On March 1st, I arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to visit the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple. While checking in at Hotel Saj Lucia, I asked the front desk if they could arrange a taxi to visit Aazhimala Shiva Temple and Attukal Amman Temple. The staff immediately called a taxi driver and handed me the phone. The driver quoted ₹1,700 for both temples and an additional ₹600 for another stop. Since the call quality was poor, I told him I would decide after visiting Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the morning and hung up. The front desk also gave me another contact number, but since I didn’t have a local phone, I didn’t call.
Little did I know, my visit to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple would unexpectedly lead me to a much more affordable way to visit both temples. As planned, I walked to the temple for the early morning 3:30 AM pooja. The main gate opened to devotees at 3:00 AM, and while waiting outside, I started chatting with a man from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. I mentioned my plan to visit Aazhimala and Attukal Amman temples, and he immediately told me he had visited both the previous day by auto-rickshaw for just ₹800. Until that moment, I hadn’t even considered taking an auto! His advice opened my eyes to a more economical option.
After my darshan at Padmanabhaswamy Temple, I flagged down an auto and asked the driver to take me to both temples and then back to my hotel. He turned on the meter, and I comfortably visited both temples without any worries. The total fare came to just ₹630, and I happily gave him ₹700. I was grateful for the unexpected guidance from a kind stranger—it truly made my visit smoother and more affordable.