the southern peninsula on india is a home to some of the magnificent temples and beaches. they are not only a place of worship but also a point where individuals get energised. such energy impacts all travelers even after they leave the place. my trip to rameshwaram and thanjavur was one such trip of discovery
rameshwaram
a well known place where rama built a bridge to cross over to lanka to rescue his wife from the abductor ravana. the ramanatha temple in rameshwaram is one of the twelve jyothirlingas. dhanushkodi from where the bridge starts was once a bustling town destroyed by cyclone half a century ago. a few remnants such as an old church, post office are left today which are the ruins.
thanjavur (tanjore)
the brihadeeswarar temple is a 1000yr old temple considered to be one of the finest piece of work by the chola dynasty. the most famous feature of this temple is the immense 66 meter tall central tower. The tower is capped by a single stone weighing almost a 100 tons.
Itinerary
Day 1: Reach Rameshwaram. Overnight in Rameshwaram
Day 2: In Rameshwaram. Evening train to Thanjavur. O/n in Thanjavur
Day 3: In Thanjavur. Visit Swamimalai. O//n in Thanjavur
Day 4: Visit Brihadeeshwara Temple in the morning. End of trip
Things to consider
Book train tickets in advance
Hire a van to cover places, will be convenient. In Rameswaram, find a hotel close to the temple
In Rameshwaram, they've now built a road till Dhanushkodi (it was not there when we went). Help the locals by purchasing stuff from them. They are really in a bad shape.
Jul/Aug are good time to visit as the weather is not too hot