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South India Temple Tour – A journey towards divinity

by VishuSaumya October 10, 2018October 26, 2018

South India Temple Tour – A journey towards divinity

India is a land of religions. A country that is covered with different religions, Hinduism being one of the most popular among them. The temples in India have always been special for the belief they have in the followers of this religion. South India is known for its temples all around the world. The temple cities of India, as they are fondly called, are known for its marvelous architecture and high religious beliefs. We recently happened to be on a South India Temple Tour visiting some of the famous temples in the temple cities of South India. The journey, a combination of a road and rail, took us through famous cities like Chennai, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari and Trivandrum to name it all. The journey was even more special as we had our parents (read Saumya’s parents) also traveling with us.
South India Temple Tour The 6- days itinerary of South India was focused on keeping it religious with other attractions that each city had to offer. We will take you on a city-wise journey of this South India trip and would talk about the famous temples of South India, the one that we visited and few that we missed. We will also talk about other mythological significance of various towns in South India and the roles that they played especially in Ramayana. So, let’s begin.

Chennai

One of the most important cities of South India and the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is well known for its temples. The city has beautiful temples and museums along with it also being a hub of IT in the modern world. Our South India trip started from here when we boarded a flight from Delhi to reach Chennai in approximately 2 and a half hours. After checking in to our hotel, the famous Crowne Plaza Chennai we started our expedition.
South India Temple Tour
Government Museum Chennai:

The first stop for the day was the Government Museum in Chennai. This is also known as the Madras Museum. Located in the Egmore area, this museum is famous for its art collection of archaeological and numismatic artifacts. Going to museums is always fun with parents. You seem to go down the memory lane when our parents used to take us to museums when we were kids. We had this opportunity to relive our childhood days again. Our parents enjoyed the museum experience and loved spending a good amount of time there.
South India Temple Tour
Kapeeleshwarar Temple:

Next in line was the Kapeeleshwarar Temple. This temple is architecturally one of the most distinctive temples in South India known for its Dravidian architecture. This is a Shiva temple located in the Mylapore area of Chennai, the old city area. The temple is known for its Goddess Parvati, known as Karpagambal in Tamil, worshiped here. The story behind the temple takes us back to Lord Bramha and Lord Shiva when Shiva headed one of Bramha’s head as Bramha wasn’t able respect Shiva appropriately. Bramha then came to Mylapore and established the lingam here to please Lord Shiva. The temple is located in the old Chennai area and is a perfect location for street photography. One of the best time to visit the temple is in the evening during the sunset to capture the architecture and beauty of this temple perfectly.

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As it was evening by the time we covered the temple we came back to the Crowne Plaza in Chennai where we were staying. After a hearty meal at the in-house restaurant, On The Rocks, where they prepare your meal on your table, On the Rocks, we loved the different experience.

South India Temple Tour Day2 in Chennai was spent at the Crowne Plaza, Chennai. One of the best hotels in Chennai, we loved spending time at the hotel itself exploring the various amenities there. After having a superb breakfast, spending time with our parents, followed by a traditional lunch at Dakshin, the in-house South Indian specialty restaurant, we left as we had a train to catch for Madurai.

Madurai

After the overnight train journey from Chennai to Madurai, we reached the new destination early morning. We checked into Marriott by Courtyard, one of the most popular hotels in Madurai for a day’s stay. We were here in Madurai for only a day and we wanted to make the most of it. So after the morning chores and a sumptuous breakfast we went out to explore the city.
South India Temple Tour

Meenakshi Temple:

When you are in Madurai the first thing that you have to visit is the World Famous Meenakshi Temple. Located in the center of the city and known for its historic and religious significance, this was one of the biggest temples on our South India Temple Tour. The temple is famous all over the world for its belief in Hindu mythology Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. The architecture of this temple is simply brilliant and you are left in awe of the creativity and craftsmanship of people during that era. The temple derives its name from the Sanskrit work Meenakshi meaning fish-eyed and attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. The temple can be easily reached by bus, rail or flight from all major cities in the country, the most popular being Chennai.

