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I sail through the roads, like a bird through clouds
Like a bird I soak in the sun, in the dusk and the dawn
Like a bird I soar so high, freedom is the only thing I see
Like a bird I head in many directions, with no inhibitions
Like a bird sailing through clouds, I cruise through these roads
I want to be like a bird. Birds are awesome travelers and explorers. To me they symbolize freedom and are truly true wanderers. I feel like one whenever I take my motorcycle and fly away. No hindrances. No inhibitions and just experience pure sense of freedom. Many times prefer to fly (in my case, ride) solo. Stop where I want to; spend how much ever time I want to, depending upon how awestruck I am, at one place; Eat and stay where I want to.
Before we continue, for your information - this is gonna be a detailed read, ladened with many images and words. I hope and am sure that you will not be bored. I may take a long runway before taking off. Please be patient.
This will be like a three course meal.
1. Appetizer. You would get to know me as a rider and my weekend wanderings before we take on long journeys.
2. Main course. This will be heavier, served in two parts.
Part 1: Southern Odyssey A leisurely ride;
Part 2: A relentless run to white desert.
3. Dessert. The hidden grand canyon of India and natural underground caves
So, let me serve 'STARTERS'.
WHO AM I? WHY DO I TRAVEL ON A MOTORCYCLE?
Hi. I am Raghavendra CM (Friends call me Raghu and some cut it further short to CM, my initials), who is a typical MNC bloke during weekdays, but not the one who complains about work. Rather I am grateful to my job which enables me to fulfill my desires, especially traveling. Apart from spending quality time with family, I indulge in reading books. If I am on internet, most of the time is spent going through travel blogs and nitty-gritty of motorcycles. I am a voracious eater too. When I am not traveling I begin with heavy starters, heavier main course, followed by delightful desserts.
I had to go into a long hiatus due to personal and professional commitments. However by April 2015, I had a vague idea that I would get some time to immerse myself in passion of motorcycle wandering. With the encouragement of my wife, who is my pillar of strength, along with my younger brother, who is my true inspiration to get into this amazing passion and reluctant Mother, I realized my dream of upgrading to a nice motorcycle. Welcome Benelli TNT300. My last two years savings reserved for a motorcycle upgrade was well spent.
Just like a bird, I cannot be at one place for long. I follow my thoughts. My thoughts are like my rides. My thoughts wander. So, do I. Wandering has its charm. As we all know, and everyone says, Traveling is adventurous and, of course, fun. And, when done on motorcycle, level of adventure is taken to next level and fun is matchless, and when you make it unplanned and just follow your current state of mind and thoughts spinning in your brain, it becomes wandering. Every Wanderer is a constant seeker. Wanderer in me keeps the fountain of curiosity alive. When you are curious, you are like a child constantly seeking answers to myriad questions. Wanderer in me keeps asking questions which keeps the enthusiasm alive and drives me to explore many destinations in different directions. So, I started wandering with my new love, my Benelli, to many places. Sometimes I would ride for entire day and sometimes for few hours which I would get before or after other commitments.
I travel for many reasons.
'JOURNEY'
The journey, more than the destination, is what makes us ‘the motorcycle travelers’ err ‘Wanderers’ to hit the road. To me riding is being in a tranquil yet conscious state. Once I am on my motorcycle, there is no fretting about the past and there is no worrying about future. I am in the present. I am Conscious. To me, this is being alive. Now, invariably, riding propels me into this mode. Riding always brings out unused abilities of mind. Super focus and highly disciplined. Riding makes me feel responsible. To me that is freedom. Enjoying your passion yet being responsible and harmless.
Be it cruising through beautiful highway tarmac or through a bumpy forest or country side to see a lake or a waterfall; a glorious piece of history; seek peace in a temple; feel the breeze on top of a hill; sunrise; sunset; colorful clouds. I just rode where my heart and mind wandered to. Sometimes I just rode with no reasons attached and no destinations in mind.
Some pictures from weekend wanderings.
'PEOPLE'
By nature, I am always told that I fall under a category called introvert. But Wandering has given an opportunity to interact with different kind of people. Wandering on my motorcycle, I express myself. Initiating a conversation with strangers always seemed challenging. But, not anymore. People everywhere have been so good, courteous and nice and are more than willing to talk to a traveler and are always curious to know more about him/her and what he/she is up to. People represent and embody different culture and tradition. Many people, many cultures. Every action represents a culture, a tradition. Be it mass bathing, mass dining or even mass massaging. Even a small conversation with locals tells you so much about conditions of that place.
'FOOD'
Food, Yummy! is a fantastic reason to travel. Trying different cuisine and that too locally is an adventure in itself. You know what I mean. It’s fun but you are putting your tummy on line. Is it worth? You bet! It is! When you are in a big city like Bangalore, one doesn’t have to go anywhere to experience different kinds of cuisines. But food also represents culture of a region, a place and people. You got to taste the food from where it belongs to, surrounded by the uniqueness of its tradition. Eating in Rajasthani or Gujarati restaurants in Bangalore can never be same as savoring same cuisine in Bhuj or in Udaipur. So, I travel for food too. I am a voracious eater. But while riding, I am careful with amount I eat.
