Serendipitous Journeys- Trip Report

' You promised to be in Tanjore on Pongal'
' I remember da, what do I say now? Its far from Delhi, isn't it?'
'Yeah, alright.'
'Ok, wait a minute'
I quickly searched for the train to Chennai, and after 7 hours, was Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti, this could be my key to Tamil Nadu.

'Listen, I am coming'
'Are you serious?'
'Yes, I will come by general, don't worry. Make good plans. Ok?'
'You are unpredictable da, but I am happy.'


After this chat, I myself was surprised. But then, many crazy things have been done before to make me eligible for this craziness. I slept that night at 1, no packing was needed as I had no washed clothes. A college bag was all I needed, with some clothes, a laptop, charger, and a bedsheet. Yes, it is winters, but, let it be.
I got up early, at 5, slept again, got up again, and reached Nizamuddin, took a general ticket for Trichy. or Thiruchirapalli. I did get a seat in the General bogie. Had it not been Pongal, I could have slept- people said. This train stopped at Jhansi, Bhopal, Nagpur, Vijaywada and Chennai. And I can confirm this, while writing this sitting at Chennai Egmore station. Met wonderful co-passengers, and though this train journey ends in 6 hours, a new journey starts. I don't know where I will go. There are plans for Pondicherry, Chennai, Trichy, Tanjore and even SriLanka. I need inputs from Indiamikers also. For the momemt- All izz Well.
As the train departed from Chennai Egmore, the coach was full. Everyone was returning home for the Festival. The last part of the journey becomes tiring, and one tends to check time every 10 minutes. I was exhausted by the long journey, but, was steadily heading towards Trichy. Finally, at 12 30 am, we crossed the Cauvery at Srirangam, and Entered the city of Thiruchirapally. I got down, and headed to the ticket counter, to get a ticket for the passenger train for Thanjavur, departing at 1:15. The ticket was just for Rs 8. I was very tired, and I knew it was foolish to go to sleep now, when I would be reaching my destination after an hour. It has happened twice before that I have slept and missed my station. But, I slept, and woke up after an hour. By now, I was out of my senses. I was not overtly tired, somehow, the cool climate was refreshing, but, lack of sleep was overpowering me, and I saw a station where many people were getting down. I don't even remember reading the name of that station, but since half of the train got empty, I followed, and was continuously looking for the station's name, which I failed to find. A call to my friend happened, and he said, ' I am behind you.' He was there to receive me. We went to his house, woke up his mother, I had some food, and slept.
So finally, I have reached Tanjavur- The place for where I had left, 2 days back, from Delhi.
Here are few glimpses of the journey:

This was my coach, but after Chennai, not before.

The ticket- The length of the country can be travelled in around Rs 300.

Crazy names.

Paddy ready for Harvest, Happy Pongal

Continued:
I write this sitting peacefully in my friend's house, wearing a veshti. Rather than having a house in every city, one should have friends in each town, so there would be a family everywhere, alongwith a home.

Day 1:

Getting up early is never a problem for a traveller, as the excitement of the new place overpowers the fatigue, mostly. We got up had a hearty breakfast, of idlis, wada and various chutneys. What followed was a visit to Mariamman Temple, where I was also told about the history of Tanjore. The last rulers here were Marathas, and I was curious to know about the Marathis here- How cultural isolation from Maharashtra has evolved them. There is a similar story about the Marathas who were left in Panipat after the battle of Panipat. They have completely assimilated into Haryanvi population. But down south, things are different, and the Marathas were the rulers here. Till now, I have not spoken to any such person. Lets see.
In the afternoon, We went for a movie- 'Nanban'- the remake of 'Three idiots'. There was no difficulty in understanding the movie, as it was a photocopy of the Hindi movie- 3 Idiots. I now understand why movies in south do good business.People here are Hero-Worshippers, Movie stars are akin to Lord. The show was almost houseful, and to my surprise, the ticket was for 200 rupees.
South India, is a lovely place for sure. And I am feeling at home, relishing the dishes I have not tasted before, relishing the hospitality, teasing my friend now and then, moving at a casual pace.
Though I do not understand the language , but emotions have a language of their own. The evening was at The big temple- Brihadiswara. We had little time for the temple, but we still has an overview, promising the lord to return later.



