Environment Day

Aren’t we pleased to live on Mother Earth?

But will she be around to give more birth?

At the rate at which she’s stripped of her green cover

The melting glaciers will make her go down under!

She’s taken millions of years to form – layer upon layer

But never before has she faced such acute danger!

All her children face starvation, extinction

Mother Earth will surely not get another extension!

Let’s, this day, pledge to save her honor

We’ll also be doing mankind a big favor!

The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Velankanni – In the Seventh Heaven!

Velankanni Church

       We had resolved to see the legendary Velankanni church, during our recent visit to Chennai. Hence, we visited it after we visited Chidambaram. Velankanni is situated about 130 kms. away from Chidambaram and the journey is akin to our Pune to Mumbai journey by the Asiad bus. 
       As we left behind the magnificent mangroves of Chidambaram, we passed by green fields, coconut groves and devoured the breath-taking scenery which sped past our bus. When we saw the blue ocean on both sides of the highway, with glimpses of fishing boats perched on the golden beaches, we knew that we were nearing our destination, as  Velankanni is on the Nagapattinam beach.  
       Nagapattinam town, on the southern-most tip of India, had been ravaged by the tsunami in 2004, as its epicenter was there. But now, a decade later, everything was peaceful and beautiful. Life was back to normal. Yet, I couldn’t avoid an involuntary shudder at the thought of that tsunami’s nightmare that the town’s residents would undoubtedly have, for the rest of their lives!

        The word stoic, played in my mind’s eye, as I observed the people going about their routine. Most of them, must’ve lost their beloved ones, livestock and property to the marauding waves of the tsunami, but now appeared to be determined to put their gloomy past behind and look forward to a bright future.

      Bright, would be an understatement, when I begin to describe the blinding white, with which all the churches there, have been painted, in the aftermath of that natural calamity which hadn’t spared them either. All the churches have been rebuilt and restored to their former glory.

       Thus, as soon as we got down at the bus-stand, the very first vision of the white, ethereal churches, bathed in the mellow evening sunshine; made us feel as if we had landed in heaven itself! (By bus!) We slowly walked to the main church of the divine Mother Velankanni, the sari-clad Madonna with her infant Jesus Christ in her arms.

'Miracle' tree!

           Legend has it that the virgin Mother Mary appeared in Velankanni first, before a shepherd boy and then later, before a lad selling butter-milk. After satiating her baby’s hunger, with their milk and butter-milk respectively, she requested them to hasten to a rich businessman there and inform him about her sighting. He was to build her church there! Thus this beautiful church has its origin in this wonderful, touching legend.

       It is customary to offer a sari, candles and a cradle at the Velankanni shrine. One may offer either or all of the above-mentioned items here. Generally cradles are offered by those desirous of having children. The cradle may be tied to the branches of a tree growing just outside the church or put inside the box of offerings kept inside the church. Similarly, there are other boxes for saris and other kinds of offerings. It is believed that all the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled by prayers at this shrine.

        The idol of the Mother Velankanni with her infant Jesus in her arms; is a beautiful one that evokes bliss and contentment. Devotees sit down on the floor or kneel down and pray and meditate in front of the altar. There is no formality here. Two bowls of the holy water are attached to the doors on either side, and devotees can dip their hands in them and seek blessings.

       The devotees may fill in a form by tick-marking their desired wishes against those mentioned point-wise in the form. This form must then be folded and put inside the box. This divine wish-list lists all material and spiritual desires such as freedom from debts, gaining wealth, marriage, children, peace of mind for self and family, etc. My husband and I filled these forms and meditated awhile, soaking in the divine and fragrant atmosphere there. We also lit candles at the altar.

       The candles and cradles can be bought at separate counters outside the church.

      We clicked some snaps and started our return journey. It was 6 p.m. Just then, we heard gongs and cymbals accompanying the chorus prayer song. The evening prayer procession had just begun. Though we’d have liked to join it, and also explore the Nagapattinam beach; we couldn’t, as we had a long journey of nearly 6 hours to reach Puducherry.

       We changed buses at Chidambaram, then at a bypass near Puducherry and reached Puducherry bus-stand at 11.15 p.m. We were surprised to see women traveling alone at that late hour, by bus, decked up in gold ornaments! It said a lot about the absolute safety there. Women are respected and there’s no eve-teasing or attempts at robbery.