MAIN COURSE - PART 1: SOUTHERN ODYSSEY
I wanted to fly away little far and for little long. It was not difficult to get leaves as I had taken after long time. Initial plan of ‘love birds ride’, as my wife wanted to accompany me, had to be shelved at the last moment due to unforeseen circumstances. This gave me an opportunity to embark on a solo ride. But, I had no plan in my mind. I did not want to tax my brain at the last moment. I decided to go with the flow as I had no idea about in which direction I would be heading. After a good night sleep, I woke up and got ready with all gears and luggage. I told my wife that I would head south, but no destination yet in my mind.
It was a weekday, and office going crowd almost habitually made me take wrong route towards office. I took the right turn just in nick of time and after surviving through curious stares, thanks to my gears and me sandwiched between tank and tail bags, I reached a junction where I had to decide upon further course. No left, no right, just straight. I continued and one of the boards read around 600 Km to southernmost tip of mainland India.
I was excited and roads were beautiful. With Sun lighting the path bright, I rode on. My tummy growled and I am not the one to ignore it.
As I continued, I was greeted by green all around. Thanks to post southwest monsoon. I was maintaining decent and sane pace. However signboards kept inviting me to take a stop at the glorious temple town of Madurai. By the time I finished my lunch, I had succumbed to the invitation.
I had no idea that Madurai would be such a busy town. It was brimming with people everywhere. I rode around for some time and I was not surprised when many people and school kids gathered around me as I stopped to decide upon accommodation. Many in Bangalore, including my friends, are well versed with all four chief languages of south India. But, I was handicapped with Tamil. My wife always acted as a translator, in absence of subtitles, while watching a Tamil movie which would happen once or twice a year. I really missed her here. But this was fun. It was already being funny. Madurai Tamil dialect did sound little different to from what I heard in movies. Finally, found a good accommodation.
I decided to leave my Benelli in secured parking space and take a stroll towards temple. The way I had dressed up revealed the fact that I am not an expert at wearing a dhoti. It acted in my favor and people who were already very courteous became warmer and everyone smiled at me. After walking some distance I learnt that temple was still far and may not get ample time to be inside. I hopped on into a share-auto which seemed to be in an eternal vibrator mode. My co-passengers got down after sometime. I finally succeeded in taking a selfie.
Yours Truly: ‘Vanakkam’
What a marvelous temple, I exclaimed within as I approached east tower entrance. So many people. As I made my way in I knew that this evening would be special. Moreover, it was first day of Navaratri. I had heard that this temple was huge and an evening is too less a time to see the entire temple. I wanted to live through every minute of this experience. My command over language may not be fitting to describe the architectural grandeur. I got lost. After paying my obeisance to and seeking blessings from Goddess Sri Meenakshi Amman, I walked through long passages captivated by carvings and paintings. I was enthralled by classical music and also a Bharatanatyam performance.
I was in no mood to step out. After spending quite some time sitting near holy pond, observing people and ambiance, I stepped out. I had learnt that Madurai is famous for Idli. Idli is not new to me. But wanted to know how different these Idlis are. Locals helped me with finding best place to enjoy delicious Idlis. For me Idli is a breakfast item. Here, it is staple food for dinner. Murugan’s Idli shop served some mouthwatering and smoothest Idlis. I could say that this is the best I ever tasted. I also realized that there are many varieties of Idlis. Share-auto helped me to digest these Idli while returning to hotel.
After sumptuous breakfast, I thought Kanyakumari could wait for some more time and decided to ride east. Last night I had noticed that my Hotel was on Madurai-Rameshwaram road. Highway signboards/ milestones were really acting as my guiding points. So, started towards Rameshwaram. It was not a multilane highway. Roads were narrow with lot of traffic. I cut through many villages. It was getting hotter. I stopped occasionally to check luggage and also to have tender coconuts which are much needed relief to the system
As I was riding I came across a group of cyclists wearing Tee shirts with APJ written over them. I had seen previous day as well near Madurai. I waved at them and proceeded. Pictures of Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi, I had seen in many travelogues, started flashing in my mind as I closed in on Rameshwaram.
Previous day
On way to Rameshwaram
First sight of sea and I was elated. Then I saw a board saying Pamban bridge. I could not wait. As I approached the bridge, I saw a big crowd. I thought of coming back later and headed towards town of Rameshwaram.
I was greeted with a cool breeze and drizzle. After checking in and having curd rice for lunch, I headed towards Dhanushkodi. I was unable to control my excitement. Beautiful roads took me to Dhanushkodi.
