Rameshwaram

Situated at the tip of the Pamban Island and 50 km from the coast of Sri Lanka, is considered to be as sacred as Varanasi and is a bustling pilgrimage center.Named after Lord Rama ho according to the Legend embarked his !ourne" to Sri Lanka from this to n, Ramesh aram is a place of ide religious significance.#he cit" is one of the holiest $indu %har &ham shrines that has to be 'isited in one(s lifetime and this island #emple is connected b" the scenic Pamban )ridge o'er the sea for *.+ km. #he Ramanathas am" #emple, the most important of them all is belie'ed to be constructed at the spot here Lord Rama had offered his pra"ers to Shi'a#he construction of the temple as it stands toda", as started in the ,*th centur" and ended in ,-th centur".#he most interesting feature in the temple is the ,,**0m long corridor .the longest in India/ ith the beautiful car'ings on the pillars, alls and ceiling. #he 0othandaramas am" #emple situated on the shore of &hanushkodi is supposed to be the place here Vibishena the borther of Raa'ana, had met Rama(s arm" and !oined hands.#he temple miracousl" sur'i'ed the ,-12 %"clone that destro"ed most of the region and recei'es a good amount of 'isitors. #he 'illage of &e'ipatinam *0 km from Ramnathapuram has a temple dedicated to Lord 3agannatha and about hundred "ards in the sea are naturall" e4isting nine blocks of stone, supposed to be the Na'agrahas, the nine planets. #he 5r adi &argah an 600 "ear old mos7ue and the tomb of Ibrahim S"ed 8ulia a 9uslim saint, attracts de'otees from all o'er India,Sri Lanka and 9ala"sia during the annual festi'al in &ecember.

Madurai
9adurai being one of the orld(s oldest inhabited cities is the home to se'eral temples built b" the Pand"an and Na"ak kings ith the most famous being the 9eenakshi 8mman #emple hich dates back to *000 "ears.:6; #he cit" and the life of its inhabitants re'ol'e around the temple hich is one of the largest $indu temples b" si<e and enclosure.5'er" "ear, hundreds of thousands of tourists 'isit this temple and the surroundings. #he 9ariamman #heppakulam built in ,1+1 is a huge tank at the eastern end of the cit" and is almost e7ual in area to that of the 9eenakshi 8mman temple.#o its side is a temple dedicated to Par'ati, and e'er" "ear a local festi'al celebrating =oddess 9eenakshi(s edding is held in the month of 3anuar">?ebruar". 9adurai is also situated close to the #hirupparamkunram 9urugan #emple and Pa<hamudircholai, t o of the Si4 8bodes of Lord Subraman"a.

Gopurams
#he temple is surrounded b" gopurams .gate a" to er/,:@; A #here are ten gopuram the tallest of hich, the famous southern to er, rises to o'er ,@0 ft .5* m/ and as built in ,55-. #he oldest gopuram is the eastern one, built b" 9ara'arman Sundara Pand"an during ,*,1A,*+6:,-; 5ach gopuram is a multiAstore"ed structure, co'ered ith thousands of stone figures of animals, gods and demons painted in bright hues.:@; #he outer gopuram presents steepl" p"ramidal to er encrusted ith plastic figures, hile the inner gopuram ser'es as the entrance to the inner enclosure of Sundares arar shrine.

Shrines
#he central shrine of 9eenakshi 8mman temple and her consort Sundares arar are surrounded b" three enclosures and each of these are protected b" four minor to ers at the four points of the compass, the outer to er gro ing larger and reaching higher to the corresponding inner one.:*0; #he 9eenakshi shrine has the emeraldAhued black stone image of 9eenakshi.:,-; #he Sundares arar shrine lies at the centre of the comple4, suggesting that the ritual dominance of the goddess de'eloped later. )oth the 9eenakshi and Sundares arar shrines ha'e gold plated Vimanam .to er o'er sanctum/. #he golden top can be seen from a great distance in the est through the apertures of t o successi'e to ers. #he area co'ered b" the shrine of Sundares arar is e4actl" one fourth of the area of the temple and that of 9eenakshi is one fourth that of Sundares arar.:*,; #he tall sculpture of =anesh car'ed of single stone located outside the Sundares arar shrine in the path from 9eenashi shrine is called the Mukuruny Vinayakar. 8 large measure of rice measuring + kurini .a measure/ is shaped into a big ball of sacrifice:**; and hence the =anesh is called Mukkurni Vinayagar .three kurinis/.:,-; #his deit" is belie'ed to be found during a ,@th centur" e4ca'ation process to dig the 9ariamman temple tank.:*+;

