Tamil Nadu

Population: 61 million
Capital: Chennai (Madras)
Area: 130,069 sq km
Best Time to Visit: January to April and September
Main Language: Tamil
Literacy Rate: 65%

Tamil Nadu is located at the southeast edge of India. Karnataka and Kerala are to the west and Andhra Pradesh is to the north. The main attraction of Tamil Nadu is its magnificent temples and towering gopurams (gateway towers), which can be seen all over the state. In Tamil Nadu there are more than 30,000 temples, which have earned it the name “Land of Temples.” Tamil Nadu also has nice beaches, some good hill stations and wildlife reserves. It is also the home of the Bharat Natyam classical dance form.

There are many temples that can be visited, but Madurai and Srirangam (Tiruchirapalli) are likely to be the most interesting. Both places have very impressive temples, and the cities that they are in are pleasant and have good facilities.

Mamallapuram has impressive monuments and is a nice place to spend a couple days. Kanchipuram has a number of outstanding temples. Tamil Nadu has two good hill stations, Kodaikanal and Ooty. Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and Anamalai Sanctuary are two good parks worth visiting. Vedantangal, near Chennai, has a large bird population in the winter.

About 85% of the population speak Tamil. Most people in Tamil Nadu speak at least a little English. Because of a strong pride in their local language, many of the people refuse to speak any Hindi at all. People greet each other in Tamil Nadu by saying vanakkam, which means namaste, or “respectful greetings.”

The weather in Tamil Nadu usually reaches a high of 32°C (90°F) during the day, and it is usually hot all year around. The northeast monsoon brings plenty of rain from October to December.

Hotel taxes in Tamil Nadu are one of the highest in the country. It is 15% to 20% depending on the price of the room.

History
The Mauryan Empire, which controlled most of India in the 3rd century BC, never ruled Tamil Nadu. During this time Tamil Nadu was ruled by three dynasties: the Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras. In the 4th century AD, the Pallavas gained control of a good part of Tamil Nadu. In the 9th century, the Chola kingdom became dominant and eventually ruled most of South India. The Pandyas ruled from 1175 until 1300. Starting in the 14th century, certain parts of Tamil Nadu were ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire.

During the British rule, Tamil Nadu was part of the Madras Presidency, which consisted of parts of present-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. In the 1950s these different states were divided according to the language spoken by the people in each respective state.

Temples in Tamil Nadu
Most of the Vishnu temples in Tamil Nadu are dedicated directly to Lord Vishnu, not his avatars (incarnations). Some of the most important Vishnu temples in Tamil Nadu are Ranganatha Swami in Srirangam, Varadaraja Perumal in Kanchipuram, Lord Sarangapani at Kumbakonam, and Alagar Koil near Madurai.

Lord Siva:Element linga. Siva is worshiped as five elements—sky or space in Chidambaram, water in Tiruvanaikkaval, fire in Tiru­vannamalai, earth in Kanchipuram, and air in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh. The Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram is one of the most famous Siva temples in India.
The most important Parvati temples are Meenakshi at Madurai and Kamakshi in Kanchipuram.

Subrahmanya (Kartikeya), the son of Lord Siva and brother of Ganesh, has important temples dedicated to him. There are six main temples of Subrahmanya located at Tiruttani, Swamimalai, Palani, Thiruparankunram, Parlamudir­cholai, and Tiruchendur.

Nearby Chenna

Tiruvottiyur
Enfield motorcycles are made at Eicher Motors in Tiruvottiyur, 8km south of Chennai. You can visit the factory if you call the manager in advance at 543-066.

There is the Goddess Tripuransundari Temple and other temples in Tiruvottiyur.

Tiruneermalai
There is a Divya Desam temple here called the Sri Ranganatha Perumal Temple. The Brahmanda Purana recognizes this place as one of the eight svayam vyak­ta ksetras, or holy places where Lord Vishnu manifested himself. The Lord is seen in four postures here:

Neervannan—standing
Lord Narasimha—sitting, Lord Ranganatha—lying down, and Lord Trivikrama—walking.

