "Bottukulam" where St Thomas first arrived in Palayur, a small artificial pond totally surrounded by land.A small model of a boat is kept on the pond for a photo-shoot  for tourists.Photographed myself on the boat with memories of a career and profession spent sailing the seas and Oceans.Next walked across the church compound to another small pond called "Thaliyakulam" where St Thomas initially baptized his first Christian converts.A ancient well still exists at the site and its water potable.Our last visit was to the  area where the destroyed remains of the original cross  was kept, a large enclosed prayer hall extension of the main church.The Muslim King Tipu.Sultan had destroyed the original Cross during his conquest of Kerala and forcible conversions.Fragments  of the same cross was later  remolded into a new cross and    placed at the original spot.Although a Catholic i was touring the Church with the mind of a historian and searching for "Facts" rather than "Mythology" and the church museum did provide some facts of the birth of Christianity in Kerala, much before the rise of Islam in India .Today in 2015  Christians which include Catholics and Protestants form a minuscule approximately 2.3 % of the entire Indian population.

"ONE TUSK ELEPHANT" at "Anakotta".

                                                                                                                        After completing my tour of St Thomas church realized that transport to "Punnathur Kotta" was next to impossible due to the Thrissur Bandh and hence decided to do a "Walk the Talk" marathon or if lucky hire a auto-rickshaw  or  hitch-hike a motorcycle lift.The "Anakotta( Elephant Fort)" is a elephant sanctuary  situated about 3 kms from Guruvayur temple complex and in the opposite direction of St Thomas Church. Hence the total distance would be approximately 5 Kms from St Thomas Church in Palayur..I must have done more good than bad in my life and providence came to my rescue as a motorcyclist dropped me halfway  to my destination.I later walked the approximately  1 Km distance  to the elephant sanctuary. I presume that during a "Bandh" which is common in Kerala its also common for motocyclists to give lifts if possible.All Indian communities including my own have certain "Stereotype Jokes" partly based on facts and partly as a source of humour.There is a common joke that Malayali's are very enterprising and progressive outside Kerala than in Kerala ! The reason is obvious due to  the rampant trade Unionism prevalent in the State although a tourists Paradise.Finally at approximately 0930 hrs reached the entrance gate of  "Anakotta(Elephant Fort)".Entry fee was Rs 25.

One of the majestic  58 elephants in the  "Punnathur Kotta"(ELEPHANT SANCTUARY)".

 The actual name of the elephant sanctuary is "Punnathur Kotta(Punnathur Fort)" and was formerly a  Palace estate owned by the  Punnathur Raja's of Kerala.It has been in existence for over 400 years. After the demise of the last Raja Shri  Goda Varma Valia Raja  the estate was purchased in 1975  by the Guruvayur temple committee  and used for housing its elephants

.                                      The name "Annakota(Elephant Fort)" was given by the locals after it became a elephant sanctuary for the Guruvayur temple elephants.Today it is the largest elephant sanctuary in the World and as on Monday there were a total of 58 elephants residing in the  18 acres of "Anakotta(Elephant Fort)".All the elephants have been donated to the temple by wealthy and prominent devotees including politicians , most famous being  Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha. Every elephant has a name with its name tag tied around its neck and the name boldly embossed in Malayalam language.For a non-Malayalee visiting this sanctuary  language is a barrier as  neither  Hindi or English language is used in describing or briefly explaining important locales and locations within the sanctuary.

"JUNIOR VISHNU" outside Mahout Quarters.

                                                                                                                                        On entering the Sanctuary premises first spotted a huge tusker lying on its side and being washed and cleaned by its mahout and two other helpers.A  prominent  sign warned tourists of refraining from buying illegal "ELEPHANT HAIR" inside the sanctuary.Tufts of "Elephant Hair" are taken from the tail of a elephant and made into bangles, considered a symbol of "Good Luck". After paying the entrance ticket entered the main elephant sanctuary  in which  a enclosed Temple  is situated  in front of the  main entrance. This temple  houses the deities of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Bhagavathi. A giant tusker was  being bathed  next to the temple premises while other tuskers were tethered equidistantly like horses in  the huge   complex.There is a narrow road pathway along the circumference of the sanctuary for tourist visitors.Walking through this paved path requires utmost caution as the elephants do also use the same path  as shown in the photo.There are numerous "Warning Signs" in English language but scarce information in English or Hindi on the names and maintenance formalities of the elephants.

Elephant in "MUSTH". Notice its Temple,

                                                                                            Never in my life did i ever witness such a sight although did see a large number of elephants in a single location at  the Mysore  zoo as well as Mysore Palace grounds during the Dushera celebrations.The elephant named "Junior Vishnu" was being given a cleaning and a bathe in preparations for the "Anayottam(Elephant race)" to be held at 1500 hrs in the afternoon  at the Guruvayur temple complex.A few elephants had already left the sanctuary walking their way towards Guruvayur temple with their mahout seated on them  and two handlers on each side of every elephant.. Due to the "Thrissur Bandh" the crowd was less and hence i got a close view of "Junior Vishnu" and literally made a documentary photo album  on him.Its not daily that a city man gets to witness the upkeep and maintenance of a elephant, let alone a herd of domesticated elephants. Reminded me of the "Race horses" being exercised every morning  at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai during the Mumbai horse racing season.

 3 Elephants kept penned in log cages.

                                                                                     I was surprised at the amount of water being consumed by "Junior Vishnu", a water rubber hose  supplying water continuously into his trunk by his mahout.When his trunk was filled with water he lifted it into his mouth and emptied the same.No doubt the term "WHITE ELEPHANT" has been coined in the English dictionary .Maintenance of a average elephant costs a fortune in human manpower as well as feeding and care of the elephant.Here i was in the midst of elephants and not race horses.Later walked along the entire sanctuary complex and observed a few elephants in "MUSTH", the same being boldly written in English language to warn tourists and visitors.There is also a residential mahout quarters within the sanctuary.Spotted two  tuskers with single tusks, a rare sight among the numerous elephants.About three elephants were kept in small  log cage type enclosures and not chained to posts or trees like the others.

There was also a large pond akin to a swimming pool in which two tuskers were being bathed and cleaned akin to "Junior Vishnu" on dry land.At approx 1100 hrs made my way to the exit and again providence played a role as i got a motorcycle lift right upto "Manjula Aal(Manjula Banyan tree)"  in East Nada.The motorcyclist himself was involved in the management of the "Annakota" scheduled for 1500 hrs.A few elephants had already assembled near the entrance being kept in different parts of the street and cooled with water supplied by water tankers.As usual a crowd gathered around these giant tuskers and the management of this massive assembly of giant beasts required much more than "Elephant Management".

Elephant being cooled  through a "Water-Tanker"!

                                                                                                                        After briefly viewing the elephants walked back from East Nada to West Nada through the temple complex and into my hotel.At approximately 1300 hrs after a quick bathe and some rest  headed back to East Nada through the same temple route. Guruvayur is a small temple town that can be toured  in a few hours let alone a day.Wooden barricades were being erected on either sides of the road  leading from the temple to "Manjula Aal(Manjula  Banyan tree)" in East Nada. Decided to have a vegetarian lunch and tasted authentic Guruvayur vegetarian thali in "Sree Krishna Bhavan" situated on the main East Nada road just outside the temple complex.It was advertised as a Brahmin hotel and served a no-limit quantity of rice and vegetable thali dishes at a cost of only Rs 60! At the hotel met a gentleman Mr Jaiprakash with whom i picked a conversation and was helpful in explaining me the various aspects of the elephant race.After lunch we both walked towards the "Manjula  Aal(Manjula Banyan Tree)" starting point , the crowd and arrival of competing elephants getting larger as the minutes ticked.

Elephants  queuing at "Manjula Aal(Banyan tree with statue of Garuda))" for the start of Anayottam at 1500 hrs.

The "Anayottam(Elephant race)"  marks the start of the 10 day  Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple festival. The winning elephant doesn't receive any prize but gets the privilege of  carrying the Thidambu which is the replica of the idol of Guruvayurappan on  all special religious occasions for a year.In Kerala festival dates are decided on basis of the Malayalam calender and local traditions and customs.

"Fire Brigade" on  alert  at "Anayottam" start point.

                                                                                                                                              Hence the "Anayottam" dates are different  every year and in 2015 it was scheduled for Monday ,the second of March.A Water tanker was constantly watering the paved tar road race-track  from "Manjula Aal(Manjula Banyan tree)"  to the entrance of the temple, a distance of approximately half a kilometer.Mr Jaiprakash and myself made our way through the crowd onto a small enclosure near the starting point of the race at the "Manjula Aal(Manjula BanyanTree)".There is a religious mythological reason for the "Anayottam" starting from "Manjula Aal" where Aal means Banyan tree in Malyalam. It was a hot and humid afternoon and all the elephants were being either cooled with water hoses or given drinking water..A beautiful tusker was being given final dressage by its mahout and two attendants.Onlookers were busy clicking photographs and to a pet owner it was unbelievable to see a giant of a animal behave better than a pet dog or cat.A fire-brigade arrived at the shed and parked itself  near the elephant. I decided to wander from the shed into the street with the elephant race just a hour away from schedule.The crowd was gradually getting larger and making their way to either sides of the footpath of the  single straight road of East Nada  beginning from the "Manjula Aal(Manjula Banyan tree)" and leading to entrance of the temple.

Elephant rage on tractor and attached water tank.

                                                                 The road footpaths was  barricaded by temporary cane railings and it resembled a 100 meters straight race track.A tractor pulling   a water-tanker along the race route , watering the road akin to a garden sprinkler was a continuous process as also the cooling of elephants through hoses connected to water tanks.I was merely about 20 meters away from "Manjula Aal" when i suddenly heard a thud behind me and looked behind instantly.A tractor along with its attached water tanker lay on its side on the road with a erratic elephant next to it.People just ran  away from the sight and immediately the elephant also ran in the opposite direction away from the starting point of the race. The police and fire-brigade were spontaneously on the sight as also myself, the "Citizen Reporter" !Diesel oil was oozing from the tractor and the same was smothered with foam by the fire brigade while the police controlled the crowd. Miraculously no one was injured  which included the driver of the tractor.This incident happened  at approximately 1420 hrs and hence order was restored before the start of the race at 1500 hrs.The wreckage was behind the starting line and hence did not effect the start of the elephant race.

