February 5th 2005
Our trip to India is scheduled for tomorrow. We completed our packing in the afternoon and evening. We went to the money changer to get Indian currency (Rupees). The exchange rate was RM 9 for Rs. 100. Following a few last minute arrangements we retired to bed early to prepare for the long early journey the next day. I was excited to see the changes in the country which I returned from just 3 years ago, having completed my 2 years of preclinical studies in Medicine at the International Centre for Health Sciences and 6 months of clinical studies at Kasturba Medical College and Hospital in Manipal, Karnataka. I was to return to India, now having completed my MBBS studies. February 6th 2005 It was 3.30 a.m. when my mother awakened me. My alarm clock was wailing as I came out of my drowsiness. Following a shower and light breakfast, our cab arrived to take us to the airport. My parents and I were travelling this time as my siblings were tied up with work. We stopped in the Rawang rest stop to collect our passports from our Tour Agent, Major Kathi and then proceeded to KLIA ( Kuala Lumpur International Airport). We arrived in KLIA at the stroke of 7.00 and proceeded with the necessary formalities. The technology used in the immigration formalities and the layout and design of this 6 year old airport is still fairly advanced in the international arena. Our flight departed as scheduled at 9.30 a.m. We arrived in Chennai at about 10.15 a.m. ( Indian time ). Mr. Murugan, our driver and tour guide met us at the airport. We were to travel in an Ambassador cab. We stopped for coffee and to get a reload card for my handphone. We then proceeded to Kalasthi in Andhra Pradesh. We were delighted by the sight of the carpets of sunflower fields and rice fields along the way there. We arrived in Kalasthi at about 5.00 p.m. We were greeted by a temple guide who arranged for me to perform a Raghu Kethu Pooja for Rs. 1000. It was quite interesting. On two pieces of cloth, 1 red and 1 black, two different lentils were placed. On top of these lentils, 2 silver wire snakes were placed. The pooja involved placing flowers, vilba leaves, kumkumam and sandhanam over the silver snakes to manthra recited by the priest. We then visited all the different sannidhis in the temple. After that the aiyar (priest) placed a ponnadei (shawl) on my shoulders again while reciting some manthra (holy versus) and then gave us some temple prasadham (ladhu and vadai ). The temple itself was about 200 to 300 years in age. Our next destination was Thripathi which was about 40 km away. We checked into the Fortune Kences Hotel and then left immediately to obtain entrance receipts for the Thripathi temple which cost Rs. 200 per person. Our visit there was scheduled for 4.30 a.m. We then had a lavish vegetarian buffet dinner at the hotel, had our showers and then retired to bed at 11.00 p.m. after making a few calls. February 7th 2005 Once again we were up by 3.30 a.m. We quickly got ready for the ride up the 7 hills to Thripathi temple which took approximately half an hour. We passed through the Thirumala Mukhadwaram ( The entrance arch) and were pleased with the tranquility and serenity of the place. The temple complex was large with plenty of apartments and guesthouses for devotees. After passing through the Vaikuntha gate and walking through a few passageways, our belongings were scanned for security reasons. We had to stand in long queues and walk up and down stairs and long covered passageway illuminated by lights and cooled by fans. About 2 hours later, we arrived at the Thirumala Thiru Sannidhi where we were mesmerized by the shiny gold plated Anandha Nilayam - Gobhuram (Dome). We were then quickly ushered into the Sannidhi through a dimly lit passageway to see the Vengathachalapathy Sreenivasa, (a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu). As the tale goes, Lord Vishnu fell in love with Padmavathy the daughter of Raja Chola but refused to break his vow of monogamy as he was already married to Goddess Lakshmi and therefore was reincarnated as Vengathachalapathy Sreenivasa to marry Padmavathy. He had to obtain a huge loan from Lord Kuberan for his marriage and finally Goddess Lakshmi helped him pay his debts. One interesting observation I made was regarding the Holy Trinity of Hinduism ( Brahma – The Creator, Vishnu – the Preserver and Shiva - the Destroyer ). Only Vishnu and Shiva temples were vastly present in India and other parts of the world and most Hindu devotees were either Vishnu devotees ( Vaishnavites ) or Shiva devotees ( Saivites ). Very few temples were devoted to the worship of Lord Brahma, however, the Brahmin Aiyars ( priests ) were called Brahmanars. We saw the temple pond ( Sree Swami Pushkarani ) just outside the temple. Our drive down the 7 hills of Tripathi was a feast for the eyes. The view was magnificent. We