It was like my another weekly trip. I came out of my office on 5-Feb-2010 and was thinking to visit some place. I started my bike and on my way to home, I was scanning through all possible places that I can visit in this weekend. Suddenly my thought process stuck at Madurai and planned to visit the Madurai Temple. I went home packed my bag-pack which normally is filled with usual travel kit. Came out of house at 7:00 PM.
Reached Kempe Gowda Bus Stand in Bangalore at 8:00 PM. Went to intercity bus stop and found that few Tamil Nadu buses starts from Andhra bus stop. So went there and waited for Salem. After about half an hour one normal Tamil Nadu bus for Salem came there and I hopped into the bus. The bus left at 9:00 PM and on the way it stopped in some highway restaurant, where I had my dinner. It reached Salem at 2:00 PM. From there I got in another bus for Madurai immediately and I reached Madurai at 7:00 AM on Sunday. Outside the bus stop there was a OK looking hotel. I checked in the hotel with Rs. 800 per day. I knew he has cheated me. Looking at the service of the hotel, I felt it should not be more that Rs 400 per day. Anyway I took bath and came out with my camera. Walked for few minutes to get a good restaurant and found one. It was a really good one and had dhosa and coffee.
From there I came back to the bus stand and got in a rickshaw for Madurai Meenakshi Temple. I entered through the South Gate. There are 4 main gates to enter the temple premises. The side of the temple is surrounded by 4 lane known as south, west, north and east temple street. The temple is very well decorated and lot of paintings. Around each street there are lots of shops. After entering the main gate there is 4 corridors and then we have enter another inner south gate and then we enter the temple premises. There are many sculptures and right in the middle of the premises there is Lord Siva. Surrounding the shrine of Lord Siva, there are various other small temples. There is also a pond in the northern section of the temple premises. One elephant is there to give you blessing, but the moment he keeps his trunk in your head, it feels like a big bolder has been kept in your head. The temple closes in the afternoon and again re-opens at 3:00 PM. I went outside and walked the outside corridors and found that there are some eat outs in the north corridor.
Went inside one of the restaurant and had mushroom biryani. It was awesome and I still remember the taste. After my lunch I went to one of the khadi handloom shop in the south corridor. Bought a bed spread from there.
After that I again came back to north corridor and went inside the hall of thousand pillars. It was another awesome place to visit. It has lot of sculptures of god and goddess. Surrounding the hall was a old market places. Looked around all shops there and most of them sells usual home and puja related items.
In the evening went to the same restaurant and parceled same mushroom biryani. Got in another rickshaw and came back to the bus stop and back to my hotel. After having my dinner I was thinking whether to stay in the hotel or leave for Bangalore. The latter option was favored. So checked out the hotel at night 8:00 PM and came to bus stand.
Got in a bus at 9:00 PM from Madurai and reached Salem on Sunday at 2:00 AM. From Salem, I got in a bus for Bangalore and reached home on 7-Feb-2010 morning.
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Reached Kempe Gowda Bus Stand in Bangalore at 8:00 PM. Went to intercity bus stop and found that few Tamil Nadu buses starts from Andhra bus stop. So went there and waited for Salem. After about half an hour one normal Tamil Nadu bus for Salem came there and I hopped into the bus. The bus left at 9:00 PM and on the way it stopped in some highway restaurant, where I had my dinner. It reached Salem at 2:00 PM. From there I got in another bus for Madurai immediately and I reached Madurai at 7:00 AM on Sunday. Outside the bus stop there was a OK looking hotel. I checked in the hotel with Rs. 800 per day. I knew he has cheated me. Looking at the service of the hotel, I felt it should not be more that Rs 400 per day. Anyway I took bath and came out with my camera. Walked for few minutes to get a good restaurant and found one. It was a really good one and had dhosa and coffee.
From there I came back to the bus stand and got in a rickshaw for Madurai Meenakshi Temple. I entered through the South Gate. There are 4 main gates to enter the temple premises. The side of the temple is surrounded by 4 lane known as south, west, north and east temple street. The temple is very well decorated and lot of paintings. Around each street there are lots of shops. After entering the main gate there is 4 corridors and then we have enter another inner south gate and then we enter the temple premises. There are many sculptures and right in the middle of the premises there is Lord Siva. Surrounding the shrine of Lord Siva, there are various other small temples. There is also a pond in the northern section of the temple premises. One elephant is there to give you blessing, but the moment he keeps his trunk in your head, it feels like a big bolder has been kept in your head. The temple closes in the afternoon and again re-opens at 3:00 PM. I went outside and walked the outside corridors and found that there are some eat outs in the north corridor.
Went inside one of the restaurant and had mushroom biryani. It was awesome and I still remember the taste. After my lunch I went to one of the khadi handloom shop in the south corridor. Bought a bed spread from there.
After that I again came back to north corridor and went inside the hall of thousand pillars. It was another awesome place to visit. It has lot of sculptures of god and goddess. Surrounding the hall was a old market places. Looked around all shops there and most of them sells usual home and puja related items.
In the evening went to the same restaurant and parceled same mushroom biryani. Got in another rickshaw and came back to the bus stop and back to my hotel. After having my dinner I was thinking whether to stay in the hotel or leave for Bangalore. The latter option was favored. So checked out the hotel at night 8:00 PM and came to bus stand.
Got in a bus at 9:00 PM from Madurai and reached Salem on Sunday at 2:00 AM. From Salem, I got in a bus for Bangalore and reached home on 7-Feb-2010 morning.
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