Skywatch Friday... Morning breaks

I could hear a buzz near my head, but wasnt sure if i was dreaming or if it was for real.. It was getting quite annoying and after a few seconds, i came awake only to realise it was my Alarm ringing, rather buzzing.. i had put my phone in Vibrate mode and hence this kind of a wake up alarm!! The time blinked 5.45am... Damn, that was early, that too on Saturday... 

But i had a reason for wanting to rise that early! I wanted to catch a glimpse of the sunrise above the ocean... I was in Mahabalipuram, probably the 1st time i had decided to get away for the weekend with friends... 

Every morning
Is the birth
Of something new
 

As the sun rises

a new day 

is born

Giving us 

hopes

dreams and 

wishes to be fulfilled.. 

The morning sun

in all its glory

guides our lives

Quickly made a dash for the beach few 100 yards from our room and soaked in the calm serene almost stillness in the air.. At a distance, i could see the golden glow slowly creep into the sky amidst a few dark clouds... What a sight that was.... 

 The silver shimmering from the ocean shone so bright in that morning sky, it was a sight to be experienced and something that words dont do justice!! I was alone on that stretch of the beach, and felt so at peace with the world, and with myself... 

As the year draws to an end, this will be the last Skywatch post for 2011.... I wish you all a Very Happy New Year!!! Live it up, enjoy yourself and go for it!!

For more beautiful skies, please visit Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday... History amidst nature

This was a journey we had embarked on nearly a year ago, but for some strange reason i was reminded of it today! And so, decided to unearth the photograph and share it as part of the Skywatch post!! 

We had just crossed Vandavasi when the friend who was also the guide told us we need to do a U turn and go into the village to reach our destination. We were headed towards Seeyamangalam, part of the Thellar Taluk in  Tiruvannamalai District. There were a few small houses and we spotted a crowd in front of a house. As we drove by, we noticed there had been a death, hence the crowd. Within a few meters, we spotted the temple on our left, and decided to explore the premises. 

Situated at 80kms from Chennai, Seeyamangalam is home to Stambeshwarar Temple [an avatar of Lord Shiva], After the main temple was constructed, the rulers who came in later [Chola and Vijayanagara rulers] added a few extensions- the mandapam and Gopuram. 

The temple was shut, and when we investigated, we discovered the temple would be open only after the funeral was done with[the death we saw down the road]... Knowing we had nearly an hour, we took a trip to another temple nearby -Thirumalpadi... 

We returned once the priest gave us the Green signal and spent some time wandering the interiors of the temple in Seeyamangalam. On one of the pillars inside, we were shown Shiva in the Ananda Thandava posture, which is one of the early interpretations. On the other side was a carving of Shiva Parvathi on Rishaba[bull]. The priest told us we were free to take photographs inside... 

A few steps from the main temple is a small temple atop a rock decidated to Lord Muruga. There were steps carved out of the rock, going 3/4th of the way. We decided to give it a pass after attempting the 1st few steps... The temple premises was huge, opening out to empty land and the blue skies.

 

After an hour or so, as we walked towards the car, we wondered what other stories were hidden within these walls. 

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Skywatch Friday... Fiery Skies

 

I walked out of the room towards the beach, there was nothing on my mind and all i wanted was to spend some time in the company of Me! It was December 5th or 6th, and we were on a mini holiday at Mahabalipuram. 3 friends who just wanted to get away from the city, and spend some time along the ocean. The evening sky was beautiful, i was glad to have brought my camera along. Infact earlier when i was getting out of the room, i recall going back to pick up my camera. "Just in case" i told myself.

The cool sand brushed against my feet as i walked along the shore, with the occasional wave gliding over my toes. The evening sun had just gone down for the day, leaving behind a trail of fiery red in the sky. I wondered what the Sun must look like now, and wondered who or where it was hovering about at that point of time.

My mind wandered to the last time i was at Mahabalipuram. It was too long is all i could remember. This 7th century port city that was once part of the Pallava Dynasty is just about 60kms from Chennai, and a treasure cover of history and heritage sights.  There is the Shore temple, the Tiger Caves, Arjuna's penance, Five Rathas, Butter Ball and so much more scattered across a few kilometers that it would take a day to explore them all. I promised myself i would come back and spend some time around these sites and with that settled down near the edge of the water to soak in the surroundings... 

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Lady of Lourdes Church,Trichy

As we wandered around near the bus stand, the distant sound of a bell reached my ears. I instantly started looking around to see where it came from. An old lady walking nearby seeing my puzzled face touched my arm and motioned towards the further ahead on the road. "Athu church lerundu varumma, poi paaru, atho anga irukku [ The sound is coming from the church nearby, go see it, it is just around the corner]". And true to her words, there it was, the beautiful structure standing tall amidst all the small roadside shops. The Rockfort Temple's tank was just across the road. 

We had reached the Lady of Lourdes Church in Trichy. Apparently this Church of our Lady of Lourdes is an exact replica of the Basilica of Lourdes in southern France and is over 100 years old. The architecture, style, and craftsmanship is overwhelmingly beautiful.

 The exterior is done up with intricate sculptures and the patterns are all so minute, it is amazing that people of those days had so much creativity and skill.  As we entered the church, the sheer space had us going "Wow, to think we almost missed visiting here". The pews are all arranged neatly, and there were a few sitting in silence praying.   As you look up, the stained glass panels depicting stories from the Bible are truly beautiful, and the sun's rays seem to add life to the people in the windows.  

Photo of the sculptures on the exterior taken on Canon [film camera]

Near the alter, we noticed a long pedestal of sorts with flowers and little bundles, what looked like rolled up paper. One of the priests who was there told us it was prayers left by those who came to the church, and told us that we could also leave a note and be assured it will come true! 

I did write a small note and when i was looking for something to tie it with, a woman who i spotted earlier praying gave me a piece of string, smiled and put her hand on my head "May Jesus be with you my child". I stood there smiling, almost sheepishly. 

Photo of the full facade on Canon [film camera]

A hand on my shoulder jolted me back to reality. We then wandered the corridors of the Church before making a beeline for the exit.Just as we were putting on our shoes, A man approached us asking if we had 2mins to spare. Without pausing for a breath he went on about how he was very poor & unwell and needed money to go to the doctor. An elderly man who was just entering the Church shooed the man away and told us "he comes here everyday ma, is piss drunk and takes money from people saying he is unwell only to go get drunk once again".. "have you been inside the Church? where are you from?"... 

We answered him and quickly walked across the road towards the Rockfort temple...