Gujarat Tour 2018

Having travelled through and reasonably  covered the southern shores through the years, it was a natural itch to go beyond the borders and what more could one have asked for when an offer of a trip to Gujarat covering some Jyotirlinga Sthalas and Divya Desam was made on a platter by Sree Janaki Tours (SJT)! The invite was irresistible as the trek around the state was never even envisaged due to the challenges of language and unknown terrain and when the trusted SJT went out of the way to even alter the schedule to accommodate my preoccupations, we had no hesitation to head westward in the early hours of 8th March. Despite the known challenges of language, weather at this time of the year and food, the unexpected bouncer came from the Ahmedabad Airport that we may have to take around 14 hours instead of the promised 4 hours due to airport maintenance. The team not only ducked the bouncer like the seasoned batsmen but also lifted their spirit over the square leg with a hook, enjoying the extended stay at Bengaluru despite the impediments posed by the hosts in virtually making us run for a piece of Roti!  Having weathered the initial hiccups the team of 38 landed at the gleaming and tastefully decorated Ahmedabad airport ,

Ahmedabad Airport

with the spirits in tact, which was further lifted by the ambiance and  Chef's culinary of Pristine Residency (http://www.pristineresidency.com ). Any tough tour could be well handled with a good night's sleep and a food soft on belly, both of which were well taken care of by SJT throughout the tour.

DAY-2 (09-Mar-2018):

Basic expectations on a tour with tight schedule is to make an early start and SJT helps their customers with a steaming hot filter coffee made fresh as early as 5 AM and this USP of SJT is the one that pushes people from the bed to gallop at any time in the morning. Spurred by this south Indian specialty even as the team was in readiness after a delicious early morning breakfast, the bus driver induced a delay enabling us to have some exclusive snaps and we set out by 8 AM. Driving through the dusty roads of Gujarat, made more difficult by the relaying of the roads, the team broke only for a Gujarati meal and reached Jamnagar by 4 PM. Having travelled almost for two days and not wanting to spend any more time on travel we hurried through some famed temples of Jamnagar.

Local auto rickshaw wallahs helped us through the town with a first visit to Bhid Bhanjan , a Shiv temple with an inviting marble architecture.

Bhid Bhanjan Shiva Temple

Next visit was to Nilkand Mahadev Temple, which was fairly large but thankfully void of any crowd, enabling us to have a peaceful dharshan.

Nilkanth Mahadev Temple

The unscheduled visit was to the Bal Hanuman temple, which holds a Guineas record for longest continuous chanting

The Kasi Viswanath Temple that proceeded to was one of colorful minarets and the Siva inside was tastefully decorated with flowers.

The tiring party , zapped by the temperature was in no mood to travel further but the flowing music from Shenoy lured them like the pied piper into a Jain temple, where a birthday celebration was being arranged.

Jain Temple at Jamnagar

Over a hot cup of Gujarati Chai, the team was happy to beat a retreat into the waiting suites of the hotel, which had an unimpressive exterior, only to offer a better room and food to rest the aching heels.

DAY-3 (10-Mar-2018):

The early morning start enabled the touring team to speed through some beautiful buildings along the dusty roads of Gujarat dotted with windmills

En route to Dwarika

and before the sun caught up we were at the elegant Regenta Inn, Dwarika ( http://www.royalorchidhotels.com/our-hotels/dwarka), sipping a cold welcome drink.

The rooms were pretty plush and comfortable and after a tasty lunch, we proceeded to Nageshwara, Jyotirlingam and the towering Shiva statue beckoned the devotees to the sacred place even from a distance.

Nageshwara - Jyotirlingam

In a not so crowded temple, we had a wonderful dharshan and a bagful of memories through frozen frames, despite the belting sun.

    

We then proceeded to the nearby Gopi Talab, (Talab means Pond), where the story goes that 16000 gopikas on hearing of the departure of Lord Krishna from this world, shed their physical form and went to Vishnu Loka in search of Him. The physical form of those gopikas fell as a mud in this pond, which later turned as Chandhan (Sandal) and the revered place is also known for taking stones and keeping in one's pooja, for those who desire to build a house.

Gopi Talab

After a short travel through the slanting blades of a glaring sun, we reached Okha, from where people are being ferried to the other side for a short 20 minute ride. How many more tragedies should happen before the authorities really come down on these ferry rides, one wondered! Clearly each boat was being overloaded to the extent of a nervous passenger questioning the continued overloading and there was no semblance of a life jacket anywhere in the vicinity. Brushing aside all these risks the crowded boat waded through the sea, with the inmates enjoying the seagulls , in flocks, trying to catch the nuts thrown at them by the passengers.

En route to Byet Dwarika 

Beyt Dwarika, the considered residence of Krishna , amidst tightest of securities, was calm and serene as one stepped inside. At the small hall , seated before a painting of Krishna embracing Kuselar with a bag of poha in his hand, where a pundit explained the significance of  the place the vibration was so thick and palpable that one could touch it. One could not help or resist the goosebumps to think it was at this place that Lord Krishna walked and received his friend Sudhama !!
The return journey in the fading light of dusk was more dangerous with the usual overload and people heaved a sigh of relief when the boat hit the tyres on the shore ! Making a mid course correction and visiting Rukmini Temple proved to be a wise decision as even there we could reach only for the final Harathi , but the architecture of the temple was a marvel, which was sadly being corroded by the sea breeze around.

Rukmini Temple

The by now zapped group having been blessed with the dharshan of a Jyotirlinga and Krishna's residence was only too happy to take refuge into plush rooms of Regenta !

