Life can get so busy that we forget to take out some time even for ourselves.The best way to reconnect with yourself is to just pack your bags and begin a journey to explore places where you have never been before.It was with the same thought that we set out on our long trip to the beautiful locales of South India.Lush green countryside dotted with tiny hamlets,unbelievable architectural splendour and a magnificent historical prominence-this is South India in a nutshell for any traveller.
We took the usual traveller's route covering Bangalore and Mysore before proceeding to Ooty and Kodaikanal for a real cool retreat.We also had the temple towns of Rameswaram, Madurai and Kanchipuram on our itinerary before making our obeisance to the Lord of seven hills in Tirupati .
We started our travelogue with Bangalore.Bangalore and Mysore offer a perfect blend of modern life and historical importance.The Maharaja's palace in Mysore is written about widely but we found that it indeed is worth all that importance.One place that deserves a special mention here is the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapatnam near Mysore.The idol of the presiding deity here exudes a divine aura that can only be felt and experienced. Also the magnanimous grace of Tipu Sultan's tomb made us feel as if the father of ancient India's missile technology was indeed resting there.
Our next halt was at Ooty which is quite a delight to the eyes with its breathtaking views and mind blowing hair pin bends on the ghat road.The view of the Western ghats from Ooty is awesome.The botanical gardens here has a wonderful collection of flowers with breathtaking views.the Silent valley,the Ooty lake all remind us of many bollywood movies.But like all beautiful places,Ooty too is falling prey to the evils of pollution and commercialisation. The tea gardens in coonoor also are a must watch for the sheer beauty of a vast stretch of the tea plantations.
We then proceeded to Kodaikanal which is an absolute treat to everyone who loves to spend sometime in nature's lap.Kodaikanal looks like a beautiful damsel lost in the pristine beauty of the Nilgiri hills.the Kodaikanal lake is a nice getaway .The twin rider bicycles that are available on hire here give a good scope for tourists to explore the serene surroundings around the lake.But a word of caution here for people with breathing disorders.Such high altitudes do aggravate these problems.Hence precautions are advised.
With the calming influence of these hill stations relaxing our minds we reached Madurai.The amazing architecture of the Meenakshi temple left us spellbound.The mastery and craftsmanship of the people who built it in an era when there was no modern equipment stands testimony to the fact that our ancient architecture was technically and aesthetically strong.
Our visit to Rameswaram also left similar impressions on our minds.The rail bridge on the sea connecting Rameswaram is an engineering marvel.
After a long overnight journey we reached Kanchipuram in the early hours of the morning.Here in the temple premises, is a pond where feeding the fishes is considered a sacred offering to our departed ancestors.Touching the famous golden lizard in Kanchi is a popular custom with all the tourists for it is said that the ill effects of a lizard contact are nullified by this.
Kanchipuram is famous worldwide for its prized silk sarees.but we unfortunately could not carry these famed Kanchi souvenirs as we had to rush back to Tirupati immediately.
After this long but an amazing journey we proceeded to the abode of the Lord of seven hills to pay our obeisance and also express our gratitude for a safe journey
We returned to Hyderabad with a luggage heavy with many gifts for our loved ones and our hearts heavy with the unforgettable memories of a fabulous holiday retreat.A fortnight of Idli and Dosa,struggling with our broken Tamil and Kannada,enjoying the cold of Ooty and braving the humidity of Madurai,reliving the experiences of Tipu Sultan,getting a glimpse of royal life in the Maharaja 's palace,getting lost in the beauty of Kodaikanal-all these moments will be memories that will be cherished forever.
TRAVELLER TIPS:
While all the other places can be visited all through out the year,Ooty and Kodaikanal are best seen in the summer months.All these places are well connected by all means of transportation but road travel is the best because it offers you a glimpse of the beautiful rural life in the small villages along the National highways.Carrying a map of South India would be a great help in navigating directions.
We took the usual traveller's route covering Bangalore and Mysore before proceeding to Ooty and Kodaikanal for a real cool retreat.We also had the temple towns of Rameswaram, Madurai and Kanchipuram on our itinerary before making our obeisance to the Lord of seven hills in Tirupati .
We started our travelogue with Bangalore.Bangalore and Mysore offer a perfect blend of modern life and historical importance.The Maharaja's palace in Mysore is written about widely but we found that it indeed is worth all that importance.One place that deserves a special mention here is the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapatnam near Mysore.The idol of the presiding deity here exudes a divine aura that can only be felt and experienced. Also the magnanimous grace of Tipu Sultan's tomb made us feel as if the father of ancient India's missile technology was indeed resting there.
Our next halt was at Ooty which is quite a delight to the eyes with its breathtaking views and mind blowing hair pin bends on the ghat road.The view of the Western ghats from Ooty is awesome.The botanical gardens here has a wonderful collection of flowers with breathtaking views.the Silent valley,the Ooty lake all remind us of many bollywood movies.But like all beautiful places,Ooty too is falling prey to the evils of pollution and commercialisation. The tea gardens in coonoor also are a must watch for the sheer beauty of a vast stretch of the tea plantations.
We then proceeded to Kodaikanal which is an absolute treat to everyone who loves to spend sometime in nature's lap.Kodaikanal looks like a beautiful damsel lost in the pristine beauty of the Nilgiri hills.the Kodaikanal lake is a nice getaway .The twin rider bicycles that are available on hire here give a good scope for tourists to explore the serene surroundings around the lake.But a word of caution here for people with breathing disorders.Such high altitudes do aggravate these problems.Hence precautions are advised.
With the calming influence of these hill stations relaxing our minds we reached Madurai.The amazing architecture of the Meenakshi temple left us spellbound.The mastery and craftsmanship of the people who built it in an era when there was no modern equipment stands testimony to the fact that our ancient architecture was technically and aesthetically strong.
Our visit to Rameswaram also left similar impressions on our minds.The rail bridge on the sea connecting Rameswaram is an engineering marvel.
After a long overnight journey we reached Kanchipuram in the early hours of the morning.Here in the temple premises, is a pond where feeding the fishes is considered a sacred offering to our departed ancestors.Touching the famous golden lizard in Kanchi is a popular custom with all the tourists for it is said that the ill effects of a lizard contact are nullified by this.
Kanchipuram is famous worldwide for its prized silk sarees.but we unfortunately could not carry these famed Kanchi souvenirs as we had to rush back to Tirupati immediately.
After this long but an amazing journey we proceeded to the abode of the Lord of seven hills to pay our obeisance and also express our gratitude for a safe journey
We returned to Hyderabad with a luggage heavy with many gifts for our loved ones and our hearts heavy with the unforgettable memories of a fabulous holiday retreat.A fortnight of Idli and Dosa,struggling with our broken Tamil and Kannada,enjoying the cold of Ooty and braving the humidity of Madurai,reliving the experiences of Tipu Sultan,getting a glimpse of royal life in the Maharaja 's palace,getting lost in the beauty of Kodaikanal-all these moments will be memories that will be cherished forever.
TRAVELLER TIPS:
While all the other places can be visited all through out the year,Ooty and Kodaikanal are best seen in the summer months.All these places are well connected by all means of transportation but road travel is the best because it offers you a glimpse of the beautiful rural life in the small villages along the National highways.Carrying a map of South India would be a great help in navigating directions.
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