The Neervanna Perumal Temple is at the foot of the hill. Tiruneermalai is about 10km from Chennai.

Tiruvallur
There is a Vishnu Divya Desam temple here called Sri Veeraraghava Swami Temple. The deity of Veera­raghava is Lord Vishnu lying on Adi Sesa, with Lord Brahma coming out from his navel. The temple has a huge intricately carved gopuram. This temple is about 5km north of the railway station.
It is believed that Lord Vishnu killed the demons Madhu and Kaitabha here at Veeksharanya Ksetram. Tiruvallur is 42km from Chennai, on the railway line between Chennai and Arkonam (Arakkonam).

Tiruttani
There is a hilltop temple here dedicated to Subrahmanya, which is reached by climbing 365 steps. It is said to be the place where Subrahmanya married Valli, one of his two consorts. There are over 100 dharamshalas for pilgrims here, as this temple is popular. Tiruttani is between Chennai and Tirupati, 70km from Chennai.

Thiruvidaventhai (Tiruvadantai)
One of the Divya Desam temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Sri Nritya Kalyana Perumal, is here. The main deity is 3m (9 ft) tall and is called Sri Lakshmi Adi Varaha. Lord Varaha wears a garland made from 108 shalagram-shilas. There is a big festival here on Vaikuntha Ekadasi (Nov/Dec). This temple is about 40km south of Chennai, going towards Mamallapuram (10km north).

Between Chennai & Mamallapuram

Cholamandal Artist Village
At this place (492-6092) there are a large number of painters and sculptors that you can watch doing their crafts. There is a gallery here exhibiting paintings and sculptures. There are shops here selling what they make. Prices range from Rs 2000 to Rs 30,000. This place is 18km south of Chennai. They accept credit cards. Open daily 10 am to 6 pm. You can get here by taking buses #19, #19R, #19S or #51RR.

Muttukadu
At Muttukadu, 30km south of Chennai on the way to Mamallapuram, is Dakshinchitra (091 04114; Chennai: 044 491-8943) which is a handicraft village which is built in a traditional 19th century style. Produced here are sculptures, ceramics and glass objects. It has craft shops and restaurants. A one hour tour is Rs 250 for foreigners and Rs 100 for Indians. If you have a student card it is Rs 50. Open daily except Tuesday. Buses #19 and #49 come here from Chennai.

Covelong Beach
Covelong, about 40km south of Chennai and 20km north of Mamallapuram (30 min), has a nice, deserted beach. Located here is the Taj Group’s Fisherman’s Cove (Chennai 044 822-2827), which has a beautiful location and a good pool. Rooms are $110/120 and a sea-facing cottage is $150.

Crocodile Bank
There are over 5,000 crocodiles in this wildlife crocodile farm. It was set up to protect the local crocodiles and has been very successful. The crocodile population has expanded from 15 to over 5,000. Here you will find the saltwater crocodylus porosus, the world’s largest crocodile, which can grow to over 8m (25 ft). There are also fish-eating gharial. Feeding time is 4.30 pm. Also here is a Snake Farm where snakes are milked to collect venom. In other places the snakes are milked until they die, but in this place they are milked for a while and then released back to the wild.

This place is about 15km north of Mamallapuram on the road to Chennai. If you come by car you can stop here on the way between Chennai and Mamallapuram. Open daily except Tue 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. You can get here by taking bus #19C or #119A, or by riding a bike from Mamallapuram.

Sriperumbudur
Pop: 13,000

This is the birthplace of Ramanujacarya. Sriperumbudur is 40km southwest of Chennai, halfway between Chennai and Kanchipuram. There is the large Adi Kesava Vishnu Temple here. There is also a murti (statue) of Ramanujacarya that he personally embraced out of appreciation of its exact likeness of him. It is one of three Ramanuja deities installed during his lifetime. The deity is always decorated with an opulent crown, necklaces, earrings, and other ornaments of diamonds and gold.

