Map In My Pocket

Category: Tamil Nadu

8 Fabulous Places to Visit near Chennai
There is ever so often that you crave a quick weekend getaway. For a little breather between work and the drudgery of daily life and you do not have the time to plan an elaborate holiday. On those days, long Weekends are like answered prayers. And, just for times like that, here is a list of 8 places to visit near Chennai that are only a few hours away from the city but are as good a tourist destination as any in the country.

1. Mahabalipuram / Mamallapuram

Distance from Chennai | 57 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | Monsoon & Winter. October – April.

Renowned for its ancient monuments dating back to the Pallavas of the seventh and the eighth centuries, Mahabalipuram is home to numerous Hindu temples sculpted as monolithic chariots, cave sanctuaries and rock reliefs even. Together they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most famous of which are the five Rathas dedicated to the five Pandavas of Mahabharata and the elephantine open air rock relief which is The Descent of the Ganges – also known as Arjuna’s Penance.

Today this ancient seaside town is also buzzing with surfers that are thronging here in their quest for big waves making this the number one place to visit near Chennai.

READ : 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

Getting There | Mahabalipuram is only an hour and half away from Chennai by road. One can also take the train or bus to get here.

2. Pondicherry

Distance from Chennai | 156 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | Winter. December – April.

Go further down the East Coast Road from Mahabalipuram and you reach Auroville – Pondicherry, which is also next on our list of popular tourist places to visit near Chennai.

They say if you can’t afford a ticket to Europe, travel to Pondicherry instead. Stroll through the white part of town where cafes cool and inviting are at every turn. Or wander through the streets on the Tamil side to absorb the distinctive Franco-Tamil culture of the place.

Pay a visit to Auroville to experience life at this utopian community, meditate in the Matrimandir and shop for eco friendly products. Take a short drive to Arikamedu, an ancient Roman archaeological site or to the Fossil Forest in Tiruvakkarai. Or simply sit on the edge of the rocky beach and let a sense of tranquillity wash over you.

Getting There | The best way to get to Pondicherry from Chennai is by the East Coast Road. There are also trains and buses that connect both cities.

Where to Stay in Pondicherry | Hotel Review: Maison Perumal

Read Stories from Pondicherry
Streets of Pondicherry – Part I: Art
Streets of Pondicherry – Part II: Architecture

3. Tharangambadi ( Tranquebar )

Distance from Chennai | 270 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | Winter. December – April.

Tharangambadi, ‘the place of the singing waves’, was the first Danish trading post in India and in a Danish twist to its original name, it came to be called Tranquebar. Just like Pondicherry, here too, you will find an eclectic mix of two cultures coming together. Of a former Danish colony and a fishing village of rural Tamil Nadu. Besides the lyrical singing waves and the swaying palms of the southern coast line, there are also the Dansborg Fort and the New Jerusalem Church to explore.

Getting There | The best way to get to Tharangambadi from Chennai is by road. The drive takes over six and a half hours, so one can also take a bus to get to Tharangambadi from Chennai.

4. Trichy

Distance from Chennai | 330 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | All year round.

The stunning gopurams of Srirangam Temple

One of the oldest inhabited cities of Tamil Nadu and my personal favourite on this list of places to visit near Chennai, Trichy is home to temples both unique and popular. From the more famous Ranganatha Swamy Temple of Srirangam to the little known Rockfort Temple.

Second in size only to the Angkor Wat, Srirangam occupies an entire islet in Trichy and is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world
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The Rockfort Temple is a series of cave temples inside an ancient rock that dates back to over a billion years ago. The Jambukeshwara Temple is yet another one of interest in Trichy for all architecture lovers. Also here is the ancient Kallanai Dam, more commonly known as the Grand Anaicut which is a picturesque digression from all the temples.

One can also extend the trip by driving to Thanjavur or Kumbakonam, both towns boast of ancient temples of stunning architecture.

Getting There | There are regular flights from Chennai to Trichy everyday. By road the drive to Trichy takes around six hours. There are also connecting trains between the two cities.

Read Stories from Trichy
From a billion years ago.

5. Thanjavur

Distance from Chennai | 320 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | Dry, cool months. January – March.

Airavateeswara Temple in Darasuram, one of the three great living chola temples in Thanjavur

In and around Thanjavur are ‘The Great Living Chola Temples’, three grand temple complexes dating back to the 11^th and 12^th centuries. These UNESCO classified world heritage sites make Thanjavur one of the best destinations in the country for architecture & history enthusiasts.

But this historical town earns its position on this list of places to visit near Chennai not just for this but also because it is the go-to shopping destination for art lovers and connoisseurs. It is from Thanjavur that the strikingly beautiful gold laid Tanjore Paintings come from.

