Incredible India Tour - 01 April 2009 (Wednesday)

After Madurai...our next stop was Kodaikanal...a much cooler place ;)

The view The aunty selling jagung bakar !!!The sky at night

Our hotel

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of Dindigul district. It is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination. It's a lot cooler in temperature than lower elevation cities such as Chennai.The word Kodaikanal is formed from the two Tamil words Kodai and Kanal. Kanal Kanal means seeing.The economy of Kodaikanal is predominantly run by tourism.Kodaikanal has several scenic natural attractions which are enjoyed by its visitors and make it a popular romantic destination for newlyweds.

next stop...Bryant Park

Incredible India Tour - 31 Mac 2009 (Tuesday)

Madurai is the oldest inhabited city in the Indian peninsula. It is referred to with names like Koodal Maanagar, Thoongaa Nagar (Sleepless City), Malligai Maanagar (City of Jasmine) and Athens of the East. It is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is a municipal corporation situated on the banks of the River Vaigai in Madurai district.The corporation has received several National awards in the year 2008 for implementing development works. The city is also referred to as the Temple city. With a city population of 1,108,755 according to the 2004 estimation, it is the administrative capital of Madurai district. Madurai was the capital city of ancient Southern civilization. Madurai's cultural heritage goes back 2,500 years, and the city has been an important commercial center and has conducted trade as far as Rome and Greece since as early as 550 B.C.E. We stayed at Golden Park Hotel. That morning, we visited the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple

It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. This temple has a stunning architecture and a significant testimony for Vishwakarma Brahmins for their master architecture in sculpting this temple. The complex houses 14 magnificent Gopurams or towers including two golden Gopurams for the main deities, that are elaborately sculptured and painted. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is believed to have been built only recently in the early 17th century. This magnificient architectual wonder was a frontrunner in the election for the modern [seven wonders of the world] for its architectural importance. In 2009, the temple has been selected one of the Seven Wonders of India by NDTV.

Met 2 Frenchmen wearing dhoti(s) ...how sweeeet ;) I finally got to take the auto in Madurai. What an experience !!! A majority of Indian auto rickshaws have no doors or seatbelts.

one helluva experience ;)

Incredible India Tour - 30 Mac 2009 (monday)

The Brihadishwara Temple also known as Rajarajeswaram at Thanjavur, is the world's first complete granite temple and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples" and this temple is an ultimate testimonial for the vishwakarmas architectural cognizence in planning and sculpting this temple. Me Mom & sis in front of temple

This temple is one of India's most prized architectural sites.

The famous Tanjore dolls ... The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The 'Vimana' - or the temple tower - is 216 ft (66 m) high (about 70 meters) and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kalash or 'Shikhara' (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is of monolithic granite weighing 81.25 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones, a material sparsely available currently in Thanjavur area where the temple is located.

Later, we went too Pillayarpatti. Karpaka Vinayakar Temple is an ancient rock-cut cave shrine dedicated to Ganesha, located at Pillayarpatti, in the state of Tamil Nadu.
In the cave temple, there are rock cut images of Shiva and other gods as well as several shrines. A unique Tamil image of Ganesha found in the temple helps to verify this dating. The presiding deity of the temple is Karpaka Vinayakar or Desi Vinayaka Pillaiyar.
Today, the Pillayarpatti Nagarathar worshipers are involved in conducting daily worship services in the temple, as well as maintaining it. People from all over the state, as well as great numbers of pilgrims, come here everyday and gather for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival held every year during the months of August and September.

Indian tea stall & tea master ( and no i DID NOT have tea there ;) )

Our journey continued to Madurai & we spent the night there...

29 Mac 2009 ( Sunday)

The journey continued to Chidambaram. Chidambaram is a municipality and taluk (tehsil) headquarters in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. It is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail. Chidambaram is a major pilgrimage site for Shaivites as the temple there houses the Akasha Lingam of Shiva and is one of the greatest Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu.The Chidambaram Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in His form of the Cosmic Dancer,Nataraja. It is a temple complex spread over 40 acres (160,000 m2) in the heart of the city is one of the great Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu. It hosts the most ancient set of 108 Karana stone carvings, the key dance movements of Nataraja.Loved the sky.