There are regular buses to here from Chennai and Kanchipuram.

Vedantangal Bird Sanctuary
Vedantangal, 85km southwest of Chennai and 35km south of Chengalpattu is one of the best bird breeding sanctuaries in India. There are several kinds of herons, pelicans, black cormorants, storks, egrets, spoonbills, grebes and many other types of birds. The birds come from November to March; with the largest number in December and January. There can be over 25,000 birds in the sanctuary at one time. It is best to visit in the early morning or late afternoon. Entry Rs 1.

The Forest Rest House has three good rooms with bath. It should be reserved in advance (especially in Dec and Jan) with the Wildlife Warden in Chennai (044 413-947), 50 4th Main Rd, Adyar.

There are around five buses daily to here from Chengalpattu. You could also take a bus to Maduranthakam, 8km east, and then from there get one of the regular buses or a taxi (Rs 250) to here.

Madurantakam
Population: 27,000
There is an important beautiful Sita-Rama Temple here, wherein Sita and Rama are holding hands. It is said that while Rama was in the forest for 14 years he came to this place. As he was leaving, the sage Vibhandaka requested him to visit here on his way back to Ayodhya. When Sri Rama, Laksman and Sita were returning to Ayodhya, after Rama killed Ravana, the Pushpaka Vimana (flower airplane) that was carrying them would not move when it reached this place. Sri Rama held Sita’s hand to help her get down the steps of the Pushpaka Vimana.

Sri Ramanuja met one of his gurus, Maha Purna (Peria Nambi), in Maduran­takam and was initiated under the Bakula tree in the Rama temple. In the temple there are a cakra (disc) and a conch that are said to have been used at the initiation cere­mony of Ramanuja. The pancha-samskara molds are in the shrine for Peria Nambi and Ramanuja, which is north of the flagstaff in the temple.

Madurantakam is 90km south of Chennai between Chingleput and Villupuram. Trains heading south from Chennai stop here. There are regular buses from Chennai and Chingleput.

Gingee (pronounced Senjee)
Gingee, 37km east of Tiruvannamalai, has an impressive fort built primarily in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar Empire. Some parts of the fort date to the 12th century. The fort was later controlled by the Marathas, Mughals, French and British.

Inside the fort, which is on top of three hills, are temples, a ruined mosque, an audience hall, and a large cannon on top of the citadel. The surrounding area is peaceful and beautiful. It is a pleasant place to visit, because there are few people or salesmen around. You can see the fort in a few hours. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm.

It takes about 25 minutes to climb up to the fort. To get to the fort from the town you can get a bike-rickshaw for around Rs 40 roundtrip with a two hour waiting time. You can rent a bike near the bus stand. It may be a good idea to carry water with you.

Practicalities
There are a few basic places to stay in the town of Gingee.

Devi Lodge (04145 2210), about 1.5km from town on the road to Pondicherry, has rooms for Rs 60/75.

Shivasand (04145 22218) has decent rooms and a vegetarian restaurant.

There are regular buses to here from Tiruvannamalai. Request to get off at the fort, 3km west of the town. Pondicherry is 70km east, to which there are direct buses. You can also take a bus to Tindivanam (45 min) and from there another bus to Pondicherry (1½ hr).

Tirunallar
Located here is the Tyagaraja Siva Temple. In this temple is a shrine dedicated to the nine planets (nava-graha). The planet Saturn has an altar inside the outer wall of this Siva temple. Saturn’s blessings are overwhelming, but its wrath can cause great misery. Saturn was made powerless when King Nala took shelter of Lord Siva here. This is the most famous Saturn temple in South India.