      We hailed an auto and reached our guest-house, tired but happy. Our mission was accomplished and we had reluctantly returned from heaven to earth!

The copyright of this travelogue and photographs is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Chidambaram – Abode of the Celestial Dancer, Lord Nataraja

Carved Wonder- Chidambaram Temple

The Ancient Seat of Learning

The famed Bharatanatyam poses!

Towering glory!

Majestic, legendary edifice!

The Tranquil Mangroves of Pichavaram

             We went to the temple town of Chidambaram one day. It is the abode of the Celestial Dancer, Lord Nataraja. The massive temple complex houses the main temple, besides temples of Goddess Shivakami Amman, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. Hence 4 tall gopurams will be visible from a central point in the complex.

             At the shrine’s entrance, we were asked to wait by a priest who was issuing tokens to enter the temple. We were amazed that such a practice should be followed for having a darshan of the Lord. When he didn’t issue us tokens for quite some time and kept giving the localites the same, we protested that our auto was waiting for us outside. Then he reluctantly gave us the tokens after charging us Rs. 200/- as we were ‘outsiders’. No receipt was given. The localites weren’t charged anything! This discriminatory attitude really put us off.

             Next, we were told by another priest to follow the dress code. My husband was asked to remove his vest, shirt and belt. Many other devotees were also engaged in the same ritual. Then we were asked for the tokens and allowed to go inside. Lots of devotees were jostling to get a good look at the deity. We requested a devotee to kindly allow us to have darshan as we had come from afar. He agreed and made way.

           The deity, with his classical Ananda Tandav pose, was resplendent in all his finery. A priest urged the devotees to see the Chidambaram Rahasya (secret), beside the deity, after shoving aside a curtain. Beyond a grill, there is a vacant space with a garland of 51 golden Bilva leaves, symbolizing the aspect of Sky, one of the Pancha Mahabhootas; represented by the Lord Nataraja here. There are Shivalingas inside the temple too. Thus Lord Shiva is represented in all his 3 forms in this temple. The Celestial Dancer, the one with form-Shivalinga and the third without any form-the sky. Five temples exist in various places in South India, dedicated to Lord Shiva, representing each of the 5 elements of nature, namely, the sky, the earth, water, fire and wind.

           We then visited the temples of the other deities too. We saw another stone-carved idol of Lord Nataraja on which abhishek of milk and sandalwood was being performed. Then, when  it was adorned with a silk garment and adorned with sandalwood, it appeared truly Divine.

            There’s a special Nrutya Mandapam, a space where dance performances are allowed. We were fortunate to view a lady guru with her shishya, performing the classical tandav dance, in Bharatanatyam, an ode to the Lord. Many foreigners were video-recording the sequence, as the shishya sang and the guru danced, as if in trance! It is believed that the Bharatanatyam style of dancing evolved from this temple’s heritage. The stone carvings on the walls of this temple depict various poses of this dance form as well as mangrove trees.

         Lord Shiva apparently appeared in Chidambaram, in a mangrove forest and was accosted by sages/magicians who set snakes, a tiger and a demon on him. Lord Shiva adorned his body with the snakes, the tiger-skin and immobilized the demon by standing on his back and performed the Ananda tandav, a dance of cosmic peace and fulfillment, after which the sages realized their folly and acknowledged that he was the supreme Lord Shiva, who was above all magic and illusions. They then asked for his forgiveness. Hence the mangroves of Pichavaram near Chidambaram are sacred and a renowned world-heritage site.

          We were satiated as we sat and meditated there for a while and then returned to our guest-house.

The copyright of this travelogue and photographs is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Mamallapuram – Carved wonders on the sea-shore!

The Shore-temple

Arjuna's Penance

We had wanted to visit Mamallapuram (previously called Mahabalipuram), for quite some time. Recently we visited this heritage site and were awe-struck by its beauty, both man-made and natural!
We boarded a bus from Puducherry and set off for Mamallapuram. As we bought the tickets, we requested the conductor to inform us when the stop arrived. We even asked him the time it would take to reach there. He said “2 hours”. We settled down in our seats and were soon engrossed in observing the scenic beauty of the tall, swaying palm trees, lush banana plantations, fields, etc.