The Thanjavur Maratha Palace along with its museum dedicated to the Chola heritage of the region is another tourist attraction here that is worth a visit.

Getting There | Nearest Airport is Trichy. One would have to fly to Trichy and drive down to Thanjavur, which takes about one and a half hours. But, there are frequent trains and buses from Chennai to Thanjavur.

Read Stories from Thanjavur
Hello, Kumbakonam Filter Kaapi.
Great Living Chola Temples : Vol I
Great Living Chola Temples : Vol II

6. Madurai

Distance from Chennai | 460 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | All year round.

Madurai is Tamil Nadu’s pride and the illustrious Meenakshi Amman temple here is truly a marvel. One cannot help but lose oneself in the labyrinth of courtyards in this sprawling temple complex of immense proportions.

Its fourteen Dravidian style gopurams etched in beautiful detail and intense colour dominate the city’s skyline. So striking is this temple that it has even inspired full blown life size movie sets in the South.

Getting There | Madurai is connected to Chennai via regular flights, trains and buses. By road, it is an eight hour journey from Chennai to Madurai.

7. Kodaikanal

Distance from Chennai | 525 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | Summer. March – June.

Driving through the western ghats to get to Kodaikanal – this beautiful hill station that often serves as a less crowded alternative to the more famous Ooty – is in itself a pleasurable experience. It sure is the ideal destination for a leisurely holiday, for here you can spend your days amongst the mist rolled hills indulging in home made chocolates and boating in the Kodai Lake.

Getting There | One can get to Kodaikanal from either Coimbatore or Madurai. The drive to Kodaikanal takes anywhere between three to four hours from either of the airports. There are direct trains and buses too that ply regularly between Chennai and Kodaikanal.

8. Rameshwaram

Distance from Chennai | 540 Kilometres
Best Time to Visit | All year round.

One of the major Hindu pilgrimage sites in the country, Rameswaram is where Rama worshipped Shiva or Eswara as he is also known, giving this unique holy city its name.

It is also believed that it was from here, in Rameshwaram, that Rama built the bridge to Lanka to bring back Sita after defeating Ravana.
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But it is the Ramanathaswamy Temple here that brings the most travellers to this Ramayana site. This temple of the many sculpted corridors is a shining example of beautiful Indian architecture. The outer corridor alone has over a thousand carved pillars that taper off into what looks like an exquisitely painted tunnel.

Add to it the beauty of Pamban Island itself, the island on which this temple town is located and Rameshwaram becomes the one destination on the list of places to visit near Chennai that just cannot be missed!

Getting There | Nearest Airport is Madurai and the drive from Madurai to Rameshwaram takes around three and a half hours. By train or bus, it is an overnight journey.
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December 5, 2018
7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

It is that time of the year again. When I look back at my year and see what is the one thing that I set out to do at the beginning of the year and actually did.

So, here I am proudly proclaiming that I did visit 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in 2017.

1. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

2. The Valley of Flowers National Park

Read: In Pictures: The Valley of Flowers

3. Hills Forts of Rajasthan – Amer Fort

4. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Read: 24 Hours in Jaipur

5. Sun Temple, Konark

6. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

7. Group of Monuments at Hampi

PS: I had set my target at 7 but I knew I could only visit 5. Like with anyone with travel plans, one is always majorly dependant on budgets and life in general. But then fate conspired and the universe showed a way (however clichéd that may sound!). I was selected to shoot at the Pushkar Fair with none other than Mr.Raghu Rai himself and we could choose to join him either from Delhi or from Jaipur, along the way to Pushkar. And here I am with that wished for number. 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017.

PSS: Even a year of missed opportunities can have a happy ending. All negativity comes with a counter balancing positive energy.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, 2018. Love & Light. ??

Read Next: Travel Wishlist: 25 Things To Do in India in 2018

December 31, 2017
Great Living Chola Temples – Vol II: Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Second on UNESCO’s list of The Great Living Chola Temples, is the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

In a tiny village lost in time, is this 982 year old temple. This Brihadeeswara Temple too is built on the same lines as the Big Temple in Thanjavur, complete with a massive stone sculpture of Nandi facing the main shrine. Upon the death of Rajaraja I the capital was shifted from Thanjavur to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and there came about this smaller version of the original Brihadeeswara Temple.

This temple complex isn’t merely structurally beautiful. It is also tranquil. Owing not just to its gentler architecture but also probably to it’s secluded location.

After driving around all morning and noon in the summer heat of Tamil Nadu, it was evening by the time we got here.