saw the Deer Park, the Jai Hanuman statue, the Parvetta Mandapam where the Lord was said to rest during his hunting escapades, the Stone Chariot of Chandraghiri with wheels that have come to be embedded within the ground and the Geethopadesam ( A stone model of Krishna’s chariot from Mahabaratham). We returned to the hotel, had a good breakfast and then checked out to proceed with our journey. We visited the Thiruchanoor Sri Padmavathy Temple in Thripathi itself and then the Thiruthani temple in Tamil Nadu before proceeding to Kancheepuram. Our next stop was at Sreenivas Silks in Kancheepuram where the obliging manager explained to us how silk sarees were woven. This is how it is done :- 1) A design is created by a saree designer (artist) 2) It is transferred into a larger squared sheet of paper where holes were punched according to the design 3) The punched out design is then transferred into sets of cards along the entire length of the saree 4) The set of cards for a given saree is then hung up on the handloomb where weighted needles are hung by thread through the punched holes. 5) The above mentioned weighted needles will cut through the thread of the desired colour of the saree lining the lower deck of the handloomb and will elevate the amount of thread required to create a particular design ( gold or colour) 6) The weaver moves the wooden levers on the handloomb to elevate the desired portion of the thread according to the design template hung above, golden thread is manually passed through the elevated coloured thread and a wooden plank pushes the thread on the lower deck to weave the saree. His employees are given the handloombs in advance and the design and thread is supplied. The duration to complete a saree is 10 to 15 days depending on the complexity of design, the number of working members in the family working on a particular saree as well as the number of hours a weaver spends working. A weaver receives a wage of approximately 1/3rd the selling price of the saree and a fixed sum is deducted from his wage monthly for the cost of the handloomb. When the full price of the handloomb has been paid, the weaver is no longer bound to his employer and his free to work independently or for some one else. The gold thread contains a coating of gold which makes up 1/3rd of the composition of the thread which can be melted and sold later. The remaining composition of the gold thread is made up of 1/3rd silk and 1/3rd pancha loga ( 5 metals ). We then purchased a number of sarees at their showroom. We then visited the Kanchi Kamatchi Amman temple which was again a magnificent example of Hindu architecture. Here, my mother presented the deity with a maroon saree. We then checked into Hotel Surguru in Pondicherry and after dinner and a shower gladly slumped into slumber. February 8th 2005 The next morning, we had a quick breakfast at the hotel before proceeding to Pondicherry Vinayagar temple and then to the Aurobindho Ashramam which was located in a French style building. A beautiful floral garden surrounded the pathway to the tomb of Swami Aurobindho. His tomb was decorated with multicoloured flowers arranged in a design. Our next stop was at the Pondicherry Beach, where we were privileged to witness the bath of the deities Murugan, Valli and Deivaney which is carried out annually. We also saw tall statutes of independence fighter Mahatma Gandhi and former Chief Minister Karunanidhi. A 2 hour long drive later, we arrived in Sirgaly where we visited the Vaithishwaran Temple and then my mother cosulted an astrologer proclaimed to be a master in the art of reading ancient inscriptions on palm leaves (olai). Just then, I discovered to my dismay that my cloth bag containing Rs. 5000 was missing. On our way to Kumbakonam, we made a series of detours to visit the Kethu, Sani, Puthan and Sevvai temples which are the rare few of such temples devoted to the worship of individual Navagrahas (Nine planets) which were said to exert an influence on our Hindu astrological stars(zodiac). In most other Hindu temples world over, however, all 9 Navagrahas were commonly found together arranged in a 3 by 3 square arrangement with each deity oriented in a specific direction. The nine planets referred to as the Navagrahas are composed of the following :- 1) Suriyan ( Sun) 2) Chandran ( Moon ) 3) Sevvai ( Mars) 4) Budha ( Mercury ) 5) Guru ( Earth ) 6) Sukkiran ( Jupiter ) 7) Sani ( Saturn) 8) Raghu ( Venus) 9) Kethu ( Uranus) These nine planets were identified by Hindu astronomers well before Ptolemy proposed his Universal theory in the 2nd century AD, long before Neptune and Pluto were discovered and well before Nicolous Copernicus proposed that the Sun was the centre of the universe and that the Earth was one of the planets rotating around the sun in the early 16th century. We finally arrived in Hotel Green Park in Kumbakonam at