DAY-4 (11-Mar-2018):

Dwarakadish

The excitement of seeing the Lord of Dwarika , the official workplace of Krishna, (as against Beyt Dwarika which is the residence) triggered the group for yet another early wake up and before the crack of dawn, people were in front of the hotel listening to the learned Pundit Paresh, explaining how the city and Krishna emerged as a Swayambu while the vedas were being chanted and the guide was also  ultimately instrumental in walking us through the sacred Dwarika temple with a wonderful dharshan including the Maha Harathi, early in the morning.  At the end of an hour long tour of Dwarika temple having witnessed the Dwarakadish, capable of curing all illness, Madhava and Trivikrama , the troupe was ecstatic !

Dwarika Temple

The entourage, after a filling breakfast, started by 10 to Somnath and en route had a glimpse of  Mool Dwarika, where a small but beautiful Krishna temple is situated.

Mool Dwarka

We then proceed to Porbandar, the land of Mahathma Gandhi with lots of excitement and expectations. But, the dusty town attracting the tourists in the name of having the birth place of the father of the nation did little to maintain the place. A short travel by a rickety auto through an awfully maintained street took us to the birth place of Gandhiji.

With Mahathma's Parents

The huge house, well maintained by the Government reminded one of Chettinad houses, both for its look of legacy and chill emitted by the high ceiling.

Having set out with excitement to see and visit what was read decades ago but was disappointed at what was seen, in terms of maintenance, we hurried to another birthplace and residence- this time to Sudama Place, the birth place of Krishna's friend, Sudama.

Sudama Place

The place, of later year construction, was well maintained with some exquisite pictures and statues depicting its significance.

After a Jain lunch and passing through the heat and dust of the state, we reached  Balka Thirth, where the story goes that a hunter mistook Lord Krishna's toe to be a dove and shot Him, while the Lord was resting under a pipal tree.

Bhalka Thirth, Veraval

When the hapless hunter pleaded that he be forgiven, the Lord is said to  have replied that there is nothing for him to worry, as He was  going through his karma for having shot Vaali from a hiding in the earlier Rama Avatar. The small but elegant temple has statues depicting the incident and a visit to this temple at Veraval, Gujarat,  is worth for its significance.

We headed next to one of the biggest attraction of the tour viz., Somnath, Jyotirlingam temple. Security was extremely tight and in a way it was a relief to go inside a temple without the mobile. We were on time again for the evening Harathi and the huge TV screen was already beaming the Deeparathanai live. It was a sight to behold to witness the huge Lingam surrounded by gold plated pillars and walls that were reflecting the twilight and there was little doubt as to why Gazini Mohammed attempted 17 times to conquer this place! The temple architecture was a marvel and one needs some hours to go through the beauty of those carvings , with a fine tooth comb ! The special sound and light show conducted by the temple  for about 35 minutes, traces the history of the temple and it is a must see for any visitor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUqQVgRDH7o&feature=youtu.be )

To get the early morning Haarathi at the Divya Desam of Dwarika and in the evening at the holy Jyotirlingam of Somnath, lips automatically started singing 'Enna Thavam Siethanai' ('என்ன தவம் செய்தனை ') , as the tired but satisfied group started moving towards yet another grand hotel of   Somnath at : http://www.lordshotels.com/lords-inn-somnath/

Lords Inn, Somnath

As if the daylong consumption of Bhakti Rasam was not enough, the lavish dinner of the Lords Inn filled the belly, to hurry the touring party to hit the bed for a well deserved nap.

DAY-5 (12-Mar-2018):

Refreshed with a sound sleep topped up by the rich breakfast of Lord's Inn, the entourage continued to enjoy on its way to Bhavnagar with the initial two hours of the ride was spent on a round of introduction to the already familiar group. With an unhealthy competition on which is worse, the roads or the vile lunch, the oppressive heat not exactly helping the cause, the team persisted to reach Bhavnagar by 4 PM.  The place famous for the receding waters of the sea to reveal the five Lingas, that were installed and worshiped by the Pandavas at this place -  Nishkalank Mahadev Temple , Koliyak, looked deceptively simple when the temple tower was seen from the shores. But when we set out to reach the spot, we realised to our horror how deceptive the look was as the mud constantly washed by the sea waters was highly slippery and even a simple step appeared dangerous and people were seen holding others' hands and the steps reminded one of Adi Pradakshanam done at Mylapore temple. A simple 1.5 KMs took more than 45 minutes to trek as everyone feared for falling into the slush and soiling themselves as well as hurting themselves.

Slippery path to Nishkalank Mahadev temple

But having reached the place, the vibration prevailing was stunning to realize that the five different Lingas are ready to go under water in the next couple of hours. The thirty minute experience there doing an archana with Bilvam, was, for me , an unforgettable experience worth spending some back breaking travel through the energy sapping heat and dust along with the slush at the place.
 

With Nishkalank Mahadev , after the Pooja

With energy drained after the arduous trek in the slush and mud, the team unanimously decided to call it a day , to retire into the plush confines of the luxurious Hotel Top3 Lords (www.lordshotels.com )  at Bhavnagar.

Bhavnagar Hotel

DAY-6 (13-Mar-2018):

To catch up with what was lost on the first day, due to the unforeseen spanner  thrown at our plans by the Ahmedabad Airport , the touring party had to stir as early as 3:30 to leave Bhavnagar at 5 and SJT Ramesh's amazing filter coffee made good amends for the reluctant wake up call at 3:30 ! Not willing to leave the beautiful hotel environ people hastily took some slices of the ambiance with them .

Bhavnagar Hotel lounge

Sunrise

Thoughtfully packed breakfast was devoured by 7 at a picturesque spot, enjoying the rising sun and after a five hour rickety ride we reached Dakor Ranchhoraiji temple, the third of the Pancha Dwarika, where the beauty of Krishna was waiting to be captured, with the total absence of any restriction on photography.

