During the May 1st 2025 we took a long weekend and drove off to Mannargudi.
Started around 5:30 am from Chennai. Had a short breakfast at Manoj Bhavan in Maduranthakam and reached Mannargudi by 1 PM. Being the long weekend, the traffic was quiet heavy all the way till Melmaruvathur. At Panrutti we stopped to buy cashews. Lots of jackfruits loaded long the roads in Panrutti along with Cashew fruits. We also bought some baby cucumbers, it was so fresh one can hear the crispy sound from it while eating. The travel once you reach the delta region will always be intertwined with rivers running along. Though the flow was low owing to the summer, its a pretty site to come across water bodies at regular intervals during long travels. Relying on Google maps, we had to switch between NH and SH to reach out destination. Towards Kumbakonam the sun gave some relief by going inside the clouds, otherwise the weather forced us to have the ac on in the car.
We had our accommodation booked at Mannai Grand. It was a mediocre hotel; giving room for Rs.2000 per night was worth it. Water here was go good. We good a room in the first, could park our car inside and the staff was very friendly. As guided at the hotel we walked to the near by Chettinad mess for lunch. This is the real Chettinad we suppose, had a tasty biryani and meals. On return took a much needed siesta.
In the evening we took a mini drive to the temple pond which is around 23 acres. Haridra river bring water to the pond. There are small temples near the pond but this pond is some 500 mts away from the Rajagopalaswamy temple. The Tamilnadu tourism has setup boating here. So we went a Rs.600, motor boat ride. There is a small temple for Lord Perumal in the middle of the pond but off late no one is allowed inside. It was a fun ride, the vastness of the pond was quiet intriguing. This one is bigger than the Madurai Teppakulam but isn't appreciated that much. We saw few of them taking bath here and there but for that even the boating facility was not much used. No crowd was a blessing in disguise for us as we spent some peaceful time here talking to the TTDC staff. Mannargudi is primarily into agriculture. The soil is fertile and cultivatable. So the town remains quiet peaceful.
We then parked the car near the market and took a stroll. It was an interesting market street walk. Lot of fresh veggies and flowers were sold. Provision stores were quiet big in traditional way along supermarkets too. Long snake-guards seen after a long time. Jasmines were sold in small plastic packets for tying together. At the Kunjan chettiyar shop we bought traditional sweets and snacks, which tasted way so different the city bought ones. The long walk of the market an interesting one. The tea costs Rs.10 here but is of very good quality. Cow milk is available everywhere.
For dinner we again took a walk and parotta at the newly opened restaurant. It was surprising to see that most of the restaurants were into Chinese and other cuisine.
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