Crowds anxiously awaiting the start of the "ANAYOTTAM"

                                                                                                                                       The overturned tractor and water-tanker were left on the road  after the necessary damage control , a monument to the rage of a elephant contestant. I have read and seen elephant attacks in the media  but this was the first time in my life that i witnessed from only 20 meters away the  might and power of this largest land animal on Planet Earth.It toppled the huge combined weight of the tanker and tractor  like a house of cards.I later made my way to a convenient spot on the barricaded footpath  of  race route anxiously awaiting  the start of the race as was the massive crowd despite the "Thrissur Bandh".Strangely i didn't see many  Caucasian or African tourists and in fact i was mistaken for a foreigner !At approximately 1455 hrs there was a sudden loud sound of human chants and a group of temple monks came running  from the temple gates in the distance towards the elephant starting line indicating the start of the race.After these monks cleared the road the race began at sharp 1500 hrs with  a jeep car leading the first row of elephants running at a trot with their mahouts on their backs and two attendant  running alongside them on the road. The crowd got hysteric  and the fact that 29 elephants were in the race was unbelievable.Its a total of half a kilometer run from starting point "Manjula Aal" to  the  temple where the winning elephant touches the temple flag mast.

Last few elephants towards the end of the  "Anayottam" .

 The elephant that won the race was 49 year old  "Kesavankutty" who previously won the race three times.It is actually not a race akin to a horse race but  a pre-planned orderly parade of trotting elephants as they run in a single file controlled by their mahouts and human attendants.After the race made my way towards "Majula Aal",  and quenched my thirst with  glasses  of  excellent sweet lassi. It was hot and humid and i was also consuming liquids akin to a elephant drinking water .Surveyed the salvage operations of the overturned tractor and water tanker  which required lots of human manpower and mechanical logistics to get back on 4-wheels.Imagine, it took just a single elephant to cause this damage.Later in the evening wandered around East Nada  and spent a hour blogging at "Hare Krishna" internet cafe. Next went to  "Dhanya beer bar" and quenched my thirst with a Kingfisher beer costing Rs 100/bottle, cheaper than Mumbai.Strolled back through the now familiar temple route from East to West Nada  and  enroute through the temple complex  saw the food cooking  preparations for the beginning of the 10 day temple festival.There was a special vegetable shed where volunteers were busy cutting and cooking the different vegetable recipe's.The temple complex was brilliantly lit with decorative lights.Akin to Mumbai the Bandh ended at 1800 hrs and public transport was restored to normalcy.

Guruvayur Temple Complex(East Nada) Side.

                                    Inquired the bus schedule to Thrissur at the "K.S.R.T.C" bus stand opposite my hotel . Checked out of the hotel at 1900 hrs  and walked across to the bus stand. Was lucky to board a long distance Tamil Nadu bus at approximately 1930 hrs  as the local "K.S.R.T.C" bus services were erratic due to the "Thrissur Bandh".Met a co-passenger Mr Sarang.Shekhar , a local resident of Thrissur  and a soft- ware engineer by profession who owned a elephant !A part of the long  bus journey was spent in conversation with Mr Shekhar about the maintenance  of his elephant , a prestige issue in Kerala akin to owning race horses.Finally reached Thrissur at approximately 2045 hrs and walked to the railway  station.After a light dinner consisting of a Sada Dosa and lime juice entered the clean and well maintained Thrissur railway station.A beautiful fish aquarium   adorned the railway platform, something i saw for the first time in a Indian railway station.Made my way to the "Second Class Waiting Lounge"  and made myself comfortable on a chair, a very tired man after a very hectic day.It was one of the cleanest second class waiting lounges  i had seen in India and spent the rest of the time reading the "Bourne Supremacy" which was  boring as there was no suspense  with the  main protagonist "Carlos the Jackal"  in jail in France in 2015  and not a invisible nemesis as in this bestseller novel written in the  1980's.Akin to fashions thriller novels also become redundant and sometimes even become a part of history. The "15381 Kanyakumari Express"  arrived  at 0245 hrs and it was a comfortable early morning journey towards Kanyakumari.

View of the "Triveni Sangam" from  "GANDHI  MANDAPAM (Memorial)" building .

Tuesday(3-3-2015) ARRIVAL KANYAKUMARI :- The morning journey was pleasant as the weather was cool and cloudy. At 1000 hrs  reached Trivandrum where almost the entire compartment became vacant.

Tourist Map of Kanyakumari.

                                                                                                                                         On reaching Nagercoil station observed the last "Western Ghat(Sahyadri) mountain" in the distance as the train gradually approached Kanyakumari, the southernmost  tip of India where the three Oceans meet.At 1230 hrs reached Kanyakumari station and was surprised at the simplicity and size of this last train station of the South in the huge Indian sub-continent. There  were only two platforms and after exiting the station boarded a auto-rickshaw paying Rs 80  and headed towards   hotel "Sea Sun Residency" situated on Kovalam road.I had pre-booked a reservation  for 3 nights costing Rs 2,100 through "www.booking.com" and hence  on  arrival at the hotel was immediately led to"Room Nos 104" situated on the ground floor. It was a comfortable room with a television having all the popular sports, news and nature channels.

"GANDHI MANDAPAM(Memorial)" 

                                                        After a refreshing bathe went to the hotel lobby  and inquired about the general city layout and nearby  tourist attraction.Seems every  important tourist site was located within a circumference of 1 Km at the "Triveni Sangam" site about a kilometers downhill walk from hotel "Sea sun residency".The downhill walk was not tiring and came across    "St Michaels Church" , a small chapel  church situated about 200 meters from the hotel and later the port lighthouse which is  the last lighthouse in South India.Finally arrived  at the Kovalam road junction  where a prominent hotel  "Tri-Sea hotel" explained the geographical  importance of Kanyakumari  formerly called Cape Comorin by its name .There were a few hotels and tourist curio shops at the junction road leading to Triveni Sangam in one direction  and  the railway station in the opposite direction . Kanyakumari was really a small city that had just 3 prominent roads  akin to the three oceans that converged at this strategic geographical city of India.

Inside "Gandhi Mandapam".

                                                                          Lunch was "Fish-thali" at the "Taj hotel", definitely no comparison to its namesake  the  "Taj Mahal hotel" of Mumbai but a  small non-vegetarian restaurant.Satisfied myself with a thali of vegetables/ rice and a fresh  fried piece of the common "Bangda fish" costing a total of Rs 140.After lunch walked a few meters downhill to the "Triveni Sangam" and was speechless staring at one of the most iconic geographical and historical monuments of India, the "Vivekananda rock memorial" and the "Thiruvalluvar statue".Every Indian and  most foreigners are familiar of seeing these iconic monuments in the media but its a different feeling being at the location and seeing the monuments personally. Thats the reason people travel and also one of  my reasons for visiting Kanyakumari. I was tired after a hectic train journey and hence decided to just walk around the Kovalam beach area and externally view  the monuments all within a close walking radius.Visited the "Gandhi Mandapam(Memorial)" built in the form of a small temple.  

View from "Triveni Sangam". "Kumari Aman Devi Temple", "Gandhi Mandapam" and "Kamraj Memorial" in background.

                                                                                                                                    Entrance was free but footwear had to be removed before entering the memorial building.It was built in 1956  on the spot where the ashes of Mahatma.Gandhi were kept after his cremation.It is  a simple enclosed large  circular hall with a  urn placed in the centre for public homage.It has been designed in a manner where the Sun's rays  penetrate  the ceiling through a small hole at exactly 1200 hrs  and lights up the "URN" where the original ashes of Gandhi was kept. The Mandapam also houses some of the last accessories that were with Mahatma Gandhi during his final hours before his assassination.The curator of the Mandapam  took me on a guided tour and thanks to him got to view the various locations from the terrace of the Mandapam. After visiting the Gandhi Mandapam headed towards  the "Kumari Aman temple" from which Kanyakumari got its name after Independence as formerly it was called Cape Comirin.

"KANYAKUMARI LIGHTHOUSE".

                                                                                                                   The temple is situated along the seashore at the "Triveni Sangam" .This temple has been mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata and is one of the most visited pilgrimage temples in India. Bathing at the "Triveni Sangam" where the confluence of the Arabian sea , Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal meet is said to absolve the pilgrim of all Worldly sins.Non-Hindu's are not allowed inside the temple and hence just viewed the entrance gate of this Holy temple.The temple is situated on a slight elevation from the "Triveni Sangam" beach and after walking up the temple pathway came across  a few "Parakeet Fortune tellers", a rare sight as they have  been banned all over India.Modern computer astrology and savvy human educated television and media  astrologists  as also animal welfare organizations have sounded the death knell of this once most common sights in most  Indian city.Superstition and  astrology does exist all over the World but the "Parakeet Tarot card reader" seems destined to history and photographic memories as was the once popular horse-carriage on Indian roads.

"Parakeet Fortune -Teller".Once a common sight in India 

                                                                                                      They were pestering me  to get my fortune read by a card picking rose-ringed  parakeet.They must have not read or heard my satirical and authentic sports gambling game  started  on "Facebook" that predicted "Sports Betting Results" and  titled "Mittoo alias Mittoo the Poppat" . Got rare photographs of them as these parakeet fortune tellers might be the last of their banned profession and felt sad for the parakeets kept in tiny enclosed cages.To alter a quote from the satirical classical novel "Animal Farm" written by George .Orwell and one of my favourites , quote, "All pet birds are not equal".My late 22 year old Alexandrine parakeet "Mittoo"lived a luxurious life in the balcony of my apartment in Mumbai, better than his human owner!.A "Parakeet Celebrity" in his own right having his own video's and blog biography .It was a long and tiring  uphill walk of over a kilometer  to my hotel from "Triveni Sangam".Relaxed in my hotel room and later visited the hotel terrace "Sunrise/Sunset Viewpoint".