Temple tank and surrounding portico

#he sacred temple tank Porthamarai Kulam .BPond ith the golden lotusB/, is ,15 ft .50 m/ b" ,*0 ft .+@ m/ in si<e. 8ccording to legend, Shi'a promised a stork that no fish or other marine life ould gro here and thus no marine animals are found in the lake.:*2; In the #amil legends, the lake is supposed to !udge the orth of a ne piece of literature. 8uthors place their orks here and the poorl" ritten orks are supposed to sink and the scholastic ones are supposed to float, #irukkural b" #iru'allu'ar as one such ork.:,-; Cnl" a fraction of ,@th and ,6th centur" paintings of Na"ak period sur'i'es and one such portion is found in the small portico on the estern side of the tank. It depicts the marriage of Sundares arar and 9eenkashi attended b" Vi!a"aranga %hokkanatha and Rani 9angammal. #he painting is e4ecuted on a 'i'id red background, ith delicate black line ork and large areas of hite, green and ochre. #he celestial couple is seated inside an architectural frame ith a flo ering tree in the background.:*5;

Halls
#he corridor surrounding the sanctum of 9eenakshi is called kilikoondu Mandapam .Bparrot cage corridorB/. #he space as once used to keep green parrots that ere trained to utter the name of 9eenakshi. #here are t o large cages full of s7ua king green parrots.:*+; #he Kambatadi Mandapam .B$all of temple treeB/ ith its seated Nandi .sacred bull/ has 'arious manifestations of Shi'a car'ed and also contains the famous B9arriage of 9eenakshiB sculpture. :,-; Sculptures of Shi'a and 0ali tr"ing to outAdance one another are pelted ith balls of ghee b" de'otees. 8 golden flagstaff ith +* sections s"mboli<es the human backbone and is surrounded b" 'arious gods, including &urga and Siddar.:*+; #he Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam .B$all of ,00 pillarsB/ has t o ro s of pillars car'ed ith images of yali .m"thological beast ith bod" of lion and head of an elephant/, commonl" used as the s"mbol of Na"ak po er.:*+; It is situated to the north of Sundares arar flag staff hall. #he Puthu Mandapam .Bne hallB/ constructed b" #irumala Na"ak contains large number of sculptures.:,-; It is situated opposite to the east gopuram.

#he Ashta Shakthi Mandapam .B$all of eight goddessB/ is the first hall in the entrance of 9eenakshi shrine to er near to 5ast #o er. Ashta indicates eight and Shakthi refers to goddess A the hall has statues of eight goddesses. #he gopurams .to ers/ can be 'ie ed from this hall.:*1; #he passage as named for eight forms of goddess Sakthi car'ed on its pillars. Cther sculptures and paintings depict the Tiruvilayadal .hol" games of Shi'a/.:*+; #he sculptures of heroes of 9ahabharata, the Pancha pandavas can be seen in the Pancha Pandava Mandapam .$all of Panda'as/.:*+; #he Viravasantharaya Mandapam is a large hall ith huge corridors.:*+; #o the south of this hall is the kalyana mandapam, to the south of the pillared hall, is here the marriage of Shi'a and Par'ati is celebrated e'er" "ear during the Chithirai ?esti'al in midA8pril. #he golden images of 9eenakshi and Sundares arar are carried into the ,1th centur" oonjal mandapam .s ing corridor/ and placed on the s ing e'er" ?rida" at 5D+0 p.m. #he shrine has a +Astoried gopuram guarded b" t o stern d arapalakas .guardians/ and supported b" golden, rectangular columns that bear lotus markings. 8long the perimeter of the chamber, granite panels of the di'ine couple are present.:*+; #he hall is situated in the estern bank of the temple tank. #he Mudali Pillai Mandapam or !ruttu Mandapam .&ark hall/ is a ide and long hall built b" 9uthu Pillai during ,1,+. Cn the pillars of the halls, there are fine sculptures depicting the stor" of Shi'a taking the form of )ikshadanar to teach the sages a lesson.:*@; #he Mangayarkarasi mandapam is a ne l" built hall situated opposite to the marriage halls and bears the name of saind" 7ueen, 9anga"arkarasi ho contributed to Sai'ism and #amil language. :*6; #o the south of Mangayarkarasi mandapam lies the Servaikarar Mandapam, a hall built b" 9arudu brothers in ,@-5.:*-; #he Nagara mandapam .$all of beating drums/ lies opposite to Sundares arar shrine as built b" 8cha"a Ra"ar, the minister of Rani 9angammal in ,1+5.:+0; #he Kolu Mandapam is a hall for displa"ing dolls during the Na'arathri festi'al celebrated during SeptemberECctober.:+,; #his hall is situated in the second corridor of the 9eenakshi shrine at the estern side.

