The Rock. Review on Tiruchirappalli

The main aspect of the city that catches your attention is THE ROCK!

This was once a small town located on the banks of river Cauvery. But it has grown to one of the largest cities of Tamil Nadu. This city's main landmark is the Rock Fort that looms right across the river when you enter Trichy by road.

A brief history - Trichy or Tiruchirapally has been ruled by the Cholas, Pallavas, Nayaks of Madurai, the Marathas, the Nawabs of Carnatic, the French and the Britsh. It has also been under the Vijayanagara empire for a while. It is now a bustling city with ample opportunities for business and tourism.

First of all, let me warn you that you cannot step into Trichy expecting a rich tourist atmosphere. It is just like any other city in India. There aren't many activities for tourism. The major reason that one would want to stay in Trichy is to visit the temples around it. Once part of the ancient chola kingdom, the city boasts of ancient temples at close proximities.

What to do in Trichy?

Here are some interesting places in and around Trichy. You may plan your schedule based on the time on hand.

Rock Fort: This gigantic rock, the major attraction of the city, is home to 2 temples - Mathrubhootheswarar ( Thayumaanavar) Siva temple and a Vinayaka temple that is right at the top of the rock. The rock is believed to be 3.8 million years old. There are about 420 steps to reach the top. The view from the top is fantastic. You see the Sri Rangam and Tiruvaanaikaval gopurams (Entrance towers) from here. Evenings is a nice time to spend in the slopes near the Vinayaka temple. The breeze is lovely and the river cauvery and the temple gopurams present a very soothing picture. It takes about 20-30 minutes for an average person to reach the top. There is no other means than take the steps.

Lourdes Church: This is bang opposite the Rock Fort. This church's workmanship is amazing. This is suppposed to be a replica of Basilica of Lourdes in Southern France. The church is really huge and has an imposing structure. Another beauty of the church is its stained glass paintings.

Sri Rangam: This is a small town located about 7 kms outside Trichy famouns for its Ranganatha Shrine. This is almost an island with River Cauvery on one side and Kollidam, a tribute of Cavuery on the other. The temple complex is really huge with about 20 gopurams, the tallest being 72m. This 13-tiered gopuram was built recently in the 1980s. The remaining were built between the 14th and 18th centuries. This temple complex is believed to be the largest in India. Another thing that this temple is famous for is it Puliyodhare (Tamrind rice) and Curd Rice!! Trust me, they're really yummy!! The drive from Trichy should take 20-30 minutes. Visiting the various shrines in the temple and getting a darshan of the main God would take about 2 hours on an average.

Tiruvaanaikaaval: This is a very old and magnificent Siva temple which is located a few kilometers away from Trichy. In fact SriRangam and this town are on either sides of the main road to/from Trichy. This is the temple that represents Water of the 5 elements of nature. The Siva linga is quite small and you have to climb stairs down into a small room where you see the linga. There is water perpetually on the floor. In fact it seems like the siva linga is inside a small lake. The water level seems to have reduced since my earlier visit. This water is supposed to be from the river Cauvery, but no one seems to have any clue to its source inside the temple. This temple isn't as crowded as SriRangam and should take 30-45 minutes on an average.

Mukkombu: This is park on the outskirts of Trichy. River Cauvery splits into three at this location. You can wade into the water. Railings have been put up to ensure safety. Other than this there's nothing much you can do here. The routes to this park is through a narrow dam.

Gunaseelam: This is another temple of Lord Vishnu located further down Mukkombu on its other side, away from Trichy. Many believe that this temple was present even before Tirupati.

Samayapuram: Yet another temple, but this time of the goddess. This temple has links to the Parasurama story. Parasurama slayed his mother at the direction of his father. When he requested his mother's life back, story goes that his mother's head was attached to the body of a fisher-woman rather than her own body. This goddess in this temple has a huge face that is disproportionate to the body of the idol. Though the temple is crowded, the organisation is pretty good and the crowd keeps moving. It should take about 1 hour on an average to cover this temple.

Now, all said and done about the temples, let me give you some warnings. Stay away from touts who would claim they can get you a faster darshan or sell something that they say is most liked by the God. Check with the temple's counters for special darshan tickets, if any and only trust the temple authorities.

Where to Stay?

There are numerous hotels in Trichy that cater to the needs of every type of tourist. For the higher end, you can check out Jenny's Residency, Femina, Royal Southern or Sangam (all over Rs. 750). For mid-range you can check out Hotel Abhirami, Mathura, Maya's. (Range from 350 to 500 and are recommended). We stayed at Hotel Mathura and it exceeded our expectations! There are other hotels that offer rooms for lesser rates. In fact the cost of living is pretty low that you get pretty decent rooms for very less cost.

Where to eat?

Vasanta Bhavan is a popular hotel chain that has outlets across the city. The food here (especially South indian) is pretty good and the service quite fast.

What to buy?

There's nothing special in Trichy that can be brought as souvenirs. You may check out the NSB Road (outside the Rock Fort) which is the main shopping area. Saratha's is an old and popular place for purchasing garments. You also get attractive stone-studded (artificial) jewellery inside the Rock fort temple gates. Bargaining is the power you need to shop here!!

How is the place generally?

The city isn't very clean, though the people are very nice and friendly. Almost everyone we met lent a helping hand and did not expect anything in return. The bus services are pretty good. The only sore point was the blaring horns. The city has got pretty crowded since our earlier visits. This is quite close to other major towns in Tamilnadu like Tanjore or Kumbakonam and has regular bus services to these places.

Do you recommend?

If you are in TamilNadu for the sake of visiting temples, do not give this place a miss. If you are here for business or transiting through Trichy, do checkout the spots possible. This place is definitely not a must-see on a traveller's itinerary.