Chennai to Megamalai - A trip that lasts life time!

We always need a break in our life. For some, it's once a week, and for some, it's once a year. However, we always need a break at an astounding hill station to rejuvenate ourselves. Megamalai is one of those hill stations with tea estates, cardamom plantations, clouds, and last but not least, Elephants. The distance between Chennai to Megamalai is approximately 627kms,. Megamalai's climate is always pleasant and witnesses a chill climate at night, even during the summer. Megamalai is also known as the High wavy mountains, and it is located 1500 meters above sea level and offers a fresh environment. It is a part of the western Ghats and is located in the Theni district of South India. 

 Meghamalai Temperature and weather

Megamalai experiences moderate and chill weather throughout the year. Hence the summers are not that hot compared to the other hill stations. The Megamalai temperature in summer ranges from 15 Deg C to 25 Deg C. However, if you want to experience the natural beauty scattered around the hills, the best time to visit Meghamalai is from September to January. The Megamalai temperature in winter ranges from 0 Deg C to 10Deg C which is really cold. The annual rainfall in Meghamalai is 275 cms and experiences a heavy monsoon from July to September. We went in December and the Megamalai weather was cool even during the day. 

How to reach Chennai to mega

By Air: There are direct flights available from Chennai to Madurai. From Madurai, you can book a bus to Theni.  From Theni, you can book a cab and travel via Chinnamanur. The Megamalai distance from Madurai is 145 kilometers. If you travel by car from Madurai to Megamalai it hardly takes 3 hours to reach. 


By road: The Megamalai distance from Chennai is about 558 kilometers. Chennai to Trichy is the shortest way to reach theni. You can book a cab from Theni to Meghamalai. Meghamalai is located 30kms from Theni and accessible via roads. If you are traveling by your own vehicle, get the help of local people to know the correct routes. Sometimes, the exact location won’t be available in Google Maps.

By train: There are no direct trains available from Chennai to Megamalai. You can book a train to Madurai and then a bus or a cab to reach Meghamalai.

The condition of the road in Megamalai is good till Highwavys dam. Since the construction work is going on, it is good to halt the vehicle near highwavys dam and prefer a jeep ride to visit the Megamalai viewpoint. Since the roads are pathetic, it is safer to prefer a jeep even though you own an SUV.

Route 1: Chennai - Tindivanam - Trichy - Theni - Meghamalai

Chennai to Megamalai - Route 1

Route 2: Chennai - Kanchipuram - Dharmapuri - Salem - Meghamalai 

Chennai to megamalai -route 2

However, route 1 is the safest and short route to reach Meghamalai from Chennai. The route from Chennai to Megamalai after reaching Trichy was mindblowing. Both sides of the road were covered by mountains and it was a treat to watch. 

Meghamalai Climate

Meghamalai Climate

Meghamalai - The straight route to heaven

The check post at the foothills closes at 6pm. Vehicles driving past the check post after 6pm are not allowed. The roads from the foothills of the Meghamalai till highwavys dam were extremely good. There are around 18 hairpin bends in Meghamalai that made the ride thrilling. Meghalamalai is also known for its wildlife species. Meghamalai is home to Asian elephants, Indian giant squirrels, and other endangered species. Mostly, people in Megahalamai are those who work in tea estates. 

Meghamalai Check post

Meghamalai hairpin bend -17

Suruli falls is originated from Meghamalai. It has a lot of water reserves and dams. Locals say Meghamalai is also native to rare bird species. Recently, the central government has also given its approval for the fifth tiger reserve that will enclose the Srivilliputhur and Meghamalai wildlife sanctuaries. 

Meghamalai water reserve

Megamalai stay

To be honest, you don't have many accommodation facilities in Meghamalai. The entire property belongs to briar tea groups. If you are planning to stay in Meghamalai, there are few government lodges and also private resorts.  But the issue is network is poor in Meghamalai and it is hard to contact them. Even if it rings, they won't pick up the calls. There are only a few bungalows (sand river cottage, cloud mountain bungalow, and Manalar bungalows) with limited rooms and they can be booked only online. Most of the falls and viewpoints are prohibited to normal tourists since it is private property. You will be allowed only if you are a guest of that bungalow. During weekends the resorts would be already booked. So we decided to stay in theni at ABM grande. We had a pleasant stay and the cost of the rooms was also reasonable. 

Unlike other hill stations, Meghamalai will not be hot during summer and extremely cold during winter. The temperature in Meghamalai will be mild even during the daytime and that attracts a lot of tourists. Our trip from Chennai to Megamalai was sweet than our expectations and we would like to re-visit Meghamalai during the monsoon to have a different experience. 