It was sweltering and I was drenched inside, thanks to my gears. I was an amusing spectacle to all other tourists there. My imagination of riding on sand and going to the beach was punctured when I was stopped by cops and local jeep drivers and told that I could not ride any further and have to go by a jeep or a bus. I was disappointed. My requests were futile. Adding to my concern was leaving my bike there as it was getting too much of attention. A coconut vendor who spoke Hindi asked me to leave the motorcycle in his custody and asked me to not to worry. After having a tender coconut and I got into a mini bus which we were told that would not move till all 15 seats are occupied. I sat there explaining about my ride and answering questions of other tourists. Then the drive to Dhanushkodi was surreal with those sand trails, rollercoaster drive, butterflies flying along with occasional sighting of peahen. I, being solo, got the chance to sit next to driver. I was in a fantasy world.
Once we reached Dhanushkodi, I spent time away from crowd looking at the sea. Some were taking holy dips. Some took a stroll along the beach. I sat there watching few ‘Lingas’ to whom ‘poojas’ were performed. This was the place from where Lord Ram had built the bridge to Sri Lanka, not very far, to bring back Goddess Sita. I spent some time to take pictures. It was so unreal.
Then we were driven to a place where there were many dilapidated structures and I learnt that this place was swallowed by a high intensity cyclone. I also saw the stone which was used to build Ram setu. It had many pores on the surface and that’s the reason why these stones did not sink and rather floated.
Sun was going down quickly. We reached back the main junction. I had couple of more tender coconuts as the custodian of my bike refused any money for looing after my bike. I thanked him from my heart and headed back to Rameshwaram. On my way saw a deviation towards Lord Sri Kodandaram swamy temple. Beautiful stretch with water bodies on either side. Beautiful setting. Rode there for couple of times and then thought of coming back to that picturesque place next morning. I was smitten by the beauty of this place.
Freshened up and went to Sri Ramanatha swamy temple. Cell phones and camera were not allowed. Huge and beautiful temple with one of the biggest Nandi statues. I immersed myself in the tranquil of temple. Spent good amount of time there. Paid my obeisance and sought blessings of almighty Sri Ramanatha swamy and thanked almighty for giving me an opportunity to live my passion.
Dinner time. Went to a nearby hotel and asked in Tamil about special dish in Rameshwaram. He said Dosa. So, I concluded that Dosa and Idli are the most special items in Tamilnadu or these guys were not revealing it to me. Ordered Dosa. Thanks to Dhanushkodi heat and humidity, my body was thoroughly squeezed, and in no time I was in deep slumber.
I got up very early and rode to Pamban bridge. It was still dark. But, many fishermen had already got to work. Many boats looked like paper boats I made during my childhood. I parked my motorcycle near the bridge and took a long walk. I stopped many times just to enjoy the beauty of the sight. This is India’s first sea bridge, on Palk Strait, connects Rameshwaramto mainland India. It’s an engineering marvel. I spent a lot of time here and was greeted warmly by locals who were jogging in their lungis, which was amusing yet admirable.
Then, I headed towards Sri Kodandaramaswamy temple, which was on way to Dhanushkodi (Remember the deviation, I mentioned earlier. A road flanked by water on either side). When I reached Sun was still trying to break through clouds.
I was the only one there and I rode my Benelli to my heart’s content on that stretch followed by some crazy photography at the end. It was fun. “If you feel lonely and bored when you are alone, then you are in a bad company”. I was certainly not in a bad company even though I was all alone there.
I returned after spending lot of time. After an average breakfast, I checked out. I was riding slowly looking at many posters which were not there previous day and then I started noticing many pictures of The Great APJ Abdul Kalam Sir as well in those posters. I inquired and learnt it was Abdul Kalam Sir’s birthday. I remembered the cyclists I had seen on my way to Madurai and Rameshwaram. I decided to visit Kalam Sir’s memorial and burial place. I paid my respects. There were lots of political party workers. All clad in white. White Lungi, White shirt and many in white slippers too. When I reached the spot, love and respect towards Kalam sir was very evident as there were lots of commoners who also carried saplings to plant. After paying my respect to the great man, I answered few questions about myself and my motorcycle. Then I requested one of them to take my pic. People around were so amused with my attire, bike and luggage, I seriously do not know what they thought of me, but they cleared the entire crowd around memorial and made me stand alone to click a picture. And, they all greeted me with lot of respect as I waved them good bye.
I had seen this image of a temple on seashore. Images of temple walls washed by the waves attracted me a lot. Moreover I had to take ECR to reach this place. It was icing on the cake. So, I had again decided to a take a detour, a specialty of unplanned rides. Like a bird I was flying in whichever direction I wanted. My imagination of East Coast Road was that road will run parallel to sea and I can enjoy the view of sea while riding. But that was not the case. It ran parallel to eastern coastal line but nowhere close to sea. Road was fantastic. It was a straight stretch passing through many villages and small towns. There was hardly any traffic. Soil color changed from red to black. In some stretches, either side of the road was populated with towering palm trees. It was little hot but since I was in the plains, breeze was good enough to keep me and the bike cool. I started getting weird smell and which grew stronger. Then I came across water bodies divided into multiple sections and around each section a huge pile of white material was lying. And I could also see an Industrial area. I got curious to know about what this white powdery material is. Stopped and checked. It was salt and this was the famous Tuticorin Salt pan. Salt was being harvested. The smell was very strong and wherever I looked I could see these salt mounds. Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi, is a major port city. I did not enter city, took by pass and reached NH 7A.
