Dec 2023
Tamil Nadu
|
Route
Bangalore → Kolli Hills → Thammampatti → Attur → Virudhachalam → Gangaikonda Cholapuram → Kumbakonam → Darasuram → Thanjavur → Kanadukathan → Rameshwaram → Dhanushkodi → Karaikudi → Athangudi → Trichy → Musiri → Salem → Krishnagiri → Bangalore Highlights Kolli Hills, a mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, via a ghat road with 70 hairpin bends. The Chola temples of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Darasuram and Thanjavur (Great Living Chola Temples, world heritage sites). The temple town of Kumbakonam and the rice fields of the Kaveri delta. Chettinad - the heritage mansions of Kanadukathan and the tiled village of Athangudi. Riding across the Pamban bridge to Rameswaram, and on to Dhanushkodi where the sea runs along both sides of the road. Food Along the Way Podi idli at Murugan Idli, Krishnagiri. Brain fry and parotta at Selvi Mess, Salem. Banana leaf 'full meals' and spicy Chettinad curries. Fish, and omlette/chicken pepper fry/parotta in tiny messes in Kanadukathan. A heritage-hotel South Indian breakfast in Kanadukathan. Fresh fish, prawns, rice and rasam in a beach shack in Dhanushkodi - one of the best meals of 2023. Mutton fry, fish fry and gravies at a Chettinad joint in Karaikudi. Hot pooris and dosa in Trichy; fish curry, brain fry, rice and gravies in Salem. Source Original thread on X, archived below. |
Notes from the Ride
The Cholas built in stone for three hundred years and then stopped, and the buildings carried on without them.
Five days at the end of 2023, 1550 km out of Bangalore and back, arranged around three temples and a great deal of eating.
The first two days were the Eastern Ghats — up Kolli Hills on a road with seventy hairpin bends, a sunset, a sunrise, and down the far side into the delta. Then the temples, in the order they were built. Gangaikonda Cholapuram, finished in 1035. Darasuram, twelfth century, small and impossibly fine. And Thanjavur, completed in 1010 and still the largest thing for miles, which people were visiting for devotion and also simply to sit in the shade of.
South of that is Chettinad, mansion towns built on nineteenth-century trading money — Kanadukathan, Karaikudi, and the tile makers at Athangudi. Then the long push to Rameswaram over the Pamban bridge and out to Dhanushkodi, where the road runs into the sea with water on both sides and stops.
The best meal of the year was in a shack on the beach there. Fish, prawns, rice and rasam, none of it more than an hour old.
The last day was 450 km home through Trichy and Salem, which is a long way to ride on brain fry and parotta, and exactly the right way to finish a year.
Tweets from the Road
In the last week of 2023, I spent a few days riding in Tamil Nadu. Here are some highlights from the trip.
  Rode out of Bangalore towards Kolli Hills. Beautiful roads, rivers, paddy fields.
    And fascinating village temples
   Rode up to Kolli Hills, a small mountain range part of the Eastern Ghats. The ascent was through a ghat road with 70 hairpin bends.
    Caught a beautiful sunset
  And an inspiring sunrise
   Crossed the Kolli Hills mountain range to descend on the other side
    The serene and stunning Chola temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Brihadeeswara Temple). Completed in 1035 AD and part of the Great Living Chola Temples, a world heritage site.
        The magnificent Chola temple in Darasuram near Kumbakonam (Airavateswara temple). Built in 12th century AD and part of the Great Living Chola Temples, a world heritage site.
        The bustling temple town of Kumbakonam with its numerous temples and throngs of devotees
    The imposing 'big temple' of Thanjavur (Brihadeeswara temple / Rajarajesvaram). Completed in 1010 AD and part of the Great Living Chola Temples, a world heritage site.
    Where people came with devotion
    And where people came to find peace
   The lush green paddy fields around Thanjavur, the historical 'rice bowl of Tamil Nadu' in the Kaveri delta
    Kanadukathan, a heritage town in the Chettinad region, with its opulent mansions from the late 19th and early 20th century
          Skyline of the Kanadukathan town from a mansion terrace
   Rode across the Pamban bridge to Rameswaram
    Rode to Dhanushkodi and back. The sea ran along both sides of the road.
    Karaikudi town and Athangudi village (known for its tiles) in the heart of Chettinad
    Rode along the south bank of Kaveri river. And the north bank of Kaveri river.
   Rode through fort towns, through forests, crossed rivers, and rode through hills.
    Ate so many amazing meals along the road. Podi idli at Murugan Idli, Krishnagiri. Brain fry and parotta at Selvi Mess, Salem.
   Wholesome flavourful 'full meals' on banana leafs and spicy Chettinad curries.
   This lovely fish in a chic cafe housed in a heritage mansion in Kanadukathan.
   Omlette, chicken pepper fry and parotta in this tiny mess in Kanadukathan town.
    A nice hot South Indian breakfast spread in this 100 year old heritage hotel in Kanadukathan
    This cracker of a meal of fresh fish, prawns, rice and rasam in a tiny shack on a beach in Dhanushkodi. One of my favorite meals in 2023.
    Mutton fry, fish fry, gravies and parotta at a Chettinad joint in Karaikudi.
  Hot pooris and dosa in Trichy. Fish curry, brain fry, rice and gravies in Salem.
   And I rode till I got home. An amazing way to wrap up the year.
 That's it. 1550 km in 5 days. Bangalore - Kolli Hills -- Thammampatti - Attur - Virudhachalam - Gangaikonda Cholapuram - Kumbakonam - Darasuram - Thanjavur - Kanadukathan -- Rameshwaram - Dhanushkodi - Karaikudi - Athangudi - Trichy - Musiri - Salem - Krishnagiri - Bangalore
The bike in pictures is BMW R NineT Scrambler. All pics shot on iPhone 15. And here's a route map of the ride.
|