Parvathamalai trekking - A blend of spirituality and excitement

Paravthamalai is located in Thiruvannamalai district which is about 20kms from Polur. Parvathamalai is one of the most sanctified places in India. It is believed that the Parvathamalai temple was set up by Siddhas, to mediate and acquire enlightenment. Parvathamalai temple attracts a lot of devotees on full moon day, since it is considered an auspicious day for worshiping lord shiva. 

Parvathamalai is located at a height of 4560 feet above mean sea level and is accessible only by foot. The total distance of the trek is approximately 9 kilometers. To reach the parvathamalai temple which is the seventh mountain, you have to cross six mountains namely kadaladi, methagamalai, kumarinettu malai, Kadaparai malai, kanakachi odai malai, Puttru malai, and finally Kovil malai where the temple is located.

Our trek to Parvathamalai temple was on January 2nd, 2021. We thought Parvathamalai trekking was going to be challenging but it was even more difficult than we thought. I was accompanied by my friend Sathish. Though we are frequent trekkers, we felt some part of the Parvathamalai trek was demanding and tough. We had decided to travel on the bike rather than a car because we don’t want to miss the scenic beauty while traveling to Parvathamalai temple.

Parvathamalai temple history

Don’t ever think Parvathamalai is just an ordinary temple of lord Shiva. It is predicted that the Shiva lingam present on the top of the Parvathamalai mountain is 2000 years old. Some inscriptions say that in the 10th century, people from the Chola dynasty lived on the mountain. The Chola city was developed by one of the ministers of the first Chola dynasty and it is said that his name is also mentioned in the inscription. One more interesting fact is that in the 3rd century a kind called nannan worshipped Lord shiva in the parvathamalai. It is also mentioned in the famous Tamil literature “MalaipaduKadam”. On full moon and new moon day lot of devotees trek at night to worship lord Shiva. It is also believed that devotees who trek a night for the first time will get the blessings of lord Shiva.

It is said that Parvathamalai has around 120 medicinal herbs that can cure several diseases if we inhale the air around the mountain. It is believed that Parvathamalai is a part of a sanjeevani mountain that fell when Hanuman was carrying a mountain to save Lakshmana.

How to reach Parvathamalai from Chennai

We started at 4 am in Chennai. Since we went in January, it was extremely cool during the trip and even cooler at the top of the Parvathamalai temple. It is better to carry a jacket if you are traveling by bike during the winter and monsoon seasons. Parvathamalai is located 200 kilometres from Chennai. Chennai to Parvathamalai has two routes.

1. The first route is Chennai to Bangalore highway. From Chennai city, the route starts from Koyambedu, Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram, Arcot, Arani, Polur, and Parvathamalai. This is the shortest route from Chennai to Parvathamalai.

Paravathamalai route - 1

2. The second route we prefer is the GST road. The route starts from Guindy, Perungulathur, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengalpattu, Polur, and finally Parvathamalai. This route is 5 to 6 kilometers longer than the first route. We preferred this route because the roads were good compared to the first route. 

Paravathamalai route - 2

Parvathamalai trek - Phase 1

We reached the base of the Parvathamalai around 11 am in morning. Vehicles are not allowed beyond this point. We were welcomed by a giant Hanuman statue followed by 2 kilometres of flat mud trail. It took around 20 minutes to reach the steps which is the initial phase of the Parvathamalai trek.

There were around 1300 steps to complete the first phase. The steps were wide but steeper because we were climbing up a mountain of 4560 feet. We took a small break at every 300 steps since we were trekking after a year. We felt muscle cramp even before reaching 1000 steps. We don’t want to comfort you with the lies, we were praying to Lord Shiva for the steps to end.  It was tedious than we expected. There were small tent shops every 1 km that kept our body hydrated. You can buy snacks, biscuits, and lemon soda to maintain your energy level and keep you hydrated.

Parvathamalai trek - Phase 2

It took us around 1 hour to complete the first phase of the mountain which was nothing but climbing the steps. At the start of Phase 2, The Parvathamalai route became uneven and rocky. At some stages, we had to use our hands to crawl and climb up the rock. This route will test your patience. However, when you see people above 60-year-old climbing up the rock with ease, you will get a mental boost to climb up quickly. Our total Parvathamalai trekking time was 6 hours. It took 4 hours for climbing and 2 hours for getting down. Getting down was relatively easy compared to climbing up.

This phase of the Parvathamalai trekking also had many tent shops with snacks to keep us energetic. Once we get closer to the next phase, you would get a clear view of the Jawadhu hills. Since we trekked in the winter, powerful wind and mist welcomed us!. We couldn’t believe our eyes. At the moment we thought we were in a hill station like Kodaikanal or Munnar. Trust us it was more beautiful than that. Here is a glimpse of the view.