After my lunch, I continued my ride. Roads became narrow but surrounded by green and were in good condition overall. I was excited with prospect of seeing another beach and the grandeur of temples in this part of the world. I reached Tiruchendur and I was struggling with my completely broken Tamil when the hotel’s watchman came to my rescue who spoke fluent English. I asked them to give me a good room with no bed bugs as my last night sleep was disturbed due to them. They agreed. But the room was not only unclean but there were just too many mosquitoes at least some 15 to 20. When checked with hotel folks, they were like ‘Sir, there are no bed bugs’. I laughed and said ‘Yes! I requested you to give me a room with no bed bugs. That does not mean I am fine with room full of mosquitoes’. They were polite bunch. They also laughed and changed my room to a better one. There were few mosquitoes. But room was bigger, clean and a better one. Caution: Please carry Odomos cream to avoid any mosquito bites, and to have a peaceful sleep. I freshened up and went to temple which was just five minutes’ walk from hotel.
One thing I would like to mention is just like we are used to seeing pigeons and crows around in our daily lives, you see peacocks in and around temple. Since, hotel I was staying was very close to temple, I saw quite a few peacocks in the hotel’s premises and in the compounds of other hotels as well. Peacocks are such beautiful birds! Extraordinary! When I went to temple, I could see so many peacocks everywhere. On temple’s main tower, on street light poles, roof tops. Everywhere!
The temple was stunning and there were so many people around. It was quite a busy area. I went to beach for a brief period. The view was just amazing. After enjoying a small stroll on the beach, I went to temple. It was quite big. Taking pictures was prohibited. I paid my obeisance and took blessings of Lord Subrahmanya and goddesses Sri Valli Devi and Sri Devasena Devi. It was just fantastic to be inside temples in this part of the world.
Legend of Tiruchendur temple:
Now this is interesting. Inside temple, one of the pictures displayed showed Lord Muruga standing between sea waves and temple. There was a mention of date 12/26/2004. Tsunami! Remember! I could not read anything from the display. I requested a gentleman to translate that for me. He too struggled but informed me that when Tsunami struck the eastern coast and caused irreparable damages to many towns around this region, nothing happened to this temple. Miraculously only around temple area, sea receded by quite a distance and nothing happened to temple. Gradually sea came back to original level when Tsunami subsided everywhere else. Miracle! Power of Lord! I was thrilled to learn this.
Then, it was time for dinner. Went to a nearby restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to hear name of a new dish ‘Idiyappam’. I had never eaten this dish. Upon asking, the waiter said it’s like noodle strings and has to be eaten with coconut milk. It was very nice and delicious. I was still hungry. So, upon asking the waiter about what else would he recommend, he suggested Uttappam which tasted great. I hit the sack. Odomos and mosquito repellant worked. I entered deep sleep mode.
Got up early and went to beach to see sunrise. It was around 5.45 AM. There were many benches installed in the temple premises facing sea and all were occupied. Many were going to temple for early morning prayers. I went to the beach and just waited for the sunrise. This was one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. It was cloudy and I was apprehensive of missing the sunrise. But just like a strong will sun broke through dark clouds and it was a magnificent sight and great lord’s temple was adored by every ray of sun. What a sight! With peacocks everywhere looking towards the sun from temple roof, it was just spellbinding.
After breakfast, started towards southernmost tip of peninsular India. Locals asked me to not to take ECR as it was not in good condition and asked me to ride to Vallioor which will then put me on NH7. I obliged. Beautiful roads and once I was on NH7, I passed through the stretch where trees were less and windmills were more, I guess, and surrounded by huge mountains.
I could not contain my excitement as I approached Kanyakumari. I just rode straight to the sea where Vivekananda memorial and Thiruvalluvar statue. I spent quite some time looking at the sea and the statue. What a beautiful sight it was when waves collided with the huge rock. It was hot and I went to have a tender coconut. First time, I was asked whether I want green one or red one. I was like 'Red one!' I asked for difference and I was told, Red would be more sweet. Tried and it was more sweet indeed.
Rode to sunset point. Enjoyed the sea. It was serene as nobody was there. Spent some time and decided next destination and started off.
while riding back, I asked a group of youngsters to take my pic. I noticed that they all started spiking their hair. I was wondering seeing that. Then they surrounded me. I looked at them. They said yes let’s take a selfie. I just could not control my laugh. I burst out. They asked why? I said that I requested for my picture. They were like ‘Oh. Appadiya! (Oh. Is it!)’. But I did not want to disappoint them. First took a selfie with them and then one of them took my pic.
