This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with one of our dear listeners, Varsha, as she takes us to a lesser travelled gem in Tamil Nadu, Pollachi!Today's destination: Pollachi, Tamil Nadu!Nearest Airport: Coimbatore International Airport, CJBNearest Railway Station: Pollachi Junction, POY Prerequisites - NA, some places might need permitsPacking - Pack lightTime of the year - Oc to FebLength of the itinerary: 3-5 daysItinerary Highlights: Varsha and her mom start off the journey by exploring the town of Pollachi - home to Asia’s largest jaggery market. Also make sure to visit the local cattle market and flower market. Pollachi is a farming town, so there are a lot of paddy and rice fields around. A couple of interesting villages to visit are Sulakkal, Kinathukadavl and Setumadai. The villages have some interesting temples, traditional folk and cuisines. The temple that stands out is the Masaani Amman temple, where the goddess Durga is depicted in the form of a corpse! Setumadai is also a popular location for filming tamil movies with an estimated 1500 movies being shot here. Other interesting places in the vicinity include a visit to Aliyar dam, Vetarthi Maharishi ashram at the foothills of the Anamalai mountains. There are boating options available at the dam as well. Top Slip and Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary are other options one can consider, permits might be needed along with lodging, so make sure to book in advance. Wildlife safaris here are a must do experience to view some of the wildlife in the sanctuary.Parts of the Parambikulam wildlife reserve are in Kerala but Pollachi offers an easier access which is preferred by many visitors. Valparai and its vast expanse of tea estates is another setting in which one can spend time in, there are other activities like paragliding that one can partake in. Try out some of the local eateries like Paati bajji Kadai for fritters and other fried goodies. There are many popular biryani options in town like Daadi Sardar Biryani, Arcot Biryani hotel, Taj Biryani hotel that one should check out. Chola mess popular for the local fish is something not to be missed. Theni, Thirnalveli, Madurai and Satyamangalam Tiger reserve are other options one can explore if you have more time on hand as these are close to Pollachi. Negamam, is another tiny hamlet that is popular for the local looms and saris. Tirumurti Hills and dam is also something that offers some wonderful views and activities like kayaking. Links:Varsha’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varshasathishkumar/?originalSubdomain=sg

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