Pristine splendor

visible like a video from the window. Soon buildings and familiar structures of Chennai replaced them.
With a start we realized that nearly 3 hours had gone by and the conductor hadn’t asked us to get off. Slightly uneasy, we asked a co-passenger about the Mamallapuram stop. He said that the stop had been left way behind and that we would reach Chennai in another half an hour. We were stunned. The conductor had obviously forgotten to inform us when the stop had arrived. The stop is on the highway from where there is a bypass to Mamallapuram, which is roughly 1 km. and it takes about 5-10 minutes to reach the site.
As we debated about whether to confront that conductor, the passenger told us to immediately get down and cross the road and board another bus to Mamallapuram! Keen on not wasting further time, we hopped off at the nearest stop. I told my husband that instead of again going by bus, wherein probably the same matter could repeat itself, we would hire an auto and go there.
Predictably, the auto-drivers asked for Rs. 800/- (4 times the amount that we had just paid for the bus!) since they wouldn’t get passengers for the return journey. Helpless and frustrated, we had to reluctantly give in. Again we went by the same route and finally reached Mamallapuram after about an hour. Thus we had spent 4 hours instead of the two hours from Puducherry! Besides our pockets were considerably and avoidably, lighter! With heavy hearts and diminished enthusiasm, we walked towards the shore temple.
Our spirits however lifted as soon as we spotted the rock-cut temples in the distance, ringed by palm trees, with the blue sea as the backdrop and a vast lawn in the foreground. It was picturesque.
Built by King Rajasimha of the Pallava dynasty in the 7th century, the coarsely-carved monolithic twin temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. We heard a guide informing tourists about how the first rays of the morning sun fell on the Shivalinga inside Lord Shiva’s temple. Quaint architectural formations are there in front of the temple, such as an amphi-theatre like step-pattern, a shallow tank, etc. Lord Shiva’s mount Nandi is carved all around the periphery of the temple’s compound.
The temple complex was separated from the sea-shore by a low wall mounted by high wrought-iron trellis. People had made their way behind that barrier and were frolicking in the waves to beat the scorching, clammy heat.
Then we walked to the Five Pandava Rathas. Firstly we saw a mammoth cave with intricate carvings on its walls. A huge Nandi occupied pride of place on the top-most portion, near the ceiling of the cave. Men and cows dominated the carvings.
Next, we saw the huge, intricately carved monolith known as the Arjuna’s Penance. Celestial beings, the river Ganga flowing down from Mt. Kailash, elephants, etc. are carved intricately on this colossal rock. Some photographers were persuading tourists to get themselves clicked and get printed photos, as souvenirs. We indulged ourselves and got a sharp photo of ours clicked, for just Rs.20/- We were glad that we had heeded their request!
Suddenly, a person ‘accosted’ us. He was a sculptor selling hand-sculpted artifacts. He showed us a beautiful paper-weight, a round ball of stone with figures of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesh, Lord Krishna and Goddess Laxmi; carved on 4 sides. He claimed that it had taken him 4 days of hard labor to chisel that exquisite piece of art. As he quoted a princely price of Rs. 800/- and refused to lower its price, we walked away, though my heart was set on it. He certainly deserved the amount that he had quoted, but our purses were already light, thanks to that expensive auto-drive!
Then we saw the caves dedicated to shrines of Lord Ganesh, Lord Narasimha, the ‘Gateway of Mamallapuram’ pillars, the light-house in the far distance and a huge boulder known as the butter-ball. This boulder is like a huge ball resting on a field. Children were playing around it. I quelled an irresistible urge to run around it.
I had fresh coconut water which was very sweet. I asked the vendor why it was so expensive when we could see plenty of palm trees around us. He said that the coconuts were sourced from some far-off place. He proudly asked us for a brand-new Rs.50/- note so that he could put it into his Jan Dhan Yojana account. I was pleased when he informed us that even his young son had an account in his name.
There were a couple of fortune-readers with small parrots in cages. Some families were keenly listening to their forecasts for their future. One parrot was sitting on top of its cage and the owner was away, yet it made no attempt to fly away towards freedom! I felt very sorry for that bird. Its future was doomed to life-sentence in that tiny cage! I’m sure that it must have often wondered about why it couldn’t pick its own card right and save itself from such misery! But it probably suffered from the Stockholm syndrome!
Lots of families had come for a picnic there so there was a very carnival-like atmosphere there. We had lunch at a small eatery and made our way back to the bus-stand, through numerous vendors selling bead necklaces, idols, etc.
We returned to Puducherry with vivid images of that serene and picturesque place.
**************************************************************************************
The copyright of this travelogue and photographs are with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Puducherry - A Tranquil Haven Part 2

