ROAD LESS TAKEN

Vailankanni Old Church What draws all men and women to historic religious places? What is the purpose of converging in a particular location to experience spirituality? I was on a trip to witness it. My first visit was to Vailankanni Basilica located on the seashore of Nagapattinam district. Being an iconic landmark for Christianity, this holy place attracts people of all religions. Ardent devotion to Mother Mary is evident in the vicinity. Multiple churches have been erupted and the imposing architect is a resemblance of British art forms. Large amount of hotels and lodges have sprung up to accommodate the ever-flowing devotees. And never to forget that Tsunami took its toll on December 26, 2004, leaving an air of melancholy around the region. Water Tank at Nagore Dargah My next step was to Nagore Dargah, an Islamic holy place that too attracts devotees from other religions. The mosque has multiple entries that one might get lost inside the building. At centre placed t...

I visited my hometown recently during my holidays.  I went to my grandma’s field to pamper myself with the nature. It was a calm and quite place surrounded with lush green trees.  At 2’o clock my granny took out some food and kept outside. There was obviously no one except the two of us. I asked her, to whom she had brought the food out. She said that two peacocks would come to eat it. We were waiting for them. They had not yet turned up. After a while, one of them, with a long beautiful feather came fumbling through the plantain field. He was afraid to come closer to the food due to my presence, as I was a stranger to him. He waited for a longtime, ten meter away from us. My granny took the food and kept it closer to him. Now he began to peck the food very quickly. After some time another one arrived to get his share of food. They both now began to fight over the food not allowing the other to eat it. It was an amazing scene to watch two big birds fight with each other jus...

I was in the middle of a swimming pool unbelievably with a white girl, who was in her bikini. She was splashing water on me playfully. I pulled out her bra naughtily, and she giggled at me and the play went on for a while. Then I pulled her up closer and hugged her. She became calm and moved closer to me and soon our lips were locked.  It was as if our bodies were set on a raging fire even though surrounded with cold water. Suddenly a voice screamed in between CUT CUT. It was my friend cum director who was shooting this scene in a swimming pool for a movie. Annoyed by his awkward interruption, I went up to him and asked, Hey buddy! Wat’s wrong? He said, “A tiny rocket interrupted on the scene dude”. A tiny rocket! I asked shockingly. Ya, it was right over my head. It looked like an iron rocket of 10 cm length, and it could transform itself into any shape like a missile, square, arrow, round or whate...

An arduous climb at Paravathamalai Hills Every one of my trips is always filled with elements of surprise and excitement, and this one is too. Climbing up the mountain of 3500 feet along different tough terrains, including mounting an iron ladder placed vertically upon a huge rock, was a spine-chilling experience. Parvathamalai, the abode of Lord Shiva, is located in Tiruvannamalai district at 15km distance from Polur, the nearest town. It was an early morning as we alighted at Thenmathimangalam, a village, from where we commence our journey on foot. The dawn filled with cool breeze, women dutifully cleaning up their courtyard before the sun breaks up, men indulging in a casual chat at tea shops before embarking on their routine job, the roosters loudly announcing the new day, are the vivid memories as we set foot at the village. Exhilarating countryside along the way Geographical map of the hillock and the distance to be covered in different terrains A kilometer wa...

The temperature was soaring to 39 degree Celsius in Chennai and I never expected that I would be soon in a place shivering uncontrollably in the cold weather. My friend and I decided to travel to Velliangiri Hills to escape the scorching sun this summer. Located 30 km away from Coimbatore city, Velliangiri is mainly a pilgrimage center that involves the arduous climbing of seven kilometers over the mountains. The journey commences from Poondi temple, and every devotee purchases a bamboo stick, which proves to be an immense help for the ascent. Barefooted, we ascended through steps made up of stones. The first three mountains have similar passageways with steps laid down by human hands. Every stride has to be careful and focused, as one might lose balance on the rugged terrain. The occasional cry of the insects and birds was music to our ears along the way. The odor of herbals growing in the mountains filled our nostrils, giving a serene feeling. Steps made up of stones Trav...

