A day travel across Thiruvannamalai

note: (bear me for the long post... hope u like my travelogue)

We planned to check my dad’s friend daughter marriage on Sunday (28/10/12) in Vettavalam near Thiruvannamalai and so we wake up early as 4am and got ready by 5 and head the road half an hour later for the 9-10.30am Mukurtham (auspicious time of wedding). Accompanying my uncle and cousin – who drive the car, we also gave lift to one of our uncle’s workshop employ and his little niece whom were suppose to go by bus to Thiruvannamalai, decided to come along with since we have much space in our SUV leftover by my wheelchair at rear.

(click pictures for enlarge)

I always love and enjoy beginning travel at early morning and this time too I had a wonderful drive through the chillness of the morning and even it’s not cold like winter, the clouded sky and dampness and tender sunshine were kissing the skin towards entice. This is the only time I could check the sunrise awake between the clouds or rise behind the mountains or buildings; it’s more cheerful than any other day since my wakeup time is usually not less than 8 o’clock. :)

The first time I visited Thiruvannamalai was 3 years back on the same month of October, and the ride were through Tindivanam and Gingee; which was partially a state highways passes through the countryside accompany by tress esp. tamarind on both sides of the road.  The road also cut across the fortified wall of the Gingee Fort which is one of the famous forts in Tamil Nadu holding a strong historical background.

Gingee fort is also called as "Troy of the East" by the British

We reach the wedding hall by 10 am, few minutes before the bridegroom tie the knot, but I didn’t check the marriage as it was happening on first floor I stayed in the car along with my cousin. Vettavalm is a small town 23km from Thiruvannamalai on the Villupuram road and thanks to my Samsung Player with GPS navigation that traced the route for Vettavalam without going to Thiruvannamalai, even thought we en route to this place about 15km by dropping the employ and his niece at Kilpennathur.

My dad and the father of the bride had been friends for more than 40 years, since their college days at Presidency and we couldn’t avoid attending the wedding as family though he had added my dad’s name in the invitation. He’s someone always be on traveling and he had traveled all over India and has friends at various level  and he’s basically a farmer but only his wife takes care of everything since he keep on traveling. His bad time he suffers from health issue now and discovers a bad sight and hearing lately which I guess must be because of his immense use of Cell Phone; and he almost addicted to phone and could not stop dialing someone anytime.

After spending more than an hour in the wedding hall, we had nothing to do then but I had a plan already which was waiting for dad’s approval and it was to check the Sathanur Dam that was about 55km from Vettavalam and 31km from Thiruvannamalai. It was less than 12pm then and we had no work to return home immediately, so proceed with the plan and the weather was still pleasant even there was a mild sunshine that day.

On the way to dam we stopped at Thiruvannamalai to get some biryani for lunch but we couldn’t find a hotel or shop that sell chicken briyani, instead there were only beef biryani everywhere which I never ate and yet won’t eat. I only wonder how come there so many beef biryani center in a town where the ‘Nandi (Bull)’ was worshipped as god’s vehicle and idol in itself... I don’t want to get into the belief but I understand the need that there are many beef eaters exists in this town. (I read somewhere that more people from Kerala come to settle here spread the beef eating habit).

Last time when I visit Sathanur Dam there was no one and we also couldn’t spend much time since we visited during late hours of evening, but this time being a Sunday many people gathered around the dam and mostly youngsters were vrooming in bikes, creating great annoy to public. The police were checking thoroughly every vehicle entering the dam complex and a special search operation had been held on youngster for liquor bottles, because during our last visit we get to see lot of broken bottles and plastic tumblers thrown at the end of dam.

The dam complex had been newly painted now and gardens were developed into much better and colorful sculptures were quite neatly maintained and a pool, restaurant and lotus pond seems added lately to attract more visitors. There isn’t much water in the vast dam reservoir and even less compared to my early visit and the dam bridges were locked by gates allowing only people through a small walk way which my wheel chair could not enter, but I spent some time on the garden taking pictures.

