Srirangam calls

SRIRANGAM  CALLS

I personally believe that the decision to move to Srirangam was a calling of sorts. My very religious minded husband was quite taken aback at my initiative but supported me quietly. I could see he quite liked the idea, though a move at this age was expected to be strenuous, unsettling and uncomfortable. Still we decided to go ahead.

It was agreed upon, that our very comfortable apartment in Chennai would be retained for our frequent retreats and as a backup if necessary and thereupon friends and relatives were informed of our move and it was hawed and hemmed upon, but general Janata welcomed the idea,  showering praises upon us for taking such a decision at this age .We are 63 and 56 of age.

It dawned on me that we were considered old and hence not competent to make a move in life or do anything different in ,life other than maybe ,read The Hindu (obituary ,mind you) and perhaps visit the odd temple occasionally ,and of course attend weddings .(It will be interesting to note that the older one gets one is expected to attend only  muhurthams ,  the receptions held in the late evenings are reserved for colleagues and youngsters.)

Well having made the decision we were quite happy to go around arranging our gas connections, bank formalities and so on, when out of the blue struck a lightning like change……a family known to my daughter requested that we give them our house on rent for   a year   only .Well, well here was an opportunity for us to make some money   but  also  very nerve racking to think of vacating.

So ,here we were, cleaning the house , treating the house for termites and packing stuff   ,oddly feeling excited as if we were two young people going on our first ever ‘thani kudithanam” arguing over what to take and what not…..We finally ditched many things as unwanted and managed to pack two cars with things we felt were most needed .It might be funny but also interesting to know that we managed to pack in thulasi plants, (when all of Srirangam has thulasi plants ) many steel plates to eat from    (when we have a vegetable market right outside our front door with  fresh banana leaves always available) so works the mind of senior citizens?….still we happily set out with our younger  mapillai to escort us.

In all this I could see my two daughters humouring us and practically indulging in our fanciful idea and just playing along. They did keep tabs very dutifully, enquiring with great concern about the facilities in the house, our capacity to stay alone , hospitals in and around.  Sometimes I do feel our children are more mature in more ways than one. I had not given a serious thought about medical facilities, or about our health…..believe me both of us are under the magical spell of doctors and their potions.

August 19^th dawned and both of us woke up as excited as two little kids going on their school picnic. Our dutiful and very loving son-in-law  and a very helpful and thoughtful nephew helped us load and we set out in 2 cars one of which looked like a sailboat with buckets and stools tied to its top and covered with vashties.

Arriving in 92,South Chithrai Street,  we quickly unpacked and went to the thayar sannidhi to  offer thanks to Ranga Nachiyar for making everything, that sounded difficult, so easy.

Contrary to our expectations there was an AC in working condition and with Gods Grace there was power. (power, in future has to be only Gods Grace,  because Koodankulam seems to have failed ,Wind energy seems to have betrayed the people of TN) and so we slept fitfully the very first night spent in BOOLOKA VAIKUNDAM,

We had for dinner the huge dosais supplied by a caterer, with three kinds of chutneys all made very hygienically  as confirmed by our relative .We got hold of an acquaintance and got hold of another caterer who supplied lunch which was enough for 2people.

With no gas connection and power playing truant ,lunch was quite an effort but even more of a challenge was coffee….ahhhhh for a hot cuppa…..was the general feeling for 10days.

Our neighbors were truly helpful guiding us in the ways of the semi town ,with hints on temple timings and with general dos and don’ts.

Pavithrothsavam  was the first utsavam  that we  attended.

All through ,  a mere sight of Periya perumal, evaded us  as the crowd inside of the Garbagraham was as unmanageable as a thiruvizha crowd and we could not make it inside at all . Disappointed at our inefficiency  and helplessness we decided to somehow have dharshan one day.

