Most of you probably know about my recent visit to Kumbakonam (7/Mar) to take a holy dip in the Mahamagam temple tank. This blog is just to capture few nice and funny incidents during this visit. Keep reading...
Its 6th March. As usual, I was just snooping through Dinakaran, and stepped on a post that said - 7/Mar is Maasi Magam and its good to take a holy dip in Kumbakonam Temple tank. That's more than enough for me to get started - since I was planning to attend Kumbamela few years back (2009), but it didnt work out. This Maasi Magam is a similar kind of festival that happens in South India, not too far from Chennai. Also the fascinating stories behind Kumbakonam, Temple tank and its divinity was much more attracting for me. One other hidden agenda was to visit Chidambaram Temple.
As usual, my monkey (my mind ;-)) started throwing all excuses to skip this trip - physical issues, work pressure, leave availability, travel... blah...blah. With a good level of uncertainty, I packed one spare dress and started to office for the day. My travel itinerary was simple - Take a overnight bus, reach Kumbakonam by morning, take a holy-dip, temple visit, cover Vaidheeswaran temple (optional) and Chidambaram on the way back. After a long thinking, whether to-go or not, I decided to attend this. Reason - If at all, I cannot spend one day in my own life to do what I wanted to, then what liberty means?
Now the biggest problem starts - Where do I keep my bag during holy-dip? I really dont want to check-in a hotel for just few hours. But if the bag gets stolen, I will lose most of me - cash, credit card, mobile, pan card, office ID card etc. etc.. recovering them all back is really hell of a task. So, as a safety measure, I decided to offload most of my stuff in office and carry only necessary items. Silly confusion - whether to leave the mobile charger cable in my desk or carry it with me? Answer - If the mobile itself gets lost, what the hell am I going to do with the cable alone :).. lose it with cable, atleast the other guy might need it for charging :)...
Now the funny part starts. At 7.30pm, I stepped out my cubicle, reached lift and pressed the down arrow. Lift came-in smooth, doors opened, I entered in and "flop" - Current gone. Soon after power switched over to generator, the lift started moving UP rather down. In the office above, there was a big fire-alarm sounding and the security guard was trying to switch it off.. Though, I dont believe in signs - the monkey didn't hear. It again started - "I said it, and you didnt hear. Its upto you now...". I said to it - pora kazhudha enga pona enna... :)
Getting a comfortable drop till CMBT, I could locate a Chennai-Kumbakonam (push-back seat) bus waiting, and to my luck, there were few free seats. Most of them were reserved online. As part of my duty, I triggered a SMS to my family notifying my absence for the night.!
I was actually expecting the trip to be very jittery - for I had no concrete plans on how to proceed. I dont want to plan it either. Next day morning, bus reached Kumbakonam around 5.30am. After a strong tea, I just walked in around the bus-stand thinking what to do next? I really dont know what to do next. Go to temple directly or check-in a hotel? what time should should I go to temple tank? no idea... just walking..
One guy suddenly stepped-in asking me for a whether Iam looking a room for refreshment. He guided me to a hotel nearby. He charged 100/- for an hour of stay. After a good refreshment, I checked-out and again back in bus-stand. Just queried one near-by guy on how to reach the temple-tank. Though its just a kilometer away, he was stressing me to take a mini-bus. I think he is fed up with walking. Fortunately, the bus was right there and in next couple of minutes I was near the temple tank.
To my surprise, there are atleast 500 people in and around the tank at that time. Sun hasnt come-up till that time, and the camphor lights of those who are performing last rites for their ancestors was creating a heavenly atmosphere in the area. After seeing so many people taking dip, I too decided to offload some of my sin-bag. Whether it works or not, but no harm in trying right? In this culture, many core scientific facts are hidden behind such stories and beliefs - otherwise people wont remember and pass them to next generations. If we have good amount of time to decipher such stories and find the facts, it will definitely be amazing. If there is no time, atleast follow what they said.
I was reading about a foreigner who has done an extensive research on the temple tank (Saravana Poigai) in Tiruttani. He wrote, it was amazing to imagine how come that much of phosphorous content can be mixed in a temple tank.(Greenish color). He exclaimed, it will need the best alchemist to mix such right proportions of chemicals and a dip in Saravana Poigai will definitely heap health benefits. It can cure lot a of skin problems. How many of us know this? Dont wait for science to prove all things. That's definitely not going to happen.
Now, back to thread!! :).. The problem now is what to do with the bag? I could see few beggars roaming inside the temple tank, and I'm sure my bag could be looted. But then I heard that voice, "sir.. neenga thaniya vandheengala"...Aha..! one other wanderer with the same problem.. We had a deal. I said - You go first, I will take care of your bag. After his dip, he passed me the turn. After my dip, we happily parted. Its good that I didnt stress myself with too much of this bag problem. I know that will be solved at that moment anyhow...Job well done.. So what now?
