BUILDER'S JOURNAL: BUDGET TRAVEL TO INCREDIBLE INDIA: CHENNAI (MADRAS), TAMIL NADU PART 2

Monday, December 17, 2018

BUDGET TRAVEL TO INCREDIBLE INDIA: CHENNAI (MADRAS), TAMIL NADU PART 2

July 9, 2018
MABUHAY!

This is a photo and video journal of our budget travel to incredible India featuring our visit to Chennai formerly known as Madras, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
KAPALEESWARAR TEMPLE
After purchasing the tickets for our train ride to the state of Kerala, we still have a few hours to roam around Chennai. Included in our itinerary is the visit to the Kapaleeswarar temple, a magnificent Hindu temple. But we need to ride a train first Park Town station.

Park Town train station

Purchasing train tickets

You can cross the railway tracks just like that

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We stop at this very hard to pronounce station then walk around 15 minutes to get to the temple.

Train Ride Around Chennai, Tamil Nadu

This is a Hindu temple dedicated to lord Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai. It was built around 1491-1570 CE. The temple gopuram - a monumental entrance tower of a Hindu temple is 120 feet. It is highly adorned with stucco figures.

The facade of the temple

The temple during a ritual ceremony

APOSTLE THOMAS BASILICA & TOMB
Our tuk-tuk driver is roaming around the city looking for a telecom store for us to buy a sim card for our cellphone. Then he suddenly stopped to a white colored edifice that seems to be a Christian church. It is the Basilica of Saint Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ.

Visit to St. Thomas, Basilica

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Saint Thomas, is traditionally referred to as "Doubting Thomas" because he did not believe at first that our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. He traveled outside the Roman Empire, as far as Tamilakam which is the modern state of Tamil Nadu in India. He was stabbed to death here in Chennai and his tomb is located here where this Basilica stands today. As a Christian, it is really an awesome experience to go inside this Church and have a glimpsed of the burial place of one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus Christ.

The tomb of Apostle Thomas

The interior of Saint Thomas Basilica

After visiting Saint Thomas Basilica, we again headed back to the train station going to Park Town then to Chennai Central Train Station.

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BUYING SIMCARD IN INDIA
Foreigners must buy a sim card in India to bonafide telecom stores only and are considered major outlets. You will need to present your passport then fill up an application form. We paid around 400 Rupees for 30 days load and data. After 30 days, the sim card will automatically expire.

After accomplishing all the requirements, we were finally given a sim card.

PURCHASING SOUVENIRSSome tuk-tuk drivers here in Chennai are associated with a souvenir shop. The driver will request you to check out the store and if don't feel buying anything, then you can freely leave the shop. We bought 2 souvenir t-shirts.

My wife checking out some items for souvenirs in this shop

Tuk-Tuk Ride Around Chennai

CHENNAI CENTRAL TRAIN STATION

Chennai Central, erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the most important hubs in the South. It is connected to Moore Market Complex railway station Chennai Central metro station and Chennai Park railway station and is adjacent to Chennai Egmore railway station. Chennai Central connects the city to all northern cities of India, including Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

About 350,000 passengers use the terminus every day, making it the busiest railway station in South India. Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore Junction, Karur Junction, and Chennai Central are the most profitable stations of Southern Railways. (Excerpt from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Central_railway_station )

The facade of Chennai Central train station

Foreigners can book for train tickets for sleeper couch or an air-condition couch in a designated window on the first floor of the station. The ticket officer will require a photocopy of your passport containing your details and the page of the entry stamp in the Indian immigration.

Lots of ravens here

350,000 commuters daily flock in this station

Our ticket going to Palakkad Junction, Kerala amounting to 980 Rupees

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Your charger must have a circular pin plug adaptor

The century-old building of the railway station, which recently underwent a facelift, is one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai, was designed by architect George Harding. The station is also a main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railway system. It lies adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway and the Ripon Building. During the British Raj, the station served as the gateway to South India, and the station is still used as a landmark for the city and the state.
(Excerpt from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Central_railway_station )

The sweet corn vendor

A souvenir picture in front of the station

TRAVEL TO KERALA
We will be heading further south to the state of Kerala. When we look for our designated couches, we mistakenly entered an air-condition couch. Then the passengers who are booked in that coach told us that this is an air-conditioned coach with an AC code. They instructed us to look for the sleeper couch with an SL code. We ran in front of the train, which is already sounding its train horn signaling we must be on board. Then just about the train rolled out in the railways, we found our couch. What a great adventure!