Trichy’s Rockfort perches on top of a hill thought to be one of the oldest geological formations in the world (older than Greenland, apparently, if you can imagine such a thing). It juts out in the centre of the city, accessible up 437 red-and-white painted steps that wind through rock-cut tunnels and over outcrops. People stop to rest on the way up, lounging either side of the stairway, looking out over the pastel-coloured jumble of the city and the greenery of the Kaveri River Delta in the distance. It’s a particularly lovely sight at sunset, when everything glows orange and gold.

Srirangam is a different experience again. This is the largest functioning temple in the world – of any denomination – and trust us when we say it’s truly enormous. Enter the outermost of seven concentric walls and it’s like entering a self-contained town, with mopeds pushing through crowds of women in bright saris, old men wheeling bikes, shops selling devotional images and brightly-coloured powders beneath parasols and stripy awnings. At the end of each parade you pass beneath one of 21 magnificently painted gopurams writhing with statues of gods and goddesses, on and on until you reach the heart of the temple. Here, people chat and snack, nap on the floor, and make offerings to Vishnu while temple elephants wander about among them.

Beyond these two temples, Trichy is much like any other mid-sized South Indian city. That is to say, it’s unremarkable – but in the best way. Packed with life, amazing for buying textiles and exploring markets, it’s a wonderful place to soak up a slice of local everyday life.