Discover the essence of Kanyakumari in this travel guide designed for a memorable visit in less than two days. I was born in Kanyakumari and lived here for over two decades and this place continues to amaze me in every visit. From the spiritual allure of the Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial to the panoramic views of Marunthuval Malai and the enchanting moments of sunrise and sunset at the southern tip of India, this curated list offers a blend of cultural richness and natural beauty.

***This list is suited for people visiting Kanyakumari for less than 2 days. If you have more time then this list covers Kanyakumari district and offers you a memorable experience of the Land's End. ***

1. Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial

2. Marunthuval Malai Trek

3. Sunrise and Sunset points in Kanyakumari

4. Temples of Kanyakumari

5. Lady of Ransom Church

6. Swami Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Campus

7. Vattakottai Fort

8. Places to eat in Kanyakumari

9. Must-try delicacies of Kanyakumari

Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial

A 10-minute boat ride will take you to the Swami Vivekananda Memorial built in the year 1970. Earlier on 24 December 1892, Swami Vivekananda visited Kanyakumari and swam to a rock. There he meditated for 3 days and realised the purpose of his life. It was after this that Swami Vivekananda traveled to Chicago for the World Religious Parliament to spread India to the world.

Marunthuval Malai

Situated 8 km away from the southern tip of India, Marunthuvazh Malai translates to 'Medicine Living Mountain' and is the last hill of India. Hiking this hill will allow you to get a bird's eye view of almost 30% of Kanyakumari district. I am not exaggerating. You get to see at least 30% of the district from here. I have written a detailed blog about this trek here

Sunrise and Sunset points of Kanyakumari

When in Kanyakumari you cannot miss the sunrise and sunset. The secret is that you can also see the Moon rise from the ocean. On a specific day of the year, you can watch the sunset and moonrise at the same time. Yes, you read that right. Around 630pm of the April full moon (in Tamil referred to as Chitra Pournami), you can watch the sunset in the west and at the same time, the moon rises in the east like a red fireball.  

On regular days, these are my two favorite places to catch the best sunrise and sunset.

Sunrise point - https://goo.gl/maps/1cBzMqv1Zo4GTtCL7

Sunset Point - https://goo.gl/maps/5THGybGF69SCe3SU9

Temples of Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari Devi Temple - The temple is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the region and draws devotees from all over the world. The temple's origins are shrouded in myth and legend, with some accounts suggesting that it was built by the legendary king of Travancore, while others believe that it was built by sage Parashurama. The temple's architecture blends traditional Dravidian and Kerala styles and features intricate carvings and sculptures depicting various scenes from Hindu mythology.

Sadhguru talks about the Kanyakumari Devi and the significance of the Suchindram temple. Link

Suchindram Sree Thanumalaiyan Temple - The Suchindram Temple is dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The temple is known for its impressive 22-foot-tall statue of Hanuman, as well as its stunning architecture that features intricate carvings and sculptures.

Lady of Ransom church

Dating back to the 16th century, this church is a testament to centuries of cultural exchange. The original 18th-century Roman-style church, adorned with a 16th-century statue of Mother Mary and intricate wooden carvings, narrates a story of resilience and evolution. The Lady of Ransom Church's charm extends beyond its spiritual significance. A foreign ship's iron mast, abandoned in 1917, became the church's flagstaff, adding a touch of maritime history. The Gothic-styled new church, constructed in 1900, boasts symbolic dimensions representing the Holy Rosary and the twelve disciples. Visitors are captivated by pointed arches, seven doors symbolizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and imported Italian bells resonating through the towers.

Swami Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Campus

While the Swami Vivekananda rock memorial makes it to most lists. Not many people know about the Swami Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Campus. A 101-acre campus stretches for about a kilometer and ends at the beach.

Vattakottai Fort

Built during the 18th century by the Travancore kingdom's rulers, Vattakottai Fort, literally translating to "Circular Fort," is renowned for its unique circular structure, providing panoramic views of the Arabian Sea. The fort is constructed with granite blocks, showcasing the engineering prowess of its time. Visitors can wander through its well-preserved walls, bastions, and intricate arched entrances, soaking in the historical ambiance.

The fort served multiple purposes, acting as a defensive stronghold and a signaling station for maritime communication. Its strategic location on the coast allowed it to control sea trade routes and monitor potential invasions.

Places to Eat in Kanyakumari

Vegetarian Hotels in Kanyakumari

• Hotel Suchindram Maruti

• Hotel Chithra (inside the Vivekananda Kendra campus)

• Sree Punjabi Dhaba - North Indian food

Local Eateries that serve Veg and Non-veg in Kanyakumari

• Hotel Afsal

• Hotel Sahana

Upscale Restaurants in Kanyakumari

• Restaurant at the Seaview Hotel

• Restaurant at the Sparsa Hotel

Must Try delicacies in Kanyakumari

When in Kanyakumari these are the must-try foods.

• Over 10 different types of Banana

• Banana Bread

• Banana Chips

• Fruit Sarbath locally called Pala Sarbath

• Parotta & Chicken Fry

• Fish curry meals

What is the best way to travel to these places in Kanyakumari?

All the places in this blog post are within 15kms. TukTuk / Auto is a good mode of transport to all these places. 

What is the best time to visit Kanyakumari? 

May Mid to February mid is a good time to visit Kanyakumari. March and April are the hottest months. The weather is tropical with the sun shining bright throughout the year. Weekends are usually crowded and in December and January, Iyappa devotees visit Kanyakumari as a part of their pilgrimage. 

Kulasekharapatnam aka Kulasai, a small coastal village on the east coast of India, holds the second position for the famous Dussehra festivities after Mysore. The town was named in the era of King Kulasekarapandian, as the story goes the king had an auspicious sighting of the Goddess Mutharamman, leading to the town being named in his honor. Arulmigu Mutharamman Temple, 300 year old temple is the center of the Dusserah festivities. I've been visiting this temple since 2020 but my last few Dusserahs were in the northern parts of India. In 2023, everything aligned and I was all set to visit my first Dusserah at Kulasai.

From the morning of 24th October, I was excited and high on energy. Something within me wanted to be there and see through the whole festival. My expectations were high even though I hadn't seen or read about it. The place is about 75kms from my home in Kanyakumari and I started from home post lunch. Throughout the way, I kept seeing autos, bikes, vans, and lorries full of people dressed up like those school fancy dress competitions and everyone was in a festive mood. As they saw me click photos they were happy to pose while on the move. Almost all of them exchanged a very warm smile and my curiosity about the festival started rising.

In Kulasai, all traffic was stopped on the bypass roads and a 2km walk led to the temple area. As time went on, the crowd started to build and this walking distance for many had gone upwards of 6kms.  Visiting the temple was the first on my agenda until I saw the queue. Easily, it would have taken me another 10 to 15 hours to visit the main sanctum. I decided to skip the temple and straight head to the beach area a few hundred meters away.

I walked through the lanes of Kulasai, along with a thousand others window shopping in the temporary festival shops. The air was filled with the smell of local delicacies that were freshly prepared in every corner of the festival area. To my surprise the panipuri shops outnumbered the vada and bhajji counters. The South is loving the North, I thought to myself.  

The main attraction of the night is the soorasamharam, a folk performance depicting the victory of good over evil. The event has a viewing audience of a few lakhs. This is the main attraction of the night and people start occupying their seats with their groups as early as 4 PM for the mega event that is scheduled for midnight. Most people who walked with me decided to go and block their spot for the night. I decided to walk further and head to the place where the performers placed the fire pots and removed their masks.

Before we get there, some context to the festival preparations. A few months before Dasara; families, villages, friends, communities, and religious people form groups of their liking. Group sizes vary from 5 to a few hundred. Each member of the group gets a specific task leading to the festival day.  They arrive at the festival arena a day or two prior along with their group members. usually, the mode of transport is a private van or bus. The vehicle is packed with all the cooking utensils and the groceries required to feed the entire group. Each member of the group picks up a task, cutting vegetables, cleaning utensils, cooking...etc.  

Kids of the group roam around and play, women are usually in charge of the food, and teenage boys walk to survey the festive area with their new clothes and look for eye contact with the pretty girls from other towns. Dialogues and eye contact keep flying around during the walks around the temple area. Adult men relax, play cards, chat as a group, and watch the kids play. Evenings are a time for concerts. Music, dance, magic, and other entertainment happening in a 5km radius with viewing galleries in the open that can accommodate a few thousand. Ample enough to keep everyone entertained.  