The Big Temple in Twilight


Day 2:
I have started getting lazier. Today, we had to leave for Trichy in the morning, but we left by noon. The Road is a highway, and we had a bike. The weather in January is pleasant. This road has many famous sites- The BHEL, Tamil University, NIT Trichy. While in Trichy, we went to Srirangam. The Ekadashi Festival had ended the day before, but the crowd was still pouring in. After passing through the serpentine queue, we reached the main shrine. My friend said, 'See the whole body of lard, from head to toe.' I said, 'Where is it, I can see nothing.'
Then he said, 'He is in Lying down posture,' and what I saw was divine.
The Swamy, Lord, was there, adorned in the Pearl coat, I was blessed.
From there, we went to Dhanvantri- The physician, and Lakshmi- The Lord's consort, who is too shy to cross the boundary of her temple. I was told, in her shrine, that there are three images- And I saw the three- one behind the other. The eyes of the third idol shone brightly, and that is how I saw her, and she blessed me. Going back we visited the 1000 pillared Mandapam, where the movable statue of Lord was being worshipped, and also saw the beautiful and gigantic garuda statue. All this while, I was also learning about Hinduism though I was born a Hindu. Down South, traditions are still relevent, existant, omnipresent. Srirangam is the most sacred Vaishnava shrine. Also said to be the largest hindu temple in India.
I do not find the lord in Temple, he is omnipresent, true, but then, A beautiful form of the Lord, as the one in Srirangam , humbles oneself.
Another person, who accompanied us, remarked, 'I come here less often, I am a Shaivite.' A question popped somewhere in my mind, 'Are They- Shiva, ,Vishnu- Different? I kept mum, realising at the very moment- They might not be different, but people certainly are different, and so arise different forms of HIM, one sees oneself in the Lord, the lord inside is pleased to meet the one outside, but again, in and out is another Bhram- illusion.
Returning back to Srirangam, after moving around the temple, we moved out. On our way back, I saw the Kaveri, and could not resist myself from approaching her. I was surprised, that the water was clean. The river is not deep, and till some distance, the river was shallow, just a feet deep, Still it was clean.
I am certain, that had the Ganga been in South India, It would have been clean- very clean. And the respect that The Ganga commands in this part of the nation is much more than where it exists. The water of This river is offered to the Lord, this makes it a sufficient reason to keep it clean. But the Ganga must feel really guilty of herself, that her water now is not fit even for bathing of mortals, how can the lord at Kashi be offered the same?
The famous Shiva and Ganesha Temples could not be visited, and we returned to Tanjore.

Day 3:
Today is the day of Pongal at my friend's place.The preparation for Pongal had started yesterday. At the auspicious time, Pongal was served to us, and I am wearing the veshti- The Tamil Dhoti. The day is yet to unfold, but we have a plan to visit some places in Tanjore.
Lets see.

We departed for the big temple, and the first funny thing was getting on the bike wearing th 'veshti', and as I folded it up, the sight must've been a treat for the onlooker. Anyways, I was dropped to the Big temple, and went inside. The air blew my veshti now and then, and in spite of acting casual, I was wondering what to do. Ultimately, I found a way to hold it in its place, but now, the lord had gone for his afternoon nap, and I was not allowed to disturb.
From here, we went to the palace. My friend was constantly reminding me, ' The palace is not very good, so don't expect much.' Maybe he was thinking that I would compare things with my home state-Rajasthan- the land of kings.
I found the palace nice. It was more like a big house. The durbar hall was the best part of this palace, and I clicked many photos, which came out peautifully, looking better than they actually appeared. The link is this:
http://www.indiamike.com/india-images/galleries/tanjore






