Ayyappanum Alcoholism'um!

Generally, I avoid speaking about religion, faith, or caste, which separate individuals from being human. And as I indicated above, the aim of this post is not to offend or outrage the sensibilities of any one religion or creed but to communicate the truth that deceives everyone. 

Every year, during the Tamil months of Aipassi and Karthigai (October-November), many people (mostly men) will wear holy beads in devotion to Lord Ayyapam (a Hindu god) and embark on a 48-day fast, abstaining from non-vegetarian foods, alcohol, and any other impure habits before visiting the Ayyappan temple on Sabarimala hill in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala.

Every year, Hindus from all over the world travel to Sabarimala to show their devotion and dedication to their devoted god; however, most are from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is a challenging trip for the devotees since the temple is located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve; vehicles are stopped beyond a line, and the pilgrims have to hike a few kilometers through the forest to reach the temple. 

I know some people who go to Sabarimala regularly; I have seen how committed they were to following it as a tradition and preparing themselves well for the fast and the change in approach earned them respect, which isn't to suggest they weren't respected before. But cleanliness and fasting are thought to be everything - though cleanliness has a different meaning for me, and when I wasn't mindful of my decision, I followed it mindlessly.

Coming to the topic at hand; was also about the cleanliness of not the outer layer but the inner behavior that will never change, no matter how many times you mask with the holy beads.  "First, behave like a human before trying to become a sage!"  I know some families where the women go to work or do business for the family's survival and also take care of the requirements of the husbands, who lead an idle lifestyle whose only intention is drinking and smoking.

However, when the Ayyappan season arrives, we see those men dressed in holy dhoti and shirts, with necks full of beads and foreheads smeared in ashes to give a terrifying look of devotion and holiness. I believe there are two reasons for this: the family, which forces them to wear the holy guise so that they don't drink or smoke for at least 48 days of fasting, and the other, to convince themselves and society that they are pure. 

I'm not here to name all those who visit Sabarimala the same, but I'm sure at least 30-40% fall into the drinking category, and staying sober for 48 days must be a hardship for them (there are even fewer days of fasting, but I am not sure on the number of days). If they can do it for 48 days, why couldn't they do it indefinitely or make it occasional for the goodness of their family? Even occasion is terrible because I believe that anything that causes us to lose our sense of self is unhealthy and should be avoided for the sake of ourselves and society. 

Alcoholic! It has become a bloodsucking leech in many men's lives, which they willingly accept or are pushed to accept by some pals, and it is becoming unavoidable. Alcoholism and the unstable mind it creates are responsible for almost two-fourths of all crimes committed in the country and all around the world. Why do I value it now when it has been around for so long? 

Yes, the crime rate has increased; the income from liquor sales is rising gradually (you could say that it is due to price increases), as are drinkers, and perhaps because of that, devotees to Sabarimala have increased like never before. I may be wrong in my speculation, but it looks like a holy revolution where garlanding in beads is highlighted in the media (perhaps because it hasn't taken place during the covid period). I see many young people wearing sacred beads passing on the street. Yet, many look to have never gone to a temple or have any connection with faith, yet they rush to the temple. They may even see it as a fun activity to hang out together with friends. 

We don't need an expert to analyze this; the eyes of an experienced watch could pierce the individual hidden beneath the holy cover. I don't have a judgmental viewpoint here, but a concern that it could be varied, and I only want to share my anxiety that some deceive themselves and others with their false beliefs. Faith is being loyal to what you believe, and if you don't entirely believe anything, don't hide behind it; faith is not a game, though I believe god does not exist; trust is something the heart feels, and you can only feel it if you are faithful to your conviction. 

An Island Temple on Palar river, in ECR

Following Kadalur check-Dam (click for the previous post), we visited a little island temple on the other bank of the Palar river. If the left before crossing the Palar river on ECR led to the dam, the right after crossing the river directs you to the temple that rested on a rocky mound at about 150 feet inside the river. The temple is connected by a small bridge that covers the distance between the bank and temple.

The temple called by the name Shri Kailasanathar Kovil has Lord Shiva is a prime deity and is worshipped in the name of Kailasanathar. The inscription at the temple says it was built during Pallava King, Nirupathungan, in the 8th century, and the temple was completely a renovated structure of its original. And the temple is located at a place called Vasavasamudram, about 80km from Chennai on ECR.

