Down the memory lane to Ooty!! --Hairpin bend-1

I remember it was during the Annual holidays of v std............

Woooooh!!!! as a 'gift' for doing well in my exams,my father had planned to take all of us to Ooty: 'The Queen of Hill Stations'.
Well! it was time to take out the sweaters and mufflers from the attic.... 



When we reached Mettupalayam, it was almost time for the Orangish rays of the Sun to take a 'kit-kat' break!! and for us too, to stop at the 'Vana Bhadrakaliyamman Temple',there.

Each time we travel to Ooty, this ritual was no exception!!  Actually my granny used to tell that the hilly regions are like 'play-grounds for spirits'! So  she would always advise my grand pa to take that 'divine stopping'.After the 'Darshan' at the "Vana Bhadhrakaliamman" temple, we had left for Ooty, via 'Kallar','Burliar' and Conoor'.

Each of these places and it's beauty are a perfect trailer to the main picture; (here, Ooty is our main picture) and this is one journey, where all your five senses are in their 'splendid interaction!!


The smell of wild  flowers, tea plantations and orange orchids would be strongly contending for the 'election of  your nostrils'!!!


While, you might find it tough to roll your eyeballs..glued to the crystal -clear brooks...the deep ravines and the tall Eucalyptus trees..all 'going on a date' with the cool breeze;

For the connoisseur in food stuff,  what more than a freshly plucked carrot, the home-made chocolate crispies, or even the 'katta chai'-coupled with some rusks!!!

You need not be a 'Banupriya / Karthik..singing "Keeravani" with a mike in tow, but can simply take in, the 'Kuckoo' of  a host of winged beings!!!!


THE GRAND-FINALE ACTUALLY LIES IN YOU BECOMING ONE WITH NATURE!!!!!


We had stayed at the "Woodlands" hotel, located at the heart of Ooty!Before going to bed, my father and my grand pa were discussing about the itinerary the next day.

Grand pa wanted to try out something new;-remember I've already told you that he was a 'perfect combo' of both the worlds-he could give company to a kid, a youngster, a contemporary, a staunch devotee alike him, or even an atheist!

It was his 'Exploring-Spree' that got us the exciting chance of visiting 'Mudumalai Forests'....or, otherwise my father  would have confined this trip to the 'Botanical', and a boat-ride in the lake'!!!


The next morning, we were all set to leave for the Mudumalai forests, ....we had a shock awaiting us!!

Vana Bhadrakaliamman temple

                              


  Ooty town-road

 


Sky-soaring Eucalyptus....

 

                             

                                         

Cottage chocolates of Ooty

                                                            


famous for orange orchards!




The lake in Ooty

Botanical garden



hand-picked fresh carrots


In the morning, we had the shock of our life seeing the window-panes of our room  being broken!?
The hotel manager, Mr.Bhujanga Rao, who  was my grand pa's good friend rushed out to the lobby ..where the culprits were standing in silence!!!
Alas! we could give out only a hearty laughter on seeing them...and even gave them some food.
What to do when those 'culprits' were three 'cute monkeys'!!!

Anyways, we started our much-awaited journey in Mr.Bhujanga Rao's jeep, leaving behind our car at the hotel; as for such a ride, o'er steep ups and downs, the jeep was more suited!

Our very first destination  itself  was an unforgettable,  mind-blowing one. Located around 13 kms. from Ooty..on the steep slopes of the "Kalhatti", the "Kalhatty waterfalls" is a must-see spot : What with it's sparkling, silvery waters, the roaring sound when the water falls from a great height....all these would surely form  a 'rejuvenating-therapy' of it's own!! 

After a long time spent there and capturing some incredible shots, (my brother is a good photographer) all of  us were gone terribly hungry; the driver, a local man, suggested we move to the nearby village, Bokkapuram. 

Though it took us a while to go there..it was a wait worth! 
It was fan-fare and celebration with 'Naathaswaram' & thoranam' , right from the entrance itself..and before we could come to terms of what was going on..
....the natives received us with their 'innocent  love and hospitality'. We were being escorted to a thatched hut, by the side of a small brook with crystal-clear water.There we had had the best of traditional cuisine.... almost 20 items were happily winking at us,from it's 'home'-freshly - plucked banana leaves!!!!
It was the yearly 'Thiruvizha' in their deity's temple. Before taking leave..we too joined in their festive-fervour and rituals of the 'Amman' temple!