"LUNGI DANCE" !:- On "Sea Sun Residency " roof-top.

                                                                      A lift took me to the 4th floor of the hotel and it was another two floors walk  to the terrace viewpoint.This hotel has a classic location at the summit of Kovalam road , the highest edifice in Kanyakumari  barring the lighthouse and telecommunications tower.It was simply location that gave this hotel prominence among the numerous hotels in this tourist/temple city, .The view was magnificent and i took some  photo's imitating Shahrukh.,Khan's "Lungi dance Ishtyle". Sadly the sky was cloudy and hence Sunset not visible but saw the moon  rising in the East, a rare phenomenon observed  accurately only in Kanyakumari since it is surrounded by the sea.In fact i had planned my tour dates to coincide with the "CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)" that was scheduled on Thursday(5-3-2015) to observe the phenomenon of simultaneous Moon rise and Sun setting.

"SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ROCK MEMORIAL" :- Entrance to Memorial hall on Rock.

Wednesday(4-3-2015) :- Woke up early and switched on the t.v , browsed channels and got hooked to the "National Geographic" programme narrated in Tamil but with English language subtitles. Later after a quick shower  headed in the early morning darkness towards  Kanyakumari "Triveni Sangam" to watch the Sunrise. As i walked downhill heard some prayers being spoken in Tamil language over the loudspeaker and to my utter astonishment realized it was the early morning prayers at St Michaels church.

Assortment  sea-shell handicraft shops at Triveni Sangam.

                                                                                                                          This was the first time that i heard Christian prayers  over the loudspeaker early at dawn , normally common  near Mosques in India.St Michaels was a small church  with no benches.Walked briskly towards the pier  where  a large crowd had already gathered, all local or Indian tourists.I was hoping that the weather would not be cloudy like yesterday.The suspense ended in a magnificent indescribable glimpse of a red shining round object gradually rising between the 133 feet high Thiruvalluvar  statue and the Vivekanada rock memorial.The Crowd grew hysteric and devotees joined their hands in prayers as the sun gradually exposed itself over the rock memorial.

The Ferry ride to the Vivekananda Rock memorial.

                                                        After the Sunrise spectacle headed to the boat jetty pier towards  "Rockway road" and had a excellent authentic "IdliChutney/Tea(Rs 50)" breakfast on a banana leaf  at a small restaurant.After breakfast stood in the queue for boarding the ferry to the Rock Memorial. It was a long queue but quickly shortened after the booking office opened at 0745 hrs  as the ferry service operated by "Poompuhar Shipping Corporation Ltd"  had a large  carrying capacity compared to normal small launch boats. The charges were Rs 34 for a common return ticket to both the rock memorials and Rs 169 for a "V.I.P Pass" of  bypassing the long queue and directly boarding the ferry boat.The view from the ferry pier was excellent with fishing boats tethered on the opposite pier and a mall church being a prominent edifice near the beach .The large ferry boat "M.L .Guhan"  docked alongside the pier and all passengers boarding the ferry were given a "Life-Vest" as a safety precaution reminding me of my decades in the "Merchant Navy" employment.

Thiruvalluvar Mandapam.

                                                                                                                                              It was a short boat ride of approx 15 minutes, just a swimming distance of approx 500 meters from shore.On arrival at the Vivekananda rock memorial had to purchase a entrance ticket costing Rs 20 for  touring the rock memorial.This rock memorial was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda's visit and later meditation on this rock in 1892. Kanyakumari has a sizable catholic fishing population and hence there was a dispute about a memorial being built on this rock with both Hindu's and Christians claiming religious importance to the rock.The Government intervened and declared that the rock be named the Vivekananda rock and put a tablet of the same on 17-1-1963.

View from "Vivekananda Rock Memorial".

                                                                                                                                             The memorial consists of two structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and Shripada Manadapam. According to mythology it was on this rock that Goddess Kumari performed austerity.  Visited the "Shripadaparai  Mandapam" first which is a shrine erected where the footprint of the Virgin Goddess is seen on the rock.As it was "Low Tide" had to wait till 1300 hrs at "Vivekananda Rock Memorial" for  the "High Tide" in order to visit "Thiruvalluvar Rock memorial" just approximately 50 meters away. As i had ample time decided to sit down  in the shade on the floor outside the  Shripadaparai Mandapam as did other visitors and tourists.The sun was shining bright and after a brief rest visited the  main Swami Vivekananda Mandapam where his statue is kept and photography strictly prohibited.Next visited the Shripada Mandapam and finally came back to my resting place and picked up a conversation with a few tourists. "Sea Sun Residency" terrace was distinctly visible through binoculars from the rock memorial as also the other prominent landmarks of  the Kanyakumari coastline.Overheard a guide telling his Caucasian tourists about the 2004 cyclone effect on Kanyakumari coast with waves almost touching the shoulders of the statue of  Thiruvalluvar but luckily the damage to lives and property was minimal.I had arrived on the rock memorial at approximately 0845 hrs and was on it upto 1315 hrs  admiring the beauty and loneliness of this isolated rock never ever feeling bored although it was a forced stay due to the sea-tide timings.

On Thiruvalluvar Mandapam  .

                                                                          There are no canteen facilities on "Vivekananda rock memorial" nor are personal eatables allowed barring liquid drinks.Finally at 1330 hrs boarded the ferry for  the short 50 meters travel to the "Thiruvalluvar rock memorial". Thankfully there was a beverage canteen here and satisfied my thirst with a ice-cream."Thiruvalluvar rock memorial " has just the large monolith monument of  Thiruvalluvar the Tamil  poet and philosopher who wrote the "Thirrukural(Kural)" expressing his philosophy.The Statue has a total height of 133 feet which consists of a 38 feet pedestal supporting the statue and the statue's height of 95 feet.The statue represents wealth and pleasures.The total weight of the statue is 7000 tons.The foundation stone for building this statue was laid by the then  Prime Minister Morarji.Desai in 1979 but construction on the statue began only in 1990. It was finally inaugurated  on 1st  January 2000.Visitors are allowed to climb a flight of internal stairs that leads to the foot of the giant statue, a iconic landmark of India.It was akin to a short trek walking up the stairs  to the foot of the statue.Spent a few minutes at the top and returned to the boat jetty  as i had already spent hours at the adjacent Vivekananda rock memorial.During "HIGH TIDE" the  ferry embarks and disembarks tourists to both the rock memorials simultaneously and hence please plan your tour to the rock memorial at "High Tide" if you don't want to waste precious tour time  if on a short  "Package Tour".

View of Kanyakumari from Vivekananda Memorial.

                                                                                                                                                    Later after visiting Thiruvalluvar statue returned back to the jetty at approx 1430 hrs and headed towards our "Lady of Ransom" church. This Church although built recently in 1900 is famous for its authentic " GOLD CROSS" on its steeple.It was a long walk along the  main beach road of Kanyakumari towards "Our Lady of Ransom Church".Kanyakumari is a small village city and a tourist can get around the city within a day. The Church was unique in its design and location with beautiful cottage style houses in the vicinity. There were no benches inside the Church and a few ladies were praying inside seated on the floor.The gold cross glistened in the Sun, the only Church in India to have a authentic gold cross on its steeple.

Church of "Our Lady of Ransom".

                                                       After visiting the Church  made some inquiries with a local shop-keeper about the locale and replenished my finances at a " A.T.M" kiosk situated on the main road.Lunch was at a local non-vegetarian restaurant "Saji decoration  and Catering service"and after ages tasted a 'Beef Recipe" as i realized that beef would be totally missing in food culinary  in Maharashtra due to the ban on beef slaughter.It was excellent "Madras Beef Curry"  culinary  style with parathas. After lunch had a ice cream ,my normal dessert  at "Triveni juice centre" situated  on the opposite side of the main road . Spotted the most modern weighing machine in the restaurant  having a laser height recorder  and to my horror discovered my weight to be 81.7 Kg and my B.M.I at 26.4! I was definitely overweight at 5'9" but luckily not obese.Seems regular swimming ,cycling and hectic "Solo tours"  have not been able to keep up with my food consumption.

"SUNSET"  in Arabian Sea at Kanyakumari.

                                                                                                                                           Walked  back towards Kovalam beach road  and decided to observe the "Kanyakumari Sunset" from the view-tower  erected at the beach  shoreline.Entrance to the View-tower was Rs 10 and the view was good as it was at a height and  a complete open view of the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea was available without any obstruction from buildings or other land mass.Met  Caucasian British tourist from London Mr Pasil.Thompson a retired accountant  by profession  who had travelled more Country's than me and was a amateur astronomer having observed a eclipse during his lifetime.We had  a engrossing  exchange of travel memoirs and experiences as we both waited for Sunset and Moon rise as did other tourists.

"MOON RISE"  in Bay of Bengal at Kanyakumari.

                                  Although the weather was cloudy there was some spontaneous bursts of sunshine as the sky suddenly opened, weather more common to Britain than India as confirmed by Mr Thompson."Sea Sun Residency" hotel  was prominently visible from the View-tower akin to a tourist attraction and i presume a few hotel tourists would  also be observing the same nature phenomenon from the hotel terrace viewpoint. We saw the  near full-moon rising in the east while the Sun was gradually setting in the West.We were lucky as the sky opened to brightness and we witnessed a classic "Moon Rise' and "Sunset".After the grand natural spectacle of "Moonrise" and "Sunset"  walked a lonely  marathon along the Kovalam beach road to reach my hotel. Had a bathe and just some fruits for dinner.Watched t.v and later had a good nights sleep.

A partial external view of  the palatial "Padmanambhapuram Palace".Notice the unique "TILED ROOF".

Thursday(5-3- 2015) :- Got up early as usual and decided to watch Sunrise from the hotel terrace viewpoint.A few of the hotel guests were also present on the terrace. To our bad luck it was a cloudy morning and hence Sunrise totally obscured.

Mass dining hall of Teak girders in Palace complex.

