Riding the Metro... and the beautiful sunset

So, a few days ago I got a message "can you come to the airport?" .. I was both surprised and stumped, cos he had mentioned the chennai trip, but since I dint hear from him after that I wasnt sure if it was on or cancelled. Anyways, we went to and fro about how much time he had, the time it would take me to get to the airport etc.. and within 10mins, I was dressed and on the way to the Chennai Metro station.  Alternatively, I can take the emu as well, it is also within 5mins from home, but metro seemed a better option [esp cos with emu I have to get off at Tirusulam and cross the road etc] :)

I have 2 closeby home, within 5mins walk infact- Kilpauk and Pachaiyappas College. I opt for the latter cos it was just a straight stretch with no crossings or crazy traffic. Got to the station, picked up return ticket -Rs110 and was up on the platform #1 and in the train to the airport [which is the final stop]. The train was fairly empty, and the ride was smooth. In 35mins I was at the airport, in the shuttle headed to the departure area.

Once you get off the train, go downstairs and get on the elevator to the ground level. The shuttle operates from the ground floor near the metro station and drops you at the arrival area. From there you can take the elevator up to the departure area. And similarly, to head back to the metro station, go down to arrival area and  take the shuttle to the metro station. This is exactly what I did to and fro... And once again, back up to the platform#1, and on the train headed home... 

                                                  Here are a few clicks from the evening.... 

The route was Pachaiyappas college to Airport via Anna Nagar, Koyembedu, Ashok Nagar, Nanganallur road... 

[Spotted this while waiting at the station.. interesting contraption and concept]

Err umm these ads are all over the compartments... Fruits of the loom itseems.. hehehe

The ride back was good, but the train was packed, I had to move to the ladies compartment which was also packed within minutes... phew... Good to see people using this mode of transport so well! 

The Metro Rail ride..koo chug chug chug with pride.....

Sometime last week I posted this in one of the whatsapp groups am a part of- “we spoke about doing a Metro ride, but haven’t done one yet as a group. Each of us have done it on our own “. Two replied saying they haven’t been on the metro yet and few of us replied yes, a group trip was pending. And that was how the train got rolling. Plans were made, we decided to go for it on Sunday -25^th Sep. After a bit of to and fro, it was decided we would all meet at Guindy Metro station by 11am. From there, we would ride all the way to the Airport and back.

Madras a suthi parka porein...puthusa vandirukkum metrovilyerrriiiii ... lolz.. 

The easiest way for me to get to Guindy is by electric train [ well, I can be fancy and take a cab] but then hey, its all about the experience. So, Sunday morning around 10.15 I walked down the road to Chetpet Station, bought tickets[Rs10], and waited for the Emu to arrive. It did take its own sweet time. There were a few stray souls like me waiting and a few commented that trains were lesser since it was Sunday. Ah, finally I spotted the train, got into the compartment [wasn’t too crowded] and sat down to enjoy the ride. It had been years since I plied by these trains and must say it was still fun.

I reached Guindy station around 10:40, got out of the station to see where my friends were[there is a way to get to the Metro station without actually getting out], but it was too hot and so I turned around and headed up the Escalator at Guindy Metro Station [ there are normal staircases to climb as well, and the escalators are only for going up]. Friends were waiting on the landing. We waited for the others, and made our way to one of the ticket kiosks. It was all very similar to what I had seen in Bangkok.

You had to touch the destination station, it would then show the ticket rate, you choose number of tickets, confirm, and feed the machine your money [you can put in cash notes upto Rs100]- For us it was Rs40 one way per pax. It was fun watching the chips fall into the slot once the money went in. One by one they arrived, small blue colour circular poker chip like tokens.

From there, you go through a small security check area, show the token on top of the unit that opens up for you to pass through. You then go two floors up to the train platform [these escalators were really long and high, there are lifts as well]

The view around was breathtaking, and the flights that were taking off seemed to fly so close by. There was a screen displaying details about next train, ours was 13 mins away. Meanwhile a train heading to Little Mount arrived in theother platform.

Our train came, doors opened, we got in and tra la la laa, it was a fun ride... . Since it is still new, it wasn’t too crowded. The announcements were clear, there are route maps on both sides of the door [English and Tamil with light indicators].. We saw the Golf Course, the runway till we reached the Airport station.. There was a portion that went underground, it was dark and fun…

At the airport, you can hop out of the rain, go down the steps/lift and walk it out to the domestic or international terminals. I heard they are planning on launching shuttle services soon. The airport looked super cool from up here.. we decided to do this rate later in the evening one day. 