 Around evening, we left Bokkapuram for 'Thorapalli'.
Thorapalli is like a 'passport' to 'Mudhumalai' or better still, the "Elephant Corridor", Masinagudi, which also features in our itinerary!!

It was planned to lodge ourselves at the "Sylvinn's",a nice jaunt;
we had to go to bed early...as exciting programmes were in our kitty, for the morning..in the form of a visit to the elephant camp and then into the "most virgin- jungles' of all times!!!! 

The Kalhatty falls.

                              

"Destination Deity"!!

[This is the II part of  the blog, "margazhi and mysorepak"]

It seems the whole vicinity got startled, with the amicable village-folks volunteering in grand-father's 'mission' towards tracing my whereabouts!! As for the 'kutties' (titny-tots) they were asked to be in the house with our aunt. Charu, my niece was for her part creating a problem..pestering that she too be taken out on the 'mission'..as she was an avid reader of "The Secret Seven"! (what started adding to her "Detective fantasises" was that ..she owned a dog quite similar to "Timothy" in the story!!!) finally only God knows how she was put to rest.

The exhausted elders were ranting and raving about the mishap. The echoes that filled the house with laughter and noise..now was filled with  melancholy.

All of them had never seen grand pa look so let-down!! My mother too it seems had fallen unconscious too!! It was a horrible night for our family.! Even our doggie who cannot stay without his feed of milk-rice in the night, refused to eat.  

"Aiyya, aiyya...."--there was a loud knock at the door; and when my uncle had got up to see who was at the door..only then had we come to know that it was 6.00 in the morning. 

It was our gardener's wife, Maari ..gosh! even now I  can recollect that hilarious moment!! 

"Vazhakam pola kaalaiyle Koyillai koota ponapothu unga papavoda kolusa paarthein!!!!"  (As usual when I had gone for my sweeping work in the temple I saw this anklet..) My grand pa asked her,"Entha Koyil?" ( Which temple?)Taking Maari  along with us to show the way, all of us travelled towards what seemed to be our only 'Destination of Hope'!!

Even before my granddad could park his vehicle, i had spotted the jeep and came jumping and hopping...alongside with the 'gurukal' , who had taken me to his home last night, waiting for someone to come and '''claim''' me!
On reaching  there,..the first thing that my grand pa did was to prostrate before the Deity..

..and from that year onwards he never did forget to include the Shrine in our pilgrimage: the "Koothanur Maha Saraswathi Temple" in Poonthottam village:-

                                    The  entrance to the temple....
  
                                      

           

                        A Profile of the Gopuram....                                                           

                                                  

                                                               The  Deity!

We still don't know as to how i actually got here, neither can i recollect....but my grandfather strongly believed that it was the GODDESS'  'Leelai'  to make all of us come to HER abode..which we still keep doing, come what may. 

                                                      

'MARGAZHI AND MYSOREPAK....

                 

That year's 'Margazhi' too was as usual, a pot-pourri of 'raga & tala' and visits to Shrines!

I started looking forward to it ..and would you believe, I was the first one to step out of the exam-hall during the last exam..such was my anxiety to start off with my 'Michaelmas holidays!!'


It is a tradition in our family to go on a pilgrimage during the 'Margazhi' season : in fact, it also did serve as a family get-together of all our cousins, who normally were away from the South. This was a desire of my grandpa, as well.


He also used this opportunity to play with all of us, which normally is not possible, as he was such a 'busybody'. I still remember how we all the tiny-tots would love crushing the betelnuts for 'our thaatha's 'tamboolam'. 

 My granny's round of  story-sessions,exclusively hosted for us,was yet another  'scene-stealer'.Along with her steaming degree coffee, we would help ourselves to her "AMBULICHUTTI" stories. (Perhaps in a subsequent blog I shall narrate one of her favourite stories).
Around  8.00 a.m. ,we would all head towards the temple-tank  to take a dip. I bet no other 'waters' in the world ..even the swimming-pool of  great  5-star hotels, would be as serene and pure as the temple-tank's'!!!! One could cherish the tingly feeling of the small fish,nibbling at our feet.