A big festival is held here every time Saturn moves from one sign of the Zodiac to another. It celebrates the release of King Nala from the clutches of Saturn. Tirunallar is 8km south of Karaikal (which is in the Union Territory of Pondicherry), near the seashore and 160km east of Tiruchirappalli.

Pichavaram
Pichavaram, 15km east of Chidambaram, is a sea resort. There are interesting mangrove forests and backwaters. About 10 buses a day go there from Chidambaram.

TTDC Aringar Anna Tourist Complex (041445 89232) has cottages for Rs 150 and dorm beds for Rs 50.

Sri Mushnam
There is an impressive stone temple here that houses the beautiful deity of Lord Varaha, who is named Vrid­dhakola (Bhuvaraha). This deity is said to have manifested from a shalagram-shila. The Lord looks very proud wearing silver armor, with his hands on his waist and head held in an air of victory. It is said that this deity was manifest when Lord Varaha rested here, after killing Hiranyaksa. Sri Mushnam is about 40km west of Chidambaram.

Vaitheeswarankoil
This town, about 25km from Chidambaram, has the interesting Viadanatheeswarara Temple dedicated to Lord Siva and Parvati. It is said that by bathing in the temple tank here one will be cured from illnesses.

Vaitheeswarankoil is also known for its Nadi astrologers. They read from palm leaves to predicts a person’s future. Astrologers charge from Rs 200 to Rs 1500 for a reading. It is best to avoid the touts, who will charge a high price to find an astrologers.

Sri Bhakkiam Lodge (04364 79460), South Car Street, near the temple, has decent rooms.
Abirami Lodge (04364 79311), Mayiladuthurai Rd, has rooms.

Tirukkadaiyur
There is a Siva-linga in the Amritaghateswara Temple here. It is believed that anyone that visits this temple will not meet Yamaraja (the god of death) at the time of death. A visit to this place is supposed to be equal to performing 100 Aswamedha-yajnas (horse sacrifices). This huge, beautiful temple has some of the most intricately carved sculptures in India.

The story of the temple is that when Yamaraja came to take Markandeya away, Markandeya clasped onto the Siva-linga to save himself from Yamaraja’s shackles. Yamaraja threw a noose to catch hold of Markandeya, which also encircled the Siva-linga. Lord Siva is said to have then come out of the linga and killed Yamaraja. The clasp marks and the mark of Yamaraja’s rope are still on the linga.

Tirukkadaiyur is about 40 northeast of Kumbakonam, between Mayuram and Tranquebar.

Nagappattinam
There is a temple here with three full-sized Deities of Lord Vishnu, standing, sitting, and lying on Ananta Sesa. This temple is one of the 108 important Vaishnava temples. Sundaryarajan, the main deity, stands over 5m (15 ft) high. His upper body is made of shiny black stone, but his weapons and body are covered with solid silver.
Nagappattinam is about 70km east of Thanjavur (Tanjore) on the seashore. There is the TTDC Tamil Nadu Hotel (2389), Thonitturai Salai, near the railway station, which has rooms that are a good value for Rs 250 and Rs 350 with A/C.

Tiruvarur (Tiruvalar)
Area Code: 04366

Tiruvarur, located about 55km from Thanjavur, going due east towards Nagappattinam, is the birthplace of Tyagaraja, the musical composer saint who lived in Tamil Nadu in the 18th century.
Tyagaraja Siva Temple

This beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Tyagaraja was built between the 13th and 17th centuries. In the inner sanctum is a bronze Siva-linga with a seven-headed cobra over it. It is one of the largest temples in South India. The outer walls of this massive temple are 300m (846 ft) long and 200m (666 ft) wide. On each side of the temple is a huge, splendid gopuram. It has a hall with over 800 pillars. There is a bathing tank called Kamalalayam which is one of the biggest tanks in India. There is a temple dedicated to Sri Kamala (Lakshmi) in the middle. The ceiling and outer walls of the inner sanctum have vivid paintings of Lord Siva and other deities.