The 2^nd day of pavithra utsavam  was a VERY different sevai called Poochandi   sevai. In between waiting for the Airtel connection, gas connection and cable connection we managed to go into the temple independently paying Rs 250 each. So here’s the funda…..there’s a Rs 50 ticket, Rs 250 ticket and ofcourse dharma dharshan. Depending on the crowd one decides on what to use  ,. the money in one’s pocket or one’s legs…..to stand in a loonngg queue.

One day we had the fortune of meeting my father’s cousin who gave away secrets of going into the temple at an appropriate time  when the Holiest of Holy can be sighted.

So thereafter  it has been our routine to finish dinner (its always food first you see, ) at around7.30pm and leave for the temple. It’s a walking distance of about 5minutes from our residence .The routine has been thus far----7.30pm to Sri Ramanujar sannidhi attend Goshti and get prasadam and get theertham ,satari  and after one or two pradakshinams  walk fast to Sakkarathalwars sannidhi. One or two pradakshanams and to Thayar sannidhi   after seva there, we hurry to Periya Perumal .  It will be fitting here to say that it takes a good 25minutes  to complete all these formalities  and to reach the Garbhagraha.

It is easy to join the queue at the fag end and go in  at a leisurely pace see namperumal and Periya perumal in all His Glory  wish Him a Hearty good night and back out. Secretly relieved that we didn’t have to shell out Rs 250  we come back and sleep well.

Adapting to this way of life has been very very interesting because I was quite amused at the way of life here. Women or rather Mamis walk around very comfortably in Madisars or the 9yards of saree draped casually around themselves. It has always been a challenge to wear one and walk as well. Here mamis do it rather well.  It is worth mentioning that there are groups of mamis  who  carry pots of kola maavu and walk into the temple most authoritatively and do beautiful kolams  in and around the corridors of the temple .It is amazing that they do  complicated designs  in  a minute.

It must be said to the credit of all mamis in Srirangam that they involve themselves so much with His Grace that they even go the extent of remarking that The Namperumal looks   a little tired or that his face looks weary. When He comes out of His Abode   meaning’ Purappadu” the ladies especially look nowhere else but Him. Looking out for familiar pieces of jewellery or a particular pattu vasthram  or the Vahanam.  I immediately recalled the ladies at Brindavan, Mathura  and Dwaraka  where the ladies treated Krishna as their own son with as much fierce possessiveness. I could see it here too.

Krishna Jayanthi was the other festival we witnessed. In the morning, a kutty  Kalinga Nardana Krishna came out in procession on Chithrai  veedhi fully decked in jewels .A big Andaa ( vessel)  was carried before the procession  containing oil which was distributed to people. In the evening The Lord Rangan and Kutty Krishna came out  in procession and proceeded to Yadava mandapam stopping on the way at Thirukurallapan sannidhi. A little detail about this sannidhi------Nammalwar is said to have stayed here on his way to offer his prayers at the Lords feet; Aandal is said to have  stopped here before her reunion with the Lord. Thirukuralapan is our very own Vamana(  lord in his boy form with an umbrella).

There is a way from Sakarathalwar to Thayar  sannidhi. This path is very well kept with gardens, with many flowering plants, statues and stone paved pathways .I have seen very few people using it ,though.

From what we hear the great Seer Ramanujar has so devised the functions of the temple that round the year the Lord visits every Mandapam once to have thirumanjanam or an utsavam, thereby ensuring that all places are cleaned and used regularly.

Talking of cleaning the premises, strangely, the Sengamalavalli thayar or Dhanya lakshmi sannidhi leaves much to be desired as there is always room for cleaning there. There is a well maintained Go-madam there. It has cows and calves all looking happy and satisfied. Near this sannidhi there is a big pillar  on which hangs huge slippers .The story goes that 2 different cobblers make one slipper each for Periya perumal and it ends up being perfectly matched.

There are 8 cows here ,Lakshmi being the favourite one ,and some calves. There are a few ladies here who constantly clean the place and act as care givers to the GoMadam..

