It had been a long-standing wish to visit the temple town of Palani which is situated in Tamil Nadu. I live in the neighboring state of Kerala. I visited the Palani temple where the main deity is Lord Muruga when I was five or six years old. I remember coming down in the winch. It was very adventurous. It still is.
We started out early morning in our car and stopped at a highway restaurant to have our breakfast. After that, we stopped when we reached the temple town. We had booked rooms in a hotel near the temple but the clerk refused stating that others had come in person and occupied it already. It took us a few minutes to get over the disappointment and it was already late afternoon but not to be discouraged, we approached another hotel and thankfully checked into the New Tirupur lodge which was quite okayish. After having lunch, we walked around the place and saw the various sights typical of the temple town and Tamil Nadu.
Prior to starting, we had booked online, the darshan and planned to climb the steps to the temple. There are around 680 steep steps to the temple which is atop the hill. We started climbing but after a few steps, I felt uncomfortable and we decided to take the winch. The winch is a small train that has around six compartments and goes uphill and also comes down with the help of metal ropes and some mechanism. The ride took only a few minutes but we had to wait three hours for our turn. I hope we can take the elephant path which is a slope rather than waiting for so long, the next time.
After reaching the temple, we prayed and bought prasad, and climbed down the steps. The night lights can be seen from the top of the hill. It was really beautiful. The next morning, we started and instead of going the same route, we came through the Chinar forest and passed Munnar along the way. The sights were so beautiful and we spotted a rare breed of monkeys and birds. There were several warning signs put up by the government requesting travelers to not stop the vehicles as they could be attacked by the wild cats or elephants. The power of nature could be felt as we traveled because there were no other cars or vehicles and only a few bikers passed by. If you plan on traveling, do not go alone because the risk is really high and there are more than a few hairpin bends. The weather in Munnar was really pleasant and I can understand why there are so many visitors. The restaurant where we had breakfast was clean and the food was top-notch.
We also managed to buy some fresh carrots from a farmer and tea from the estate store. If you can, you must visit the town of Munnar to experience the beauty of the hills and visit the tea plantations. There are guided tours and you may spot a deer or two. Avoid traveling during the night and during the rainy season.
All images are mine.