Anand's Marriage in Keelamudiman..

This is my travel experience for Anand's wedding to Keelamudiman village in Tuticorin district.  Anandraj is my college classmate. And this is the second boys marriage in our class that I am attending.  I heard some of the other boys got married already and have a kid even.

The marriage was on a Sunday, so I started my journey on a Friday night.  I came to know that Prabhu anna (my college senior) and some other juniors guys are also attending the marriage.  Also, I heard they are going to Madurai and then to Tuticorin. So, me too booked my tickets to Madurai to join them.  I reached Madurai Mattuthavani bus stand around 7AM in Saturday morning. Prabhu anna and two other junior guys were already there waiting for me to join.  We started our journey to Kovilpatti from there.  Actually, Keelamudiman is nearer to Kovilpatti than Tuticorin.  So, Anand has booked the rooms near Kovilpatti bus stand itself. 

Kovilpatti was hardly 2 hours journey from Madurai. So, we reached Kovilpatti bypass around 9:30AM.  From there, we reached the hotel and met some faces which I was quite familiar like Babu, Karthi and Vasanth.  But others are completely new to me.  But, I really had a very good time with them all..

After some time of old and new stories, everyone of us got ready to go out.. I think it's Vasanth who proposed that plan to go "Thirparapu falls". There was a fun there. I will tell you little later.. We waited for the car for around an hour and finally we started our journey to the falls.. We traveled in the NH7. It was an awesome road, we were literally kind of flying. I was expecting that the falls will be somewhere nearby and will be less than an hour Journey. But it was more than an hour, since we started our Journey. There is no trace of falls and questions started to arise.

One answer shocked most of us.. The driver was saying it will take another 2-3 hours to reach the falls. Yes, the falls was in Nagercoil district in the borders of Kerala. Most of us were in the same misconception that the falls was nearby. On hearing the driver's comment, we just stopped by the side and started to discuss, whether we should proceed that long. And as expected, the decision was to proceed. So, we had a 3 hours of journey and finally reached the falls..

On the road side shop, we had some bajjis and gave some work for the ferocious stomach acids. Then we walked down the narrow passage to the falls. The falls had a little water unfortunately, but it was a pleasant view. Luckily, the crowd was low at that time, and it was mid afternoon. So I was really excited for a falls bath after a very long time.. If I remember correctly, I bathed in Kutralam falls during my second year of college(nearly 7 years before)..

Though the water was less, the bath was really excellent. The heavy blows on the back refreshed me like anything. I just thought of the days when people lived close to nature in villages compared to the fast and artificial life today in cities/towns.. At least, I had some experiences of  village life in my childhood. I feel pity for the coming generations to miss all those.

After one hour of superb bath, we packed to leave. Already we were hunger, a superb bath aroused the hunger to a new extent.  We attacked a bajji shop there and shattered the bajji's and bondas there and had some watermelon and got the hunger down a bit, but still feeling hunger. Then, we started  back to Kovilpatti.  On the way, we went to a hotel for dinner.  I was expecting the spicy south side food there, but unfortunately we had Kerala style food with coconut oil in everything.  But having no other go, we finished our dinner there itself and ended our day in the hotel room again. As expected, the night passed with "saraku" and lot of "blabberings".

The next day, we started around 7AM from Kovilpatti to Keelamudiman. It took around  an hour through the dry lands to reach Anand's home where the marriage was scheduled. When we reached there, few things are really different. First, the innovatively designed banners with lots of fun and the Groom himself welcoming us in normal lungi with marriage in another half an hour.. We spent half and hour wondering in the streets there to pass the time..

The ceremony started around 10AM. The ceremonial stage was just a 10x10 stage before Anand's home with a small pandal for the others to sit. Apart from these different setup than a regular marriage, a lot of fun happened during the marriage. The kutties(don't mistake - i meant the small boys) were all given with the snow sprayers and few more decorative items. When the knot was tied, those kutties went really ferocious and filled the heads of the bride, groom and the iyer's head with complete snow.

After the marriage, a small reception was arranged in the nearby Govt school ground stage. I have never seen such a simple marriage in life so far and I really loved the proceedings. By the time, the bride and groom were getting ready for the reception, we spent our time playing cricket and rolled taps(athan pa - bambaram) after a long time. Then the bride and the groom visited the reception stage. \We hurried to wish the newly married couples, since the next plan was lunch obviously and that too with Chicken Briyani. After two rounds, we managed to get the seats for all of us in a row and had a heavy lunch. After the heavy lunch, we just visited the couple to inform them and leave. But, the next bus was only after an hour to Kovilpatti, so we waited in the bus stand with some vetti talks.. 