Hall of Thousand Pillars

#he B8a"iram 0aal 9andapamB or #housand Pillar $all contains -65:,+; .instead of ,000/ car'ed pillars.:@; #he hall as built b" 8ri"anatha 9udaliar in ,51- and it is a structure here the engineering skill and artistic 'ision are blended.:,-; 8ri"anatha 9udaliar as the prime minister and general of Vis anatha Na"ak, the first Na"aka of 9adurai .,55-E,100/. $e as also the founder of Poligar S"stem, the 7uasiAfeudal organi<ation of the countr", hich as di'ided into multiple palayams or small pro'inces and each palayam as ruled b" a palayakkarar or a pett" chief. 8t the entrance of the hall the statue of 8ri"anatha 9udaliar seated on a horseAback is present, hich flanks one side of the entrance to the temple. #he statue is periodicall" garlanded b" orshippers. 5ach pillar in the hall is a car'ed monument of the &ra'idian sculpture. #he more prominent among the car'ed figures are those of Rati . ife of 0ama/, 0arthike"a, =anesha, Shi'a as a andering mendicant and endless number of yalis .m"thical figures of lions/.:,-; #here is a #emple 8rt 9useum in the hall here icons, photographs, dra ings, and other e4hibits of the ,*00 "ears old histor" of the temple is displa"ed.:,-; 3ust outside this hall, to ards the est, are the 9usical Pillars. 5ach pillar, hen struck, produces a different musical note.:,-;

Religious significance of the temple

8 distinct feature of 9eenakshi in terms of iconograph" is the presence of parrot in her right hand. #he parrot is generall" associated ith the Vaishna'a a<h ar saint 8ndal.:+*; BPancha SabhaiB refers to the fi'e ro"al courts of Natara!a.dancing form of Shi'a/:++; here he performed cosmic

dance.:+2; #he #amil ord velli means sil'er and ambalam means stage or altar.:*; #his massi'e Natara!a sculpture is enclosed in a huge sil'er altar and hence called BVelli 8mbalamB .sil'er abode/. #his is a special figure of Natar!a hich usuall" differs from %hola bron<esF in the %hola images, Natara!a is sho n dancing ith his left leg raised, but this sculpture has the right leg raised. :,-;8ccording to the Tiruvilayaadal Puranam .Shi'a(s sacred games/, this is on the re7uest of Ra!asekara Pand"a, ho as a sincere de'otee of Shi'a. $e re7uested the deit" to change his position, as he felt that keeping the same foot raised ould put enormous strain and got a graceful ac7uiescence from the di'ine master.:,-;

Kodaikanal
Located in the forests of the &indigul distrcis, the hill station of 0odaikanal is fast gaining reputation for its unspoilt beaut" and soothing climate.It is kno n b" the nickname BPrincess of $ill stationsB:,*; and is a leading tourist destination in #amil Nadu.#he most popular sights ithin the to n areD #he 0odaikanal Lake E 0odaikanal(s most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction. Ro boats and pedalos can be hired at the 0odaikanal )oat %lub.Ver" popular ith tourists. )r"ant ParkD 3ust east of the lake is the )r"ant Park.C'er +*5 species of trees, shrubs and cacti and flo ers. %oaker(s Galk E 8 pa'ed pedestrian path offering stunning 'ie s of the mountains and the plains belo . =reen Valle" Vie E Cffers spectacular 'ie s of the plains and the Vaigai Ri'er &am at the South. Shembaganur 9useum of Natural $istor" E 8 nature muesum ith o'er 500 species of local ildlife and +00 e4otic orchid species. Sil'er %ascade E 8 aterfall in the region popular ith firstAtime 'isitors. )eri!am Lake E 8 calm serene lake surrounded b" mesmeri<ing nature.