Devotees arriving for the festival observe a 41-day fast, including Navarathri culminating in the last ten days. During this period they avoid any form of intoxication and committing any sinful acts.

On the tenth day (Dasara), devotees don these costumes, perform rituals at the temple, and then cleanse themselves in the sea. Some embody Goddess Kali or other local Tamil deities such as Chudalamadan, Changalamadan, Asuran, and Kariyilamadan. Seeking blessings, people approach these adorned devotees.

The scenes that I witnessed are beyond explainable. An old lady asked for suggestions on how to deal with her problems. The character takes a pause and goes into a trance screaming out loud. He takes her close to him and whispers to her. The lady is uncontrollably full of tears weeping, joyfully. The character goes on to dip his hand in the sacred ash and with a palm full smears it on her forehead and holds her by the head close to him.  

Another such act is when the relatives want a character to put the fire pot in the place assigned for it. However, the character denies it and continues to dance in a trance.

One common scene throughout the festive area is this. A group of people accompanied by one or more performers who have gone through the fast and kept themselves conducive for the act on the D day.

Throughout the performance area, you will hear people screaming the chants of the goddess Kali.

Jai Kaali. Om Kaali. Jai Jai Kaali
Jai Kaali. Om Kaali. Jai Jai Kaali

It was not all fun for everyone. There were moments of disappointment and silence. A performer along with his group was dancing with the fire pot for over two minutes. He had some really good moves. As the crowd was encouraging him a photographer from the crowd wanted the performer to do the spin again. The crowd cheered for it and just when the performer was completing his spin he collided with another performer and the fire pot fell and broke. Everyone around turned silent. The performers were in shock. After a long pause of silence someone in the crowd said, Om Kaali, and everyone roared Jai Jai Kaali, cheering the performer, and moved towards the ocean to remove the masks.

The vibrant colors, intricate costumes, the electrifying energy of the performances, fervent devotion of the devotees, and spiritual fervor painted a cultural tapestry that is an experience of a lifetime. Beyond the joyous moments and communal celebrations, the festival revealed the deep-rooted cultural tapestry that binds the community together. Kulasai Dussehra stands not only as a grand spectacle but also as a testament to the enduring spirit of tradition, unity, and spiritual connection that reminds the essence of life.

Lastly, this was one of my favorite performances and it summarises the entire event for me. The character here was in a trance state throughout. People who went near him were in instant happiness as he smeared ash on people's foreheads and said, "No fear, no worries, no hardships, no difficulties. Be happy."

My parents served in government institutions until retirement. That meant their only expectation of me was to have a stable, safe, and secure full-time job. My first job was in a UK-based HR technology company. We were implementing HR systems for Fortune 500 companies in the UK, the US, and Europe. I was part of the implementation team and my job required me to talk to customers, typically HR folks and top management. I learned a bit about software, managing a team,  HR processes within companies, and more importantly, implementing software in large companies. 5 years had gone and I realized it was time to move. Not knowing what I was going to do, I quit.

It was early 2012, and venture funds were starting to explore new investment areas in India. Startup events were happening in Bengaluru. I was networking.  Networking everywhere that had startup written on it. At startup events, Coffee shops, birthday parties, and investor meetups. I started meeting people in the startup world. I was enjoying this new kind of learning from the startup community. Listening to the experiences of founders and investors about their startup journey.

• 2012 - Quit my corporate job. Built a mobile app for ADP's HR software. Killed after 6 months

• 2013 - Built a skills marketplace that didn't see the market

• 2013/14 - Marketplace for commercial real estate. A housing.com but for offices. A few profitable deals and we shut shop

• 2014 - Joined Startup Leadership Program

• 2014 - BigFday was born. 2 years after quitting my corporate job I had a startup of my own.

We were helping people book event venues. Banquet halls, conference rooms, birthday party halls...etc. A marketplace for event venues. The first 4 years of the company were the toughest. We were barely surviving. Passing each month was hard. Adding new customers, and collecting delayed payments from hotels and venues were getting harder as our growth plateaued.

It was 2018, and we decided to give the business a spin. We got back to the drawing board. What is the real problem and how can we be more valuable to our customers? We realized the actual problem was not booking a venue but planning the event itself. We did the unthinkable. We became event planners and decided to focus only on one event type, birthdays.

Our numbers started to improve and cash flow was getting better. At our peak, we were hosting over 75 birthday parties a month in Chennai. At an average occupancy of 120 people per event and most of it happening in 3-star hotels+, my team and I were busy. Yet, we came to a standstill during the first lockdown of the pandemic in 2020 March. Putting your heart, time, money, and effort into building a startup for 6 years does take a toll, I realized. My loved ones advised me to take up a job since the event industry wasn't going to recover for a couple of years. Also, use this time to improve my financial stability and at the same time, keep up my routine. But I didn't align with it. Something within me had other plans. I decided to quit everything.  We shut shop.

For the next 3 years, I shifted my base to Kanyakumari, my hometown, and also traveled across India. Moving from city life after 17 years and being jobless in a remote village only meant I had too much time on my hands. Every day was as simple as walking the beach for sunrise and sunset, hiking a hill nearby, attending meditation and yoga workshops, taking a bath in the pristine waters flowing from the western ghats, and more importantly getting fed by Mom every day is all I could have asked for.  I started to eat better, feel better, and live better. It gave me the confidence to do a solo road trip across the length breadth of India covering over 12000kms, starting from Kanyakumari to Kedarnath to Kohima. More about this road trip here.

In May 2021, I was fortunate to land on the idea of helping ex-founders find a job, Founders.careers. The idea came up during my evening walks at a nearby hill and I got two other startup friends to build it along. We were live within the next 48 hours and in the next 48 hours, we had our first paying customer. Started with the intention of helping ex-founders, it eventually became a business. It helped me over the next couple of years to pay the debt from my previous startup and also the expenses of my travel. More importantly, we helped over 40+ ex-founders find a job in fast-scaling startups.

In this journey of life, entrepreneurship has become a way of my life. While it feeds and lets me take care of my everyday needs, it gifted me a life skill. Skill to create value for myself, and for everyone around me. I realized being an entrepreneur is a superpower. You make a better life for everyone and everything around you. But I have my conditions. Like any superhero would 😉More about my next startup and conditions here 🦸.

Not sure if I have done anything so consistently as hiking the Marunthuvazh Malai - The last hill of India. As I publish this blog, I completed my second attempt at consecutively hiking this hill for 41 days. Ever grateful to be able to do this. The walk up the hill can be treacherous at times. The usual hike up and down is about 2.8 km in total. 1.4 km each way. The mind plays games and it took me some time to be aware of this.

This is how I would describe an ideal day at the mountain. Starts early in the morning. No, not seeing sunrise level early but waking up at 530ish and starting the trek by 7 am. A cloudy morning with a chill breeze flowing through the mountain. The orange rays of the sun hit some parts of the mountain. Not so hot but the light hitting and reflecting in different parts of the mountain is a sight to behold. Green leaves turn more greenish-yellow with sunlight. I walk seeing through this, picking up the trash the tourists have left behind and putting them in the nearest dustbin.

The initial plan was to write how I felt during these 41 days but I realize I am yet to verbalize this experience. I am still not clear on the list of things it does to me but I do know that it changes me in many aspects. Changes my food, my physique, my mentality, my health, my stamina... all these I am aware of. But deep within I know this is much more. And I hope one day I am able to verbalize this to you. For now, I have two stories of non-human friendships that happened during my 41-day hike in 2022 and 2023.

2022 hike - the monkeys

I spot the habitant monkeys doing their morning routine of going around the hill. Sometimes they just surprise me by standing in the way and not moving even after I ask and move only after I feed them their daily snack. I wonder at times, if can I put a camera on them for a day or two and see where they go within the hill. What do they do here? Their secret spots on the hill.

I know that day might not be far away coz we are becoming friends now. Yes, I've started talking to them. Asking them to move, not to touch my things, not to open the empty bottles from the dustbin the fling the caps away🙄. Asking them to come to me and wait until I give them food. Earlier we used to watch each other from a distance. Usually from a high raise within Maruthuval malai. I didn't know how many days they have been watching me pass by.