Like a bird I soak in the sun, in the dusk and the dawn
Like a bird I soar so high, freedom is the only thing I see
Like a bird I head in many directions, with no inhibitions
Like a bird sailing through clouds, I cruise through these roads
I want to be like a bird. Birds are awesome travelers and explorers. To me they symbolize freedom and are truly true wanderers. I feel like one whenever I take my motorcycle and fly away. No hindrances. No inhibitions and just experience pure sense of freedom. Many times prefer to fly (in my case, ride) solo. Stop where I want to; spend how much ever time I want to, depending upon how awestruck I am, at one place; Eat and stay where I want to.
Before we continue, for your information - this is gonna be a detailed read, ladened with many images and words. I hope and am sure that you will not be bored. I may take a long runway before taking off. Please be patient.
This will be like a three course meal.
1. Appetizer. You would get to know me as a rider and my weekend wanderings before we take on long journeys.
2. Main course. This will be heavier, served in two parts.
Part 1: Southern Odyssey A leisurely ride;
Part 2: A relentless run to white desert.
3. Dessert. The hidden grand canyon of India and natural underground caves
So, let me serve 'STARTERS'.
WHO AM I? WHY DO I TRAVEL ON A MOTORCYCLE?
Hi. I am Raghavendra CM (Friends call me Raghu and some cut it further short to CM, my initials), who is a typical MNC bloke during weekdays, but not the one who complains about work. Rather I am grateful to my job which enables me to fulfill my desires, especially traveling. Apart from spending quality time with family, I indulge in reading books. If I am on internet, most of the time is spent going through travel blogs and nitty-gritty of motorcycles. I am a voracious eater too. When I am not traveling I begin with heavy starters, heavier main course, followed by delightful desserts.
I had to go into a long hiatus due to personal and professional commitments. However by April 2015, I had a vague idea that I would get some time to immerse myself in passion of motorcycle wandering. With the encouragement of my wife, who is my pillar of strength, along with my younger brother, who is my true inspiration to get into this amazing passion and reluctant Mother, I realized my dream of upgrading to a nice motorcycle. Welcome Benelli TNT300. My last two years savings reserved for a motorcycle upgrade was well spent.
Just like a bird, I cannot be at one place for long. I follow my thoughts. My thoughts are like my rides. My thoughts wander. So, do I. Wandering has its charm. As we all know, and everyone says, Traveling is adventurous and, of course, fun. And, when done on motorcycle, level of adventure is taken to next level and fun is matchless, and when you make it unplanned and just follow your current state of mind and thoughts spinning in your brain, it becomes wandering. Every Wanderer is a constant seeker. Wanderer in me keeps the fountain of curiosity alive. When you are curious, you are like a child constantly seeking answers to myriad questions. Wanderer in me keeps asking questions which keeps the enthusiasm alive and drives me to explore many destinations in different directions. So, I started wandering with my new love, my Benelli, to many places. Sometimes I would ride for entire day and sometimes for few hours which I would get before or after other commitments.
I travel for many reasons.
'JOURNEY'
The journey, more than the destination, is what makes us ‘the motorcycle travelers’ err ‘Wanderers’ to hit the road. To me riding is being in a tranquil yet conscious state. Once I am on my motorcycle, there is no fretting about the past and there is no worrying about future. I am in the present. I am Conscious. To me, this is being alive. Now, invariably, riding propels me into this mode. Riding always brings out unused abilities of mind. Super focus and highly disciplined. Riding makes me feel responsible. To me that is freedom. Enjoying your passion yet being responsible and harmless.
Be it cruising through beautiful highway tarmac or through a bumpy forest or country side to see a lake or a waterfall; a glorious piece of history; seek peace in a temple; feel the breeze on top of a hill; sunrise; sunset; colorful clouds. I just rode where my heart and mind wandered to. Sometimes I just rode with no reasons attached and no destinations in mind.
Some pictures from weekend wanderings.
'PEOPLE'
By nature, I am always told that I fall under a category called introvert. But Wandering has given an opportunity to interact with different kind of people. Wandering on my motorcycle, I express myself. Initiating a conversation with strangers always seemed challenging. But, not anymore. People everywhere have been so good, courteous and nice and are more than willing to talk to a traveler and are always curious to know more about him/her and what he/she is up to. People represent and embody different culture and tradition. Many people, many cultures. Every action represents a culture, a tradition. Be it mass bathing, mass dining or even mass massaging. Even a small conversation with locals tells you so much about conditions of that place.
'FOOD'
Food, Yummy! is a fantastic reason to travel. Trying different cuisine and that too locally is an adventure in itself. You know what I mean. It’s fun but you are putting your tummy on line. Is it worth? You bet! It is! When you are in a big city like Bangalore, one doesn’t have to go anywhere to experience different kinds of cuisines. But food also represents culture of a region, a place and people. You got to taste the food from where it belongs to, surrounded by the uniqueness of its tradition. Eating in Rajasthani or Gujarati restaurants in Bangalore can never be same as savoring same cuisine in Bhuj or in Udaipur. So, I travel for food too. I am a voracious eater. But while riding, I am careful with amount I eat.