Our visit to the palace was over within one hour, and now was the question of where to go?
Kumbakonnam was fixed to be the place, and we rode the bike towards Kumbakonam- The Temple town. Midway, we had to return, but then, we went to Thiruvaiyaru. The temple where one needs to cross five rivers to reach. This is the Cauvery delta region and hence there are many distributries of the ‘Ganges of the South’. Saint Thyagaraja composed his hymns here, and the place recuperating from the annual ‘Thyagaraja Archana’ finished the day before. The temple was also beautiful, and it was undergoing renovation. Before going in, I was taken to be purified by Cauvery, and the view of this river was beautiful.
On our way back, raunchiness took over me. The veshti fluttered high by the wind, and I was cool about it. My friend tried to cover up, but inhibitions are less in a foreign land, I guess. The sight of the river made me stop, and though there was nothing to change, I went to take a bath. The water here was just a feet deep, maybe two. But then, formally, I had now bathed in another river, adding up to the list, and fortunately, here, the water is better. Further down the road, a pretty sunset awaited us, and we returned home.
The next day was to be my last day in Tanjore; we took a bus for Kumbakonnam after breakfast, and got down at Darasuram- Among the Great Living Chola Temples- World heritage site. This temple has intricate carving and is in the form of a ratha or chariot. Initially, I had expected little, but was pleasantly surprised by the sculpture, and intricate details carved on the pillars. The images would speak better-





The Bull and the Elephant
Since the lord had to take his afternoon nap, we were rushed out of the main shrine, but the beauty of the temple was now for us to be seen, alone.
After taking many beautiful images, we returned home. My friend wanted to show me some village, and canals, and we ended up near a canal, I took a dirt track along the canal, which led us to a beautiful place, amidst paddy fields,

a small anicut,

and plenty of trees.
The ripe paddy in the fieds is another beautiful sight.

After stopping there till the sunset,
we departed to Tanjore, via a way which was along the main canal. Then, I was taken to the South Zone Cultural Centre, and since it was closed, we went to the medical college, had an ice-cream and returned.
Next day:
This was the day of my departure, and henceforth, my solo travel would begin. My friend’s mother insisted that I take a train to Chennai and then return safely, and I had to lie that I would be doing the same, meanwhile departing to Nagapatinam- the coastal town.

hey....has someone ever told you.....you write real good..the flow of words and accompanying emotions is just perfect.very smooth indeed..carry on...am sure you have pics too

2500 km in general compartment. Something I would really like to do one day for sure. The longest I have done was only about 750 kms.

The love that I got in Tanjore is beyond words, and my friend was genuinely concerned about my safety, but, I had to leave, and start my solo journey. Introspecting now, I look back at it with happiness, and satisfaction, but the main fact is that God was kind, always, every moment.

My departure from Tanjore was against the wishes of my friend and his mother, as they thought it was better if I leave for Chennai, rather than going to a fishing village alone. But, I had made up my mind; and after convincing my friend, and saying goodbye, with loads of love and food, I departed for Nagapatinam by train. THe train passed through the detla of Cauvery, and I was told later that this period (January) is the greenest month here, when rains have just stopped. THe coast is showered by retreating monsoons, in winters. As the coast approached, rather as we approached the coast, paddy fields gave way to marshes, and the smell and sight of the sea announced its arrival. After getting down at Nagapatinam, boarding a bus for Velankanni was no problem, and without stopping much at this fishing town, I headed south to 'Our Lady of Good Health- The Basilca of Mary' at Velankanni. Reaching their, I was greeted by the sound of joyous songs and the town itself was bustling with activity. The basilica was made by the Portuguese (the old one) but since the Tsunami had destroyed its existence, a new church has been built there.