By 3pm we took our back home journey through Thiruvannamalai and it was a day beginning of full moon night, so the roads were blocked inside the town to leave us to go around the Arunachaleswarar Temple to reach the Tindivanam road. Thiruvannamalai is famous for the full moon stroll around the sacred hill here, receiving thousands of people every month who take a walk about 14km on the foothill road that come around the hill.

(backside tower of Arunachaleswarar temple)

When we nearing Gingee, the gray clouds formed to shower heavily and the road being a two lane and work on widening taking place alongside, we forced to retard at progress until catch-up with national highways. The ride further was smooth and interesting but as we nearing Chennai the traffic began to grow steadily before got trapped into a traffic congestion near Vandalur moving at a very slow pace for more than an hour. We reach the home by 9pm, almost taking 6 hours to come across a 210km of travel but when knowing the traffic jam near Vandalur last for 5 hours, I felt glad we escaped with an hour.

A cargo goes aground

The Neelam Cyclone that stroke the Mamallapuram, a day before day, also produced an effect on the coast towards Chennai and beyond developing a number of tree falls and sand erosions on seashores. As I mentioned in my early post, the Marina Beach of Chennai – the second longest beach worldwide – is the gateway for any effort by sea or rain on Chennai and it stands at the first place for anyone to check the status of the city.

Pool ride by a biker in marina

I visited the Marina Beach yesterday evening to reveal the effects of Neelam cyclone and found the rain and seawater stagnant on the marina beach abundantly like ever and the inner road was flooded with water for more than 3 feet high. Even the SUV like cars find it difficult to cross the inner roads and we didn't take the venture into the water which was inviting for a swim but had fun watching boys playing in water and some bikes and autos splashing and creating great ripples. I really enjoy visiting marina beach after rain to check the stagnant water and joy of splashing without disturbing others!

Later we moved to check the cargo ship that went aground near Foreshore estate, the adjacent area of marina, where the Neelam cyclone dragged the ship that was standing somewhere off shore into go aground. The road leads from marina through Nochikuppam was blocked and we had to go around the Santhome to reach the foreshore estate and ship was standing very close to shore and waves were so ferocious, crashing on the ship to reach unusual high.

The ‘Prathibha Cauvery’ is a Mumbai based oil-tanker anchored near the Chennai Port with 37 crew members on board, among which 32 are rescued through helicopters but the five who clambered into a lifeboat as soon the ship goes aground were missing, after the boat capsized due to rough waves. (According to news in evening, 4 of them were found dead ashore today). I guess it was the ship that I saw couple of months back visiting the marina beach and I also captured in photo.

The ship which goes aground near Elliot Beach, was moved into the foreshore estate yesterday and the place had tuned into a new tourist spot now for people who keep on visiting the shore to see the ship. When the news of ship gone aground spread like the force of storm, there were many gathered at the seafront to see the ship even dismissing the meteorologic warning to stay inside the house till cyclone landfall completely.

My Canon SX220 does a great job capturing the ship, enduring the strong wind even at maximum zoom!

There wasn't much crowd at marina, but the foreshore estate is flooded with human heads and people were keep on arriving and leaving as families checking the ship. The time we visited, a helicopter of the coast guards were lifting the crews or officials who come to check the ship and dropping at the shore. People were so excited to see the operation that they don’t get to see easily except if a Navy show seldom take place at Marina beach and the last time I check a ship very close was during one of the shows. 

If u look carefully, a coast guard helicopter is lifting a crew on the  photo.

Cyclone Neelam stoke near Chennai

First time experienced a cyclone in my lifetime and I have seen and heard about its intense and rage through media many a time but this is the first time in last 2 decades that a cyclone stroke near Chennai. The wind was blowing at 40 km speed across the Chennai whereas in Mamallapuram where the Neelam Cyclone crossed ashore reaching 70-80 km speed and waves rose of 20 feet height and rushing 200 meters into the land.

The cyclone which formed near Andaman Island last week began to move north-west towards Tamil Nadu and its track had been predicted well by the IMD Chennai and warned heavy showering from Monday. We gained good rain on Tuesday night and the wind was blowing very strongly yesterday till midnight and during the time cyclone landfall the blowing was heaver and the tress were all dancing ferocious to the wild wind beats.