MAIN COURSE - PART 1: SOUTHERN ODYSSEY
I wanted to fly away little far and for little long. It was not difficult to get leaves as I had taken after long time. Initial plan of ‘love birds ride’, as my wife wanted to accompany me, had to be shelved at the last moment due to unforeseen circumstances. This gave me an opportunity to embark on a solo ride. But, I had no plan in my mind. I did not want to tax my brain at the last moment. I decided to go with the flow as I had no idea about in which direction I would be heading. After a good night sleep, I woke up and got ready with all gears and luggage. I told my wife that I would head south, but no destination yet in my mind.
It was a weekday, and office going crowd almost habitually made me take wrong route towards office. I took the right turn just in nick of time and after surviving through curious stares, thanks to my gears and me sandwiched between tank and tail bags, I reached a junction where I had to decide upon further course. No left, no right, just straight. I continued and one of the boards read around 600 Km to southernmost tip of mainland India.
I was excited and roads were beautiful. With Sun lighting the path bright, I rode on. My tummy growled and I am not the one to ignore it.
As I continued, I was greeted by green all around. Thanks to post southwest monsoon. I was maintaining decent and sane pace. However signboards kept inviting me to take a stop at the glorious temple town of Madurai. By the time I finished my lunch, I had succumbed to the invitation.
I had no idea that Madurai would be such a busy town. It was brimming with people everywhere. I rode around for some time and I was not surprised when many people and school kids gathered around me as I stopped to decide upon accommodation. Many in Bangalore, including my friends, are well versed with all four chief languages of south India. But, I was handicapped with Tamil. My wife always acted as a translator, in absence of subtitles, while watching a Tamil movie which would happen once or twice a year. I really missed her here. But this was fun. It was already being funny. Madurai Tamil dialect did sound little different to from what I heard in movies. Finally, found a good accommodation.
I decided to leave my Benelli in secured parking space and take a stroll towards temple. The way I had dressed up revealed the fact that I am not an expert at wearing a dhoti. It acted in my favor and people who were already very courteous became warmer and everyone smiled at me. After walking some distance I learnt that temple was still far and may not get ample time to be inside. I hopped on into a share-auto which seemed to be in an eternal vibrator mode. My co-passengers got down after sometime. I finally succeeded in taking a selfie.
Yours Truly: ‘Vanakkam’
What a marvelous temple, I exclaimed within as I approached east tower entrance. So many people. As I made my way in I knew that this evening would be special. Moreover, it was first day of Navaratri. I had heard that this temple was huge and an evening is too less a time to see the entire temple. I wanted to live through every minute of this experience. My command over language may not be fitting to describe the architectural grandeur. I got lost. After paying my obeisance to and seeking blessings from Goddess Sri Meenakshi Amman, I walked through long passages captivated by carvings and paintings. I was enthralled by classical music and also a Bharatanatyam performance.
I was in no mood to step out. After spending quite some time sitting near holy pond, observing people and ambiance, I stepped out. I had learnt that Madurai is famous for Idli. Idli is not new to me. But wanted to know how different these Idlis are. Locals helped me with finding best place to enjoy delicious Idlis. For me Idli is a breakfast item. Here, it is staple food for dinner. Murugan’s Idli shop served some mouthwatering and smoothest Idlis. I could say that this is the best I ever tasted. I also realized that there are many varieties of Idlis. Share-auto helped me to digest these Idli while returning to hotel.
After sumptuous breakfast, I thought Kanyakumari could wait for some more time and decided to ride east. Last night I had noticed that my Hotel was on Madurai-Rameshwaram road. Highway signboards/ milestones were really acting as my guiding points. So, started towards Rameshwaram. It was not a multilane highway. Roads were narrow with lot of traffic. I cut through many villages. It was getting hotter. I stopped occasionally to check luggage and also to have tender coconuts which are much needed relief to the system
As I was riding I came across a group of cyclists wearing Tee shirts with APJ written over them. I had seen previous day as well near Madurai. I waved at them and proceeded. Pictures of Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi, I had seen in many travelogues, started flashing in my mind as I closed in on Rameshwaram.
Previous day
On way to Rameshwaram
First sight of sea and I was elated. Then I saw a board saying Pamban bridge. I could not wait. As I approached the bridge, I saw a big crowd. I thought of coming back later and headed towards town of Rameshwaram.
I was greeted with a cool breeze and drizzle. After checking in and having curd rice for lunch, I headed towards Dhanushkodi. I was unable to control my excitement. Beautiful roads took me to Dhanushkodi.
It was sweltering and I was drenched inside, thanks to my gears. I was an amusing spectacle to all other tourists there. My imagination of riding on sand and going to the beach was punctured when I was stopped by cops and local jeep drivers and told that I could not ride any further and have to go by a jeep or a bus. I was disappointed. My requests were futile. Adding to my concern was leaving my bike there as it was getting too much of attention. A coconut vendor who spoke Hindi asked me to leave the motorcycle in his custody and asked me to not to worry. After having a tender coconut and I got into a mini bus which we were told that would not move till all 15 seats are occupied. I sat there explaining about my ride and answering questions of other tourists. Then the drive to Dhanushkodi was surreal with those sand trails, rollercoaster drive, butterflies flying along with occasional sighting of peahen. I, being solo, got the chance to sit next to driver. I was in a fantasy world.
Once we reached Dhanushkodi, I spent time away from crowd looking at the sea. Some were taking holy dips. Some took a stroll along the beach. I sat there watching few ‘Lingas’ to whom ‘poojas’ were performed. This was the place from where Lord Ram had built the bridge to Sri Lanka, not very far, to bring back Goddess Sita. I spent some time to take pictures. It was so unreal.
Then we were driven to a place where there were many dilapidated structures and I learnt that this place was swallowed by a high intensity cyclone. I also saw the stone which was used to build Ram setu. It had many pores on the surface and that’s the reason why these stones did not sink and rather floated.
Sun was going down quickly. We reached back the main junction. I had couple of more tender coconuts as the custodian of my bike refused any money for looing after my bike. I thanked him from my heart and headed back to Rameshwaram. On my way saw a deviation towards Lord Sri Kodandaram swamy temple. Beautiful stretch with water bodies on either side. Beautiful setting. Rode there for couple of times and then thought of coming back to that picturesque place next morning. I was smitten by the beauty of this place.
Freshened up and went to Sri Ramanatha swamy temple. Cell phones and camera were not allowed. Huge and beautiful temple with one of the biggest Nandi statues. I immersed myself in the tranquil of temple. Spent good amount of time there. Paid my obeisance and sought blessings of almighty Sri Ramanatha swamy and thanked almighty for giving me an opportunity to live my passion.
Dinner time. Went to a nearby hotel and asked in Tamil about special dish in Rameshwaram. He said Dosa. So, I concluded that Dosa and Idli are the most special items in Tamilnadu or these guys were not revealing it to me. Ordered Dosa. Thanks to Dhanushkodi heat and humidity, my body was thoroughly squeezed, and in no time I was in deep slumber.
I got up very early and rode to Pamban bridge. It was still dark. But, many fishermen had already got to work. Many boats looked like paper boats I made during my childhood. I parked my motorcycle near the bridge and took a long walk. I stopped many times just to enjoy the beauty of the sight. This is India’s first sea bridge, on Palk Strait, connects Rameshwaramto mainland India. It’s an engineering marvel. I spent a lot of time here and was greeted warmly by locals who were jogging in their lungis, which was amusing yet admirable.
Then, I headed towards Sri Kodandaramaswamy temple, which was on way to Dhanushkodi (Remember the deviation, I mentioned earlier. A road flanked by water on either side). When I reached Sun was still trying to break through clouds.
I was the only one there and I rode my Benelli to my heart’s content on that stretch followed by some crazy photography at the end. It was fun. “If you feel lonely and bored when you are alone, then you are in a bad company”. I was certainly not in a bad company even though I was all alone there.
I returned after spending lot of time. After an average breakfast, I checked out. I was riding slowly looking at many posters which were not there previous day and then I started noticing many pictures of The Great APJ Abdul Kalam Sir as well in those posters. I inquired and learnt it was Abdul Kalam Sir’s birthday. I remembered the cyclists I had seen on my way to Madurai and Rameshwaram. I decided to visit Kalam Sir’s memorial and burial place. I paid my respects. There were lots of political party workers. All clad in white. White Lungi, White shirt and many in white slippers too. When I reached the spot, love and respect towards Kalam sir was very evident as there were lots of commoners who also carried saplings to plant. After paying my respect to the great man, I answered few questions about myself and my motorcycle. Then I requested one of them to take my pic. People around were so amused with my attire, bike and luggage, I seriously do not know what they thought of me, but they cleared the entire crowd around memorial and made me stand alone to click a picture. And, they all greeted me with lot of respect as I waved them good bye.
I had seen this image of a temple on seashore. Images of temple walls washed by the waves attracted me a lot. Moreover I had to take ECR to reach this place. It was icing on the cake. So, I had again decided to a take a detour, a specialty of unplanned rides. Like a bird I was flying in whichever direction I wanted. My imagination of East Coast Road was that road will run parallel to sea and I can enjoy the view of sea while riding. But that was not the case. It ran parallel to eastern coastal line but nowhere close to sea. Road was fantastic. It was a straight stretch passing through many villages and small towns. There was hardly any traffic. Soil color changed from red to black. In some stretches, either side of the road was populated with towering palm trees. It was little hot but since I was in the plains, breeze was good enough to keep me and the bike cool. I started getting weird smell and which grew stronger. Then I came across water bodies divided into multiple sections and around each section a huge pile of white material was lying. And I could also see an Industrial area. I got curious to know about what this white powdery material is. Stopped and checked. It was salt and this was the famous Tuticorin Salt pan. Salt was being harvested. The smell was very strong and wherever I looked I could see these salt mounds. Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi, is a major port city. I did not enter city, took by pass and reached NH 7A.