Panoramic shot of Dakor temple

After a brief but good narration of the temple's history by a guide, we had a wonderful Harathi dharshan of the Lord, the third such Harathi for us in this tour !!!

The Lord

 
 The paintings around the temple were too beautiful to capture and people went on a shooting spree

Ranchhoraiji temple

After a good Gujarati lunch, we set out on the last lap of this tour by choosing to visit first the Sabarmati Ashram at Gandhi Nagar, the State's capital, where the remembrances of the father of the nation, who chose to perform so many of his activities in pursuit of the country's freedom, were neatly set on display.

Though the Ashram warranted more time, we could not afford as we were running against it.

A quick tour around Akshardham, marked the culmination of a long dream of a Gujarat visit and when we sat back at the airport to get into the night flight for Chennai, the filled heart was going through the dharshans at Dwarika , Nagesvar, Beyt Dwarika, Somnath, Nishkalank Mahadev and Dakor, and felt truly blessed for the opportunity, health and  resources to have such a blessed visit, thanks to Sree Janaki Tours, whose Ramesh and SriPriya played wonderful roles , towards achieving this.

More pictures of this Gujarat tour are planned to be posted at my picture blog:  http://kapalipics.blogspot.in/2018/03/gujarat-tour-2018.html Please stand by

In pursuit of Siva !

Travelling is a never ending excitement particularly in a country like India and more so if the travel is in search of specific ideals and goals. While 2017 has almost kept my travelling kit ready through the year crisscrossing more of down south, when the bugle call from Sree Janaki Tours (SJT) for a short trip to Madhya Pradesh was blown , it was too irresistible an offer to ignore. The unexplored lands of MP jotted with some rare Jyotirlingas was beckoning and the spot decision to grab the opportunity is one of my quickest.

Due to the crowded calendar , the schedule and the places of visit shared by the Tour managers were never given deep thoughts and when the Indigo flight with a thirty member touring party soared into the evening skies towards Indore , a look at the schedule more for wanting to do something after devouring the mouth watering tomato chutney with soft idlies than for an analysis, it was surprising how much could be covered in such a short time.

When the flight landed blissfully before the scheduled arrival time, the gleaming Devi Ahalyabhai Holker Airport at Indore was a sight to behold with its clean environ and the entourage hurried into the waiting luxury bus, trying to take cover from the chill breeze of the place !

Indore Airport

The hour long drive to Ujjain was pleasant and the illuminated sight of 'Shanthi Clarks Inn Suite' was irresistible. A quick look into the suites confirmed the penchant of SJT to offer the best facility for their clients. The room was spacious, linen clean and wash room spotless. The steaming soup with a higher tinge of pepper and salt was soothing for the dropping temperature and as usual SJT bent backwards to specially summon curd rice for the guests from south India !

Ujjain Hotel

Day-2 (19-Dec-2017)

After a comfortable overnight sleep and a decent breakfast, the group headed to the Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the Jyotirlingas, situated in Madhya Pradhesh , hardly few minutes drive from our hotel. The unique temple Gopuram of this area was everywhere to see and the gigantic statue of King Vikramaditya was an overpowering structure welcoming the guests to the holy city ! Though the Chief Minister of MP was scheduled to visit the temple on that day , it is to the credit of the authorities that the visiting pilgrims were rarely put any hardships due to the visit of the high profile dignitary.

Near Mahakaleshwar Temple

The security checks were not that stringent though people were advised not to carry mobile phones  and even leather bags but the dress code of women  as 'only with saris' was insisted upon , though not much was said about for men. The spacious and somewhat clean environment of the waiting hall, ushered into, was a comforting factor and before long we were close to the big Shiva Linga and as is the wont in North Indian temples, devotees were allowed to pour milk and also embrace the Linga and pray ! The vibrations at the sanctum sanctorum was palpable and one should only visit to realize and feel the same.

It is surprising as to how professional photographers were allowed inside the temple and make quick bucks, while tourists were not even allowed to carry the mobile phones ! While group photos were being taken, there was a woman group of around 20 or so with the dolak performing real foot tapping bajan numbers and no one missed to stop by the Hanuman Sannidi to get immersed in the religious fervour being generated.

Mahakaleshwar Temple

The Badey Ganapathy temple , outside the Omkareshwar temple is rightly named after its huge size. The redeeming feature of this temple is the Pancha Muka Anjaneya with Lord Narasimha as one of the five faces.

The Har Siddhi Maa temple , a Sakthi peedam , is believed to be the abode of many Goddesses . The attraction of this temple is the structure which is made up of a rock smeared with turmeric paste  and vermilion, which makes the temple magnificent when the lamps are lit during Navrathri.

Har Siddhi Maa Temple

The Maa Ghadkalika Devi temple that we visited next is the place that houses Goddess Kaali which the great poet Mahakavi Kalidas worshiped, as displayed in the stone inscription there . I could not stop reminiscing the sequence of events in Kalidas's life beautifully depicted in the Tamil film 'Mahakavi Kalidas' , which I would have seen over a dozen times.

Maa Gatkalika Temple

Maa Gatkalika Temple Inscription

The Sri Kaala Bhairav Temple, our next stop, gave an ancient look and was dominated by hordes of monkeys deeply involved in a hide and seek game while the devotees respectfully avoided their field of play !

Kaala Bairava Mandir

By then the entourage was sagging with hunger but the cook at the hotel seemed to have a liking for the famous Andhra Chilly in that all the items were so hot that people even approached curd cups with trepidation !

Post lunch first visit was to Sree Mangalnath Mandir , a temple for  Mars,  and the temple structure reminded one of  New Delhi planetarium. The winding arm of river Kshipra behind the temple was a sight not to be missed and it is a photographer's delight to exercise the photographic skills in the fading sunlight !