                                                                                         Later inquired with the hotel reception the method of travel to "Padmanambhapuram Palace" and he gave me the bus route directions. The "Kanyakumari Bus depot" was just a few minutes walking distance from hotel"Sea Sun Residency" situated on the top of the hill on lighthouse road.Walked to the bus terminus and inquired about bus nos "303" to the town of Thukalay.The  bus depot officials were helpful in   explaining me in Hindi the directions and the bus available  to travel the 32 Kms road journey to Padmanabhampuram village.I was the only tourist at the large Kanyakumari bus depot as it was the tourist off-season and hence only  locals awaiting buses for various towns and city's in Tamil Nadu..At approx 0800 hrs boarded the rickety "303" bus paying the ticket fare of Rs 21  and began the adventure discovery tour to "Padmanabhapuram Palace".At approx 0930 hrs reached the town of Thukalay , the fellow commuters being very helpful in guiding me,in Hindi language. From Thukalay had to board another bus to Padmanambhapuram village at a minimum ticket price  of Rs 5 ,It was a short walk from the bus-stop to the Palace entrance gate  and on seeing the Palace from the exterior i was confused as i expected to see granite structures and not large edifices with Mangalore style tiled roofs.. Entrance charges was Rs 35 and a extra Rs 50 for camera photography.

"Indra Vilasom".European Design(Marble Girders).

                                                                                                    The palace is open between 0900 hrs-1700 hrs except on Mondays. Padmanambhapuram Palace is a 16th century old wooden  palace formerly  owned by the Rajah's of Travancore and  designed in the  indigenous architectural style of Kerala . It is located at the foot of the Veli hills of the Western Ghats tapering into lands end of India at Kanyakumari..The palace complex consists of different buildings constructed over the centuries by various different rulers of  the Travancore Dynasty .There were guides in every section of the Palace complex  to explain the structure and importance of every chamber , article or design.The interior  supports of the palace are on teak wood and have some exquisite rose-wood carvings and sculpted decor.In the "Mantrasala(Kings Counsel Chamber)" the floor literally shines and doesn't look its age or neither has it cracked or got damaged.The floor is shiny black in colour and made from a combination of egg white,jaggery lime,burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand and has lasted for centuries, looking better than a 21st century Italian glazed tile floor.Visited various chambers  of this vast palace complex  whose exterior resembled a huge tiled village house.Got to view the "Thaikkottaram(Queens mothers  palace )" which is the oldest part of the palace complex .It  had painted rosewood and teak carved ceilings of 90  different floral designs.Most unique is a single  pillar made of Jackfruit tree with intricate carved designs. Visited the Kings bedroom with a four poster medicinal bed.Saw the Belgian mirrors as also the toilets of that era.Visited the Palace  dining hall, a huge hall supported by teak wood beams and girders and having a  tiled roof.

"Nataksala(Dance Hall)" of the Palace.

Most fascinating was the "Nataksala(Performance hall)", a relatively new  building constructed in the 19th century by Maharajah Swathi.Thirunal(1829-1846), a great connoisseur of art amongst the Travancore Dynasty rulers.It  has solid granite pillars supporting the roof  with a bright black floor as smooth as a billiard table.There is a  wooden enclosure  with peepholes through which the women of the palace could watch the dance performances. Kathakali and Bharatnatyam were the main dance performances .There was a huge fish carving a symbol  of the Pandava rulers.There is also  a special "Puja chamber(Prayer room)" at one end of the large dance hall.

Grinding stones of Padmanabhapuram  Palace kitchen.

Visited the "Indra Vilasom" a building constructed to accommodate foreign dignitaries visiting the King and built in Western  and not Kerala architectural  design as is the entire palace complex.It is the only building in the entire palace complex that has marble  girders supporting the main structure akin to European architecture.
Last of all visited the "Palace Museum" which is situated in the the "Southern Palace" building  , one of the oldest structures in the palace complex.Got to view ancient armoury , imprisonment and torture methods. A few sculptors of  deities  and stone tablets in ancient Tamil were also on display.The clock  tower in the palace complex  is 300 years old and still functions as normal as a 21st century watch !There was also a secret underground passage which is now blocked for the Palace royalty to escape in case of emergency. Chariot races were also held inside the palace complex.In 1795 the capital of Travancore was shifted from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) and hence Padmanabhapuram lost its former glory.The "Padmanabhaswamy temple" in  Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) in Kerala  belonged to the Travancore rulers The principal deity in this temple is the Hindu  God Vishnu. Sree Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the rulers of Travancore and this temple is similar in design to the "Adikesava Perumal temple" in Kanyakumari..A  few of Padmanabhaswamy temple vaults were opened in 2011 and it was discovered to have a treasure trove of unaccountable wealth.The inventory  of the precious temple wealth is  in  progress and is considered the richest treasure trove in the history of mankind. This treasure of precious jewels, gold and artifacts was collected over thousands of years as donations to the deity Padmanabhaswamy  under various dynasties with the last dynasty being the rulers of Travancore.
The Padmanabhapuram Palace is situated in Kanyakumari district of the State of  Tamil Nadu but is owned and maintained by the State  Government of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) is a mere 50 Kms  from Padmanambhapuram.I have visited numerous palaces, forts and castles during my travels and should say that the Padmanambhapuram Palace was one of the most unique and different type of   palace.A must visit  to understand South India Royalty and traditions.

View of "Mathur  Aqueduct(Hanging Bridge)" built across the Parazhiyar  river  between 2 hills.

After viewing this unique South Indian Palace belonging to the Royalty of Kerala next decided to visit "Mathur Aqueduct(Hanging Bridge)" known as  "Mathur Thotti Palam"in local Tamil language.There was a Bonsai garden just opposite the road of the bus stand  which advertised itself as the biggest in South Asia. Hence just walked across the road into "Nikki Bonsai Garden" and had a look at some of the Bonsai trees on display.  

On "Mathur Hanging Bridge".

                                                                                            They also conduct classes on "Bonsai" and if visiting Padmanambhapuram Palace then do also have a peep into "Nikki Bonsai Garden".It was a long wait of almost one hour for the "13 F" bus to Kolial city . Finally  at approximately 1200 hrs did get a bus  and it was a long drive through beautiful rubber plantations and coconut palm tree estates to Kolial. At Kolial hired a auto-rickshaw for a   tour of "Mathur Hanging Bridge" and back to the bus-stop which cost me Rs 150. Mathur Aqueduct also called Mathur Hanging bridge  is the longest and tallest aqueduct in Asia.

View of lush  vegetation  from "MATHUR BRIDGE".

                                     It was built in 1966 by the Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri.K.Kamaraj.It is built over the Parazhiyar  river and its purpose is  to  transfer  irrigation water from the Pattanamkal canal from one elevated hill to another over a distance of 1 Km. A valley is formed between the two small hills .Its a concrete bridge  held by 28 huge pillars with the height of each pillar being  115 feet. The Water trough is 7 ft in height and 7.5 ft in width.Its a popular tourist and picnic spot with  fruits being  the favourite product sold by hawkers on either side  of the bridge on both sides of the hills.Walked across the narrow bridge mesmerized by the natural beauty of the surroundings.It was definitely worth the distance of 63 Kms and the money spent to travel to this isolated wilderness at the tip of the Indian sub-continent.

View of   1 Km  Mathur Bridge with Aqueduct trough.

                                                                                 Walked 1 Km across the narrow length of the bridge amazed at the pristine beauty of the surrounding Western ghats and the vegetation. On reaching the opposite end on the other hill  purchased a pineapple, the most common fruit sold to tourists. There is also a flight of stairs from the base of the Parazhiyar  river that allows visitors to visit the banks of this scenic river. Walked down the flight of stairs towards the base of the bridge and into the narrow valley.  Spent some time besides the Parazhiyar river and washed away my tiredness in the flowing river.  .Rubber plantations and coconut groves surround the base of the two hills between the aqueduct. Visited a rubber plantation and for the first time in my life observed the method of "Rubber tapping" from a rubber tree.Walked across a narrow bridge over the river onto the other side of the valley  where a small children's playground existed.Observed a few plastic waste on the grounds , the aftereffects of reckless tourist picnics .Walked up the flight of stairs onto the hill at the starting point  of the bridge and back to my auto-rickshaw.

Sunset over Arabian Sea at  "SUNSET POINT".

                                                                                        "Mathur Hanging bridge(Aqueduct)" is approximately 63 Kms from Kanyakumari city by road and  derives its name from the town of Mathur situated close to the aqueduct.If visiting Kanyakumari or Trivandrum  do not miss a visit to this beautiful nature paradise to get the Southernmost view of the Western Ghats(Sahyadri's).After a tour of the amazing "Mathur Hanging Bridge", the longest such bridge in Asia was driven back  to Kolial bus stop. At approx 1400 hrs boarded a bus to Nagercoil and from there the connecting link to Kanyakumari. My great solo bus discovery tour of Padmanambhapuram Palace and Mathur hanging bridge finally ended at approx 1630 hrs on reaching base Kanyakumari.

"CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)"

Boarded a "Buggy Cart" for "Sunset Point"  situated at  Kanyakumari Kovalam beach.It was a "CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)"  night  and luckily the weather didn't play spoil sport.Tourists from all over the India congregate at Kanyakumari on "CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)" day and hence there was a large crowd at "Sun set point" on Kovalam beach.A elevated viewpoint  with the   statue of "Mother Mary with Infant Jesus(Stella Maris)" is a landmark on the  beach which also has large stone boulders across its breadth towards the sea.Strong influence of the local catholic fishing community with signs of crosses on some stones.Having visited the fishing port of Jaffna in Sri Lanka in 2012 i couldn't help comparing the similarities between the Tamil fisherfolk of Tamil Nadu in India  and the Sri Lankan fisherfolks of Tamil Indian origin in Sri Lanka.The Sri Lankan civil war played havoc with the lives of the fishing community in both Country's. Went up the the view-point platform  and got a magnificent view of the entire Kanyakumari coast with  the Bay of Bengal to the east, Indian Ocean in the South and Arabian sea in the West. Witnessed the most unique Sunset and Moon rise in my life also clicking some unique experimental photographs that i learnt observing a group of nuns at the beach.After darkness and the "Moon in my hand" photograph shoot  made my way back to the hotel from "Sunset point".Came across another church  at the intersection of Kovalam beach road and  the Kovalam road leading to my hotel. Seems Kanyakumari has more Churches /Sq Km than Goa and definitely the highest Christian population density in India.

"CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)"

                                                                                                                        On reaching my hotel  had a quick wash and walked over to the only local liquor shop just a short distance  downhill from the hotel. Quenched my thirst  with a "Black Pearl beer" costing Rs 130 at the classic local adda that required customers to stand and drink within a small square boundary , a reminder of the "Country Liquor bars" that once flourished in Mumbai.Cross the square boundary  wall of the restaurant and the police can arrest you for a drinking offence if consuming alcoholic liquor ! This was a real alcohol drinking adventure.

"Stella Maris" at Sunset view point.

                                Didn't come across a single common restaurant in Kanyakumari serving beer and Rs 130/Beer bottle  for a "Quickie beer or liquor drink" was definitely expensive. After drinking my beer under a ""CHITRA POURNIMA(FULL MOON)" while the other local patrons quickly guzzled their hard liquor pints i made my way to  the restaurant next to the beer shop/bar.It was a chicken/dosa curry dinner at  "Hotel Sun"  next to the booze adda.  Most restaurants  or hotels in Kanyakumari either has a Sun or a Sea in its name tag.After dinner walked to my hotel and after browsing the t.v channels gradually fell asleep.

Pilgrims having their "RITUAL BATHING" at "TRIVENI SANGAM" in Kanyakumari.

Friday(6-3-2015) Departure Kanyakumari :- Woke up early morning as usual  and changed into my swimming costume for a cleansing dip at "Triveni Sangam". I had visited Varanasi as a tourist where all Hindu's have a dip in the sacred river Ganges  to cleanse themselves from their sins.

"ROCK" marks"TRIVENI SANGAM CONFLUENCE".

               We seafarers are a unique lot of professionals and although a Catholic i decided to perform  a Hindu ritual of immersing myself at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea to thank my destiny for a life-time of  safe sea employment. It was my last day in this quaint unique geographical important city of India. Bizarrely there was lightning in the sky and so a "Sunrise" spectacle was definitely not on any tourists sightseeing menu !I sympathized with the daily package tourists visiting the city for the normal  "Sunrise/Sunset package tours". Walked down to the "Triveni Sangam" which did have a large crowd of pilgrims and tourists.

A sea-dip at "Triveni Sangam" where 3 oceans meet.

                                                                                                                             Had a  "Sea Swim" at the confluence of the 3 Oceans beneath a clouded dark sky and paid the penance for my "Sea Sins" !  Its a matter of "LUCK" and "STAY TIME" to witness perfect sunrise and sunset akin to spotting rare wildlife on a jungle safari or rare sea life on a scuba diving trip. I was lucky yesterday and the day before but definitely not today.I found  the salinity of the water at the "TRIVENI SANGAM"  to be less than normal sea water and just did the "Dead man's float" on my back in the shallow knee deep water.Swimming on any of the beaches around Kanyakumari is lethal and warning signs are put all over  various sites along the coast.Took some sand from the sea bed akin to soil from the Moon as a memento of my visit to "Triveni Sangam" in Kanyakumari.

Entrance to  Bhagvathi Amman temple.

                                                                                                                                              Also took some photographs for a "Been here, seen that, done that" memorabilia.On coming out of the sea a total stranger  requested me to pose for a photograph in my swim costume with his young son making me feel a celebrity like the great Indian swimmer late Mihir.Sen whom i admired in my youth.We all have our own heroes and villains during various stages of our life.Yesterdays hero could be todays villain and vice-versa, Yes, i did have at least one fan who must have been impressed by something about me.After my sea dip returned back to the hotel and browsed the channels.Hooked onto the "India V/s West Indies  I.C.C World Cup Match".Breakfast was at the hotels newly inaugurated restaurant and consisted of masala Dosa and sweet lassi. After breakfast returned to my hotel and watched the excerpt comments of the "India-West Indies" match. Today was "Holi Festival" a grand occasion in Mumbai and North India but totally absent in Kanyakumari.This is the reason most non-Indian origin foreigners are confused on visiting and touring India.The diversity of social cultures, religions and food habits as also religion and languages differs in almost every State of the Country.

Not lonely with "Charlie Chaplin" at the "Wax Museum".

                      At approx 1200 hrs checked out of my hotel and headed towards "Triveni Sangam".Stopped at the "Wax Museum"  advertised as the first wax museum in India.This museum was  established in 2005   and situated in a small building on the main road near Tri-sea hotel..Payed the entry charges of Rs 60 and entered the museum. There were a total of only 9 exhibits in three different small rooms.. The first room had  the  wax  exhibits  of Actor Charlie.Chaplin and Singer  Michael.Jackson.The second room had the images of Former Indian Prime Minister  Dr Manmohan.Singh,Scientist  Dr A.P.J. Abdul.Kalam and U.S.  President  Barack.Obama. The third room had the images of  Dr Albert. Einstein and Mahatma.Gandhi. The last room had images of Mother Theresa and retired  Pope Benedict XVI.Having visited "Madame Tussauds" in London i  honestly admit that these wax effigies were poor replica's in terms of authentic duplicity of their original human likeness but better than average when comparing the  cost of production and ticket entry costs.

"Kamarajar Mandapam(Kamaraj Memorial)".

                                             The cost of a beer in a "5-Star hotel" is definitely costlier than in  a common beer bar and the same theory applied to this wax museum in comparison to "Madame Tussauds" World franchisee exhibits.Clicked a photograph with the wax image of actor Charlie.Chaplin, the eternal tramp as  i also spent a life-time at sea on different tramp ships tramping various ports of the Globe.Life's journeys are nothing but a "Big Laugh" if you want to remain happy and avoid depression.From the wax museum walked to Triveni Sangam  and visited "Kamarajar  Mandapam(Kamaraj Memorial)", a photographic museum dedicated to the life  of Tamil.Nadu's former Chief Minister who presided over important political events of India during his 13 year tenure as Chief Minister, a political kingmaker of his generation .

Entrance to "VATTAKOTTAI FORT".

 Realized the value and importance of photographs in documenting events and history. Later decided to discover "Vattakotai Fort". Had excellent "Crab Masala/rice" at Taj hotel, worth the Rs 210 price tag.After lunch headed to the local bus stop akin to a local, decades of "Solo travel" being the mother of all experiences. At the local bus stop met a group of Caucasian tourists, a young couple from Sweden and a Britisher from England.At approx 1400 hrs we boarded the bus together and as usual became acquaintances and after a hour reached Vattakotai bus-stop. Vattakottai is only 8 Kms  from Kanyakumari but the public bus with its numerous short stops made the journey seem longer than by a private vehicle.It was a long walk of another 1 Km to the beach fort from the bus-stop in the hot afternoon sun  along a narrow road having paddy and coconut plantations..The Vattakotai Fort also known as the "Circular Fort"  was built in the 18th century and  is  rectangular in shape enclosed  with granite walls approximately 25 feet in height .It  occupies a area of three and a half acres facing the sea.This place was famous for its "Pearl trade " and hence the fort built by Raja  Marthanda.Verma to fortify the Najil Nadu region.Entry into the fort is through a gate on the  main entrance which has the coat of arms embossed on the granite wall of the entrance.

Interior of "Vattakottai Fort".

                                                                                                                     Inside the fort is a large water tank in its centre with well maintained meadows on either sides.It resembles a open ground or park enclosed by huge granite walls.There was also a underground tunnel four feet in width that is now sealed and once connected Vattakotai Fort with Padmanabhapuram Palace..Walked up to the parapet of the fort walls and got a excellent view of the windy rough seas and the coastline which included a cluster of windmills situated on Cheetikullam beach towards the northern coast about 12 kms from Kanyakumari... After visiting the fort  i next visited the beach outside the fort precincts. The sea was absolutely rough and venturing near the water was dangerous let alone wading in the shallow  depths near the shore.

"Vattakottai Beach" as seen from Fort Parapet  wall.

                                                                                    The wind velocity was tremendous and hence power windmills installed in the vicinity.Returned back to Kanyakumari at approx 1615 hrs and quickly headed to the "Lighthouse" which closed its doors for public viewing at 1730 hrs.Entrance fee to the lighthouse was only Rs 10 but the the climb to the top ,approximately 10 floors through stairs was akin to a mini trek ,testing my physical fitness and tenacity !I was the only tourist at this highest point on the Kanyakumari coast as it was almost closing time.The view from the last lighthouse of South India  was breathtaking , the best view of entire Kanyakumari coastline and the surrounding landscape.I could have literally spent a entire day sitting at this highest point in Kanyakumari reminiscing my 23 year career in shipping and sailing.akin to being on a ship at sea.After the lighthouse  tour took a short-cut to Kovalam beach road  by  walking  across the palatial estate of "Tamil Nadu Hotel".This is the largest Government run hotel in Kanyakumari and the  most palatial having a "Beer Bar" and a large beautiful garden bordering the coastal Kovalam beach road.. Spotted a pair of peacocks inside the  gardens of the hotel estate.On entering Kovalam beach road  visited the private  "Fish Exhibition" on  a entry ticket costing Rs 20.Got to see and appreciate unique and common fish and aquatic species.Among the rare fish species was the puffer fish and sea-eels kept in salt water aquariums  , while the "Katla" and "Rohu" represented the common edible fresh water fish species, a good private aquarium.The common "Katla" that lies dead in  fish markets  and sold by weight akin to meat products  looked beautiful and majestic in the aquarium, a giant of a fish.Sunset was not what the tourist brochures advertised, the horizon being partly clouded as in the morning.

"Birds Eye View" of Kanyakumari from "LIGHTHOUSE".