I don't know what they know about me by now. They have a way to handle me now. I can see this. They don't scare me every day. But they scare me once in a few days. Actually, I don't know if it's a scare but they show their teeth, run towards me and show action as if they will pounce on me. All this is happening in front of the monkey god himself, Hanuman. Jai Hanuman! I say and bow down to start my descent down the hill. Later the man who sells buttermilk on the hill revealed this act of monkey love. Their way of showing love is to show their teeth and pounce. Strange! I thought to myself. But yeah what was I expecting from a monkey? Smile? 🤣

2023 hike - the Black dog

The monkeys haven't come this season. The habitant ones were gone long back said the residents. I spotted a few Langurs that are mostly passersby so didn't have any interactions with them. Had one funny incident when one langur spotted me from a hilltop, screamed at me, and alerted the rest of the gang. They ran for their lives 😂.

It was on the first day of this year's hike I saw this little black dog.  Usually, the dogs on the hill do not hike to the peak. But this one did on my very first day. I didn't have anything to feed her that day but she wouldn't come near me either. Was very scared. On the second day of the hike, I made sure to carry some biscuits for her and she continued to hike with me.

The relationship got better as days went by. Now we are friends. Off the 41 days of the hike, she hiked at least 39 days with me to the peak.  Today we have a mandatory petting session as soon as we meet at the bottom of the hill, followed by a few biscuits and then the hike to the peak. On the way to the peak when I stop to catch a breath the little fellow goes wandering and I have started to realize she knows more places, spots, and caves in the hill now. I did walk with her to two new places that I haven't been to before. She probably knows more about the hill by now. She knows the hangout spots of the mongoose and squirrels. And she has secret places for storing the biscuits when she is too full to eat.

In 2022, when I was getting closer to the 41st day of the hike I was anxious. What will happen to the monkeys, will they remember me the next time they see me, will someone feed them, maybe if I come every day they will be more friends with me..etc. The monkeys are gone but my anxiety remains. This time it's the black dog.

❤️‍❤️‍❤️‍

It was February 2019. I along with a dear friend went on a trip to Thailand. Koh Samui to be specific. This was my longest holiday after 7 years. The previous being Srilanka in 2012. Obviously, I don't relate to this Sabin anymore 😉 This trip was phenomenal in a lot of ways. It led me to question a lot of things. Right from my childhood, I lived near the ocean. Like a few 100mtres away from the ocean. So the prolonged silence, followed by the sound of a wave crashing was a regular thing. Everyday lunch and dinner were not without Fish. It's probably the same for everyone living on the coast. But my connection with fish ended with only eating it. That changed during my Koh Samui trip.

Story1

In Koh Samui, I was excited to go to the Fullmoon party which was to happen in a few days. That's when I saw a brochure that had a photo of different colors of fish underwater. At first glance, I thought the photo was from some artificial tank but not. It was from a place in South China and I got really curious. Immediately, got myself and my friend a boat trip booked for my first-ever snorkeling trip.

After an hour or two of travel by speed boat, we reached the island of Koh Tao. The place was too picturesque but the Sabin then didn't really care about the beauty. Without clicking many pics I directly went into the ocean with my goggles on. There was a strong undercurrent and our guide made sure that I don't get pulled into the ocean by marking the last point until which I can comfortably stand. Getting comfortable in the place I slowly started to spot different colors of fish underwater. Almost at touching distances. Obviously, I tried to touch but 🤷.

This game of spotting and trying to touch continued for some time and I spotted more types and colors of fish as time went by. That's when the magic happened. As a part of my self-created game, I was holding my hand in a prayer pose,🙏, but sideways little away from my tummy. I was walking back towards the shore with my hands still underwater and this group of fish just followed. At first, I didn't realize what was happening. Not until I took a cautious turn and the group followed. I flipped. I checked again. Hands underwater in prayer pose and I tried navigating this group. They followed. They kept following me. I couldn't resist. My friend already went to the shore and I screamed my lungs out, "Dude look these fishes are following me." My friend eye-rolled me 🙄. I continued my game in disbelief. It went on for some time. I had no clue what was happening. Only, I know I have tried every direction possible and these fishes are following. My logical brain couldn't comprehend what I was experiencing. But my experience didn't need logic and it continues to stay close to my heart even today💙🐟🙏

Story2

2022 August. I was in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh for the Mani Mahesh Kailash trek. After the magical Mani Mahesh Kailash yatra, I decided to stay in Dalhousie for a few days to rest but ended up staying for over a month. I trekked almost every possible spot in Dalhousie during this time and I look forward to putting them together in my blog for you soon. During this time of avid trekking, I was experiencing a lot of coincidences. It led to a profound realization of how everything is just happening and there are times when we reach a state of understanding. We connect the dots and call it coincidence. Whereas all there is a coincidence and nothing else.

On one of the evening walks in the market of Dalhousie, which I have walked a few times before, I saw the Fun claw catcher machine. A glass box with about 30 stuffed toys in it. While walking on the road and crossing this machine I spotted a fish. A fish was protruding out among the 30-odd toys. I told my friend, who was walking with me then, "Dude, Wait! I want to play this game" and walked straight to the machine. I was so focussed on the fish. I wasn't even looking at my friend. My friend looking at my desperation went to the shopkeeper, who was on the other side. He walked back saying ₹150 for 1 try (or something like that) and I nodded to my friend in a hurry. I still remember I said to myself I just need one attempt but didn't tell it openly. My friend dropped the first coin in the machine. I moved the catcher using the joystick, I grabbed the fish and one more toy on the first attempt. Both the toys were getting lifted my friend screamed in joy but both the toys slipped the catcher. Unmoved and focussed on my fish I went for the next try.

BINGGGOO!! The fish was mine.

What is the probability? A random walk in a market street and getting this fish. It has created so much joy from then to now.

A few weeks after Dalhousie I went to Rishikesh. Happened to stay in a house with a Swedish couple and two beautiful kids of theirs. Safeera the elder one and Liano the younger one. Safeera being the kind she is dug into my bag to find the fish. Liano being the youngest got to play with it the most. Every morning Liano used to come to my room to find the fish. The game is to keep the fish in the air. The fish flies around the room and both of us keep running to get it. We had so much fun with the fish. Not sure when was the last time I played so much with a kid but then it happened. Thanks to the fish. Wondering if we became close because of the fish. I don't know.

When I left Rishikesh, I really wanted to give the fish to Liano but then I didn't. I never had the heart to give the fish to Liano. He loved the fish. I didn't want to give this priced possession. The fish now lies idle in my room somewhere as I type this story. Now I know, that fish was for you Liano ❤️🤗

The fish story continues...🙏🐟

I vaguely remember sitting on my dad's shoulder and watching a festival in Kerala. I was less than 5 years old then. 30 years later, in 2020, a good friend Narayanan told me that he was planning to visit Thrissur for the Pooram. The moment I heard this I knew I had to go with him. But then corona happened and like everything, Thrissur Pooram was also canceled.

Fast forward 2 years to 2022 April. After watching the Bootha Kola festival in Dakshin Kannada, and staying at a hostel in Calicut for a few days, I was all set to experience the Pooram in Thrissur. Tradition is to visit the Guruvayur Krishna temple and I did the same. I reached Thrissur the previous evening of the festival. The festival area was buzzing in preparation mode. With workers setting up the festivity area, arches, lights, sound systems, decorations, and temporary shops on the sides of the road and the roads starting to get more people wandering and looking around the festive preparations.

Elephants are central to the festival. And the previous evening of the mega festival the participating elephants along with their trainers line up for the audience. Crazy onlookers were busy watching this magnificent creature and also making sure to take their most precious selfies from all angles. Huge crowds were starting to gather as the elephants stood in a line like those mannequins in clothing shops. Standing there and watching all these happenings a few hours had passed. We decided to head back to the rooms to be ready for an early morning start the next day for 'The Pooram Festival.

I wasn't alone. Thankfully I was with Narayanan, his wife Preethika, and Sethu one of their friends. Narayanan and Preethika are avid travelers and they write their stories on their travel blog - Passingports. Being the planning kind, they both had planned out the whole event including the timings of when we should be where. They had booked rooms for the stay and a room to view the festivities from the top of a hotel. I didn't understand the importance of this but there were no rooms in the whole of Thrissur. Prices were 10 times higher than usual. I am not exaggerating. They paid 32K for a single room with a one-person bed. Being solo, I got to stay in the viewing room - the most expensive room I ever stayed in 🤷

That night was magical. A single bed, and a perfect large window. Multi-colored lit church at a distance and with the excitement for the celebration the next day I dozed off with the scene of me standing below the magical multicolored arches holding my phone above the heads of a sea of people to get a perfect shot of what I see 😴Some scenes that I slept off too 👇

More lights and more colors from the evening 💜💚❤️

It was 7 am. Narayan, Preethika, and Sethu came to my room dressed up and ready for the day. We quickly finished a good breakfast at the hotel and walked toward the entrance of the Sri Vadakkumnathan Temple. The main temple around which the Pooram happens.