It was getting hot, and so once again we did the merry go round... went downstairs, picked up tickets to Little Mount [this too costed us Rs 40 one way per pax] and enjoyed our ride back… While the entire journey was a good experience, I found there were no security guards on the platform.  hmmmm... hopefully it is in the plan~! Oh and how can I forget to mention this- am super kicked and proud that my city has this cool system .... :D 

Once the entire route is complete, it would be so easy to get to the Airport from home… J

Heritage tour to Kovur & Thyagaraja connection

It was Sunday, and I was up by 4.30am.. Had kept the alarm for 5 and told gramma & mom to wake me up, which both of them did [in their half sleep state] but I was up before their calls. You are probably wondering why I was up at that unearthly hour, that too on a  Sunday.. Well, I was off on a heritage tour to Kovur. 

It was a tour organised by Sriram V and sounded very interesting.. Here is what the mail read, 

"Tucked away in a remote corner of ever-expanding Chennai is tiny Kovur. An otherwise non-descript village, it is known for the fact that the Shiva temple here has five songs composed on it by Tyagaraja. The circumstances in which he came here and created these songs make for an interesting story. It combines with it a vast canvas of history, ranging from the Cholas to the East India Company dubashes. This being Tyagaraja’s 250th year of birth, what better way of celebrating his life and works than a visit to Kovur?"

Now if that doesnt have you curious, i don't know what will.. So, anyways, I made my way to the pick up point, said hi hello to the familiar faces and connected with a few new faces as well while waiting for the bus. We boarded and were off to Kovur. Along the way, Sriram gave us some insight into Thyagaraja Bhagavathar's life...

The carnatic music legend Thyagaraja is renowned for creating nearly 78new ragas, of which Karaharapriya & Harikamboji are two ragas that are extremely popular today.. 

Not much is known about his mother, but what people do know is he had two wives, a daughter and died in 1847.. 

I came to know he had also done two operas 
1)Naukacharitramo - a boat song
2)Prahalada varishamo

Few other tit bits gathered were that,

• S Rajam did the first portrait of Thyagaraja which is what is duplicated even today.. 
• The 1st Tamil song is a Thyagaraja keerthanai by Papanasam Sivam for the movie Sita Kalyana 

If you know of any other trivia, do share, would love to know more about this legend...  Alright, now coming back to Kovur,we were headed there to visit the famous temple -Sundareswarar Swamy Temple.. The bus ride was about 30mins to 45mins... The temple is situated just beyond Porur, we took a turn after MIOT hospital and few kilometres ahead was a narrow road that led straight to the temple. With tall Ashoka trees lined up on either side, hiding the dilapidated houses/buildings behind them, we made our way to the entrance. 

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple was built by Kulothunga Chozha [7th century] and the main gopuram and other shrines were added on later by Pallava Ruler.. The main God here is Sri Sundhareswarar (Thirumaeneeswarar) and Goddess Soundharaambigai (Thiruvudai Naayagi).

According to legend, Goddess Kamakshi was doing penance on fire in Maangaadu [a town not far off form here] because she wanted Lord Shiva to marry Her. Her penance was so powerful, Lord Shiva was in meditation and so the entire place became too hot to handle. All the sages went and requested  Lord Vishnu to save the world and were directed to Goddess Mahalakshmi who took the form of a cow and went to Lord Shiva to wake him from the meditation to save the world. Lord Shiva did open his eyes and the heat subsided thereon. Since this is where Goddess Mahalakshmi took the form of a cow, it was called Kopuri (Ko meaning cow in tamil) and this later became Kovoor/Kovur. 

One thing that stood out in this temple is the gopuram of the main sanctum is in the shape of "Gajabrushta" (elephant's back) form.  Apart from the main shrines for the Lord and His Consort, there are shrines for Vinayaka, Subramanya, Dakshinamoorthy, Lingodbhavar, Brahma, Chandikeswarar, Durgai and Mahavishnu, known as Karunakara Perumal along with His Consorts 

The temple main gopuram is the first thing you see and it is quite fascinating. There are seven tiers in total, and each of them showcase a stage in Thyagaraja's life.  It is said that Thyagaraja visited this temple on his way to Thirupathi. 

