Tiruchendur to Kanyakumari - Drive by car

Day 4 of Hyderabad to Kanyakumari Drive: Trip to Kanyakumari

The event of day 4 was the crux of our whole travel. We had to perform pooja at our village temple @ Karungulam , which is located 40 km west of Tiruchendur. Its located in the Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli Road. We intended to be there at 11.00 am. From past experiences, we aware that the SH40 that connects Tiruchendur -> Karungulam -> Tirunelveli is narrow & got lot of patches hence hard to keep up the speed. We planned to start travelling by 9:45 am. Ain't it common in a travel, that nothing goes as planned? Aaargh., the plan was in vain and we started only by 10:30. 

Luckily, SH40 is now mended and in good shape. Still narrow, but since the road is free of potholes and patches, drove at the max safe speed possible. Either sides of the roads are fertile paddy fields and banana saplings. Occasionally the villagers and farmers share the road, hence need to be careful.

SH 40 Road condition, Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli

Stopped at Kurumbur for 15 minutes to buy Garland & other pooja items.  The sides of the road were so cool and green to the eyes. Many a times, the roads pass through villages and small towns, where we can get a peek in to rural life. 

SH 40, Road condition near Alwar Thirunagari, Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli

One of the prime plantations in Tiruchendur and surrounding villages is the Palm Tree. Starting from the healthy toddy, palm liquor, palm fruit, the tree offers many edible items including the center yoke of its trunk. Pathaneer (in Tamil) is the drink obtained from palm tree, which otherwise is the non fermented version of toddy. 

SH 40 Road condition, Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli

City dwellers would get lot of peace on gazing those shadows of huge trees & green pastures on the sides of the roads.

SH 40, Green Fields on either sides of road, Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli Road

SH 40, Banana plantations on either sides of Roads, Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli

Finally we reached Karungulam by 11:10 AM. From SH40, we need to take a left turn (as shown in picture) to get in to the village. Karungulam is a small village surrounded by ponds and banana plantations. But now due to dry weather and insufficient rains, hardly water gets collected in the ponds. Couple of temples in the village include Lord Venkateswara, Lord Ayyappa. There are few other temples of deities who are believed to protect the village and its people. Sokkar Koothar Saastha temple is a prominent temple among those. The presiding deity is Saastha (Lord Ayyappa).  

Take Left Turn from SH40 to enter Karungulam

Take Left to reach Sokkar Koothar Sastha Temple, Karungulam

One could feel the time tends to go a little slow here, looking at the contented life of these village people. They   perform farming jobs in nearby fields. In Part time, few people work as priests in temples. Some make their livelihood by making clay pots. Some eke out a living by rearing cattle. But what was very visible is; the people are content with what they earn and keep moving on with the life. Another thing to admire is, most of their offspring are graduated in colleges and now few of them got placements in neighboring cities. That  is really a good sign. 

By lanes of Karungulam Village

By lanes of Karungulam Village

The deity of Sokkar Koothar Saastha temple is a Suyambu (Formed by nature, not man made). Legend says that long time back, a cattle keeper observed one of his cow voluntarily milked over a specific place, that was covered by some bush. Curious at this behavior, the cattle owner and keeper dug the place, only to find Statue of Ayyanar (Lord Ayyappa) hidden underneath. Later a temple was built to host the presiding deity.  Over generations, developments happened and owing to much efforts by the priests, the temple is in good shape now.

Sokkar Koothar Saastha Temple, Karungulam Village

After performing Pooja and other offerings, we started by 3:00 pm.

Banyan Tree near the Temple

Next plan was to have lunch @ Tirunelveli, which is 22 km west. Reached Hotel Semeen @ Tirunelveli Junction Bus stand. Counting on the past experiences, i had chosen Hotel Semeen, which used to be good place for non veg dishes. But much to our disappointment, the food was utter worse. Chicken 65 and prawn 65 were toooo salty.. the mutton, fish gravy were stinking.. anyways, din't have any other choice, we just tuck n the food for namesake and left the place for good.

Started to Kanyakumari by 4:22 PM. The route we went was Tirunelveli Junction -> Palayamkottai -> Muppandhal -> Aralvaimozhi -> Nagercoil -> Suchindram (Suseendram) -> Kottaram - > Kanyakumari. Although its 16 km longer than the NH7 route, chose this for nostalgia reasons.

We wanted to have a sneak peek on Muppandhal temple; those huge wind mills @ Aralvaimozhi; traditional kerala style of houses - shops at Nagercoil city; tranquil beauty of the stretch connecting Nagercoil and Kanyakumari; .. we dint want to miss any of these.. so skipped the NH7 route for right reasons :)

There is toll booth few km after Tirunelveli, where we need to pay Rs 65.