Matrimandir meditation center

The ancient banyan tree

The Mahatma Gandhi memorial

Sunset at Puducherry beach

The next day, we went to Auroville, by a city bus. It took nearly 45 minutes of a bumpy ride through narrow streets; to reach there. An auto ferried us to the registration center. It took another half an hour. En route, we saw some foreigners riding bicycles. The auto-driver told us that these tourists often rent houses, or stay at the center’s rooms, for weeks to many months; to get a feel of the place and recharge their spiritual batteries! We also saw numerous cashew-nut orchards. The auto-driver-cum-guide, told us that the trees would bear fruit in another few months’ time.
When we reached the registration center, he informed us that he would wait for an hour for us to see the Matrimandir meditation center and return. What was left unsaid by him was understood by us! He would further charge us, for any delay! Hence we skipped the inviting cafeteria and the boutique there.
The receptionist politely informed us that we could visit the meditation center only on Wednesdays. Since that day was a Tuesday, we realized with a sinking heart that we’d miss out on that experience as we couldn’t afford to stay there for another day, as our return tickets were booked for the next day! However, we were relieved when he said that we could see the meditation center from afar, from the viewing point.
We walked around and saw an exhibition hall with information about the Mother and her guru. Another hall was showing a video of the meditation center, with its history’s and architecture’s narration, in great detail. The International township project of Auroville had been established by the Mother (Mirra Alfassa) on 28th February, 1968. The meditation center doesn’t have images of any religious figures nor does it have any offerings like lamps, flowers, incense, etc. Thus it’s dedicated to the religion of humanity. One has to just concentrate on meditating in absolute silence, there. After that 10 minute video, we got free entry coupons to visit the viewing point.
There was a free bus-service to and from that point. (Autos are not allowed there.) We opted for the 20 minute walk through a rough path in the woods. We felt as though we were strolling in Mahabaleshwar, as there was red soil all around, and dense vegetation on both sides. The cool breeze lulled our senses as we walked briskly. The walk was relaxing and invigorating!
The Mother’s world-wise philosophy of 12 glorious paths leading to spiritual awakening, with virtues like kindness, compassion, courage, etc. was enunciated on a board there. At several milestones, we came across boards with the picture of a particular flower and the virtue associated with it! Impressed, we hurried on, remembering the auto-driver’s ominous warning!
Then we came upon the huge, more than a century-old banyan tree, just outside the viewing point. I was overwhelmed on seeing it as I had seen its picture in my childhood and had always longed to actually see and touch it! I lovingly felt its sturdy, aerial roots, spread all around. The shady canopy was soothing. I imagined the Mother strolling in its benign shade, in her lifetime! I could feel peaceful vibes radiating from that well-maintained place and permeating my soul.
Through a short, landscaped path, surrounded by rocks, flowering champa trees and well-manicured lawns, we sighted the sparkling, golden globe-shaped structure - the meditation center. It was breath-taking; glinting like an over-sized football, in the bright sunlight. We saw several motionless figures, clad in white, under some trees. At first glance, I was taken aback, as they resembled apparitions! But then I realized that they were some foreign tourists, meditating in absolute silence.
This was in stark contrast to some of the noisy Indian tourists who were cracking jokes and clicking snaps of that divine place. We sat down on a rock and meditated for about 5 minutes. We used the clean washrooms, equipped with soap and toilet paper and then hastened to the waiting mini-bus there, which started only when it was full to its capacity. The foreigners were with us, clad in cool white linen clothes.
We apologized to the auto-driver for the half-an-hour delay by saying that the bus-driver had waited for everyone to come, hence we couldn’t return in an hour! We saw several tiny boutiques selling Indian hand-loom attire, artifacts, etc. We also saw open-air, life-size statues of various Gods and Goddesses like Lord Ardhanarishwara, Goddess Kali, Goddess Durga and several folk deities revered since decades, at wayside shrines. I requested the auto-driver to halt for a few moments and got some snaps of those unique shrines.

