These five lesser-known road trips from Chennai will awaken your spiritual senses and immerse you in layers of ancient history. By Smrithi Suresh
Road Trips from Chennai — Lesser-known Temple Trails
1. Chennai to Thiruvanaikaval
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Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval is one of the most prominent Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. The Lord here represents one of the Pancha Maha elements — the water — as it is situated on the river island of Srirangam. The backdrop of the temple made with huge walls and large Gopurams will leave you speechless. It is said that Lord Shiva was worshipped by Goddess Parvati in the Jambu forests near Kaveri river. Dating to almost 1,800 years ago, this significant temple stands tall as an important holy shrine and artistic representation of the Chola dynasty.
Distance from Chennai: 326 kilometres
Trip duration: 5 hours 19 minutes (approx.)
Best time to visit: November to March
Where to stay: Hotel Le Temps Fort
Where to eat: Partha Sarathy Vilas Hotel
2. Chennai to Kallekulangara
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One of the ancient temples in Kallekulangara, Palakkad, is the Sree Emoor Bhagavathy Temple, surrounded by water on three sides and a chuttambalam. Yet, the beauty of the temple lies in the sanctum; it is elevated to the same level of the pond by which it is surrounded. What makes this temple unique is the fact that only the hands of Goddess Hemambika are worshipped here. It is believed that the deity takes three forms throughout the day – Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga. Hence, devotees can witness rituals being performed differently throughout the day.
Distance from Chennai: 561 kilometres
Trip duration: 10 hours 13 minutes (approx.)
Best time to visit: August to April
Where to stay: Udaya Ayurveda Resort
Where to eat: Hotel Nalanda
3. Chennai to Shravanabelagola
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Shravanabelagola, a small village in Karnataka is a famous Jain pilgrimage spot, where devotees come to witness the largest monolithic stone statue of Lord Gomateshwara, also called Bahubali. The magnificent statue was built around 981 AD. The temple has interesting craftsmanship and inscriptions for enthusiastic travellers to observe its historic importance. The Bahubali Mahamastakabhisheka Mahotsav — one of the biggest Jain festivals — is celebrated here once in every 12 years.
Distance from Chennai: 497 kilometres
Trip duration: 8 hours 38 minutes (approx.)
Best time to visit: October to March
Where to stay: Southern Star Hassan
Where to eat: Sri Suranga Jain Oswal Marwadi Bhojanalaya
4. Chennai to Chidambaram
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The Thillai Nataraja Shiva temple is the dwelling place of the Lord of Dance. This temple is surprisingly located at the centre point of the world’s Magnetic Equator. If you are fond of dance, you will surely get lost in the beauty of this temple’s Dravidian architecture, which is filled with 108 Karanas (Karanas are the 108 key transitions in the classical Indian dance described in the fourth chapter named ‘Tandava Lakshana’ of Natya Shastra) and depicts the foundation of the Bharatanatyam dance form. The most prepossessing element here is the notable contributions done by various dynasties like Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagara, throughout medieval history.
Distance from Chennai: 216 kilometres
Trip duration: 4 hours 32 minutes (approx.)
Best time to visit: October to March
Where to stay: Lakshmi Vilas Heritage Resort
Where to eat: Palagaram.com restaurant
5. Chennai to Nakkanapalli
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According to Purana, Sri Boyakonda Gangamma Devi Temple has a remarkable history of Lord Shakthi slaughtering violent foreign invaders to safeguard her devotees. The goddess is the sister of Sri Venkateswara Swamy. Thousands of devotees visit the huge and deep well at the top of the hill, whose water is said to have many medicinal properties. Pushpam Aduguta is a ritual in which devotees seek permission from the Goddess by placing a flower on top of her head. The fall of the flower decides if they can proceed or not. There are many other historic temples nearby for you to admire and seek blessings from.
Distance from Chennai: 223 kilometres
Trip duration: 4 hours 33 minutes (approx.)
Best time to visit: August to March
Where to stay: Hotel Sree Saravana Bhavan
Where to eat: Sree Saravana Bhavan’s restaurant