Paravathamalai phase2 - Rocky trail

Parvathamalai trek - Phase 3 

This is the most exciting and dangerous part of the Parvathamalai trek. Kadaparai malai is so steep with iron rods placed on the side for support. There were man-made steps that helped us to climb quickly without losing balance. If you are scared of heights, this phase will give you a chill. Never look down. Just hold the iron bar tightly, place your foot on the steps, and continue forward. Be extra careful if you are trekking on the monsoon. The rocks will be extremely slippery. For us, this part of the Parvathamalai trek was enjoyable since we love heights!. Especially me. Look at me enjoying the mist and cool wind after climbing the kadaparai malai. 

Yes, we almost reached the temple. Just a few steps away. We couldn’t explain how it felt after reaching the top of the Parvathamalai mountain. All our tiredness went off when we reached the top. We felt so spiritual. That’s the beauty of lord Shiva. We worshipped and did pooja with our own hands to lord shiva. This is another reason why we should visit the Parvathamalai temple.

Kadaprai malai

 

Lord Shiva

Tips for having a safe trek 

• Carry enough water and snacks. Though there are enough shops available throughout the Parvathamalai trek, it is better to be on the safer side.   
• If you are trekking at night, carry a torchlight. 
• Be careful with the monkeys. Keep your belongings and food safe. Sometimes monkeys take water bottles from the bag too. 
• Avoid plastics. It is our duty to keep nature clean. if you use plastics, throw them only in the dustbin. 
• Chennai to Parvathamalai has no direct buses. You have to reach Thiruvannamalai or Polur and opt for a private vehicle. Be sure with the timings before planning for a trek.
• Paravathamali temple has no timings. you can trek whenever you wish to and do pooja for Lord shiva. 

     

Chennai to Kanchanagiri hills - A spiritual one day trip!

This Lockdown has made a great impact on our physical health and mental health as well. In these difficult times, we badly needed a hill station to take away all our stresses. Fortunately, we found Kanchanagiri hills, which are located near Chennai that satisfied our travel thirst. Kanchanagiri hills never failed to amaze us with their parrot green appearance and amazing weather that we never expected.  Kanchanagiri hills have a winter temperature ranging from 12 Deg to 24 Deg Celsius while the summer records around 24 Deg to 34 Deg Celsius. 

Overview

Kanchanagiri is one of the unexplored places near Chennai and it came to the limelight by some of the bloggers and YouTubers recently. Kanchagiri hills are located in Ranipet district and it is surrounded by a range of mountains. The height of the kanchanagiri hills is about 1500 feet and suits two-wheeler and lighter vehicles. Kanachanagiri hills are located 124kms from Chennai and it roughly takes 2hours to reach the mountain. Kanchanagiri is well known for its Shiva temple and bell rock that creates a bell sound when it is tapped. There are around 1008 suyambu lingams in Kanachanagiri hills and it is believed that they are formed by the explosion of volcanoes. Kanchanagiri has a memorial for Shri shivagnana Swamigal who was born in Trichy and grew up in Malaysia. He contributed a lot to kanchanagiri from laying roads to offering free meals which are still followed today. Now, Kanachanagiri hills have become both a tourist and spiritual place and attract a large number of people due to their scenic beauty. 

Kanchanagiri hills bell rock - The attraction!

Some researchers have guessed that Kanchanagiri hills bell rock might be used for sound therapy which is still practiced in many countries. It is believed that people who are sick were made to lay on the bell rock and it is tapped at a particular frequency to get rid of sickness. People believe that Lord Shiva might be using this rock as his own musical instrument.

There is another rock in Pennsylvania similar to kanchanagiri hills bell rock but people don’t consider it spiritual. Youtubers records live music on that place and upload it on YouTube. Since Kanchanagiri hills are considered a spiritual place, let us respect people’s beliefs, maintain dignity, and not encourage these activities.

 

How to reach Kanchanagiri hills from Chennai

To be honest, we did not witness any buses plying on the roads since we visited this place during the lockdown. Both the devotees and the tourists prefer their own vehicle to reach the kanchanagiri hills. Kanchanagiri is located 2 kilometers from the lalapet bus stop which is the nearest place to people who prefer public transport. The nearest railway station is Ranipet (10kms) and Mukundarayapuram (6 km). If you are visiting kanchanagiri hills bell rock from other cities or district here is the easy way to reach kanachanagiri hills. 

By Air: Chennai is the nearest airport. The total distance from Chennai to kanachanagiri hills is 124 kilometers.

By Train: 10 kilometers from Ranipet railway station and 6 kilometers from Mukundaryapuram.