When he came here, the local town head Sundharesan requested him to sing a few songs on him which Thyagarajar refused, saying he will only sing in praise of God. Saying that he left the town, but on his way a group of bandits blocked his path and would not let him proceed.  And out of nowhere came two men who threw stones at the bandits, who Thyagaraja realised were Lord Ram & Lakshman. 

Thyagaraja realised this place held some power, came back and sung 5 compositiions- Kovur Pancharathnam.  

They are
"Ee Vasudha" (Sahaana Raagam), 
"Kori Sevimpa" (Karaharapriya Raagam), 
"Sambo Mahadeva" (Pantuvarali Raagam), 
"Nammi Vachina" (Kalyani Raagam) and 
"Sundareswaruni" (Sankarabharanam Raagam).

What is surprising is that Thyagaraja was anti women all his life but here in this temple he has song one song on the Goddess. 

We had two carnatic singers [sisters- Aarti & Archana] with us on the tour, who sang these songs as Sriram shared stories about the temple and Thyagaraja... It was beautiful~ I also discovered there was a Vilva Tree in the temple premise, one like none other. The tree is very rare one, why? there are 27 leaves unlike the usual 3 leaves. 

Oh, while we were headed here, we crossed an area where the roads were called "Kunrathur high road".Sri Sekkizhar who wrote Periya Puranam was born here in ‘Kunrathur’ and is said to have written the Puranam courtesy this temple.  As we left the temple, and boarded the bus back to the city, my head was abuzz with all that I had heard and seen.. 

Who knew so much history lay tucked within the streets so close to my home city.. 

On the ride back, the youngest member of the group sang a song, while two others also sang songs.. Over all it was a fabulous trip.. If you are curious, do make a trip to the temple to see it for yourself. 

Also do follow Sriram's blog to know of upcoming tours and walks..Some interesting reads...

What do we know of Thyagaraja?

An article I came upon on this temple

Skywatch Friday... Sun sets over the bridge

This is of a Bridge that I love in Chennai.. it is one that I have passed by numerous times and it continues to fascinate me.. The views are breathtaking, the buildings around it are beautiful .. Here are three shots, one taken during early evening while other two a little after sunset[from a moving car]... 

This is the Iron Bridge.. the Napier bridge, the vella bridge near the beach as most refer..Built over the Coovum River, it connects The Marina beach with Fort St. George. Known to be one of the city's oldest bridges, it is said to have been built back in 1869 by Francis Napier who was then the Governor of Madras [1866 to 1872].

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

Skywatch Friday.. Listening to the waves

It was one of those days, I had decided to take off and spend it with a dear friend [who has recently moved to chennai and is in the Navy area]. Around 6pm she suggested we go for a walk and promised to show me the beach they had access to [almost private since civilians can't enter the area without permission]. It was a short 5mins walk from her home and it was beautiful. Quiet, serene and not a soul in sight. Only thing you saw was miles of sand, beautiful breeze and open skies.  I chose to ignore the trash and junk that had washed ashore[ probably during the rains, though i should mention they are in the process of cleaning up the entire stretch]

Here are a few photographs I clicked that beautiful evening....

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

Celebrating Chennai - Elliots Beach, Besant Nagar

After the rains, after the floods, the city is slowly getting back on its feet. And so, when my uncle and cousin had come down from Delhi, we decided to go to the beach. Elliott beach announced my uncle and that was that. 

We parked the car near the string of eat outs, and walked down to the water. along the way, I noticed that the Schmidt memorial had gotten a makeover and was now protected by a fence. 

Beyond that, there were one or two Corn hawkers. They had the stove on, and were busy cooking corn on the cob. I went and spoke to a lady, asking her if I could click pictures of the sparks flying. She asked if I wanted corn. I promised her I would buy on my way back. I also chatted with her asking how she was coping. She said this is what I do for a living and so I come here daily, irrespective of whether other hawkers come or not. That evening, the entire stretch was deserted. But she sat and kept a watch for any customers. 

And on our way back, we did pick up corn and nibbled on them as we rode back home..

Here are a few shots clicked that evening... My city never ceases to amaze me.- the grit, the way people came together and the whole "life shall go on" spirit... :-)

Skywatch Friday... My Chennai

Though this year I havent travelled as much as I would have liked to, it has been quite an interesting one at that.  Here is one last post before 2015 swishes past..and what better way to end the year than by showing off to the world the beauty I call home, Chennai! 