Mangal Nath Mandir

Kshipra river behind Mangal Nath Mandir

 Sandipani Ashram near the Mangalnath Mandir is the place where Krishna was supposed to have learnt the skills along with his friend Sudhama under the guidance of Guru Sandipani and there were enough pictures and artifacts adding to the significance of the place.

Sandipani Ashram

Having taken in enough for the day, the team retreated to the hotel for a dinner later to suit the dipping temperature outside.

Day-3 (20-Dec-2017)

The rejuvenated team set out early for the town of Maandu, about 80 KM from Ujjain, and the travel time en route was well utilized for networking that brought people closer. What started as a two hour drive almost stretched for four hours before we hit Maandu and the lunch served there was much better and tolerable than the one we had the previous day.

Having quelled the cravings of belly, the team set to explore the structures and ruins of the ancient city of Maandu, which presented some exquisite sights. Visiting places like Jahas Mahal (Jahas meaning a ship) ,  Hindola Mahal and Roopmathy pavilion, one could experience the beauty in the form of butterfly shaped pond, Sauna bath place and other such spots , which were well explained by the local guide , who unfortunately could not speak English.

Maandu

Maandu

As the famous Bagh caves of Maandu could not be accessed due to an accident on the way, the team after a visit to the Echo Point and a tasty tea in too small a cup, a specialty of North India, set out to the town of Maheshwar, which has some beautiful temples under its fold. Ahilyeshwar temple  is basically the place where the idols worshiped by  Devi Ahalya Bhai were maintained and the number and sizes of Shiva Lingas were mind boggling ! There was even a golden swing where Krishna was resting and whether its for security purpose or closing time, we were allowed to have dharshan only through a window, but the sight is worth a small trek to reach the temple.

In the fading beauty of twilight, Jaleshwar temple with the background of river Narmada was enchanting and with the oil lamps lit on the steps leading to the temple adding grandeur, the scene was too tempting for snaps. But, as the pundit of the temple had some other work the temple was closed even at 6:30 PM, clearly an hour ahead of the schedule- so much for the visitors thronging the place from far and wide ! As for me from a far off place like Tamilnadu, I feel a golden opportunity has been missed, as visiting this place again will be too much of an ask, health and purse wise ! Hope  the Madhya Pradhesh Tourism serve the visitors better than this !

Jaleshwar Temple

The Raja Rajeswara temple visited next was well lit and sported a brand new look with many sannidhis and people were happy to finish this dharshan fast as the shop selling popular Maheswari sarees were enticing them from the next door! But the myth of buying such popular items at a better rate from the places of their making was busted when the sellers at these places were also found to jack up the price and bring them as discounts. But such revelations were not to deter our folks who ended up buying a handful of saris before proceeding to Omkareshwar, an hour's drive from the place.

RajaRajeshwar Temple

Day-4 (21-Dec-2017)

The MP govt resort at Omkareshwar beat all the expectations and turned out to be a pretty good host in terms of clean and  ready rooms, good food and pleasing service. Wish our TTDC folks could take some leaves out of such places as the memories of our stay at TTDC, Coimbatore few years back, with dirty linen and crawling bed bugs still haunt us. The master stroke again was to shrug the morning blues and start early and to beat the early morning chill , which was pretty daunting, some local 'TATA magic cabs' were engaged and that protected us well from the weather.

Omkareshwar Entrance

Ours was almost the first group to enter the Omkareshwar temple, which was surprisingly without much security hassles that haunt such popular places and visitors were even allowed to carry their mobile phones.

OMKARESHWAR_Praharam

The dharshan that followed was out of the world, without any pushing or 'Jarugandis' by the temple staff, who even allowed devotees to take photographs of the presiding deity, which even now I am unable to believe.

OMAKARESHWAR

Due to the thin crowd , we could even make multiple visits and satiate our dharshan thirst and people there warned us not to take this as a regular feature as people had to wait for hours normally and that we were extremely lucky today with such an outing! Then followed an elaborate ritual outside the praharam, where a pundit made all of us to perform a pooja to a Siva Lingam with sankalpam and an abhishekam , while a professional photographer kept clicking to offer copies at dirt cheap price but the satisfaction derived by the whole experience was complete and worth all the efforts !

Sankalpam Abhishekam and Pooja 

A boat ride, that  followed,  on the river Narmada , upto the Triveni sangam there, enabled the touring party to relax and enjoy the beauty of the river which runs very deep, we were told.

Narmada Boating

We were then offloaded at the other side of the river bank to have a dharshan of Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga. It is believed that a trip to Omkareshwar is complete only if one visits both Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar temples. Some also believe that  Mamleshwar is the actual Jyotirlinga and not Omkareshwar !! The temple was old but grand and after an exclusive dharshan and a filling breakfast the team set out to Indore on its last leg of the tour.

Mamaleshwar

Mamaleshwar

The smooth two hour drive to Indore covering around 80 KMs was spent by the group, more to catch up with some sleep that was deprived by an early morning wake up call and to kill time before lunch we visited the Indore Lal Bagh Palace, where the security was multi fold, more than the Jotirlinga temple, but the marble environs where the royals lived left everyone jealous.

Indore Lal Bagh Palace

The parting gift of Madhya Pradhesh was a visit to the Anna Poorani temple, a brand new looking temple, before we set out for a typical north Indian lunch.

Indore Annapoorani temple

After a stroll on the Indore streets just to look for some simple easy grabs of purchase from the Raja Wada street, we moved back to the gleaming Indore airport.

Shopping 

The well lit Indore airport was at its impressive best and the waiting time vanished in no time with the touring party munching over the past few days that just breezed through !