The time we visited the temple was closed. Actually, we had no idea about its timing or intended to visit the temple until I checked the dam, and I thought of only taking a look at the place, as we went close to the same. I came to know about the island temple through a vlog by My Sutrula, and I really liked the environment and flow of water around it trigger me to visit.

It was a quiet afternoon, and we drove there after having lunch under the shadows of trees, surrounded by paddy fields and coconut trees. I could easily smell the fragrance of fresh paddy grains every time the wind blows on, sending a nostalgic feel to my senses. The temple beautifully stays in the water on almost four sides, and the road to the temple is narrow through paddy fields and village streets.

While I stayed with the car, others went down to check the temple complex; though the temple’s main gate and the sanctum are closed, people are allowed through a side gate to circumambulate the temple. The images on the temple and river were shot by mom, as I didn’t take my wheelchair, I couldn’t get close, or drove on the little bridge across the water. I really enjoy the view and sound of birds and running water off the paddy fields; it’s a wonderful place to enjoy peace.

Sunday tale – a trip to Mamallapuram

I got an opportunity or I agreed to take a short distance ride on Sunday, after so long days of not coming out of home – for nearly seven months I held myself inside the home, other than looking out from the balcony. Glad we moved here, to our native house, a year and a half early to the pandemic starts so I have this benefit of watching from the balcony what is not possible in our previous house in backstreet with least activities on road. Lockdown days were quiet and pleasant here, but the relaxations lately made it very noisy. Back to Sunday, we accompanied our extended family for a temple visit in our ancestral town Mamallapuram, as per our family tradition, visiting this goddess temple has been made mandatory when a marriage is fixed.

The busy ECR on Sunday in the shadow of trees. This is part of road beyond Mamallapuram towards Pondicherry.

Yes, my brother’s engagement is fixed at the end of this month and so was this visit. I’m not a believer in god exist but I still accompany my family to temples as long it takes me out or traveling. We hit the east coast road (ECR) early morning but the ride wasn’t fun and comforting as well, as I had to wear a mask all the time even though I pull down to chin often it lacks freeness. I now understand how difficult it must be for those who go to work, wearing the mask all the time and while I couldn’t sit freely, I wonder how tough it is to do tasks with masks!

I couldn’t see any great changes on ECR other than closed amusement parks and tourism and entertaining hubs but the traffic was unusual for the time 6.30 in morning. I saw many cycle riders on the ECR, enjoying the cool morning weather, while quietly pedalling on the left side of the road unlike a lot on motorbikes vrooming and terrifying the other bike/car riders. We extended our ride another 25km from Mamallapuram to visit another family deity temple. Due to the pandemic and lockdown the government has restricted any rituals, so my family simply visited and worshiped the deities in the temples.   

One of the temple is located amid palm trees and farm lands, a km away from ECR main road

I sat in our SUV quite after a year gap, because only last October we left the car for interior tinkering and painting which was delivered only a week early to lockdown in March so I didn’t had any chance to travel or sit in the car. My trip to Amirthi Zoological Park (Vellore) in February happened in my uncle’s car and it’s the only trip I had this year where I drove for a 150 kms. My travel to Mamallapuram on Sunday was a half day trip and our breakfast was brought from a relative’s house there and we returned home by noon for lunch. It was good to travel even it was for a short distance of 70 km but for a travel enthusiastic this gives a bit joy and I hope the pandemic is over soon so that I travel every length.

RGB Monday

 

While the farmers were busy washing, and packing carrots in sacks (what you saw in my previous post here) I found this little temple peacefully located adjacent to the activity of farmers, adding quiet to the afternoon.  Leaving back others at  Kukkal lake bank, where we picnicked last year July during vacationing at my uncle’s woodhouse near Kodaikanal, my cousin and I drove down the road from the lake just to see what lies beneath and was pleased to spot this temple in a fresh coat of paint. Google maps mark this as Amman (goddess) temple and I get no details other than that. But I guess it's a popular temple among the village people from an image I saw in google where people throng in average numbers. 

Mulaipari - A technology to choose right seeds!