                                                    After Sunset  while walking towards Kovalam road came across a young French national Mr Robin  playing music a la Bob.Dylan style and collecting money for the same This was a  a first in India that i have witnessed on my tours.Its very common in Europe for musicians to collect money by performing at street corners or footpaths.He was accompanied by his girlfriend and collecting money through music to finance his tour and future hope of getting a break in the competitive music industry.Excellent music and many local Indians including myself contributed for his entertainment.Walked back  uphill  on Kovalam road  to the hotel. Collected my haversack from the hotel and headed back downhill towards the town centre. Quenched  my thirst with a beer at the local bar and entered  a "Internet Cafe" at the main town.Whiled away my time browsing and blogging on the Internet and later after a few snacks headed towards the railway station.  Boarded the "22622 Cape-Rameshwar Express" at 2200 hrs, the train being punctual on departure time and the compartment filled with pilgrims.

"DHANUSHKODI", the Ghost town of India.At the 1964  Tsunami  ravaged railway station 

Saturday(7-3-2015) :- On approaching  Pamban island the train slowed down and the smell of dry fish was strong in the darkness of the morning. We   crossed over the "Pamban Bridge" which  i  tried to  photograph in the dark early morning with a full moon in the sky, absolute scenic.Rameswaram  is located on Pamban Island  and separated from mainland India by the Pamban Channel. Along with Varanasi it is considered one of the holiest places for Hindus in India.The Ramamanathaswamy temple of Rameswaram  is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and  is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in India.The temple also  has the most extensive  corridor among all Hindu temples  in the World.. Because of its religious importance Rameswaram  is known as the Varanasi of the South.Reached Rameswaram station on time at approx 0530 hrs.A surprisingly small station similar to Kanyakumari having just 2 platforms.

                                                                                            Boarded a auto-rickshaw outside the station which took me to "Swami Ramanatha Tourist home"  and checked into  room no "303" at a backpackers budget of Rs 500/day.This lodge was conveniently situated in Bazaar street  in the the heart of the temple town and reminded me of "Chawl Accommodation" in Mumbai. A clean hotel with tiny small rooms having a attached toilet/bathe.I was surprised at the hotel reference checks for a Rs 500/day room and realized that the "Sri Lanka Civil War" although history in 2009  had its aftereffects on the security system of this strategically located temple town in India.Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's  assassination which changed the course of modern Indian history had its roots  in  Rameswaram town a hot-bed of "L.T.T.E" activity during the "Sri Lankan Civil War". Inquired with the hotel reception about the bus service to Dhanushkodi and was provided the same.

The road trip  to Dhanushkodi through shallow lagoons.

                                                                                                                                 After a bathe headed to the local bus-stop just a few meters from the lodge and after a long wait boarded bus Nos 3 to Danushkodi. Dhanushkodi is 18 Kms from Rameswaram  and at  0800 hrs reached "Mugundakai Satiram", the fishing village and last stop of Dhanushkodi village, Dhanushkodi  has a length of 18 Kms and a width of just one Km.. There was nothing but a coastline and thatched fishing huts visible  with fish being dried in the open and a few small thatched village restaurants.. A row of jeeps and mini vans were parked in a long row  along the narrow coast, the mode of transport for pilgrims and visitors to the beach. Dhanushkodi is situated at the South east portion of the Pamban Island and is only 19 miles(31Kms) from the shores of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka across the Palk Straits.An average of 500 pilgrims and tourists visit Dhanushkodi daily and thousand during the "Full Moon" and "New Moon" festival days.The  unique annular Solar eclipse of  15 January 2010 was observed in India  by scientists and astronomy enthusiasts from Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi means "End of the bow"  where "Dhanush" means "Bow" and "Kodi" means "End".

Van driving through Dhanushkodi  sea sand dunes

                                                                                                     The place has religious significance in the "Ramayana" and hence Hindu pilgrims bathe here first and then visit the Ramamanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. There was a local village dhaba at the bus-stop and breakfast was  typical South Indian village "Sada Dossa/Chutney/tea". After breakfast we formed a package group of 17 tourists and hired a van to navigate the swamp lagoons to lands  end at  Danushkodi. We were each charged Rs 140/person , the entire van being booked for Rs 2000.Thankfully as a "Solo tourist" i could squeeze into a "Package Group" otherwise hiring the entire van for Rs 2000 would have been equivalent to losing on a single horse race ! As a "Solo Tourist" travel and accommodation expenses are a major drain on finances compared to "Package Tours". There is a "Naval Checkpost" at the entry to Dhanushkodi  lands-end with the  jeep driver having to disclose the number and names of tourists in the van.The van must return back with the same number of tourists, a naval defense precautionary measure in a sensitive coastal border sea-coast.Met a hilarious group of locals in the  group  whose cheer leaded Mr G.Saudarajan seemed to have been a member of the "Laughters club". Cracking jokes in Tamil and laughing loudly.The road journey was at a slow steady speed of 20 to 30 Kms through wet sand and lagoon sea water.As we went further could see the sea on both sides of the land.To the West of the jeep is the "Bay of Bengal" which is calm and is termed the "Female" and to the East is the "Indian Ocean" which is rough and termed "Male"..Where these two eventually meet at the end of the land mass is called the "Sangam" and has religious significance.On arrival at the beach our driver/tour operator gave us a time limit of a hour for swimming or relaxing and hence we all quickly parted ways once out of the vehicle.As we were early there was not much of a crowd and i transformed into a teenager in enthusiasm.  A indescribable experience travelling to this lands end as well as playing "Dead man floating" in the shallow sea .        

Discovered "PEARL OYSTERS" on Dhanushkodi beach ?

                                                                                                                Thinking of swimming the "Palk Straits " at age 55 if i get permission as per my philosophy of "Better Late than too late".If successful would be the oldest man to attempt the same.The water was shallow and clean with lots of small sea-shells having  spikes on the shell.I stepped onto one of them and almost got my foot pierced by a snail spike .Spent the rest of my  swim time  in collecting these cute but lethal shells.Please visit this unique locale in India if  you get a chance or  if visiting Rameswaram. At approximately 1000 hrs we began our return journey to Dhanushkodi village.Spotted the tall satellite communication tower  and also spotted some pony's in the wastelands of the sea sand dunes.

Ruins of Dhanushkodi town reclaimed by "Thorn Bushes".

                                                                                                                                      As a tourist name-dropper i couldn't help  recognizing the bizarre similarities  between  the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and Dhanushkodi ghost town in Tamil Nadu. Absolute barren wasteland of sand  partially submerged in sea-water  with  thorn shrubs being the only vegetation in sight.Stopped at the "DHANUSHKODI GHOST TOWN", a thriving township until 1964 when it was destroyed by a cyclonic storm which later developed into a Tsunami.On 23-12-1964 a 25 feet Tsunami submerged the entire town and overturned  "No 653 Pamban-Dhanushkodi" train   killing all 150 passengers on board .                                                                                                          

Ruins of the local Church in Dhanushkodi.

                                                                                                                                               This town which was till then a important transit point between India and Sri Lanka  having a railway station,customs office, post and telegraphs office,two medical institutions,a railway hospital, a Panchayat  Union dispensary,a higher elementary
school,port offices and a church was totally  wiped out akin to a "Atomic Bomb" holocaust.Between 1914 to 1964  the famous "Boat Mail" train arrived at  the Danushkodi railway station from Madras(Chennai Egmore) with passengers for Ceylon(Sri Lanka). The train passengers would alight at Dhanushkodi train station  and catch the  ferry to Talaimannar in Ceylon. In 2015 all that remains of this once flourishing business and travel town is nothing but ruins akin to a lost  ancient civilization.It took the "Angkor Vat" in Cambodia  centuries to become a  abandoned civilization while it took Dhanushkodi town a mere Tsunami cyclone  to become a sea-sand dune ghost town.Its difficult to believe that this  ancient lost town existed  and was flourishing just 50 years ago upto 1964 !This site deserves a "U.N.E.S.C.O" recognition as the World's lost town of the 20th Century.Walked around the ruins of the town  which had a few  thatched fisher-folk houses and  some sea-shells handicraft shops for tourists.Having visited Jaffna in 2012 i had some idea of the ravages of war but this total devastation due to nature's fury decades ago  just left me speechless.It was a very hot morning and thirst quenching with aerated drinks/water was the order of the day.

Desolate ruins of Dhanushkodi town.

                                                                                                                                 Visited the small temple that  had a  "Floating stone" exhibited outside  the temple which to me seemed to be some sort of a sponge coral and definitely not rock hard stone.After the short tour of the devastated city we headed back in the mini van  and began our onward journey to "Mugundakai Satiram" village in Dhanushkodi.Finally at approximately 1100 hrs reached our destination and boarded a bus back to Rameswaram.The bus stopped  near Ramamanathaswamy temple and hence continued on my  walking sightseeing tour.Non-Hindu's are not allowed to visit the temple and just had a circular walk around the temple complex.Numerous lodges and hotels advertise for room rentals and seems the entire economy of the city is based on the  ancillary temple revenue and the fishing Industry.

Entrance to Ramamanathaswamy temple.

                                                                                                                       Most of the restaurants were vegetarian and  akin to a carnivore animal  i just can't survive  on a vegetarian diet for long and hence searched for a non-vegetarian restaurant.Came across a total South Indian non vegetarian restaurant that served "Fish Thali" on a banana leaf..Lunch was exotic and simple "Fish thali" costing Rs 100 served on a banana leaf  which included different vegetable dishes . At approx 1330 hrs  returned to my lodge. After a bathe and some rest began my walking sightseeing tour of the temple town and realized that Rameswaram is a small temple town with a fishing port  and  everything  centred around the temple complex. The roads are narrow as are all temple town city roads with  hotel lodging and small restaurants a prime business. Rameswarams other claim to fame is that it is the home of former Indian President and rocket scientist  Dr A.P.J Abdul.Kalam. On inquiries was surprised to realize that his former house that is now a museum was a short distance  just a corner away from  my lodge.