We visited nearly 7 temples around the area and call it day at night. We stayed the night at Tanjavur @ Tanjore. Thanjavur also known by its anglicised name Tanjore, is a municipality and the headquarters of the Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. It has a population of a quarter of a million and is the Eleventh largest city in Tamil Nadu.The name Thanjavur is derived from "Tanjan", a legendary asura in Hindu mythology. Thanjavur is one of the oldest cities in India and has a long and varied history dating back to Sangam period. The city rose into prominence during the rule of the Later Cholas when it served as the capital of the Chola empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by the Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian art and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, an UNESCO World Heritage Monument are located in an around Thanjavur. The foremost among the Great Living Chola temples, the Brihadeeswara Temple, is located in the center of the town. Thanajavur is also the home of the Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. The town is an important agricultural center located at the heart of the region, known as the "rice bowl of Tamil Nadu".

We stayed at Hotel Ramnath...

Incredible India Tour (27 - 29 Mac 2009)

27 & 28 Mac 2009

Firstly...i am sorry for taking some time to update the pics and stories on my India tour. I was sick and still recovering. This India trip was a promise i made to my mom and sis long time ago. Finally, i had the time & cash to take them on the tour. On 27th Mac, we took MH180 (at 9.35pm local time) from KLIA to Chennai (Madras). Arrived Chennai airpot at 10.45pm (M'sian time maybe around 12.30 midnight). Man....i finally had the taste of 'busy India'. Thank God Izzo warned me earlier about the noise factor...OMG...u gotta be there to understand wat i mean.
We were staying at my sister's friend's place in Ambattur. Ambattur is a major municipality in Thiruvallur district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is an industrial area north-west of Chennai. Though considered a part of Chennai for all practical purposes, Ambattur technically belongs to the Tiruvallur district. Closer to Anna Nagar, Ambattur is a fast developing residential localé of Chennai. Saturday was a relaxing day for us. Since we slept only at the wee hours...it was a much needed rest day. During the day, we also planned for the trip and discussed with the tour operator.

29 Mac 2009

The pilgrimage trip (read : visiting temples overall) started early morning...at 5 am. We stopped for breakfast along the way and i found this ambassador car. The Hindustan Ambassador is a car manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India. It has been in production since 1957 and is based on the Morris Oxford model first made by the Morris Motor Company at Cowley, Oxford in the UK.The Amby, as it is affectionately called is considered the definitive Indian car.

Our first stop was at at MelMaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Temple.

The journey continues...

4 more days to go...

Counting days now...

Off to Chennai with mom & sis...

27th Mac to 10th of April 2009

Don't miss me...k... ; p

Be Right Back...

Aaaacccchhhoommm.....

*Bless Me*!!!!

Arghh....been down with flu & headache for the past 3 days...darn ! Maybe due to the uncertain weather nowdays. Gosh...

I hate going to the clinics...but yesterday i had to...after hearing plenty (of constant) nagging from my workmates...hehehehe. I know they care for me ;). The clinic was just beside de ofis... The doctor was ok...but the bill made my eyes roll...it came up to RM50 ! Damn ! Hmm....wat to do... it's time to recover....

Ewww...my medicines... : (

I miss having my (late) father taking me to clicnics whenever I'm sick. It'll also be nice to be with mom and sis at home now...and getting all pampered. Since I am going home today....i hope it'll be a good treatment for me... ; )

Have a great weekend frenz...

My Personality ...

I took this self exam after reading about it at JAD's blog.

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Hmm....somehow i find this very true abt myself...hmmmmm... You can try the exam for yourself here.

i'm a couch potato ... : p

Being busy with work at all times....my only indulgance after work (apart from having a rest, listening to music, reading and sleeping) ...is watching tv. I admit it...i'm a couch potato. Hahaha... below are a few of my favourite must see shows on tv... during weekdays & weekends...

Monday - BONES on ntv7 - I just love these two ;)

Tuesday - Lipstick Jungle (SW) - I'm in love with Kirby...and i adore Joe too.. hehehehe. The gals rock the show
Ugly Betty (8tv) - Love everyone in this show...except for that Kimmie (played by L.Lo)
Brothers & Sisters (SW) - the best of sibbling-hood
Wednedays & Thurdays (Tv2/8tv) - Duhh...boring boring day....i just switch channels to see if there's any good movies on ....Friday - Monk ....

Saturday - Greys Anatomy - I'm already bored with Mcdreamy & Meredith...but hey...wat de heck.. the latest season on ntv7...let's see wat happens next. I miss Dr. Ross (of ER)...anyone else missing him !?? The first doctor i fell in love with ;)

Gilmore Gals - I miss Jared Padalecki :(

Sunday - CSI (AXN) - all out...

One Tree Hill (8tv)