On Sunday (November 14, 2010) I visited two of my favored temples in Chennai – The Satyanarayana Temple and the Chennai division of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, each equally discovered at T.Nagar, Chennai’s selling hub.
The Satyanarayana Temple is considered one of its type in Chennai. The presiding deity is Lord Satyanarayana. The opposite deities are Lord Hanuman, Lord Venkateswara, Lord Narasimha (The Lion God), Goddess Mahalakshmi (Goddess of Wealth), Lord Hayagriva (the God of Learning), Andal (The devotee who later merged with the God), Lord Rama together with his family members and Sudarshana. I frequented this temple following nearly 6 months to thank him for blessing me with a child (my lady).
I then visited the Chennai Division of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) and sought the blessings of the Lord Balaji, together with his consort (Goddess Padmavathi). I suppose it was God’s contacting and I resolved to make a go to to Tirupati (the richest Hindu temple) the upcoming working day (November 15, 2010).
The day began out with a rude get up at 4.00 AM as I skilled to realize the boarding difficulty at 5.00 PM. I bathed, refreshed and reached my boarding difficulty at T.Nagar in 15, a document of varieties as you journey speedier by foot within the house (which is by the best way the coronary coronary heart of Chennai’s promoting motion). Usually you journey this house by foot in half-hour and by automotive or truck in an hour (4 situations that point all through peak festive time).
For the uninitiated, Chennai is discovered within the southern most level out of Tamil Nadu, when Tirupati is positioned within the state of Andhra Pradesh.
I boarded the Tempo Traveller together with 11 some others (excluding driver). One explicit established of 6 travellers, comprising two relations (accomplice, partner and son) had been from the Indian situation of Rajasthan who’ve happen on a tour down south India and the 2nd family of 5 customers ended up from Chennai, who had been seemingly on a family members performance. A single of their family members’ child hair was remaining made obtainable, as it’s their partner and kids deity.
I used to be seated up coming to the motive force. The previous day (Sunday evening time) I had watched EPL and went to mattress at 00.30 hrs joyful to see our most essential rivals Chelsea trailing -2 at dwelling to Sunderland (I support Manchester United within the EPL, Barcelona at La Liga and Brazil within the worldwide diploma). I, thus, skilled plans to seize up with my lacking sleep.
Applicable from the moment I boarded the bus and the journey commenced, I daresay sleep was the ultimate issue on the second. It was drizzling a bit. However the element that shook me up was the best way the auto was remaining pushed.
I remembered the Priest and driver joke, wherever the motive force goes to Heaven and the Priest is stranded in Hell. I completely support the Driver for his declare to Heaven, proper after observing my driver. He struck the concern of God and I chanted all of the prayers that arrived to my thoughts.
There are a handful of in style features within the culturally quite a few nation of India – ardour for cricket, development for movie and sporting actions personalities, rash driving, absence of cleanliness and orderliness.
The automotive or truck was remaining pushed throughout the Countrywide Highways NH 205 (which connects Chennai in Tamil Nadu with Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh). The velocity restrict revealed was 40 kms. After I observed the speedometer (as I used to be sitting reverse the motive force), it confirmed a mere 90 kms. It was not that our driver was rash, different individuals had been driving sooner virtually 100 kms on each aspect of the road.
There have been a pair of sad factors that I noticed through the examine course of my journey – 1 a pet canine buying been strike by a rushing automotive and bled to lack of life, its orphan pet canine working aimlessly all through the road. In a distinct incident I noticed a pup crushed, solely system stays and its sibling sitting down subsequent to it.
In a number of areas all through the 152 kms lengthen, just one main automotive and a two car might transfer. However all of the motor autos have been jostling and declaring I’m appropriate by honking and utilizing quickly. In virtually 3 spots, my blood froze and coronary coronary heart skipped a beat. The driving force on probably aspect had been dashing as if to hit and run or straight ahead collision, was the choice.
There are a pair points I favor at some stage in my highway-rail journey – the greenery and the fantastically lined bushes, the chance to work together with fellow passengers and perceive about them and good slumber.
Snooze was disadvantaged within the to start out with half of the journey. Nonetheless, after I turned again, I noticed fellow passengers dozing off peacefully, unaware of the specter of the push. How I envied them! I savored the greenery and noticed countryside life at its most beautiful and vibrant.
Proper after virtually 3 hrs of journey, we reached Tirupati (the cut back part) the place we had our breakfast. Proper after the breakfast our tutorial joined us for the journey and I used to be specified a crack from immediately witnessing the perils of driving. I moved the final seat on the auto.
The subsequent half of the onward journey was spent interacting with fellow passengers from Chennai and having enjoyable with the conventional surroundings, which was spectacular. Tirupati, is positioned on the Seven Hills and the local weather was nice for a generate – neat, drizzling a bit. The mist surrounding the hills solely elevated the conventional pure magnificence. The 2nd facet of 25 kms handed by the use of deep curves, blind turns and hairpin bends. However from the best way the auto was jerking I fathomed that the motive force was utilizing at double the prescribed velocity restrict.
On the time we attained Tirupati, we waited for the South Indian household to complete tonsuring the top of the little considered one of their relative. This hour’s delay established our software program again once more by 3-4 hours. We entered into the cage, wherever we waited our rework to information the ticket and have the Seegra Darshan. The queue began off relocating slowly. Our cage of just about 200 was very simply probably the most unruly. The cages of pilgrims on probably side have been fairly orderly and successfully behaved. We ended up introduced freed from cost meals stuff within the cage which served as we skilled our supper solely at 7.30 PM. The humorous factor was whereas we within the Rs.300 ticket waited for 4 hrs and the Rs.50 ticket pilgrims waited for 6-7 hours, the devotees who paid little or no waited just for an hour.
We had a darshan of Lord Balaji by 4.30 PM for a span of 10 seconds. I undoubtedly considered myself blessed to be within the presence of the Lord for the unusual interval is 2-3 seconds. Because it was raining steadily, we awaited our change to gather our pattern of the planet well-known Tirupati Laddoos. We then returned to our bus and began on our return journey.
We attained the cut back Tirupati by 8.00 PM, skilled our night meal and went to Tiruchanur to search out the blessings of Goddess Padmavathi, the consort of Lord Balaji. The darshan beneath was faster and a lot better, completed in just about a jiffy (5-10 minutes).
We commenced once more to Chennai, which was sometimes handed off peacefully and I arrived at dwelling by 00.30 a number of hours the next working day (November 16, 2010).
On attaining property, I used to be educated that the brand new profession which was pending was on account of and I used to be anticipated to be part of in a day or two.
I’ve recognized my buddies and kin, who ready meticulously for months collectively however proceed to couldn’t make the holiday to Tirupati, besides the Lord himself wishes. I agree with this attitude difficulty. My want and program was place into movement and I used to be able to request the blessings of the Divine Lord in a topic of 1-2 occasions. Simply these days considered one of my shut buddies who skilled concluded his job interview effectively was ready round for becoming a member of the brand new profession. Quickly after his journey to Tirupati, issues moved at a feverish tempo and he joined as earlier than lengthy as he returned.
“Individual proposes, God disposes”. That is actual of all religions. God is the Supreme Electrical energy and having mentioned that, significantly science and know-how developments, we will not match his energy and can. We can’t stop demise, can postpone it for sometime solely.
I saved the title of this write-up on two counts: One explicit, given that of the best way the auto was pushed on all sides, I used way more time pondering about God and in quest of his pardon and blessings. Two, the darshan alone was nice and completely maintain out the ache and issue.
http://www.tirumala.org presents you all the main points about Tirupati.