Reached Muppandhal Devi Temple, Aralvaimozhi by 5:20 PM. The deity is Devi, who is believed to be care taker of travelers and passerby. Its so common to see people throwing coins (offerings) from their vehicles while on the move.

Muppandhal Devi Temple, Aralvaimozhi

Aralvaimozhi: Aral - Mountain; Vaimozhi - opens & gives way;
The word in Tamil means, the mountains opens and gives the way for the travelers.
At either side of the roads we could see mountains of western ghat section.
Another fascination @ Aralvaimozhi is the Massive wind mills. One could really feel its size by having a physical look at it.

NH 47B Road Condition, Aralvaimozhi to Nagercoil

Aralvaimozhi Road

NH47B, Towards Nagercoil

We crossed by the commercial streets of Nagercoil and proceeded towards Kanyakumari via Suseendram - Kottaram Road.

NH 47 Road Condition, Nagercoil to Kanyakumari

NH47 Road Condition, Nagercoil to Kanyakumari

NH47 Road Condition, Nagercoil to Kanyakumari

We reached Kanyakumari @ 6:30 pm.
Yippee... :)
We reached the southern most point of India :) :)
The place where a ocean and two sea merges..
So far from Hyderabad we had traveled 1516 km.
 I felt little proud about it :)
We were half way through with flying colors.. And still wanting to drive more..

Our Travel so far..From Hyderabad to Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari welcomes us.. Yeah with a Toll fee of Rs 25 :) I think its only for other state vehicles

Hotel Sivamurugan, Kanyakumari

Finally we reached Hotel Sivamurugan @ Kanyakumari by 6:41pm. The room was in a very good condition. Jumped in to the bed for the much deserved R & R.

That brings Day 4 of our travel to rest.

Will tell about the our return trip to Madurai in next blog.

Trichy to Tiruchendur - Drive by Car

Day 3 of Hyderabad to Kanyakumari Drive: Trip to Madurai

Started the day with visit to Rock fort temple. Parked the car near Andal street and went to Thaayumanavar Swamy temple. Being a weekday, the temple was very less crowded. Had darshan and then went to Uchi Pillayar temple. From there we could have the panoramic view of entire city. Cool breezy winds added to our joy. Rested on the rocks for a while to catch the glimpse of the city & trying to recognize places. Then stepped down to visit Manickam Vinayagar temple.

By 9 am checked out from Hotel. Had breakfast at Krishna Bhavan @ Trichy Junction. Enjoyed Hot & crispy Pooris. The chutney and Aloo masala served along with Pooris were catalyzing our appetite. Dosas and vadas were in our menu and their taste was on par with the Poori. After having wonderful breakfast, resumed the journey towards Madurai.

Madurai is 125 km from Trichy. We started from Trichy Junction @ 10.55 AM. The connecting road from Junction to NH45B was in pathetic condition, thanks to some construction work going on in mid of the road. We kinda did offroading with Low GC Honda & managed to meet  NH45B.

Construction work in Trichy to Madurai Connection Road (Aug 2011)

Road condition from Trichy Junction till NH 45B

After joining the NH45B, we traveled like a missile.

NH45B is 4 lane. Another marvel laid by NHAI.

First Tollgate was  @ Kaikatti, 21 km from Trichy Junction. Paid Toll fee Rs 50.

We had the 1st stop after 73 km from Trichy Junction @ 11:50am . I think its Kottampatti.  Had tender coconut and banana.

NH45B Road Condition, Trichy to Madurai

 Next tollgate was @ Melur, located 114 kms from Trichy Junction. Toll fee: Rs 50. We entered Madurai @ 12:37 pm.

Had Lunch @ Vaigai Mess . Its a small family run business, located near to Madurai Corporation, Chokkikulam. They claim, all the food served were home cooked. The entrance room at the hotel had 4 tables that could host 10~12 people. The owner took us to the room in the inner portion of hotel, which is air conditioned. 

The food is served in plantain leaf. We had Ayirai meen kozhambu with Steam rice, followed by Mutton Briyani, Mutton Kheema Urundai. All the items served were remarkable. Felt very satisfied after having the lunch. Total Bill Amount Rs 655 (2 Non Veg + 2 Veg)


Drive from Madurai to Tiruchendur

From there the plan was to travel to Tiruchendur, located 186 km south of Madurai. The time was 2:38 PM. We chose the NH45B route, that takes us from Madurai to Tuticorin and SH176 that connects Tuticorin to Tiruchendur.

