1 day Kumbakonam Visit

It was my long time wish to visit Kumbakonam(KK) temples. Mainly Darasuram and Gangaikonda Chozha puram (GCP) temples, which are standing as an evident for architectural skills of Chozha dynasty ( Actually GCP is in Ariyalur district, which I knew only after reaching there) After searching something in net I planned for a one day trip to Kumbakonam on 5.12.2010.

I reserved in Nagore express for my upward journey. I don't know anyone in Kumbakonam and I hadn't been there before. I reached KK by 6 am had my coffee in railway station and came out. I didn't know which direction to go and where to go. I took right hand side in a belief that it will be right. After walking for 5 minutes I asked a person how to go to bus stand. He said, it is nearby and showed me the direction. After reaching the bus stand I went through the name board of the buses for 10 mins.

I could see the names of the places with nice names ( I forgot them now) . Then I found one mini bus going to Darasuram market. I boarded the bus and asked the conductor for ticket. To my surprise the price of the ticket was only 2 rs ( in Chennai, for a distance of 1 km in govt. bus i give 5 rs).

After 4 kms i got down at Darasuram market and one guy helped me in showing the direction to the temple. I passed a bridge of Cauvery ( I hope it is Cauvery) and went into a village. After walking for 10 minutes I could see the Gopuram and outer walls of the temple amidst green lawn.

I saw crows and other birds playing in the lawn and people on their morning walking around the temple (Not as a part of worship , they are trying to reduce their weight). I made a round over the temple to see in which way to enter the temple. The temple was surrounded by water upto knee level and I hadn't know which way to enter. I enquired with a person about the Temple and he gave some info about the temple. On talking to him he also said how to reach GCP ( Gangai Konda Chozha Puram) from Kumbakonam. Keeping everything in mind, i entered in to the temple main entrance.

I was the only person inside the temple and still the Nadai ( Door of Main deity - Airatheeswarar) hadn't opened. So i just went around the temple taking some snaps. There was one lady sweeping and I asked about the opening time. She said they will open the Nadai in few minutes and enquired about from where I was coming.

After a round up in Temple I just sat in opposite of the temple Gopuram and started drawing the main Gopuram. I think even god didn't like his temple gopuram to be drawn by a worst painter. In few minutes that old lady came and said that they have opened the Nadai and asked me not to draw, that the authorities will scold if they came to know that some body draws.

Then I worshiped the main deity and went for one more round to see the interesting sculptures that we can see all over the temple. The main Mandapam which is constructed in form of chariot and the pillars in the Mandapam shows how the people are talented 900 years ago.

Then I went to see Amman temple which is situated adjacent to this temple. There still the Nadai was closed and water level was more than Sivan temple. So took a photo from outer and left the temple. Again came to Market bus stand and took a bus and reached Kumbakonam bus stand. The time was 9.15 am and I was not hungry. So planned to have my breakfast after some time.

As instructed by the person I met in Darasuram, I searched for Anaikkarai bus. (To reach GCP the route is Kumbakonam --> Anaikkarai --> cross two bridges by walk or share auto --> take Jayamkondan bus and get down at GCP in Jeyamkondan Cross road ).

I found one bus and fortunately got a seat which is convenient for looking outside. I slept for 10 minutes. When I woke up I saw green paddy fields and realized that we are out of town and reached rural areas. The name of the villages on the way are so nice , Thiruvaipadi, Thirupanandal, Sozhapuram. Then I reached Anaikkarai, which is the last village in Kumbakonam (Thanjavur district), after which Ariyaloor district starts.

Anaikkarai is a small village and it's an island which is surrounded by river Cauvery on all sides. So we need to walk over a bridge to

reach Anaikkari and then we need to cross another bridge to reach the other side of the land from where Ariyaloor district starts. I met a person known as Elango in Anaikkarai who is very friendly person and explained about his village and showed me the direction to get bus to GCP. Then i got the bus to GCP and got down at the temple.

The temple looks similar to Big temple in Tanjavur and I entered after a checking by temple inspectors. It is also a monument approved as a world heritage site by UNESCO and it is under Archeological department control. Here also we can see the green lawn. There are only a few people in the temple.

As usual I roamed inside the temple and took few pictures, and wondered and amazed by the architectures inside the temple. There are lot of architectures in the temple wall and pillars. The best is a huge Dwarabalagar outside the Main sivan sannadhi. Then I asked for the route to Rajendra Chozhan museum. It was only a few meters from the temple. The museum has some old coins, swords and other things excavated from there.

The curator is a very nice person and he explained about the place and also said that there is a 80 feet 16th century elephant statue in a temple nearby village, Azhagar kovil. It is 8 kms away from there and there was no transportation facilities there to reach the place. I came out and waited for return bus.

In the meanwhile I started talking to a person standing nearby. He said there are many buses frequently to Anaikkarai. I inquired him about the Azhagar kovil temple. He also said there is no transportation available but he could take to the place with a vehicle he was having for Rs.100. I accepted and we both started

to the temple.(see the image for the vehicle in which I went to Azhagar Kovil temple) The path was very curvy and it was full of small villages, paddy fields and lotus ponds.

I went to the temple and had seen two gigantic horses and a gigantic elephant (which was under renovation) and took some snaps. One person asked about me and from where I was coming. On my return from temple he called me and gave KumKumam and Vibbothi.

Then we started from there and driver kept on talking about the temple and his village. He was also one of the nice guy I met in Kumbakonam. He dropped me in the bus stop and said that I could stay in the jeep itself still the bus come, as it was drizzling. Then the bus came and said bye to the driver and took the same route to reach Kumbakonam. It was 2.30 pm and started raining there. I was so tired and a small sleep became mandatory for me.

So I went out looking for a stay place till evening and took a room in a tourist home near bus stand for Rs.200.

The room looked good and also had a TV. I slept till evening and got up because of hungry ( I hadn't had my breakfast and lunch). So went out for hotel to eat something. Then I booked a seat in bus in SETC. Then I took a bus to see the Kumbakonam town. I don't know where to go. So got down at Kumbeswarar temple. I made a small visit to this temple and Ramasamy temple nearby. Then I went back to room and started back to Chennai.

The day looked like a long day after visiting many temples and meeting many people. Had a nice experience in Kumbakonam and left at 10 pm bus after saying a good bye to Kumbakonam and its people.