Places of interest
0odaikanal lake 0odaikanal has se'eral scenic natural attractions hich are en!o"ed b" its 'isitors and make it a popular romantic destination for ne l" eds. #hese are described in order of distance from the busA stand. Kodaikanal Lake, 500 metres .,,100 ft/ from the bus stand, is an artificial, roughl" starAshaped 25 ha .10 acres/ lake built in ,61+. It is recogni<ed as 0odaikanal(s most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction. Ro boats and pedalos can be hired at the 0odaikanal )oat %lub ith its main entrance near the onl" fi'eAstar hotel in 0odaikanal, #he %arlton. $orses and bic"cles can be hired beside the lake for short periods. #he 5 kilometres .+., mi/ path that skirts the peripher" of this lo'el" lake is a fa'ourite alk for the locals and tourists alike. Bryant ParkD 3ust east of the lake and 500 metres .,,100 ft/ from the bus stand, is a onderfull" maintained *0.5 acres .6.+ ha/ botanical garden. #he park as planned and built in ,-06 b" a forest officer from 9adurai, $.&.)r"ant, and named after him. Gith +*5 species of trees, shrubs and cactuses, the park is a rainbo of stunning flo ers during the peak season. 8 large section is dedicated to nearl" @20 'arieties of roses. #here is a ,65@ 5ucal"ptus tree and a )odhi tree hich

adds a religious significance to the park. Crnamental plants are culti'ated in a nurser" for sale. #he park organi<es horticultural e4hibits and flo er sho s e'er" summer, to coincide ith the peak season. 5ntrance fee to the park is nominal and it is open all "ear.:2+; oaker!s "alk, 500 metres .,,100 ft/ from the busAstand, constructed b" Lt.%oaker in ,6@*, is a ,A kilometre .+,+00 ft/ pa'ed pedestrian path running along the edge of steep slopes on the southern side of 0odai. #he alk, inding around 9ount Nebo, starts in front of the Van 8llen hospital, running parallel to the Van 8llen $ospital Road and !oins the main road beside St.Peter(s %hurch, pro'iding a stunning panoramic 'ie of the plains. Cn a clear da" one can 'ie as far as &olphin(s Nose in the south, the 'alle" of the Pambar Ri'er in the southeast, Peri"akulam to n and e'en the cit" of 9adurai. 8 fascinating rare phenomenon called "rocken spectre can be itnessed, hen a person can see his shado on the clouds ith a rainbo halo. #his occurs hen the sun is behind the 'ie er and clouds and mist are to the front. #here is an obser'ator" ith a telescope half a" along the alk. 5ntrance fee to the alk a" is nominal and it is open all "ear.:22; Bear Shola #alls, + kilometres .,.- mi/ from the busAstand, is a tall aterfall in a Reser'e forest. #he final approach to this 7uiet area is a gentl" climbing footApath. Green $alley $iew, .formerl" called Suicide Point/ 5.5 kilometres .+.2 mi/ from the busAstand and near the golf course, has an e4cellent panoramic 'ie of the plains and a sheer drop of ,,500 metres .2,-00 ft/ o'erlooking the Vaigai &am to the south. #he stair a" leading up to it is highl" commerciali<ed and lined ith ro s of shops to tempt tourists.:25; Pine forests, In ,-01, ith a 'ie to gro ing 'aluable timber, 9r. )r"ant started the 0odaikanal pine plantations in the southA est of 0odaikanal.:21; Shem%aganur Museum of &atural History, 1 kilometres .+.@ mi/ from the busAstand, founded in ,6-5, is open to the public .e4cept #uesda"s/ for 'ie ing their outstanding ta4iderm" collection of more than 500 species of animals, birds and insects and a li'ing collection of o'er +00 e4otic orchid species. #he museum is affiliated ith Lo"ola %ollege in %hennai and e4hibits artifacts of the ancient Palai"ar tribes people hose descendants still li'e in these hills.:2@; Kodaikanal Solar '%ser(atory, 1 kilometres .+.@ mi/ from the busAstand on Cbser'ator" Road, at *,+2+ metres .@,16@ ft/ is the highest location near 0odai. #he first obser'ations ere commenced here in ,-0,.:26; ?ormer &irector 3ohn 5'ershed, disco'ered the phenomenon of radial motion in sunspots, no kno n as the 5'ershed effect. #he 0odaikanal #errestrial #elescope can 'ie a grand panorama includingD Sothupparai &am, Vaigai &am, Peri"akulam and Varaha ri'er. #his Indian Institute of 8stroph"sics facilit" has a comprehensi'e 8stronomical Science museum ith organi<ed public tours, access to the astronom" librar", and scheduled nightAtime telescopic sk" 'ie ing. It is open dail" to the public during peak season, and a fe hours each ?rida" the rest of the "ear.:2-; Pillar Rocks, 6 kilometres .5.0 mi/ from the busAstand, is a set of three giant rock pillars hich stand ,** metres .200 ft/ high.:50; 9anaged b" the #amil Nadu ?orest &epartment, #he 'ie point can be cro ded but is not commerciali<ed. #here is an e4cellent public garden ad!acent to the 'ie point. Guna ca(es,:5,; made popular b" the #amil mo'ie =una, pre'iousl" called #evil$s Kitchen, are deep batAinfested chambers bet een the three gigantic boulders that are the Pillar Rocks. #he deep narro ra'ines of the ca'es are no closed to public due to the tragic deaths of t el'e "ouths there. :citation needed; #hese dangerous ca'es are highl" protected no , and tourists can see sections of the ca'e s"stem from afar.:5*; In the late ,-@0s the inside of the ca'es as ell photographed. Sil(er ascade, 6 kilometres .5.0 mi/ from 0odaikanal at a ide bend in the long and inding La s =hat Road, at altitude ,,600 metres .5,-00 ft/, is a 55Ametre .,60 ft/ aterfall formed from the outflo of 0odaikanal Lake.:5+; #he ater 7ualit" is reportedl" poor and not good enough for

