Rameswaram Trip Experiences

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Last week, I had been to Rameswaram with my extended family members (nearly 15 people). Rameswaram is not only a popular destination for South Indian pilgrims but also for North Indians because of its historical significance. I was eagerly waiting to see various places in/around Rameswaram, because of their legacy. (Also read: Rameswaram & Danushkodi Trip Planning Tips)

We took Rameswaram express from Chennai (at 5 pm) and reached Rameswaram early in the morning (at 4.30 am). We did a mistake of not booking hotel rooms in advance. The roads around the station weren't maintained well and there were hardly any hotels, near the station. Looks like people/devotees typically stay closer to the temple. We took 4 autorickshaws to go near the temple to look for rooms. Rameswaram isn't a developed city, despite the huge crowd that visit the temple city everyday.

We managed to find an accommodation in Siva Lodge near the temple (for Rs.500 per room which can accommodate 4 - 5 people). We dropped our luggage in the hotel room, took a short break and went to the sea to take the holy dip. I was surprised by the quality of sea water in the location where people take the holy dip. It is heavily polluted because of the crowd.

We then went to the temple for '22 theerthams'. We paid Rs.75 per person (including the ticket fare), for an intermediary to quickly take us through the '22 theerthams'. After the '22 theerthams' we went back to the hotel room to take bath and change our dress. We had breakfast in Hotel Vasantha Bhavan opposite to the temple and then visited the temple again. (Also read: Golden temple in Sripuram, Vellore - Marvelous)

Rameswaram Temple was not maintained very well. There were broken pillars, peeling cement/paint layers, and spider webs all around the temple. The exteriors of the temple are painted well. The 'moondram pragaram' had a number of pillars on both the sides of the walkway for nearly 1200m. The view was simply amazing and a feast for cameras.

We went back to hotel room, took rest and hired a couple of Maruti Omnis to take us around the city. They took us to the 'famous spots' in the city and charged us a hefty Rs.1000 per van, for 3 or 4 hours of ride. The places they showed us include such as Ramar Theertham, Setha Theertham, Lakshman Theertham, Ramar Patham, House of Kalam (view from the street), and Kothandaramar temple, Floating Rock, Pamban Bridge and Jothilingam temple. We had lunch at Hotel Aryas in Goswamy Madam. The food quality was good. We finished the tour and came back to hotel by around 6 pm. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel. The breeze from the sea nearby was very pleasant and hence many of us decided to sleep on the corridor of the hotel room for the night. The corridor had an open balcony from where you can get the ocean view.

Certain pockets of Rameswaram is well developed, but majority of the city isn't maintained well (including the streets near the temple & the roads near 'House of Kalam'). The restaurants near the temple aren't adequately staffed and there is a long waiting time to find seats. Majority of the people who visit Rameswaram include old people and people of middle/low income category. So, the commercial establishments are targetted at such customers. If you are expecting 'luxury' you'll be disappointed very much.

Also read:

Danushkodi Trip Experiences
Tirupati Tirumala Visit - May be the last?
Tiruchendur Temple - Poojari's demanding money  
Kovai Trip - Maruthamalai Visit 

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First R2I Anniversary - The Journey continues ...

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We just celebrated our first year R2I anniversary. It feels like just waving final good bye to US. But, the clock moved very fast to ring the anniversary bells. It is a significant mile stone in my life.

When I decided to R2I last year, I wasn't sure if my decision would withstand the tsunamis from day to day life in India. But, my R2I journey is standing tall and strong like a light house.

What do I miss the most? The first thing that pops out of my mind ... is my friends. Almost all my friends are in US and I miss their company. The regular get togethers, the potlucks, the birthday parties, the joint outings ... I miss them all. A quick call to a friend to ask "Hey! Did you file your tax returns? How did you do it?"... "How do I apply for my kid's passport?"... There are not many friends around, to ask such questions. 

What do I enjoy the most? The liveliness of India. Take a short walk outside your home and you'll meet at least 10 people that you know. They may not necessarily be your friends. But, they all wish you "Good morning!" or at least say a "Hi!" to you. India is filled with people. Parks, beaches, railway stations, tourist spots... there is people everywhere & I love it.

My wife and daughter are enjoying it too. My wife gets to meet her parents often, she gets household help from maids, she can do all her shopping in just a few minutes of walk (instead of having to drive miles). She is loving it. My daughter enjoys the company of my parents and their pampering. In fact, my daughter got adapted to the new life, faster than we had thought. (Also read: 100 reasons to R2I)


The last one year changed our life significantly and we picked up new skills along the way. We learned to navigate through the day to day problems. We learned to negotiate with people in India (though we haven't mastered it yet!). And more importantly, we learned to live without a car. (Also read: Driving on Indian roads - Pleasure or Pain?)

The last one year has made us stronger, wiser and super motivated to continue our R2I journey. We are deep into the woods now and there is no looking back. Definitely, there are miles to go... but, our batteries are charged with enthusiasm to take us through the rest of the journey.