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Banana Market:

Another major tourist spot in Madurai is the banana market. Known for various varieties of bananas that are sold here, this market is quite popular among both the locals and the tourists. Located next to the vegetable market of Madurai, the banana market is flooded with almost 16 different varieties of bananas which are hung and displayed at the shops here. Quite a place to make you go bananas!

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St. Mary’s Cathedral Church:

After the Banana Market, the next stop on the line was the St. Mary’s Cathedral Church Madurai is a home for this one of the oldest Roman Catholic Church in the country. This church is famous for the design and architecture of both its interiors and exterior. Known as one of the top places to visit in Madurai, the church’s mass are quite popular and the church is very well maintained.

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Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal:

As we were out to explore the temples and other historic places in the city of Madurai, we could not miss but visit the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal Palace. This is one of the oldest and the most beautiful palaces in South India. Known for its Dravidian and Rajputana architecture, the palace is one of the top tourist attractions in Madurai. The light and sound show held in the evening here is a treat to watch.
South India Temple Tour
Koodal Azahar Temple:

Madurai is known as the temple city of India for one reason that it has lots of temples. From big to small to even being famous around the world, the temples of Madurai has always attracted followers from all parts of the country and abroad. One of the other famous temples of Madurai we visited during our South India Temple Tour is the Koodal Azahar Temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is also known for its Dravidian architecture. Managed and administered well by the Hindu Religion Endowment Board, Govt. of India, this temple hosts 4 rituals daily and 3 festivals yearly.

Post an entire of covering the different tourist attractions in Madurai we returned back to our base, Courtyard by Mariott in Madurai. After an early dinner at their in-house restaurant, we called it a day as we had to catch an early morning train to Rameshwaram.

Rameshwaram

Our next stop in the South India Temple Tour with parents was Rameshwaram. Another city which is very famous for its temples, beaches and other historical monuments. After catching an early morning train from Madurai, we reached and checked into an awesome property, the Hyatt Place in Rameshwaram. Located centrally, this property had an easy access to the major places to visit in Rameshwaram. As soon as we checked in we started out for the first stop for the day, the Ramanathswamy Temple.
South India Temple Tour

Ramanathaswamy Temple:

Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the 12 jyotirlinga temples across the country. This temple is known for its unique architecture, has the longest corridor within a temple and is flocked by pilgrims from around the world. We reached the temple early morning and were surprised to see the number of people gathered there for the darshan. The temple is known for the various teerthams (water bodies) in and around the premises and is considered holy to take a dip in them. We went for a dip in all the 22 teerthams there at the Ramanathaswamy Temple, the famous ones being the Agnee Teertham and the Lakshman Teertham.
South India Temple Tour
Post a very religious start to the day we returned to the Hyatt Place for some quick breakfast. We wanted to start early today as we had a lot to cover in Rameshwaram with just one day at hand.

Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple:

This is also one of the famous temples of Rameshwaram which has an idol of Lord Hanuman bearing 5 faces. The temple is located near the Ramanathaswamy Temple and is known for the floating rocks that are preserved here. These rocks are considered to have been used by Lord Rama when he made a bridge from India to Sri Lanka to get his wife, Seeta, back from Ravana. The temple is one of the most popular tourist attraction in Rameshwaram.

Villoondi Theertham:

Rameshwaram is a house to 64 different water bodies known as Theerthams. Villoondi, on the other hand, means a place pierced by the arrow. It is surprising to know that there is a non-saline water spring right in the middle of the sea at Villoondi Theertham. The story behind this magical spring water says that Lord Rama pierced the sea with his arrow to quench Sita’s thirst on his way back to Ayodhya. Thus the place got its name as pierced by the arrow, Villoondi.
South India Temple Tour

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Dhanushkodi:

Next in line was the town which has been completely washed away in a cyclone in 1964, Dhanushkodi. The town is still in ruins and has never been rebuilt ever since the natural disaster. The Indian Ocean at Dhanushkodi looked extremely peaceful and calm making us wonder what could have actually gone wrong years back which wiped away the entire town. The view of the Pamban Bridge from Dhanushkodi is magical as you see an entire stretch of man-made marvel standing atop a sea.
South India Temple Tour

With this, we came to the end of our day’s trip to Rameshwaram and returned back to Hyatt Place. We had a delightful dinner for buffet at their in-house restaurant and totally loved every bit of their hospitality. A special mention to our host Manisha who personally took care of everything and made us feel at home. With loads of memories from this island town Rameshwaram we headed out to our next destination in the series of South India Temple Tour.