bathing.:52; #his impressi'e aterfall is a popular stop for firstAtime 'isitors. #here are a fe sou'enir and fruit 'endors and man" monke"s here. #here is also a smaller but more serene aterfall belo the bridge hich crosses the stream here. )olphin!s &ose, 6 kilometres .5.0 mi/ from the bus stand, is flat rock pro!ecting o'er a breathtaking chasm 1,100 feet .*,000 m/ deep. It is an undisturbed area , kilometre .0.1* mi/ do n a 'er" steep rock" trail beginning soon after Pambar )ridge. Crange !uice 'endors along the trail offer a elcome rest stop. )eautiful 'ie s of steep rock" escarpments rising from the plains can be seen. #he old 'illage of Vellaga'i can be reached through a rugged bridle path here. 8 short pa'ed alk a" leads from the road here to Pam%ar falls . hich is also locall" addressed as (Liril ?alls( after the famous Liril Soap 8d'ertisement filming in ,-65/. Kurin*i +nda(ar Murugan temple, 2 kilometres .*.5 mi/ from the busAstand, is famous for its 0urin!i flo er hich blossoms in the area onl" once e'er" ,* "ears. #he deit" here is called Sri Kurinji %as aran, ho is in fact Lord 9urugan. #his temple as built in ,-+1 b" a 5uropean lad", ho on coming to %elon, con'erted to $induism.She changed her name to Leela'athi and married 9r.Ponnambalam Ramanathan. She is also kno n as Lad" Ramanathan. #his temple as handed o'er to 8rulmighu &handa"uthapani S am" #hiru 0o'il, Palani b" 9rs &e'i Prasad )haskaran.also kno n as Padmini, niece and adopted daughter of 9r S Natesan Pillai, son inAla of Lad" Ramanathan/ and her husband &r R. )haskaran. Beri*am LakeD 8 calm serene lake surrounded b" mesmeri<ing nature at a distance of around *0 km from kodaikanal.)oating is prohibited as the lake is a source of ater for 'illages.?orest department permission is re7uired and limited number of 'ehicles are allo ed to enter forest area here the lake is situated.5ntr" is restricted into the )eri!am Lake area to bet een -.+0 a.m. and + p.m. )ison, deers,panthers and snakes are often spotted in this area.?ire to er, silent 'alle", medicine forest,lake 'ie are other attractions around the lake. Psiloc"bin mushrooms hich produce hallucinogenic effects hen consumed, and other poisonous mushrooms gro around )eri!am.9edicine forest has a certain species of trees hose fragrance is belie'ed to be ha'ing hallucinogenic effects.

Transport
8lmost all distances from 0odaikanal are calculated ith the lake as the central point of reference. #he nearest airports are 9adurai .,+5 kilometres > 62 miles/, %oimbatore .,@0 kilometres > ,,0 miles/ and #rich" .*00 kilometres > ,*0 miles/. #he nearest Rail a" stations are Palani Rail a" Station .12 kilometres > 20 miles/ north, 0odai Road Station .60 kilometres > 50 miles/ south east and &indigul Rail a" 3unction .,00 kilometres > 1* miles/ east.:55; #he * to + hours dri'e to 0odai 'ia the steep and inding =hat roads from )atlagundu or Palani is a memorable e4perience. #ra'elers ma" stop at turnouts on the road and en!o" the scenic beaut" of the Palani hills.:51; #here is a *6 km shortcut from Peri"akulam to 0odaikanal 'ia 0umbakarai . )ic"cle rentals, ta4is, 'ans and limited cit" buses are a'ailable.:5@; 8uto ricksha s are not a'ailable.