By Road: Kanachanagiri is located 8 kilometers from Ranipet through Lalapet.

New roads have been laid from Lalapet to kanchanagiri hills which makes the place more beautiful and accessible to tourists. The best season to visit kanchanagiri hills is from October to November since this place will be completely green and a treat to watch.

An unplanned trek to Puligundu mountain!!!

Trekking in Puligundu rock mountain was one of the most spine chilling and challenging treks we had ever seen. Though the trekking time was less, puligundu trekking tops our list for testing our fear and patience. Puligundu Sivan temple is located in Andhra Pradesh at Chittoor district. Puligundu is a dual rock mountain with a height of 1000 feet from the ground. Because of its height, you can get a remarkable view of the surrounding hills. In this dual rock mountain, it is believed that one mountain is Lord Shiva (Puligundeeswarar) and the other one is Lord Parvathy. Every shivan temple has its own importance. Likewise, Puligundu mountain itself resembles shiva lingam and there is a Shivan temple on the top that makes it special. 

The history of Puligundu rock mountain

History says the British tried to capture this to use it as a watchtower. But the people from the nearby villages intercepted and saved it from the Britishers. As proof, there will be an Indian flag on the top of the Puligundu rock mountain. There is an iron bridge that connects both the mountains. you can see the bridge in the below image which looks tiny looking from the ground.

Puligundu trekking initial phase

Our gang of three members had no idea where the puligundu rock mountain is exactly located and how tedious it's gonna be to reach the top of the mountain. Puligundu is located 150kms from Chennai. Thanks to google maps for guiding and providing us the exact location of the mountain. 

On the way to Puligundu Sivan temple, we came across other small greenish mountains. It was very pleasant to watch those mountains along with mango groves. We were happy that we chose a bike over the car. We blindly followed google maps than asking for routes from local people. Trust me, maps brought us through beautiful routes than the route suggested by local people.

we reached the mountain by 10.30 am. Mountain looked more fascinating and gigantic than we thought. The naked eye view of the mountain can never be captured in any costliest camera. It was just wow!!!!. we parked our bikes below the mountain and were confused about where to start with. 

Puligundu Sivan temple - The journey begins

we just found our own way by climbing the small rocks to reach the mountain. We got exhausted even before reaching the base of the puligundu rock mountain. It took more than 40 minutes to reach the start of the mountain. It was indeed a hot climate and our body was dehydrating faster. Carry enough water to keep yourself hydrated until you reach the top of the mountain. After reaching the first phase of the mountain, the route becomes narrower. The rocks were extremely slippery as it rained the day before we started trekking. Don't seek the support of the small iron barriers as it is only for the namesake. Try to stick to the left and seek the support of rocks. 

Metal ladders were installed to climb up. These ladders were circular in design and we witnessed our legs shaking automatically. There were around 3-4 instances that tested our fear factor. As we proceeded further, the route became steeper and completely dark with a loud sound of bats. We three were the only people in the mountain with no help. We were about to give up!. We discussed with each other and finally decided we should worship lord Shiva today!! 

We started moving again with a better josh. My friend Sathish, who was leading us from the front kept moving in the dark. With the help of a mobile torch, we kept moving slowly by crawling over the ladder. we switched off the mobile torch after realizing there were more bats. After a thrilling moment, we saw some sunlight. Yes!!! we reached the top of the puligundu rock mountain!!! Words can't explain our feelings. we made it!! we worshipped Lord shiva.

Puligundu trekking Phase 1

After reaching the top, we felt like we reached Mars!!!. we rang the temple bell once. The sound of the bell was more soulful than Raja sir's music. We were filled with spiritual energy. The power of Lord Shiva!!!! It was a trip filled with fun, spirituality, and thrill. On a final note, If you love trekking which raises your heartbeat or which makes you tired, Puligundu rock mountain is your right spot. I am neither an atheist nor a religious person. The amount of spiritual and positive energy that the Puligundu shivan temple gave can't be described in words.  I request everyone who is depressed and needs some positive energy to drive the life further, I personally recommend you to visit puligundu shivan temple at least once in your lifetime. It is believed that whatever you pray to lord shiva in puligundu will become a reality in your life. Trust me, it happened to me. That is the reason why I am spending time writing about my experience.

Puligundu trekking phase 3

Five important takeaways from the Puligundu trekking:

1. Carry enough water and some snack to make yourself keep going.

2. Try to start the trip early morning, as the day is extremely hot which will make you tired.

3. If it is a rainy season, be careful with your steps. rocks are very slippery.

4. Don't use mobile phones while climbing. let one person reach above you and let him shoot.

5. Don't lean on any barriers. They are not strong and it's only there to satisfy your brain that you are safe.