From Chokkikulam we connected to NH45B via REMUKI Store -> 80 feet road -> Left cut to Sivaganga Road -> NH45B. 

First Tollgate is few km from Sivaganga Road. The fee is Rs 35. Initially, i thought the road between Madurai to Tuticorin would be worse. Even i was thinking, if we could go to Tiruchendur via Tirunelveli, which was 30 kms extra. But the moment stepped in NH45B, i had to change my opinions. The road is 4 lane, same standards of Trichy - Madurai Highway. We were feeling very lucky indeed

NH45B Road Condition, Madurai to Tuticorin

The next toll @ NH45B is 14kms from the previous Toll gate. Here the fee is Rs 47.

After travelling 112km, Third Toll arrives. The toll fee is Rs 47. 

Since we had to do some shopping @ Tuticorin, we took the deviation from NH45B. This deviation to the city occurs just after 3rd toll booth.

Entered Tuticorin @ 4:30 PM. Filled in 22.3 ltr of Petrol @ BP. Did Shopping of some electronic items and resumed the journey to Tiruchendur @ 5:32PM. From here, we were totally clueless on the road to Tiruchendur. Hence Solely relied on the GPS. Satguide maps provided good help in navigating out of the city and connected us to the SH176. 

SH176, being a state hiway is not that exciting the drive, anyways we are left with no choice. And having been driving all along from start of journey in NH with 3 digit speeds, we could really feel like snailing on the SH.

SH176 Road Condition, Tuticorin to Tiruchendur

As the saying goes, good or bad doesn't last long, the SH176 takes us to Tiruchendur after 40 kms of journey. 

So finally reached Tiruchendur @ 6:30PM, the divine abode of Lord Muruga. Rested @ Hotel Sivamurugan.

Hotel Sivamurugan, Tiruchendur

We met our mission for that day. Had covered 328 km from Trichy to Tiruchendur. 

That brings our travel to rest for Day 3.

Bangalore to Trichy drive by car

Day 2 of Hyderabad to Kanyakumari Drive: Trip to Trichy

We started from Bangalore @ 7.10 am. Our destination is Banana Leaf Hotel located at Karur Bye Pass Road, Trichy. Distance remaining is 340 km. The mission is to be right there at the hotel for lunch & taste the lip smacking dishes :P

The route we went was NH7 (Bangalore - Electronic City - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri -Salem - Namakkal) and SH25 (Namakkal - Thottiyam - Musiri - Gunaseelam - Tollgate - Right turn to Trichy Chennai Trunk Road -Mambazhasalai - Ramba Urvasi Theatre - Karur Bye Pass Road )

Electronic city toll gate was the 1st one. Paid 35 to use the Elevated express way. After 14 kms, the Hosur toll gate arrives, where we had to pay 50 bucks.

Well, i have to mention the road condition. Being NH7, Road condition from Bangalore to Namakkal is fantastic. All 4 lanes. Up to Hosur, the highway is crowded with trucks and other vehicles. But once you cross the A2B restaurant @ Hosur, the sweet spot starts. Traffic thins down and the drive becomes a breeze. The sides of the roads are  very scenic until Dharmapuri. 

NH7, Bangalore to Namakkal Road Condition

NH7, Bangalore to Namakkal Road Condition

We had breakfast at A2B restaurant, Hosur @ 8:45 am. Even though a weekday, the restaurant was crowded. Managed to get place in table and munched on the following menu. Idly, Vada, Sweet Kesari, Dosas, Pongal & finally a well deserving strong cuppa coffee. Total breakfast menu for 4 costed Rs 383. This place is located 50km from the electronic city tollgate. After fueling and R&R, continued the NH7 cruise. Fueled the vehicle. Had the required R & R. I found this BP Ghar Dhaba as better place for pitstop. It had ATM, Restaurant, Washrooms, Children play area, parking space, Fuel station that accepts credit cards and promptly gives you the printed bill. Well done!

A2B Restaurant, Hosur (BP Ghar Dhaba @ Bangalore - Namakkal Highway)

Between Hosur and Namakkal, there were 3 tollgates. Paid 50 bucks in first toll after A2B, then Rs 66 in the next and Rs 50 in the third. 

Ahead of Namakkal, there is a signboard on highway advising us to take left to get in to the city. And to get in to Trichy, we have follow this sign. We missed this tip and went over the flyover so we had to take a detour to come back in to Namakkal. This costed us additional 15km. We must have gone below the flyover, deviating from NH7 and entered in to Namakkal city. This will take us to the state highway 25.