Also read:


10 things to know before your R2I
R2I Planning Guide

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Shoe Trees - the life extenders for your shoes

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Have you heard about "Shoe Trees"? It is hard to guess the application/purpose of this device, with just its name. Recently, I came to know about this device from a friend of mine, who has been there in US for 30+ years. We both were attending a trade show and our conversation led to my brand new shoes. I told him that this is the costliest pair of shoes that I ever bought. He asked  what do you do to maintain your shoes or extend its life? I was puzzled with his question. He continued to ask "Do you know that there is a way to keep the shoes from smelling bad?" He said, you should buy "Shoe Trees" and shared with me lots of interesting details about it.

Shoe Trees are very commonly used in US. The main purpose of Shoe Trees is to absorb moisture from the shoes and there by, extend the shoes' life and prevent the shoes from smelling bad. It looks like many young kids are forced by their parents to use Shoe Trees. Parents do not want to spend big bucks on high quality shoes and that too, not very often. Hence, they wanted the kids to use Shoe Trees to extend the Shoes' life. Moreover, kids get involved in intense activities and hence it makes sense for them to use Shoe Trees to absorb moisture from their shoes. Once you return home in the evening, you just need to insert these Shoe Trees into your shoes and leave them for the whole night. They'll take care of the remaining job.

On hearing about Shoe Trees, I was wondering, why "Shoe Trees" aren't very common in India. In fact, our feet get moist easily because of the hot weather in India. I guess the economics are making Shoe Trees unaffordable? In US, Shoe Trees are sold anywhere from $20 - $40. In India, many people cannot afford shoes. And the ones who buy shoes look for a bargain and end up buying shoes for half that cost. Also, because of the excessive wear & tear of shoes in India, you cannot technically "extend" the life of shoes. If you are using your leather shoes everyday, it may hardly last for a year or two. Also, during the winter season, you cannot avoid stepping into water clogged roads. So, the mantra of 'long life for shoes' doesn't hold good, here in India.

Anyways, if you have the practise of wearing leather shoes to work in US, you should definitely consider buying Shoe Trees. Based on what I heard from couple of people in US, these toys 'really' extend the life of shoes, if used regularly.


Also read:


11/45 - The rarest size
Goods in US - lots of options & cheaper price

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A ban on spitting pan in public places - who enforces it?

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It was a beautiful and pleasant evening. I had taken my daughter to a nearby park. The park wasn't very busy, but had decent number of people. There were all kinds of people ... of different age groups and economical background. There were people sitting on benches talking to each other, people walking around the park to burn calories, and little kids playing on the play structures. My daughter enjoyed playing in the park ... on the sliding board, merry-go round, and swings. She climbed over all the play structures.

(Also read: Vandalur Zoo - Infrastructure is world class but people's behavior is local class)

We had spent quite some time in the park and were about to leave. Two teenage boys entered the park and sat on an empty bench. The guys looked somewhat rough and were talking in 'Chennai Tamil'. They were chewing pan, and constantly spitting near the bench they were sitting on. I was noticing this for a while. I was tempted to go to them and ask them not to spit in the park. The teenagers looked rough and hence, I was contemplating whether to do that or not. Finally, I developed some courage and decided to advise them. I went to them and asked "If you don't mistake me, can I tell you something?". They gave a puzzled look not sure about what was I going to tell. "I have been noticing that you were spitting in the park. I'm not sure if you are doing that intentionally or unintentionally. There are so many kids playing in the  park with the sand. In the best interest of the kids, can you please not spit in the park?" I was surprised on seeing their reaction. "Sir ! We didn't do it intentionally. We'll not do it from now on. Thanks for pointing this out".

The second instance happened in CBE (during my visit to Infoquest 2010). We were waiting in CBE bus stand for our bus to Chennai. There were long rows of chairs for the passengers to wait/relax. I saw a family of 6 people, occupying the row in front of us. The head of the family was a gigantic man, chewing pan. He was constantly arguing with his family members and irritating them. I didn't pay much attention to their conversation. However, the gigantic man got my attention when he spit pan over the tiled floor. He did it a couple of times and wasn't sensible to the menace he was causing. I took the courage to talk to him. I told "Sir ! If you don't mistake me, can I ask you not to spit here on the floor?". He immediately said "Sorry Sir ! I won't do it". He stopped doing that, after that.

Also read: Skywalks in Train Stations - What are they for?

Irrespective of where you go, it is very common to see people spitting pan on the streets/roads. It is very common to see that in shopping malls, cinema theaters, walkways and even in temples. People do not realize the health hazards of spitting on the streets. The educated folks do not even make an attempt to correct them. They just mind their own business and go on. Of course, "Not everyone is alike" and you may even run into people who may cause physical harm to you. I believe that "If told politely, and if you don't touch their egos, you'll get a proper response". You shouldn't try to prove that you are 'more socially responsible' than the other person. Your objective should be to just educate them. Today, smoking & spitting are prohibited in all public places. However, it should be enforced and followed religiously.

Also read: If I don't care, who'll care

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