& what with the setting sun deciding to play peek-a-boo from behind the looming rain clouds, an all pervading sense of peace descended over me, as I took my time exploring, strolling around the expansive, almost deserted grounds of the temple.

The bronze sculptures here are said to be priceless specimens of Chola art, but it was the Simhakeni or The Lion Well, that I found singularly intriguing.

Explorers Guide

Trip Duration: Day Trip
Getting There: Road Trip from Thanjavur.
Route: Thanjavur – Darasuram – Gangaikonda Cholapuram -Thanjavur
(183 Kilometres)
Distance from Thanjavur to Darasuram: 72 Kilometres
Distance from Darasuram to Gangaikonda Cholapuram: 39 Kilometres
Distance from Gangaikonda Cholapuram to Thanjavur: 72 Kilometres

Read First: The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol I

Other Temples in Tamil Nadu:

Rockfort Temple, Trichy

September 21, 2017
The Great Living Chola Temples – Vol I: Brihadeeswara Temple

In and around Thanjavur are The Great Living Chola Temples, three temple complexes dating back to the 11^th and 12^th centuries. Built by the Cholas, who were undoubtedly one of the most powerful monarchies of South India that ruled for over four and a half centuries, all of these ancient temples are ‘living temples’ – classified as such by UNESCO on their World Heritage List – in the sense that the pattern of worship and rituals established over a thousand years ago continue as is, to this day.

Thanjavur, mostly known for the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Paintings that are unique to this region, is home to the first of these Great Living Chola Temples. Locally known as the Big Temple, this is the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur. The grandest of the three.

As the region passed on from the Cholas to the Nayaks and then to the Marathas over the centuries, a few additions were made to the temple complex, from protective fort walls to murals and minor temples. One such are the beautiful frescos painted onto the ceiling of the Mandapam housing the massive 25 tonne monolithic Nandi, mount of Lord Shiva or Brihadeeswara, as he is in this temple.

& this particular mural is undoubtedly reminiscent of the famous Tanjore Paintings, all it needs is a little touch of gold!

Everything about this temple is big. The 20 feet Nandi, the 15 feet Dwarapalakas guarding the entrances, the 216 feet Vimana towering over the Sanctum Sanctorum that has to be two storeyed to house the huge Shiva Lingam (lingam form of the presiding deity).

The Vimana built over a base tier of two levels rises to dizzying heights, carrying on it an octagonal stone Shikhara which itself weighs 81 tonnes.

Ancient inscriptions refer to this Vimana as Dakshina Meru, implying it to be Mount Meru of the South or Maha Meru, Lord Shiva’s mountain abode.

It is said that a special ramp was constructed to carry the Shikhara up, to install on the Vimana, from a site six kilometres away and that more than a thousand elephants were required in the construction of this temple. Which is probably one of most the magnificent of Indian temples.

In fact, the city of Thanjavur itself was created with the deliberate intention of establishing it as a Bhakti centre. So, here is this impressively massive Big Temple at its heart and radiating out from it is the city, growing in concentric circuits starting from the inner quadrangle of the temple.

A colonnade of sandstone columns run all along the inner perimeter of the temple forming a circumambulatory path or Prakara. Though the Prakara itself dates back to the original construction, the 108 Shiva Lingas set against the stunning backdrop of beautiful murals painted on these stone walls are a 16th century addition.

The main temple itself occupies the rear half of the inner quadrangle, while two colossal Gopurams (gates) – Keralaanthagan & Rajarajan – into which are carved monolithic stone sculptures, lead the way.

Exemplifying the pure Dravidian style of architecture, these Chola Temples are not significant not just archaeologically but culturally as well. For it is believed that the Cholas built their temples not just as places for their people to get together and pray but to serve as epicentres of economic activity.

No trip to Thanjavur would be complete without witnessing these marvels of workmanship. The sheer size of these temples will cause you to wonder, muse on the scale at which affairs of state were once carried out!

The other two temples which together with the Big Temple form this unique group of living temples are the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavateswara Temple at Darasuram.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: Begin your day trip with the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, drive on to the Airavateswara Temple, Darasuram, making a quick pitstop for lunch along the way on this 37 Kilometres stretch. Complete the circuit with the Brihadeeswara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The 72 Kilometres drive from here, back to Thanjavur will take around 2 hours.

PS: Here is a super shaky video of a few of the brilliant murals in the Prakara.

Decided to add this here to the post, inspite of it being such a terrible attempt at shooting video because, I do want to share with you atleast a glimpse of the natural dye frescos that are such a fine example of ancient Indian artistry.

April 2, 2017
From a billion years ago.

Thwack. Down came the elephant’s trunk on my head, in a gesture of blessing. I was surprised at how gentle it was, gentle giants indeed.