Carrying over the head, Mulaipari (pots growing with nine different kinds of grains) is a traditional south Indian festival popular in Tamil Nadu and takes place mostly in Tamil Month called Adi (July-August). Adi is a month celebrated all-over the Amman (goddess) Temples and carrying Mulaipari is a kind of offering to the goddess, and traditionally prevailing legacy requesting good rain and fertility of land, in order to secure a rich harvest. Most of the Amman temples still follow this tradition which is intense in villages, where farmers preserve a part of their harvested grains yearly in order to use in next season and to check the standard of the seeds the Mulaipari is conducted. 

At the villages or towns, they built a strip shed close to the Amman Temples and on the day beginning of the festival Mulaipari (nine kinds of grains) are cast at the shed and the women in the villages gather over there and throw 21 varieties of seed grains and grow them over the next nine days. During the nine days, women sing and dance around the Mulaipari praying the goddess for a good harvest and on the day ten Mulaipari is carried over by the women on the baskets as a procession towards the temple is offered to the goddess. In this process whose Mulaipari has grown well will share the seeds with others or that who’s Mulaipari doesn’t show up. This traditionally conducting festival is celebrated to bring prosperity along the way to farming and it’s supporting natural sources. 

Moreover, seeing the growth of the crops in Mulaipari, the year’s yields is calculated and so was taking Mulaipari is considered as a rite. Cultivating Mulaipari isn’t just a rite or worshiping but a technique to pick out the seeds of vigour to agriculture and cultivate quality seeds for next cultivation comfortable from their villages itself and it is a festival in name of Mulaipari celebrates technology!

The Mulaipari captured in the images above was shot at Pannaikadu; a mountain village slightly diverted from the road to Kodaikanal on the Ghats section. Pannaikadu is just about 13km from my uncle’s woodhouse and cottages in Thandikudi and we come across this Mulaipari procession during a course to Kodaikanal while staying at the woodhouse last month. Women cladded in colourful sarees carried the Mulaipari baskets on their heads and some with milk pots walking to their destined temple. Pannaikadu has many temples and people out there seems to have great devotion and faith on god and on Fridays no meat shop is opened there perhaps because Friday is consider auspicious to go on fast and most of them here worships lord Murugar.

RGB Monday

Colorful reflection

My window reflection on the light decoration of lord Murugar from last month’s temple festival at the backstreet. And for more colors go here for the entire post on the colorful festival.

Temple Consecration and Light Decors

Few days before to the consecration of a Ganesh Temple in the backstreet, they started to decorate the streets with colourful lights and lighting cut-outs of Ganesh and Murugan idols at the street corners and junctions as a led to the temple. It’s a small temple in size of 8x12 sq.ft and consecration is a custom take place at every temple once in 12 years and this’s the first time (I think so) after the temple was rebuilt with new Ganesh idol. The original idol/statue of the temple was brought by my grandfather and his friends after finding it from a village pond but that Ganesh idol was little damaged at the limb and was the talk of changing the idol as people believed that a damaged idol shouldn’t be worshipped. Since we moved out of the area in Dec 2005, I don’t remember when the idol was changed and I hadn’t got to take the backstreet often until we moved back to same in 2015.

Murugan decor opp. to our house

The backstreet and the Ganesh temple hold many memories related to my childhood and friends and whose play area were mostly around the temple and mud streets. Since my two best friends came from backstreet, we hit often the streets after back from school and on holidays and I have walked countless miles over there despite my difficulty in walk. There are some guys (from backstreet) take response to conduct festivals and Ganesh Chaturthi themselves by collecting money from the residence – whose amount mostly go to their pockets – to conduct special pujas and cart procession at night. Last year the Ganesh Chaturthi wasn’t celebrated due to the consecration ceremony, the collection of money this time was heavier or 2-3 fold higher than the Ganesh Chaturthi collections.

Coming to the post, the consecration took place on Sunday morning and there were enough crowds and the area was in festival mood with traditional instruments (my favourite Nadeswaram and Thavil, like in picture above) playing loud through the loudspeakers along the chanting of mantras by priests. They played devotional songs now and then but glad they weren’t disturbing kind and only lights were decorated our street to look colourful for few days. From the photos you could see the glittering lights and cut-outs placed on our street – right opp. to our house was Murugar decor and at the left corner was Ganesh on seated position – and couple of shots on the night cart procession. Usually they make loud crackers and I find it terrible to take photos on the procession when one blast close to us, but this time they did blast fewer crackers (perhaps because of Supreme Court order) and the cart procession went off peaceful with light instruments play. All the photos were shot from my balcony.