While the tour, despite the hitherto unknown and unexplored terrain of MP did not have any jolts, the Indigo flight compensated it well on its way to Chennai with a sudden but severe jolt mid-sky that prompted almost everyone of us to call the Jyotirlingas we had seen, to our rescue ! Other than that parting shakeup , the team enjoyed the tour well, with the Tour managers doing a wonderful job and when we hit the roads of Chennai heading back home late into the night, we had a feeling of having completed a near perfect and satisfying outing!!

Keeping the Whale at Bay !

Those were the days , when we came back from school we used to gulp whatever little cold coffee given by mom , carefully divided amongst all the siblings and then rush over to the school play ground for playing Kabbadi or Football or cricket whatever the flavor available and allowed by the seniors present at the turf. The intent was to play , exhibit your skills, prove that you are no moron and no less skilled than your closest schoolmate and return with satisfaction, sweat and some scratches around the knees, carefully washed to evade the prying eyes of parents back home.

Having satiated the thirst for daily dosage of games then one settles down with the books to do the never ending math homework , with an ear to the radio playing the film songs waiting for the call to dinner, which will anyway be frugal,  not that the lunch was royal. After swallowing the solitary item, normally in the company of pickles and onion slices, we used to settle down for the night invariably by 9 PM gossiping in low tones, until father yells everyone to sleep in order to get up early next morning and there ends our day. The house invariably retires by 9.30 at the most, know not whether it was to save electricity or a habit being inculcated. But the gossip and pulling of others' legs in hushed tones under the sheets is a scene, one could trek miles to enjoy !

The absence of a Rooster will invariably be nullified by the early stirring of my father who ensures by making enough sounds that even the best of Kumbakarna in the house gets up. He will either recite slokas loud and /or switch on all the lights and compensate it by switching off the solitary fan spewing more sound than air and which will be available only in that room.

As we retire early at nights, early morning studies are a must, which is a blessing in disguise as that is the best time to grab the complexities of the subjects faster. In the absence of Refrigerators, daily purchase of vegetables was a routine exercise and in turn everyone of the brothers will be assigned the job which will effectively bring the curtains down on the morning studies.

Sadly none of these are in vogue with the current generation and that perhaps accounts for allowing the whale into your drawing room. The discussions under the sheets at nights amongst the siblings could be anything from the goofed up maths test to the shrill whistling  of guys at the street corners. Normally, the heroic brother takes care of such little blips the next day. The point is, children had a forum to vent out and someone in the family to listen to !

The current generation in contrast sulk into their shells at the drop of a hat ! First of all, people have little time to interact and even the dining tables where ideas are normally exchanged becomes a hub where faces are hidden into mobile phones, with the mouth monotonously  munching something prepared few days back ! There are no confession places and no shoulder to rest as each has its own reason to droop!

From what little I understand of the menacing whale lure, people are sucked into it more due to the loneliness and helplessness. The hapless victim-to-be is initially lured into the activity, then coaxed to share the personal details of the family including photographs and then as further tasks forced with threats to share things which leaves the now cornered victim with little choice. Fearing for the safety of their near and dear ones and not wanting to face the ignominy of having been found out about his sharing all personal details, the desperate sucker normally sticks to the course of the game, as directed, rather reluctantly but without a choice, towards his doom.

The availability of free and unchecked Internet across the house is the first culprit that the parents fail to check and allowing the children to use the same to the extent of uploading photographs is, in my opinion, an unpardonable dereliction of parental duties. The closed door facility offered on a platter, in the name of privacy,  to the potential victim of such dubious baits is a disaster that could have been easily checked if only the parents had cared to spend more time on following and interacting with them. Even on weekends the working parents are either busy with their office chores trying to clear backlogs or sleep their way through the day wasting some precious moments that could have been spent to guide their little ones to safety.

The current generation will not be cowed down by unreasonable parental orders, unlike my era but am sure, they understand when explained patiently why they should not indulge in any activity. That is the reason why I choose to put the root causes of this evil to easy availability of Internet and free pass to wander into the oblivion, impatience of the parents to spend more time with their children and insufficient awareness education of the lurking dangers at every bend. Compare this situation with the yesteryear, when bored children used to play group games like Carom Board, Trade or the traditional 'Pallanguzhi' or 'Paandi' wherein more people are involved and they were rarely left alone. This nails the basic causes of the prevailing travails of the younger ones and the resulting heartbreaks for the parents.

Let us learn and learn them quick. It pays to be together, listen to the children and keep talking to the younger ones that could encourage them to come out if they find themselves in a corner. Let us respect the new found words of 'privacy' but also learn to draw the line as to where it could be breached with reason, in times of necessity.

It does pay to talk to your dear ones and more importantly allow them to talk and make yourself available to listen to them too. By such conscious efforts we could not only keep the whales at bay but also net them if they dare to advance further.

Though it beats me as to how the adults and even some techies have fallen for this, I am more concerned and focused on analyzing things where children are mislead. 

Eastward ...ho !

When the Indigo flight soared above the raining grey skies of Chennai, little did the 14 member team of East bound travelers realise that this tour will be different from the other tours of Sree Janaki Tours (SJT - www.sreejanakitours.in ), the organizers of this four day East India outing. Normally, such tours will be so stuffed with temples and other places of interest that the touring member would be left with little time to enjoy the excellent star accommodations with an ambiance that will make our sportsman  proud, whom we are used to seeing pushing their hand baggage out of the plush hotels. The touring party started enjoying from the moment the flight took off by devouring  mouth watering Idlies provided by SJT along with an earful of chat that even the brief stopover at Vizag was not felt and the flight raced fast towards Bhubaneswar, as few used the time to catch up with the lost snoozes due to the unusual early morning wake up.

When the flight landed and people clamored into the gleaming Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneswar, they were fresh to gulp the hitherto unknown terrains of the east and the first on visual feast was the famed sand art exhibit of Sudarsan Patnaik.