about 8.00 p.m. and decided to turn in early. February 9th 2005 Following a light breakfast, we proceeded to the Thirunageswaram temple. Another huge temple with multiple Sannidhis. In a separate temple building, I was tickled to find a deity named Kirigujalamba ( translated to English as the Crazy Goddess ) which was said to be bathed only twice a year. We then stopped at a large pond in the centre of town called Kumbam.Next we visited the Swami Malai temple. After that, we stopped at a metal and stone sculpture factory where we were briefed on the processes involved in production of metal sculptures :- 1) Clay moulding – A simple model of the sculpture is made from clay 2) Wax moulding – Wax is poured over the clay model to form a mould 3) Reshaping and carving – The wax mould is reshaped and carved appropriately 4) Metal sculpture – Solid statues are created by pouring molten metal into the mould and hollow statues by pouring molten metal over wax mould. 5) Polishing and Finishing – The sculpture is completed by polishing and engraving the finishing touches. The metals commonly used are one or a combination of the Pancha Loga (5 metals):- 1) Gold ( Thangam) 2) Silver (Velli) 3) Copper (Chembu) 4) Brass (Pittalai) 5) Tin (Eeyam) Stone sculptures(limestone and granite) on the other hand are usually solid and carved out of a single stone. We then went to the Tanjore Oriental towers Hotel, where we checked in and had lunch. Our next destination was the Tanjore Palace which was jointly built by the Nayaks ( 15th – 16th century AD) and the Marathas (16th – 18th century AD). The last powerful reigning king of Tanjore was King Serfoji II who reigned between 1798 and 1832. The chambers of the Palace now open to the public include :- 1) Thirpu Mandapam ( Judgement Hall ) – A magnificent stone and brick building with detailed sculptures and wall painting. The paint used was said to have been manufactured using only natural vegetables and herbal medicines. The pictures and sculptures were of various Hindu deities who were to be witnesses to the Kings Judgement. 2) Pooja Mahal – An open air hall where the royal family was entertained by classical and folk dancers, musicians and singers. 3) Saraswathy Mahal- A library containing a collection of books in a multitude of sizes, forms and laguages including palam leaves (olai) with Sanskrit inscriptions. Rajah Serfoji II was reputed to be well versed with 9 distinct languages including English, Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, German, French, Latin, Italian and Spanish and books on display were in all these languages dating back from the 19th century. A chart on display denoted the Royal Families of Tanjore as follows:- Cholas ( 10 AD – 15 AD ) Nayaks ( 16 AD – 18 AD ) Marathas ( 18 AD – 20 AD ) 4) The Tanjore Museum – A variety of stone and metal sculptures were on display from various provinces and periods of time dating back to the 10th century AD.Part of the museum extends up into the Arsenal Towers, 4 floors of which are open to the public. On the first floor lies the skeleton of a huge whale and the shell of a tortoise which was said to have been discovered in the Karaikal Beach in 1852 and presented to the King as a gift. The next place we visited was a factory where traditional Indian musical instruments ( Sitar, Veena, Trumpet – Nagasuram, Harmonium and Violin) were manufactured. This was a cottage industry in Tanjore. Closeby, in an open area, chopped pieces of wood in the rough shape of the sitar were seen. This pieces of wood would then be shaped, hollowed, polished and strings and metal frames attached to complete the instrument. Fancier sitars contain paintwork and wooden carving. The Siva Gangga Jambonga was a park we dropped into which was complete with a train ride, swimming pool and water slide, playground, Mini Zoo, a short Cable Car ride and a boating lake. A pleasant place for an evening walk. Our final destination for the evening was the Tanjore Periyakoyil. We were greeted and blessed at the door by an elephant which is a sacred Hindu animal because Lord Ganesha was brought back to life with an elephant head after he was beheaded by his annoyed father, Lord Shiva. As the story goes, Goddess Parvathi had created a son out of Santhanam while Lord Shiva was away and had asked him to guard their home while she had her bath and not to allow anyone in. On Lord Shiva’s return from his hunting trip, he was annoyed to be stopped from entering his own home and in a fit of rage had beheaded the son. This temple was constructed purely from stone during the period of the Raja-Raja Chola ( 10th – 11th century AD). The Ghopuram at the entrance measures an imposing 63 metres in height and at the entrance lies the second largest Nandhi ( sitting bull ) in India ( second only to the Nandhi in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh ). It is