Ganesh Chaturthi Post and Use of Camera

Post mom’s surgery I haven’t gone anywhere and while she healed well, began the renovation work at home keeps me away from traveling or even head out for the nearest beach.  Our car went for service at my uncle’s workshop; taking more than 2 months for a complete checkout, was also a reason prevents me going out. I also haven’t used my camera much these days, since I started to use iPhone taking photos using camera has come down, though I love capturing through camera and enjoy focusing which I don’t content with phone camera. After my travel in March to Kodaikanal, I seldom took out the camera for shoot and only last month I tried to capture some nice photos on the idol of Ganesh that bought for Ganesh Chaturthi. At night I focused on the Ganesh procession that came on our street, from the temple on same. But there too iPhone took prior! Following are photos shot on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Here come the clay idol of Ganesh that dad bought for the Ganesh Chaturthi, from the temporary shops that come up along the main road during the festival times. Though being an atheist, I do like anything that comes up beautiful and decorative and moreover I don’t want to keep away or deny what’s happening around me although my belief is different. For last few years the idols bought doesn’t had a real shape of Ganesh or features to be consider except the two eyes in red black seeds. But this year the seeds are missing and the Ganesh had his face painted in watercolors to look pretty good and shape was also fine. Later he was decorated by mom using flowers and jewels.

Following same evening the clay idol was dissolved in a bucket of water, a custom we have been practicing for last 10 years back, instead dropping at river or sea what we had done earlier and many still follows. I really don’t like idols immersed at beaches or any water body to pollute it environment. I love beaches and never want to see its beauty being spoiled and the number of idols, either made of clay or plaster of parries or whatever materiel damaging the beach or river front. I have seen many clay idols of Ganesh are thrown along the beach sand rather drop at sea, take lot of time and work to clear all. Keep this in mind, I suggest my parents to follow this way (of dissolving the idol in a bucket of water) and use the water for gardening, perhaps this won’t interrupt their faith.

The same night, a cart procession takes place at our street from the Ganesh temple, at the street end, and the decorated idol was pulled around the streets where people come out of their house and offer prayers. When the procession comes across our home I tried to capture some photos between the interruption of people and the result was above. There are two Ganesh temples in our area, but this time only one has come up with procession and they really done a nice decoration where the Ganesh was seated on a mice idol (his divine vehicle) with gold coated rope and whip in hands. The picture below was shot by mom from the front of the procession where Ganesh seen seated on mice chariot, and in another shot was the priest sitting on the cart doing pooja.  

Rama Temple @ Palamathi Hills

While the Bala Murugan Temple is coated in yellow, the white painted Rama Temple is less than a km from the same on the Palamathi Hills near Vellore.  Thought the temple look newly painted I believe it should be an old temple but I couldn’t get any detail about the temple from the net or anywhere else and I took shot of the temple mainly for the hanuman statue that stood in front of the temple tower.  

                        The pictures where shot from the car while we slowed down or almost stopped for few seconds as the road was empty, the temple was located at a curve  so I could only focus on front (shot from iphone) and the second one was captured in cam by mom from the side window. The statue also looks like newly installed and the Hanuman is posed with one hand bearing the Sanjeevi hill (a mountain with medicinal plants that lord hanuman is believed to bring to cure Lakshman and Rama) and standing on a mound, which is nothing but a hundial – a collection box used in Hindu temples.

Palamathi Hills and Balamurugan Temple

As part of my visit to Vellore district in February, I explored Palamathi Hills, a beautiful mountain range that close to the Vellore City or to say about 10 km from the same. Located southeast of the Vellore city, the hills is an extension of the Eastern Ghats includes Palamathi Reserve Forest and Otteri Lake, makes it a thriving hotspot for various birds and flora. I visited the hills through the back road, which I would recommend anyone driving from Chennai who like to enjoy village scenario and it was a short route too by going into Arcot town and taking the Arcot main road to Kavanur and then to Palamathi Hills.