The event starts with the main elephant walking out of the temple with the idol. The participating elephants walked out one by one through the main entrance of Sri Vadakkumnathan Temple and lined up in front of the temple for the eagerly waiting millions of humans. While the chenda melam had started in bits, I was busy staring at these mammoth beings from a feet distance 😊

The chenda continued. The crowd was running around towards the center area of the temple ground. Sethu pointed out to me to quickly rush towards the direction in which the crowd was moving. Before we started moving towards the crowd Sethu quickly called me towards him for a quick selfie. I didn't understand the importance of this then but the next day morning I realized I didn't have a chance to click a photo with Narayanan and Preethika throughout the festival. The next 10 hours were intense and packed. Sethu and I tried our best to get to the middle of the performance area to witness this magical performance for the next 90 minutes.

After watching the first performance, Sethu said lets quickly get into the temple as the main picture is yet to start. I was surprised by what Sethu told me but blindly listening to him, I followed. As we continued to run into the temple premises along with 1000 other boys, girls,  elders, and children of ages. All of us ran to catch a spot to see the next performance. However, it was so crowded and the cops had well planned this in advance and we got pushed a little further away from the performance area.

For the next 2 to 3 hours we were mentally transported to a different world altogether. I tried to escape. going front. climbing up. But nothing worked. I finally gave in. Standing with my head down, hands up, and eyes closed just listening to the beat and shaking my head and hands just like the million other people around me.  Never experienced anything like it ever before in my life. The energy, the sounds, the colors, the vibe - they will never go away from me. Some pieces for you are in this video below.

After this performance, I thought the festival was over and started looking for the rest of the gang. Only to realize they were nowhere to be found. I assumed that the main celebration was over and thought I will go to my room to rest for a while. What I witnessed after that I am sure is unique to Thrissur Pooram and nowhere else in the world.

The sea of humans. Never before have I seen anything like this. It was a mad crowd. My room was less than a kilometer away and it took me almost 2 hours to get to my room. There were times when I gave up and decided to just stand in the crowd without moving. Coz moving away in my direction required too much effort. It took a long time to find a hack. Amongst the huge crowd in one corner, I saw a wave/line of people moving. A line that moves in a particular direction just because of the sheer force of people pushing each other. All I had to do was somehow get into that line. As in struggle, and push me to get to the wave. Then the wave will just take me. I didn't have to walk.  After two hours of finding waves and taking longer routes and walking almost 5 km through less crowded areas, I reached my room on the fourth floor only to witness what mad crowd I had walked through. Below are some photos of the crowd taken from my room.

For the next 4 hours, the festival continued, and the mad crowd stayed. Couldn't be more thankful to NH, and Preethika for planning this out. The fireworks got canceled for the night because of rain and later were postponed for the entire week. Thankfully I didn't wait. I woke up early the next day and went to get the blessings of the Sri Vadakkumnathan.

Lastly, the gothic style and the lights of the church caught my attention at night. Our lady of dolors basilica in Thrissur. The tallest church in India. Jesus lying in his mother's arms. Thanks, Universe  ❤️

Every time I drove from Kanyakumari to Tirunelveli on the NH44, I used to watch this hill from afar, click a few photos and move on. But one day, I felt like I wanted to get closer to the hill so I got into the service lane, parked my car, and was staring at this beauty.

There was something very different about this hill, I thought to myself. Different as in, not externally, but more internally. I feel very different when I am here. More energy, More gratitude, More joy, More coincidences. To experience this feeling, I visited the spot another day but this time an old man gracing the cows told me, “Thambi (brother), you can go around the hill also. There is a road.” I was excited. The joy of getting closer to the hill was immense. There was something noticeably different in me every time I come here.

All of us have a place of comfort right? You will feel absolutely fine when you go there. For some, it is a church, temple, bed, bar, dance class, ocean, and so on. For me, it is this place. Welcome to ‘Soottu pothai malai’ in Valliyur, Tirunelveli district.

The hill and the surrounding areas come under the forest department but have been maintained by NGOs. A 5km neatly laid road around the hill allows you to walk peacefully around the hill and let the blessings of the hill fall directly on you. A very successful afforestation program is adding more beauty to the region, which was once a dry barren land.

Long long ago it is said that Siddhar Sri Muthukrishna Swami lived here. It is said that Siddhar lived for 179 years as a fully realized being before attaining Jiva Samadhi in 1913. It is reported that he used to levitate to the top of the Hill every evening to witness the Sayarakshai Pooja at Tiruchendur Temple and once a year on Thirukarthigai day he used to light a fire on top of the hill. Several authentic, old legendary transcripts have confirmed that Siddhar is an avatar of Sri Agastya Maha Muni and did not permit him to be photographed throughout his lifetime. According to his instructions, his devotees till date have been offering worship to him in the sculpted form or painting of Sri Agastya Muni.

The story of the hill doesn't end there. My curiosity about the hill led me to talk to a lot of people in the district about the magic of this hill and I discovered a few more stories.

1. The fishermen in Kanyakumari and nearby villages used to have Soottu Pothai as a marker when they were deep in the ocean.

2. The revered ancient Ayya Vali texts mention that the glory of Kanyakumari and its people is at its peak when there is a Cart festival that happens around Sootu Pothai. Not very surprisingly, Kanyakumari is at one of its most prosperous times now and we have a cart festival in Sootu Pothai every December.

My favorite thing to do here is a walk during sunset when the entire place lights up in gold and orange. Watching and listening to sparrows, chittu kuruvis’, bulbuls, and a few other beautiful tiny multi-colored birds that jump when they fly and whistle sounds that I haven’t heard ever before. I walk in wonder, looking at the peak of the hill and hoping and wondering what’s up there. The lighting fire on Thirukarthigai day continues to this day, and I eagerly wait for my turn to go up this hill.

An elderly man, who takes care of gardening here is one of my favorites coz he tells me stories about the place and also gives me prasad from the temple which coincides with my craving for food. Every time we see each other we greet by saying “Aiiiiyyaa vanakkam ” with our hands folded until elbows and wide smiles and then we start talking. Usually, it’s me asking questions about the hill. The same question every day. Aiyya, tell me more about the hill. Even if it’s the same story, I listen just like I was listening to it the first time.

Think about it. I had no idea about this hill. I was just a passerby on the highway but something attracted me to it. The place is very much accessible for everyone and I am sure everyone, who lives in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli at some point in their lives, including me would have crossed this hill. All these places exist. I was not the first one to discover this hill. It has been there, ever. People have already felt something here. Hence they have built a road around the hill. Yearly once they also have a Chariot Festival aka Ratha Yatra. All these places exist. It’s just that we have other things to worry about and we pay zero attention to all these experiences.

Lastly, if you know of places like this, please leave a comment so we can go and have these experiences that are naturally available for all of us.

Are you allowed hike up soottu pothai hill?

As of today, December 2022, it is barred for the public to hike up the hill. However, measures are in place to allow the public to hike up the hill.

How to reach Soottu Pothai Hill?

There is no direct public transport to the hill. However, the nearest town is Valliyur and the Valliyur bus stand is ~ 3.5 km from here. Plenty of tuktuk and shared autos are available for the commute from the bus stand. Valliyur also has a railway station. This is the google maps location of Soottu Pothai starting point for the Girivalam - https://goo.gl/maps/zAiKpAfoEa8K8x8m9

What is the best time to do girivalam at Soottu Pothai Hill?

Early mornings and evenings are the best. During sunrise and sunset, this place is lit. On all Fullmoon days, in the early mornings at 5 AM 1000s of people visit the Soottu pothai hill to do the Girivalam. It is a must experience.

What are nearby places to visit near Soottu Pothai Hill?

This hill is located closer to the western ghats. So the area has a lot to offer. My favorites ones along with the google business pages of the locations. Hope it helps.