With the strands of our wet tresses wafting in the gentle breeze, we would have a happy stroll all the way, pausing to see butterflies, mynas and even  peacocks. There used to be a contest between my cousin, and myself, as to who spots the most number of butterflies...our grand-father being the 'contest's judge'! If she wins then I would be waiting to take revenge by beating her in the 'Dayakkatai' game, which we would play in the court-yard of the huge mansion.

At times even after several calls from our granny, we would never go for break-fast, as my grandpa would have already treated us to sumptuous delicacies from the "Sriranga Iyengar's Sweets". In fact, Grandpa, a diabetic, would also take a bite of those irresistible Mysorepaks, soaked in dollops of pure ghee.


The evenings were a different story altogether: all of us would  go to the 'Adhivinayahar temple'..those "Saayaratchai -moments" would be a treat to the eyes, feasting on the 'beauty' of  the Lord in His 'swayambu' pose with a human face!!   
My grandpa, a well-known personality in the 'temple-circuit, loved taking  us on a 'Devotional-Spree",that still continues to be a part  of me.  


With just five more days to go for the school to re-open, I started to wear a gloomy look already.The state of my cousin, even worse. She started to have one of those spells of 'school-going phobias', if there could be such a word-coinage!!


In the noon all were keenly glued on to the television,  watching 'Rajinikanth  rescuing  the poor elephant-calf from a pit'.
"Oh!  what a tragic fate for 'Rajni's mom"!! so saying,my granny was having tears in her eyes..
just when my mother was trying to explain to her that it was only a movie;-


-The maid-servant came in saying,
"Amma! amma!" namma papava enge thediyum kaanomma" ( mam, shanmu kiddo is missing )....  

The Miracle of my Pencil-case!!

 Just when I stood at the cross-roads in a  bewildered manner...I heard a very familiar voice behind me. With all the hope possible, I turned across tos see who was there?!  It  was our school 'ayah'.

An epitome of sincerity that she was, she had followed me all the way, trying her best to catch up pace with me, just to give me my pencil-case, left back in haste. (Remember I was completing my home-work..sitting on the cement bench?)

On sighting her, this Mr. Nightmare--whose babbles and stagerring gait were strange-- disappeared in no time. I heaved a big sigh of relief and told her about my 'adventure'. Giving out a big laughter she directed me the way to my house and told me never ever to venture out like this anymore!!!

I took the pencil-case to put it inside my bag..by mistake it fell off my hands, with all it's contents scattered around. As I was gathering my 'camel' pencil,''Mickey' eraser, pink sharpener and Lo! what was it?! Yes, it was my 'Diva's wooden statue.

'SHE'  had stepped in the right time and rescued me. What do you say????

Sarasvadivus 

AT THE CROSS-ROADS

"Ding ! Ding! Ding! " went  the school bell..even the birds that were chirping in the mahogany trees stood up on their wings! There was a frenzied rush all over, each of us trying to become a 'Local Champion' {usage of this phrase courtesy : 'Indus Ladies'} in the 'mini - running race'....

Though the school bell goes at 3.30 p.m., I would have to be waiting for my brother to finish his karate class and  pick me up at 4.00. That day, too, as usual in the process of waiting for him, I was trying to complete my home-work, ensconced for good  in one of those wide  cement benches,enough for a pot-bellied man to lay himself !!

 I was simultaneously also playing a sponsor to a host of thought--processes : about having to feed 'Ahalya', my pet-goldfish...then go to the terrace with my comic book and mamma's special snack,  'Seedai'....hm! I've got to do some final touches to the greeting-card, I'm making for my class-teacher..it's her birthday tomorrow..then.."Hey! who's that ?"

I  realised it was my school watch-man, asking me something; "Yemma, innum veetukku pola? mani anjavuthu". ( 'hey kid, why haven't you gone home yet? it's already 5.00) 

Oh! my God, that was indeed a sheer shock!!?? Me, the sheepish, told him in what I thought was a "chivalrous " tone.(?) : ''Onnum prachnai illa thaatha, enakku veetukku pora vazhi theriyum." ( No problem ..I know the way to my home). With my book-bag in one hand and my lunch-bag, in another, I set out on my "Adventurous Voyage"!

