Tamil Nadu at the End of a Decade

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Written April 15, 2020

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India, is a massive country, no secret there. It’s the second most-populous country in the world, and literally defined as a sub-continent.

A behemoth beauty Bharat be…

Unfortunately, I’ve only been to one area of India in my entire life (Tamil Nadu—South Indians where you at?!), although multiple times in my life. That is the tradition of a SGD: you go to the motherland with your parents and siblings, perhaps every two years or so, and stay with grandparents for a couple weeks—months if you are young enough and can afford to miss school for that long…

Traveling to India is also a strenuous ordeal. Many SGDs and their families live in countries on the other side of the globe…unless you’re in Europe, or so lucky enough to be “nearby” in Singapore…

Even my Dad, who is a pretty tough guy, has recently found his yearly trips to India to be a source of sheer exhaustion and stress. A lot of that is centered around trying to fit seeing 20+ extended relatives and friends within a time frame of days. Trying to avoid hurt feelings, missed shopping items (can’t forget to bring back Grand Snacks to the States!!), and getting sick…it all adds up. No wonder trips to India are rarely seen as a vacation for many desi families🤷🏽‍♀️ .

In a recent trip however to India in late 2019, my Dad, sis, and I discussed that maybe it was time—now that we were all older, and the number of people to visit has grown smaller over time (due to life, to put it gently…)—it would be worth trying to visit other parts of the country.

Unfortunately, time wasn’t in our favor yet again. We found ourselves with many commitments as usual, and not too much time to fit in extra excursions. But unlike in the past, we did step beyond the households of perimas and peripas. Even though we were still restricted to an area close to our “home base” (Chennai), we made an effort to have our “mini” vacations with stops at the following:

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Marina Beach

Beaches in Southern India are unlike beaches in Cali…for one thing, something called humidity dictates everything.

For the three weeks I was in Chennai for Dec. 2019/Jan. 2020, running wasn’t a huge priority for me, but when I did get the chance to run, I tried to race with it 😉.

Unfortunately, humidity levels close to 100% and temps of 80 degrees Fahrenheit by 8am just doesn’t sit well with me. And being one out of three women running that morning out of like, hundreds of men? It felt super awkward, not gonna lie.

Although, I did see a significant speed increase in my pace! I was hesitant to look around me because desi men (and women) are known for their stare-downs, so I just ran until my legs gave out and the humidity was too much 😅.

The best time to visit is in the early morning, of course. Given that Chennai’s population is 7.088 million (2011, Google), the likelihood of having a “normal”-sized crowd is only likely to happen before 7:00am strikes.

But not everyone is so keen to wake up that early…

Boy, would I have loved to see how Marina Beach looks now in the time of corona lockdowns…

Tirupati

Tirupati is another city in Southern India, located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (so, not Tamil Nadu, but we drove here from Chennai!). The drive there and back is a little over 6 hours roundtrip. The reason we visited was to pay our respects at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. In Tamil, my family’s language, temple = Kōyil (கோயில்).

A lot of devotees come from all over India (and the globe) to visit the auspicious கோயில். So much so, that there are dedicated travel bus and van services that are designed with a full-day itinerary package. I traveled with my Dad, sister, cousin, her husband, and uncle, so we were able to book a decent-sized van.

Our driver was a mad man. We left at 6am, and nearly shed a full hour from our morning half of travels 😐. Meaning, there was no doubt that he was speeding at *many* points during the trip.

We were lucky to have made it one piece, and our first stop was at a local “canteen” for breakfast. It was simple, carb-packed fare of idli, sambar, rasam, chutney, vada, etc. but no protein meant I would definitely get hungry later…

We were warned of the high altitudes as we made our ascent into the mountains. The கோயில் is located in the Tirumala Hills, which is part of the Seshachalam Hills range ~2,800 feet above sea level 😱. The hills have seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha, ” King of all Nāgas and one of the primal beings of creation” (Wikipedia).

The secenery is absolutely gorgeous. We spotted all sorts of wildlife—including monkeys and warthogs!

When we got to the top, we were dropped off at a meeting zone away from the கோயில். We could see that even at 9am, it was packed. Because everything in India usually takes place 30 min+ after the call time, we really didn’t assemble and head over to the கோயில் until around 10am or so.

The “guide” gave instructions on what you were allowed to bring (no video cameras, etc.) and dress etiquette in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Then we had to fight for our place in line to enter.

Things got crazy soon after.

I never thought I’d experience the feeling of being crushed against hundreds of bodies in a holy place, yet here we were. I am so glad we went before the covid outbreak…and I’m also glad they temporarily closed the கோயில் to the public, because those crowds mixed with a virus….nah 🙅🏽‍♀️.

It reached the 90’s (Fahrenheit) by the time afternoon rolled around. My sister and I were exhausted—too sleepy to eat at the canteen even! We thought that after our second meal stop we would head straight home, but alas, the driver wanted to stop for coffee at another roadside canteen. I however, had the appetite for more sleep, not coffee!

The drive back was also slower compared to the morning, due to increased traffic flowing in and out of Chennai. Needless to say, sleep was enjoyed that night once we got back!

Mahabalipuram

Our “semi-relaxing” stop on this trip was a vacation-from-a-vacation-like detour to Mahabalipuram, a coastal town approximately 1 hr south from Chennai, in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu.

We stayed in a beach resort that had direct access to a private section of beach, and it was meant to serve as our getaway from the city life of Chennai.

The entire resort on the inside was air-conditioned, so it was extremely refreshing compared to the hot, humid weather in JANUARY! Funny thing was, the temperature difference was so extreme that every time we came back from outside, our phone screens would immediately fog up!

Mahabalipuram was definitely not immune to crowds. My sister spent most of the weekend of our visit indoors, while my Dad and I made the brave trek outdoors in the late afternoons. The crowds were unbearable for us too, so we decided just to “hike” near Roya Gopuram, but in reality, we wandered off somewhere and tried not to fall over great boulders!

In the evenings, the weather would cool down significantly, making it an awesome time to go to the beach. Compared to Marina Beach, it was quiet, serene, clean, and not cluttered by people! There were the frequent pariah dog visitors, however 😉

Oh, speaking of dogs, there were plenty all around! Pariah dogs are an indigenous breed in India, and prowl the streets in search of food. They are hungry, cautious souls that I wish I could hug, but they can get pretty vicious when they feel threatened.

Still, even when watched from afar, they made sure to make my heart melt 💔

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The good ol’ TN will always hold a sacred place in my heart, as it is the home of my family and ancestors, as well as the roots of my culture, but I don’t want to limit myself on future trips to only visit Tamil Nadu out of obligation. I don’t restrict myself in the same way when I visit other countries, so why should it be any different in this case?

Have you ever visited India? Which part?