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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