Wanderlust Tales : Road trip to Madurai
Vacation time and it has become a mandate for the family to take a road trip. And this time it was Madurai - a long pending trip.
The drive is quite achievable - we had both my father and brother taking turns while driving. An early start during the mornings makes the drive more a comfortable.
Just as we started, the pleasant weather was there to welcome us for our onward journey:
We started about 6-ish from Bangalore - JP Nagar and believe me the traffic that day was tremendous. To avoid traffic, if you start an hour early it would be beneficial.
That day was a start to the long weekend and there were some random RTO checks being conducted for vehicles - and it took us 3 hours just to leave Bangalore. No hoarding - no banners, the highways were jam-packed with traffic. Such menace!
The route we took was:
Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Salem -> Karur -> Dindigul -> Madurai
The tolls on the way are like gosh - way too high, just keep on incrementing.
At some places, the roads are really smooth and the drive is enjoyable, but after certain toll joints, the roads were a disaster. They are apparently the NICE roads. 😕
The tolls we gave were in this order, don't remember the place names though:
We took our first stop near Shoolagiri which had a couple of joints : McDonald's, Café coffee day and Shri Krishna Inn. There is an HP petrol pump here too.
We routed here since we could see a lot of vehicles detouring here. The place is heavily crowded and bustling with people.
There are neat washrooms for your use too.
Just about 1km ahead or so, there is the Anand Bhavan joint too - if you prefer.
On our drive, we noticed a talented artisan creating human size statues. Such knack and expertise.
There are ample of restaurants, joints and petrol pumps on the way - so worry not!! 😊
Next we took a short chai break in a small bakery shop. The shop was close to a petrol pump. Stopping mid way for breaks, gives the car time to cool down. The bakery shop was selling cold drinks, chai, snack items and packed food items.
Throughout your drive you will just be pleased with utmost greenery and the rocky mountains. There are so many coconut trees planted - dil khush kar dita!!
Scenic beauty - lush greenery - there is nothing more lucrative for the eyes.
We wanted to avoid oily food while traveling so went for the authentic SOUTH INDIAN THALI. The food was simple yet tasty with Rasam, Sambhar, Papad, Curd, Beetroot sabji, another veg sabji with payasam. I enjoyed the hearty meal.
The service is outstanding. The thali is unlimited - and the servers patiently wait by your side in case you need a second serving. Every table had a specific server taking utmost care of its guests.
Outside the shop, there are quick snack items being sold along like chips, ice creams, nuts, chocolates etc.
It started drizzling lightly on our way - picturesque.
As the weather got all naughty, we witnessed nature's miracle - as we were driving through, we could see that it was raining somewhere in the faraway lands and not we were at - and the sight was breathtaking. Wow!!
Lastly, we took a sugarcane juice break - refreshing indulgent drink!
~Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!
P.S. All the above photos have been clicked by me.
And the historical information about the place in the post has been collected from various sources in Google.
MADURAI:
Madurai is the third largest city in the Southern state of Tamil Naidu - famously known for the Meenakshi Temple. It is a famous pilgrimage site. It is also sobriquet-ed as the Athens of the east, having a rich historical background-Lord Shiva performed the sixty-four wonders called "Thiruvilaiyadals".
Legend has it, on the day the city was to be named - Lord Shiva appeared and nectar from his hair fell on the town - so the place was named Madurai, Mathuram meaning sweetness in Tamil.
Legend has it, on the day the city was to be named - Lord Shiva appeared and nectar from his hair fell on the town - so the place was named Madurai, Mathuram meaning sweetness in Tamil.
THE TRIP:
The distance from Bangalore to Madurai is about 435 km approximately and it took us about 6-7 hours to reach Madurai, this was inclusive of the couple of breaks too.
The drive is quite achievable - we had both my father and brother taking turns while driving. An early start during the mornings makes the drive more a comfortable.
Just as we started, the pleasant weather was there to welcome us for our onward journey:
We started about 6-ish from Bangalore - JP Nagar and believe me the traffic that day was tremendous. To avoid traffic, if you start an hour early it would be beneficial.
That day was a start to the long weekend and there were some random RTO checks being conducted for vehicles - and it took us 3 hours just to leave Bangalore. No hoarding - no banners, the highways were jam-packed with traffic. Such menace!
The route we took was:
Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Salem -> Karur -> Dindigul -> Madurai
The tolls on the way are like gosh - way too high, just keep on incrementing.
At some places, the roads are really smooth and the drive is enjoyable, but after certain toll joints, the roads were a disaster. They are apparently the NICE roads. 😕
The tolls we gave were in this order, don't remember the place names though:
- Rs. 25/-
- Rs. 60/-
- Rs. 86/-
- Rs. 69/-
- Rs. 42/-
- Rs. 78/-
We took our first stop near Shoolagiri which had a couple of joints : McDonald's, Café coffee day and Shri Krishna Inn. There is an HP petrol pump here too.
We routed here since we could see a lot of vehicles detouring here. The place is heavily crowded and bustling with people.
There are neat washrooms for your use too.
Just about 1km ahead or so, there is the Anand Bhavan joint too - if you prefer.
On our drive, we noticed a talented artisan creating human size statues. Such knack and expertise.
 |
| Notice APJ Abdul Kalam |
There are ample of restaurants, joints and petrol pumps on the way - so worry not!! 😊
Next we took a short chai break in a small bakery shop. The shop was close to a petrol pump. Stopping mid way for breaks, gives the car time to cool down. The bakery shop was selling cold drinks, chai, snack items and packed food items.
Throughout your drive you will just be pleased with utmost greenery and the rocky mountains. There are so many coconut trees planted - dil khush kar dita!!
Scenic beauty - lush greenery - there is nothing more lucrative for the eyes.
FOOD STOP:
After driving for some time, we stopped at hotel Aarthi - Pure Veg. This place served a wide range of dishes from South Indian, North Indian to Chinese.We wanted to avoid oily food while traveling so went for the authentic SOUTH INDIAN THALI. The food was simple yet tasty with Rasam, Sambhar, Papad, Curd, Beetroot sabji, another veg sabji with payasam. I enjoyed the hearty meal.
The service is outstanding. The thali is unlimited - and the servers patiently wait by your side in case you need a second serving. Every table had a specific server taking utmost care of its guests.
Outside the shop, there are quick snack items being sold along like chips, ice creams, nuts, chocolates etc.
It started drizzling lightly on our way - picturesque.
As the weather got all naughty, we witnessed nature's miracle - as we were driving through, we could see that it was raining somewhere in the faraway lands and not we were at - and the sight was breathtaking. Wow!!
Lastly, we took a sugarcane juice break - refreshing indulgent drink!
We reached Madurai around 1400-ish. It is tough to drive around in Madurai - owing to the heavy crowd and narrow busy roads.
Once in Madurai - you can choose to opt for the local transport means - if you are not comfortable driving in crowded, narrow roads.
Cheers to life!!
Once in Madurai - you can choose to opt for the local transport means - if you are not comfortable driving in crowded, narrow roads.
RAMESWARAM DIARIES:
- Meenakshi Amman Temple:
Cheers to life!!- Meenakshi Amman Temple:
~Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!
P.S. All the above photos have been clicked by me.
And the historical information about the place in the post has been collected from various sources in Google.
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