the vaghanam (symbolic animal) of Sivan and Parvathi. The Sivalingham within the moolasthanam weighed an enormous 81 tonnes. The compound was huge and the surrounding wall provided shelter for many more smaller Sivalingam statues. We then adjourned to the hotel for dinner and rest. February 10th 2005 After breakfast, we traveled south towards Ponnamaravathi to meet our Swamiji, Swami Sivananda who has many times in the past come to our house in Ipoh. He was happy to meet us and offered us some fruits drinks, advice and prayers. We then visited the Pillaiyar Patti Temple which was a futher 2 hours south. This was one of the landmark places of worship for Lord Ganesha other than the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple. In the main Sannidhi, seated was a huge, majestic, Sri Kartpakha Ganapathy with his trunk turned towards his right. We finally reached Madurai at the touch of 6.00 p.m. We checked into Best Western Germanus Hotel in Madurai, had tea and then left for Thirumalai Naicker Palace for a Light and Sound Show in Tamil about epics and legends of the Madurai Kings and their people. The Palace was breathtaking when illuminated by the different coloured lights. Back in the hotel, we had our showers and watched television for a short while before turning in. February 11th 2005 Once again our day started at 3.30 a.m. as we wanted to attend the morning prayers at Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. We we greeted by the sounds of the blown Valambhuri Changu (Conch shaped sea shell ) at 4.30 a.m. as we approached the temple grounds. It was an enormous temple surrounded by a brick wall painted in stripes of red and white. There were many little stalls at the entrances(4 in number ) and within the temple selling garlands and other pooja material. We were asked to sit at the entrance of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Sannidhi before prayer time.At 5.00 a.m. the entrance to the Sannidhi was open to a rushing crowd. The Pooja commenced with Goddess Meenakshi being awakened from her slumber in a chamber the Goddess shares with her husband Sundareshwarar ( Lord Shiva) located beside the main Sannidhi. My mother handed over a a green (killi pachai) and pink ( kumkumam) saree with a flower garland to the priest as a gift for the Goddess Meenakshi. The abishegam (bathing of the deity) Was performed behind a curtain and then we were taken around the temple where we were shown the Vibuthi Vinayagar, Lord Shiva’s shrine, the Golden lotus pond that never dries and and the golden Gopurams of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar respectively. We were then allowed into the front gate of the moolasthanam to witness the pooja. This 400 year old temple built during the time of King Pandiyarajah was said to have 4000 pillars, each carved out of single pieces of stone and an amazing 400 Vinayagar statues, the biggest of which is the Mukhuni Vinayagar. We returned to the hotel for breakfast and then left for Thiruchendoor Murugan Temple. The journey there took approximately 4 hours. We made a short stop at a Kali temple where 2 huge Kali Amman statues were enacted. One was standing with her tongue protruded out measuring approximately 18 feet and the second was lying on the belly of a snake with the head of the snake forming an umbrella over the Goddess’s head, also of approximately the same size. We then saw vast salt fields where salt was allowed to crystallize from sea water in areas of plain land where buns were built to trap sea water. Thiruchendoor, when we were there was a sunny seaside with the calming sound of waves rushing to shore. The corridor we walked through to go to the temple were full of devotees and vendors selling cut fruits, local chat salads and Pullukodayal also known as Avicha Panam Veeru ( Boiled root of the Palmeera tree ) which was ethnic in Sri Lanka. An Aiyar took us around the temple and performed special prayers at the Murugan Sannidhi. He gave us each a blessed garland, an uttarachar malai( garland made from holy uttarachar seeds )for my mother and a decorated vel andflag for me. Much to my mother’s amusement many devotees approached me to share the blessings of the blessed vel ( Murugan’s dagger) and flag. This temple was said to be one of the Aru Padai Veedu ( 6 Houses) of Lord Murugan. We then returned to Madurai where we had dinner at a Saravana Bhavan outlet before turning in at our hotel. Food For Thought It crossed my mind more than once during the last few days, that the direction temple worship was taking in the worlds largest and most ancient temples in India, as well as the evolution of Hinduism at large, was determined largely by poverty and the slow economic progress in certain parts of the huge nation, which left thousands dependent on temple worship and Hindu rites and rituals as a means of a livelihood. The practice