22. Puducherry to Rameshwaram — Temples, Mangroves and a Night at Pamban Bridge (17th Dec 2025)

#roadtripkanyakumari #puducherry #boatride #mangrove #chidambaramnatarajatemple #thanjavurbigtemple 17th Dec 2025, Wednesday…Day (22) Puducherry-Auroville-Pondy Marina-Eden Beach-Chidambaram-Thanjavur-Pamban Bridge (448 km). Road Trip, Amritsar-Kanyakumari, (Day 22) Had it not been for the long road ahead and countless destinations still waiting for us, we would have happily stayed a few more days in Puducherry. There was something instantly lovable about the place — the laid-back rhythm of life, the salty sea breeze, the charming French Quarter, and the countless little cafés hidden along quiet streets. Our two-night stay at Lamel Cove Beach Resort made the experience even more memorable. A room right by the beach, good food, and the constant sound of crashing waves made it incredibly difficult to leave. The next morning, we drove towards Auroville. Instead of rushing through tourist checklists, we simply settled into a café, ordered carrot cake and filter coffee, and allowed ourselves to enjoy the slow pace of the morning. We skipped visiting Matrimandir and the “City of Dawn” itself, choosing instead to continue towards Pondy Marina Beach. And that is when one of the most magical experiences of the day unfolded unexpectedly — a boat ride into the mangrove forests from Sea Breeze Boating. The tickets cost ₹400 per person, and it turned out to be worth every rupee. Gliding silently through narrow mangrove tunnels felt surreal, almost dreamlike. The ride took us past the fishing harbour, to the ancient Indo-Roman trading port of Arikamedu, and finally towards the thrilling point where the backwaters merge with the sea. Later, we paused near a beautiful palm grove close to Eden Beach before joining the scenic NH-32 highway towards Rameshwaram. And then, as often happens on road trips, the real magic arrived unannounced. Somewhere along the drive, we caught distant glimpses of a towering temple rising above the landscape. Without overthinking, we took a diversion into Chidambaram — and found ourselves standing before the magnificent Thillai Nataraja Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva in his cosmic dancer form. The visit had never been part of the plan. Yet standing inside that centuries-old temple, we felt deeply blessed and incredibly fortunate. Moments like these are difficult to explain — the road simply takes you where you are meant to be. Back on the highway, night slowly began to take over. While crossing another large city later in the evening, we discovered that yet another famous temple stood nearby. It was already around 8 PM. We quickly drove into the city, parked the car, and hurried towards the entrance as the temple gates were preparing to close. Once again, luck stayed with us. We had reached the legendary Brihadisvara Temple of Thanjavur — the famed “Big Temple.” Under the night sky, the towering 68-metre granite structure looked absolutely majestic. Learning that an 80-ton granite block sits atop the temple tower made the engineering achievement feel almost unbelievable. Legend says it was hauled to the top using elephants along a six-kilometre inclined ramp. This temple too had never been part of the itinerary. But perhaps that is the greatest beauty of road travel — the places you never planned to visit often become the ones you remember forever. After spending quality time at both temples and enjoying the mangrove boat ride earlier in the day, exhaustion slowly began catching up with us. Yet we still had a long drive ahead towards Rameshwaram — over 450 kilometres in total for the day. Past midnight, we finally arrived near the entrance of the iconic Pamban Bridge. A cluster of all-night dhabas glowed softly along the highway. Too tired to drive any further, we parked the car nearby, converted it into our makeshift bedroom, and quietly drifted off to sleep. Sleeping inside the car at the gateway to Pamban Bridge — with the cool ocean breeze in the air and the promise of Rameshwaram waiting ahead — felt like a dream gently coming true. For more travel stories, pls check joyclubsunil.wordpress.com