Some time was spent at the beach, which is beautiful. A trial of confession was made at the church, and after spending 2 hours in this town, I took a shared auto to Nagapattinam.
On our way, a mobike had met with an accident, and the auto driver appeared to be the relative of the one who was injured. We went to a dispensary, and I went inside.
'Naan Doctor' - I told in broken Tamil that I was a doctor.
There was nothing much to worry, and after reassuring and prescribing an injection and medicines, I returned to the auto. By now, the auto driver was elated. He was not expecting a doctor to be available when needed, that too in his auto. I was also happy, and I was dropped to the connecting auto for my next destination- The Nagore Dargah.

Nagore had a heavy police presence, which appeared unusual to me. It was the shrine of a sufi saint who lived, loved and propagated Islam in the coastal Tamil Nadu. Inside the shrine, I was asked for donations, but 'I am a student' - this line helps in such situations. I tried to talk to the resting soul, and returned with a prayer. Now, I was told that a political leader was killed the day before, and hence, there would be no buses plying that day; also, the police was there to avoid any escalation of tension. After a long wait, a bus came which took another route, but i still boarded it. After changing two buses, which by God's grace were available in time, I reached the town of Chidambaram. On the way, I had a chat with a few good people. Once in town, I had to look for a place to stay , and I checked in Apollo lodge near the temple, for Rs 250 for a single room. The room was decent, and I was in no mood to go out- for dinner as well as temple visit.
The next morning, I again woke up late, and visited the lord.
He is here as the Nataraja- anand tandavam posture, but I could see little detail in the idol. Also, in the same campus are temples dedicated to other Gods including Vishnu and Lakshmi.

Outside, I took some pictures:

Now, after coming out of the temple, i was in a dilemma regarding where to go. Aso, I had started getting tired, but then, decided to visit Pichavaram- The healthy mangroves.

After thinking a lot, on whether I should visit Pichavaram or leave for Pondicherry, I took a bus for Pichavaram, which passed through the villages of Tamil Nadu. Reaching there, I realised that there was nothing much to do for me. Deliberately, I had not withdrawn money at Chidambaram, taking only Rs 200 with me. Here, the boating charges for a single boat were minimum Rs 200. So, I took a Rs 5 ticket for the watch tower at the bus stand, and contented myself with the view from there. While coming down, a saw a group of 8, and went to them, to share the boating charges. So, now, we were departing for the mangrove forest, and this site was to be among the best in my whole trip.
Our boat had 4 people, and a boatman. These were friendly guys, working in Chennai. The whole area is a wetland, 2-3 feet deep, with patches of mangrove forests, which become dense as we approach them. The mangroves are said to be the healthiest in India, and support an ecosystem of shrimps, crabs and avi-fauna.
This was a memorable experiences and I returned with many beautiful clicks.

Now, coming back from Pichavaram was an issue, and I was planning to visit Pondicherry the same day. After saying goodbye to my buddies, because of whom I could enjoy the boat ride, I moved to the bus stand, and saw an MH 12 number car departing.

Tumhi Pune che aahat? (you are from Pune?)
'Ho' -Yes
'mi pan tithlach aahe, Sassoon la hoto. Aat yeu?' I am also from there, was at Sassoon Hospital. Can I get in?
'Ho, ya na.' Yes, please.