Finally, a bus was arranged and we reached Kovilpatti in an hour. Actually, I have booked my return ticket to Bangalore from Tuticorin itself. But most of the friends, who came to the marriage have booked their tickets from Madurai.  So I also changed my plan to board the bus from Madurai and started to Madurai with them.  We reached Madurai Mattuthavani bus stand around 7PM and had a simple dinner in a bus stand hotel. While others waited for their buses in the bus stand itself, I left to the travels office in Periyar bus stand.  This ends my Tuticorin/Madurai trip for the marriage.

A bike ride on the Bangalore Nice road..

It's a Friday early night 9PM.. I am waiting for my train in City junction to start my 8th consecutive weekend travel.. It's really tiresome, but I love this new experience of continuous travel.. I just love it.. At this breezy evening moment, just thought of blogging my biking experience in the Nice road.. And here it is..

One fine Wednesday evening, I got a call from some unknown number asking for blood donation in Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital.. First, I thought I would not go, but I didn't say no.. I said I will call back in half and hour and confirm about that.. After half an hour, he himself called me again to ask my plan.. Finally, I accepted..

Next day morning, I started early in the morning (around 8AM, I haven't started to my office even this early in recent past:-)).. Narayana Hrudayalaya was nearly 50KMs from the place where I stay.. But something made me to accept that and go.. I started my ride, and went through a different route of BEL circle, New BEL Road, Mathikere, JC Road .. and finally reached Hosur road around 9AM.. An hour for just 25KMs.. Yuk.. Crossing Madiwala, I didn't felt much difficulty in reaching the hospital other than a little back pain.. As expected from a complete 2 hours of journey in Bike.. 

When I reached the hospital, a thing shocked me a bit.. Actually, the person who called me said its an emergency and they need the blood within 11AM for a surgery.. So I thought it may be for his relative or so.. But what happened there was different.. Seems in Narayana Hrudayalaya, you need to get few persons of specified blood group to donate the blood before they start the surgery for a patient.. Narayana Hrudayalaya was known for its low cost surgery, but they do it on a condition to get few blood donors.. And in my case, the surgery for the person's( who called me) father was kept on hold since he couldn't get the expected number of blood donors..  I was really shocked to know about this.. Finally, the purpose of the visit is done, and I started from the hospital and decided to work from home for the rest of the day..

I haven't traveled over the Electronic city elevated flyover in bike so far.. So, I thought I would take that.. But unfortunately, I missed the toll and forced to take the usual route.. But few meters ahead, standing in a signal, I saw the "Nice road" beginning.. Ashok (one of my roommate) used to say about Nice road meeting Tumkur road.. That was the only clue I had about Nice road.. My home was off Tumkur road.. So, suddenly a thought ran over my mind and there starts my Nice road experience..

I was standing in the mid of the road at the signal.. So slowly turned left to take the service road joining the Nice road and started my Nice Road journey.. The first thought that ran in my mind is,  "Am i going in the right direction?", coz it gives me a feel like I came from home to hospital in north-south direction, but traveling towards west direction in the Nice road.. But in few minutes I understood that there is no other option for me, since I couldn't find any U-turn to the distant I can see.. With a small confidence, I continued my Nice road experience..  Within next few minutes, came the first Toll gate.. I paid Rs. 19 to continue my travel.. I thought that would be the first and last Toll.. But, before that thought ran out of my mind, came the second Toll.. This time, paid Rs.48/-. The  m thing that ran over my mind is "God, there shouldn't be any other toll".. I just enquired the toll guy about the distance to Tumkur Road junction.. He said "40Kms sir.. (my eyes opened widely for a moment).. But, You can reach in 15-20 minutes sir.." I didn't say anything, just tightened my helmet and started again.. 

For next few minutes, "40Kms" was occupying my mind completely.. Gradually I started liking the ride over those dark, clean and wide Tar roads.. Yes, that was really an awesome road.. My speedometer gradually started to show 70.. I could see the coconut farms piled at a remote distant, small lakes here and there, plain scaly and sloppy landscapes, large houses looking like small matchboxes at a far distance, four wheelers flying besides me in 100's.. With all these excellent views, my bike was floating in the Nice road amidst the Huge rocks..  

In a distant, I again saw a toll plaza and started to chuckle.. But luckily, it was not the way I need to take.. It was another entry to the Nice road from some other place..  Driving for more than 20 Kms, I started to feel a bit tired.. So, just stopped for a moment by the road side and relaxed for a while and started my journey again.. I just liked traveling like this.. Within next 10-15 minutes I could see the Nice road meeting the Tumkur road.. Finally I could see some place names familiar to me like "Nelamangala", "Dasarhalli".. So, I am finally convinced that I took the correct path.. From the Nice road, Tumkur road Junction, it hardly took me 5-10 minutes to reach my home.. That ends my Nice road experience..

Though it was a very long and tiresome trip(that too after a blood donation), I liked that experience..

PS: Unfortunately, I forget to take some pics in the excitement of Nice road trip. I felt really bad about it.