At "Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam House/Museum"

                                                                                                        Entrance to  Dr Abdul. Kalam's house/Museum is free but photography strictly  prohibited.In  South India it is a social etiquette and custom to remove one's footwear before entering any private residence or places of religious worship and the same applied to the Museum.The first floor showcased the life history of Dr A,P,J Abdul.Kalam, most notably his humble education and beginnings in a fisher-folks community.The second floor consisted of a souvenir shop titled "Kalam Arcade" and sold various handicrafts mostly consisting of sea-shells.Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam's beginnings in one of the most educationally  backward towns in India  and later into one of  India's  and the World's most successful scientists speaks volumes on the fact that intellect and talent can never be wasted.Unlike Mumbai(Bombay) or most other  Indian capital  City's  Dr A.P.J Abdul.Kalam did not have the benefit of studying in a elite educational Institution but  yet became the father of India's rocket science and later the President of the Country.Having toured Rameswaram city i just couldn't believe that one of India's foremost scientists had his educational upbringing in this small town, the most educationally backward town of Tamil Nadu .City living and educational opportunities  is different from village or small town living.

A view  of  Rameswaram town.

                               Thanks to the invention of the "INTERNET" that today in the 21st century village and small towns can get limited  distance education and information on-line  through the Internet .Any student who feels that he or she is at a disadvantage  because they do not belong to a established school/University or lack wealth patronage should visit Rameswaram and take courage from scientist Dr A.P.J. Abdul.Kalam's life.After the visit to the museum wandered around the small town and later entered a internet cafe near the temple, the only internet cafe in the vicinity  of this tourist  temple town..I was anxiously awaiting the news of the "Invitation Cup" horse race at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai where one of India's best horses in decades  "Be Safe" was expected to win.On logging onto the Internet was stunned to read that India's wonder horse "BE SAFE" had lost to a rank outsider "QUASAR" belonging to the same stable , a scandal of epic proportions.Dinner was a omelette/paratha with sweet Lassi and later  back to my chawl style room.I was on a roller-coaster  ride of staying in trains and different types of hotels/lodges.This locality of Rameswaram reminded me of  Lalbaug in Mumbai with its former chawl style buildings.Missed my normal T.V browsing but did get a good nights sleep.

   

"PAMBAN RAIL AND ROAD BRIDGE" as seen from  Pamban(Rameswaram) side.

                                                                                                                                                 
Sunday(8-3-2015) :- Checked out of the lodge at 0600 hrs and headed to the railway station.Deposited my bag at the "Luggage cloak room " and decided to visit Rameswaram fishing port.It was a short walking distance from the station to "Port Road" as Rameswaranm is a small town which can be covered in a walkathon.

Rameswaram fish jetty with tons of "SARDINE FISH".

                                                                                                    I have a tendency to visit fishing ports or harbours in any city or country and was surprised at the fishing activity in Rameswaram fishing jetty.In fact  to  my amazement it was a day of learning a crash course in Fisheries and fish marketing at the jetty! The entire jetty was crowded with fisher-folk and trawlers.The view of Rameswaram town across the bay was a excellent sight  early in the morning with the tallest television tower in India distinctly visible as also the telecommunications tower.This television tower is  a circular concrete structure  with a square steel mast at its top.It is designed to withstand a wind velocity of 160 Km/hr.It was a small jetty  with  many boats anchored away from the wharf  with fish products transferred on smaller canoe boats to the sand beach. "Sardines" were piled on the wharf like garbage and shoveled with a spade into baskets for weighing.Spent the morning photographing the various methods of fish harvesting and sale.Rameswaram  beach coast does not have high sea waves  with the maximum wave  being 3 cms and hence the sea always seems calm.

Container trucks & India's tallest "T.V Tower(Concrete structure)" seen from Jetty.

                                                         Observed flocks of Brahminy kites in the harbour, feasting on the fish morsels.In Rameswaram Brahminy kites outnumber the common black kites, a rare sight compared to other fishing ports and garbage dumps in India.Tractors with trailers were used to cart the sardine fish from the wharf onto the fish warehouses situated a short distance away along the narrow port road  away from the wharf.Never in my life did i see tons of fish(Sardines) being offloaded on the wharf as at this fishing port .The "Sardines" were shoveled into baskets and later weighed before being loaded onto the tractor trucks for delivery to the fish warehouses close to the port..Each sardine basket averaged between 35 to 45 Kgs.Other fish species  besides sardines was a rarity and spotted a few large tuna  and some other species of fish  which was loaded onto a tricycle rickshaw.The Tuna fish was salted and meant to be later processed as dried tuna fish.The journey by launch from Rameswaram to Sri Lanka is just two hours by a fishing launch and the reason that many Indian fishermen stray into  Sri Lanka waters and are sometimes taken into custody.Later walked over to the small fish warehouses where the fish was kept in ice-boxes for transfer to other locations.There were a few large trucks having insulated 20 foot containers similar to container ships containers for loading fish crates filled with ice for road transport to  destinations  in  Mangalore, Bangalore and Cannanore.

Transport of large fish from wharf to fish warehouse.

                                                                                                                                                     Sardines are used for producing "Fish oil" and also canned food products. Most of the sardines from Rameswaram  fishing port would  finally be on the tables of exotic hotels as tinned fish food or fish salads.The end product of tons of sardines that resembled garbage on the wharf  would be worth  tons of money as a end product ! There is a church near the port and after walking around the bustling fishing port vicinity  made my way to Rameswaram  Bazaar area .Locals were very helpful in guiding me although language was a barrier the mode of communication being Hindi language.Later  at approx 0900 hrs boarded the "2 Nos"  bus near the temple  for Pamban bridge  , a distance of 11 kms by road.Alighted the bus at Pamban junction in the hope of boarding another bus to cross the bridge..Express buses don't stop at Pamban bus-stop nor any ordinary bus  and hence the only mode of transport across the 2 Km long road bridge is either by taxi or a auto-rickshaw. Auto-rickshaws make brisk business carting tourists across the road bridge.I decided to do a "Sight the Walk" across the bridge and began my long 2 Km walk across this scenic bridge.The Pamban road bridge was   built  in 1988  and  named "Annai Indira Gandhi  Bridge" .

"Double leaf Bascule section" of Pamban rail bridge.

                                                                                                                   The "Pamban Railway" bridge"  which is parallel to the road bridge and lower in height just above sea level  is 2 Kms long  and  India's first  cantilever sea-bridge . It  was  commissioned on February 24 ,1914 and  has 143 piers with the central part of the bridge having a double leaf bascule section that opens up to allow large boats to pass . It is a feat of engineering marvel  built in the second most corrosive environment in the world  and is also  the second longest sea bridge in India after  the 5.6 Kms "Rajiv Gandhi Setu(Bandra - Worli  Sealink)"  bridge  in Mumbai.It was originally a "Meter gauge railway track" and converted in 2007 to a "Broad gauge rail track".This rail-bridge was the only link between mainland India and the island of Pamban(Rameswaran) until  the building of the " Annai Indira Gandhi " road bridge in 1988. Mandapam is the last town on the mainland of India that connects this bridge to the island of Pamban(Rameswaram).

View of Pamban Island from road bridge.

                                                                                                                          This sea railway bridge survived the cyclone/Tsunami of 1964 that totally destroyed the town of Dhanushkodi and its railway system.Walking across the  the  2 Kms "Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge(Pamban road bridge)" was a right decision as  travel by auto-rickshaw or taxi would have not allowed me to enjoy the views and landscape from this bridge.A pleasant walk considering that jogging around the 2 Kms  Mahalaxmi racecourse track was a daily morning  fitness regime for me before i took up leisure swimming, a total fitness fanatic.

On "Annai Indira Gandhi bridge(Pamban)".

       Tourists normally  travel by vehicles to the centre of the bridge to  view the beauty of Pamban Island. The railway bridge and the fishing boats from this vantage position are a view for a lasting memory and excellent photograph subjects. If lucky a tourist could get to see the double leaf bascule  of the rail bridge  opening to let small ships to pass through, usually large trawler fishing vessels. I was lucky to spot a train travelling on the bridge  towards Rameswaram, a unique sight observed from the elevated height of the road bridge.Came across a young man trying his luck at fishing from the bridge and the water near the bridge seemed shallow in many locations requiring skillful navigation  for large fishing trawlers.Spotted a young boy snorkeling in the shallow water beneath the bridge, his small fishing boat anchored in the shallows near the bridge.Wonder what was his search,oysters ? On walking and reaching the end of the bridge at  Mandapam on the main Indian peninsular entered a park next to the highway. This park was named "Mandapam Panchayat beach park" and it  did have a beach and a shop for tourists, the only oasis between  the empty stretch of sea and highway road.After resting in the park and quenching my thirst with a ice-cream decided to walk back to Pamban Island(Rameswaram) . Hitchhiked for a lift  while returning and was lucky to be given a ride by a motorcyclist as auto-rickshaw and even taxi's are unavailable in this remote sea.land oasis..Alighted mid-way at the centre of the bridge thanking the motorcyclist  and walked down the steps of the  bridge to the fishing wharf next to the rail bridge. This part of the sea shore was dirty with human feces but otherwise the water was clean.

Train passing over "Pamban rail bridge" built in 1914.

                                                                                                                                            Got beautiful photo's of the rail and road bridge from the seashore at sea-level .A small fishing colony complete with fishing boats existed at the foot of Pamban bridge.Later walked to Pamban railway station and found a dried starfish near the sidewalk.Picked it up as a memorabilia and headed into the town  for a classic "Fish Thali".After lunch walked to Pamban bus station and boarded a bus to Rameswaram beach called "Lashmana Theertham".There was nothing at this beach barring a wading site for the temple pilgrims to bathe. Boarded the return bus back to the main city, a distance of 3 Kms from this beach.Whiled away the rest of the afternoon in  "Rameswaram fishing village" reminiscing my own seafaring career in the Mercantile Merchant Navy."SEA" is a "SEA" to all people who live on it or earn a living from it.Later in the evening  walked towards "St Joseph's Church" deciding to attend the "Sunday Mass" .

Rameswaram beach(Lashmana Theertham)  for pilgrims.

