Tourist Places In Tamil Nadu

I was volunteering at an organic farm near Madurai. During a weekend, I explored Madurai City. I started with the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. It took me a couple of hours to explore the temple. Such beautiful architecture! It was my first time visiting a temple in Tamil Nadu and I was truly mesmerized. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi (a form of goddess Parvati). It is an ancient temple built by the Pandya dynasty. You have to try the Prasadam(sweets) in the temple! My next stop was Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace. It was built in the 17th century by the Nayaka dynasty. This beautiful palace was once known to be one of the wonders of South India. In the end, I visited the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam Temple famous for the Float festival which takes place from Jan to Feb. No visit to Madurai can be complete without trying local delicacies. To beat the heat, Try Jigarthanda: This milk-based cold beverage is a must! Non-vegetarians can’t miss Mutton Chukka with Bun Parotta. Other dishes to try are Kothu Parotta, Three-tiered dosa, Non-vegetarian Meals at Amma Mess, Idiyappam, Madurai Halwa etc.

I took a late-night train from Rameshwaram to reach the city of Trichy. From Trichy, I took another short distance train to reach Srirangam Island. Srirangam Island is known for the Srirangam Temple (Also known as Ranganathaswamy Temple). It is the largest temple compound in India. The temple is dedicated to Ranganatha (A Form of Lord Vishnu). One of the most beautiful temples I have been to. Such beautiful architecture! There are many mandapams (halls) in the Srirangam Temple including a thousand pillars hall. I was in the awe of the Sesharayar Mandapam artwork. It is an ancient temple that dates back to the 3rd century B.C. You can find several ancient inscriptions and paintings on the walls of the temple. Do not miss buying the delicious Prasadam (sacred food) at the temple.

It took me 4 hours and so to reach Auroville from Thanjavur. I volunteered in Auroville at an ecologically sustainable construction site. During my free time, I explored Auroville. Auroville is an experimental township founded in the late 60s by Mirra Alfassa (known as The Mother) based on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo. This is how she described Auroville: “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.” I had a love-hate relationship with Auroville. While I really appreciate that there’s a place like Auroville that exists in the World but it is no longer what it set out to be. Like any other city, Auroville has its only Movie Theatre, Transport system, Hospital, Community Kitchen, School, Playground, Town Hall etc. The most famous attraction in Auroville has to be the Matrimandir. This Golden plated geodesic dome is an architectural marvel. One needs to pre-register to enter the Matrimandir for Concentration (Meditation). There are many communities inside Auroville like Organic farms, Earth-based Architecture firms, Restaurants, Guest houses, Theatre groups, Music based organizations, Art centres, Healing centres, and Wellness centres where one can volunteer, intern, and attend workshops. Auroville can be a great place to acquire new skills. There’s a process by which one can become an Aurovilian. You can check the details here. I stayed at Siddhartha Forest Guest House in Auroville and It is a great place for budget travelers.

Pondicherry (Now known as Puducherry) city is around 15 kms away from Auroville. During a weekend, I explored the Puducherry city. Pondicherry was colonized by the French Empire before it was liberated in 1954.  The French architecture can still be seen in the White town neighbourhood of Puducherry city. Places of interest in the city can be Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Promenade beach, Rock beach, Bharathi Park, Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Botanical Garden, Puducherry museum etc. I find Pondicherry a bit overrated. Pondicherry attracts a lot of partygoers thanks to relatively cheaper alcohol than other States/UTs of India.

After volunteering at a special school that empowers persons with intellectual disabilities, I traveled to the capital city of Tamil Nadu i.e. Chennai. It was the last stop of my 70-day long Tamil Nadu trip. Chennai is one of the four major metropolitan cities in India. During my short stay, I try to explore different aspects of the city. I kinda liked the vibe of the city. I begin my exploration with the food. I went straight to Kasi Vinayaga Mess where one can eat unlimited typical Tamil Veg thali for less than INR 100. The price does not deteriorate the quality. I quite liked the food. My next stop was the Government museum. A must-visit place when in Chennai. This expansive museum has a lot to offer. It is the oldest museum in India after Kolkata Indian Museum. It houses diverse and vast collections in the field of Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Botany, Numismatics, Geology, Zoology, Education etc. A day can be insufficient to fully explore it. During sunset, I visited Marina beach. It is the busiest beach I have ever visited. It was also my first time witnessing the sunset behind my back while sitting on the beach since I was on the east coast of India. This sandy beach is the longest natural urban beach in India. A short walk from the beach will take you to the Arulmigu Thelliyasinga Perumal temple and Dr. MGR Memorial (Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu). The next day, I visited the shopping district of Chennai i.e. T. Nagar to buy the famous Kanchipuram silk sari for my mother. Later, I went to the largest library in South Asia i.e. Anna Centenary Library for some much-needed break from the hustle-bustle of the shopping district. This seven-storey building is a must-visit for Bibliophiles. With this, my visit to Chennai comes to an end. While walking toward Chennai Central railway station, I witnessed the beautiful Municipal corporation of Chennai building known as the Ripon Building. My trip to Tamil Nadu was truly a fulfilling one.