Pratheep's House Warming Ceremony

Place : Mayiladuthurai, Trichy
Date :  26, 27 Jan 2012

It's a Wednesday, I went to office after a long dilemma of whether to work from home or to go to office.  As usual, planned to start early but ended up starting late from office.. My bus is by 9PM from Shanthi Nagar.. Somehow rushed up and finally reached Shanthi Nagar bus stand by 9 exactly..  As usual, couldn't get a proper answer from the TNSTC people and somehow found the bus and boarded it.. Kidding my hunger, the bus came out of the bus stand by 9:30PM and there starts my journey to Mayiladuthurai...

Crawling like a snail, I believe the bus didn't crossed the Bangalore borders till I slept.. Somehow the night passes and I woke up when the bus reaches Neyveli.. And finally reached Mayiladuthurai by 9:30AM.. 12 hours of travel..Oops.. If I remember correctly, this is my third visit to Mayuram and to Pratheep's home..

Ragu was already in Pratheep's new house when I reached the lodge.. Got freshen up as fast as I can and wandered in the streets of Mayuram to get the gift.. In Bangalore gift shops, I can't find the expected gift below Rs. 350/-, but there in Mayuram, I couldn't find a gift more than Rs. 350/-  A bell banged my head on how we spend meaningless in cities.. In both cases, the purpose is same - to greet someone.. But at a higher cost in cities.. Somehow packed the gift, and Pratheep was already waiting in lodge to take me to his new Home.

At last, the purpose of the trip.. Reached Pratheep's Home.. Ragu was sitting silent as usual, dived into his mobile seeing the score in which India lost very badly.. And met Pratheep's Amma, Appa, Periyamma, Chithi, greeted and exchanged smiles with other known faces.. The Home looked really good with three sides covered by other houses and a green landscape in the front.. Outer walls glitter with grey paint and pink lines in between and the inner walls wore a yellow cloth with completely vitrified flooring.. Then started our as usual chats (vetti katha than) and went for the most important thing.. Of course, a full course meals with crispy papad and sweet payasam..

Then Me, Pratheep and Ragu went to Pratheep's old house(just walkable distance - but felt hard after whole sum lunch) and rested for a while there..  We planned to go for the Matinee show of "Nanban".. Our plan was collapsed due to the unavailability of bike at that moment.. So we ended up having a good nap there.. As all three of us hasn't slept properly the day before, that nap was really a good one.. We got up by 4PM and had a walk to the market streets of Mayuram.. Had some spicy pani puri's and masala puri's there.. This reminds me of our long walk during college days.. Yes, we three used to walk from our college to PSG CAS after the dinner during our final days of college.. Really golden days I would say..

We reached the Lodge and had some chit chats again for a while.. Then Pratheep left, as Me and Ragu were ready to leave Mayuram.. As a final touch for the Mayuram trip, Me and Ragu went to the famous "Kaliyakudi hotel".. Seems Ragu's dad had asked to visit Kaliyakudi at least once.. But we are highly disappointed with the food there on that day.. Anyway, its again a  good day in Mayuram..

Then I started to Trichy around 8PM to my brother's room.. I couldn't get a direct bus to Trichy, so went to Kumbakonam and from there to Trichy.. Finally reached by 12PM.. Luckily my brother's room was walkable distance from the bus stand..  By the time I went there, it was complete silence and dark.. So just winded the day with a sleep..

 Next day, My Bro had an interview.. So he started early in the morning and said he will come by the noon.. I somehow managed to spend half a day alone in his room.. Then in the evening, we went to the "Uchi Pillayar Kovil"..  This is the first time, I am going there.. So it was a good experience walking through that crowded shops, and climbing those steep steps to meet Mr. Ganesh.. The temple was just small and luckily less crowded that day for a peaceful Darshan..  And it was really a good view of Trichy from the hill top.. We could see the Srirangam temple tower lined by lights amidst the clouds in a far distance, the Trichy-Chennai highway glittering with it's street lights, numerous house stacked as match boxes and above all the Mighty waters of Cauvery surrounding the city beautifully.. Spent some beautiful minutes there with some photos and sweet ladoos.. Then we went to Saradhas textiles for a small shopping (perusa ethum ella - orae oru track pant)..  And finally ended the day back in my bro's room watching Osthi..  Friday morning, I started early from Trichy and went to my home town.. And that ends my Mayuram and Trichy visit..

Spent my Saturday and Sunday in home town as usual (athavathu vetiya pozhutha pokitu), and came back to Bangalore on Monday morning for my routine...

Mani's brother marriage trip..

