You tired of visiting the same old tourist spots every year? Do you want to experience something unique and authentic? Then, pack your bags and head to Tirunelveli, a city rich in culture, traditions, and mouth-watering street food!
Every year in the mid-month of May, myself, mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma take the Nagercoil passenger train to our grandmother's native city, Tirunelveli. Our primary mission: to worship the ancient temples and see our relatives. But let's be honest, the real reason we make this trip is for the food, especially the halwa!
Our accommodation is always at the Balaji Mansion, an old lodge near the railway station. The highlight of our mornings is the breakfast at Hotel Central Café, which serves hot and crispy poori, vadai, idli with getti chutney. Trust me; you'll want to eat your fingers after you taste this heavenly breakfast.
After visiting the Nellaiyapar Thirukovil, we head to our relatives' house for lunch, where we enjoy traditional dishes prepared with love. In the evening, we head to the Thiruvenkatanadhapuram temple which is our native temple , followed by dinner at the famous Street Idli Akka Shops, serving steaming idlis, vadais, and podi dosas.
The highlight of our trip was the halwa at Chandra Vilas, which is served on a dried maple leaf, it is a unique flavor. My father gets very nostalgic, talking about his childhood memories of Thirunelveli while enjoying the halwa.
Our second day is all about visiting more ancient temples in the city, like the Varadharaja Perumaul temple, where we taste the prasadham (sarkaraipongal)in morning , and then we again visited the Nellaiyapar Thirukovil at night . At just opposite to the temple we waited in a long queue for the biggest darshan in Tirunelveli, the Irutukadai halwa.
Our trip continues to Nagercoil , where we stay at Raj Home, our ancestral home. The highlight of our visit is Hotel Vijay, serving rasa vadai, idli, masala dosa, and horlicks, which is located opposite to our room. The next day, we visited my grandpa and father's native place, Suchindram, by bus, where we worship the famous Suchindram Thanumalayaman temple, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at our relatives' home. We end our day at Kanyakumari beach, where the three oceans meet.
On our last day, we visited Thiruparapu waterfalls, where we enjoyed our breakfast that we have parceled from Hotel Vijay. After bathing in the waterfalls, we returned to Hotel Vijay for a scrumptious meal of rasa vadai, dosas, and horlicks at evening .On the next day morning, of course, we pack some food for our long train journey back to Coimbatore.
During our train journey, my grandpa shares his first train experience and childhood memories of Suchindram, which fills us with laughter and happiness. Our trip to Tirunelveli may be a yearly routine, but it never fails to fill us with joy, love, and unforgettable memories.
So, if you want to experience the real flavors of India, visit Tirunelveli, where the food, culture, and traditions will make you fall in love with this beautiful city. Just don't forget to pack some extra clothes, as you might indulge in the food more than you thought!