Tirumala Tirupati Trip

Last week went to Tirumala Tirupati on a two day trip along with grandparents, parents and cousin, the same as the team on journey to Palani in previous post. We begin leisurely after sunrise than the usual early morning drive; it was though Tiruvallur, Thiruthani and Tirupati which was a two way national highways with some better views of hills, passing lengthy goods train which could be nearly 2km long in two pulling engines and the road lead has many curves and bends.

As nearing Nagari we get to see a peak from distance which I later come to know as Nagari Nose – as it resembles the shape of nose, the peak is a cliff off Chittoor district of Andhra is used as a light house in olden days as a signal to Bay of Bengal. The day was very hot indeed and getting near and climbing the hill was much heater. After getting checked in the tollgate at foothill Tirupati, we are diverted to take the downhill road which took some more time and difficult in reaching the Tirumala by noon.

The downhill road has more the 40 hairpin bends and taking the same road to climb up and down got vehicles disturbed wherever to stop and leave way for either vehicles. It took 14 years for me, mom and grandpa to visit the Tirupati-Tirumala – which remark the epic story of Rama return from forest after 14 years, the last time we visited was along with our late uncle and it was grandpa’s wish to visit tirumala at least for once. As a travels driver then, my grandpa had visited Tirumala-Tirupati immense times and often regularly, he’s familiar about this place and even due to old age he could recall certain about his travels.

After enquiring at the administrative office knowing that taking a room under the temple authority would need an hour to stand in queue, we hire a broker who led us to a private cottage with needed facilities, we settled for Hotel Woodside, run by Karnataka govt. We are well content by the comfort room in ground floor and attached restaurant helped us in reduce weariness, and after our lunch we decided to go for Papavinasam knowing that the next darshan (vision) time was by 6pm.

Papavinasam is about 10km from temple town towards north, which lead through thick bushes is a must passage for enjoying pleasant nature and clean air. On the way we stopped at Gogarbham Dam for a best nature viewing lake and forest behind and the windmills on the other side of the hill is visible clearly and nearly from here. Adjacent to the dam has a small garden and not to mention about, it has a statue of Krishna on the five header snake and it’s a place to relax sometime watching the windmills rotate.

The Papavinasam is a dam come artificial waterfall constructed beside a wall to provide holy water to devotees always after dismissing the diminish nature holy waterfall here. Beside the steps, a ramp lead to the water fall helped me to go on wheels to the gate of the dam and lookdown the water fall where grand-parents took the water and sprinkled on the head. On the way it was interesting to see two very little monkeys which behaviors are similar to kids and a real kid visiting the falls was so excited seeing the monkeys but sadly it was chained to a man’s hand who beg for money showing the monkeys.

The way back we passed the Aakasa Ganga waterfall and a temple, leads stairways to destination want us to avoid both the place and back to room. The sun was shining brightly way back peeking through the trees and it was by 6pm parents left us (me, grandpa and cousins) at room and went for checking with special queue to be back in couple of hours after darshan, but the chance has been dismissed for them as the special counters where closed to open only next day, parents back to room to later go for free darshan at night.

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Travel to Palani II

After sometime in room, we leave to Palani Murugan Temple by early evening guided by a guy name Raja, who works in the temple arranged by our caretaker in Palani, who booked our rooms. Actually I wasn’t interested to visit the Temple and it was dad’s wish to visit Palani for long time and want to take me to Hill temple which I once climbed on my bare foot. The parents who listen to Raja believed to take me to Hill temple in winch along wheels and I just nod to go with their decision as no option and also got ticket and wait to board the winch.

After sometime the winch climbed down and at first sight itself I felt it’s impossible to board the winch, which stands in a slanting platform and position and has small doorway to enter. Somehow my grandfather managed to climb inside and I quite denied taking the risk and refusing parents request, l stayed back leaving them to go ahead and confine in care of cousin Logesh and friend in driver Jagan as company.

The winch roped away in despite anxious parents whose thought where on me and gladly with the assist of cousin and Jagan I shifted to Scorpio (SUV car) from wheelchair and was ready for our trail which was our actually plan to check the places around Palani in meantime parents temple visit. With no idea where to go and mom taking away the camera to hill temple, we come around the hill and checked with a person who directed us to a dam in 12kms at the foothills of Kodaikanal on the Western Ghats.