South India Temple Tour

Kanyakumari

Next, we reached Kanyakumari. We reached early in the morning as we took a late night train from Rameshwaram. Kanyakumari has always been on our list of places to visit in South India as it gives you a feeling of being on the mainland southernmost point of India. Although this city was on the list of our South India Temple Tour we decided to give temples a backseat here and visited the Vivekanand Rock Memorial instead.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial:

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is one of the most popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari. It is said that Vivekananda attained enlightenment over a rock here and thus the memorial is built in his honor. One has to board a ferry to reach the Vivekananda Rock Memorial from Kanyakumari.

Thriveni Sangamam:

A place where the three seas namely Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal meet is known as the Thriveni Sangamam. This place in Kanyakumari is popular for its sunrise and sunsets as you can distinctively see the three different color water bodies meeting here. One of the most Instagrammable places in Kanyakumari, this should not be missed.

We also had the option to visit the Kanyakumari Temple the same day but we decided to give it a pass during our South India Temple Tour. However, you can definitely visit it if time permits. With that we returned back to our hotel and geared up for our next destination and a quick detour before our final destination during our South India trip.

Poovar and Trivandrum

After reaching the southernmost tip of India and exploring the temple cities of South India, it was time for us to start our journey back home. We had our flight to Delhi from Trivandrum which is also the nearest airport to Kanyakumari. We started on a road trip from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum and decided to stop at Poovar mid-way to experience the backwaters there.
South India Temple Tour

Poovar Backwaters, Kerala:

Poovar means river of flowers which is an island by the Neyyar river in Kerala. The backwaters of Kerala are famous in the world and Poovar is no different. Located at a distance of around 55kms from Trivandrum and midway from Kanyakumari, this island was peaceful and quiet. My parents really enjoyed the boat ride here amongst the coconut trees and blue waters. We would recommend a few days here at Poovar if the time permits during your trip to South India.

After enjoying the backwaters we reached Trivandrum around noon. Although we had our flight late in the evening, we preferred to stay at the airport and enjoy the lounge facilities for two reasons. Firstly because we had been traveling continuously for a week with very less rest and a choppy sleep and secondly since it was a Monday, most of the shops and tourist attractions in Trivandrum were closed. So next time whenever you are planning your trip or stopover at Trivandrum, make sure it is not a Monday.

After almost a week-long trip to South India, exploring some of the most beautiful, rare and scenic beauties we returned back to where we started, Delhi. This was our first trip with our parents and we enjoyed it as much as they did with us. A self-realization that happened during this trip was that nothing gives them more happiness than seeing that we want them to be happy. We loved every bit of our South India Temple Tour – A journey towards divinity.

Do let us know your experiences of visiting the temple cities of South India in the comments section below.

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Great Indian Food Trip – Finding the best Biryanis in South India

by VishuSaumya January 8, 2018September 25, 2018

Great Indian Food Trip – Finding the best Biryanis in South India

Road trips in India are turning out to be a blessing these days, all thanks to the superb expressways connecting the the major cities of our country. While we were all set to explore the 4 different states of South India, we were in for a journey full of Biryanis. In continuation to our first article on the Great Indian Food Trip, where we discussed about the route, the team and the experiences from our trip, here we shall be talking about the types of dishes we tried at the different South Indian states. The trip was designed to last for 10 days, visiting 5 different cities to try more than 15 types of Biryani and find out the best from each city. It was very important for us to understand how different was one from the other. While some of them concentrated more on the spices, others ensured that the type of rice, the aroma and the method of preparing it.

Let’s GO!

The journey started from Hyderabad where we all gathered. The day was spent at leisure and we went out in the evening to try some of the best biryanis from the city. The first place on the list was Shadab Hotel. The biryani served here was flavoursome with saffron coloured rice, good mix of spices and a raita and salan to accompany it.

Biryani at Shadab Restaurant, Hyderabad

I actually ate it all!

