Marvellous Southern Tip of India

    When life was going on in slow motion in a dry state, this thought that came in my tiny brain. Why not a short trip with my buddies in my college life..I'm a devotee of Lord Shiva and decided to visit all the 12 Jyotirlingas located all over India. Srisailam was my first one and Rameshwaram comes next in the last.  It all started on March 27th of 2018. Booked tickets in tatkal quota and started off on 29th March along with my 2 other friends (Montu, Shyam) from Vizag. We boarded Coromandel Express, reached Chennai in the evening. Freshened up in the AC waiting hall (Hygiene and Awesome) and boarded the Rameshwaram Express(16851) from Chennai to Rameshwaram. Actually, there was a direct train from Vizag to Rameshwaram but it'll be dark outside while crossing the Marvellous Pamban Bridge. So we chose two separate trains and the 2nd train (16851) crosses the Pamban Bridge at around 8am. Had a very good sleep and the next day morning we woke up to the excitement of experiencing the Pamban Bridge. 

And just when we were approaching the sea bridge, everyone moved a bit closer to the only outlet to the outdoor Beauty - their windows. I wanted an uninterrupted view so I went to the door (😝 I know it's risky).

Blue waters

But what a beauty! You're surrounded by pristine Blue Waters as far as your eyes can see. The bridge is only 1 meter wide and 2.5km long. Speed is reduced to 20kmph while the train is on this vulnerable bridge. The experience is totally worth it. I used to look at the pictures of the bridge posted by others and now I am clicking one.

               " Dreams are meant to be fulfilled " 

Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show. I believe in Prophet Mohammed's saying - Don't tell how much educated you are, tell me how much you've traveled.   

   

It is located 40feet above sea level. But the sea was much closer to the track when we were on the train. It was India's first and longest sea bridge until the opening of the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai. This Majestic bridge connects the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Pamban Island and Rameshwaram. The central part of the bridge was designed as such that it can be raised when small ships pass under the bridge. An Engineering Marvel, isn't it? (Civil Engineering daa 😎🔥)

    As we reached the Rameshwaram station at around 8.30. Exited the station, hired an auto-rickshaw to Ramnathswamy temple. A kind hotel owner has offered us a small room just to get freshened. We kept our belongings in there and walked towards Agni Teertham (where people do the holy bath before the darshan)

Surya Namaskar (that's me 😋)                 Entrance to the Agni Teertham

    

We returned to the room, freshened up, and headed towards the Ramanathswamy temple. The temple has also amazed me with its beauty and ancient architecture. There are 22 wells situated inside the temple (was not allowed to click photos of wells). The color and taste of water from each well differ. The main entrance is topped by a beautiful canopy. The wall and ceiling paintings, murals narrate the Ramayana explicitly. Perhaps, this is the only place in India where 2 forms of Shiva are worshipped (Vishwalingam brought by Lord Hanuman, local sandstone Ramalingam created by Sita). 1212 pillars in the corridor with intricate ceiling paintings and exquisite sculptures, the play of light and dark along the nearly 4000 feet long corridors around the temple is ethereal. 

Ramnathswamy Temple         Inside Temple

 We came out of the temple after spending some quality,  peaceful time inside. We were starving like anything then we found some Gujarati restaurant. They welcomed us very politely. Had Gujarati thali & infinite glasses of buttermilk in the end. Came back to our room, packed our things, and hired an auto-rickshaw to roam around. We visited so many other temples - Panchamukhi Hanuman temple where the floating stones, which were used to build Ram Setu, are kept safe. There are other smaller temples and ponds of which I found Lakshman Teertham worthy of a visit and also paid a visit to the House of Kalam. Then we headed towards Dhanushkodi A.K.A " Ghost Town". You see not even a single soul on the way. Call it an abandoned wonderland or sprawling place of nothing. Dhanushkodi is serene bliss of nothingness.