Bhubaneswar Airport

The enthusiastic senior citizens party straight headed to the best ask of the youth from Odisha viz., the Sun temple at Konark. Braving the glaring sun, they enjoyed the sculptural marvels of the place ably supported by the guide provided by SJT and there were pictures galore, when tried to capture all they could see and take them through their meager GBs of mobile phones.

Konark

An hour long travel to the resort at Puri was worth it as evidenced by the first sight of the ambiance of Tosali Sands (www.toshalisands.com ), where people were welcomed with traditional south Indian jasmine garland and a drink. The sumptuous lunch tended personally in the courteous presence of the Chef was enough to usher the people into the cool confines of the resort, which was all luxury cum comfort , with the facilities one could ask for.

Welcome !

After forty winks forced by the delicious lunch and early sunset expected of the eastern part of the country, the team set out to the famed Puri Jagannathar temple ( http://www.jagannath.nic.in/ ). The milling crowd on the eve of Karthika Poornima was ably managed by the logistics and guide support provided by SJT, as the town wore a festive look. The streets of Puri were too wide for imagination which was later explained that the roads have been formed to facilitate the conduct of the famed Puri Rath Yatra, where lakhs of devotees across the world congregate every year.

Puri Jagannathar Temple

Despite the presence of our local guide, the dharshan at the 800 year old temple was difficult to come by as the temple management is yet to hear of the words like 'crowd management', it appeared. Though manageable, the crowds were not properly managed giving an impression of a milling crowd, with the cops on duty chatting in leisure waiting for things to happen , for them to wield their lathis. Sincerely, the crowds at the local pradhoshams and the humongous ones at Tirumala are better managed and it is time the temple authorities focus on this to ease the pressure on the visiting devotees and tourists.  The stone work of the tower, the majestic flag atop always waving in the direction opposite to the wind, a specialty of this place, we were told were a sight to behold. The streets were nothing to crow about as they were filled with uncleared garbage, but the feel of Bhakthi was more pervading despite all these visual hiccups. At the suggestion of the well meaning guide, we refrained from even reaching for our purses, as there were waiting hands to grab anything that you not only want to offer but also intend to offer!

The next day dawned with aroma of the now popular home made decoction coffee of Ramesh, who has made it a habit of luring people to shamelessly ask for a refill after downing the first one. Then we also undertook a tour of the hotel which is complete with a swimming pool, health spa and large greenery where the swans could be seen quacking around and it was an experience to undergo. After experiencing the culinary expertise of the Chef once more, this time with a well thought of breakfast menu, the team set out out to Chilka Lake ( http://www.orissatourism.org/chilka-lake.html ), Asia's largest brackish water lake.

Chilka lake - Flight of birds

Cruising in the Chilka lake

An hour's ride from Puri took us to the boarding point, where people braving the glowing Sun with a customized cap , available for a small rent, set out in steamer boats sans the customary safety belts, which must be insisted upon as the lake is known to run deep. Around 15 minutes of Fut-Fetting through the blue waters , one is led to a small lagoon which is expected to be crowded with birds of all sorts, but we could see only flamingos , but in hundreds. On hearing our approach the birds flocked in unison , a sight to freeze your memory to reminisce and munch later, as it would refuse to leave the memory for hours to follow.

Puri private beach

Final day at Puri dawned with the team wishing the SJT creators of their Wedding Anniversary which was celebrated in simple way but with a colorful cake thoughtfully offered by the resort management. Early in the morning , the party set out to the private beach and the twilight sea, with the curling white foamy wave rising and falling steadily with the orange sun overpowering the brilliant super moon of the previous night , was an experience to be enjoyed in person rather through the binary outputs of a keyboard.

Puri beach

Dawn at the Puri beach

 The thick foliage of the forest cover dotted on either side with mounds of sands accumulated by snakes for their sojourn set the perfect setting for the day break. Rejuvenated at these natural sights, the team set out to leave Puri but not without visiting some of the notable spots at the place.

The Gundicha temple is not to be underestimated by its simple exterior but  ignoring the crazy feeling of paying a fee for getting into a temple in the land of temples, one could see some of the ancient traditions of Odisha here. But a word of caution for those likely to follow suit and travel here- Never talk to the priests there or take out your purse; they demand money as a matter of right as some of us experienced the challenge in extricating ourselves from these hungry hands.

Gundicha Temple

But the views of the ancient set of pots in the kitchen, wherein the rice in the topmost pot on top of the column gets cooked, is a must see. This is the place where Lord Jagannathar is supposed to rest when he leaves the Jagannathar temple during the ten day Rath yathra . One could also see large number of wooden wheels and when enquired we gathered that the Rath used for the yathra every year is made fresh and never the same Rath is used for the succeeding years.

The reverence to the place rubbed last evening at the Jagannathar temple refused to rub off as we headed to the Sankara Mutt, one of the four ancient mutts founded by Aadhi Sankarar, where one could also see the cot used by the holy seer.

Puri, Sankara Mutt

The entourage then proceeded to Sakhi Gopal, a small town where the deity at the temple is supposed to keep track of the visitors to Puri and inform Jagannadhar about their details.

Next spot to stop was Dhauli, where a huge standing Budha welcomes the visitors amidst milling tourist vans. After climbing some 70 odd not so steep steps one could see Budha in different postures and also view the ground where the battle of Kalinga was fought. This place is also believed to be the one where King Asoka decided to renounce arms.

Dhauli

Dhauli

After some minor purchases en route at a colorful shop in Pipli for some famed applique works , the team reached the elegant Hotel Excellency at Bhubaneswar (www.ecellencybbsr.com ). Though the dim lights at the reception did not warm the hearts initially, but the subsequent information about deployment of energy saving measures at the pathways made us clap for the initiative and the bright rooms with facilities certainly did not allow the mood to dip but only to rev up !

