2025 Villupuram Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

#familytrip #localguides #historicallandmarks #postandearn #fort Rising out of the rugged plains of Tamil Nadu, Gingee Fort (also spelled Senji or Chenji) is one of India’s most formidable hill forts, so strategically strong that even the mighty Marathas and the French called it the “Troy of the East.” Spread across three rocky hills—Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, and Chandrayandurg—this 13th-century marvel is a testament to military genius and architectural grit. Originally built by the Cholas and expanded by successive rulers including the Vijayanagara kings, Nayaks, Marathas, Mughals, and even the British, Gingee Fort is a silent witness to centuries of power struggles in South India. Its 7 km fortified walls, steep stone steps, granaries, temples, and citadels make it a full-day adventure—and a history lover’s paradise. The most famous of the three hills, Rajagiri, demands a steep climb but rewards with panoramic views, cannon bastions, and ancient structures like the Kalyana Mahal, with its iconic stepped tower that still stands tall against time and wind. The fort complex is also home to hidden water reservoirs, granaries, escape routes, and temples—all reflecting the ingenuity of builders who knew how to turn rock and space into resilience. A big shoutout to trip.com for making this offbeat trip an easy choice. Their platform helped with smooth travel planning and timely insights that turned my solo fort climb into a rich historical experience. If you’re looking to step into a forgotten stronghold, where every path echoes the boots of forgotten armies and every stone tells a story, Gingee Fort is where your next journey begins. #GingeeFort #TroyOfTheEast #TamilNaduHeritage #SouthIndiaForts #tripdotcom #VijayanagaraLegacy #HiddenIndia #HistoricEscapes #IncredibleIndia #HillFortTrek #FortsofIndia

This temple is believed to be in existence for the past at least 1200 years. Recently a lot of renovations are done here. Though it is a small temple, there are a large number of shrines/idols both in koshtam and prakaram. There are three Vinayakars and three Nandis, in addition to Murugan with His consorts, Perumal, Bhairavar, Anjaneyar, Durga etc in the various shrines. One of the names of the Nandis is Rahasya Nandi, who is in front of the Ambal shrine. I am seeing this name for Nandi for the first time.

#christmastrip #Auroville #India

This place is often referred as Future of the World 🌎 in India, and that totally make sense when I decided to have a look at what is this intriguing place really is. Built more of a experimental society🪅, people from nearly 50 countries have come over here and living their laidback life. It is more of they're trying to find themselves and re-innovate the missing pieces 🧩. You can do whatever you want going inside here; some people just learn some music🎶 and play it for themselves, some do art 🎭and crafts and many more. This place is built quite self-sustaining that they don't want support from government or outside world. 🌍 Definitely much more to dig and know. We had a nice hike 🥾 around the forest in here, with a lot of information. #self-find #pondicherry #summervacation#hikingtrails