ROAD LESS TAKEN

I recently moved to the Greater Chennai after a period of 4 years. My second first impression of the city was one of uneasiness. Each day, a huge chunk of people migrate to the city from different parts of the country. Skyscrapers are sprouting up every nook and corner, obscuring the green carpet of the town. People are seemingly busy round the clock to make both their ends meet. Most top companies operate 24x7 keeping the city life busy and active. The city is undoubtedly bustling with so much energy, but something that caught my eyes raised so many questions – is it heading the right direction? I was commuting to office in a public transport on a sunny day, and I happen to secure a window seat that allowed me to get a perfect view of the city. As the journey progressed, I couldn’t help but notice multitude of restaurants on the roadside. Most of them sell nothing but Biryani. A city is identified with what it provides to the residents, and Biryani has become an inevitable identity to...

I waved goodbye to my friend who was travelling to Chennai in Cheran Express, and I was waiting on the floor between Platform 1 and 2 at Coimbatore Railway station, watching the display board before me for the announcement of Platform number of train bound for Kanyakumari.  It was around 11:15 PM, and the weather was a bit cold and pleasant due to the heavy downpour an hour ago. A lady in her fifties with two bags of luggage appeared to be confused and perplexed about something came to me hesitantly and asked if I could help her find out on which platform her train would arrive. Her slang and accent suggested she was a Malayali woman. I immediately asked her for the train number, and she took her mobile out and showed me the seat number and PNR number. There was no detail about the train number. I said, “This is not the train number.” She was staring at me with an innocent and ignorant face and asked in her Malayalam minced Tamil, “What to do?” Pitying her helpless situation, I too...

Worried about your fitness? Fed up of maintaining diet to size up your figure? Bored up of visiting malls, movie theatres on weekends? Tired of starring at your computer monitor at the workplace? A simple, easy trek can rejuvenate your spirit and give an alternate experience of life. Many are afraid to go on a trekking due to the challenges it presents on the journey: fear of wild jungle, fear of bodily strength, fear of getting stranded in an unknown place etc. But I assure you, this trek could change all your assumptions, and this can even be your first step to begin your adventure. Swamimalai, a small hill, lies on the mountains of Yelagiri close to the scenic village ‘Mangalam’. We left from Chennai by bus around 1 am in the early morning and reached Jolarpettai at dawn. A bus from there took us to Yelagiri in an hour. As the vehicle ascended through precarious bends, it gave goosebumps at every turn. Beaten by the cold spell, we yearned for the sun to show its full glor...

During my schooling, I never missed an excursion except the one which was to the holy town Rameshwaram. Since then, it was lingering in my mind that I must not miss to set foot on this mysterious island. The day finally dawned, and here I am at the land known for Teertham, pristine beaches, unabating fishermen dispute and a significant landmark in the Hindu mythology of Ramayana. Connecting the mainland from the island is the majestic Pamban Bridge and the railway track, which are built across the sea stretching two kilometers. The joy is ineffable when travelling on the train through the bridge with the breathtaking view of the blue ocean. View of the Pamban Bridge at dusk Pilgrims mostly from Northern India converge to this historical site mainly to perform religious rituals, believing to be cleansed of past sins and mistakes, as Rama did after battling the mighty Ravana. The town reverberates with the chants of ‘Hare Ram’ throughout the year. But over enthusiastic involv...

As they say, unplanned trips are often more exciting, my visit to Tharangambadi was totally unexpected. It was mid-afternoon; the sun was ungraceful, pouring all its fury upon the earth. Reaching the spot emaciated, I found the King’s street that leads to the Fort Dansborg (aka) Danish Fort. As the name suggests, the street is indeed structured to be used by a king with architectural bungalows and centuries old churches. King Street that leads to the Fort A Christian Church on King Street A colonial building opposite to the Fort As I walked through, vivid imaginations ran in the back of my head. Back then, four centuries ago devoid of modern transport services, explorers sailed across the sea all the way from Europe to the shores of Bay of Bengal in Tharangambadi to establish their settlement. View of Fort Dansborg from the sea Fort Dansborg majestically overlooking the sea is the major attraction for the tourists from all over the world, as it stands as the monum...

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...