of Hindu rites and rituals, after all provide job opportunities for artist and sculpture makers, architects, priests, kurukkals and temple assistants, tour guides, the hotel industry, transport industry, manufacturers of temple equipment and home prayer equipment, garland makers and an unceasing line of jobs. The variety and grandiosity of Hindu rites and rituals over the centuries have added colour and ceremony, making it an acceptable way of life. Although there has been a change in the attitude and practices of Hinduism amongst some secular groups, with a little more emphasis on the Hindu Scriptures ( The Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda and Sama Veda and The Bhagawad Gita) which date back to the 1st century BC ( The oldest religious scriptures in the world second to the Holy Book of Judaism – The Prophet and Laws) . Another difference is the perception of the various deities as being manifestations of one common God versus the popular perception of Hinduism as a Polytheistic religion. The ancient temples enrich the religion with its wealth of mythology, epics, legends and sagas, the beauty of its architecture and history and has definitely formed a well established way of life for the millions of Hindu devotees world over. I realized however that it has lost its importance as a place of worship. February 12th 2005 We had an early breakfast at the hotel and then went to a travel agent to take a mini bus to Rameshwaram. The journey lasted approximately 5 hours with a short tea break. We were asked to perform the Agni Theertham by immersing our heads in the sea 3 times. We were then escorted to the temple where a temple assistant poured holy water over our heads from 21 different wells as follows :- 1) Mahalakshmi Theertham 2) Savithri Theertham 3) Gayathri Theertham 4) Saraswathi Theertham 5) Sethu Madhava Theertham 6) Gandha Madhana Theertham 7) Kavatcha Theertham 8) Gavaya Theertham 9) Nala Theertham 10) Neela Theertham 11) Sanku Theertham 12) Sakkara Theertham 13) Brahmahathi Theertham 14) Sooriya Theertham 15) Chandra Theertham 16) Ganga Theertham 17) Yamuna Theertham 18) Gaya Theertham 19) Siva Theertham 20) Sathayamirtha Theertham 21) Sarva Theertham And we received one more holy water from the abishegam of Sri Rameshwarar which is said to equivate the Ganges Holy water called : 22) Kodi Theertham We then changed our clothes and went into the inner temple for prayers. There were hundreds of Sivalingams arranged in rows along the corridors to the temple which wer uncovered from the ground during and after the construction of this temple 800 years ago. Some of these Sivalingas were estimated to date back to the 6th century AD. The Sri Rameshwarar was one huge granite Sivalingam carved out of a single stone. We then visited the Kothanda Ramar Koyil where Sri Rama (the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu from the mythological epic Ramayana by Valmilki written during the 1st century BC ) was said to have set foot.Another temple we went to had a display of floating stones supposedly removed from the Gulf of Manar between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka. Coincidentally, according to the epic Ramayana, Nala and Neela of the monkey kingdom led by Hanuman built a bridge across the Gulf of Mannar having obtained consent from the Water God who promised to bear the weight of the bridge. This mythological bridge was said to have floated over the water. We then visited bathing ponds which were named after Rama, Seetha and Laxmann. Fact Versus Fiction The Valmiki’s Ramayana is a mythological tale composed by Saint Valmiki in Sanskrit following a mantra for invocation RAM given to him by Sage Naradha, and was completed in the 1st century BC making it the oldest of Sanskrit Epics. It describes the Kingdom of Kaushal with its capital in Ayudhya 1.5 million years ago, where the aging King Dasharath who had no previous heir from his 3 marriages was blessed by a sage and following a prayer Yajna, become a father to 4 sons. Rama from his eldest wife and Laxmann ( the second son of his third wife) prevail through most of the story. As the story goes, Rama and Laxmann were both reincarnations of Lord Vishnu and Seetha ( wife of Rama ) is the reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi consort of Lord Vishnu in their quest to battle the evil of a demon Raavana who resided in Lanka. During the course of the story, Seetha is kidnapped by Raavana and taken to Lanka. Only Rama could save Seetha and stand up for her honour. Nala and Neela of the monkey kingdom led by Hanuman built a bridge across the Gulf of Mannar having obtained consent from the Water God who promised to bear the weight of the bridge. This mythological Sree Ram bridge was said to have floated over the water. Valmiki also describes Kishkunda, a Monkey Kingdom in modern day Hampi, and the Kingdom