Celebrating Chennai..Ashtalakshmi Temple

Thanks to a friend i found in the blogsville-V, i discovered this treasured temple in Besant Nagar in the city i call home. Am talking about the Ashtalakshmi temple situated in the shores of the Bay of Bengal, at the long stretch of Elliots Beach, beyond the Velankanni Church

The architecture at this temple is very unique. The Goddesses and deities are across four levels, the top most opening out to the ocean. As the name states, the Ashtalakshmi temple is home to Eight avatars of Lakshmi.

Santaana Lakshmi (bestower of offspring)
Vijayalakshmi (bestower of success),
Vidya Lakshmi (associated with learning & wisdom)
Gaja Laskhmi (bestower of overall prosperity)
Dhanalakshmi (Goddess of wealth)
On the ground floor is the main shrine for Aadhi Lakshmi,
Dhaanya Lakshmi (Goddess of food)
Dhairiya Lakshmi's (the Goddess of courage, strength & power)
 

There are narrow flight of stairs leading from one level to the other and it is almost like an adventure making the way to the top.... I was excited and eager to see what was in the next level...

Celebrating Chennai.. Spot it if you can

I carry my camera with me all the time. I dont have a DSLR, mine is a compact Sony Cybershot and am quite happy with it.. Duh, why am I telling you this now? I dont know!! So, couple of weeks back when i was heading out, I took the flyover on Usman Road and voila, what did i spot there, this amazing piece atop this ginormous building..

Here is the piece that caught my eye.. Let us see if you can guess where it is....

 

For those who are impatient, you can scroll down to see where i spotted this..

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It is the Pothees Building on Usman Road :-)  Did you know?  Have you seen it?

 

Unable to spot it? Well, look straight above the giant P, in that little shelf sits the Kamadhenu piece..

Celebrating Chennai.. The ITC Grand Chola

 

This is the new landmark of Chennai.. Identify it? Have you been here? Seen it? Driven past it? Well, if you are still lost, then it is about time you drove out towards Guindy... Stop near the SPIC building and look across the road at this grand building. It is the ITC Grand Chola, that stands tall, oozing with majestic and grandeur. 

I got an opportunity to visit and explore the place, enjoy their hospitality and spend almost an entire afternoon here thanks to Indiblogger. You can read about it here

Spread across 8 acres with over 600 rooms, the hotel redefines luxury and hospitality. There are a few chunks which are being built as i type this, a few additional features being incorporated, but it is sure to be one of a kind.... 

Adios Kumbakonam

"Boom" I hear a cracker burst, beyond that I hear a dog howl and a child wail (am sure they were scared of the sound). Next door, a man in a worn out lungi sits with his legs stretched out. Probably home for lunch and resting his feet a bit. Few door away 2 girls are playing hop scotch with n old frail woman watching them from the verandah. The minute they hear the horn of the bus, they stop playing and wave.. I wave back at them and they grin, from ear to ear..

Oh,look there's a man sculpting a shivalinga idol, knocking on the stone over and over again till it breaks away. A lily pond with nothing but bright green moss covering its surface

A bus drives past, nearly brushing past my window jolting me out of my revere. The bus winds through the roads, honking at other trucks and cars ahead. Celine dione sings "beauty & the beast" - feels like she is talking about what am feeling now- leaving the beauty of the small town heading back to the big bad world called city life.

It has been 2days of sheer bliss, not just the sights and sounds, but being able to spend time with myself.. I am in a new town, a place I have been wanting to visit, but just dint seem to happen.. I guess it was "Time" or "destiny". And now am heading back, not sad, well little sad,but with the smile I had as I hopped on the bus on saturday morning in Chennai .

A loudspeaker plays a tamil movie song as the bus moves along.. 2men walk pushing a motorbike along...cool breeze sweeps my face...

I arrive in Kumbakonam

After a long journey, a bus ride of nearly 10hours i have finally arrived. This is a destination that has been on my radar for over 3yrs and looks like the time has finally come. Today, i woke up with an itch so heavy that i turned on my laptop and started looking for Bus tickets on Redbus.in even before i had my morning cup of coffee. I knew i wanted to get away, and i knew it had to be either Pondicherry  or Tanjore side. There were no buses available to Pondicherry and so i started looking for Tanjore, alas, none there. And then it struck me, i could check for Kumbakonam and voila, i found the one last ticket. But wait, it was for 10.15am, and the time was already 8am. Could i make it? Was i being foolhardy? I put aside my crazy thoughts and went ahead with the booking. Booked both onward and return and then went and told the family. They were flumoxed, usually i give announcements days in advance. 

Anyways, in their true style, grandparents started offering suggestions of places to see, while mom and dad asked me to be careful, and have fun. Mom's added advice "dont tire yourself out, you come back and are exhausted usually".. haha... 

So, here i am, sitting in the hotel room, typing this post. Just had a good cup of hot Kumbakonam Filter kaapi and ready for some dinner. I havent had a morsel to eat all day [ if you overlook the packet of biscuit and juice i guzzled down], but heck, 10hours and just that? you feel bad for me, right? 

Alrighty, time to sign off and head out..

You can follow my travel tales on Twitter , or check #traveltales :-) 

Celebrating Chennai.. Fort St George

Let us take a walk through history, a place that is quite the landmark- Fort St George... Established in 1653, it continues to remain an evidence to what happened eons ago and a reflection of the rich culture that is part of this beautiful city, Chennai. 

As you cross the small bridge, the first building on the right that greets you is the "Fort museum". Two floors showcasing objects that were used back in 1802, you will see everything from fine prints,a scale model of the fort and quite a collection of military memorabilia. Walking through the rooms, you will be engulfed in history and the time that was..