An adventurous trekking to Ubbalamagadu falls:  Living in Chennai, often, I find it hard to be in a place absence of noise and pollution. To get a temporary relief and break the dull routine, my friend and I planned to visit Ubbalamangadu (aka) Thada falls located in Chithoor district of Andra Pradesh and Pulicat (aka) Pazhaverkadu in Tamil Nadu. Riding through an early foggy morning along Kolkata highways sent chills through my body. On our way, exotic countryside life unfolded before us with vistas of ducks and goats marching on the road, farmers dutifully working their day at the paddy field, children joyously playing on the streets and women clad in colourful sarees actively involved in their household work. Water reservoir at the foot of the hill-  Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah  Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah Running stream in the valley -   Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah As we reached the entrance to the forest, we collected par...

Climbing a 150 feet tall palm tree, without any machinery aid is truly a challenging task for anyone. But, it is a daily routine for 30 years old Chinnappan, who is a palm wine (Padhaneer in Tamil) tapper by profession. He climbs four trees in a day, to earn his livelihood, which is about 600 feet up and down.  No wonder, this is considered to be one of the toughest jobs in the entire world.   Being a seasonal employment, palm wine tapping brings only a meager income to his family. Hence, he has to seek another job during rest of the months of the year, to run his family. After enforcing a ban on tapping toddy, which is a fermented form of the sap, this business has lost its charm and enthusiasm. Hence, to prevent the sap from fermentation, quicklime is applied inside the mud pot that is fastened to the palm flower. Though his counterparts in the neighboring states, extract toddy without any problems, it is an illegal affair across the state of Tamil Nadu. The reasons ...

To be honest, I am not an admirer of fervent patriotism. But, the following incident comes to my mind whenever we celebrate Teacher’s day in our country. While I was studying tenth standard, our class used to sit for evening studies in our school accompanied by a teacher. One day, a meeting was organized by Human Rights Commission in our campus, and we were studying inside the class supervised by our teacher, Fathima. The meeting was about to conclude and it was customary to end the public meeting with the National Anthem. When they began singing the Anthem, our teacher stood up still in her position paying the reverence to it. As the meeting took place outside the classroom, none of us bothered to pay any attention. Quite baffled by her action, some of us giggled, some were astounded by her staunch patriotism, some felt guilty and some did not react at all. Unperturbed by the commotion among the students, she stood immobile until the end without flinching a bit.   A teach...

My childhood was not a bed of roses, but I was fortunate enough to have it filled with experiences that are completely got lost today. Born into a lower middle class family in a quaint village of Southern Tamil Nadu, I was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family. Truly, back then I never knew, what connection we had with Romans to be called Roman Catholic Christians. Though my parents were not orthodox Christians, it was impossible for me to skip regular prayers and masses at the church. Moreover, the priest clad in white cassock would show up at the school to seek his vengeance for not listening to his boring sermons on Sundays. Strict discipline was emphasized right from the childhood. Nuns would do a regular check up on our teeth and if a tinge of yellow stain appears, we would have to pick up brick powder and brush our teeth. Their reprimands then sounded like a screaming monster, but they have definitely redefined my life. Uninvaded by machines, those days were entwined wit...

With poor sanitation and unkempt roads, Kanchipuram may not be an ideal place to seek entertainment. But, what attracts everyone to this historic age old city is for its numerous temples steeped in intricate stone carvings and artistic beauty and above all to obtain spiritual serenity. Ruled by Pallavas, Cholas and Vijayanagara Empire at different periods, the city’s temples stand as the monument to their unparallel interest in arts and spirituality. A day may not be enough to cover up all the temples, but you are sure to be spellbound by the sheer genius of ancient artisans from few temples itself.   Kamakshi Amman Temple Pillars at Ekambareswar Temple Ekambareswar temple tower gleaming against the azure sky Almost, every temple has a square shaped tank with a Mandapam at the centre. Built with spectacular steps on all sides, the tanks are examples of ancient engineering that served the people during dry season. Water reservoir in Varadharaja Per...

Fast moving life, menacing sounds of the vehicles, polluted environment, sultry weather, junk food and skyscraper buildings are the common terms anyone might come across by living in the city. On the contrary, I live in a house surrounded with lush green trees on a sloppy mountain of St. Thomas Mount. The entire vicinity reverberates with the sounds of the birds since dawn to dusk. I enjoy watching the squirrels digging at the ripen jack fruit, cuckoo birds singing in its mellow voice, the mongoose roaming around for its prey and the leaves effortlessly falling from the trees. A Sapodilla left by a bird With all the little creatures, in the green environment, my life here moves swiftly and I gradually built a bond with these plants, trees, birds and animals. After a few months, I began keeping some food and grains on the terrace for the birds and animals. The squirrels, crows and cats come rushing and fight with each other for the food. It became a routine for me and following...

