We packed our bags and left Bangalore on Saturday morning by 7am for our weekend trip to Vellore. After the first stop at Krishnagiri – Adyar Anandha Bhavan for breakfast we drove to Ambur via the fantastic Krishnagiri-Chennai NH.
Kailasagiri Murugan Temple – Gadambur, Ambur
Take the service road towards Ambur and drive straight until you cross a Reliance petrol bunk. Left turn on the road further down (Hotel Amirtham is a landmark) and ask for Kailasagiri, Murugan temple. Follow the road for a 20-30 minutes drive until the board stating Kailasagiri (a police station is immediately next to it).
There’s a patchy road which ends at 990 stairways up the hill to Kailasagiri. We parked our car under the shady neem tree and was encouraged by the old watchman that we could reach top of the hill within 15-25 minutes.
Take the service road towards Ambur and drive straight until you cross a Reliance petrol bunk. Left turn on the road further down (Hotel Amirtham is a landmark) and ask for Kailasagiri, Murugan temple. Follow the road for a 20-30 minutes drive until the board stating Kailasagiri (a police station is immediately next to it).There’s a patchy road which ends at 990 stairways up the hill to Kailasagiri. We parked our car under the shady neem tree and was encouraged by the old watchman that we could reach top of the hill within 15-25 minutes.
Well I must admit that it was mid summer and thanks to the tress we didn’t feel much heat.
Though I didn’t make beyond 350 stairs, the Mr and mom reached the shrine. As heard from them, it is a small temple surrounded by 7 ponds (on top of a hill !) and the view from the top is beautiful. Only the archagar with the company God and breeze flying thru’ the hair and absolute silence I can imagine that it must have been a divine experience.
Jalagaandeshwara Temple & Vellore fort
We rushed into the Jalagandeshwara temple before it was closed for lunch. Read some where that there was a stream running beneath the moolavar and a secret passage which ended up in Kancheepuram.
As they were closing down, we couldn’t explore the temple much.
Vellore fort, well it was very hot to go out on boating. The park, lake around and the fort was picturesque until you look into the waters. It was a sad feeing to see hundreds of dead fish floating.
Rathnagiri Bala Murugan Temple, Vellore
Our next stop after lunch at the Hotel Aryaas, Vellore (take the left road to Vellore from NH and ask for new bus stand, the hotel is beneath the flyover) was Rathnagiri. Rathnagiri is 15 kms from Vellore on the Vellore-Chennai route. It’s a small hill and you can drive the car up the hill. The temple has been renovated in recent times and become very famous. Sounds interesting to hear about a clerk Murganadimai (which means ‘slave of Lord Muruga’) who got enlightened and vouched to turn the ruined temple to what it is today.
Be aware of the naughty monkeys.
Thanvanthri Bhagavan, Walajapet
Walajapet is approx. 15 kms from Rathnagiri on the Vellore-Chennai route. Drive down till Walajapet bus stand and take the adjacent left road (before the bus stand), sholiyur route.
Thanvanthri is the Dr God, 12th avatar of Lord Perumal. The archagar is a very good orator and possess good marketing skilled and well trained. The Dr God with a steth, operating knife and a naught smile drew me away and made belive what the archagar said. I ended up buying a herbal thayathu (Rs 200), a total healer for any (or all) disease ;-)
Must say the Dr God, Mahishashuramarthini gives a sense of peace with a pleasing smile.
Golden temple, Sripuram
Coffee break @ Durga Bhavan, Vellore (opp. To Hotel Aryaas).
The skies has opened and swept off the summer heat. What a delight to feel the cold evening air after being fried by the sun during the day. Thanks to the rains, a tree has blocked the road to Sripuram and huge traffic jam. We had to park the car well ahead and walk down. The place was too too crowded, may be a thousands were.
Took a special ticket ad had a good evening walk of atleast a 2kms around the temple of gold.
Sorry to say that it was more of a picnic, exhibitional place of gold rather than the sense of divinity. Though the ambigai is strinkingly beautiful, all that glitters around takes away the attention.
End of day we dropped our bags and self at the ‘Millenium Plaza’ hotel in Vellore – Katpaadi road. This hotel had good amenties at reasonable rates. (Rs 800 for a AC room and Rs 500 for non AC.) The rooms were clean with a TV and a water heater in bathrooms.
End of day 1 – The old temples with stone flooring and no tiles or marbles, makes me feel more close to God. Is it because of the upbringing or the mind?
Though I didn’t make beyond 350 stairs, the Mr and mom reached the shrine. As heard from them, it is a small temple surrounded by 7 ponds (on top of a hill !) and the view from the top is beautiful. Only the archagar with the company God and breeze flying thru’ the hair and absolute silence I can imagine that it must have been a divine experience.
Jalagaandeshwara Temple & Vellore fort
We rushed into the Jalagandeshwara temple before it was closed for lunch. Read some where that there was a stream running beneath the moolavar and a secret passage which ended up in Kancheepuram.
As they were closing down, we couldn’t explore the temple much.
Vellore fort, well it was very hot to go out on boating. The park, lake around and the fort was picturesque until you look into the waters. It was a sad feeing to see hundreds of dead fish floating.
Rathnagiri Bala Murugan Temple, Vellore
Our next stop after lunch at the Hotel Aryaas, Vellore (take the left road to Vellore from NH and ask for new bus stand, the hotel is beneath the flyover) was Rathnagiri. Rathnagiri is 15 kms from Vellore on the Vellore-Chennai route. It’s a small hill and you can drive the car up the hill. The temple has been renovated in recent times and become very famous. Sounds interesting to hear about a clerk Murganadimai (which means ‘slave of Lord Muruga’) who got enlightened and vouched to turn the ruined temple to what it is today.
Be aware of the naughty monkeys.
Thanvanthri Bhagavan, Walajapet
Walajapet is approx. 15 kms from Rathnagiri on the Vellore-Chennai route. Drive down till Walajapet bus stand and take the adjacent left road (before the bus stand), sholiyur route.
Thanvanthri is the Dr God, 12th avatar of Lord Perumal. The archagar is a very good orator and possess good marketing skilled and well trained. The Dr God with a steth, operating knife and a naught smile drew me away and made belive what the archagar said. I ended up buying a herbal thayathu (Rs 200), a total healer for any (or all) disease ;-)
Must say the Dr God, Mahishashuramarthini gives a sense of peace with a pleasing smile.
Golden temple, Sripuram
Coffee break @ Durga Bhavan, Vellore (opp. To Hotel Aryaas).
The skies has opened and swept off the summer heat. What a delight to feel the cold evening air after being fried by the sun during the day. Thanks to the rains, a tree has blocked the road to Sripuram and huge traffic jam. We had to park the car well ahead and walk down. The place was too too crowded, may be a thousands were.
Took a special ticket ad had a good evening walk of atleast a 2kms around the temple of gold.
Sorry to say that it was more of a picnic, exhibitional place of gold rather than the sense of divinity. Though the ambigai is strinkingly beautiful, all that glitters around takes away the attention.
End of day we dropped our bags and self at the ‘Millenium Plaza’ hotel in Vellore – Katpaadi road. This hotel had good amenties at reasonable rates. (Rs 800 for a AC room and Rs 500 for non AC.) The rooms were clean with a TV and a water heater in bathrooms.
End of day 1 – The old temples with stone flooring and no tiles or marbles, makes me feel more close to God. Is it because of the upbringing or the mind?
4 comments:
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