Friday, March 02, 2018

Trip to Kanakampatti 24-02-2018

One of my friends Gopal asked me to come and witness their family deity consecration at Kanakampatti on 25-02-2018.

So started from Chromepet on 24-02-18 morning 08.20  along with my classmate Mahaprabhu, Son Nishanth and Santhi Home minister.

Reached Eraniamman temple vandalur for a pooja.


Paranur toll was reached at 9.05, as usual the fastag was scanned with a hand held scanner, it seems that the scanners are calibrated for a particular direction of usage, on 10-02-18, there was a huge rush at the paranur toll plaza and for one direction as many as 8 lanes were opened, the lane 7 handheld scanner read my fastag, and return also i had to use the same direction lane, so the fastag software was deducting two times single fare instead of return fare, had to take up with NPCI, IHMCL, Fastag Axis, Chennai PIU and after a lengthy email exchange finally got my refund.

So on the 24-02-2018 while crossing the toll asked the person why they are using the same direction hand held scanner for both the directions, as usual he didn't have any answers.

Athur toll was crossed by 9.45, as usual there was a queue, navigated and exited.

Vikravandi was crossed at 10.25

Reached villupuram arya nivas for a tea break by 10.45am, previous day went to change the car battery as the battery shop was closed couldn't get it changed, after the tea break the car refused to start. After much pushing and cajoling car did start and continued our journey, traffic was there since weekend there were many cars on the road, Now this has become a regular feature the weekends are always crowded.

Sengurichi was crossed at 11.10, Thirumandurai at 11.42 then stopped at the Chakra milk parlour for a break, had samosas and veg roll, Milk was not there and the flavoured milk was also not to be found.

Samyapuram was crossed at 12.25.

After samayapuram the next stop was michael's ice cream at Thiruvanaikaval, crossed the kollidam and took the diversion to thiruvanaikaval at around 12.35 pm, went to the ice cream parlour and about to order the delights, just then checked with the parlour person whether temple is  open, as the parlour was next to the temple entrance, for which he told saturday and sundays the temple is open throughout the day, so cancelled the order and went to the temple 10 rs ticket for the darshan stood for 25 minutes and entered the temple had a nice darshan, circumambulated the temple, wondered at the stone sculptures, took photographs of the newly repainted temple towers, a good soul helped us to take photographs, thanked her and came to  relish the delightful ice cream at the Michael's.






It was awesome in taste, couldn't stop with one cup and one flavour, first vanilla, then fruit salad, then again vanilla, chocolate and butter scotch flavours were tried to leave a taste in the mouth which lingered for a long time. Worth visiting and worth spending, only regret the famous rose milk was not available, the parlour person was also so helping, he insisted us to visit the teppakulam branch to taste their entire collection, thanked him and told will note down in the next visit.




Started by 1.30 pm, Exited thiruvanaikaval to NH 45 / 32 through narrow bylanes of the temple town and touched the highway, reached Mannarpuram flyover to take the aristo roundabout to proceed to the Dindigul road.

The Aristo roundabout is still not complete, however temporary service road in shambles exist to navigate to Dindugul, no sign posts are there to guide, the aristo roundabout rmajinagar road is now with a divider but the road in not laid to proper camber it was undulating ride, reached the 4 lane Dindigul road and  rushed towards manaparai next halt for the Muruku,

Reached Manaparai by 2.25pm bought the famous murukku and was looking for a restaurant as it was past lunch time, luckily found a restaurant at the thuvanrankurichi road had meals and continued towards puthanatham, reached by 3.10pm had some readymade dress purchase and continued towards Vadamadurai.

Puthanatham Dindigul road is narrow and traffic has increased now, earlier it used to be with almost nil traffic but now many LCV, bikes are utilising the road, proof a new Essar petrol pump has opened.

Came to the national Highway and took the vadamadurai Eriyodu Diversion as there was a news that Dindigul, Oddanchatram, Palni road construction  was on and there was too many diversions and mismatched culvert to  road merging.

Reached Vedasandur had a good tasting Sugarcane juice, by now the thighs muscles stiffened  due to continuous run, had to wait and relax for about 20 minutes, but stiffness was there continued to oddanchatram.

Meanwhile friend called and asked to visit Kanakampatti temple today itself as it was an auspicious day, the temple idol were taken out, so reached reached Oddancharam by 4.55 pm and Kanakampatti by 5.30 pm.




The road Oddanchatram to Palani was bad in few patches but not so bad as told by my friend.

Went to the temple enjoyed the festivities and continued to palani, enroute at Ayakudi purchased the famous guava at the Market.

Guava being transported by the farmers in a TVS XL


Reached Palani and checked in to New Tirupur Lodge by 6.10 pm.

At palani had a tonsure for Nishanth, bathed and went to visit Palani murugan temple by 7.30 pm, the climb was by yanai pathai, reached temple top by 8.30 pm had the darshan after jostling and shoving with many people and shouting at a few.

Descended and reached 9.45 pm, had Siddhanathan panchamirutham and retired for the day, Dinner was not worth mentioning here.

Gopal's Hospitality

Grand pandal for meet and greet


Akkamar Eswari story narrateed through Models


On 25-02-18, morning visited Thiruavinankudi had a nice darshan, proceeded to  Kanakampatti village, the whole  village wore a festival look and each house was filled with friends and relatives, went to Gopal's home had a sumptuous breakfast, Ravadosai, Poori, Rava Kichadi, Idly, Mushroom kuruma, Chutney, sambhar, Sweet, Coffee.

Then the meeting with family members happened and they explained the significance of the Akkamar Eswari temple and the relevance of the function, was extremely carried over by the nature of observing festivities and welcoming of  the friends and relatives, totally a new experience.

Gopal's uncle took me to other Pandals of  famous decoration and celebration, stunned to see the lavish and graceful grandeur which was reflected at all places.

The small village was abuzz with activity which was swarming with people and cars.

When made a tour around the village almost all the roads were blocked jammed with vehicles, now understood it will be difficult to get out of the village, huge posse of policemen were now present.

Took leave of them as the feast was getting ready, i couldn't wait for any longer.

Palani Oddanchatram road was in complete traffic  jam at kanakampatti, somehow managed to get out of the road block by 10.55 am  and continued the journey same via Oddanchatram, vedasandur vadamadurai Ponnambalapatti (12.20) to reach Inamkulathur (12.50) to have the famous biriyani.

At Inamkulathur the biriyani is made availabel only on sundays and that to for a first come first serve basis, so raced  and reached Inamkulathur to locate the Biriyani shop Sevathakani Buhari Biriyani, it was marked by a queue of cars, inspite of the rush managed to get the Biriyani and tasted it under a highway tree.

Biriyani was made of seeraga samba, the mutton is cooked well and it is not spicy, but the authentic taste or aroma was missing to my observation.

Started from inamkulathur by 1.25, Trichy Crossed by 1.40, Samayapuram by 1.55 pm, Thirumandurai toll by 2.40, Ulundurprt Sengurichi by 3.10 pm, got good tasting Jack fruit,  Vikravandi by 3.40, from Vikravandi onwards could feel the traffic build up, at Athur tindivana, toll the queue lasted for 10 minutes crossed at 4.15pm.

Thought if Athur is crowded then Paranur toll will be flooded with vehicles, so made a decision to take the Kanchipuram Palur Ezichhur Oragadam road to reach Tambaram and Reached Home by 6.15 pm safely. A trip which will be remembered forever

Km covered 467.