 

Remainings of an entire village which was once wiped off by a vast Cyclone

The road towards Dhanushkodi (Left), Confluence of Bay of Bengal & Indian Ocean (Right) 

Time was ticking off and we had to hurry to the bus station and catch a bus to Kanyakumari. I will never take the TNRTC bus for long-distance. It was very congested and there was no leg space in between seats which troubled me a lot as I have tall legs and upon that we kept our heavy rucksacks on our thighs. Reached Kanyakumari at around 3am and we searched for motels. Their prices were very high like we're taking it for lease or something. So, we decided to spend time on a short wall on the shore till sunrise. Then a guy, who said he came just now from Srilanka, fooled one of my friends by selling him shitty Rayban glasses(freshly imported from Srilanka😂) at a higher price. 

        In most of the cities, you can either see sunrise or sunset in the sea but in Kanyakumari, it is possible to see both in the sea. It was spectacular with Vivekananda and Thiruvallavur statue in the forefront of the rising sun. It becomes one of the must-experience things when at the southern tip, like a bike ride on Mumbai-Pune expressway in rain, though you can watch the sunrise from anywhere in Kanyakumari, there are some flagged spots from where it looks arresting. The moment when everyone saw the first glimpse of the sun, they started clapping, shouting, and the environment got electrified with the energy of the crowd. Sun rose close to Vivekananda Statue and Thiruvalluvar statue, these two monuments make Kanyakumari's sunrise Unique. 

Sunrise at the Southernmost tip of India - Kanyakumari

        We checked into a hotel, freshened up, headed out for lunch, and walked down towards the ticket counter of ferry point and also an entrance ticket counter for Vivekananda Rock Statue & Thiruvalluvar Statue. One mega boat came to pick us up. It is of 30mins approx (to and fro). It was a wonderful experience for us. 

😂😂 Ferry ride

Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Thiruvalluvar Rock Statue - Famous Poet

    We came back to the shore in the evening. Before witnessing the sunset, we went to the Kanyakumari temple. In the entrance, your personal belongings shud be deposited and men have to take off their shirt before entering the temple. Priests can be seen sitting along the queue line, if you pay them 20 bucks they'll take you for special darshan. Then we headed towards the Triveni Sanghamam, we've been waiting to see this place since morning, where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean meet with the sun setting in the background. I sat on a wall there, clicked so many pictures,  kept the camera aside, and just enjoyed that awesome view and that atmosphere there was very refreshing, quite lively. Both of my friends got busy when their loved ones called them while I enjoyed my own company on a wall facing the confluence of three blues. There is a small market with stalls and vendors sell different, tasty local food. Bought some tiny things made of seashells and stuff made with different parts of the coconut tree. 

Sunset at Triveni Sanghamam

  

The confluence of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean

Then we headed back to our room and rested for the night. The next day morning, we visited Our Lady of Ransom Church and offered our prayers. Packed our bags and left for the railway station. Return journey till Chennai was hell. We got tickets on the waiting list and the TC didn't show mercy on us. We sat at the door sometimes and on the edges of other's berths sometimes. This trip was an amazing experience and we enjoyed it to the most. 

Ransom Church

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Chitrakot Waterfalls - The Indian Niagara

As soon as I heard about the Chitrakot waterfalls in Chhattisgarh, I started doing my research on the travel from Visakhapatnam to Jagdalpur. As there are only two options either by road or by train,  I prefer the second one which is the most economical one for nomadic backpackers. I started at Visakhapatnam railway station at 09.40 PM - Train no : 18514 VSKP - KIRANDUL EXP which runs daily.

After an overnight journey from the city, I have landed in the serene and cool ambiance of Jagdalpur.

East Coast Railway, JAGDALPUR

   Bastar region can be easily termed as " A Traveller's Delight "

On my way to Chitrakot, I was planning for mode of transport to reach from Jagdalpur station. Hired a cab right after exiting the station. And the driver agreed for a good price. Moreover, he's a telugu guy which was more comfortable in communicating with him. 

First, we headed towards Tirathgarh waterfalls which is on the other side of Chitrakot. The roadway is a bit narrow but you will experience the ghati feel with greenery filled along. Despite of the road condition, our driver managed to get us there in one hour. Finally We are at the Place. Amazing Tirathgarh Waterfalls.

Tirathgarh Waterfalls - Jagdalpur

It has an excellent view of kanger river tumbling down into the deep valley. These milky waterfalls is best seen when in full flux, just after the monsoon, when it attains its full power. We went there in first week of February, so the stream was little bit less.