Next in my plan was to visit "Adhi Kumbeshwarar" temple. Soon after getting out of the temple-tank there was a big temple. But that was not the Kumbeshwarar temple. It was Kaasi Vishwanathar temple. So what, 10mins of good darshan, and started walking towards the Kumbeshwarar temple. On the way, stepped into a couple of other big temples - Nageswarar and Someswarar temple. Finally reached the Kumbeshwarar temple, had a good-darshan of the moolavar and the urchavar. The Urchavar deity was all clad in flowers, and he was ready to take a dip along with his better-half by 10.30am. During that time, it will be immense crowd, and you cannot see a bit of him. (pona varusham azhagar aathula eranganaara - this is what i remembered at that time) But now, since I met him in his den, I happily started-off from Kumbakonam. Not sure when could I step on this holy land again.
After breakfast, started my way to Vaidheeswaran temple. It was almost 10.00am now. After a good darshan - I expected big crowd, but since it was week-mid and most of them were at Kumbakonam, this temple was free. A couple of marriages were happening.. [Nice couple.. ponnu nalla irundhudhu..], and the photographer was doing his duty. My office colleagues, who knew my travel plan, wanted me to check the Naadi Josiyam when in Vaidheeswaran Koil - but I really had no interest in knowing anything of my future. Past is gone, and present in happening. What am I going to do by knowing a hint of my future.. Let it happen in its way.. That will be more interesting.
Reached Chidambaram by 11.30am. By 12.00, they will close the temple and open only at 4.00 again. So, I was in a bit hurry to get a glimpse of Natarajar. Lucky enough, I got a good view of his dance. Once again, a mid-aged man, who appealed very spiritual [pattaiyum, kottaiyum pottunurundharu], called me up and asked - "Are you an Isha Meditator?".. Probably he should have noted the rudraksha mala in my neck. Looks like he is an Isha volunteer and was involved in the mega activity of Isha volunteers cleaning up this temple.
I really dont know what "Isha Meditator" means, for there are lot of levels, and iam not even in the first level. Avoiding to lie... that too standing before the god, I said "I have done my inner engineering course.. thats it". I dont know whether he got my statement, but he asked me to go and visit the "AdhiMoolaNaadhar" shrine which is one other lingam in the same temple, but a bit away from the main Natarajar deity. I really dont want to get there, since my intention was only to see Natarajar and step-back, but since he has said explicitly, I dont want to miss it too. Also it was only 11.45am and still there was15 more mins for the Nadai to close. [They will close the silver doors of the the main deity only and not the whole temple ;)]. I just walked towards the Aadhi moolanaadhar sannidhi, which is on the main pragaram, but a bit isolated, since most of the crowd is standing before Natarajar. Actually, there are lot of such sannidhi's and really I couldnt find where is aadhi mooolanaadhar. Meantime, the man who asked me to go there, himself came-in and guided me to the Sannidhi. He said "Whenever Sadhguru comes here, he will first visit Natarajar and will directly come here...". Inside the Sannidhi he was pointing me the statue of "Pathanjali" and one other statue, that I couldn't hear properly. Possibly, the only one student who survived the teaching of Pathanjali.
Since I already have read the story behind Pathanjali and Chidambaram, I could guess that this should be the place where Pathanjali Maharishi was teaching yoga to his students. That's why SJV has a soft corner over this place. Good that I came to know about that, and by this blog you all will know that. Next time, dont forget to take a look at "Aadhi Moola Naadhar" Sannidhi before you leave.
That man was also pointing me a bit cornered place, straight opposite the lingam and asked me to mediate at that place, if I need to. How do i say him that "I dont know how to meditate" :).. I said "Ok, but let me complete the Natarajar Darshan first, and come back here". He left and I couldnt find him later. After a good Natarajar Darshan, I came back to this Saanidhi. I really dont know to meditate, but I know how to sit "summa" for I have been doing that for years in office :).. So I decided to sit there "summa" for few mins, just as a formality after visiting the temple, and also satisfying the request of that Isha volunteer. Nammalayum oru manishana madhichi sonnarulla...
I just selected a good place, where I could lean against the pillar "comfortably", and just started thinking about the architectural beauty and the historic incidents behind this temple. How will this place look, when Pathanjali Mahamuni was taking his Yoga Class? How great are our ancestors to design and build a temple for space? No moolarvar.. just empty space.. Chidambara Ragasyam...WoW.. Just thinking such things, I just closed by eyes, and within seconds it was a "swirl" taking me deep inside. Actually, I was really tired travelling all night, and I'm not sure whether I started sleeping or meditating. Now, I really dont want to get into that swirl and get embarrassed (if at all I'm sleeping :) ). I just managed myself to escape the swirl which lasted for few seconds - but in real some 5-6 mins have gone and I could see a lot of people standing near that Sannidhi. Good that I was still sitting and didnt fall-off. When I closed my eyes, no one was there, and now more people were here since the Nadai was closed. It was almost 12.40 by that time, and I need to return.
Lucky enough, I could get a bus without much waiting time and reached home safely. A very good, smooth and satisfying trip indeed, and worth spending a day in my life. If at all, I listened to the monkey within, this trip would have been another excuse. But this went smooth than I really expected it to be. Not sure how long I will have the liberty to wander-at-will, but within time, there are lot more places to cover.
