EXPLORING TAMIL NADU: MADURAI TO CHENNAI

Those of you who follow my Facebook page will know that I recently came back from a fabulous trip to India. I spent my first week in Central India, visiting 2 of the country’s best national parks in search of tigers. And I spent my second week exploring the delights of Tamil Nadu, a vibrant state in southern India. Usually rolled in to a trip around Southern India that includes Kerala, I wanted for focus on Tamil Nadu itself. So, I opted to travel by road from Madurai to Chennai over the course of a week, visiting towns and temples en route. And what I saw didn’t disappoint - this area is a treasure trove of history, spirituality, and natural beauty. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a nature lover, or a foodie, this culturally rich destination offers something for everyone. Here are some notes from my travels. I flew from Nagpur to Madurai and was met my driver/guide Sathish who’d be looking after me for the next 7 days. He was a really lovely chap, smiling and good natured, full of information and handy tips and local wisdom. And he remained calm and collected in the face of some of the ridiculous manoeuvres of other drivers.

Madurai is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and it’s home to the magnificent Meenakshi Amman Temple - an architectural marvel with towering gopurams and intricate carvings. When I visited in February 2025 it was being repainted (this happens every 12 years apparently, in readiness for a special festival). The festival’s happening next year, which meant most of the towers were covered in netting. It was a bit disappointing not to see all the towers in their glory – but the temple’s interior was very impressive. And I was there to witness one of the many rituals, where a priest, a bull (complete with flower garlands) and a holy artefact are parading around the building – very atmospheric. There’s also a lovely palace that’s worth visiting here – the architecture is amazing and very flamboyant (well, it was designed by an Italian!)

I did a street food tour one evening which I really enjoyed – sampling a number of local specialities including dhosas (which had already become my favourite snack – wafer thin pancakes filled with delicious potato curry) and butter buns. Butter buns are not for the faint-hearted or anyone watching their collesterol. Basically, bread rolls are deep fried in butter in a wok – pressed down with a spatula, to make sure that as much butter as possible is absorbed by the bread. I had a taste of one of these but couldn’t manage a whole bun.

My next overnight stop was in Tanjore, but we stopped en route in Trichy, with a temple complex which was a revelation. There’s a mini-Varanasi in the town by the river where ceremonies are held for the dead and families visit priests sitting in individual booths to honour their departed relatives by praying and offering sacrifices.

There’s a Rock Fort Temple high above the town which I opted not to visit – it looked like a potentially cardiac arrest-inducing climb, and my guide told me it was of limited interest. However, the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in nearby Srirangam is a completely different kettle of fish. It’s one of the largest and most significant Vaishnavite temples in the world and it’s utterly beautiful. I really enjoyed wandering about the complex.

Tanjore (or Thanjavur in the Tamil language) is home to Brihadeeswarar temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, built by the Cholas. This grand temple, also known as the Big Temple, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and features an enormous vimana (tower) and a massive Nandi statue. Nandi is the sacred bull of Shiva, one of the most important Hindu gods. Nandi is Shiva's animal form, his means of transportation, and his most ardent worshipper. I really enjoyed wandering around the temple complex with its intricate frescoes and sculptures.

I was there on a Saturday and there were numerous groups of schoolkids visiting – all looking very smart in their school uniforms, and more than happy to pose for the camera!

My next overnight was in Pondicherry, but there were a few historically important temples en route. As I was keen not to get templed-out, I asked my lovely driver/guide Sanrith to recommend the best two. The first was Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram. Although smaller than the other temples I’d visited, this site had the most amazing carvings. The main pavilion’s 108 pillars, each unique, have marvellously detailed carvings, including dancers, acrobats and the five-in-one beast yali (elephant's head, lion's body, goat's horns, pig's ears and cow's backside).

The second temple was the Dancing Shiva Temple in Chidambaram – a large complex dedicated to Lord Shiva in his cosmic dance form. It’s much visited by worshippers all queueing for see Shiva’s gold-roofed sanctum. It was appropriate that there was a dance competition going on nearby and many of the dance troupes in their beautiful costumes were wandering around the complex. We snuck a look into the nearby hall to see one of the  girls performing.

Pondicherry is unique. While technically a Union Territory, it’s easily accessible from Tamil Nadu and offers a fabulous blend of French colonial charm and Tamil culture. You can stroll along the Promenade Beach, explore the French Quarter with its colourful historic houses, and visit the Aurobindo Ashram for a spiritual retreat. I really loved it here and enjoyed wandering around the streets with their French road signs, patisseries and bistros and the remnants of the city’s French rule. I stayed at a lovely hotel here called the Palais de Mahe – my favourite of this part of the trip. It’s a colonial style building in the heart of the French quarter with only a few rooms. The staff here are wonderful and obliging, and the food in the rooftop restaurant outstanding.

The last leg of the trip was to Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s capital. The last part of the drive was along the coast, where was stopped at Mahahabalipuram – a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its rock-cut temples and sculptures. For me, the most impressive part of the site is the huge bas relief of elephants carved into the rock – really spectacular. Before we headed to Chennai, I had a delicious lunch in a beachside restaurant – with the largest tiger prawns I’ve ever seen. Sorry, no photos of these – I was too busy scoffing them!

Chennai is typical of many Indian cities – chaotic and full-on with loads of traffic. It reminded me of Mumbai with its Victorian era buildings mixed in with the modern city. Most people visiting Tamil Nadu will stay here first – because there’s an international airport with flights from the UK, and if you’re combining Tamil Nadu with Kerala, you’ll travel in the opposite direction to my journey. I think that’s fine, because despite visiting some of Chennai’s more interesting sights -  an important temple, a historic church and the flower market – the city really didn’t do much for me.

I really enjoyed my tour around this part of India and would highly recommend a visit here. If you’ve visited India before and have focused on northern Indian and Rajasthan, it’s the perfect place for a second visit. Get in touch to plan you perfect India itinerary.