There are many reasons why a trip to Tamil Nadu is full of places to visit. From the mountains and tea and cocoa plantations to the coast with centers like Mahalabipuram… but the places that I found most interesting are perhaps those related to spirituality and the large complexes of Hindu temples.
You may have already seen many Hindu and Indian temples and temple complexes, but I assure you that you will be amazed in front of the famous temples of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is undoubtedly the land of temples, with over 4000 years of history.
During a trip to this state you cannot miss:
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Tiruchirappalli (Trichy). This scattered city is famous for two of the temples
it houses, Temple Rock or Thayumanaswami Temple and Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, temples that are very reminiscent of those of Madurai. The most beautiful thing about visiting this city was sleeping in the Srirangam/Ranganar district, a few steps from one of the Gopurams of Sri Ranganatha, where life is teeming day and night with sellers of flowers, fruit, incense, with artisan shops, with local restaurants of delicious food. It is like finding yourself catapulted into a different world and this is perhaps the magic of this country called India that I love so much. If you want to see Trichy in all its grandeur then, all you have to do is go to the Rock Temple which, in addition to being a pilgrimage destination, allows an incredible view of the city and where you can also admire several eagles flying over you. -
Thanjavur or Tanjore, rich in history and art, is located about an hour by bus from Trichy, and although in my opinion, it is less interesting than Trichy it is definitely worth a visit. The Brihadeeswara Temple, a UNESCO protected site, is a wonderful ancient Hindu temple from the year 1000, built-in granite and for this, it differs greatly from other colorful Hindu times in the area. Here is the yellow stone, which knows ancient times to give this temple an eternal aspect. Two other places not to be missed are the Thanjavur Maratha Palace and the Saraswati Mahal Library.
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Madurai. I would have liked to end my trip to peaceful Kanyakumari, but having to fly to Sri Lanka from Madurai. And so here I have catapulted again into a big crazy Indian city. Even getting there was an adventure, with a train full of passengers who barely allowed me to get out of my carriage. Madurai is undoubtedly an interesting city, famous above all for the mighty temple of Meenakshi, a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. The temple, surrounded by about 14 Gopuram, is the heart and lifeblood of the more than two-thousand-year-old city as well as being a significant symbol for the Tamil people that have been spoken of since ancient times.
But Tamil Nadu also hides spiritual and sacred places:
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Pondicherry or Puducherry. In this ex-colonial city where French and Indian culture are mixed in a very unique way and where tourists go especially to take a tour of boutiques, cafes, and on the seafront, there are several interesting temples that are worth a visit. But not only that but here is also the famous Ashram Shri Aurobindo, a spiritual community that has grown over the years, a place where you can meditate in silence and learn the history of Shri Aurobindo, one of the founders of Auroville.
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Tiruvannamalai is undoubtedly a more important destination for travelers interested in Indian religions and spirituality. It is, in fact, to be considered outside the classic circuits of foreign tourists, and for this reason, also here there is that beautiful phenomenon that I call “visitor selection”; in this location, most of the westerners you meet will be people interested in the spirituality of India rather than the fashions of the moment. This municipality is in fact one of the largest Shivaite shrines and attracts hundreds of pilgrims to Mount Arunachala on a full moon day. There are many Westerners and Indians who go to this city to follow a spiritual path within the many ashrams present.
As for the temples, instead, L’Arunachaleswar Temple is a master fare, being the major attraction of the city of which you can have a complete view climbing the sacred hill of Arunachala to have a spectacular panoramic view.
Tiruvannamalai is also interesting for another phenomenon, outside the municipality, where the campaign begins with slower rhythms and punctuated by nature, there are several children’s homes, a home where children and young people live together as a group, with one staff who look after them and make sure they meet their needs. It is not said that the children / young people are present without families, in many cases it was the families who brought them, not being able to financially support their growth. I decided to spend my time as a volunteer in the children’s home managed by the Global Watch Foundation. I with other volunteers, we helped the children with their homework and in foreign languages, we followed together the yoga lessons held by the local teacher, we played with their data that in their daily routine the game is not always contemplated; the life of these children is not easy at all, they wake up around 5.30 / 6 in the morning and their daily schedule is so busy that most of the time they don’t even have time to play.
Whenever this confrontation with these circumstances I think it is how many injustices and imbalances there are in the world … it is never possible that in this world there are people who have a lot, indeed too much, and then people who have nothing. People who, from an early age, find themselves having to face life in such a hard way?
I will never forget the answer of a boy from the house to a question of mine during one of our conversation lessons. I had asked this child, what is his dream, how he imagined himself as an adult and he with such a mature look despite his young age, said to me: “I want to study to become a doctor, work in America to earn enough money to then come back here and help all the less fortunate children “… I struggled to hold back my tears because that response made me move …
I then discovered that this child was not only in the world, in the children’s home, there was also his little sister, and then there was their mother, who after the death of the father, and due to the subsequent loss of an eye he was able to support both children.