View on a part of Palamathi Hills

The hills have a beautiful and scenic environment and I would highly recommend it visited during winter or monsoon to feel cool and find it quite greenish. Palamathi is a developing tourist destination with Balamurugan Temple, atop the hill, could be the prime destination to attract tourist. The yellow coated Murugan Temple, also known as Kuzhandai Velayudhabani swamy Temple could be an attention seeker for anyone visiting the hills and the hillock temple and tower is visible from the distance if you climb from the Vellore city. The temple has a beautiful arch at the foothill leading a driveway and a stairs parallel to the parking lot.

It was 12pm when we visited the temple and it has around 150 steps to climb from the foot hall to the temple and before we discover the off road that adjoin the hillock, mom and grandma went atop on foot and it was them to find out the mud road and we took the SUV close to the temple tower. The temple provides free lunch for the visited devotes and except me and cousin, others end their lunch there. Parents told the temple was well maintained and has couple of peacocks fenced in a cage inside the temple – form where one get to hold natural views all around.

The forest view along the off road that take us above the hillock and you could see goats feeding from a bucket kept by the temple people.

The temple perched on the cliff, shot while climbing down the hill towards Vellore city

Palamathi isn’t very high hills and should be around MSL 300-400 and has wonderful breeze throughout the year but should feel cool in morning and evenings unless monsoon/winter hits. I actually wanted to visit this place much earlier as post monsoon or midwinter to experience cool weather but it wasn't bad in early Feb. The best part of the scenic hills is the road winding down to the Vellore city and the hairpin bends are picturesque to shoot along the way or from the hilltop. But the temple has closed the windows overlooking that view, perhaps it located at unsafe spot, so we missed getting the scene but I managed to get some while drove through the Ghats.

Scenic view around the hairpin bends

Palamathi is a village panchayat and majority of the people living here are migrants from other places of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra and so they do not have a tribal status. The people cultivate paddy, groundnut and ragi above the mountains and sells at the city market. The Otteri Lake at the foothill is a manmade lake in the British era to supply water to Vellore city. I took many photos on the hills and I would share more in the future posts.

Bits on travel to Udumalpet

Though winter is here and the weather turns chill in the morning and foggy experienced at the outskirts of Chennai, my journey to Munnar began on the early hours of November 26 wasn’t much different due to the low pressure in bay, I experienced a feel on mountains. The travel between Thiruporur - Chengalpattu, in the outskirts of Chennai south, was blissful than ever while passing the countryside beside the hill and forest terrain. The picture below will give idea how the travel was and the glasses were scrolled down until touched the national highways.

But the entire journey wasn’t on NH, and we took a detour at Perambalur instead going down to Trichy to reach Musiri, a town on the north bank of Cauvery. Crossing the river, we hit the NH again before took turn to Dharapuram to go to stay at Udumalpet where we booked rooms at govt. guest house. On the road to Thuraiyur, from Perambalur I come across a beautiful temple tower which I had no idea until I browsed using the location marked at the iPhone image detail. I shot many photos using my iPhone SE, like ever with a mobile, and it was quick and easy than a P&S.

The temple was at a village called Kurumbalur, and the temple named as Panchanadeeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the temple was built in 10^th century by King Veeratarajan. First time traveling on this road the weather was helping hand, aside the cool countryside and trees guarding roadsides. Again on NH, we encountered two big blades of windmill (pic below) transported in trucks.  Around Dharapuram and Udumalpet one could find number of windmills and this region is open to many windmill farms since it falls under the straight line of Palakkad gap, through which it receives Arabian Sea breeze.

Across Dharapuram, the state highway was really good and beautiful with all the curves and row of trees was inspiring to shoot. The drizzling weather was like ice on the cake and we couldn’t stop have tea from the roadside tea shop even before it turned 4pm. Being a Sunday Udumalpet was bare enough with almost shops closed, and the guest house on the Munnar road was easy to move out rather going into the town. They allotted two rooms for us, but the five of us decided to stay at the AC room, though we didn’t used the AC since the weather was cool enough. 

