Tiruchirapalli - Trichy - Srirangam

Gopuram, Sri-Ranganathaswamy-Temple, Trichy, India

Some city names in Southern India can really drive you crazy.... Probably it is the same with Indian people – they are great in shortening city names....

Trichy is so much easier than Tiruchirapalli....

To make the chaos perfect, a lot of people also call the city Srirangam - this is the name of the big temple complex in the northern part of the city.

This temple is the main attraction of Trichy - Sri-Ranganathaswamy-Tempel.

I am very sure, that from now on everyone understands what I mean with complicated names in this part of India.

This temple is the most important one in all Tamil Nadu. A lot of pilgrims come here especially to visit this temple. The temple is surrounded by seven walls. They make the complex look like a city within a city. 

Srirangam, Temple town, Trichy, India

The outer rings of the complex is a part of the town with streets, houses and shops. Living here are mostly Brahmins, the highest caste in Hinduism.

The temple itself is in the four most inner rings. Here, there are many chapels, pillars and corridors. 

Sri-Ranganathaswamy-Temple, Trichy, India

Sri-Ranganathaswamy-Temple, Trichy, India

Altogether there are 21 gates into the temple – visitors have to pay attention, from which gate they enter – this gate you need to use later to leave the complex. If not, you will never find your shoes again, which have to be left outisde....

Rock Fort Temple, Trichy, India

Trichy has some more things to offer: The Rock Fort Temple is situated on the top of a 83 meters high rock. To visit this temple, you have to climb 437 steps. This is hard work at 35 degrees centigrade. But the view from up there is absolutly beautiful. 

View from Rock Fort Temple, Trichy, India

For daily life it is best to go to the river Kaveri – more precicely to a place called Amma Mandapam. Here, locals come to take a bath, to do laundry and to throw the ashes of their dead into the river.

There are many hairdressers to shave the heads of men. Everywhere, there are priests to celebrate with pilgrims and family of the deceased, the so called Pujas. On a holy place like this, for sure, there is also a temple elephant – a very hard working one giving one blessing after the other and collecting coins....

Priests, Amma Mandapam, Trichy, Indien

Hairdresser, Amma Mandapam, Trichy, India

Priests, Amma Mandapam, Trichy, India

Temple elephant, Amma Mandapam, Trichy, India

Hotel, Hostel or Bed and Breakfast – where to stay in India

Very nice - Terrace Rainbow Guesthouse, Tiruvannamalai, India

What hostel style is best for India?

Well, this depends strongly on the budget – even for a backpacker, it makes sense to spend something between 8 and 15 Euros for a single room.

Very nice - Bed and Breakfast Marie and Paul, Pondy, India

Then, there are good chances, that there are no dead cats under the bed and no living animals in the mattress...

For sure, you can not count on it – but it is very often like this...

I usually prefer a family run Hostel or Bed and Breakfast to a smart hotel – basically because of the free information about the city and the community which comes along in addition to the lodging.

 

Sri Thillay Womens Hostel, Chidambaram, India

For solo women travellers, there is a great range of "Womens Hostels". Actually, they are meant for Indian students, however when there is space, they rent out rooms to female travellers.

Sri Thillay Womens Hostel, Chidambaram, India

I can‘t remember a place with more fun than the „Women Hostel“ in Chidambaram. For instance they are reasonably priced - the equivalent of just 8.-€. The price comes with three meals.

AND – as a female traveller you will not find a safer place to stay!

 

An okay place for the equivalent of 8.-€ is Valli Hotel in Thanjavur - certainly no beauty, the green wall colour is real – it is not photoshop.... The mattress was another issue – only three centimeters thick, which makes sleeping not at all easy, but at least the room was clean....

Hotel Valli, Thanjavur, India

UNESCO – World cultural heritage - the temple of Thanjavur

Thanjavur, India

Thanjavur will always have a special place in my heart. Here, people were extremely friendly. The two girls in the picture escorted me from the bus station up to the temple. They wanted to make sure that I didn‘t miss the building...

Brihadishwara-Temple, Thanjavur, India

Besides, the temple is gigantic and is visible from far away. Any local could have shown the way....

Brihadishwara-Temple, Thanjavur, India

Since 1987 the temple of Tanjavor belongs to the world cultural heritage. The temple was built in the 11th century by the Chola ruler Rajaraja I. This temple is one of the finest examples of medieval Hindu temple architecture.

Brihadishwara-Temple, Thanjavur, India

To watch a world cultural heritage can make one very tired after awhile. At 32 degrees anyway. So I watched out for a quiet place for some after-lunch sleep.

Sleeping in a temple – this is a very safe place to do so. But still, when I finally woke up, I was rather startled.

This pilgrim was sitting right next to me – for sure to guard me while sleeping.

For sure, this was very nice, but normally I do not wake up next to a hairy Indian pilgrim...

Pilgrim, Brihadishwara-Temple, Thanjavur, India

Kumbakonam – city of colourful temples

Tempel-Gopuram, Kumbakonam, Indien

Kumbakonam is greeting his visitors as any other big Indian city – chaotic traffic. Cars, rikshas, holy cows, pilgrims and motorcyclists. ..

Kumbakonam, India

BUT – for sure, there is a reason to come here. The city is home to 18 temples, all of them have big entrance gates – called Gopurams

Pilgrim, Kumbakonam, India

Pilgrims come here from all over India. They pray in the temples, take a bath in the holy water of the tank and they offer flowers to the gods.

