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Some journeys don’t begin with confidence.
They begin with a quiet decision — I’ll go anyway.
This was one of those days.
Not a long-distance trip.
Not a grand escape.
Just a solo journey inside Coimbatore, to Marudamalai Temple, with a backpack, a bus ticket, and a willingness to let the day unfold as it wished.
The First Move: A Bus, A Morning, A Mood
I started a little before 9 a.m., fresh, excited, and quietly proud.
This was my second solo journey within the city — small on paper, big inside.
Solo travel has a strange calm to it.
No coordination. No updates.
Just you and the road deciding things together.
Gandhipuram: Where Plans Meet Parippu Vada
The first change happened at Gandhipuram Town Bus Stand.
I decided to have a quick breakfast — nothing fancy, just honest fuel.
- 1 Parippu Vada
- 2 Medu Vadas
- 2 Glasses of hot tea (If the tea tastes good, one glass is not enough)
Simple food. Bus-stand energy. A kind of grounding before the climb.
I assumed the ride ahead would be comfortable and easy-peasy.
India smiled and said, “Nice assumption.”
The Bus Reality Check (A Very Indian Chapter)
Two buses came.
Both were jam-packed.
People crowded the entrances even before passengers could get down.
Elbows negotiated faster than words.
Handbags were thrown onto seats to “reserve” them — the unofficial general-class booking system we’ve all seen in buses and trains.
I let the two buses go.
Not out of surrender — out of self-respect.
Finally, around 9:21, I boarded one and got a window seat just before the bus filled up again.
Luck? Maybe.
Patience? Definitely.
₹12, A Window Seat, and a Small Surprise
The ticket from Gandhipuram Town Bus Stop to Marudamalai Temple cost me just ₹12.
Yes, ₹12 only.
The bus looked slightly different from the regular town buses.
A girl sitting next to me asked for her ticket.
The conductor smiled and said, “This bus is free for ladies.”
Her surprise was genuine.
Mine was quiet appreciation.
Governments change.
This remains.
Sometimes progress doesn’t announce itself.
It just works.
Watching People While Being One of Them
Inside the bus, I watched faces.
Some stared out of the window.
Some stood, holding rods and thoughts.
Some were lost — not in direction, but in their own inner weather.
I realised something funny and humbling:
If someone looked at me then, my face would mirror theirs. 🤪
Same neutral expression. Same internal monologue.
Observers are always part of the scene.
The Climb Begins: 800+ Steps, No Hurry
From the base of Marudamalai Temple,, you can reach the top either by taking a bus that runs from the base to the temple or you can take the steps.
I decided to take the steps.
After depositing my shoes at the counter, I started climbing at around 11:50 a.m.
Eight hundred plus steps.
I took them slowly.
Not tired — just unhurried.
I rested under tree shades on the way, sitting on the boundary stones.
Not because my body demanded it, but because the moment invited it.
By 12:25 p.m., I was at the top.
No exhaustion.
Just a quiet sentence inside: I’m fine. I’m here.
Darshan Lines vs Sitting Inside God’s House
The day being a holiday, the darshan line was long.
Very long.
I chose something else.
I sat on the cemented floor inside the temple complex, under a peepal tree with many small idols placed beneath it.
The floor was cool.
A cold breeze moved across my body.
Nothing spectacular happened.
Which is why it was perfect.
Sometimes sitting in the house of God offers the same blessing as seeing Him in person.
Presence doesn’t always need eye contact.
I spent a good hour sitting there and soaking in the divine ambience.
Coming Down: No Breaks, Just Flow
While descending, I didn’t stop even once. 😁
The body simply flowed.
Just as I stepped down the steps, life re-entered gently — in the form of food.
- Mini prasadam: medu vada + lemon rice — ₹30
- Two laddus — ₹50 each, smaller than expected, but tasty
I noticed the size.
Smiled.
Didn’t complain.
Silence has a way of recalibrating expectations.
Sugarcane Juice, Then Karma 😭
I ended the temple visit with a cold glass of sugarcane juice at the street side — sweet, cooling, deserved.
I hoped the return journey would be smooth.
Karma laughed softly.
Crowds again.
Bags flying onto seats.
People boarding before letting others alight.
I felt frustrated.
I cursed a little — out loud — carefully ensuring no one heard. 😁
It worked.
The frustration left my body.
I felt lighter.
Calm doesn’t mean never reacting.
It means recovering faster.
Back to Gandhipuram: Coffee, Charging, Closure
Eventually, I reached Gandhipuram again — window seat secured.
Back to the same stall where the day began.
This time:
- Hot coffee
- Phone charging
- A body that had done enough
I wasn’t wishing for a smooth ride home anymore.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Twice bitten? You start smiling at the pattern. 😄
The Maths of Meaning
(33 + 33 + 12 + 23) = ₹101
That was my total travel cost. Thanks to the Government bus.
Physics says my displacement was zero — I returned to where I started.
Life disagreed.
Every step counted. 🤣
₹101 bought me buses, steps, irritation, stillness, laddus (cost not included), coffee (again cost not included), and clarity.
That’s a bargain.
What This Journey Was Really About
This wasn’t just about climbing 800+ steps.
It was about:
- Rising above the fear of going solo
- Saying tata-bye-bye to convenience and embracing inconvenience.
- Breaking habits that quietly limit us
Carrying a backpack felt symbolic.
So did choosing effort over ease.
In the future too, I want more days like this —
where I gently push my limits,
travel light,
and try to live the right way, not the easy one.
Final Thought
I went to a temple.
I returned with stories.
Same city.
Same buses.
Slightly upgraded patience.
Physics can keep the displacement.
I’ll keep the experience. 🌿