Picturesque Dining , Bhubaneswar Hotel 

The 1200 year old Lingaraja temple believed to be the basis on which the famed Puri temple has been designed is the first point of visit in the evening. Despite the absence of any crowd, with extensive security measures in place, people there were more keen on getting money from tourists. Its time the Temple managements across the state address this should they want the continued visit and patronage of tourists across the world. The not-so-warm reception and suspicious activities of the hovering touts  does not fit well with the popularity of the temple. Not withstanding these obstacles, the temple with its ancient Gopuram and minor minarets resembling Tiruvarur down south,  is a place one must visit.

The Sri Rama temple , we visited next was a modern temple with excellent lighting.

                                                                   


Final day of the tour started with a visit to the Muktesvara temple, which again boasts of the typical Odisha style gopuram with plenty of places to capture the beauty, for the visitors to take with them.

Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar

The adjacent Kedar Gauri temple was a contrast with the later day maintenance and the Udayagiri caves were reminiscent of caves at different tours we had undertaken.

Udayagiri caves

The tour was wound up with the flight back to Chennai, with the touring parties enriched by few friends and lot more of devotion they earned with visits to the holy places. As mentioned earlier , this tour is different from other tours undertaken by these tour Managers. I recall the words of Mr Ramesh of SJT during the Ahobilum tour that 'It is more of a pilgrimage and we may need to adapt ourselves to the tough terrains of Ahobilum forests and eat whatever is available with the sole purpose of seeing the Nava Narasimhars at various abodes around the place'. None cribbed and accepted the reality and what he said.

Through this tour, we have been compensated, I feel. Odissa tour is not just a religious trip though it centers around the great temples of Puri Jagannatar and Lingaraj at Bhubaneswar. But, it has enough attractions for those young at heart through the artistic and romantic sculptures at Konarak, beautiful walking and relaxing avenues in the picturesque resort at Puri for ageing citizens, Chilka lake for the bird watchers and Ornithologists and enough scope for food lovers too !

Signing off from Bhubaneswar Hotel 

With the existing modern day facilities, it is not difficult for one to embark on such tours and there is always a debate raging questioning the need for a tour operator for such outings. But, the expectations of the current day travelers are different from those of the earlier period. All that people expect now are Good planning, friendly logistics, food that is soft on your belly and does not harm during travel, safe travel and satisfaction. One could feel that the touring party had all these factored into their satisfaction list.

I summed up my feedback , with a warning to those who would like to undertake similar tours, in the following email, I sent to Sree Janaki Tours:

ஸ்ரீ ஜானகி டூர்ஸ் மூலம் பயணம் செய்ய விருப்பமா - ஒரு எச்சரிக்கை

வீட்டுக்குத் திரும்பியபின் எதிர்பார்க்கக் கூடிய சில நினைவுகள் , நிகழ்வுகள்:

தினமும் அதிகாலையில் எழுப்பி  புது டிகாக்ஷன்  ​ காப்பி கொடுத்துப் பழக்கி விடுவார்கள் - வீட்டுக்கு வந்தால் எதிர்பார்க்க முடியாது ; கிடைத்தால் அதிர்ஷ்டம் தான்.

வெளியே வெதுவெதுப்பான வெப்பமிருந்தாலும் படுத்தால் உள்ளே போகும் மெத்தையும், கிளுகிளுப்பான குளிர்பதன வசதிக்கும், திரும்பி வந்த பின்பும் மனம் ஏங்கும்.

காலை டிபனில் அடுக்கி வைக்கப் பட்ட பண்டங்களில் நாமாக விரும்பி எடுத்துக் கொள்ளும் buffet சிஸ்டம், வீட்டில் கையில் ரொட்டித் துண்டுடன்,  கனவு தான் காண முடியம்.

மதிய உணவிற்குப் பின் ஐஸ்க்ரீமும் சூடான ஜிலேபியோ , குலாப் ஜாமுனோ கேட்டால் கன்னத்தில் குலாப் ஜாமூன் முளைக்க நல்ல வாய்ப்பு.

பொத்தானை அழுத்தியதும் காபியும் , படியை விட்டு இறங்கியவுடன் காரும் ................ நன்றாகவே கெடுத்து வைக்கிறார்கள்

சுற்றுலாவின் போது வாய்க்கு ருசியாக சாப்பிட்டு ஊர் திரும்பிய பின் எதற்க்கும் குடும்ப வைத்தியரை ஒரு நடை பார்ப்பது உசிதம் . நம் வயிற்றுக்கும் நல்லது, டாக்டரும் பிழைத்துப் போகட்டும்.

ஜாக்கிரதை

TTD .... a long way to go !

Its a known fact to every Balaji devotee that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)  - http://www.tirumala.org/  - which manages the hill temple is doing a wonderful job. Given that lakhs of devotees from different corners of the geography are thronging the temple, it is an uphill task for any management to satisfy everyone's needs. Not to forget about scores of VVIPs and other dignitaries, TTD has a task on hand not on a day, but everyday.

The sanitary conditions on the hill is a standing example as to how concerned they are about pilgrim welfare, while  even big temples in cities like Chennai do not provide a urinal facilities, forcing the aggrieved to relieve themselves anywhere.

Th online reservations for darshan and accommodation (https://ttdsevaonline.com) have reached such an appreciable level of support over a period of time that planning a visit to the hill temple is no more a daunting task.

The Devasthanam has a focussed television channel (http://www.svbcttd.com/English.html )which keeps updating its daily programme, event availability, status of crowd waiting for darshan etc., and that comes handy for people to plan their visit.