King Mucukunda is said to have installed the Siva-linga, which is called Achaleeswara. Achaleeswara means “the immovable Lord.” The story of the temple is that there was a king named Samatkara who performed austerities here. When Lord Siva appeared before him, he begged Lord Siva to be present forever at this site. Lord Siva said he would remain here forever immovable and that even his shadow would not move. The shadow of the Achaleeswara-linga never moves and can be seen only in the eastern direction. It is said that someone who is to die within six months will not see the shadow of the linga.

This temple has the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu, which is used during the interesting 10-day festival in March.

Practicalities
Near the bus stand on Thanjavur Rd are several hotels.
Sekar (22525), near the post office, has rooms for Rs 125.
President (22748), 33C Thanjavur Rd, half a km from the bus stand, has basic, clean rooms with bath for Rs 85/120.
Hotel Selvies (22080; fax 22424), 1 Kattukara St, near the bus stand, has clean, good rooms for Rs 125/225 (Rs 35 extra for a TV) and Rs 450/550 with A/C.
Royal Park (21020; fax 21024), 1km from town, has rooms for Rs 250/350 and Rs 450/550 with A/C. It has two restaurants, one of them is vegetarian. It is the best place in town.

There are frequent buses to Thanjavur and Nagappattinam.

Palani
Pop: 76,000 Area Code: 04545

Located here is one of the six major Subrahmanya (Kartikeya) temples, dedicated to his form as Sri Danda­yudhapani. Subrahmanya is standing with a stick in his right hand. Dandam means stick and dandayu­dhapani means “having a stick as a weapon in his hand.” Here Subrahmanya is a sage who has renounced all connections with the world. This temple is on a 135m (450 ft) high hill; 659 steps have to be climbed to reach the temple. Around 200,000 people come to the Tai Pusam Festival in Jan/Feb. The 10-day Panguni Uttaram Festival in April draws large crowds of people. This is a rich temple.

Palani is 119km from Madurai on the railway line between Dindigul and Coimbatore. There are well-furnished dharamshalas here. Some places to stay are the basic Devasthanam Rest House and Sri Venkatewaram Lodge. The best place in town is Ganpat Palani (42294), 103 Poonga Rd, which has rooms for Rs 150/200 and Rs 350 with A/C.

Tirunelveli
Pop: 135,000 Area Code: 0462

In Tirunelveli, there is the large 7th century Kanthimathi Nellaiyappar Temple dedicated to Parvati and Lord Siva. In the temple enclosure are two temples, the north one dedicated to Lord Siva (Nellaiyappar) and the southern one to Parvati (Kanthimathi). Each of these two temples has enclosures of over 150m by 120m. The temple has musical pillars, a golden lily tank, a valuable jewelry collection, and a 1000-pillar hall, with beautiful sculptures. In the Mani Mandapam there are musical pillars that make unique musical sounds when struck. This temple has a large Nandi bull. There is a popular Cart Festival in June/July. Tirunelveli is between Madurai and Kanyakumari, about 90km northeast of Kanyakumari.

Right next to Tirunelveli is Palayamkottai. St Francis Xavier stayed here in the late 16th century. In Palayamkottii, there is St John’s Church, which has a 35m spire. There is a big festival at the church in early September.
The Krishnapuram Temple is about 13km from Tirunelveli. There are intricately carved, life-size sculptures on this temple.

Where to Stay and Eat
Hotels are often full on the weekends between April and June.
Blue Star (24495), 36 Madurai Rd, is a modern, budget place. It has a good veg restaurant.
Sakuntala International (71760), Trivandrum High Rd, has rooms with hot water and some rooms have A/C and a TV. It is a good value. It has a good veg restaurant.
Barani (23234), 29 Madurai Rd, is a modern place with rooms with hot water. It has a veg restaurant.
Sri Janakiram (24451), 30 Madurai Rd, near the bus stand, has modern, clean rooms with hot water. Recommended.
Hotel Aryaas (339-000), 67 Madurai Rd, has modern rooms with hot water. It has a terrace restaurant. Recommended.