The next stop in Hyderabad during our hunt was Shahgouse Hotel. Considered to be one of the best places in Hyderabad for authentic Hyderabadi Biryani, this place serves some lip-smacking biryani along with other non-vegetarian preparations. The biryani here was balanced on spices and thus I liked it personally. The staff at the Shahgouse Hotel was kind enough to demonstrate the entire process of how it was made, the way it half-cooked rice was mixed with the chicken and then was given dum for the taste. Loved watching the preparations totally.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani at Shahgouse, Hyderabad

Our search for the best Biryani in Hyderabad continued the next day as we moved on the Meridian Cafe and Restaurant in Hyderabad. The Hyderabadi Dum Biryani served there had a mix of spices with long grains of the Basmati Rice. The taste was appealing and we found the chicken chunks to be well cooked. Next in line for the hunt were Cafe Bahar, Bawarchi and New Astoria.

Biryani in a Milton at Meridian, Hyderabad

Biryani at Cafe BAHAR, Hyderabad

While the Biryanis we had at Cafe Bahar and Bawarchi were good and tasteful, we found the one at New Astoria to be ok. The high point on this food trail in Hyderabad was meeting the foodies from the city who showed us around with lot of love and warmth. A special thanks to Zubair from Hyderabad Food Diaries for taking us to the Ulvacharu for trying the rose milk and the yummy Bamboo Chicken there.

Biriyani at Bawarchi, Hyderabad

Ulavacharu biryani, Hyderabad

After spending a whole day in Hyderabad hogging onto the various types of Biryani it was time to get the best Biryani from the city packed in our Milton Microwow One Touch Casserole and carry it to our next stop, Bangalore. The Chicken Biryani at Shadab was a clear winner from Hyderabad and we got it packed before heading out to meet our foodie friends in Bangalore. The Milton Microwow One Touch Casserole ensured that the freshness of the food was intact by the time we reached Bangalore in the evening. The Biryani was relished after being heated in the microwave for dinner.

BEST BIRYANI IN HYDERABAD – HOTEL SHADAB

Bangalore had a lot of biryani to offer. While it didn’t have any specialized local flavour for the Biryani, the adjoining areas of the city had influenced the Biryanis present there. The first stop for the day was the Ali Baba Cafe which served the famous Bhatkali Biryani. This was chicken pieces in traditional spicy onion masala and dum cooked with Basmati rice. The biryani was mouth-watering and definitely a tough competitor to its predecessor from Hyderabad. Ali Baba cafe also specialized in Kunafa, a dessert made from cheese, dry fruits and semolina. The Moroccan tea served here at Ali Baba Cafe is definitely not to be missed.

Bhatkali Biryani at Ali Baba Cafe, Bangalore

Next up was Frazer Town’s famous outlet, the Chichaba’s Taj. We had heard a lot about this place from our foodie friends at Bangalore and were looking forward to try their Biryani. The Muslim Biryani served here was low on spices, perfect for a non-spicy food lover like me. The chicken was tender and the rice grains were short. Overall it was a good experience to have the chicken biryani at Chichaba’s Taj.

Biryani at Chichaba’s Taj

The hunt for the best Biryani continued as we reached Meghana Foods to try their special Keema Biryani and Lollipop Biryani. While the Keema Biryani had minced mutton perfectly blend in the rice and spices, I liked the lollipop Biryani more as it had some delicious Chicken Lollypop pieces hidden in the mound of rice. Nagarjuna Restaurant in Bangalore served us with their special Tarkari Biryani, a veg biryani prepared with fresh vegetables in Andhra style. As Srikanth was the only vegetarian in our gang, he totally enjoyed the Tarkari Biryani at Nagarjuna. This restaurant was majorly inspired by the Andhra Cuisine and had flavors from Andhra Pradesh in all their preparations. The Mamsam Biryani or Mutton Biryani at the Nagarjuna was delicious as it was seasoned Basmati Rice cooked with lamb and Andhra Spices. The biryani was well complimented with the raita and shorba.