Although SH25 is in OK condition, we felt choked as we had been travelling so far in the oceanic NH7. SH25 is a 2 lane road without divider. The nature of traffic here are Lorries in majority followed by Vans and then passenger cars, in terms of count. 

SH 25, Namakkal to Trichy Road condition

The climate turned bit sunny. Namakkal & Trichy have a tropical climate. The surrounding are mainly villages and sparse forests with native trees. Forests aren't that cool to eyes. They are bit dried up.

After reaching Thottiyam, we followed the SH25 that takes us to Gunaseelam. But after travelling a while, we realized we could have choosen a better route. Lot of Jalli Lorries (those vehicles carrying river sand) ply in a in large numbers in these roads. One has to drive quite carefully here as the lorry drivers go crazy on these roads. Also the road condition turns bad with potholes, gravel filled routes. We must have taken diversion from Thottiyam to Kulithalai, that connects to the NH67. Driving on the NH67, we could have reached Karur Bye pass road easily. Not sure of the NH67 road condition, but being national highway, supposed to be better than SH25. Anyways, continued in the SH25 to reach Toll gate road. Then took diversion to connect Trichy - Chennai Trunk Road.

SH25, Trichy to Namakkal Road condition after Thottiyam

Then joined the Mambazhasalai road and then reached Chatram Bus stand. Took the Karur Bye pass road, where we spotted out destination, The Banana Leaf Restaurant @ 2:10 pm. It had been 359 km journey, that we had covered in 7 hours including a pit stop of 45 minutes. And we managed to be there right on time. Mission accomplished :)

After having a sumptuous meal, checked in @ Hotel Chitra, Chathram Bus Stand. Evening went to TV koil, Srirangam and Samayapuram. Fueled the car @ BP Petrol Pump, Renganathan Motor Service, TV Koil.
For Dinner, we planned to visit Kannappa Restaurant @ Thillai Nagar. Hospitality in this restaurant was remarkable. First of all, the good feeling was about the parking facilities. Next about the mouth watering delicacies they serve. As suggested by the staff,  we started with Mutton Kola balls, a modified version of mutton kebab. But, Thanks to the native flavor & method of cooking, this item tasted much better. Lamb meat minced & well cooked with unique spices, was melting n the mouth. Mmmm.. Still the taste is lingering n my mind.. Ordered a couple more, smacked on them. Next menu item was Mutton Briyani, one can't stop with just one bowl.  I have to really mention the taste of Briyani here.. The Aroma of cooked lamb and masala was well blended with the rice. it was simply irresistible. Taste buds were still longing for more even after having one more bowl. But since there were no more briyani left, we had to retreat, sadly :) Anyways, also feasted on other items like naatu koli chicken fry and Prawns. The total bill for 4 came to Rs 650.

Feeling heavy after the grand dinner, we wanted to have a walk. Streets & By lanes around Teppakulam was the ideal place that quickly came to our mind. The time was 10.30 pm. We could see the Burma Bazaar was still bustling with activity. Starting from there, we walked towards Rockfort temple. The market vendors were busy packing their stuffs, having finished job for the day. We could see Saradas Shopping mall, Mangal & Mangal Shop on the way to Rockfort. Later we started walking towards Naga nathar temple. Had Rasthali banana, naatu pazham which one could never taste n metros. Tasted Masala Vadai @ the shop close to Mayavaram Cafe.

 Near to vanapattarai amman temple, there used to be couple of Fast food noodles shop, which i used to frequent, when i did my schooling @ trichy. Was wondering if the shop could be still be there & even so, will it be open at 11pm. Eagerly went towards the place & to much of our joy, we could see one shop was still open at that time and some ppl were savoring the delicacy. Well, whats the special here.. Its something more than the taste of the noodles. One should watch the way its made..

 We ordered for egg noodles. The guy prepared the hot large frying pan to work on our menu. First 3 to 4 eggs are broken and the contents poured on the hot pan. While they turn golden brown, curling in to layers, he puts on slices of cut onions & other cut veggies. Soft slender noodles, which are precooked, are put over the egg and veggie scramblings. Handful of spices, chilly , are added over it for taste. Then over this, he puts again two more broken eggs. And the rock band starts.. yeah, with 2 Karandi (Tamil word for a big metal spoon) he bangs the mixture on the frying pan to ensure all of them all blended together. At the same time, enough care is taken the the noodles aren't broken too much. So finally what we get on our plates is tasty noodles, with layers of spice & salt fried eggs with a bunch of veggies. Over this, you can serve yourself with juicy vegetable soup made with liberal dosage of ginger and garlic cooked together. Woww.. what an exotic menu it is.. Our tongues n tummies were the so the happiest ones that day :)