                                    On the way  to the church came across a  container truck being loaded with almost rotting sardines stacked like garbage .Workers were filling empty baskets with sardines and crushed ice and manually stacking it  in the insulated  20 foot container.This cargo was destined for Tuticorin to produce fish oil and fish powder .In the same vicinity came across a wholesale fish dealer exporting  expensive fish like  white and black pomfrets to Mumbai by train. Pomfrets are a prized luxury in Mumbai city and these medium sized white pomfrets were being sold  at Rs 600/Kg by this dealer.They were packed along with ice in thermocol  insulated boxes for a 2 day journey to Mumbai by train.After having completed my unofficial marketing course in fisheries visited the "St Josephs Church" situated on the same straight   main road  north of the fishing colony.

"SARDINES" for export.

                                                                                                                                    Found the church desolate and empty, not a soul in sight.All the church literature was in Tamil language with Hindi and English totally absent barring a few directional indications in English language.Was fortunate to meet a young collegian  who happened to visit the church and on inquiries was told that the catholic population was minuscule , mostly in the fishing colony.On Sundays there was just  a single 0700 hrs mass in "St Joseph's Church"  as also a mass in the church in the fisher-folks colony. Realized the fact that Catholics and Christianity form just 2 to 3 % of the entire Indian population although Churches are quite common in most large Indian city's  and  villages in South India.Spent the last evening  having a beer in the local bar in the  fishing colony.After beer had a fish thali in "Bismi hotel"  on the main exit road of the  fishing port and then headed to the railway station.To my horror i realized that i had misread my ticket and a error created by the rail department almost cost me my return journey back home.

"FISHING INDUSTRY",the industry  of Rameswaram.

                                                                                   The train "22621 -Ramm Cape Exp" was non-existent on Saturday(8-3-2015) ,a error in the ticket issue.Boarded a auto costing Rs 70 from the station and headed to the local bus stop. Providence saved me and i was in the nick of time to board a "Rameswaran-Madurai Bus". The ticket cost was Rs 100 and reached Madurai at exactly midnight.  Quickly boarded a rickshaw costing Rs 130  and headed to Madurai railway station.It was a miracle that my bus reached Madurai in time for me to catch my connecting train although it cost me double the ticket fare. The "16611-In Cbe Line Exp"  arrived on platform No 1 at approx 0130 hrs and after entering the train realized that i had lost my cell-phone in the confusion and hence totally immobile in a era where the phone is  the equivalent of being a living human !.Made myself comfortable  on "ST1 49 LB"  seat , a hardcore backpacker traveller by now.The train was my temporary accommodation, the ultimate in backpacker adventure travel.

Athar Jamad Masjid , a prominent landmark on Oppanakara Street in Coimbatore.

Monday(9-3-2015) :- Arrived at Coimbatore Junction at 0745 hrs and after depositing  my haversack in the railway cloakroom headed out of the station. Had a excellent "Idli Chutney" breakfast at the vegetarian restaurant opposite the station.

"Town Hall" of Coimbatore.

                                                                                         After breakfast and some brief directional inquiries about the local tourist attractions  walked to the local bus-stop near the station.Decided to take a chance  of travelling approximately 35 Kms by bus to view the Siruvani Waterfalls at Kovaikutralem. Language was a barrier as Tamil seemed to be the only spoken language barring a few individuals who spoke in Hindi.. After waiting for  approx one hour  boarded the long distance bus to "Kovaikutralem" to visit the  Siruvani wild-life  natural park famous for its waterfalls originating from the Siruvani hill ranges.The water from the Siruvani  river is known  for its  taste and medicinal properties.Got to view the beautiful Coimbatore countryside  farms  as the bus headed away from the  congested city.At  0900 hrs   reached Karunya educational   complex and our bus stopped a little further away at a small restaurant for breakfast for the driver and conductor akin to a inter-state bus journey.At the restaurant spotted a poster of the  late "L.T.T.E" leader Velupillai.Prabhakaran along with some Tamil politician and again realized the fact that one country's villain could be another regions hero.This same poster in Mumbai or any other state of India  could be a reason for a riot at best.No wonder foreigners of non-Indian origin are baffled by the politics and multiculturalism of India.How could the assassin of the Country's former Prime Minister be a hero to a certain group of people  in the same country ? As a tourist and blogger(writer) you always travel with a "OPEN MIND" and absorb the flavour and culture of the region or country.  

"T.K.Market"  in Bazaar street.

                                                                                                                                       After a short break at the restaurant  it was just a single stop  to   the gates of  "Sadivayal Checkpost"  which is the entry point  to visit  the Siruvani waterfalls  reserve .The entrance fee was Rs 20/person and the normal opening hours of this wild-life park  are 1000hrs to  1530 hrs daily except on Mondays.Wild  elephants do reside in the forest vicinity and hence visitors not allowed after  1700 hrs into the forest area.. Sadly all the literature and advertisements were in Tamil language and no information in either Hindi or English language..On reaching the wildlife sanctuary realized that Monday was a holiday and so  boarded the same bus and alighted a stop away at  Karunya University. The famous Isha Yoga centre run by Guru Jaggi.Vasudev is only about a 8 kms detour  from Karuna University. Entered the precincts of the university   and heard the  students  assembly in progress with hymns being sung  and later a speech based on the "Jesus Calls Ministeries" delivered by a alumni student.. The "Karunya Campus" was similar in design  to the  Manipal  educational  township in the state of  Karnataka , although smaller in faculties provided and land area.

"KARUNYA CAMPUS", a mini education  town .

                                         The "Karunya University(formerly Karuna Institute of Technology and Sciences)" was founded by Evangelical preachers  Dr D.G.S.Dhinakaran and his son  Dr Paul. Dhinakaran through  "Jesus Calls Ministeries", My mother , a devout catholic regularly received  correspondence from Dr D.G.S.Dhinakaran's "Jesus Calls Ministeries" and after her death from Cancer i personally wrote to them of her untimely demise.I was surprised on seeing this huge educational campus and institution  founded and managed by Evangelists whom i presumed were normal gospel preachers .  Returned back to the city on the "59 Nos" bus, the ticket for the 30 Kms  distance  costing only Rs 26.Strolled around the congested textile city roads and visited "Ganapathy Silks", one of the largest textile shops .It was a huge  shopping mall selling women and mens clothing , mostly womens clothing.Gandhipuram situated about 3 Kms from the railway station is the most famous street for shopping in Coimbatore but so also is the entire locality in proximity to the railway station  which included "Ganpathy Silks"  and "Pothy's".Came across  the  large "Athar Jamad Masjid(Big Mosque)" mosque  at Oppanakara street situated in the heart of the city .This masjid is built besides the tomb of Hazrat.Jamesha.Waliullah a Muslim preached who died in 1850.Even Non-Muslims visit the Dargah. Later strolled around "Big Bazaar Market" and came across a string of goldsmith and jewellery shops.

"Sadivayal Checkpost" to "Siruvani Waterfalls"

                                                 Lunch was at "HMR Biryani hotel" and was surprised at beef products being sold in the restaurant.Although a "Foodie Connoisseur"  i am  not much of a beef meat eater but tried the "Chettinad beef" and it was excellent.After lunch tasted the local falooda for dessert at the "Fruit shop" situated  opposite "HMR Biryani hotel".A total different type of falooda compared to the various types of falooda's  i tasted in my lifetime.Strolled through the bazaar  called "T.K. Market", a large typical South Indian market with local hose-hold culinary items  and utensils on display.Purchased a brown colour leather belt from a authentic leather belt manufacturing shop.Later made my way to a internet cafe and browsed  the cyber-world as well as my own mail and "Facebook", a terrible "Cyberworld addict".Thats one reason i use a ordinary phone  on tours and travels and not a  Smart phone as thats the only time i get time-off from my internet addiction as a blogger/browser.Was disgusted and sad  by the controversial defeat of the super-horse "Be Safe" in the "Indian Invitation cup" at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai and as usual posted my own personal views on the race.At approx 1700 hrs walked to the station and collected my haversack and made my way to the platform.Coimbatore was a neat and well maintained railway station with excellent directions for commuters provided on the local railway television.

"2nd Class Luxury travel" :- Unbelievable lunch  luxury  on the train akin to the "Maharajah Luxury tourist trains".

Boarded " Coach S7 berth 22" of the "16382 Kanyakumari-Mumbai Express" at 1800 hrs and after making myself comfortable  began reading "Desi Rap(Hip Hop and South Asian America)" a American Asian book edited by Ajay.Nair and Murali.Balaji. A part of the compartment was filled with engineering college students from Pune returning back from a Kerala holiday.Had a good nights sleep  and  began my reading the next day after normal toilet routines.This was my fourth train journey in a short span of 9 days  and hence became a seasoned train  resident !Strangely  my compartment was almost empty off passengers  in the afternoon of Tuesday and hence had a quiet "Chicken Biryani(Rs100)" for lunch,

Across Krisna River on journey back home to Mumbai.

The Biryani  was a  lousy preparation but  i felt like a "Maharajah/Nawab/Prince " dining on a heritage tourist  train "THE MAHARAJAHS EXPRESS" , the costliest tourist train in India  rather than a common "Second Class  train Compartment".The luxury was short-lived as later at Gulbarga a entire bunch of package tour Muslim pilgrims boarded the train for a pilgrimage to Haji Ali in Mumbai  and hence  it was back to normal common  "Second Class travel".Finished reading  the entire book by evening and got a peep into the psyche of the Asian American Indian in America.I normally avoid train food and hence dinner was a few fruits purchased at Coimbatore and a simple "Paav Bhaji" which was tolerable for the palette.Observed a fantastic improvement in the cleanliness and train punctuality of the railways  although the food was  below average and  at a high cost.Reached Dadar station at approximately 0430 hrs just only half an hour  behind the scheduled arrival time.Hopped off the train and as usual  boarded a taxi  and headed for home in Prabhadevi.This was a real "TOUR DE SOUTH INDIA" saga although bizarrely i never ever rode a cycle during the entire tour but came across a cycling tour group ! As is common in tours was lucky to reach home with minimum monetary or physical damages.

NOTE :- ALL OPINIONS AND VIEWS  EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN .THANKS TO THE "INTERNET" FOR MY RESEARCH IN TRACING FACTS AS ALSO IN PRACTICALLY DEMONSTRATING MY "TOUR DE SOUTH INDIA". :- Rudolph.A.Furtado.