I was interested to take this route to Kodaikanal which I haven’t done so far and it was very cool as we nearing the foothills and it was a small dam built partially on the nature made rocks called Varadhamanadhi Dam. The dam is told to flow anytime and since the gate was closed we couldn’t drive inside the dam, but the dam was almost visible from the gate and could hear the stream flowing aside.

We stayed sometime there and the weather was very pleasant and cold since evening, we decided to drive some more on this stretch till foothill and was excited when come across the warning boards of elephant crossing in this area. The road to foothill was so chill and dense by coconut and mango groves on either side is fenced by electric wires to protect from wild animals and the more eager Jagan stopped a man and asked where we could see elephants. The man’s answer was funny and in fade told ‘that he didn’t see elephants for last 10 days and they were shifted to another area’ and he’s very sad about it to say unsteadily.

It was awesome feel to see the cloud capped hills so close and the coldness in air cause refreshing and kept me inhaling the fresh air deep into the lungs and experiencing the cold wind and moisture while return back. On way back dad called to arrive soon as their vision has been completed and waiting for us, the darkness has already surrounded and when I told mom about the dam and weather, she was surprise to say that they were seeing that dam from hilltop and captured the views which are sure to have us somewhere there hidden!

My parents had already planned for an Amman temple in Palani and it was festival time in that temple and was tented around and the time we checked, the idol was brought in an elephant as a procession. The elephant belong to the Palani Murugan Temple was tied by Nettipattam – a elephant ornament tied to its forehead – cause a glorious look and been moving along couldn’t get a good frame out of shaking pictures.

Unwilling to go to room, we went around the Palani hill again for parents who haven’t gone and went to the newly build children’s park on the outside of the town and behind the hillock. As it was closing time we parked the car outside the park and had our tea beside the cool breeze blowing off while the rope cars exchange view and the twinkling lights on the hillock was a wonderful sight! Again after our dinner in Nalapakam, we head to room and tried slumber in a strange comfort.

Pity life of a little squirrel

As usual it was another wonderful evening wake from the courtyard of our apartment complex, where I wander usually in wheels as a favorite pastime listening to various sort of birds chirping form the lust green wasteland opposite to my house including the frequent and rapid cheep by squirrels from the trees and sight of birds.

The list of birds could be least to count but the songs they chirrup are enthusiastic and resonates eternal joy listening to more than one bird and sometime I try to mimicry there chirp as a replay call at themselves and wonder where will I go to listen to them if constructions come into this site and where the birds will disappear. There not alone humans but nature also inbuilt its curse to tackle each other animals to live nod me to realize hardly again by a curse incident that affect me very close to heart and sight.

I couldn’t take it easily because of the fateful happen in front of me and the cheeping aloud squirrel that continue to resonant in mind and remind me the incident every time I get to hear the creep sound around. It was really a sweet moment when I see these two little squirrels near our compound wall, leaping here and there to climb the wall, in which one seems elder to another. The young one was trying hard to climb the wall by various attempts in the present of another, which had already climbed on and thus I wanted to capture the scene and so asked dad to bring the cam.

The little squirrel fascinated me a lot through its cute and small unlike ever seen appearance. It was the moment I come around a car that parked in the apartment to capture the squirrel closely and I took couple of shots of the squirrel which was trying hard to climb quickly with just seconds to go for another shot, a black cat pounced from behind the car caught the little squirrel and run away… I was shocked by this sudden attack and couldn’t express anything at moment inadequate to response in grief.

I was touched by this not less similar incident of Big Cats attack animals in one pounce catching the throat and it was such the black cat’s hiss on the little squirrel. After sometime dad came to ask did u captured the squirrel, I replayed it’s gone, where he asked again and I said it’s gone. The cat took it away. Oh! What touched a lot was the other squirrel which was cheeping rapidly moving its tail up and down from the tree in the distress of missing its well bond little partner. I wonder now whether the little one might know a cat could take it into prey that’s y it was trying hard to climb the wall!

I FEEL VERY SORRY FOR THE PITY LIFE OF THIS LITTLE SQUIRREL, WHICH MADE MY DAY THROUGH ITS SIGHT AND CUTE GESTURES.

Travel to Palani

It was partially wonderful traveling from Thanjavur to Palani after our breakfast in Hotel Saravana Bhavan – popular for delicious taste across the state; we directed by our friendly caretaker in Thanjavur to reach Trichy. My only intention was to visit Thanjavur Big Temple on its 1000th year, so I missed many wonderful places within Thanjavur, including the Palace and Raja Raja Cholan memorial hall which we passed with an unease mind of just lookout structure.