of Kaushal is close to modern day Rameshwaram. Raavana’s Lanka on the other hand is in modern day Sri Lanka. In 2002, there was a coincidental scientific discovery by NASA, from pictures taken by their satellites and space stations of a narrow submerged bridge between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka. Floating stones have also been discovered in the Gulf of Manar. Could there be more to the mythology than just fiction ? Or were these findings purely coincidental ? There however is no evidence to suggest the presence of a civilized society 1.5 million years ago. The earliest of human ancestors who bore a resemblance to the present day Homo sapiens, were the Australo petechiens with the estimated brain weight of approximately 1/3rd that of a modern human being. They were assumed to have evolved from apes about 1.5 million years ago. Archaeological studies predict that these early ancestors were responsible for the onset of the stone age (Paleolithic period) and were able to hunt animals for food, eat wild plants make fires and seek shelter in caves. The next lineage of human ancestors were the Homo erectus with the estimated brain weight of 2/3rds that of the present day human being who emerged a little later during the stone age (Mesolithic and Neolithic) periods and were responsible for creating more refined equipment and tools. The Homo sapiens ( the present species of human beings ) only came into being following a series of favourable mutations from their ancestors about 10000 years ago. The earliest evidence of ancient civilization dates back to 5000 BC in Indus Valley. On our way back from Rameshwaram, we saw the Rameshwaram light house, the Indira Gandhi Road Bridge and the Pemban Bridge between Rameshwaram and Palk Bay. We then had dinner in a restaurant before returning to our hotel for rest. February 13th 2005 We had breakfast as usual before leaving for Palani, now traveling north. There we took a train up the hill to the temple. This temple was said to be another one of the Aru Padai Veedu ( 6 Houses) of Lord Murugan. We performed some prayers there and took some photos before climbing into a cable car for our ride down. Much to my dismay, I discovered my wallet missing in the cable car. Poverty was still prevailant in India afterall. I forlornly recalled what the Swamiji told me. He repeatedly stressed that the planetary influences on my star was very bad it was a miracle that I had pulled through my exams. He said that my time was still not so good, and my luck was likely to improve with the shifting of the planets from their present houses in the middle of the year. Astrology was probably the most interesting of ancient arts and have more than once proven to be true. An online western astrologer gave me an almost similar prediction. Being a person of science, I find the ancient art of astrology rather overwhelming. I silently thought that I would someday be compensated for the misfortune imposed on me not quite so accidentally. It occurred to me that the ancient temples being central to the livelihoods of may Hindus and being the recipient of large donations from Hindu devotees world over, should invest more to eradicate poverty by providing homes and shelters to the homeless and an education to the abandoned young. We were still tagged by beggars every where we went in India. We then went to Thiruchirappali ( Trichy for short) where we visited the Vekkali Amman Temple. We then visited the Saranam Ayyappan temple which is said to bear resemblance to the Sabari Malai Temple in Kerala. This tranquil and peaceful temple, had a fairly large garden which was surrounded by many illuminated stones and boards with motivational versusand prayers written in Tamil and English. There were many small lamps which lighted the temple.The main Sannidhi was that of Lord Ayyappa and a few other sannidhis were present for the other deities. On the right side of the temple is an open air meditation hall with light instrumental music acoompaniment and behind it is a collection of precious stones. We checked into the Royal Southern Hotel at about 9.00 p.m. and ordered dinner to our rooms. We then showered, watched television and fell asleep. February 14th 2005 After breakfast, we visited the sacred Kauvery River where we wet our feet and sprinkled holy water on our heads. On the way there we snapped photos of the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple. We then proceeded to the Sri Ranggam Temple which has a total of 21 Gopurams in all and is probably the largest temple complex in India. It was said to have been built over a period of many centuries from as early as the 6th to 10th centuries by the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas and upto the 14th century by the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar Kings. The Sree Ranganatha Swamy Statue ( Lord