Biryani at Meghna Foods, Bangalore

Each outlet at Bangalore served us with different flavours, tastes and texture of Biryani. To decide the winner amongst them was a tough call. However, Alibaba Cafe emerged as the winner for the best Biryani in Bangalore for their special Bhatkali Biryani. We got it packed the next day in our Milton Microwow Casseroles and carried it on our trip to Chennai.

BEST BIRYANI IN BANGALORE – ALI BABA CAFE

Milton products on the trip were really helpful as we also got the tea packed from our hotel in Bangalore in our Milton Thermosteel flasks. The Milton Thermosteel helped the tea to stay warm for a good two hours and thus we enjoyed Chai on the highways on our way to Chennai.
Biryanis
On the way to Chennai from Bangalore we stopped at Ambur to try the Ambur Biryani at Star Restaurant. It was good but couldn’t beat the likes from its counterparts at Bangalore.

Ambur Biryani at Star Ambur Biryani, Ambur

The day in Chennai started with a beautiful sunrise at the Marina beach, we carried some tea to give the day a good start. Good way to spend some time with yourself. Sit, relax and live in the moment. Chennai surprised us with the variety of Biryanis it served.

Hot Tea by the beach!

Some restaurants here offered very spicy ones while the others had a low tone of spices. The common factor amongst the biryani was the raita and eggplant salan which was served with almost every one of them. Before leaving for the Biryani trail, we got it delivered at the hotel by Fill Belly. The biryani was the authentic Shadi Biryani which is a wood-fire cooked. The first eatery we tried our hands on in Chennai was the Charminar Biryani Centre.
Biryanis

Chicken Biryani at Charminar Restaurant, Chennai

The Biryani we had there was extremely spicy but was loved by all the spicy food lovers from the group. I decided to skip it after a few bites and looked forward for to the next ones. Next, we headed to Kalyan Bhawan to taste the ones served in marriages in Chennai. The Special Chicken 65 Biryani served here at the Kalyan Bhawan was definitely worth the wait (we actually waited for 20 mins before we got the order).

Special Chicken 65 at Kalyan Bhavan, Chenai

We also tried the egg and mutton biryani here but we loved the special chicken 65 the most. Next up was the Aasifi Biryani house which was an elegant fine-dine place. The interiors of this place were really eye-catching and the food served here was good to eat. The best biryani in Chennai was awarded to Special Chicken 65 Biryani from Kalyan Bhawan. We got it packed the next day in our Milton Microwow Casseroles and carried it all the way to Coimbatore.

Chicken Biryani at Aasife biriyani, Chennai

Biryani in a Milton

BEST BIRYANI IN CHENNAI – KALYAN BHAWAN

On the way to Coimbatore from Chennai we took a detour to Mahabalipuram. This detour was well planned so that we could reach Coimbatore by the evening and explore it the next day. As we were strolling through Mahabalipuram to explore more, the Milton Thermosteel bottles acted as a saviour to quench our thirst with cold water.

Milton Thermosteel, the saviour from the hot weather!

The next morning, we decided to head directly to Calicut without eating biryanis at Coimbatore. The difference was that stopped over at two of the best outlets in Coimbatore, got our biryanis packed in the Milton Microwow One Touch Casseroles and enjoyed it on the highway on our Milton Melamine Plates.

Dindigul Venu Biriyani, Coimbatore

Rowther Biryani in a Milton at HMR, Coimbatore

The two biryanis we picked from Coimbatore were the Dindigul Mutton from Venu Biryani Center and the Rowther from HMR. The Dindigul was spicy, had short rice grains and a bit tough mutton. The Rowther was good to taste, moderately spicy and was adequately fresh in the Milton One Touch Casseroles. The journey from Coimbatore to Calicut was plateful as we enjoyed the different types of solemnized rice on the highway.

The SETUP!

BEST BIRYANI IN COIMBATORE – HMR ROWTHER BIRYANI

Calicut served us with beaches, views, Biryanis and Sulaimani tea. The Malabar Biryani in Calicut came out very differently to us as it was almost colorless and still good to taste. It had almost negligible spices used for color yet was flavoursome. The Rahmath Hotel in Calicut served both the Malabar and Fish Biryanis to enjoy. Being a fish lover, I really enjoyed the fish variant there after having chicken and mutton for so many days.