The free distribution of food and milk are boons to devotees waiting for endless hours and to be fair to TTD, the quality of these freebies are on par with any other hotel worth its name in that area.

Over the years I have been watching the steady progress of TTD's services and I have never failed to wonder at their relentless pursuits on facility improvements. Despite my ardent appreciations, my recent attempt at making an Anga Pradakshinam at the hills made me realise the 'still wanting sides' of the temple management.

Over a year I was trying to get some authoritative details from the  website of TTD, but to no avail, though there are some other websites providing such details. I was running around everywhere, right from TTD centre in VN Road, T.Nagar, Chennai to calling Central Reception Office, Tirupati, Tirumala , but none could give confirmed information. Then after gathering some news from a friend's recent attempt at Anga Pradakshinam, we set out after just booking the accommodation.

Starting by around 6:30 AM in a car, after maneuvering through the tough Porur and Poonamallee traffic, we reached Tirumala by  11:30 and after checking into the room, headed straight to join the line waiting for the tokens to be issued for next day's Anga Pradakshinam. Though tickets are issued only by 2 PM, its better to be early, we were told. The ticket issue started sharp at 2 PM and the digital display at the counter maintained the countdown from the maximum of 750 thereby making those waiting in the line comfortable about their position. At the counter, one is insisted on Aadhaar card, which is made mandatory and its better not to laminate your card, as it threw up some issues while scanning. Then a token is issued with your photo captured there along with your fingerprint and  thereafter you are free until next morning. You can also get here a laddu token by paying Rs 10/- as against Rs 30/- or so outside. When enquired, about the dress code the counter staff confirmed that one can go with pyjamas or a full pant, but only with bare chest for males. For women, saree or Salwar with dupatta.

It is customary, though few say it is mandated but never confirmed by anyone in authority, that one takes a bath in the Pushkarani (tank near the temple) and go with wet clothes for the Anga Pradakshinam. Not willing to take a chance in the wee hours of the morning, we trekked the previous night to the starting point of Anga Pradakshinam , where the staff said pants are not allowed and males should come only with Dhoti (Veshti) and that it is not necessary to take a bath in the temple tank and one could even come after a bath at the room. So much of confusions and my attempts at looking for some display or board about the whole process proved futile.

We got up to an alarm at 11:30 PM and headed straight to the Pushkarani and after few enquiries, located the gate which would be opened for bathing. The gate was opened sharp at midnight and after a holy dip in the tank we were asked to go to a place where a board announced 'Anga Pradakshinam line'. It was raining hard and with the dip in the tank adding to the chillness , the TTD played its part in making the shivering devotees stand in the open under steady rain for sometime, though the devotion and fervour of the occasion made the devotees ignore these natural and manmade miseries.

Shivering devotees waiting in the line were made to shiver more with a security official announcing  that only those with their clothes wet after a bath will be allowed and if required we again need to have a bath and wet the cloth. The temple gates were thrown open by 3 AM and the ladies were first allowed and then male members. Despite all the hardships, insufficient information and ambiguous directions, the moment we started rolling on the floor chanting 'Govinda' all the hardships evaporated and within ten minutes the Anga Pradakshinam was done! The participants, some staggering, some having nausea and  throwing up, were again made to go out and join the line for a darshan offered free for this particular group of devotees. TTD could have avoided this and directed these to go straight for a darshan which could have been completed in the next 15 minutes rather than stretching it for another hour.

The idea behind writing this post is not to criticise the TTD but to give some suggestions for enhancement in their arrangements for this particular prarthana. TTD could certainly play a better role in helping the devotees prarthana for a roll !

More importantly, I do not wish people in future to again get lost in the sea of information and misguided directions and would like to list down some directives based on my experiences,  that could be useful. Of course, keeping in mind that TTD frequently changes such arrangements one would be well advised to check for the latest updates too:

1. Book a room in Tirumala in advance-booking starts by about 90 days before (Check TTD website) 
2. There are two slots to book a room Viz., of 0:00 to 12:00 hours, and 12:00 to midnight. Better book in the first one  so that you could check in even by 10 AM
3. Token counter near Central Reception office opens at 2 PM sharp.. But be at the line for tokens , - atleast by around 12:30, to avoid disappointment.
4. Production of Aadhaar Card as ID proof is a MUST and preferably have the same without lamination.
5. Totally 750 tokens are issued every day for the Anga Pradakshinam next day (except on Thursdays, as Anga Pradakshinam is not allowed on Friday).
6. Have some old newspapers handy as you may have to squat on the floor, while waiting in the line.
7. Thereafter your job starts late in the night. Though I could see gents in full pants and jeans, its safer to go with a dhoti and a towel around the waist. For ladies, Saree or Salwar , where Dupatta is a must.
8. Be at Pushkarani , near the left side of the temple entrance, by 11:45 and the tank is opened by midnight sharp. But, please check the previous day as on some days like Brahmotsavam, bathing at the tank is not permitted.
9. The Anga Pradakshinam token is not to be made wet , as it has some bar code . Keep it in a small plastic cover and if you wish, you can also have some small currencies in this for Hundies.
10. After the bath, be at temple tank or  in your room, better to head to the queue  in wet clothes. This helps in the absence of clear directions.
11. After bath join the place marked 'ANGA PRADAKSHINAM LINE'
12. Do not have any minor chain or dollars in your poonol as they could hinder , while you roll
13. Better to have a light and non-spicy dinner without oil the previous night as many were seen throwing themselves up after the Anga Pradakshinam and some could not even complete it.
14. Even if you feel uncomfortable, not to worry. A couple of hours of sleep after the Anga Pradakshinam will provide great relief and so head straight to your room after doing it.

These are some tips , based on my experience and I hope they are helpful.