Vishnu ) within the Sannidhi was lying down on a serpent bed with the head of the serpent forming an umbrella over his head. He wore a golden crown and shoes. Another sannidhi, showed a large seated Sri Ranganathar Swamy. Outside, we were mesmerized by the gleaming golden Ghopuram with the face of Lord Vishnu engraved on it. Our next stop was at the Melmaruvathur temple on the way to Chennai. We then proceede to Mammalapuram ( also known as Mahabalipuram). Here we saw the ancient carved stone walls , temples and statues dating back to the 6th century AD. Some of the interesting stone work there include The Shore Temple, The temples of Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, Dharmaraja and Nakula –Sahadeva Radha, Krishna’s butter ball , The stone temple, Krishna’s Cave and Tiger Cave. The entrance fee to the shore temple is USD. 5. We then visited the office of Mr. Vanmikhanathan who was responsible for making the sculptures for the Ipoh Vinayagar Temple of which my father is the President. Our next destination was the VGP Universal Kingdom Theme Park and Golden Beach. It was large area with beautiful sculptures and buildings, lots of fun rides and entertainment, restaurants and a beautiful beach. Some of the facilities were however not on operation as it wasn’t holiday season. On our drive to Chennai, we caught a glimpse of Pradharana cinema where movie goers could choose to watch movies on a large outdoor screen from the privacy of their parked cars. We Finally reached Chennai at 8.00 p.m. and rushed to a tailor in T. Nagar to have some blouses sewn before we checked into the Benz Park Hotel. I was amused to find all the restaurants, bars and cafes in the hotel bearing names of cars – Ferrari, Porsche, Rolce Royce, Lexus and Volvo were some of the names used. As they were short of rooms, we were offered the Jaguar Suite on the 4th floor. That was probably the most comfortable of rooms we were checked into during the tour, complete with a living room, dining hall and a big, round, bathtub in the lavishly furnished bathroom. After a short walk around the place, we returned to the hotel for a light meal. I ordered a smoked chicken salad but was disappointed with roasted chicken and vegetables rubbed in chat masala that I was served. I had to turn it away as it was too salty. February 15th 2005 We had a lavish buffet breakfast at the hotel, consisting of bacon, sausages, eggs, fruit juice, cereal, toast, pastries and a variety of Indian cuisine including khevar puttu, rice puttu with banana milk, idli, thosai, vadai and kichadi. Most of the buffets we had at the other hotels offered a good variety of Indian vegetarian cuisine, toast, cereal, pastries and eggs to order but no meat was served.We then visited the Vada palani Murugan Temple and Ashta Lakshmi Temple where the deities were placed upto the second floor and included a few different forms of Goddess Lakshmi ( Veera Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santhana Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi, Adhi Lakshmi and Vijaya Lakshmi) as well as Lord Vishnu ( her divine husband ) and Lord Krishna ( a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu) . We then dropped into the Velangani Church which had a display of sculptures and art describing different stages of Christ’s life. We drove past a large group of people including musical bands, social organizations, political movement, school students and circus clowns who were all standing in line to welcome the Chief Minister Jayalalitha. She was fondly referred to as Amma by the people of Tamil Nadu. We then drove around Chennai and had a view of the Marina Beach, the Chennai High Court, Karunanidhi and MGR memorial parks as well as other ladmarks. We then shopped at Spencer’s Plaza and then went to the Poombookhar in Mount Road where a collection of local art, craft and sculptures were on display. 2 doors away was the Higgin Bothams bookshop where we looked for books to read. We went back to T. Nagar to shop but found many shops closed on Tuesday including Kumaran Silks and Nallis. We shopped instead at Hagreeves. We then dropped into an Ayurvedic Store, went back to Delhi Tailors and finally stopped for sweets at Sri Krishna Sweets. We returned to the hotel, had a light dinner of Bhel poori and Indian salads, packed our bags and showered. Mr. Murugan fetched us from our hotel at 10.45 p.m. and bid us farewell at the airport. February 16th 2005 I was pleased to see a few changes at the Chennai Airport. We boarde the plane at 2.20 a.m. after completing the required formalities. We arrived in KLIA at 8.40 a.m. (Malaysian time) . Our cab driver was waiting for us at the airport Arrival Hall at 9.15 when we got there and we immediately left for Ipoh. We arrived home at 11.50 a.m., tired, nevertheless contented with the experience and now years later.... memories....