Nambi Kovil Waterfalls and Malai Mel Nindra Nambi Kovil - https://goo.gl/maps/7wNZ4tF3ARjHaT2Y9

Arulmigu Thiru Vaishnava Nambi Kovil Thirukurunkudi (one of the 108 Divya desams) - https://goo.gl/maps/njQgKFUbSyzgZe8f9

Kodumudiyaru Dam - https://goo.gl/maps/HmXy1Ec8f4y2mMcm7

When in Kanyakumari it is a different zone altogether. This place elevates me in every way. Today was one such. Dad had to go to the hospital, I wanted to go eat biryani in my fav place, and my cousin wanted to pick some jewelry and gifts, so mom joined along. All of us went. Mum decided to accompany dad for a checkup and they were delayed. So I took my cousin to a favorite nearby pond. Near the pond, I narrated the story of the three dogs that I met at the pond. The same story for you again.  

Once in the same pond, I was sitting on the steps. The pond was filled to the brim so a few steps were also covered in water. Enjoying the waves of the pond and also watching the 100s of activities that happen around in a village pond. Butterflies, birds jump walking the leaves, ducks disappearing into the water on one side and getting up a few meters away... the usual ones. That's when I saw three dogs. Three dogs of different age groups. They all came to the pond to drink water. Must be the local area dogs, I thought to myself coz they were familiar with the area. And they didn't give an F about me sitting there. 🤷

The first dog probably the eldest walked straight down the steps. The last few steps were covered with water but the elder one knew it exactly and went to the last step and sat there with half its body covered in water. It stared straight up enjoying the view. The second one didn't go as far but decided to stay within the visible area of the steps. It didn't want to venture further down coz the steps weren't visible. And clearly, it was in a hurry. Drink the water and get the F out. While I was watching both these dogs the third one was still undecided on whether to drink the water from a step above or to actually put the foot in water and then drink. Clearly, it didn't want to put its leg in the water. Too scared for this.

Which dog are you? Where are you in the steps? Scared? Zen mode? Or trying to get out?

The entire incident was recorded on my phone camera. The video below.

Thanks to my sister for making me relieve this beautiful moment, thanks to dad for the amazing biryani, and thanks to mum for my storytelling. ❤️🙏

Btw, which 🐕🐕‍🦺🐩 are you? 😊

For the first in a long time, I started having thoughts as I used to in school and early college days. I was an IAS aspirant from childhood so the feeling about India, the land, and its people always existed. Thanks to my school Vivekananda Kendra Vidyala for putting together the teaching of Swami Vivekananda in ways that stayed with me after almost 2 decades of completing school. After staying at Varanshi Farms for over 2 weeks, I was really looking forward to this day of meeting Mr.Amai Mahalinga Naik AKA "The Tunnel Man".

Amai Mahalinga Naik converted his 2-acre barren land to an organic agriculture farm. This 2-acre plot was gifted to him by a landlord who was impressed with the young Amai.  Considering that the region is mostly rocky terrain, he dug horizontal tunnels into the hillocks to get water supply. I along with a few other people I met at the farm went to visit the Tunnel Man. We were received by the extremely simple earth Tunnel Man and his wife, who along stood by his side. I still remember her smile. We were fed with some organic fruits from his garden and kokum juice. The usual in these parts of Dakshin Kannada.

After giving us a quick tour of the tunnels and his irrigation system the Tunnel man took us inside his house to show us the awards. Little did any of yes expect his collection of awards.

While I was standing in the room mind blown by the number of awards he had received, The Tunnel Man walked up to me and handed over something in my palm. It was a medal. It was 'THE PADMASHRI'. I couldn't believe what I was holding. The most prestigious civilian award in India. I was holding the Padmashri in my hand. The feeling was beyond inspiring. The responsibility of me as an individual in this country. The learnings from school hit me hard as I walked back to my room that evening. Thank you Tunnel Man for this moment of a lifetime. 🙏

More about the tunnel man and his accomplishments as published in network18 here  

It was 2016. And few best friends forced me to go on a morning jog for a few days. Soon, I felt running wasn't my thing. Fast forward to 2019, I started going to the ocean. I realized that I can't swim either. But it didn't bother me. I never gave myself an opportunity to fix it. It actually didn't occur to me as a problem then. Coz who really cares about running and swimming, right? It didn't occur to me that this was something that I must fix. The urgency or the importance of this was never understood.

Not until corona hit and I moved back home, Kanyakumari. Whenever I was going for a morning walk on the beach or an evening walk around the Sootu pothai hill, the want to run started to pile up. On one of the walks around the hill, I was in aaww looking at a few boys run. I asked the hill, when will you make me run? I really want to run. I am not fit for it. My knees are aching after I try to run. I am not able to breathe after I run a short distance, please help me run. I asked with my hands folded🙏. I remember telling my mom in the kitchen about my inability to run. But then my dreams came true.

After hiking Maruthuva malai a dozen times and also nomading across India, my diet and fitness improved. In 2021, for the first time, I realized I could run. This picture and video after my first long run on the river island of Majuli.  

Every morning I used to run from my stay to this distant bamboo bridge on the Lohit river. I used to gasp for breath by the time I reached the bridge. The views, the clean air, empty white sand roads, the green all around, the colors of sunrise directly reflecting on the river, and my breath coming deep from my diaphragm.

Today, I can run. I write this after my morning jog around Agara Lake in HSR Bangalore. A 9km run at a pace of 8 mins/km. My body doesn’t feel as bad when I run. There is still a lot of room for improvement. The dream of running 20km without a stop exists. I pray to Sootu Pothai 🙏

Thanks, universe for teaching me to run 🧡🙏

Wherever I go this place is very special. This is home ❤️

There are places that I enjoy but this is one place that enhances me. Enhances me in everything I think or do. Until a few years back, had someone said this to me I wouldn't have believed or laughed it off. But then I experienced it. The hill taught me every time I hiked. And I write this from an experience of hiking this hill over 100 times in the last 3 years. Meet Maruthuva Malai aka Maruthuva Malai aka Marunthuvazh Malai. மருந்துவாழ் மலை in Tamil. The literal English translation is 'Medicine Living Mountain' or 'The Medicinal Mountain'🙏

About 10 km north of the southernmost tip of India, in Kanyakumari lies the last hill of India. Just like how the Himalayan range borders us in the north, Marthuval Malai stands tall at the southernmost point. From the top of the hill, one can see the edge of the 'V-shape' of India, as we see on maps. The top of the hill offers a 360° view with 3 sides ocean and the start of the mighty WesterGhatsts on the fourth. According to tradition, the Maruthuva Malai is a fragment of the Sanjeevi Mountain, a piece of which fell here. Divine beings Sage Agastya, Athri Maharishi, and more recently Narayana Guru meditated in the cave up the hill.

Anyone who travels from Kanyakumari by road, train, or ocean cannot miss this giant hill standing tall. So, for me since childhood watching this hill and wondering what was on top of it was a childhood fascination. It has happened to me ever since I saw it, probably around the same time I started school. While traveling in the bus watching this hill, staring directly into the top of the hill, wondering who lived in the house that was in the middle of the mountain, and asking my grandmom the same questions about the hill every time we crossed it were fond memories, I had of the hill until 2020. But little did I know all my childhood dreams were about to come true.  

During the first COVID lockdown, I shifted to Kanyakumari from ChGoingy going back home for a longer stay than 3 days after almost 16 years. I wasn't very excited but I knew something was going to happen. I got introduced to Nemesh by a very close friend from school. Nemesh had already hiked the hill for 41 days consecutively. The first time I heard him do this, I thought he was mad. On the other hand, why would anyone hike it every day? This guy must be jobless I thought. However, being the kind of person he is, Nemesh was kind enough to take me and a few others for our first hike of Maruthuval Malai. It was a late evening hike and we took about 90 minutes to get to the top. It was all dark up there so we descended early.

After a month, Nemesh and I hiked again during the day. This was the first time I got to see the 360 views from the top of the hill. We hiked again for the third time two weeks later and I got hooked. For, me and Nemesh, we still didn't know why we went up this hill. But we just kept going. All we know is that something happens to us every time we go here. So, we continued to hike. We casually hiked one Sunday evening after a stomach full of biryani and witnessed the best sunset of our lives from the top of the hill.  Below is that video

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The hill also gave me new friends. Friends who had magical experiences while and after visiting Maruthuva Malai. I still wonder how I got to meet a few of these people on the hill but I do know there is a reason. I continue to realize the purpose of being a mere tool for the divine. And I am forever grateful for allowing me this service 💗🙏

At some point, Nemesh got busy with his everyday chores and that only meant I hiked up all alone. One led to the other and in July of 2022, I hiked Maruthuval Malai consecutively for 41 days. Every day, morning or evening I  went up the hill and walked down. What it was doing to me every time, I will never be able to explain in words. However, I attempt in this blog post - 41 days of hiking Marunthuvazh Malai.