After spending one hour there with clicking pictures and enjoying the sounds of stream, we next moved on to Kanger Valley National Park.

There we have to hire a jeep which is a chattisgarh tourism vehicle. We shared the jeep with three other Orissa people and we were charged 1500/- for 6 members. Safari ride was of nearly 11 KM's long. And the road which went through the jungle, we were surrounded by tall trees everywhere.

The park can be said to be an ideal destination for wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, researchers and anyone keen to discover the very best of fascinating wildlife in Chhattisgarh. Safari ride was awesome and unforgettable.

Kutumsar Caves

After 30 minutes, we reached the entrance of Kutumsar caves. A guide came along with us. If you love dark alleys, resounding dens, creepy spider webs and some spooky adventures, kutumsar is right up your alley. You enter through a cubbyhole, vertically, with your feet trying to find a foot hold on moist rocks while the guide switches his battery torch on. It takes a while to get used to the darkness but as you do you are likely to be pleasantly surprised by amazing formations inside - one resembling the trunk of an elephant, a stone resembling ganesha, a hemispherical rock worshipped as Lord Shiva. All these rocks are beautiful stalactite and stalagmite rocks. These rocks are closed during rainy season and are open till 4 PM during the rest of the year.

We were very tired and hungry when we came out of the caves. But there were no eateries nearby. Driver said he will take us to one hotel where we can get fresh and tasty food and which is on the way to chitrakote falls. We even halted for a while in Kumarawand,  We were astonished and amazed with the view around us, surrounded by tall sal trees. Here, I am putting the link of the location also. Nice place to click some good pictures.
In google maps, you can find this location named as Shawl Garden .

Really a nice place to relax and get rid of all the stress in the woods.

Driver stopped the car at a hotel named Mamta Hotel where you can get tasty food. Mostly, people order Chicken tandoori here but we were unlucky as no hen was ready to die for us 😜. They cook food right in front of us after ordering the items. So we adjusted with egg curry and fried local fish. After lunch, we looked for Mahua which is local alcoholic drink of Chhattisgarh. Mostly popular with tribes of Chhattisgarh. But I didn't get to drink it and felt very bad 😑. And we moved further to Chitrakote Falls.

Finally.. We reached Chitrakote Waterfalls. The incredible sight of water falling from a height of 100 feet into the Indravati river is a real Wow! The sound of gushing water of Indravati river as it cascaded down from a height, creating a stunning vista. Local boat facilities operating below and under the falls in a misty atmosphere provide views of the falls. Especially during monsoons, it looks even more beautiful. The roaring of flowing water will kill you softly with its sound. One who wishes to spend quality time in nature's lap and getting lost amidst the sound of the free roaring water. This waterfall is best among others.

Chitrakote Waterfalls - The Indian Niagara 

Boat ride 

   
  Arts and Culture of Bastar :


Bastar proudly upholds a deep rooted ancient way of tribal life that can't be found anywhere else in India. People creating the piece of genius have no clue what they are worth. The kind of art sold here in some hundreds are exported to foreign nations and to millions of people who appreciate their art. But if you seriously want to see some hand-made bastar art items, walk inside one of the art shops. As soon as I entered one of those stores, my eyes were awestruck.

" When in Bastar, do as the Bastariha do "  

                          inspired by the quote

" When you are in Rome, be a Roman "

When to Visit : You can experience the variations in the nature throughout the year. In rainy season i.e from July to October you can experience the mighty roarings of waterfall, whereas you experience the milky white calm ambiance from Nov to June.

How To Reach : Nearest airports are Raipur and Visakhapatnam. From Raipur you can reach jagdalpur by road which is a overnight journey and you will find frequent buses to jagdalpur. From Visakhapatnam you can reach Jagdalpur by rail which is also a overnight journey.

Where To Stay : Chhattisgarh tourism offers resorts near chitrakote falls and you can find many places in jagdalpur to make you stay. Companies like oyo, goibibo also offers accommodations.

 
Driver dropped us at the jagdalpur station and we boarded the return train to visakhapatnam at 07.30PM.

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