We were in Trichy, Tamil Nadu to attend a wedding at our family friends’ home and the temple elephant was here to bless the newly weds, to flag off their journey together on an auspicious note. Even though I grew up in a traditional South Indian family this was completely unexpected. After all, it isn’t everyday that a majestic elephant walks into a wedding!

But, knowing where I was, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Amongst the many interpretations of how this town got its name, one that particularly sticks in this case is that, Tiruchirapalli could have come from Tiruchinnapalli, which when broken down means Holy Little Town. Or even Tirussilapalli, meaning Holy Rock Town. Which brings us to the Rockfort Temple.

Tiruchirapalli or Trichy as one familiarly calls it, has always been an important religious centre for the Hindus with many a prolific and ancient temple peppered around town. From the more famous Ranganatha Swamy temple of Srirangam to the Rockfort Temple, which has come to be a symbol of this temple town.

I am yet to see a temple so striking and haughty in its simplicity, as this one. Sitting on a 272 feet rock, right in the centre of Trichy, it draws your gaze in, from wherever in the city you are, like a pivot.

So, here is where we went first, this intriguing fort-temple on the rock.

As we wound our way through the busy bazaar at the foot of the rock, I really did not know what to expect. There were the usual lines of people going about their prayers – visible from the busy street – in the Ganesh Temple which was right there. But did Ucchi Pillayar Kovil not mean Ganesh temple at the top, literally?

It was then that our guide explained to us that there are two rock cut temples in the fort, the lower and upper cave temples.

Having paid our respects at the Manikka Vinayakar Temple, the lower cave temple, we began the steep climb of over 350 steps through the ancient rock that dates back to over a billion years ago.

Of the many cave temples that we passed by, cut into this monolithic rock, the oldest was built by the Pallavas in 580 AD.

The biggest in this complex though is the Thayumana Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvathi, spanning a length of two stories in a regular building.

Stunning though it was, right from its architecture to the colourful murals painted on the walls of the cave, it is the Ganesh temple sitting right at the summit that takes your breath away.

As you come out of the caves and struggle to climb up the sheer rock face to reach this temple, you are bound to pause for breath and that is when you realise just how picturesque the panoramas that it offers of the city look.

We did too.

As the breeze blew cool in my face I caught my first glimpse of Srirangam, from inside the Ucchi Pillayar Kovil.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Chennai: 335 kilometers
Trip Duration: Weekend
Getting There: Sitting right in the center of Tamil Nadu, Trichy can be reached by road from Chennai in 6 hours. There are also regular flights from Chennai to Trichy.

Read More on Temples in Tamil Nadu:

The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol I
The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol II

March 12, 2017
Hello, Kumbakonam Filter Kaapi.

Who doesn’t love a South Indian Filter Coffee? Ask any South Indian who has grown up with the smell of a fresh brew signalling the start of every morning or a North Indian for who it is as much of a novelty as a Starbucks is to any urban Indian!!

But, trust the Tamilians to add a dash of zest to our plain old filter-kaapi. Served in the traditional tumbler-davara, the fun lies in mixing the strong drip brew with the sweet boiled milk and sipping it with the delicious froth on top. So, along the NH67 from Trichy to Thanjavur when Karthik, our local driver on this trip suggested we stop to taste Kumbakonam‘s celebrated Filter Coffee, we were more than game.

Stepping into Kumbakonam Iyer Kaapi, I was curious and there was that tiny flutter of excitement from expectation (which by the way doesn’t happen that often). From how promising this cafe looked on the outside, it definitely delivered on both how the coffee was and also on the ambience.

Like the classic Remington occupying centre stage at a corner table wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with this place, it came with a map hand painted in tamil on the wall, antique furniture, vintage cameras & radios that recreate a rustic atmosphere for you while adeptly keeping out the wannabe-ness that usually comes with places trying so hard to be different.

I was too taken up by the Coffee to really try anything else but they do serve South Indian Snacks if you are looking for a quick bite on your road trip or are only getting away from the hustle and bustle of Thanjavur. We did pick up some Coffee Powder and Savouries though. :)

PS: I do make a mention of Karthik here because, it was thanks to him that we got to experience a couple more places than what was on our itinerary for Trichy which was in such stark contrast to the clumsy concierge at the Oberoi Udaivilas who along with the guide that they recommended were solely responsible for making our trip to Udaipur – right after – nothing short of a disaster!

& a special thanks to Arjun Gidwani too, for working his magic with the light on some of these phone-shot photographs, specially so on that close up shot of the filter-kaapi. :D

Read More on #InSearchofCoffee:

But, first coffee
24 Hours in Dubai

September 8, 2016