Divine retreat, tranquil repose!

Back at the bus-stop, as we waited for a bus to return to Puducherry, we had delicious tea at a stall. On its façade this stall had tiles of Hindu, Muslim and Christian revered figures, effectively symbolizing the gist of the Mother’s teachings of universal brotherhood!
Again, after a bumpy ride, we were back at our guest-house, deciding to revisit Auroville on some enchanting Wednesday, in future!
That evening we visited the beach. The promenade was clean and wide. No traffic was allowed there. We watched the milk-white waves of the vast blue Bay of Bengal, crashing against the huge boulders on the sea-shore. Later, we sat on the steps of Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial there and chatted

Unique wayside sculpture!

awhile.
As children played noisily, sliding down the sides of the memorial, several vendors were jostling with each other to sell us their wares. A jasmine vendor refused to budge and followed us around till I purchased a fragrant strand from her (although I had already worn one!).
Another lady, a self-proclaimed fortune-teller, tried her best to get us interested in her talent. But I wasn’t swayed and told her that my Dad was himself an excellent palmist. When she persisted, I requested my husband to pay her Rs.10/-, just to get rid of her annoying presence.
My trick worked and at last we were alone, but not before we had told off a small boy who was hawking his amateurish drawings! It was amusing as all the vendors were very pushy and hell-bent on harassing us as we obviously didn’t look like the localites. We must have looked like sitting ducks to them!
We watched a motor-launch, probably a fishing vessel, bobbing on the sea- water. I wanted to watch the sea bathed in the golden rays of the setting sun and hence urged my husband to wait some time longer. When the sky turned orange, red and finally purplish, the sea looked splendid with each changing color. Meanwhile lights had come on and the memorial was bathed in neon light.
An amateur videographer was filming a small dance sequence in front of the memorial, on the promenade, with an over-sized tri-color. The 4 male dancers were wearing leaf-green T-shirts and dancing in its foreground! They performed cart-wheels and walked upside down, on their hands and then struck a Shahrukh Khan-like dancing pose, with salutes to the Nation. The Director was continuously requesting the motley onlookers to clap their hands in tune to the rhythm being belted out on a loud music-system, but he got only a lukewarm response.
We walked to a nearby park filled with couples and families. It appeared well-maintained. Banners of the Puducherry cycle-marathon loomed on a dais. Outside the garden, a huge crowd had gathered around a life-sized portrait of a local politician created on the ground, with a thick floral garland outlining it. Much ado was being made about the ‘creation’ and over-enthusiastic tourists were climbing on side-tables and capturing it on their cameras for posterity! Fortunately (or otherwise) my camera’s batteries gave up, just then. I mentally apologized to that politician.
Since our short stay had ended, we couldn’t visit the French Quarters; a vestige of Puducherry’s famed history. The clean, former French colony, a bustling Union Territory today; will linger on in our hearts till we get an opportunity to explore it again.

Concluded

The copyright of this travelogue and photographs is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Puducherry - A Tranquil Haven

Pondicherry Ashram-Tranquil retreat!

The Government Museum-A treasure trove of culture.

Majestic traditional dwelling

Splendid Colonial Architecture

We visited the Union Territory of Puducherry on our recent trip to Chennai. It is a four-hour smooth drive from the Koyambedu bus terminus in Chennai. Since it was an AC bus, the journey was very comfortable and less-crowded. The lush green palm trees and banana plantations, the thatched cottages and farmers working in their fields, made for pleasant sight-seeing. As we neared Puducherry, (curiously, all the localites still refer to it, by its former name- Pondicherry!) the vast, blue bay was visible on both sides of the highway. Many churches were visible en route.