A word about life in Srirangam……it came as a surprise to me that  a day after we landed here we were invited to a bookclub meet right next door .The BookclubTrichy meets right here on Chithrai  street. The first one we attended was a book review on “Kite runner’ done by Dr Mythili .The meet in September was on a book called “Tiger claw tree” by Krishnan reviewed by Dr Prema Nnandakumar,  a scholar in many languages ,also a columnist, owner of  a well kept library.

I must say that Chithrai street is an awesome location ,as there is an evening market right outside our house ,with  fresh vegetables .veggies like banana flower, vazhapoo, banana stem-vazhathandu, vazhakkai ,sundakkai  ,tender tiny kathrikkai, tender garden fresh snake gourd-pudalangai,  louki straight from the gardens----are found daily but nothing for less than Rs 60 a kg.

On one of my excursions into the street to look for shops and locations ,I have found a small shop a short distance away from my house here which makes hot vadais of all types ---masala vadai,  ulundu vadai,  keerai vadai,  milagu vadai,and sometimes the odd bondas too and all for a sum of Rs 2 each.!

There is also a Venkatesa bavan here on the main street that leads to the Ranga Ranga gopuram that is open from 3-5pm only and if one steps in at 5.01 the dishes are all sold out and they are preparing to close,..So one fine day with no gas supply to make our coffee and snack I walked  into this place  and after inspecting all the items,  ordered   for   some  pooris ,vadais and a sweet called Pal poori. I hesitantly asked for the bill and the man at the counter shouts” Rs 64  madam Pl give fast”  I was shocked but walked out a happy woman heavily laden with poori urulai kizhangu masala, keerai vadais and some palpooris too..

Right outside my house  there is a Chapathi vendor who has marked his cart ”UPWallah GUPTA”. At 7pm the smell of hot chapathis and a sidedish boiling, waft over ,making me want to close down kitchen ,….believe me I have done so on many days and found it v tasty. He gives chapathis  for Rs 10 each with 2 kinds of side dishes.

Every evening there is a Maruti van that stops two houses away from ours  and religiously plays CD after CD of religious discourses either of Sri Velukkudi  or Muralidhara Swami or some one else,  but it is very differently entertaining as we sit on the porch listening to the discourses from outside, they also sell these CDs.

To add to the facilities there is an Aavin milk van that does the rounds of the streets and comes in every other day with all kinds of Aavin products.

I have now found a mami who can deliver murukku and thattai homemade  ,she promises to also make adirasam for me….Oh Srirangam is Bliss in many ways.!

Not to sound  too sarcastic I would like to say that here in srirangam I have seen people use dishwahsers,washing machines, microwaves,and many other electrical devices but  put up with powercuts for more than 6hours a day. So the UPS companies make more money here .The inverter nowadays is the saviour of Srirangamvasis.

To their credit I must say it is a common sight at 4.30 in the early mornings to see men and women walk in their walking shoes reciting Sahasranamam or listening to it in their earphones, and shortly thereafter the same men and women dressed in panchakacham and madisars walk into the temple for their daily share of dharshan.

 There is a wholesale market nearby called sathara veedhi which sells flowers at wholesale prices ,I have located a nattu marundu kadai  the equal of our own Dabba chetty  here on the main street,and a grocery store called” padhala Krishnan kadai “which is called “palasarakku kadai” which sells all kinds of grocery and which has no use for credit cards.

The railway station is walking distance and most trains stop by here, and the auto ricshaw drivers are very pleasantly disposed unlike Chennai, they charge decently a mere Rs 50 for every ride. Of even 1 km. Trichy, as is well known, is very well connected by buses and Srirangam being a very popular pilgrimage centre, has  a crossroads of sorts for a busstation, with buses plying every ten minutes either to the main city or the suburbs.

Srirangam is an island, with Cauvery running on either side encompassing this little place. On the one side it is called Cauvery and on the other it becomes Kollidam. With the dispute on the river waters going on ,the Cauvery this year has started to run ro full capacity only after 2 months. So the people of Srirangam speak of bathing in the river only after a safe fortnight because of the fresh waters bringing with it allergic materials.(so sayeth the wise men of Srirangam).