On my last day in the state of Tamil Nadu, I planned for a short visit to Madurai (the Lotus City of India). I moved along the river Vaigai and reached the Temple Town 'Madurai'. I searched for a economy class lodge and had a cup of coffee there. I booked a room to keep my luggage safely and moved on to explore the city. The influence of the Pandya dynasty can be observed on the structural beauty of the city even today. I was amazed to see temples on every cross road of the city.
My first halt was the legendary Meenakshi Temple, one of the largest and most beautiful temple complexes in India. Dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, the temple is believed to be older than the Madurai city. I also came to know that the temple serves as the centre of attraction on all the festive occasions of the city. Some local people told me that Sivagana Palace (40 km) is a nice attraction near Madurai, but I could not visit that because of shortage of time. However, a priest at the temple told me that the Sivaganga Palace is an excellent example of the Rajputana art. It also houses the temple of Sri Raja Rajeshwari (the family deity of the royal family) and Nadai Kinaru (a miniature swimming pool meant for the womenfolk of the royal family).
While returning to the lodge, I made short visits to Koodal Azhaar Temple (one of the ancient temples of Madurai, dedicated to Lord Vishnu) and Thirumalai Nayak Mahal (a 1523 structure, famous for a light and sound show for the tourist to know about the Nayak dynasty). Although Madurai is a renowned textile centre and is known for hand-woven silks and cottons, bell-metal lamps, bronze images, wood and stone carvings also, but I could not find something interesting and unique to buy.
While planning for some extensive excursions around the city, I decided to visit Periyar. As I stepped in 'God's Own Country'- the state of Kerala, I was welcomed by soothing & dense greens, cascading waterfalls, enchanting backwaters, exotic wildlife and the best of natural beauty. Periyar (170 km from Madurai) was my first destination in Kerala. I was actually overwhelmed by seeing the nature in its purest form. It was quite dark, therefore I decided not to wander in the deep forests. I booked a room in Hotel Lake Palace, which was situated at a close proximity to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The hotel assured me to provide proper facilities for Jeep Safari and assistance for exploring the dense greens.
I woke up the next morning amidst lush green trees, chirping birds, velvety hills and stunningly beautiful landscapes. It was simply a heaven. This was perhaps the most beautiful destination I had ever been to. My guide, Dara, told me that the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary spreads across 777 sq. km, with hundreds of species of flora and fauna. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. I spotted a few elephants, sambars, gaurs and wild pigs wandering down the lake side and captured them in my camera. Unfortunately, I could not find any tigers there. The actual beauty of the sanctuary lies in the Periyar Lake, which is considered rich in bio-diversity. It also serves as a home to various amphibians and migratory birds.
The sanctuary closes at 6 pm. While coming out of the sanctuary, I could smell the aroma of spices in the air. It was not dark at 6 pm and I could easily see the sprawling tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom plantations over the hills. As I reached the hotel, I was offered a book on Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which contained a detailed study on all the 62 species of mammals, 320 species of birds, 45 kinds of reptiles, 7 kinds of amphibians, 38 species of fish and about 350 species of plants found here. Periyar was a wonderland. I would like to spend a few more days there on my next trip.
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