How and when the travel bug bit me?

 

Travel bug bit me in 1984. I am putting my memory to test now.

My best friend was getting married. His family, a common college friend and I travelled to attend the wedding in Chennai. We travelled by Dadar – Chennai Express. Second Class sleeper. It was peak summer, but nowhere as hot and uncomfortable as today.

After the wedding, I took off. My plans were vague and I kept improvising on the fly. No prior hotel bookings.

Chennai to Chidambaram by bus. It was the first of many visits to the unique temple where Shiva is formless – AN EMPTY SPACE. Overnight in Chidambaram.

Chidambaram to Gangaikondacholapuram by bus. Happened serendipitously. I have many stories to narrate about this trip. Memories are still so vivid.

Chidambaram to Thanjavur by bus. First sighting of the awesome Brihadisvara Temple. Overnight in Thanjavur.

Thanjavur to Tiruchirappalli and Srirangam by bus. Another Panchabootha Sthala – Thiruvanaikaval, where Shiva is manifested as “water”. Overnight in Tiruchirappalli.

Tiruchirappalli to Madurai by bus. Meenakshi Temple. Overnight in Madurai.

Madurai to Rameshwaram by overnight train. Dhanushkodi.

Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari by bus. Vivekananda Memorial. Suchindram. Overnight in Kanyakumari.

Kanyakumari to Trivandrum by bus. Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Overnight in Trivandrum

Trivandrum to Chennai by bus. 2 nights in Chennai.

Chennai to Mahabalipuram – day trip.

Chennai to Mumbai by train.

It thus became a sojourn to see some of the most iconic temples of Tamilnadu. I travelled with bare minimum clothes packed into the smallest possible attaché and a HOTSHOT camera (110 mm format). Stayed mostly in TTDC operated hotels. Ate unlimited meals on banana leaves for lunch.

Looking back, 40 years later, I am awestruck at my audacity of having pulled it off with almost no prior planning. I miss that ME!

PS - I used a foldable map collected from the tourism department.