Since it was already 2.30 p.m. when we reached our guest-house, we just spent the afternoon in having lunch and thereafter, a refreshing nap. In the evening, we walked to the bus-stand and made enquiries about sight-seeing trips that we intended to make.
The chaotic traffic and the vehicle riders who were as unruly as the riders back home in Pune, made us nostalgic. Puducherry also has a mix of the old, traditional dwellings and new, swanky buildings. Numerous temples dot the place.
We visited the Manakula Vinayagar temple and offered prayers to the majestic Lord Ganesh. The temple was being renovated and several laborers were busy painting the numerous Ganeshas on the compound’s walls, with bright-colored oil paints. Small shops outside the temple sold puja items, figurines of Lord Ganesh, bangles, etc. I bought some small Ganesh idols for my collection. Among them the unique ones were one made of wood, a fiber one, reading a book and another one with 2 heads (In front and at the back too!).
Then we visited the renowned Aurobindo Ashram. We were surprised to see just a crowded book-shop selling pictures and books of the Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s teachings, Sanskrit, etc., a small room filled with the pictures of the Mother and her spiritual guru, Sri Aurobindo and a courtyard with a profusion of neatly arranged potted plants with brightly colored flowers. Where was the Mother’s samadhi, we wondered!
The lady at the footwear stand told us that there was another entrance to the Ashram and samadhi and that it was the Mother’s birth anniversary that day. It was the 21st of February. We saw several people patiently waiting in a lengthy queue for tokens to enter the ashram.
The auto-driver was unscrupulous and wanted to take us to Auroville, at a distance of around 13 kms. to get Rs. 800/- from us, so he lied to us that there was nothing else to be seen at the ashram, besides what we had just seen and that the people in the queue were just waiting for food coupons. He even added that the food was bland, vegetarian fare, lest we decided to partake of it, little-knowing that we are vegetarians too! I was suspicious as I instinctively knew that so many people would definitely not wait for so long, just for food!
Then we went to the Government Museum, passing by the Governor of Puducherry’s elegant colonial mansion, surrounded by verdant trees and colorful bougainvillea. It was a delightful experience. Just at its entrance, is an ancient fossil-wood trunk that is a million years old! We saw a wonderful, priceless collection of ancient coins, statues, quaint means of transportation in the bygone 19th century, geological specimens of rocks and shells, antique furniture, etc. When we emerged outside, the watchman informed us that we could click snaps of the Museum’s exteriors. We clicked several snaps of the lush vegetation there as well as the sculptures of various Gods, aesthetically enhancing the tiny garden.
The auto-driver asked us to buck up. We coolly told him to drop us off at our guest-house and paid him Rs. 300/- the agreed amount. He was crest-fallen and tried to persuade us to change our mind and go to Auroville. Since we were convinced that he was unscrupulous, we didn’t relent.
In the evening, I felt restless and told my husband that we’d make another trip to the ashram. We had missed out on the real experience, my intuition told me! Again we hailed an auto and went there. We joined the queue for the token, waited for nearly two hours and finally joined another queue leading into the ashram. Volunteers clad in white, ushered us in. I told one volunteer that the token-system was flawed as people were jumping the queue and the person handing out tokens was giving those people preference. He made a note of it.
I asked him whether there was such a huge rush everyday. He informed us that the Mother’s personal quarters inside the ashram were opened to the public only on the Mother’s birth anniversary, 15th August or on one’s birthday. Only pass-holders are allowed in on other days. We were pleased as punch. We were going to have darshan of the benign Mother’s samadhi, her personal quarters and belongings on her birthday! Boy! Was I glad to have followed my hunch!
Again we waited for an hour to go in, as people were allowed in, only in batches of around 100. We patiently sat on the carpets on the ground, quietly meditating. Silence was compulsory and cell-phones had to be switched off. Some tourists were viewing messages on their mobiles and some were talking in hushed whispers, but by and large, people were silently meditating, thanks to the volunteers hovering there.
We saw the quarters housed in that majestic colonial edifice, and her belongings, covered in pristine white satin. The rooms were fragrant with incense. There was total silence and the fragrance of the Divine Mother engulfed us. We could feel her presence around us. We silently offered prayers to her, offered donations in the box placed there and walked down the wooden steps to her samadhi. It was a huge block of white marble covered with flowers and incense-sticks. We knelt down and touched the samadhi with our foreheads. Then we meditated in front of the samadhi. It was a very surreal experience.

To be continued.....

