Drive from Rameshwaram to Pondicherry along the coast - 7th day of our 14 days long trip through east coast of India || Noida to Rameshwaram
%20to%20see%20the%20Danish%20fort%20in%20Tamilnadu%20state,%20India-1.jpg "Drive from Rameshwaram to Pondicherry along the coast - 7th day of our 14 days long trip through east coast of India || Noida to Rameshwaram")
On Day 7 of our 14-day long trip from Noida to Rameshwaram and back via the Eastern Ghats of India, we left Rameshwaram, early in the morning when it was still dark. It was still dark when we crossed the Pamban bridge and started travelling past the little hamlets near the coast. It was then that we truly appreciated how early rural Tamil Nadu starts its day.
Much before the dawn broke, people were out and about reading newspaper and sipping coffee at local joints. It was a sweet scene. We stopped at a coffee shop a little while after the sun came out and had some vadas with coffee. It was a lovely feeling. The shop was wonderfully located at the side of a road with rice fields on both sides. Birds were chirping and a cool breeze was blowing.
Our first sightseeing stop on this day was at Velankanni, where we saw the Bascilica of Our Lady of Good Health, the Morning Star Cathedral, and Old Velankanni Church. The town was clean and overflowing with devotion. We saw devotees walking on their knees on the 600m sandy stretch leading to the Bascilica. We reached there and were surprised to find a service in progress in Hindi. Apparently there is a service schedule in various languages and we happened to visit when it was scheduled to happen in Hindi.
All the beauty an devotion that we witnessed at Velankanni made it difficult to believe that this was the town worst hit by the devastating Tsunami of 2004. Hundreds of pilgrims were washed away into the sea and hundreds of bodies were recovered from beneath the sand and debris. Because they could not be identified, they had to be buried in mass graves. The town has since picked up its pieces and rebuilt. People have woven their lives around the voids and tried to move on. Now, the only way you find out about the destruction back then was by reading about it on the Internet. The town hides its wounds very well.
Another interesting aspect of Velankanni is that the Churches here are visited by people of all faiths. In fact, even the Catholics who visit the church and pay homage here, do it like it is done in Hindu traditions. So you may spot devotees clad in saffron clothes, offerings of coconuts being made on bamboo plates, and people even getting their heads shaved, like one does at many Hindu shrines. It is indeed a town of miracles.
%20to%20see%20the%20Danish%20fort%20in%20Tamilnadu%20state%20of%20India-3.jpg "Drive from Rameshwaram to Pondicherry along the coast - 7th day of our 14 days long trip through east coast of India || Noida to Rameshwaram")
After this we proceeded to Tharangambadi (Tranqebar) to see Danish fort and other establishments around it. Then went to Gangaikonda Cholapuram to see ruins of Chola dynasty and an ancient Chola temple.
%20to%20see%20the%20Danish%20fort%20in%20Tamilnadu%20state,%20India-4.jpg "Drive from Rameshwaram to Pondicherry along the coast - 7th day of our 14 days long trip through east coast of India || Noida to Rameshwaram")
We debated on whether we should stay at Pichavaram or move on to Puducherry. Pichavaram had some exciting sounding Mangrove Forest which we could explore on boat. There was also a promise of seeing some interesting birds. We had done a similar trip at a lake in Siem Reap in Cambodia and would be visiting a bird sanctuary later in Pulicat. So we thought that we could skip that experience. We were excited about Pondicherry and were eager to reach the city.
Pondicherry was around 100 kilometers further up and we had time. The drive itself was more or less pleasant until we got into Pondicherry. There we faced the same traffic and narrow streets that Google often leads you into. After identifying and finalising the hotel, we checked into it and headed out for a quick dinner.
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