VKR
Seniors’ Tour – Day 2 (Sunday, 30 Nov 2014)
“Let’s
all be ready by 7.30 tomorrow morning,” team leader Rasa said, as
we retired to bed the previous night. “Or, try to be…” he
amended, realizing that some functions are system-generated and not
within one’s hands.
Strangely
next morning everyone was ready half an hour earlier. So we decided
to have breakfast before checking out. The breakfast fare included
steaming Idli, Dosa, Pongal, freshly ground coconut chutney, and hot
sambar. Unfortunately Vada was not ready yet. Must be murmurig: are
you all gluttons or seniors with less digestive capacity? Rest
assured we ate moderately, choosing differently, and not each one a
plate of everything.
Luckily
for a lone worried member the breakfast promptly stimulated his
system. Thus all of us were able to leave Palani with a relieved body
and a relaxed mind to Tenkasi - a very long stretch. So Rasa
suggested we make a detour and cover Srivilliputhur.
Srivilliputhur
is probably the lone pilgrim centre where two huge, architectural
splendour, old temples are situated within fifty metres from one
another. One is that of Perumal, Vishnu, and the other that of Devi
Andal. The front gopuram of the Perumal temple is magnificent,
and it is the iconic emblem of Tamil Nadu Government.
The
story of Andal and Perumal is very similar to the devotion and love
of Meera to Krishna. Andal was the daughter of the priest of Vishnu
temple. She knitted the flower mala for the temple. On her way to the
temple, she had the habit of trying it out on her neck first and
viewing it in the still water of the temple-well. It seems one day
her father saw this, and rejected her garlands thereafter. Equally
promptly the presiding deity rejected all garlands the temple
authorities tried to put on, letting all of them fall on the ground.
Then they realized that the deity would accept only the garland
prepared and tried by the devoted Andal. Even now the well is intact.
Each pillar in the temple is an architectural marvel carved in one
piece of stone. Kudos artisans, the real unsung heros.
Lalitha’s
sister Saraswathy’s sambandhi, Hari Narayanan, and his wife live in
Srivilliputhur. Earlier, when in Bangalore he had insisted that in
case we made it to Srivilliputhur I ring him up on arrival so that
someone would take us around the temples. He deputed one to the
Perumal temple, and accompanied us himself to the Andal temple. But
for his presence it would have taken us much longer to have darshan.
After that he said he took us to yet another place. Alas, it was to
his home, for lunch at such short notice and to eight full-grown (or,
overgrown?) adults. He gifted us laminated photos of the married
Andal and Perumal, As though these were not enough, he arranged for
four packets of temple prasadam - tasty Pal gova (milk cake), giving
us equally a taste of what hospitality is all about.
Next
it was Sankaranarayanan temple where half the idol is that of Shiva
and the other half Narayana. In the same premises we had darshan of
Gomati Amman. I wish I knew the Sthala Puranam. The highlight however
is its antiquity and magnificence.
It
was time for a bite. Each family opened its collection - from
Coimbatore, Mumbai and Bangalore – and distributed. Rasa made sure
that Prem Nazir, the driver, got his share.
Fortified,
we left for the last leg of the day, to Tenkasi, via Kutralam
waterfalls – the only picnic spot in the tour. By then it was
twilight. Lalitha and I still decided to stand beneath the gushing
waterfall. Both chose a place where the fall was less ferocious.
Leela/Raja said they had visited the place earlier, though did not
specify if they came in direct contact with the waterfall. Rasa/Manni
and Mani preferred to watch the fun – whether it was a joy or
ordeal for those venturing. Shanta was in two minds. By the time she
decided to take the plunge, it was dark. So she said, “either
tomorrow or next time.”
Soon
after this we hurried to Tenkasi, or Kashi of South when translated.
No one could complain that he did not have a good view of the deity.
It was huge, and the temple yet another marvel.
Time
to call it a day. We had dinner of a sort followed by ice cream for
some and hot milk for others. The hotel was very good, so was the
tariff.
(Day
3 – to be continued)
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