So, now I met Atul, a mirror image of me in travelling, and I realised it instantly. He was also exploring the place, alone; and he was pursuing this along with balancing his profession. We chatted on our way, and he dropped me to Cuddalore.
This area was recently hit by cyclone Thane, and the effect was still seen. After a sumptuous meal, I departed for Pondicherry. I was getting tired by now, and was not certain where to go in Pondicherry. One option was JIPMER, other was Auroville, or some beach. After reaching there, I somehow found myself at the beach near Auroville, and started chatting with a guy from Holland. What followed was a walk along the beach, and unfortunately, one does not see the sun setting in the Bay, but it was a pleasant walk. We went with a local kid to his home, talked to people in broken Tamil, tried to figure out the French connections they have, and returned. Not knowing what to do now, I came back to the bus stand. The plan now was to visit Mahabalipuram, rather than departing for Chennai, where my friends were waiting. I wanted to see the sun-rise and so, took a bus for Mamallapuram. It was already 10 30 when I reached there, but this town had transformed totally from what I had seen way back in 2000 AD. It had posh hotels, and I had difficulty finding a lodge in reasonable rate. Finally, I stayed at Apollo Lodge, in front of Radisson, for Rs 250 for the night. The owner was a gentleman, and the room was basic. And yes, I could find food at 11 PM
Barefooted in Mahabalipuram
I had lost my footwear, and the shoes were not appealing me to take me to the beach, so, I walked barefooted, in a veshti, early morning along the streets of Mamallapuram. I had heard that this town was known for all bad reasons recently, peadophilia being one. I saw some boards of children's home. At the beach, the sun was still waiting to come over the horizon. I saw some foreigners strolling, and doing 'yoga'.
A pretty lady volunteered to capture my images, and suddenly, the sun showed itself.
Unlike the setting sun., which tiredly moves doen the horizon, this rising sun was quick to rise up, and had a last sip of water before finally starting its journey across the sky of Mamallapuram. It was indeed beautiful. The lady with me showed me a nice way of eye massage, for sunrise. The temple was calling, and I moved through a throny patch to reach there, to see the remains of one of the most ancient Shiva temples in India, and one of its kind on the shore, aptly named- Shore Temple. This structure had withstood the attack of sea, its waves, its salinity, and the cyclones, which pay a visit every now and then, and was a witness to all of them.

Enjoying this journey. Lovely pics too, Darasuram is one of my favourite places on earth.

Im glad you put this in a thread as no one really looks at Journals.

@drk,

Wonderful ....amazing...mesmerizing... Sorry not much stock of adjectives mate. But love the way you started your journey , and the latest sets of photographs are too good to compare with any adjectives. Very well written. Will be waiting for your next installment.

Back to my room, I was now gearing up to leave for Chennai, the metro of the South. I was also expecting amazing views of the East Coast Road, but things turned out differently. The bus to Chennai was full, with hardly any place to stand. Also, there was not much to see on the ECR. Getting into Chennai, traffic welcomed me. Yes. the city was relatively cleaner, but all this while, I was in the towns of Tamil Nadu, which had a different feel. The laid back approach gave way to an organised chaos, rush and apparent 'purposefulness'. After a while, I reached Adyar, after missing it and returning after 10 kilometers. I was still laid back, maybe more time was needed for Chennai to have its effect on me, but I was leaving the same evening. My friend met me at Adyar, and took me to Nalli, as I was asked to get a silk saree. The shop is amazing, and trusted. I got what I needed and departed to another friend of mine, who was waiting since morning. What followed was a heavy lunch at his place, and I took some time uploading photos, and booking my ticket from Raipur to Delhi. My ticket from Chennai to Vizag, which I booked from Tanjore, had got confirmed. The last stop in Tamil Nadu was marina beach, where a friend's birthday was celebrated. And now, after a beautiful stay in Tamil Nadu, I was leaving for Vizag, for which, I had no plans when I started this. But I am glad it happened.

I spent my time at Pondi on the beach near Auroville. The beach was badly effected by the recent cyclone.

From here, I went to Mahabalipuram:



The Sunrise.

The Shore Temple at Sunrise

I got into Chennai- Bhubaneshwar Express, and after an uneventful journey (My RAC got confirmed, I made another friend), I got up in the morning, having crossed the Krishna and the Godavari. Vizag was still away, and I slept again, to wake up at Vishakhapatnam Junction, and rushed to get down. My plan now was to spend the day at Vizag, and depart for Jagdalpur, Bastar the next morning by train, passing through the Araku valley. This I am making a separate entry as Bastar truly deserves one. But to summerise, I am now in Raipur, writing this after spending 3 days in Bastar; now waiting to depart from where I set out 14 days back. Delhi, I am arriving.

Kudos to you doc - very well written and very adventurous.

Amit.

the link to my Bastar trip is here:
All about BASTAR