Malabar Biryani at Rahmath Hotel, Calicut

Fish Malabar Biryani, Rahmath Hotel, Calicut

Biryani with Sulaimani Tea, Rahmath Hotel, Calicut

The Sulaimani Lemon tea at the Rahmath hotel in Calicut is definitely worth trying after your due course. As we were strolling through the city of Calicut to explore more, the Milton Thermosteel bottles acted as a savior to quench our thirst with cold water. The other restaurant we tried at Calicut was the Paragon. One of the oldest hotels in town, the Paragon has been serving in Calicut since 1939. We tried the chicken one there and found it to be tasty. The winner at Calicut was the Chicken Biryani at the Rahmath Hotel.

Chicken Biryani at Paragon, Calicut

BEST BIRYANI IN CALICUT – RAHMATH HOTEL

After a 10-day long road-trip through South India, the first leg of the Great Indian Food Trip by Scout My Trip came to an end. With Milton acting as the anchor partner for our astonishing journey, exploring the different cities, hunting for the best biryanis, finding some amazing ones and trying some other stuff , the experience was BIRYANISOME. We look forward to the next leg of this trip and hope that you enjoyed traveling through South India with us on this magical journey.

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Great Indian Food Trip – South Indian Biryani Trail

by VishuSaumya January 5, 2018March 20, 2018

Great Indian Food Trip – South Indian Biryani Trail

It’s said you can’t make everyone happy as you are not a Biryani! Biryani, the word itself brings a smile on our faces. In a recent survey it was found that Biryani has been one of the most ordered food in the year 2017. No doubt it is as it’s the easiest on the go meal one can enjoy. So when Scout My Trip, a road trip community platform approached us with the concept of the Great Indian Food Trip which began with a Biryani Trail of South India we were excited to the fullest.

Great Indian Food Trip

Biryani is one dish which can be had at any part of the day. Thus, getting our hands on to try one of the finest Biryanis in South India while being on a road trip was a trip to definitely hop on to. Here is the route we followed on the Great Indian Food Trip South Indian Biryani Trail.

The route we followed

The trip was supposed to commence from Hyderabad and end at Calicut covering Bangalore, Chennai and Coimbatore enroute. This was a 10 days trip in which we were supposed to find the finest Biryanis in cities visited, enjoy it with the local foodies there and carry the best out of the lot to the next destination.

The Team: Deepak, Nikhita, Saumya, Himanshu and Srikanth (L to R)

Here’s the team which formed the flag bearers of the Great Indian Food Trip:

1) Deepak Ananth: Deepak aka Captain is one of the most sorted guy you will come across in life. The founder of ScoutMyTrip and a fanatic road tripper, he can drive effortlessly throughout any trip. Enjoying Bollywood numbers big time with some meaningful conversations, it’s the journey you cherish with him.

2) Saumya Rai: That’s me, the better half of RoadtoTaste and a true blue roadtrip lover, I love to be a part of any travel story. While I just love trying various cuisines, Biryani and camera are my only love after Vishu. Great Indian Food Trip

3) Srikanth Bhamidi: One of the most simplest and humble soul living on Mother Earth, Srikanth is a very caring guy just like an elder brother. While he loves to be a part of road trips, his love for food and his wife can almost be at par with each other. He was our scout and the only vegetarian on the trip and thus our guide for finding the best vegetarian Biryani on the trip.

Srikanth, the man behind the wheels of Duster!

4) Himanshu Sehgal: The man behind MY YELLOW PLATE, this guy from Delhi carries his yellow plate on all his expeditions. A man of few words, Himanshu is very focused towards his work and makes all the efforts to capture the best of food and travel on his Yellow Plate.

Me and Himanshu enjoying Hot Filter Coffee from our Milton Thermosteel

5) Nikhita Biswas: The girl from Milton, she was the cool, super approachable and a pleasure to talk to. Although she kept herself busy with work most of the time, she never missed catching a stunning sunrise at the beach.

Nikhita, The Milton Girl!

The power machines used for this splendid trip were a Skoda Superb and a Renault Duster. While Deepak took charge of the powerful Superb, Srikanth was behind the wheels of the AWD Duster.

Meet Lucifer! 1666!