If you want to hike the hill anytime and need company feel free to email me me@sabinv.com or reach out on Instagram DM here.

Do's at Marunthuvazh Malai trek:

• Carry your own water bottles. On the trekking path to the peak, you will not get drinking water. You can buy bottles from the shops in the base

• If you are used to barefoot. The terrain is apt for it.

• Make sure to visit the cave once you reach the top of the hill.  

• Murugan anna sells buttermilk, mangos, and other fruits on the way on the trek. Feel free to sit and chat with him.

Don't at Marunthuvazh Malai trek

• Do not carry and drop anything plastic in the hill region

• Do not feed the monkeys from a close distance

• The hill is holy to many of us. Please avoid liquor or anything that you wouldn't do in a temple, church, or mosque

Frequently Asked Questions about Maruthuva Malai:

How long does it take to hike Marunthuval Malai?

Local boys can do it in 25 minutes. A person who works out every day can do it in 45 minutes. Everyone else anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours. FYI - Women mostly from Kerala, who are 70+ also casually hike this hill. 

What is the height of Maruthuval Malai?

The height of Martuhuval Malai is about 800 feet. The distance of the trek is about 2.8 km up and down (1.4km one way).

When can I trek Maruthuva malai?

Any day between 6 am to 6 pm. 

Are there wild animals in Maruthuva Malai?

No. Except for a few monkeys. very rarely few deers also come to the mountain. 

Is there a natural fountain in Maruthuva Malai that flows through the year?

Yes. There are 3. Two are mostly never dry. But there is not enough water to flow like a stream or to shower. Water is usually good enough to be stored in a pit. You can drink from the pit and you will certainly feel the magic water💙

For no particular reason, I traveled to Varanashi Organic Farms in the southwestern parts of Karnataka. It's closer to Kerala and hence a fusion of culture, food, and people is clearly evident. Fell in love with the place and ended up staying there for 3 weeks. The stillness at the farm, the simple food, the people, the stories, and the swim training was all I wanted. Days were packed. I was running around but in complete acceptance. Just when I was about to leave I heard about Boota kola also known as Būta Kōlā or Deiva Kola.

With no expectations, I along with a few other volunteers, who had come to the farm went to visit the festival. During the Boota kola, the community gets together to pray to the gods and spirits for their blessings, prosperity, and peace from all issues surrounding them. About 150 people were in attendance. The Boota Kola we attended was organized by Ramkumar for his housewarming ceremony. About 100+ people were in attendance at around 830PM. Dinner was being served, the Boota kola artists were getting ready for the night. A typical Boota Kola night runs through the night till about 4 AM with food being served through the night. When I say food, it is an extravagant menu. Different types of rice, bread, curries, fruits, and of course the payasam (a dessert made of milk, jaggery, vermicelli..etc)

Boota Kola is performed by a troop of 30 to 50 people. There are many troops across Dakshin Kannada that can be hired for this. The performances are done by trained professionals who go from one place to another in groups. The group is a company on wheels. It has musicians, makeup artists, tailors, stockists, cooks, helpers, and a manager. During the season time, the troops stay together for about 4 months traveling to different parts and performing.

It is believed that a trained individual performing Boota Kola momentarily transforms into a higher state. These performers go through a strict process for months in preparation for the Boota Kola season. The individualism of the performer along with the unusually styled costumes, makeup, music, and sound made by the performer at some point puts the performer in an elevated state of mind like he is in some sort of trance. A world of his own. During this time, it is said that the performers also communicate with select people on solutions to their problems. Just like what would happen if you actually met a god. Maintaining the body, and mind and also practicing a well-disciplined routine/sadhana to attain such elevated states is the duty of the performer throughout his life.

Considering, I had to leave the next day for a long drive, I couldn't stay through the night for the festival. The festival runs till 6 am but I cut it short with a heavy heart only hoping I visit this magic festival sometime again. A summary video of a few performances is below, every time I watch it, it takes me back to that state of nothingness. Just staring deep at the performers. Thank you 🧡🙏

After the Hornbill Festival, 2021 was canceled, the 3boys, Kashi, I, and Kibithoo were all set to explore Nagaland. Nagaland is the first state in India, where I ever felt like I was in a different country. There is something totally different about the nagas, unlike the other parts of India. Yet the nagas are more Indian than any other. In every part of the hornbill festival, people kept telling us how as Indians we all need to stay together for our motherland to flourish. We are all Indians. We are brothers and sisters. This sentiment echoes in the whole of the hornbill village.

Meet Kibithoo. Kibithoo was rescued by the 3 boys during their road trip in Arunachal Pradesh. They found him in Kibithoo the far east village of Arunachal and hence the name. He is a f***ing strong mountain dog. Extremely sweet, calm, and more comfortable with women 🤷. Love the time I spent with Kibi. Be it running behind him to stop him from escaping us, taking him for his morning pee, feeding him anything I eat - it was total love. And that's Kibi 👇

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The routine was clear every day. By 10 am, we are at one of the cafes and by evening we are at the winter market. The gambling section of the winter market to be precise. And it was an absolute cracker. The first day was magical. We kept winning in every square we bet. The next day wasn't so great and the third was worse. We lost all our principal investment and also the money we had won in the last two days. Overall a crazy experience. Throwing the money into the gambling table just before the bet closes, Screaming in joy during wins and shouting in disappointment with 50+ gamblers around, sharing cancer sticks with random strangers, trying to work my way through some probability equations to increase my chances of winning... moments I will remember forever.

Photos below - Top left are photos of a few school kids that I met in Kohima. Kids here have swag. They are all into western music and Christianity. Kids get really curious about where I come from and how did I manage to grow 6feet. I have to admit that it was impossible to find sandals in size 11. Nagas say size 10 is rare. Forget 11. I decided to walk with what I had.

Also, I predict, the kid in the top right photo holding a pup at some point will rule Kohima. Look at the face of the pup he is holding. The pup knows one wrong move and it will go flying. Or the kid will hold it by its ear - just like holding a rabbit by the ear, he tosses the pup with a loud voice - "Harrami Kuttha". We just make sure Kibithoo is not walking around freely when this little don is around. 😂😂

The bottom right photo is me and Kashi with the homestay owner, who was kind enough to offer us a room at a regular price. She wasn't happy that we slept in our cars for two days. And later on, we learned that she is a single woman, who is taking care of a boys' hostel along with her 3 sisters. All of them were single staying in this compound running a boys' hostel and homestay business. Every morning and evening it is fun to watch these sisters making sure the boys don't anything mischievous.  The boys in their 11th and 12th standards are ripe for all sorts of mischief. The youngest of the sisters is the toughest for all the boys to escape. Time just goes by watching all this.

The bottom left is Yangpa. Yangpa was at another hostel I stayed in Kohima. Every morning we exchanged a smile and a good morning. At times, she had stories of mischief done by the neighbor kid. I told Yangpa I will meet her when she is older as we posed for this picture.

When in Kohima make sure to keep aside two days for Dzuko valley. An experience that you will cherish for a long time. More about Dzuko valley here.

Tips:

• D Cafe in Kohima is a must-visit. Great food, ambiance, internet, and really friendly staff. The owner Dili is a great guy to hang out with. Make sure to spend time with him :)

• The Morung Kitchen also serves good food and has a good ambiance.

• For local rice beer, visit the BOC market area

Nagaland is definitely a place I want to visit again and stay for a longer period. Was it the love and the warmth of the Nagas, was it the food, was it the city view that I was sleeping and waking to, was it the good morning smile of Yangpa - I don't know.  But the nagas have made me fall in love with everything they are. Thank you ❤️🙏

It was the end of November 2021. I had spent over a month in Varanashi and I was getting ready for my next destination. The Hornbill festival in Nagaland. Referred to as the festival of festivals, I had no clue about what to expect or where to go but I knew I had to just go. I was not alone. Kashika, the girl who I met in Gokarna, happened to meet again in Varanashi. Being the crazy one, she was all set to travel with me. It was more of her decision to travel with me and wasn't a choice for me 😉 The solo travel took a break for a while. I along with Kashi drove through the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Nagaland.