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It's all about my latest travel adventure to the two large Asian cities of Hong Kong and Shenzhen with my parents....We went on an open top bus or Ting Ting ride by night, a Bauhinian Dinner Cruise and the Temple Street night market.... followed in the days to come a by a visit to a Hindu temple, Disney Land and a day trip to the modern 33 year old city Shenzhen, the 4th largest city in China - which to my amazement was definitely larger than Singapore ..... And waiting to be discovered was the Shenzhen Chinese Cultural Museum and the Splendid China Theme Park which took us on a mythical jorney through the Chinese historical timelines..... Truly, a glorious past with all the hustle and bustle of modern day city life......I also visited the Hong Kong Book Fair 2013 but could not find the BSBRA representative who apparently had teamed up with a local Hong Kong government agency and was totally undetectable in the 3 storeys of the huge, multi-storey extravagant Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre that housed the book expo..... Well, as the old adage goes, a picture speaks a thousand words - so I'll let the pictures do all the talking while I remain speechless, rest my tired feet and leave you to be awed ...... ; ) The recent investigators meeting at Capella Hotel at Sentosa Island, Singapore turned out to be an interesting, educational and indulgent weekend ! Although we were kept busy with the meeting itinerary most of the day, we had a little spare time for hotel activities such as swimming and gymming and walking down to the Pahlawan beach ... And of course for sightseeing and shopping ... Managed to go to Vivo City - even had meals at the Food Republic and had Tapas and Spanish Squid Ink Paella at Serenity in Vivo City ... The best of course was reserved for the finale in Singapore ... I managed to visit the much talked about Garden by the Bay and Marina Sands....with a much obliging friend... The absolutely breath taking panorama from the roof top of Super Tree Dining at Garden by the Bay left me mesmerized... And longing to return to the island ..... I still have memories from my last department trip to Singapore which is of the Universal Studios in Sentosa and also Legoland in Johor Bharu, Malaysia.... Believe me... Kids and adults alike would absolutely cherish the thrills and splashes at South East Asia's first two international theme parks....Please kindly check out this video on YouTube for more pictures - "JB and Singapore Department Trip 2012" The Psychiatry Department trip to Langkawi turned out to be lots of fun for the whole group....
We visited the Bat Caves, open sea, fish rearing and eagle feeding bay, passed by Mahsuri's tomb,the airport, the cable car ride to the sky walk, the underwater world and I even went parasailing in Pantai Cenang.... We also visited the Langkawi Hospital which definitely held our interest for at least half a day.... The trip also turned out to be a time for bonding with family and socializing with colleagues. The trip ended with a shopping spree at the duty free malls at Langkawi and Padang Besar... Memories of the Bangkok, Madamme Tussauds Wax Museum. The trip to Bangkok with my parents turned out to be loads of fun.....
We found it rather interesting that the metropolitan city encompassing a population of about 12 million people, had lots to offer to tourists.... Traditional Siamese offerings in combination with shops and investments like in the Little India, Chinatown, Arab Street and loads of western malls and cafes sprouting all over the city..... Our Bangkok and Hua Hin tour took us to numerous Budhist temples, the floating market both in Hua Hin and in Bangkok, the Hua Hin beach, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace in Bangkok, numerous malls, night markets, Madamme Tussauds Museum in Bangkok, the Mariamman temple in Bangkok, Sukhumvit etc.... With its grand history of being the only kingdom in this region to remain untouched / unconquerable to western forces.... the Siamese capital remains a thriving, bustling metropolitan with something for every to offer every tourist... I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to make a trip to Bali recently with the Psychiatry Department of Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh where I work. Contrary to what you may believe, the trip was not pure leisure but also involved a study tour of the 'Denah Rumah Sakit Jiwa Provinsi Bali' which is a large, mental institution in Bali which was quite enlightening. The impressive infrastucture of the modern day facility proved to be comparable to Hospital Bahagia in Ulu Kinta, Perak which has in recent times undergone some changes in practice.
Besides being a throughly relaxing scenic retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, the tour proved to be an eye opener to the cultural, historical and religious diversity of the people of Bali who undoubtedly left us impressed by their art, oil paintings and wood and stone carvings. The ancient temples such as Uluwatu and the Tanah Lot temple which have been preserved in all its historical glory are still filled with worshippers during the once in 210 day no moon festival in Bali. A variety of cultural shows and dances entertained the tourists. The beaches in Kuta proved to be a welcoming haven for the sea buffs and the more adventurous who flocked in complete with diving gears and surf boards... Tourists enjoyed getting lost in the cultural markets where they were spoilt for choice of souvenirs and handicrafts to take home to their loved ones back home. Bali in addition also proved to be a gastronomic journey that tentalized the taste buds of the more adventurous with a variety of cuisine both local and international while courteuosly accommodating for the vegetarians. Non-teetotallers were enthralled by an impressive list of alcoholic cocktails and beverages at a variety of night spots! Now, back home and impatient to take off again , and hoping to return someday to the paradise of Bali ! |
AuthorThe Author, Dr. Nirmala Kasinathan is a Medical doctor in Ipoh. Archives
August 2013
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