theladywanderer

Kempegowda was the founder of Bangalore and he had created 4 watch towers that marked the boundaries of Bangalore to which he had thought that this city would extend. Let me take you this tower trail. I will go in the order I had covered these towers with some interesting story telling in my blog here.   South Tower  – Lalbagh Lalbagh Botanical gardens is the most famous spot in Bengaluru and is a paradise for early morning joggers. While taking a stroll along this huge garden, the huge peninsular genesis definitely cannot be missed. So Kempegowda tower is perched on top of this peninsular genesis marking the southern tip of Bangalore. This is the most visited amongst all the towers. Please note that you will need to buy tickets to enter Lalbagh.   West Tower  – Gavipuram I got a chance to visit the tower located in this area during a Gavipuram Heritage walk conducted by BengaluruPrayana. This tower is located next to the Bande Mahakali temple. There are clearly marked steps that you n

Day 4 – Chettinad Today we set off from Rameswaram at around 9 am and started our journey towards Chettinad which was around 2.5 hours from here. Our first stop was Karaikudi – antique market.   Our driver stopped at the parking area and from here we could see a temple nestled in the busy Karaikudi market area. Karaikudi Antique Market To explain what is special about Karaikudi Antique market, you need to first know the history of Chettinad region. Chettinad traders made fortunes in Burma, came back and built fancy homes with Burmese team. These houses are scattered across a collection of villages, collectively known as Chettinad region. The inhabitants of this region are from a mercantile community called Nattukottai Chettiars, hence the name Chettinad. These mansions/palaces are at least 70-90 years old now, children have settled down in abroad and many houses lay abandoned here. These embellishments are being taken out and sold in this antique market. Its hidden in a single lane in