Travel
There are trains to Chennai (16 hr), Kanyakumari and Madurai. There are buses to Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Kanyakumari.

Tiruchendur
Pop: 78,000 Area Code: 04639

The Tiruchendur Temple is a gigantic seashore temple dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya (Kartikeya), the son of Lord Siva. Of the six major Subrahmanya temples this is considxe "Tiruchendur" ered the second most important, next to the temple at Palani. The 41m (135 ft) high gopuram is on the western side of the temple instead of the east, because of the sea on the eastern side. Tiruchendur is 80km northeast of Kanyakumari.

It is said that Subrahmanya came here from Kailash to kill the demon Surapadman and his brother, who had a sea-fort called Mahendra-giri. There is a festival every year in Oct/Nov to celebrate this event.

There are Lord Vishnu Deities and many other deities in this temple. Lord Venkatesa Perumal Vishnu is standing facing east installed in a hollow of the rock. In another shrine is reclining Pallikonda Ranganatha (Vishnu) and Gaja Lakshmi. Near this shrine are shrines dedicated to the 12 Alwars devotees.

About 200m south of the temple on the seashore is a 4.2m (14 ft) well that has a flight of stairs with 34 steps. The water of this well is highly sulfurous in smell and somewhat salty. Inside this well is another small well that has crystal clear sweet water. The sea at Tiruchendur is good for swimming.

Practicalities
Hotel Tamil Nadu (4268), near the temple, has rooms for Rs 110 and Rs 225 with A/C. There is a rest house by the temple for pilgrims.
Tiruchendur is about halfway between Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, on the seashore.

Nagercoil
Pop: 190,000 Area Code: 04652

Nagercoil is a major junction for buses coming in and out of Kerala. It is 18km northwest of Kanyakumari.

The main deity in the Temple here is Nagaraja (king of the snakes), who is silver-plated and garlanded. There is also a deity of Lord Krishna. There are snakes inside a small hut, behind the temple. There is a sacred pipal tree, which pilgrims circle.

The Tirukkurulappan Temple is 3km north of Nagercoil in Tiruvannparisaram (Tiruppatisaram). It is a one of the 108 Divya Desam temples.

Where to Stay
Tower Lodge, near Tower Junction, which is not far from the bus terminal, and Azad Lodge are recommended places. There is also the Sri Swaminatha Lodge by the long distance bus station.

Rajam Hotel (32581; fax 04652 32589), MS Road, near the center of town, two km for the railway station, is the best place in town with rooms for Rs 350 and Rs 500 with A/C. It has a roof garden. All rooms have hot water and cable TV.

Travel
Rail There are trains to Thiruvananthapuram (2½ hr), Kollam, Kochi, Chennai, Delhi (60 hr, Fri only), and Mumbai (48 hr, twice weekly).
Bus Nagercoil is a major bus junction, which has two busy bus stands—one for local buses xe "Nagercoil" and the other for long distance ones. There are buses to all over Tamil Nadu, such as Rameswaram (8 hr) and Madurai (5 hr), as well as buses to Kerala to such places as Kovalam (2 hr), Thiruvananthapuram (2 hr), and Kollam. If you are going from Thiruvananthapuram or Kovalam to Madurai, you can easily get a bus to Nagercoil and from there get one of the frequent buses to Madurai.

The nearby Padmanabhapuram Palace is a popular tourist place. To get there from Nagercoil you take buses #11 or #29. There is a direct bus to the Adi-kesava temple from Nagercoil.

Hogenakkal
Area Code: 043425

Hogenakkal, 175km south of Bangalore in the Melagiri Hills, has impressive waterfalls. It is a relaxing place at the confluence of the Kaveri (Cauvery) and Chinnar rivers. There are many people here who give massages. It is traditional to take a boat ride in a coracle boat, made from stretched hides.