After my lunch, I continued my ride. Roads became narrow but surrounded by green and were in good condition overall. I was excited with prospect of seeing another beach and the grandeur of temples in this part of the world. I reached Tiruchendur and I was struggling with my completely broken Tamil when the hotel’s watchman came to my rescue who spoke fluent English. I asked them to give me a good room with no bed bugs as my last night sleep was disturbed due to them. They agreed. But the room was not only unclean but there were just too many mosquitoes at least some 15 to 20. When checked with hotel folks, they were like ‘Sir, there are no bed bugs’. I laughed and said ‘Yes! I requested you to give me a room with no bed bugs. That does not mean I am fine with room full of mosquitoes’. They were polite bunch. They also laughed and changed my room to a better one. There were few mosquitoes. But room was bigger, clean and a better one. Caution: Please carry Odomos cream to avoid any mosquito bites, and to have a peaceful sleep. I freshened up and went to temple which was just five minutes’ walk from hotel.
One thing I would like to mention is just like we are used to seeing pigeons and crows around in our daily lives, you see peacocks in and around temple. Since, hotel I was staying was very close to temple, I saw quite a few peacocks in the hotel’s premises and in the compounds of other hotels as well. Peacocks are such beautiful birds! Extraordinary! When I went to temple, I could see so many peacocks everywhere. On temple’s main tower, on street light poles, roof tops. Everywhere!
The temple was stunning and there were so many people around. It was quite a busy area. I went to beach for a brief period. The view was just amazing. After enjoying a small stroll on the beach, I went to temple. It was quite big. Taking pictures was prohibited. I paid my obeisance and took blessings of Lord Subrahmanya and goddesses Sri Valli Devi and Sri Devasena Devi. It was just fantastic to be inside temples in this part of the world.
Legend of Tiruchendur temple:
Now this is interesting. Inside temple, one of the pictures displayed showed Lord Muruga standing between sea waves and temple. There was a mention of date 12/26/2004. Tsunami! Remember! I could not read anything from the display. I requested a gentleman to translate that for me. He too struggled but informed me that when Tsunami struck the eastern coast and caused irreparable damages to many towns around this region, nothing happened to this temple. Miraculously only around temple area, sea receded by quite a distance and nothing happened to temple. Gradually sea came back to original level when Tsunami subsided everywhere else. Miracle! Power of Lord! I was thrilled to learn this.
Then, it was time for dinner. Went to a nearby restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to hear name of a new dish ‘Idiyappam’. I had never eaten this dish. Upon asking, the waiter said it’s like noodle strings and has to be eaten with coconut milk. It was very nice and delicious. I was still hungry. So, upon asking the waiter about what else would he recommend, he suggested Uttappam which tasted great. I hit the sack. Odomos and mosquito repellant worked. I entered deep sleep mode.
Got up early and went to beach to see sunrise. It was around 5.45 AM. There were many benches installed in the temple premises facing sea and all were occupied. Many were going to temple for early morning prayers. I went to the beach and just waited for the sunrise. This was one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. It was cloudy and I was apprehensive of missing the sunrise. But just like a strong will sun broke through dark clouds and it was a magnificent sight and great lord’s temple was adored by every ray of sun. What a sight! With peacocks everywhere looking towards the sun from temple roof, it was just spellbinding.
After breakfast, started towards southernmost tip of peninsular India. Locals asked me to not to take ECR as it was not in good condition and asked me to ride to Vallioor which will then put me on NH7. I obliged. Beautiful roads and once I was on NH7, I passed through the stretch where trees were less and windmills were more, I guess, and surrounded by huge mountains.
I could not contain my excitement as I approached Kanyakumari. I just rode straight to the sea where Vivekananda memorial and Thiruvalluvar statue. I spent quite some time looking at the sea and the statue. What a beautiful sight it was when waves collided with the huge rock. It was hot and I went to have a tender coconut. First time, I was asked whether I want green one or red one. I was like 'Red one!' I asked for difference and I was told, Red would be more sweet. Tried and it was more sweet indeed.
Rode to sunset point. Enjoyed the sea. It was serene as nobody was there. Spent some time and decided next destination and started off.
while riding back, I asked a group of youngsters to take my pic. I noticed that they all started spiking their hair. I was wondering seeing that. Then they surrounded me. I looked at them. They said yes let’s take a selfie. I just could not control my laugh. I burst out. They asked why? I said that I requested for my picture. They were like ‘Oh. Appadiya! (Oh. Is it!)’. But I did not want to disappoint them. First took a selfie with them and then one of them took my pic.
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