The copyright of this travelogue is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Sripuram Laxmi Narayani Golden Temple – An architectural marvel

A chance surfing through the internet for visiting interesting places around Chennai led me to the Sripuram Golden temple. We had earlier been to the Golden temple at Amritsar, called the Harmandir Sahib. Now my curiosity peaked and as I researched further, I resolved to definitely visit this modern-age splendor during my Chennai visit.
As we traveled from Koyambedu Bus Terminus to Vellore, for nearly three and a half hours, we passed by verdant greenery of the country-side with tall palm trees, banana cultivations, hills and thatched houses. We passed by the Sri Rajiv Gandhi Smarak at Sriperumbudur, where the former Prime Minister of India was brutally assassinated. Now a memorial with 4 tall pillars capped with our National Emblem of four lions; and a huge tricolor, our National Flag, stand testimony to his memory. We said silent prayers for the departed soul.
When we reached Vellore, we had to again board a special bus going to the temple at Sripuram, which is around 8 kms. away. The fare per head was Rs. 10/- only.
Set amidst 100 acres of lush-green, manicured, landscaped lawns and flowering bushes, ringed in the distance by hills, cascading fountains, with life-size sculptures of the Dashavatars of Lord Vishnu, Goddesses and sages, the Golden temple glitters brightly in the bright morning sunlight and dazzles you. It's a pity that photography is strictly prohibited! Here all that glitters is pure, solid gold! 1500 kilos of gold went into the making of this temple and the main idol of Goddess Laxmi itself weighs 70 kgs. of gold.
The serene surroundings and the ornate arches on flat steps leading to the temple, give a surreal effect. I felt as though I had inadvertently stepped onto some South-Indian movie’s elaborate set. Only this was a permanent one! It is said that the illumination in the evenings is worth a watch; hence I mentally made a note for the next time that we visited that temple.
The temple has been constructed in 2009. It lies exactly in the centre of a star-shaped area, known as the Divine yantra. Of course, this view will be visible only aerially. The founder is a young seer named Sri Sakthi Amma.
. Under the aegis of his Trust, lots of welfare activities are conducted for the needy people. Even the special darshan charges at the temple go into the Trust’s funds. The temple is spic and span and has a marble-paved walk-way all around it, which is sheltered from the sun appropriately, with arched sheds. One may even sit down on the marble seats running the entire length of this long walk-way. Stalls sell the religious paraphernalia, bottled-water, snacks, etc.
The devotees have to deposit all their belongings at the Cloak room and separate receipts are issued for footwear, mobiles/cameras and bags. Only small purses may be carried in. Clean toilets are a boon.
The only minus point is the hefty charge of Rs. 250/- per person, for Special Entry Pass. Those who opt for ordinary darshan are made to wait and stand, till the aarti is performed in front of those sitting with Special passes. They are also given a free kit containing a booklet with info about the temple and the Trust, pictures of the temple and a laminated photo of the Goddess, a packet of kumkum, prasad of coconut barfi and a sacred thread. To save time, we had bought the passes.
As we waited for the diety to be unveiled, I observed the ceiling and walls, rich with carvings etched in gold. The huge chandeliers sparkled in multi-colored rays. All around the temple runs a tank of water, into which devotees had showered coins with prayers (though it is prohibited!) Golden elephants shower jets of water into the tank. The reflection of the temple in the tank’s glittering waters was beautiful.
The idol is breath-taking and we watched mesmerized, taking in all the details, as the aarti was performed by the priests. I prayed to the Goddess to be with the rich and poor alike, thinking of all those who were watching the aarti with aching legs.
A life-sized, silver statue of the Kamadhenu cow was another highlight there.
While returning, I purchased a small combined figurine of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi, in a standing pose. We met a family from Malaysia who were relaxing after the darshan. We chatted and I requested for some small currency coins for my collection. The gentleman amazed me by giving the equivalent of one Malaysian dollar, to which his Dad added some small cents. We promised to keep in touch through the internet. He remarked wistfully that Indians looked very happy and relaxed as compared to the Malaysians who were workaholics. I told him that we were contented with our lot and didn’t hanker for more!
We returned with lots of happy memories and positive vibes. Through the dazzle, the Goddess’s benevolence shone through and made our day!
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The copyright of this travelogue is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.