Where to Stay and Eat
You can rent rooms here in people’s homes.
Tourist Rest House, next to the bus stand, has basic rooms for Rs 100 to Rs 175.

Hotel Tamil Nadu (54447) has rooms for Rs 400 and Rs 600 with A/C. Dorm beds are Rs 80. The price is more on the weekends.

Travel
There are buses to Dharampuri (45km east) and Bangalore.

Yercaud and Salemn
Area Code: 04281

Yercaud is a peaceful hill station at 1500m, 35km from Salem. It has a nice artificial lake and there are pleasant places to walk in the area. This place can be visited while traveling between Madurai and Chennai.

Where to Stay—Yercaud
The places near the lake can be noisy, because of loud speaker blasting in the area.
Hotel Tamil Nadu (22273), near the lake, has rooms for Rs 400 and Rs 600 with A/C. A dorm bed is Rs 90. During the high season, prices are much higher.
Shevaroys (22288; 22387), close to the lake, has well-maintained rooms with bath for Rs 550/750 (Rs 700/900 high-season). Itxe "Hogenakkal" has a good restaurant and is the best place in town.
Where to Stay—Salem
Coimbatore Lodge (0427 63649), Venkatrosa St, has small, basic rooms with common bath.
Woodlands (0427 67272) has mid-range rooms and a good A/C restaurant.
National (0427 54100), Bangalore Rd, has comfortable mid-range rooms.
Salem Castle (0427 448-702), A/4 Bharathi St, Swarnapuri, is a modern place with a pool that has clean comfortable rooms with TV. It is the best hotel in town.

Travel   
From Salem there are trains to Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Delhi, Rameswaram, Madurai, Bangalore and Vellore.

There are frequent buses between Yercaud anxe "Salemn" d Salem, and regular busesxe "Yercaud" to Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore and Pondicherry.

Calimere (Kodikkarai) Wildlife Sanctuary
This is a coastal sanctuary, located about 90km southeast of Thanjavur, in the Palk Strait between Indian and Sri Lanka. Many migratory water birds (around 250 species) come here between December and February, including many flamingos (around 5,000), herons, plovers, teals, shovellers, sandpipers and curlews.

During the spring, a variety of birds come to eat the wild berries. There are also spotted deer, blackbuck and wild boars. From April to June there are almost no birds here. The rainy season is worst here from Oct to Dec. Entry Rs 10, camera Rs 10, video Rs 50. You can rent a jeep to get around, or you can walk.

Practicalities
There is a Forest Dept Rest House in Kodikkarai, but you have to arrange food in advance. It is best to book this place with the Forest Dept in Thanjavur from Nov to Jan.

Poonarai Ilam, Kodikkarai, has fairly basic rooms with bath for Rs 25 per person.

PV Thevar Lodge, 40 N Main St, near the bus stand, has basic rooms with bath.

The usual way to get here is to first go to Vedaranyam (30 min, 11km) and from there to Kodikkarai. Txe "Calimere (Kodikkarai) Wildlife Sanctuary" here are rexe "Kodikkarai) Wildlife Sanctuary" gular buses from Vedaranyam to Thanjavur (4½ hr) and Nagappattinam, and less frequents buses to Tiruchirapalli and Chennai.

Kotagiri
Pop: 26,000 Area Code: 0423

Located at 1950m, Kotagiri, is a small hill station. It is a peaceful little village, 28km east of Ooty.

In the area is Elk Falls (6km) and Catherine Falls (8km). You can get a beautiful view of the area from Kodanad View Point (19km).

Where to Stay and Eat
There are some basic hotels here with rooms for around Rs 150.

Queen’s Hill Guest House, one km from the bus stand, has clean rooms for Rs 175. It is a friendly, well-located place.

Blue Star, near the bus stand, has modern rooms with bath for Rs 200.

Travel
There are regular buses to Ooty, Coonoor and Mettupalayam.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides