Tamil Nadu Cities
Madurai: Madurai
or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil
Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers
till the 14th century. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple
around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was being
named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion
some Divine nectar ("Madhu") fell from the matted locks of Shiva and
hence the city was named "Madhurapuri". This sacred town of south attracts
thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as well as abroad.
Madurai's
Pilgrimage - Meenakshi Temple : The life of Madurai revolves
around the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. This magnificently carved temple
is the main attraction of Madurai and its huge Gopurams towers over the city.
Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'. Precisely there are 985 pillars
and each of them is delicately and exquisitely carved. Among these are the musical
pillars, which produce music when tapped. Surprisingly, these musical pillars
are carved out of a single granite rock. The temple has been a hub of Tamil culture
and has been sponsoring literature, art, music, and dance in the region for a
long time. The temple also has an art museum. The city apart from temple is crammed
with shops, street markets and temples, pilgrims choultries, hotels and restaurants.
Though Madurai is considered as pilgrimage
but it has also developed as a business centre and is famed for its traditional
handicrafts in bronze and brass.
How to get
there ? Air - Madurai has its own airport and there
are flights, which connect the city with Chennai, Tiruchirappalli. The airline
services have at least one flight daily from Madurai to Chennai. From there one
can take flight to anywhere in India.
Rail - Madurai has one
of the major railway junctions of South India. It is connected with the all the
major tourist as well as religious places in Tamil Nadu. Though there are not
many trains, which connect the city with major cities of India such as, Madurai
is easily accessible from any part of the nation.
Road - There
are good motorable roads, which connect this, second largest city of Tamil Nadu
with other parts of the state as well as other places in India. Madurai has five
bus stands, which cater to the needs of the people.
Madurai has got
a wide range of accommodation, varying from reasonable ones to luxurious that
cater for the flocks of pilgrims and tourists. Most of the reasonable places to
stay are located at Town Hall Road and West Perumal Maistry Street, not far from
the railway station.
Kanyakumari:
Kanyakumari
(also spelt as Kanniyakumari) district is bounded by Tirunelveli district in the
north and northeast, by Kerala state in the northwest and confluence of Arabian
Sea and Indian Ocean in the west and south. The coastline is almost regular except
for some points of land projecting into the sea at Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is
the district headquarters of the district of the same name.
The City
Of Kanyakumari - At the southern most land tip of India, where the Arabian
Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kannyakumari, an important
pilgrim centre. Kannyakumari is famous for its beach and the spectacular sunrises
and sunsets, especially on full moon days. Kanyakumari is also famous for its
vast green stretches of paddy fields, rich forests, coconut groves and mineral
sands.
It's Name - Kannyakumari has been named after the Goddess Kannyakumari
Amman who is the popular deity of the area. Legend has it that the Goddess Parvati
in one of her incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks of
this land's end to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
The History Of
Kanyakumari - Kanniyakumari
district, once known as "The Granary of Travancore" lies at the southwestern
part of Indian peninsula. It was in Travancore for a long time and then merged
with Tamil Nadu in 1956 under the State Linguistic Reorganisation Act.
Kanyakumari Beach - The Kanyakumari beach is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured
sand. The beach here does not really offer one the opportunity to sunbathe on
soft golden sands, or to frolic in the waves either. The seashore is rocky and
dangerous, and there is a manmade wall running along it. People are warned to
stay off the rocks, and when if someone ventures out of bounds, he or she is quickly
and severely reprimanded by a watchful policeman. There is a lighthouse from where
one can get a panoramic view.
The sea is fairly rough, so it is entertaining
to watch it beat itself against the rocks and then subside, before it gathers
itself up for another attack. With long stretches of sands of many hues, the beach
offers a welcome change. A variety of shells are on sale on the Kanyakumari beach.
Pilgrim Rites Performed - Pilgrimage rites include bathing at Pitru
and Matru Tirtha, two rocks over which a monument honouring Swami Vivekananda,
a
Hindu religious leader, was built in 1970.
How
to get there ? Air - The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram
(80-km), which is well connected with national and International flights. From
Thiruvananthapuram one can take a taxi or bus to Kanyakumari.
Rail
- Kanyakumari is well connected by train services with all the places in India.
Superfast trains connect the southern most railhead of India with northern cities
like Jammu and Delhi. Intercity trains are running from almost all the southern
cities.
Road - Kanyakumari is connected by regular bus services
with Chennai, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Trichy, Madurai, Mandapam (Rameshwaram),
Nagercoil, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Tiruvelveli, Trivandrum, etc. Town bus service,
tourist taxis and auto rickshaws are available.