Collage on the scenic  state highway around  Dharapuram, towards Udumalpet

Cart procession from our street temples of Ganesh

On the evening of Ganesh Chaturthi, there was couple of cart procession from our street temples.  There are two Ganesh Temples in our area and one was at the end of our street and other in the back street. Each year on the evening/night of Ganesh Chaturthi the temples out here come up with their own cart procession of decorated idols of Ganesha and prior to the festival an amount is collected from the residents by the organisers of the temples and the money is spent on the occasions for special rituals and cart procession.

Cart from back street temple (click all pics for enlarge)

Since shifted to our native area 2 years back, we got to see both the processions again and the temple at the back street was familiar to us then and the temple was built upon the stone sculpture of Ganesha that was brought by my grandfather. The first cart came from the back street temple but due to loud band played in front of the cart I didn’t come out to check it and I really hate such loud bands and what they played was worst because it was a funeral beat. Playing such band for an auspicious event like Ganesh Chaturthi is quite senseless.

Cart from our street end temple

The picture on the cart (first one) was shot by mom on the back street temple and she went out for few minutes of worship and she too hated the loud band. Usually Nadaswaram Melam or Thavil (the traditional instrumental of Tamil Nadu, played for special and auspicious occasions) takes place in front of the cart procession but what they did squirm the faces of residents and many didn’t come out to receive the Lord. But the cart from our street end temple was right opposite and made a peaceful entry into the streets playing my favourite Nadaswaram Melam.

The cart procession by this temple went at leisure pace and I took many photos when it come closer and stop in front of our house. They did nice floral decoration for Ganesh and other two idols and the installed focus light helps capture decent photos. I also got interested shooting the players of Nadaswaram Melam sending beautiful notes to ears and the street was lit by tube lights on one side along with color flag poles. 

Nadaswaram Melam or Thavil playing in front of the cart procession

Delete a Photo

One of the difficult things for me was to delete a photo. Taking photos isn’t pretty easy for me but the passion keeps me engaged and clicking while traveling in car is really difficult though I try my best taking clear photos, many go out of focus or shaken when in move. I know this is a normal thing to happen with normal people, but what matter was deleting those taken with great effort. I used to take many photos during my travel and back at home I had to filter/delete many photos that weren’t good to maintain space in laptop.

During the travel we capture many interesting places, moments and sight, but not everything comes under well focused and deleting it for some interruption is really difficult.  By this way I hold lot of photos and some were quite blur that no one could identify except myself who experienced the shoot and the picture continue to be a reminder of the moment or significant of the place or subject. We take random shots on things to be deleted, later keeping the good ones but the thing was coming to the term of deleting we continue to like the image for some reason.

Few such photos are here where I have no mind to delete. First one was cropped from a picture and i was impressed by the scene but it was gloomy and bit more grainy, so I applied oil paint. Second was doped in same, where the focus went wrong, instead on capturing the pretty colourful temple I only got blur as the focus went on steering. Not to forget it was drizzling outside. 

I ever over edit my photos or want to showcase what is not there and I believe editing of any photo works only if there’s something in the picture. I’m using Photoshop from very long time and my editing of photos always remain mild with brightness contrast, exposure, sharpening and reduce noise but these help hand only to a level. I just want to show how it really looked rather adding extra effects. Now I started to experiment with photos that went wrong and its really interesting to play with various filters which I don’t use mostly. 

Sunday Photos: Shimmering

My parent follows the custom of visiting a nearby temple before starting a long journey. Here, every street end or corner has a temple for Lord Ganesh the most and they chose to break coconut and pray at the shrine before we move. At our street there’s a small temple called Sri Valampuri Cithi Vinayagar temple and it has been their starting point for last few years following our shifting to the native area.

It was about 6.30 am when we started our trip to Nilgiris at the beginning of this month and as usual the car stopped in front of the temple and my dad and uncle get down to offer their prayer and right behind us the sun was raising up and the light just falls on the temple and across the sanctum, which inspired me to take the cam and shot at the glowing sight. I zoomed on the sanctum and quite impressed with the sunlight expose over the black sculpture of Lord Ganesh with the gold coated arch behind the idol makes it shimmering.

I have captured this temple few times before with the mobile during the evening walk, but this was a great chance to shoot with the morning sunlight. I am not a morning person and I wake up usually only by 8 am and only during the travel I wake up early or sleepless thinking about the travel, facing the morning sunlight is a delight I cherish until I get to face the same.