Of Empires, Overcrowding & The Search for a Decent Pongal

Afterthoughts from Chola Nadu

Riding back into Chennai at sunrise — sunburnt, spiritually fried, and running on one last bottle of warm water — I had just one overriding thought:

How did the Cholas manage all this without Google Maps, petrol bunks, or coconut water in tetrapacks?

1000 Years Ago: Ordered Empire. Today: Restaurant Waiting List.

Let’s take stock.

The Cholas built temples that still stand.

We’ve built highways where every flyover ends in a traffic jam and a tea stall without tea.

The Cholas ran sea trade routes to Southeast Asia.

We can’t even manage a clean toilet in a Tier-2 railway station.

Tamil New Year — once a sacred time of renewal and reflection — now also means 45-minute queues at every “Pure Veg” hotel on NH-32.

You haven’t really lived until you’ve eaten watery pongal under a ceiling fan that doesn’t work, while a waiter calls you “brother” and bills you like you’re from Dubai.

History Is Stone. We Are Styrofoam.

In Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Tanjore, everything was made to last: granite steps, bronze idols, sacred geometry.

Meanwhile, my ₹2,500 helmet buckle snapped at a speed bump in Kumbakonam. Vandhiyathevan probably had better travel gear — and definitely fewer potholes.

And yet, despite the chaos, crowd, and overpriced bad coffee, the trip worked. Because this land still breathes history.

You just have to squint past the hoardings, the honking, and the hotel combo menus.

What’s Next? The Next Three-Day Weekend. Southward to Pandya Nadu.

The Chola high hasn’t worn off yet, but I’m already planning the next ride: Pandya Nadu.

The lands of Madurai, Tirunelveli, Korkai.

Think:

• Meenakshi temples towering over city skylines

• Rock-cut shrines whispering ancient prayers

• Red chillies drying on rooftops

• Sambar served with unapologetic attitude

Coming up:

Chasing the Pandyas while dodging wedding season traffic

Searching for ancient pearls in Tuticorin, finding only fish markets and sunburn

Wondering if Vandhiyathevan’s ghost still rides ahead of me, somewhere past Tiruchendur

Until then, I’m back in Chennai — stuck at a signal, helmet undone, one hand on the clutch, imagining I’m still on the road.

Want to follow the ride?
Stay tuned for Pandya Nadu Chronicles — coming soon, potholes and all.

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