Deep and darkest Tamil Nadu

Andaman dates confirmed we set off south into deepest darkest Tamil Nadu - one of the country's holiest states and home to some of its most spectacular temples.

Trichy was first up. A small little place, Tiruchirappalli, situated on the banks of the river Cauvery was once the citadel of the early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas dynasty. Not the most interesting place we'd visited (in fact it was dull as dish water) the town's focal point is its eye pleasing Rock Fort and the 1000-plus steps one must climb to the summit.

An afternoon done and dusted we quickly boarded the late night train to Madurai, one of the oldest cities of India, with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre Christian era. The glory of Madurai returned in a diminished form in the earlier part of this millennium; it later on came under the rule of the Vijayanagar kingdom after its ransack by the ravaging armies of Delhi. Here the city's temple structures dominate the skyline and helped kill afew hours as we explored the side and back streets (we were more than templed out by this stage - you've seen one temple, you've seen em all!)