We had no power from the noon but there was enough power in the inverter which we installed for lights and fans and we also restricted the use of inverter power since it’s a 6 hours package and we had no idea when power will resume. The television blinks no signal when we try to check the status of the cyclone and after few hours the laptop also lost power, through which I was watching the live news on cyclone and later I turned the galaxy player for the updates.

Just 10 month later the Thane cyclone left a deep sad impact on the Cuddalore and Ponndicherry, the Neelam leaves a lighter memory without causing much damage to lives and property – which I believe. The cyclone also swish-swash the Marina beach which had become the gateway for any water calamities and it also pushed aground a cargo ship (Prathibha Cauvery) near Elliot Beach and 100 trees were uprooted in Chennai.

I captured a small video with my galaxy player below on the cyclone wind taken at my courtyard.

Simple Pleasures - Kodai

Visiting Kodaikanal is always cool and comfort since this place accompany me easily or I got to be familiar as I visited it unlike any other places and the climate is completely blissful at any time of the year. At other hand I feel sorry for this princess of hills station which is turning into concrete valleys and mountains being carved for real estate lands and natural environs polluted by carefree tourist and vehicle population had turned down this pristine town, but we can’t blame anybody as they all come to enjoying what I cherish, a little concern on its behold state will do better.

There are many places to steal our heart and sight at Kodaikanal but for better refreshment and entice one need to extend their limit out of the town and I wish only people who love and care for the nature should led so. During one of my visits to Kodaikanal I find the pretty little church in the picture above, bound to a mist environment and light blue sky behold my attention for its simple white blue structure, on the Pillar Rock Road.

Following the church, the little falls with stream like structure is another wonderful sight that come along the way near a shopping complex that sells homemade chocolates and eucalyptus balms. It seems only during the rainy season the water flows here but today it looks pathetic with plastic wrapper shattered around and growing shops on one side. It could really be a good attraction to the visitor if it was taken into cleaning and cut wild shrubs and protect from people throwing wrappers in. 

Maattrraan – moves into international platform

I wished not to miss this movie watching in theater, and went for a late night last show in drive-in, the only theater I could visit and more over the director of the movie, K.V. Anand is one of my favorite filmmaker in Tamil lately whose movies make me look forward his next venture and I feel he’s someone special in creating quite content and quality films on the mainstream cinema. Maattrraan is also a unique movie dealing with conjoined twins and we have seen many movies on twins early but this is something different for which the director has to be appreciated.  This is very interesting and amazing to see how conjoined twins survive with different style and attitude on their own with no space for personal or privacy since both stick together.... the film make a thought on the real conjoined exists.

The movie not only left with the conjoined twins but also handles a serious social subject on adulterated energy drink as alternate, the movie rides on a roller coaster of action thriller, glamour and social science and technology. As Vimal and Akhil, Surya plays the dual role perfectly and there’s nothing to say about his acting because he had lived to the core of the subject and the action sequences are stunning with merry first half and serious pursuit rear.

The director was dare to develop a story tracing back to Ukraine, revealing a real mystery flight crash and   the country’s well performance at world games by the athletes based on steroid in 80’s moves the Tamil cinema into a international platform. One important thing that leaves at amaze and spellbind was the cinematography; the director who itself an outstanding cinematographer doesn’t need much to say how well the visual performance must be... he makes everything look at the state of the art.

Sachin Khedekar as Ramachandran does a great job of father and genetic scientist, wearing a smart face of veil hiding an evil and Kajal Aggarwal holds a partially chief role alongside Surya, adding glitz and glam to cheerful; and one of the drawbacks of the movie was the early grip loose of the suspense but the director dragged as much possible tighten and loosing the thread like a kite before landing on ground. The songs were a kind of usual Harish Jayaraj flick and the intro song was fascinating with apt lyrics and the duet was remarkable capturing the wonders of Norway.

Could easily feel the hard work of each crew behind the screen and without going deep in research on the technicians and technology used off-screen I appreciate all the emphasis given from behind to behold. Overall Maattrran is a better transformation or enhance for Tamil cinema on the commercial front.