Despite my unstable economic conditions, I manage to make single trip each month to rejuvenate myself from the monotonous lifestyle. This time, my trip was intertwined with my home visit, as I live far away from my home. My cousins and I decided to visit Kumbaratty falls, also known as Achankovil, is located in Kerala. Lying between the borders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Achankovil is 30km away from Tenkasi. Riding on the bike through the zigzag mountains, we were engulfed by the cacophony of deafening outcry of the wild insects. Throughout the way, we feasted our eyes to the lush green gigantic trees and beautiful mountains. As we rode on, cold air filled our body and relieved us from the sultry weather.  After passing through eleven hair bin bends, we reached the main spot and availed our tickets to enter into the falls. Main spot to avail the tickets It’s half a mile walk from the counter, and on our way we witnessed a small snake lying on a rock and red squirre...

I packed my bag to an one day trip to Pichavaram mangrove forest from Chennai. Travelling along the East Coast Road, on a windy morning with the view of Bay-of –Bengal until Pondicherry and the green carpeted paddy fields with the pleasant smell emanating from the crops along Chidambaram road was a delight on the journey. From then on, it was a jostling ride until reaching Pichavaram, along a narrow road through the countryside. As I was traveling alone, I paid three hundred rupees for two hours of boat ride. A frail looking boatman, Suresh, ushered me into his boat and soon we embarked on a fascinating journey. Spread around three thousand acres, the mangrove forest is a natural wonder, which protects this coastal region from any kind of sea calamities. With more than twenty types of woody trees and shrubs, the entire region is filled with numerous narrow canals. Suresh demanded me a tip to venture into those narrow canals, without which the trip would have been worthless....

Statue of St.Thomas at the entrance Welcoming with the historical arch built by Armenians, St. Thomas Shrine is above the hill top, which is also the martyrdom place of St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus Christ. Snaking its way up through the zigzag steps, the entire mountain is dotted with numerous neem trees. As we climb up, we pass through Stations of the Cross until reaching the top of the hill. The monumental church built by Europeans, during the 15 th century stood as the converging point for all the Europeans during the colonial era. The chapel consists of invaluable paintings of each disciple of Jesus Christ, which also describes the execution of each of them in a different fashion. With possession of various relics, the centre of the altar is adorned with a stone cross chiselled by St. Luke. Right behind the church, we can witness an age old banyan tree, with several branches penetrated into the ground.  Several religious orders, convents and an orphanage ...

Marriage is one of the most defining moments in our life. I was attending my friend’s wedding in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh. Being an interstate, inter-religious, and inter-caste marriage, it was not an ordinary wedding. The bride’s family from Tamil Nadu had to stay in Ongole for the occasion, as the bridegroom’s family played the role of host. It was interesting to watch both families use gestures to convey their needs. Though communication seemed a barrier, it never diminished the charm and enthusiasm of the event. The rituals were alien to the bride’s family but were all performed with utmost importance and eagerness. My friend acted as the mediator and translator between them and oversaw all the activities. I realized that it takes so much courage to marry someone entirely from another state, religion, and caste. I am proud of my friend, who stands as the perfect example of breaking all societal barriers . My Friend's Wedding in Progress

Soaking in the beauty of Back Waters In Kerala  With the kind hospitality of one of my friends, it was a golden opportunity to visit one of my most dreamed tourist locations, Back Waters in Azhapuzha. The endless waterways connecting all the villages in the district are the main attraction for the tourists. Cruising on the river, you can witness the ceaseless beauty of the countryside. Myriad paddy fields, simple but elegant houses lining up the banks of the river, locals ferrying goods in their canoes and children learning to swim and paddle in front of their houses are the vivid images of the place that will ever last in your mind. The entire lake is dotted with boats ranging from gigantic house boats to small canoes. If you are a lone traveler, it is best for you to travel in the public boat service provided by the Kerala government, which is economical and it gives you the chance to experience the local flavor of the place. Tasti...