The literary classic, Ponniyin Selvan, remains a best seller, even today at book fairs. To be read and loved by many generations (more than 60 years since its first release), says everything about this historical novel. The day I started reading this magnum opus by Kalki Krishnamoorthy, I fell in love with it. Also, while reading Ponniyin Selvan, I had this wild idea of travelling to the places in the story — through a road trip with a friend. I felt it would be my kind of time travel! And, that’s how I got inspired to go on this trip.
Thirupurambhiyam Pallipadai Temple
The travel was mainly carried out in the places around Kumbakonam, Veeranam lake and Kodikkarai. As a part of the tour, I had gone to places of cultural and historical significance — like Veeranam Lake, Veera Narayana Perumal Temple, Kadambur temples, Thirupurambhiyam Pallipadai, Keezha Pazhaiyarai, Thiruvaiyaaru, Pazhuvur, Kuzhagar Temple (Kodikkarai), Chozha Light House(Kodikkarai), Nagapattinam Buddha Vihar (Nagapattinam), Kodumbaalur, Udaiyarkudi and Udaiyalur.
Kalaiyarasan
Among the above-mentioned places, I urge you to visit Veeranam Lake, Thirupurambhiyam Pallipadai and Kodikkarai. Also, Kadambur Temple is something you should not miss — you can see the statue, which, when tapped with a coin, will make a metal-like noise, in spite of it being made of stone.
Sudamani Buddha Viharam (Nagapattina
Even in the scenic sense, the trip turned out to be wonderful, as the 16 km stretch along the banks of the vast Veeranam Lake to the silent Kodikkarai sea is a delight for nature lovers.
One of the best things about this trip was the hospitality shown by the locals. They were so friendly and they guided me throughout the road trip. Some even went on to help us find places that were difficult to reach.
Kadambur Temple
The most memorable experience I had during the entire trip was visiting Thirupurambhiyam Pallipadai, because it was so hard to find. I visited it on a full moon night, and it was amazing — it was like going back a thousand years, right into the story where they conspire to kill Aditya Karikalan. Even the locals had never heard of it or its whereabouts. This was actually where the battle of Thirupurambhiyam took place between the Pallavas and Pandyas. The Chozhas were allies of Pallavas and helped them win the war. The Chozhas became the great empire they once were, as a result of this victory. This Pallipadai temple was built for Ganga king Pritvipathi (an ally of Pandyas) who died in the war. It is also one of the most important places in the novel. And for people who are planning to go for this trip, I would suggest you to do this as a road trip on a bike with a friend. As bus services are infrequent in most of the places, a private vehicle would be a better choice. As far as the time is concerned, July-August would be ideal, since the story also begins in Tamil month Aadi 18 (Aadi Perukku).
Next on my list is the Thrissur Pooram festival!
