Athi Varadar

Athi Varadar

              

As we piled into the huge Mahindra Scorpio, the six of us had only one notion , to see "Athi Varadar" who interacted  and held conversations  with Acharyans 1000 years back. As we  left at 3 am little did we realise that at that time of the day all roads would lead to Kanchipuram. 

Little after Chennai, on the Orageddam route almost every car rode bumper to bumper for a while and our driver told us that he had information that there were people waiting at the temple gates from 1 am. The best thing to do is to drive to Kachipuram on the Oragadam/ Walajabad route as this takes us to the nearest entry to have darshan. 

We stopped the car at Pachayappa college bus stop and HP petrol Station point and got off. It is better to carry a small water bottle and some biscuits, a hand towel and of course the mobile phone.

It is about 10 minute walk to the Eastern gate of the temple and as we approach we are aghast at the sea of humanity, all moving from one place to another without any direction. Police is very helpful even though they seem clueless about directions.

As per instructions given by one helpful policeman we tagged ourselves with a group at the front gate which was for senior citizens which is situated on the right side if we face the temple tower and try to gain entry through there , fighting our way in between wheelchairs which often carry very able bodied persons, but we also find very old people standing facing the crowd waiting for a peep at this Varadar.

It is a fight to inch our way in to the entrance, and as we manage to get pushed along we find ourselves inside at last,it was a struggle but worth the battle.

Once in , we walked in the queue which was mostly very disciplined and there was never a lagging moment, we chanted RamRam all the way.

                     

          

It was a long way inside the temple and as we go along we see the Potramarai tank on our right, where the waters of the AnanthaSaras have been shifted to. It is from Ananthasaras, "Athi Varadar" has been lifted once the water has been dried. 

                   

The queue goes along the Ghoshalai on our left  and it was heartening to see many healthy cows there.

The path has been filled with sand but the small stones prick the bare feet and there is water logging and  people who serve devotees with water have spilled it all over. It is sort of accu-pressure on the feet (only more painful). 

The administration has provided facilities such as fans, drinking water ,  etc., at many places.

         

We also saw battery cars , wheel chairs plying on the extreme left pathway , carrying aged ones, physically challenged ones.

                

We were near the varadar after 2 hours of walking the queue, and Lo Behold! we see the Perumal and everything else is forgotten ,no pain is too big to set eyes on this wonderful Deity. We are struck with awe at the beauty of the Idol  lying down  holding his weapons in ready pose, wearing a pink veshti, and as we drink-in His beautiful form we cannot help think that this Perumal should stay out and not go back into Ananthasaras. 

His form is mesmerizing  and even as we are pushed on in a second ,we can see why Ramanuja the great Seer, Thiruikachi Nambigal and Swami Desikan and host of others , all fell in love with His attractive form, singing verses in total love with Him.    He lies there smiling and looking up nonchalantly at the ceiling  maybe wondering who will come next and what will be music to his ears ... "Its all the same to Me ",It looks as if he says, smiling mischievously.

The volunteers yell at  us  and though we do understand their fatigue we expect a little bit of respect ,and mind you all the volunteers are girls of under 20 years of age,  We come out of the temple from the west side and see the towering gopuram.

                      

The way out seems long and meandering and no one knows the way out to the bus stand as there is a sea of people.

                             

We struggle to find our way and wander all over the streets of Kanchipuram  for about 2 hours of walking tiredly on freshly laid tar roads with pebbles and uneven surfaces.  At some places we are forced to cross over open gutters which are unguarded with no railings and after weaving our tired way across the ocean of people.

En-route to our pickup point we could see lots of road side shops selling glass bangles,  and only plastic toys.

             

We finally reach our HP petrol station, where our driver picked us up. 

The darshan took only 2 hours but the walk back took us another 2 hours, which could have been saved if there had been proper boards directing and some organised way of sending in people who came from far away places. 

We found one old couple in tears because they could not even approach the senior citizen gate,  this should not be the case when there is an entire government working behind the scenes and the Collector of Kanchipuram goes online to describe the efficient way in which he has organised the entire event. 

At frequent places on either side of the roads leading to the entrance, there should have been "Help centers" to assist people. It was poorly managed at best and it was a sorry sight to see people who ran here and there without any directions and some going back disappointed.

While we started returning to Chennai , for about two Kms from eastern tower, we could see lines of buses and cars  full of people proceeding to worship AthiVaradan.

              

The drive back was very smooth and we stopped for coffee and biscuits and a little further for lunch as picnic in the Mahameru Dyana mandapam enroute to Chennai. It was a sumptuous meal of Upma kozhakattai , tomato chutney ,coconut chutney ,curd rice with vadu mangai. We rounded it off with Amul Masti buttermilk.

Varadar still invites us with his sharp features and is unforgettable as we remember his profile .