When I'm reminded of TRICHY; what comes to mind is the sight of the stunning gopurams of Sri Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam, the sounds of temple bells during the evening aarti, the flavors of Chettinad cuisine better than Chettinad itself and the mystery of Trichinopoly cigars that I never could solve.
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| Gopurams of Sri Ranganathaswamy, Srirangam TRICHY |
How to reach TRICHY ~
Trichy is well-connected by train and road from most major cities in South India. Both Bangalore and Chennai are approx 6/ 7 hours drive on an excellent highway. We got here from THANJAVUR in roughly an hour or so.
Previous blog~ Road to Thanjavur: a step back in time
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| Highway to TRICHY (blog) |
Where to stay and eat at TRICHY
This is a tourist-friendly destination and thus common to find pilgrims as well as tourists (incl foreign tourists) here. There are standard and budget hotels in every price range. So take your pick.
TRICHY likewise won't disappoint when it comes to the food department. For breakfast, we stopped by a regular restaurant for crispy dosa, with delicious sambar chutneys and filter coffee. We also tried fluffy soft appams with coconut milk.
Many of the better places to dine open around evening. They even have a bar menu to go with your dinner. The ambience is mellow, the beer soothing and the flavors perfect. I thought the fish chettinad was incomparable, combined with white rice and a simple salad - spot on!
Things to do in TRICHY
TRICHY is a wonderful blend of primarily 3 different periods in its history, namely:
a- An ancient India under the Pandyas, Pallavas and Chola empires whose rich legacy can be witnessed at the incredible temples of Trichy and Srirangam.
b- The British era began sometime in 1801 when Trichinopoly as it was called then became a fast-growing city of the Madras constituency. The churches of Trichy bear testimony to this colonial period.
c- And finally a post-independence India with its growing city and its equally growing populace. A time when Srirangam was the constituency of Ms. J Jayalalitha, previously the then CM of Tamil Nadu.
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Bird's eye view of TRICHY/ TIRUCHIRAPALLI from Fort Rockfort
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TOP 5 Places to visit when in TRICHY
1- Our Lady of Lourdes church. Opp. Rockfort
If you begin your day early , stop by the church of Our Lady of Lourdes for a quick visit. This towering church has an eye-catching Gothic design that looks stunning even from afar. This Roman Catholic church was built (completed) in 1903. I'm not sure about the history and how and why this church was built, but it reminded me of St. Philomena 's church at Mysore.
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| church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Trichy |
The interiors are remarkably beautiful too. We were fortunate to attend the Sunday mass here before visiting Rockfort.
2- Ganapati temple at Rockfort
This temple is located on a hillock and a slow, leisurely climb of 344 steps through a cave like pathway leads us to the top. Passing by shrines and ancient sculptures along the way gives one a sense of traveling back in time.
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| Trichy Rockfort is a fortified hillock with a Ganesh temple atop |
Malaikottai or Rockfort is a fortified hillock with immense historical significance and has witnessed fierce battles between the Bijapur Adilshahis and the Madurai Nayak rulers. From here one gets an incredible bird's eye view of TRICHY.
3- Sri Ranganathaswamy, Srirangam
We have always known the Chola kings as great devotees of Shiva based on the numerous Shiva temples they built during their reign. But do you know that they also revered Tirumala Sri Venkateswara. No doubt then that Sri Ranganatha swamy temple at Srirangam is also from the Chola period.
This Vaisnavite temple attracts a large number of devotees especially during the festival season and also comes under the 108 Divya desams*. I t's crowning glory is the 239.5 ft rajagopuram*; said to be the tallest temple tower among ancient temples. The detailed intricate carvings are beautiful stories in stone. I would recommend spending your evening hours at Sri Ranganathaswamy temple for a sublime spiritual experience.
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| Sri Ranganathaswamy temple during evening hours - a sublet and spiritual experience |
* rajagopuram acts as an entrance into the temple complex
Good to know- The title for tallest gopuram goes to MURUDESHWAR temple which stands 246 ft tall. Location : MURUDESHWAR along the coast of Karnataka.
* Divya desams are temples which are recorded in the works of the Alvars (ie. Tamil poet-saints). These 108 Divya (divine) desams (temples) are dedicated to Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi. The Alvars sang beautiful songs and poems of love and devotion. A pilgrimage of 108 Divya desams is a spiritually satisfying experience to Vishnu devotees.
4- Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari temple (Thiruvanaikoil)
Also at Srirangam is Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari- a spacious temple whose architecture and sculptures will leave you spellbound. Due to time constraints and since it was a bit dark inside, I was unable to get any pics. The temple is significant in being the 2nd in the series of Pancha bhoota sthalas where SHIVA represents the element 'Water'. There is a perennial source of water beneath the sanctum that totally justifies the element it represents.
Other pancha bhoota sthalas we have already covered during our pilgrimage are~
Ekambareswarar temple at KANCHIPURAM that represents EARTH. 3rd is Arunachaleswarar at Thiruvanmalai representing 'FIRE', 4th is SRIKALAHASTI temple at Chitoor, A.P. represents AIR and 5th is Thillai Nataraja temple at Chidambaram that represents 'AKASH' ie. ETHER/ SPACE.
5- Kallanai dam
If the Big temple at Thanjavur was not sufficient to keep you in awe of the mighty Cholas; then drive approx 20 kms east for a glimpse of Kalanai an ancient dam built by Karikala Chola in 150 CE.
Also known as Grand Anicut, this dam is built across the river Kaveri to boost irrigation of the Cauvery delta region. The dam was further modified by the British in 1804.
Next stop~ CHETTINAD (KARAIKUDI)
I hope this blog is useful. Please comment if I missed some places in and around Trichy.
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