Place : Madurai, Virudhunagar & Sivakasi [ for a short time:-) ]

Date : 21 & 22 Jan 2012

This journey starts with Me & Sakthivel (@ Sutri) reaching Kalasipalayam.. We had a simple dinner at a hotel opposite to Bangalore medical college and boarded the bus.. We've booked the tickets up to Virudhunagar.. But Sutri blabbered something "Why can't we get down in Madurai?".. That's it, our plan changed and we got down in Madurai :-)

Saturday morning, we reached the city of Pandiyas.. (Now called as the fort of so called DMK's "Annan" - Mr. M. K. Alagiri. "B.A.,"-vam. -Nan apadiyae shock ayitaen).. We stayed in Hotel Vijay (0452-2336321) near bus stand.. The hotel is not that cheap(Rs. 600/day), but had a decent and comfortable stay..

We booked a local tour package (Rs.160/head) in the hotel itself and started our tour to "Thiruparangundram" Murugan temple (First divine house of the six Murugan temples).. This was my first visit to this temple, as I remember.. We had a pleasant and wonderful darshan of Lord Muruga (called as the "Tamil God") with less crowd in the temple.. But, now-a-days temples are becoming business centers.. Worst part we experienced is, a guy forcefully kept the flowers in our pooja tray and collected 10 rupees.. I am not against the small business in temples for livelihood, but I hate such cheating fellows in the name of God.. Next, we came back to Madurai bus stand and had Nelli Juice (Amla Juice) and Ginger juice ( it's a first try for me at-least).. Then we roamed on some Madurai streets to buy the gift for Rathinavel's (@Mani) brother marriage..

At last, we started our city ride.. There were around 25 people in the bus, but worse thing is only 5 people are Tamils, remaining all are North Indian people.. Funny thing here is, the guide asked Rs.20/- for parking and other expenses.. But, some North Indian aunties(who seems to be from a upper middle class family) argued with that guy for more than 30 minutes for that..


First, the travel guy took us to the "Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal", the remains of an ancient palace, which is known for its Gigantic Pillars.. I have seen this place in "Iruvar" movie already, but I don't know that is this place.. It's good to be there for a while.. Then we went to "Gandhi Museum", where the cloth worn (with blood stains) by Mahatma when he was shot was kept preserved and then we visited "Mariamman theppakulam" and had some bright light photos..

 

Next, we went to "Pazhamudhir Solai"- another divine house(6th) of Lord Muruga.. It was a short and beautiful temple situated amidst small green mountains.. Luckily, the moment we there, there was a Golden Chariot Ula.. Good to see that.. I liked that temple.. In the bottom of those mountains, lies the "Kallalagar temple - a form of Lord Vishnu.. we went there just before the temple close and had a nice dharshan of Gigantic Kallalagar with some hot Pongal:-)..

Next, we visited a small temple on the way and finally dropped in front of the "Meenakshi Amman temple".. We rushed there as the temple will close by 9PM.. This is the only place where I felt the crowd for the day.. Anyways, we had a good darshan of "Meenakshi Amman".. Unfortunately, we couldn't see "Sundareshwarar" temple as it was closed just at the moment we reached there.. Anyway, we roamed around the "Golden Lotus" pond and the "Four gigantic gates" of the temple, had Madurai famous "Jigarthanda" and ended the day back in the room..

Next day(Sunday), we started early from Madurai to Virudhunagar for Mani's brother marriage.. Virudhunagar was one and a half hour journey from Madurai.. The fun of the day happens here.. The bus stopped in Virudhunagar old bus stand.. But we thought there will be a new bus stand and didn't get down there..  From there the bus started and kept moving for a long time.. After half and hour.. I said "Namma Sivakasi poitu irukomo??".. And Sutri looked outside on some boards and said "Mark, you are right?".. Having no option, we exchanged some crazy laughter and got down the bus and got a Virudhunagar bus and finally reached Mani's town..


Mani took us to his home, and from there we reached the Mandapam.. Pratheep and Docomo(Dinesh) were already there.. We had some chit chats for hardly 5 minutes.. Then one of us said "Sari, vantha velaya papoma??".. Next moment, we were in the dining hall:-) 

We faced a different kind of marriage there.. Yes, the marriage happens in two halls.. Bride's hall and Bridegroom's hall.. The Groom will start from his hall and goes to the Bride's hall on Elephant, the marriage happens there and the newly married couple comes back to the Groom's hall on a decorated horse chariot for the reception..  Few more interesting things.. When multiple marriage happens on the same day, there will be a lot to choose who will use the elephant it seems.. And the marriage doesn't have any Pundit chanting Mantras.. It's just like, an elder person in that community speaks about both the families, the couples and few general things and finally the groom ties the knot to the bride and start their journey of life together..

 After finishing the lunch, we returned to the room, rested for some time, had some chit chats and roamed on the streets of Virudhunagar, had some hot bondas and tea.. Pratheep and Dinesh had their bus from Madurai, so they started before us.. Finally, Me and Sutri boarded the train to Bangalore.. And there ends our two day trip..