The purpose of the South Indian Biryani Trail was to find the best biryani in a particular city. We were supposed to hunt for Biryanis throughout the day, eat them all and discuss the best of the lot at the end of the day. Whoever won was supposed to be awarded the Certificate of Excellence. The best biryani from that outlet was carried from one city to another in our Milton Microwow Caserroles.

Biryani In a Milton

Aadab Hyderabad

We all gathered at Hyderabad and spent a day together before the trip began. During the initial hours of getting acquainted it felt comfortable and everyone seemed to be extremely excited for the upcoming adventure. The trip began on a high note as we had a foodie meetup in Hyderabad.

Foodies from Hyderabad

Food and travel bloggers from the city joined us to enjoy the Biryanis the city of Nizam offered and also helped us in finding the hidden gems there. Zubair from Hyderabad Food Diaries was kind enough to show us around. He also helped us get an exclusive entry to most of the kitchens where the famous Hyderabadi Dum Biryanis were being prepared. As they say that people of Hyderabad are very sweet both by nature and by language, we totally second that now after the wonderful experience. Special thanks to our foodie friends Sharmistha, Poulami, Dhruva and Indu for being a part of the Great Indian Food Trip in Hyderabad.

Great Indian Food Trip

Namma Bangalore

Next up was Namma Bangalore. The IT capital of our nation has some rare and mouth watering Biryanis to enjoy. While we were hunting the best Biryani in Bangalore, we found two different kinds of Biryanis which were truly stunning. We also discovered two different delicacies, Khunafa and Moroccan Mint Tea while looking for Biryanis at various outlets. The bloggers we met during our visit to Bengaluru treated us with a lot of warmth and helped us diligently in our search. I would personally like to thank ScoutMyTrip for taking me to Bangalore and helping me meet my lovely friend Sakshi Rajat, a travel blogger based in Bangalore. Although we have been knowing each other through social media for almost an year, meeting Sakshi in person added to the charm of visiting Bangalore. Chittra from Masala Box was another friend who met us in Bangalore and helped us explore the city more.

The best thing about travel is you catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Foodies Meetup at Bangalore

Khunafa at Ali Baba Cafe

Vanakkam Chennai

The drive from Bangalore to Chennai was short, sweet and picturesque. On the way to Chennai from Bangalore we tried the famous Ambur Biryani at Ambur. The sunrise at Marina beach in Chennai is definitely worth mentioning apart from the Chettinad biryani we enjoyed there. The true foodie spirit was set to example by Ekta from Food Talk Chennai, a food blogger from Chennai. Though she cannot withstand non-veg food, she still came and joined us on our biryani trail in Chennai. Thanks for the lovely sandwiches Ekta, they were just amazing and a much needed change from the rice bowls of the past few days.

Sunrise at Marina Beach with Milton

Here we come Chennai!

The next stop from Chennai was Coimbatore as per the itinerary. However, we took a detour and stopped at Mahabalipuram for a few hours. The beautiful shore temple at Mahabalipuram was definitely worth the additional kilometers clocked.

Getting clicked!

Vanakkam Coimbatore

Coimbatore had a completely different taste of biryanis to offer and the same goes for Calicut. The biryanis at Coimbatore had a different type of rice used for the preparation. One should not miss the Mysore Pak (local sweet dish) at Coimbatore.
Great Indian Food Trip

Sukhamanno Calicut

Calicut also offered a beach view with the taste of Biryani just like Chennai. The city has a very positive and safe vibe for any solo traveler. We explored the city by local transport and also loved it for the Kerala Parathas offered here. This was also a city to offer Fish Biryani apart from Mutton, Chicken and Veg Biryanis.
Great Indian Food Trip
The competition became tough with each passing city. The newly revamped face of Milton had brought in some exciting new products. More details shall be shared in our next post where we talk about our Biryani experience from each city in detail.

Sunset at Calicut Beach

Each city had a different taste of Biryani. The method of preparation, the type of rice, the spices, the aroma and the appearance made the overall experience a magical one. While the amount of Biryani we had during the entire trip had our Biryani quota full for almost a quarter, the journey enjoyed with a group of amazing folks and the camaraderie built over 10 days is surely gonna last much longer.