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So, the temple-calling didn't seem to end even after coming to Bangalore. My not so religious akka-bhava were also in some solid mood to visit a temple. So we set out to visit the highly appreciated ( in cyber tongue - high review'd :) ) Golden temple in Vellore , Tamil Nadu. The driver being my jeeju, the vehicle being his beautiful car, we start out at alomst 11 am last sunday.
Most tamilians are said to know not a single language except Tamil, but they sure seem to know how to build great roads! The roads were a beauty and we sailed through 209 kilometers reaching Vellore by 3 Pm. Cracking jokes as usual , enjoying the not so green-yet impressive stone rocks all through the journey along the road , listening to the FM stations of Bangalore which interestingly lasted for half the distance and then the A R Rehman collection CD , if was fun. I kept clicking the pictures of the roads with whom I really fell in love. Between, we had to make sure that we were on the correct route by asking directions to get answers,well, only in tamil.. That was fun and gave us incredibly funny moments.Also thanks to the google map which gave us quite precise idea of the route before-hand . We had lunch at around 12 30 at "anand bhavan" . North Indian stuff in Tamil Nadu! We kept asking for Kulcha in Hindi and he kept saying -no kulcha, only nan and tandoor roti ! , in tamil , both parties not understanding each other! Haaha... the confusion was amusing.
Now we reach the Sripuram Golden temple after a 12 Km ride in the Vellore city. And the first feeling was of- disappointment. NO CAMS,NO MOBILES we see this written everywhere. My jeeju and me ,we were really depressed . Plus the heat, Plus the rush. We still tried to get away into the temple with the cell phones, but then the security says NO. So we had to budge. We take "DIVYA DARSHANA" ticket for 300 rupees which annoys ( what is this 300 rps to see GOD's idol yar! ). And then we enter in the queue way which doesnt seem to end , again annoying us even more. Finally, we enter into the temple pathway which later we understand is in the shape of a STAR. So we again walk , but this time in this star-way surrounded by beautiful huge garden with lots of scultptures , and almost everywhere we could see beautiful little hoardings with messaages from "SRI SAKTI AMMA" about whom we don't know anything. Is he a sage? Is he some divine preacher who lived here once upon a time? Why does he stand along with the photograph of Narayani Goddess everywhere? How can he stand along-side the Goddess? All of us wonder! but dont get the answer! Well! How could we - its Tamil everywhere!
As we walk we see the side view of the Golden temple , shining in the bright sunlight, which is right at the center of this star shaped pathway . The side view is terrific and yes, the sight of it made us feel that coming all the way was worthwhile. We finally reach the temple outer ring walking through which we circle the temple to finally reach the front to view the Goddess.Now there is a water pool between this circular outer ring-path and the temple where water is fed continuously from the trunk of small elephants placed at equal distances around the pool above the water level. Now whats special-still is that in this pool people have thrown rupee coins and even notes and bangles , some golden as well, so much that the ground layer or the floor of the pool is totally covered up. And as we peep into the pool between the crowd , see the reflection of the temple and the shining coins, people still continue to throw the coins. What a sight! Awesomeness engulfs the vision of my eyes. Shining everywhere , golden everywhere. No wonder! 18 tons of gold inside-out.Unbelievable. But somehow the spiritual ecstasy is lacking. May be because the smell of the air is commercial.But its beautiful and golden , the Narayani goddess looks rich and even more beautiful. What strikes me is that because we have taken special "Divya darshana" we are allowed to go further close to the Goddess! That makes me feel-sick. Inequality everywhere!
So we take the darshan and walk again to complete the star pathway to come out of the temple . On the way back I am feeling strange. People I see are so filled with devotion, there are crippled and handicapped people being brought here on their wheelchairs . So much of devotion! Yet, I don't quite feel it !
We enter a big hall right before the exit and we are systematically one by one given with "tirtha", "prasada" " kumkum- which the lady puts on every forehead herself" and finally the "bhaat- prasadam" which tastes good. The hall is filled with photos and idols of the Goddess and "Sri sakti Amma". Finally , us poor souls , sunburnt and frustrated by walking, that too bare foot, get to the car , meanwhile eating the "ice candies" from the road side stall. My jeeju remarks sarcastically - felt like a car-festival ending with ice candies . The watery ice candy feels like "panchamruta", I add on . Well, the jokes continue and we laugh our heart out.
I and my sis doze off while my jeeju drives super fast to reach home in 3 hours , at around 9 pm.
Shock of the day: I finally discover in the night, through the book that I purchased in the temple - lets call it - temple manuel :P that "Sri Amma" is said to be Narayani Devi's incarnation , and is presently 32 years of age, does numerous pooja's daily in the temple and does wonders which demonstrate his divinity, has set up charity foundations , helps poor and crippled and is therefore someone like Sai Baba. So thats the shock of the day
Surprise of the day : Was that nobody offered coconut in the temple ! The custom to give the prasada through the coconut offered to the God is surprisingly not there at all.
Realisation of the day: After reading the temple-manual ( as I put it) I feel, the reason for the temple-committe to come up with the idea of "divya darshana" may well be to stop the local people , the huge mob to daily create troublesome conjestion in the immediate front of the temple , as it is understood that the divine exists in the temple. May be! hmmmm...
The moment of the day : but was when we entered Vellore and asked for the directions to Golden temple with a local fellow. The poor guy explained so much with enthusiasm for minutes together and then my jeeju says - Tamil Tereyadu, meaning ,we dont understand Tamil ! Plain silence and then laughter ! The man laughs too ! A little embarrassed, but all of us just laugh on . God ! That was the moment of the day. Will remember it for a looong time. Tereyadu! Haha.. one of the very few tamil words which my jeeju knew! Which my sis and I knew as well, accidentally , to give us those bursting moments !
PS: the pics are from the temple-manual, so forgive the clarity. In order - 1) Sri Sakti Amma 2) the star pathway 3) golden temple front view 4) side view 5) the outer ring around the temple, the pool is visible as well
