A trip down south in June – when most people go to the hills, we went to the hot and humid south- Tirupati, Chennai and Pondicherry (Puducherry). It was also a trip down memory lane as trips to Chennai and Tirupati were our yearly family vacation. They remain a feature of the annual travel plans of my parents; though me and my siblings like to go back as and when possible.
We first went to Lord Venkateswara’s temple (http://www.tirumala.org/) - a famous Hindu temple located in the hill town Tirumala, near Tirupati in Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). The temple is reportedly the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world and is visited by about 50000-100000 pilgrims every day.
While there are several legends in the history of this temple, the most famous is that Lord Vishnu decided to get married to Padmavathi - while his first wife – Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of fortune) had come down to live on earth following a spat with him. The Lord wandered on earth in her search and reached these hills . Here he met Padmavathi - an incarnation of Bhoodevi and a princess of Narayanapuram, whom he had promised to marry in Rama Avatar. As it was a royal wedding, he needed huge funds, which he borrowed from Kubera - the celestial cashier, who insisted on repayment with interest. While Goddess Lakshmi, understanding his commitments chose to live in his heart forever, the loan is yet to be paid back. The money donated by the devotees at this temple is said to be just sufficient to repay the interest portion. Apart for offering money, gold and jewellery, several devotees also offer their hair at the temple – which I am told is used for making wigs and is worth million of rupees year (http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/06/on-human-hair-tonsured-at-tirumala.html )!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, the temple was extremely crowded even though it a week day in the middle of the summer season. The only accommodation available in Tirumala (Upper Tirupati) is in the guest houses maintained by the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) Trust and it is not an easy task to get one – so if you plan to go, please book it online well in advance. The area could do with more signage and general help, especially for people who cannot speak the local language. This is not to say, that there is no signage in our national language – Hindi - the most prominent one being at the counter where rooms are allotted:
Those who can read Hindi will understand (or maybe not!!) what the above sign is all about – it’s a pity and a huge disappointment to see that a simple notice could not be written properly that too in our national language.
But then, the other and a more positive way to look at this is that someone atleast tried to put a note for the benefit of devotees from north India. I guess my limited point is that any language should be respected and the least one can do is to write it correctly.
Chennai was the next destination – with a stop over en-route (at Srikalahasti) to meet wood carving artisans . Some of the most famous carvings are those of Lord Ganesha and Krishna. A 3-feet statue takes almost 3-4 months to be completed. Thanks to my husband who loves to meet and interact with the craftsmen and artisans directly; I cherish some of such en-route diversions!
Chennai was all about eating, shopping and sweating!!!......
We especially relished the Thanjavur banana leaf meal (hot food is served on a banana leaf and after the meal, banana leaf becomes food for cows).
So far, no trip to Chennai has ever been complete without a visit to the Marina beach – one of the longest beaches in the world –though given the rubbish scattered all over, I doubt if I will go there next time – which would be a pity….my family has spent several evenings on that beach – enjoying the waves and the food (raw mango, sugarcane, peanuts, popcorn, paani-poori and what not!). So, whether I go there again or not, it will always be ‘special’.
We first went to Lord Venkateswara’s temple (http://www.tirumala.org/) - a famous Hindu temple located in the hill town Tirumala, near Tirupati in Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). The temple is reportedly the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world and is visited by about 50000-100000 pilgrims every day.
While there are several legends in the history of this temple, the most famous is that Lord Vishnu decided to get married to Padmavathi - while his first wife – Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of fortune) had come down to live on earth following a spat with him. The Lord wandered on earth in her search and reached these hills . Here he met Padmavathi - an incarnation of Bhoodevi and a princess of Narayanapuram, whom he had promised to marry in Rama Avatar. As it was a royal wedding, he needed huge funds, which he borrowed from Kubera - the celestial cashier, who insisted on repayment with interest. While Goddess Lakshmi, understanding his commitments chose to live in his heart forever, the loan is yet to be paid back. The money donated by the devotees at this temple is said to be just sufficient to repay the interest portion. Apart for offering money, gold and jewellery, several devotees also offer their hair at the temple – which I am told is used for making wigs and is worth million of rupees year (http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/06/on-human-hair-tonsured-at-tirumala.html )!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, the temple was extremely crowded even though it a week day in the middle of the summer season. The only accommodation available in Tirumala (Upper Tirupati) is in the guest houses maintained by the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) Trust and it is not an easy task to get one – so if you plan to go, please book it online well in advance. The area could do with more signage and general help, especially for people who cannot speak the local language. This is not to say, that there is no signage in our national language – Hindi - the most prominent one being at the counter where rooms are allotted:
Those who can read Hindi will understand (or maybe not!!) what the above sign is all about – it’s a pity and a huge disappointment to see that a simple notice could not be written properly that too in our national language.
But then, the other and a more positive way to look at this is that someone atleast tried to put a note for the benefit of devotees from north India. I guess my limited point is that any language should be respected and the least one can do is to write it correctly.
Chennai was the next destination – with a stop over en-route (at Srikalahasti) to meet wood carving artisans . Some of the most famous carvings are those of Lord Ganesha and Krishna. A 3-feet statue takes almost 3-4 months to be completed. Thanks to my husband who loves to meet and interact with the craftsmen and artisans directly; I cherish some of such en-route diversions!
Chennai was all about eating, shopping and sweating!!!......
We especially relished the Thanjavur banana leaf meal (hot food is served on a banana leaf and after the meal, banana leaf becomes food for cows).
So far, no trip to Chennai has ever been complete without a visit to the Marina beach – one of the longest beaches in the world –though given the rubbish scattered all over, I doubt if I will go there next time – which would be a pity….my family has spent several evenings on that beach – enjoying the waves and the food (raw mango, sugarcane, peanuts, popcorn, paani-poori and what not!). So, whether I go there again or not, it will always be ‘special’.
A must visit in Chennai are the stainless steel utensil stores – we went to the famous Rathna Store in Pondy Bazaar – it is a unique experience …..once you enter the shop you realize that not even a square inch is wasted and a huge maze of stainless steel utensils piled up from floor to roof and hung from the ceiling!!
See Part II for final destination!
