Rameshwaram
Rameshwaram (also spelt as Rameswaram) is a pilgrimage centre of nationwide
importance, as Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva here on his way back
from SriLanka. The temple is in the island of Rameshwaram, the Banares of
the South, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The deity here constitutes
one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India.
The Sacred Pilgrimage To Rameshwaram
A pilgrimage to Rameshwaram is among the important injunctions laid on
the Hindu from time immemorial. The great temple of Sri Ramanatha is connected
by tradition with Kashi. A pilgrimage to Kashi is not considered complete
without a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. In olden days groups of pilgrims,
many of them quite old, walked huge distances to the two temples, taking
months and years, and some failing to survive the rigours and dangers
of such incredibly long journeys. Men and women knew this cost might be
exacted of them, but they repaid it cheerfully.
The Rameshwaram pilgrimage has long been a tradition in South India,
particularly in Tamil Nadu, and has passed into folklore. Many kings of
old prided themselves on having planted columns of victory in Rameshwaram-Krishna
III the Rashtrakuta, in the 10th century; the Hoysala, Vishnuvardhana,
in the 12th century.
Everything in and near Rameshwaram is traditionally connected with incidents
in the "Ramayana". The Kashi pilgrimage is considered complete
not only after worship in the Sri Ramanatha temple but also after a bath
in Dhanushkodi, a tip of the island where the Bay of Bengal, called the
"Mahodadhi" in ancient times, joins the Indian Ocean, or Ratnakaram,
its beautiful old name "Dhanushkodi", in Tamil the "end
of the bow", takes its name from a tradition that Sri Rama, at the
request of Vibishana, his friend, destroyed the bridge to Sri Lanka with
the end of His bow. Dhanushkodi was affected in a cyclone a few years
ago.
How to Get There
Air
The nearest airport is at Madurai, at a distance of 154-km.
Rail
Rameshwaram is well connected by trains from all the major cities of India.
Road
State transport buses are available from the railway station to the various
places in and around Rameshwaram. For local transportation taxis, auto-rickshaws,
cycle-rickshaws and tongas are available. Also city bus service is available
in the island.
Trichy ( Tiruchirappalli )
Situated in Tiruchirappalli district, on the banks of the River Kaveri (also
spelt as Cauvery) is Tiruchirappalli, a city known for its educational institutions,
industries, and temples. It is shortly called as "Tiruchi" or
"Trichy".
Trichy is the district headquarters of the district of Tiruchirappalli
and has its name for tourist attraction. The city is a thriving commercial
centre in Tamil Nadu and is famous for artificial diamonds, cigars, handloom
cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay toys.
The Landmark Of The City
The most famous landmark of Tiruchirappalli is the Rock Fort Temple, a
spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky out crop which rises abruptly
from the plain to tower over the old city.
Major Attractions of Trichy ( Tiruchirappalli )
Viralimalai Sanctuary
Viralimalai is a small town situated at a distance of 30-km from Tiruchirappalli
and 40-km from Pudukkottai. It is famous for its Murugan temple and the
Peacock sanctuary. The town is bestowed with a large number of wild peacocks,
which roam around the Murugan temple.
Sittanavasal
Located at a distance of 58-km from Trichy is Sittanavasal, a site of
an ancient Jain monastery with fine fresco paintings in a rock cave. Many
of them are typical of the 9th century Pandyan period and include exquisitely
detailed pictures of animals, fish, ducks, people gathering lotuses from
a pond and two dancing figures. There are also inscriptions dating back
to the 9th and 10th centuries. Fresco paintings from the 7th century can
be seen on the ceiling of the Ardhamandapam.
There are many pre-historic burial sites around Sittanavasal and among
the relics unearthed are burial urns, cists and Kurangupatarai.
Government Museum
Situated at Thirukokarnam, the museum is located near the Pudukkottai
station, at a distance of 40 km from Trichy. The rare collections in the
sections of Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy,Historical
Records, etc., are very interesting. The museum is open on all days except
Mondays.
Kudumianmalai
Kudumianmalai temple is located at a distance of 25-km from Trichy. The
presiding deity is Lord Sikhagireeswara. There are beautiful sculptures
and a thousand pillar-hall within the temple.
How to Get There
Air
Tiruchirappalli has an airport (5-km) from the city. Various airlines connect
Tiruchi with Chennai, Sharjah, Kuwait and Colombo.
Rail
Tiruchi is an important junction on the Southern Railway. It connects Chennai,
Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirupati, Tuticorin and Rameshwaram on the metre gauge,
and Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, Kannyakumarai and Mangalore on
the broad gauge.
Road
Tiruchi is well connected by road with important places of South India.
City bus service, tourist taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are
available for local transportation.
Ooty ( Udhagamandalam )
Udhagamandalam (Ooty), the capital of Nilgiri district, is popularly known
as the "Queen of hill stations' among the tourist circuits. It is situated
at a distance of 105 km away from Coimbatore. The height of the hills in
the Nilgiri range varies between 2280 and 2290 metres, the highest peak
being Doddabetta at a height of 2623 metres.
History Of This Beautiful Hill Resort
It is believed that the name Nila, has been in use for over 800 years
since, the King of the Hoysalas Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled from 1104 to
1141 AD seized the Nilgiris Plateau. His general Ponisia recorded this
fact in 1117 AD with mention of Todas. The name Nilgiri was due to the
blue haze, which envelops the range with most distant hills of considerable
size.
In 1818, Wishand Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to Collector
of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report
to the Collector of Coimbatore Mr. John Sullivan. Settlement in Udhagamandalam
began in 1822 with the construction of the Stone House by John Sullivan,
the then Collector of Coimbatore. The bungalow, which is locally called
"Kal Bangla", is one of the landmarks of Udhagamandalam and
is now the Chamber of the Principal of the Government Arts College.
This Nilgiri territory came into possession of the East India Company
as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the treaty of Srirangapatnam
in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest was the first European who visited
Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place and people of
Nilgiris. In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the top of
the plateau.
The Tea
The establishment of numerous tea estates made Ooty famous. Lofty mountains,
dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens
greet the passengers on most routes. The annual Tea and Tourism Festival
attracts crowds in huge numbers. Visit Ooty during this festival, when
tea lovers from all over the world converge. An occasion not to be missed!
How to Get There
Air
Coimbatore, 105 km from Ooty, is the nearest airport.
Rail
Ooty is on the narrow gauge railway, connected to Mettupalayam (47 km),
which is directly connected to Coimbatore and Chennai. The famous toy
train connects Ooty with Mettupalayam and Coonoor.
Road
A good network of roads and national highways connect Ooty with all major
towns and cities. There are regular bus services to and from Coimbatore,
Trichy, Bangalore, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Mysore, Palghat, Calicut, Tirupati
and other important destinations in South India. Ooty is also well connected
with major cities of Kerala and Karnataka.
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