It was one helluva drive throughout. Kashika (Kashi) getting stared at for no particular reason in Bihar, getting stopped in the middle road coz someone was just shot dead, sleeping in the car in a toll plaza at night, catching a magical sunrise driving through the golden orange rays of the sun, getting lost in the tea estates bordering Assam and Bhutan, getting a good sleep in a hostel in Guwahati, eating momos, pineapples, oranges, and our endless silence.

December is the most celebrated month in most of the states in the northeast, and Kohima was no exception. Being the festival week the entire city of Kohima was full and in festive mode. Accommodation prices were over the roof. ₹1500 a night for a basic tent and upwards of ₹3500 if you want a private room. The festival happens at  Kisama Heritage Village 12km away from Kohima city. This village is a showcase of Nagaland to the rest of the world. Kashi and I continued to sleep in the car for the next two nights in the village. The late-night parties, the rice beer, and the love of the Nagas shared with us kept us going. The music festival happens every evening. Below is a video playlist of a few performances.

For me personally, the best part about the Hornbill festival is the after-parties. Each of the 16 recognized tribes gets an area to showcase the tribe's tradition. The best engaging tribe wins at the end of the festival. This space is called a Morung. Traditionally, Morungs are places at the village center. The youth of the village assemble here to play games, log drums, other cultural activities, and community events. Here's one such Tribe gaining the attention of visitors. They are inviting people to their Morung with this log drum.

Once you are in the Morung with the respective tribe the real party starts. A nominal amount is charged for the rice beer and snacks when the party starts. As it goes late into the night, the beer is free.

I, Kashi, and a few travelers spent most of the time in the after-parties at the Morung. I wish I had taken more photos and videos of these moments. But anyway I have a few and put them together in this video. This is not a 5% representation of the real fun that happens at the parties but yeah it should give you an idea.

On one of the nights, we were sloshed. Our necks couldn't hold our heads anymore. And then we got invited by a few locals to their Morung. They treated us. Rice beer, smoked pork in Akhuni, grasshopper pickle, and ginger powder with chicken 😋. We managed to pose and this series of pics happened.

Unfortunately, the Hornbill festival 2021 came to a halt on the fourth day. A local shooting incident by the Indian Army where a few locals got killed. Reminding all of us that the area is still sensitive and the state is doing its bit to keep it calm.  But that didn't stop us from having fun in Kohima. The people are extremely friendly and it didn't seem like an issue. Every evening Kashi, I, and 3 other boys that Kashi had known from previous travels were all set to explore the land of Nagas.

Accessible for tourists for about 20 years now, Dzuko valley is central to the beauty of the northeast. Located on the borders of Manipur and Nagaland, Dzuko valley trek is a must-visit. The trek tasks about 4 to 6 hours depending on your skills. The trek has 2 different routes from the Vishwema side of Nagaland. Both of them have steep climbs via steps covering ~2kms and then the 4km walk along the grasslands. Once you are through the steps the grasslands get easier to walk. The ideal way is to spend a night or two at the Dzuko valley.

Staying for a night at the valley will allow you to descend from your stay to the actual valley. This will easily add another 3kms of the steep hike. Most people go only to the homestay and do not descend to the valley. But thankfully I had a few crazy ones who never miss these experiences. They made sure to drag my lazy ass as well. The accommodation at Dzuko valley is maintained by the youth of the Angami tribe. The most popular tribe of the 16 officially recognized tribes of Nagaland. Accommodation and services are basic and suitable only for those who wouldn't mind campsites. With increasing travelers may be the facilities will improve but for now, it's as close as you can be to nature.

We were 5 of us and we did a few crazy things. We were too naive. We didn't take a guide, we took our cars halfway through the trek, it got dark and we couldn't continue our trek and halted midway in the night, with no food for almost 24 hours, and then the magic happened. Witnessed a star-studded night with shooting stars constantly firing from 2 AM. We reached Dzuko valley the next day and decided to spend the night there. We were provided some basic food since we hadn't pre-booked. The camps were getting extremely cold on December nights but thankfully the fire, stars, blankets, and 4 of us in cramped one bed kept us going for the night. The next day after a plate of maggie we descended to the valley. Below is a panoramic view of the valley.

You are not allowed to camp in the valley and everyone descending down is expected to get back to the camp. We spent about 2 hours in the valley and then started our trek back to Vishwema.

Tip: The place gets extremely cold at night. Book a guide, if you need proper accommodation and food.

The magnificence of Dzuko valley will stay with me forever ❤️🙏

I always had a fascination for the Brahmaputra. The stories that I heard of it since childhood.

The first introduction to Brahmpautra came from my dad's friend's wife, who was from Guwahati and was visiting us for a few days in Kanyakumari. It was in the early 90s. She said she lived within a walking distance of the Brahmaputra and said standing on one side you cannot see the other side of the river in many places.

Is it bigger than the ocean? Does it have fish? Where does the water come from? It's not salty? How? I was full of questions, I remember her answer to each one of them.

Back in school at Vivekananda Kendra be it Niveditha Didi or any of the exchange students that came from the Northeast had their own versions and stories of the river. Fast forward 20 years.

It was in Nagaland during the Hornbill festival that a solo traveler told me about Majuli, an island in the Brahmaputra that he was visiting next. The moment I heard the name I knew I was going there. But not until Shillong. After spending Christmas and New year in Shillong, I decided to drive through Assam.

Most parts of the drive was through the Kaziranga national park. So I decided to halt there for a night. Thankfully a solo traveler had already suggested a place that is ideal for me, Since the park majorly promotes family audience the accommodation for solo travelers are very limited. I however decided to skip the game safari as well. A campfire night with the hotel staff talking about their experiences in Kaziranga and also sharing my driving experience from Kanyakumari. Some meat and strong rice beer put me to sleep early and I was waiting to get on the road early in the morning. The roads were empty mostly and I was zipping through. I was really excited to get my first proper glimpse of the river.

All the fascination I had for the river was so true. And I couldn't have been more excited. For the first time, I was going to park my car on a ferry and travel for an hour in the mighty Brahmaputra. Conversations with curious fellow passengers about where I come from. Once they confirm that I am driving from the south they get excited. Their wide smile and surprised stare said it all. When they hear I am from Kanyakumari their excitement doubles.

While on the ferry, something else happened. Something that I started noticing a few months before the trip. How the universe guides us in every step we take. I knew I was going to be in Majuli for a while. The question was where do I go next? This was in the back of my mind even before reaching Majuli. Knowing that I am driving from the south and considering that I am in Majuli after my Uttarakhand trip, someone came up to me. He came to me with a formal namaste and asked "aap Puri Jaaoge? meaning Are you going to Puri?". I was shocked to hear it. I drew a blank. How do you know? I do have Puri on my list but I don't know when I am going. Maybe in a year or two, I said. He immediately pulled out a pile of cash rolled in an envelope from his bag and handed it over to me. He continued saying, "My mom wanted me to go to Puri and put it in Jagganath temple. When I saw you I thought I should give it to you. Can you do it?" I was hesitant. But then my logical mind was off. I was just looking at this person in aww. For trusting some random guy on a ferry. I knew my next destination was Puri. The divinity of this man and his mother is taking me to my next stop. Jai Jagganath! we both said it aloud as I took the envelope from him.

The routine was clear every day. Go to the ghats and watch the sunset over the  Brahmaputra. This collage is a perfect tribute to Majuli's beautiful sunsets.

Majuli is also the cultural capital of Assam. It is rightly so. Be it pottery, painting, dance, or art the locals had their thing for it. Most of the culture is derived from the South Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka put together. It is said that saint Srimanta Shankardeva travelled across South India in the 15th century and formed the NEw Vaishnavite Bhakti movement in Majuli. Later this goes on to play a significant role in shaping the culture of Assam itself. Being an island in extreme harsh conditions and mostly cut off from the rest of the world during monsoons these activities have kept the thousands of locals together. I was lucky to be visiting this place right at the time of Bihu.  

Throughout my trip meeting, solo travelers from across the country was nothing short of a magical experience in itself. It is fascinating to see how people with similar interest get together and days and night don't seem to be enough for them. For the days we are together you are just together. You travel, eat, drink, smoke, dance, listen to music - all together like you have known each other for a lifetime. Nothing short. Of the 20 days these are few amazing folks I met. Bottom left photo is with Lt.Colonel Adithya. HE is with the Indian army and we spent a few days together exploring Majuli. Bottom right is Hemangha.

