Wander Wonder Travel: Road trip to Thirumoorthi Hills, Palani and Dindigul!

Our itinerary were as follows:

5th October 2019: Drive to Palani. On the way visit Thirumurthi Hills. Explore Palani

6th October 2019: Visit Palani Temple, Thiruvaavinakudi temple, Drive to Dindigul and visit Thadikombu Perumal temple, Abirami Amman Temple and Dindigul Fort. Have Thalappakatti Biriyani. Drive back to Palani, take rest and then visit Periya Nayagi Amman Temple.

7th October 2019: Early morning drive to Kodaikanal. Visit Silver Cascade falls which is on the way. Visit Echo Point, Pine tree forest, Green Valley View Point, Pillar Rocks View Point, Guna caves, Kodaikanal Lake.

8th October 2019:

Return to Cochin. On the way back visit Malampuzha dam and have Rawther Biriyani from 'NMR Biriyani House' Palakkad.

Thirumoorthy Hills:

Thirumoorthy Hills is about 20 km from Udumalpetta on the Highway from Palani to Coimbatore. There is a temple called Thirumoorthy Temple which is situated at the foot of the Thirumoorthy hills. The presiding deity is called Amanalingeswara.

On the way to Thirumoorthi Hills you could see the scenic beauty of the Anamalai hill range of Western Ghats.

There is also a famous waterfalls called Panjalinka falls which is situated about three kilometers climbing over the hills. The pathway to this waterfalls covered with trees and you could get a good view of the cascading water to the Thirumoorthy reservoir. Monkeys will accompany you throughout the way. This place has been shooting location of many Tamil and Malayalam movies.

Palani :

Located in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, Palani is a beautiful hill station, the hills of which are part of the oldest mountain range in India. The name of the town is derived from two Tamil words “Pazham” which means “fruit” and “Nee” meaning “you”.

Palani is a land with rich history. Palani was under the rule of the kings of Madurai and Coimbatore during different points of history. The architecture of the Goddess Periyanayaki Amman Temple shows the influence of both the Pandya and Nayaka kings. In the 18th century the place was under the rule of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who in return of a nominal tribute let the Palayakarars of Balasamudram rule. It was then handed over to the British during the time of colonial reign.

Palani Temple view at night!

Palani is home to several temples including one of the most sacred shrines of God Subramanyan(also called as Lord Murugan), Palani Dhandayuthapani Temple. Palani Temple is also known as Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple. Periya Nayaki Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati is another temple located at Palani.

Festivals such as Thaipusam, Vaikasi Visakam and Thirukarthigai, which are celebrated in Palani with much glory manages to draw many tourists to this very place. Kavadi aattam(burden dance) is also celebrated during festive season. Kavadi aattam is a central part of the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage.

View from uphill

Thiruvaavinakudi temple is another temple in Palani which is located at the down hill. Local people believes that you have to visit this temple first before visiting the main shrine at the hill top.

Thiruvaavinakudi temple!

There are many shops on the way to Palani Temple steps. Be careful as people may make a fool of you saying many devotional things and force you to buy something or other. Don't let yourself fall into their trap. After the arch entrance you could see a small temple of Lord Ganapathy behind which lies the entrance to Palani Temple. From here starts the temple steps. The temple is located at the top of the hill and people have to climb the steps to get darsan of Lord Murugan. We started climbing the steps by around 5:10AM and reached the top by around 5:50AM. There are around 640 steps altogether. Six Poojas are performed from 6:00AM to 8:00PM. There are different queues available like a queue for free Darsan, a queue for amount Rs.10/- and another one for Rs. 100/-. We opted for Rs.10/- queue.

At the top of the hill!

By 6:00AM Pooja started and we didn't have to wait much to get the Darsan. On the way up you could see camphor being lighted in the steps which are being lighted by the devotees. Devotees were also garnishing the temple steps with a paste of Kumkum and Turmeric and flowers we being spread on the steps. You can also see people carrying Kavadi and a pot of milk (for Palabhishekam) to offer to the Lord. Devotees also shave their head as son offering to Lord Murugan. You could see some shops next to Saravana Poigai(which is nothing but a toilet) were heads of devotees are being shaved.

Saravana Poigai(Toilet)

Exit

Temple steps!

There is also an cable car facility available, if people find it difficult to climb the steps they can always opt for this option.

Panchamirtam is the main prasadam at Palani, which is made of five fruits.

Temple Gopuram!

Even now you could see people travelling in Tonga at Palani.

Jigarthanta is a famous drink in Madurai, Tamilnadu.

In and around Dindigul:

Thadikombu Perumal temple:

Soundararajaperumal Temple is a temple dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is located in Thadikombu which is a village near Dindigul in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Abirami Amman Temple:

Abirami Amman Temple is a famous temple dedicated to Goddess located in the mid of Dindigul market. The lane to the temple is narrow so it's better to park your vehicle at some nearby spot and walk to the temple.

Bomma Kolu!

Dindigul Fort:

Dindigul Rock Fort is nearby Abirami Amman Temple only. You can get the view of the Fort from distance itself as it is located on top of the hill. Don't believe Google Maps to reach here: we just couldn't find the entrance even after taking a drive round the downhill. It's better to check with localites.

Thalappakatti Biriyani:

Thalappakatti restaurant was started in 1957. This style of Biriyani was founded by Mr. Nagasamy Naidu at Dindigul. He always wore a turban called THALAPA(a traditional head dress) which became synonymous with his brand and cooking style.