                                                                              

All the streets looked the same..adding to my dilemma, was the white bougainvilla creepers, my only identity  to find my home, adorning almost all the houses in the street.!! I was clearly stranded at a cross-road, wondering which way to take. 

Out of nowhere appeared  a stout man, with his eyes as red as tomato sauce..the very thought of  tomato sauce, started to make me hungry; even during lunch, I  had shared my curd -rice with Gayatri, as her lunch-box  fell down during the recess.!!

'Ayyayo ..now the man seemed to be coming near; he and his dirty lungi and the shabby moustache. ..eeks!

Tired and worn-out, hungry and scared, I  stood almost frozen....

'SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS'.....

The slight drizzle not  being a deterrent, a lanky old man, with  a floral--patterned umbrella in one hand and a pile of books in another, stood at our door-step.



Even if  I take several births this 'man' will remain unforgettable to me!! Wasn't he the one who took me into a  world filled with weirdly-shaped letters, that then, had reminded me of  a popular Indian dessert in 'jaangiri'!!: that is Sri. Rengarajan for you, the 'gurukal' in the neighbourhood Vinayagar temple and my first GURU.



At the request of my father he had been to my home to 'Initiate my Intellect'  on an auspicious day--which I came to learn later as "Vijayadasami". 
A  very humble man, that  'Ayya'  was..he refused to accept the money offered by my parents; instead  I  believe he had told them, "Ivalukku Antha Ambaloda Gataksham Irukku....nanna varuva!" {She has been blessed by the Ambal..will come up well in her life}.



He walked up  to the  gate and then suddenly slowed his pace. He suddenly put his hands into his pocket, took out something and called me. I  went near him. He placed  something into the fold of my fingers, touched my head and muttered something,.....{which I'll tell you later}
The  drizzles grew into a heavy shower;- just as my
spirit of curiosity too started to!! I opened my hand to have a quick glimpse of what was there!!
There 'SHE' was 'My Diva of Eternity' exuding  compassion and warmth: a small wooden statue of Goddess Saraswathi; gleaming under the droplets of a fresh shower. 


That was the most unforgettable shower of my life!!


Ah! there is one more thing I've got to tell you..
 didn't I tell you that my Guru had muttered something..it goes thus:" Ivalai ennikum vidathe, enna"!! {Don't ever leave Her.}



Yes dear 'Ayya' I  haven't left  HER, neither has 'SHE'......




 

MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH "HER".

I  would have been all of  4  then....it was a fine day..{ with the season's 'virgin--showers' going on a date with the rattling thunder!!}
Just when I was about to pull o'er the 'Kashmir blanket' and make myself smug...my mother gave me a waking alarm, in the form of  her filter 'kaapi'. Mom  and  her cuppa coffee is always unbeatable!! I got up just to inhale the aroma  that kept wafting across my nostrils.


 "Lakshmi, take the new note-book from the Swami Almirah for Shammu"-- This was my father to my mother. Hey ! a new note-book for me, that too from the Swami Almirah. I just couldn't wait!! 
Meanwhile, strings of  freshly--plucked mango leaves were starting to adorn the vast hallway of our palatial bungalow. Packets of puffed rice and jaggery seemed to be 'taking the centre-stage' in my mom's kitchen-cabin.


A  gregarious  atmosphere, on the whole pervaded; added to that the lovely showers outside..I was sporting  my favourite parrot-green 'pattu pavadai', 'nethi chutti', 'jimki' and 'kolusu' all which made me feel like a princess! ....Little did I  know that there was this 'something special' waiting to drench me..no, here, I did not mean the showers outside. Then what was it????? 
  
Wait till  I  blog next.

Luv'
Sarasvadivu.

MY DIVA OF ETERNITY...........

Whenever  I've been at the cross--roads  of  my life, there was one force that always  followed me with a 'Passionate sense of Curiosity'! Actually I really don't know at which point / phase of my life 'SHE' came in....kind of it's been a vibration of sorts. After the doldrums in my life, I stumbled upon HER..and then onwards there's been no looking back. I actually look upon HER as a 'Soulmate'!!!!!And I'm sure that aura of Divinity will surround me, EMPOWER me and stay with me, come what may.
That force I'm raving  about is none other than my driving--force Goddess Saraswathi.