Hemangha is from Assam and we met in 2020 in Varanashi and then again in Kedarnath in 2020 and 2021. Majuli was 150kms away from his home and so HEmangha drove all the way with some homecooked delicacies. Later on, when I left Majuli I happened to visit his home and meet his family. I don't know how these relationships happen. But they just happen. Thank you for all the love, my brother. The others in the photo have stories of their own. We shared some amazing moments together and we do know that it will happen again. Until then we cherish those moments.

Definitely, Majuli is one place that is close to my heart. I don't know when I will ever go back to this place again. But for now leaving you with a few magical sunsets. These people, goats, ducks, kids, sunsets, memories will stay with me for a lifetime.

Thanks, Universe 💗🙏

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A post shared by Sabin Rodriguez (@sabinrodriguez)

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A post shared by Sabin Rodriguez (@sabinrodriguez)

For centuries this city has been referred to by different names. Varanasi (aka) Banares (aka) Kashi. I call it Kashi.

Kashi is probably the only place I have spent more time during my road trips. The last time I visited Kashi I stayed there for 20 days. And yet, when I visit it the next time I know it will be a totally new experience filled with discovering the newer sides of Kashi. That is how Kashi is. Every frame of Kashi has so much stillness and so much activity. I have a lot of stories from here but will reserve that for the future. Today, I want to share my mind-blowing experience of the Dev Diwali celebrations in Varanasi.

Kashi Dev Deepawali is celebrated on the full moon of Kartika month (as per the Hindu calendar). This day also falls 14-15 days after Deepawali. Two weeks after Diwali is how I remember this date. In 2020 when I was in Kashi for the first time, I was told about this festival. I still remember when a few travelers spoke about this festival their eyes lit up with joy and they were all waiting for the festival. I decided to give it a miss in 2020 since I want to be in Kedarnath for Diwali.  But the stars aligned well in 2021 and I was all set to experience Dev Deepawali in Kashi.

The entire place transforms in an hour. Between 6 to 7 pm. The ghats get full and the entire ghats section of Kashi from Ravidhas ghat to Raj ghat is filled with a sea of humans, enjoying the evening with friends clicking photos and more importantly showing off their accomplishments, the lit Diyas. We did the same too. The residents of the Shivalaya ghat invited us to spend the evening with them lighting Diyas and sending a few lanterns up in the sky. This was the first time sending up a lantern. And I absolutely loved the first experience. I am still trying my best to get my hands on this video. Will upload it here as soon as I have it.  

The fellow humans of Kashi

LED Shows

The fireworks

Never seen anything like it. Probably Varanasi is the only where you can experience this. 1 crore people in the ghats, Lamps, Laser shows, fireworks, everything making the fast-flowing Ganga lit up. Ganga reflects all the colors. People exuberantly walking around, boys walking in groups, you go where the crowd moves, scream when they all stream, jump in joy when the music beats go up,

I ended the night at 1 am with a perfect butter dosa. This was the day, I became a fan of the Varanasi dosas. I have come to a conclusion since then that Varanasi makes better Dosa and chutneys. Even better than what is served in Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

The next Dev Diwali is happening on Nov 7th, 2022. It is usually the full moon after Diwali. So 14 days after Diwali. Diwali usually being on an Amavasya day. Dev Diwali happens on the full moon.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? For me, Kedarnath was the first of many things. My first experience of Kedarnath happened in 2020 November. Located at a height of 3583m, it is roughly a 20 kilometers uphill trek and my first ever trek. It was going to snow heavily in a few days, said all weather forecasts and it is not to be taken lightly as this area is known for its harsh weather. But none of this mattered. Reaching the top was the only thing we had in mind. As we walk up the hill, every breath was refreshing, every step was a new view, and every moment was joyful.

Trekking with me was a very dear friend, Ninja. Whatever I said as my firsts apply to him as well. It wasn't easy and we didn't expect it to be. In fact, we didn't have any expectations. Both of us were equally unfit. We had taken our bodies for a ride all these years. So, any trek was going to be hard. But to start with a trek at this altitude wasn't a planned one. It just happened. We didn't expect it to be easy or hard. We just wanted to go up there. So we walked. But watching the snowcapped peak from afar we knew that our energy levels went up. So we continued our walk. While watching each step. You know where you are going.

References to this temple in Indian scriptures date back to the 8th century
- Adi Shankaracharya is credited with the setup of the current temple
- Like he always did in unifying India, the priests of this temple are from the south as well
- The temple is open to the public only for 6months a year and becomes inaccessible owing to the harsh winter temperatures
- Today, it's one of the most visited high-altitude places in the country

It was just before winter. Kedar Dham was about to close in a day or two. We decided to stay back. Every day we just went and stared at the mighty Kedar peak. No words. No thoughts. Just drenched in creation.

As I publish this blog post, I am planning my third trip to Kedarnath in the September of 2022 and I am super excited about this.

If not thrice, make sure to visit this place once in your lifetime coz here on earth life is simple. With grace, we simply live. Jai Bholenath!!

I always loved road trips. But this trip was never dreamt of. At times when you look back and realize you had just zipped through six months. Just like that. For me, this trip was just that. What started as a 4-day 1,200 km trip became a 6-month 15,000 km solo trip.

It all started with me going to Hasanur, for a yearly ritual trip with my college friends. We have been doing this for the past 15 years.  Ever since we finished college in 2007. Used to be a gang of 50 but now has shrunk to 20. About 12 to 18 of us meet every year in one of the hill stations in Tamil Nadu. The plan was to attend this ritual and then return home. However, the whole thing changed. Hasanur is a forest village in the Western Ghats bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is one of the best places to spot elephants in the wild.

We usually have a movie session. The scene usually is a few of us lying down in a bed and starting to watch. Just like how we would in our hostel days. This time it was the Tamil movie 'Vaazh' meaning 'Live'. The film is about a young IT professional, who gets tempted by his sensations which leads him to an inner search, through travel and a journey to discover his true self. All of us were so engrossed in the movie and this song played. It was a love at first sight kinda song for me and even before the song finished I had told my friends I am driving to Gokarna. The song below 👇.

I ended up spending the next 15 days in Gokarna. My longest stay in a single place until that point. While in Gokarna, I knew I was going to be on the road for a while. I knew I just had to keep going. I didn't have a plan. Although the wanting to go to Kedarnath existed, considering that I trekked Kedarnath for the previous Diwali (November 2020), I wanted to hike it again for the second time in 2021. One thing led to the other and for the next 6 months, I ended up driving in my Maruti Swift from Kanyamari to Kedarnath to Varanasi for Dev Diwali, then Nagaland for the Hornbill festival, then Shillong for Christmas, then to Majuli a river island in Assam, and a few more places. But first, let's start with Gokarna - here.

Gokarna was on my list for a long time and it finally happened without planning. Also, this trip was probably the first time I ever traveled solo. Not in its literal sense but this is that trip I truly was a solo traveler. Without having a plan, taking everything as it comes, not bounded or restricted by anything, the place I stay, the food I eat, sharing food and drinks with total strangers, feeding and getting to be friends with not only humans but also cats, dogs, goats and also Kashi. (More about Kashi in future blogs)

I happened to meet some amazing people through my 15 days of stay. Solo travelers from across the country, college kids from Bangalore, couples trying to patch the long-term bruises of their wedding, a girlfriend taking a break from family and boyfriend, a group of girls celebrating their friend's bachelorette, two girls taking a 3rd friend for her first ever holiday, boys from Coimbatore high on LSD by the beach,

It's been a year since I visited Gokarna and even though I've seen 100 sunsets after that, the Gokarna sunset continues to remain a fav. It still is my wallpaper on phone. If you are in Gokarna make sure you keep every evening reserved just to sit on the beach and watch the day end. That magical sunset 👇

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Yana Caves

Yana caves are a must-visit if you are in Gokarna. At first sight, I saw a 300ft tall humanoid standing in front of me. I was staring at it with my mouth wide open. I am sure this experience won't be very different for you when you visit. If I am not wrong, we trekked 3kms (a very basic walk) or so and reached the destination. THis place is to sure blow you away.

Other Places to visit near Gokarna: Kumta, Yana caves, Sahasralinga, Sirsi

Places to Stay in Gokarna: Trippr Hostel Gokarna