Athens of the East

Madurai

Meenaksi Temple:

Things to Know: Footwear need to be taken off and the pavement inside can get quite hot so early morning/evening may be a good time for a visit. You can avail for the golf cart if you like. Also avoid visiting during the time of festivities. Sept in that sense happened to be a decent time to visit.

Fee: To entire the first enclosure there is no fee. Then you need to walk quite a bit to enter the second enclosure which is covered. Here you may see ticket counters. There are two main shrines one for goddess Meenakshi (Parvati) and second for god Sundereshwar (Shiva). You can take the free line or pay Rs50 per deity per person for the other line. My obervation is that on lean days you could pay to save 30 mins per deity on busy days it may not make much of a difference. The ticket counters are available inside also so you can take a call once you are inside as well.

You could download the Pinakin app to learn about the details of the different attractions in the temple complex.

The Gopurams which have a fractals design are an excellent example of the level of excellence in architecture and design of the time. Remember to notice the large Nataraja statue which is unique because of the leg lifted in pose. Remember to visit the thousand pillar mandapam as well. There are a number of very beautiful statue inside the mandapam which doubles up as a museum now.

Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal

Rameswaram: Adam's Bridge, Char Dham, Jyotirlinga, Ghost Town, Old Rail Bridge on Sea

Rameswaram 

One of 12 Jyotirling, One of 4 Dham, Hometown of The People's President Dr. Kalam

Pamban bridge: The Oldest sea bridge and one of the most dangerous railway bridges in India

The bridge is a sight to behold and an experience as the train slowly chugs along the stretch of 2.065 kms. It is located in the second most corrosive environment in the world after Florida. There is double-leaf bascule section midway which can be opened to allow ships and barges to pass through when required.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

This is the southern most Jyotirlinga and the one where Ram (incarnation) of Vishnu prayed. The temple can be entered via two gates either from the gate facing Agni teertham or from the West Gate.

There are 23 water bodies inside and they charge you even to enter those areas. Only few of the kunds you can see for free which I feel was a bit too much commercialization. If you are not very keen on the rituals then go straight for the temple. Also an important call out. If you are planning to perform any Abhishek like Rudra Abhishek you will not be allowed to do it inside the main temple unlike some of the other Jyotirlinga's so please have your expectation set accordingly.

Dhanushkodi Beach:

This is not just another beach because of the layout of the place. The last 3km of the road runs with visible and sea on both sides. The sea on one side (Bay of Bengal side) is completely calm while the one on the Indian Ocean side is windy with waves eating on the land. The area is quite dynamic and is out of sync with what Google map shows.
Google shows the strip on the Indian Ocean side to be wider and the one on Bay of Bengal side as narrow in reality it is the reverse now. In fact they have to dump stones and are building an embankment to protect the road which takes you to the end point of Dhanush Kondi. The tip is between 13-20 km far from Sri Lankan mainland. You may actually get a Welcome to Airtel Sri Lanka message in the area.

Reaching there:
The most economical option is to take Bus #3 from the bus stop near Agni Theetham. Cost just Rs30 one way. Usually bus operate once in a hour.  The only problem is that you cannot stop on the way to explore other places en-route like Kothandaramar Temple, Ghost town (Dhanushkondi was destroyed during the cycle in 1964 I think), there are ruins of a Church and the old railway station that you can still see. The whole trip takes about 2 hours ( 1 hr in each direction) plus the time you would like to spend on the beach and its best to go in the evening or early morning to avoid the scorching sun. 


There are shops serving freshly cooked sea food and ATV rides.
Another option is to take an auto or taxi. Autos were asking for Rs700 both ways. The best option is perhaps to take a bike if you can find a place in Rameshwaram who rents it out. 


The Indian national emblem replica (Ashok Stambh) is installed at the point where the road ends. The beach and sea is pristine.

Ghost Town: 

The Ghost town of Dhanushkodi lies on the way to the Dhanushkodi beach about 20km from the Ramanathswamy temple. This was a bustling village until with a railway station until the 1964 cyclone when it was completely devastated. 
Plan for a visit if you like such places as the only thing are the ruined buildings like the Church, the old railway station etc. Ideally you should come here via a bike or a hired vehicle.
There is connectivity via the public transport bus but the frequency is about every hour.

Stay in Rameswaram:Agrasen Bhawan

Please understand that this is a charitable institution and not a hotel although they provide excellent facilities for the price they charge and is excellent if you are a north Indian visiting with parents.

They have a lift so even a second or third floor room should not be a problem. They have both AC, Non-AC and dormitories. The charge for a AC room for three people (mattress for the third person) was Rs 800 with a 23 hr checkout policy. The rooms are also equipped with Tata Sky cable connection.

The food is also very economical with an all you can eat (unlimited thali) for Rs 70. The food is homely and simple and will cater well to North Indian taste: Dal, two curries, phulka, papad, pickle and curd. 


It is barely 200 mtrs from the east gate of the temple. Auto from station will not drop you here as vehicles are not allowed on this road. So you will have to carry your luggage for about 100 mtrs from the auto stand.