On the way in the NH towards Trichy we find an interesting building in the name of Tamil University. Living in Tamil Nadu and speaking the language, I never know there is a university in name of Tamil dedicated to the classical language and to do advanced studies and research on its linguistics, literature, translation and art including conducting various programs regard to language, literature and sculpture. We stopped sometime to glance the building in a modern temple like structure with two tiger pounce statues on either side of compound.

The roads were partially good even under constructions and after crossing Trichy it was pleasant and calm but certain diversion between lanes disturb and a small mistake divert us on Madurai road instead of Dindigul to later take a U turn in a km. It was really an uncertain signboard with least different in showing the direction could confuse any unfamiliar in this route.

I liked the floating clouds in this route and its dark shadows falling on the hills are a very nice and the big Murugan statue that stands on this way is one of an attraction which I missed couple of times to capture before. This stretch of road just feels like so dry with lack of green fields and farms but the hills provide a good set of views. The huge pipes transported in two trucks cause a wonder and got to think what purpose these pipes except the thought of windmill poles.

The many hills come across want me to guess about certain hills that ponder in mind but they all take diversion from my way and at last took right to Palani from Dindigul - the fort seen far away. It was truly pleasure drive thought this stretch with the enormous sight of my favorite Western Ghats following aside and the foothills are surrounded by green fields and the breathtaking views and breeze carries me away…

I really enjoyed my stay in Palani and going around the places was an enchanting trail in the witness of Western Ghats that almost visible from everywhere and sometimes mist capped. We reached Palani in afternoon and stayed in the New Tirupur Lodge booked by my dad’s friend’s relatives there and had our lunch in Hotel Nalapakam, which is in the ground floor of the same building.

I must really need to say about the Hotel Nalapakam which treated us in a very kind manner that I never felt like ever. The servers there are very friendly and esp. towards me, their way of showing concern and care at my content feed is enhance and moved me enormous to feel like at home. They have separate places for breakfast and lunch, and being difficult for me to enter the lunch hall; they allowed having my lunch in breakfast hall, and one of the servers was pointed to take care of my need and an old man in grandpa age brought tub for me to wash hand.

I wonder how many restaurants treat people like this in a very kind and home alike attitude and care. I feel gratitude towards their attitude to make certain that we feed content and more or less the price comes only next and they don’t stretch bills and what we pay in fair to cashier is taken into account. This showcase their trust in there customers but as fair as we are such attitudes will continue and I sure there must be someone noticing us silently.

We took leisure sometime after our lunch in the room before proceed to Hill Temple. We stayed in the first floor of the lodge which has a lift facility to make certain comfort and pleasure comes for the balcony of the lodge which cause cool breeze and views of the Western Ghats and the lake opposite. Presented in the main road lead to the foothill of Palani, the street provides a good time pass in the presence of shops, horse carts and people and being unseasonal the place lacks crowd.

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Let people approach themselves

Now it is election season in five states across country and among them Tamil Nadu has been our ground base with political parties at rush to settle for alliance and selecting their candidates to run for the legislative assemble election hold for April 13th. The ruling party had well concluded there alliance and the oppositions at their end of conclusion, the furor about election have been at higher level across state with strict rules followed by Election Commission.

It’s time to decide on whom to rule the next half decade and what I think to be taken into mind is who deserves better than bad and worse. There is no perfect politician when even a man could not be and whether more or less corruption is wrong, and we can’t balance it either to go with but less corrupted is better to decide. What u says?
People poll vote expecting that the government would do something on their behalf and so far every government had done their best to deserve people attention and whatever the intention could be, selfless person is indeed hard to find and what need to see is who creates better opportunities than making already exist worst by affect others.

What really bothers me about the election was the free of cost schemes proclaimed by the ruling government that instinct to continue as a vote banking idea would make people easier deaf dumb and prevent from thinking. In my view I see the free of cost schemes could turn people lazier more easily and fail to realize the worth of getting it on their own.

I am not such cruel against people enjoying the free of cost things that at least of what we experience and enjoy greater, but what I think was by creating certain ways or strategic could lead them to buy things on their own, interest and hard work which could make them realize the worth of buying. I am not in intend to blame the government or people, and who won’t buy when something is given free of cost, but what significant is how well it meet there real basic needs.

What I just like to say simply is, show the way to destination let people approach themselves and they will know how worth they are and understand the importance. There are many wonderful schemes announced and how well they take center stage is beyond doubt and elder people should come out by not just justifying the party and persons alone but how well they cope upon with a vision.