Temple, Kumbakonam, India

All pilgrims love the temple elephant. When you give him a Rupee coin he lays his trunk on the head of the pilgrim and gives his blessing.

Temple elephant, Kumbakonam, India

Temple elephant, Kumbakonam, India

Thirsty pilgrims can do a stop at the juice wallah – here, you can get sugarcane juice.

Sugarcane juice, Kumbakonam, India

Temple Gopuram, Kumbakonam, India

Food in South India

Masala Dosa, South Indian Food

The most important question when travelling – what kind of food do you get there?

In comparison to the North, South-Indian kitchen is relatively light. There are many rice dishes, vegetables and coconut. You will not get that many heavy curries with a lot of butter, that one might know from the North.

Idlis, South Indian Food

In the morning many locals take Idlis, rice cakes. They are eaten with various sauces.

In cheaper places, the dishes are served more likely on a banana leaf than on a ordinary plate. 

Thali, South India

 

 For lunch, Indians tend to eat unbelievable amounts of food – Thali is usually the dish to go for. Thalis you find all over India. Thalis are always nice and they taste different, wherever you go. They always come with rice and bread. Everything else depends on the season and what is available. You get different vegetable curries, chutneys, ginger and sauces. 

Sometimes there is also yoghurt or sweets. Thalis are also good for the very hungry – you can ask for more from all dishes till you are full.

Thali, South India

 

In the evenings, a lot of people go for a Dosa - the classic one is Masala Dosa. It looks like a pancake and is stuffed with potatoes and vegetables. With the Dosa comes a variety of sauces. 
 

Masala Dosa, South Indian Food

In most tourist areas of Kerala there are very good fish dishes.

Fish, Kerala, India

Pondicherry – a piece of France right in the middle of India

Pondicherry, India

Pondicherry, India

Incredible India again - French culture and architecture in India! Pondy is a very pleasant town with a lot of atmosphere.

A great mixture of India and Europe!

Great lodgings – for example is the Bed and Breakfast of Marie and Paul. If you want to go for French food in India, Pondy is the city to go to. There are plenty of nice shops and it is pretty quiet in comparison with the usual hussle and bussle in India!

Paul and Marie Bed and Breakfast, Pondicherry, India

Paul and Marie, Pondicherry, India

Enormous temples, ashrams and holy men - Tiruvannamalai

Tempel von Tiruvannamalai, India

Pilgrims, Tiruvannamalai, India

Incedible India – this is everywhere and always a fact, but even more in Tiruvannamalai. This city is well know for its huge temple. This temple was under repair, when I visited in January 2016. The pilgrims do not have a problem with that – for a photographer this is close to a nightmare. Each year, this city hosts something like 8-10 million pilgrims.

Ramanashram, Tiruvannamalai, India

There are also many pilgrims from Europe, Australia and America. These people usually do not come because of the huge temple, but because of „Sri Ramana Ashram“. Sri Ramana was a South-Indian guru who has lived for years in a cave on the holy mountain Arunachala. Then he founded his Ashram at the foot of the mountain.

Ramanashram, Tiruvannamalai, India

Although Sri Ramana passed away in 1950, his followers still come here. Many remain for several weeks in the Ashram.

Yoga and meditation courses are offered regularly and every day Pujas (services) are celebrated. One can visit the cave in which Sri Ramama has lived, also the smaller Skandhashram on the mountain Arunachala.

Every morning, there is a feeding of the poor on the compound of the Ashram. Here come Sadhus, the holy men of India, widows, poor families and school children! 

Sadhu, Tiruvannamalai, India

Also important - in Tiruvannamalai, there is one of the best Guesthouses of ALL India, the Rainbow Guest House. Clean, quiet rooms, good location and veeeeery friendly, helpful hosts! Thanks a lot to the family of Rainbow Guest House for an unforgettable stay!

Owners of Rainbow Guesthouse, Tiruvannamalai, India

Tiruvannamalai, India

Tiruvannamalai, India

Tiruvannamalai, India

Mamallapuram and the Pongal Festival

Krishnas Butterball, Mamallapuram, India

I arrived in India and the same day there was this festival!

Actually, this Pongal Festival lasted for the whole weekend – it´s a kind of indian Thanksgiving.

This comes with the fact that all Indians have three days off at the same time. And there are a lot of Indians.

Anybody, who can afford it, takes his family for a trip somewhere. Most of them want to go to the sea. 

  

Seashore Temple, Mamallapuram, India

Mamallapruam was packed with people – and the ATMs all over town were empty...

To get money was not the easiest thing in the world. It was fortunate that I was travelling with hard currency. It was not easy to find an open shop (only Kashmiri Shops and some mobile stores were open) and ask for money exchange....

Indians are business men, so when they see an opportunity to make money, they ususally do not hesitate. So, this problem was solved.

Even though the whole place was packed with people, Mamallapuram is a great place to be. There are some UNESCO Heritage sites. For example the, Five Rathas“ and the small sea.

The landscape is magnificiant. Many rocks in all sizes were just lying around. One of these rocks even has got a name. This rather round one is called „Krishnas butterball. It is easy to imagine how god Krishna rolled this rock around.... 
 

Dance Festival, Mamallapuram, India

On top, there was a dance festival free of charge. A great start in my new indian adventure.

Indian tourist, Mamallapuram, India

Indian tourist, Mamallapuram, India

Indian tourist, Mamallapuram, India