I clicked these pictures today, about an hour ago as I rode to the meeting.  These are photographs of the Ripon Building and the heritage building that is right next to it.. There is Metro work going on which blocks half these, but they stand tall and majestic!! Good to see my city back on its feet and regale as always!! 

Happy New year to all !! Here's to an awesome year ahead.. 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

Thursday Challenge.... Royal...

"SEAT (2 week theme)" (Chair, Sofa, Bench, Stool, Bed, Anywhere/Anyway one can sit,...)

This image was shot at the Krishnapuram Palace  in Kayamkulam... The palace is today a museum of sorts showcasing the various art, furniture, culture based items used back in the days!!

And this is a shot taken at Neemrana Bungalow on the beach in Tranquebar, a beautiful property where all the rooms open out to the ocean... 

Colours all around.. Athangudi Tiles Factory, Karaikudi

For years I had been dreaming of visiting Karaikudi and one of the things I knew the town was famous for was the Athangudi Tiles. After the morning visit to the two famous temples in this region, I quickly asked the cab driver if he knew where we could see these tiles being made. He took us to the one factory that has withstood the test of time and popular in Athangudi village of the Chettinadu region. Dropping us off he asked if he could quickly go have lunch and come. 

We happily agreed and wandered into the factory premises. On our left were two large ponds filled with water and tiles in them. On the other side was a building with 4-5 people busy packing the tiles. They seem to work mechanically as if this activity was something they could do with their eyes shut. There was a lady amidst them and she said she too had been working in this industry for over 30years. They worked with their hands, no gloves, no face masks, no ventilation but the open and did not wear any protective gear at all. This was what caught my eye first and I felt bad for them. 

Using their bare hands to pick up the glass tiles, pack in the concrete, set it in concrete before stacking it up to dry was no easy task. 

There was an inner area, a long corridor of sorts where 2 men sat doing similar work. The only difference was they were creating tiles that had varied patterns and colours, they had a metal mould of sorts that they used to fill in the colours.  All the fancy windows we see in old homes are all made right here in this small place. One of the men was quite old, said he had been trained in Ambasamudram  [another small town in TN which was renowned for tiles] and then had moved here to work in the factory.  

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwn-QbYR13o

The process: 

The mix of cement and coloured oxide in a liquid slurry state is individually poured into patterned moulds upon a glass piece. A thin layer of local sand is laid; the tile is then filled to three-fourth inch thickness with cement, sand and small stone aggregates or jelly to get the tile.

It is cured in water for a minimum of 21 days and readied for laying. Imagine, all this is done to every tile individually, building up an amazing handicraft industry. While the red colour tiles look like red oxide flooring, varied geometrical and floral patterns are also available. The traditional patterns are still being continued with, hence Athangudi tiles are among the few choices available today to create an ethnic ambience. However, unlike red oxide, these tiles come with greater smoothness and shine. In designs, finish, quality and durability, Athangudi can compete with any of modern manufactured flooring materials, of course with its own advantages and disadvantages. Used in the right place and context, Athangudi tiles are among the sustainable solutions ahead of us.

[Source: an article in The Hindu ]

We spent about an hour here, talking to the people and to the man who ran the factory. He shared that the tiles were popular with city dwellers even today. Some came all the way to hand pick the tiles. The price was around Rs45-50 but lesser if bought in large volumes. We did notice that almost all homes in the region had these beautiful tiles all over. We did deliberate about buying a few, but decided against it as the tiles were heavy and had to be handled with care [we were travelling by bus].. 

The lady piled on the next glass sheet and began pouring paint on it as we left the place.. I wondered how many she was going to make that day & what her future was like... 

[Skywatch Friday] Buddhism within the Theosophical Society

 It was one of those things in my list of things to do in Chennai. So when a Photowalk was being planned, I added my name to the list even thought the last date had gone by. Luckily, I got in and it was one memorable walk. 

Whilst inside, we discovered this Buddha temple with a beautiful lotus pond near a large tree. When I questioned the presence of a Buddha temple here, I discovered this was the 2nd one in Chennai [ I have visited the 1st one in Kenneth Lane, Egmore earlier].

Apparently, plans for the Buddhist Temple happened in 1883, the construction began under the guidance of Shri. Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa (1875–1953), the 4th President of the Theosophical Society and was consecrated in December 1925. This was during the Golden Jubilee convention of the Theosophical Society. 

The design of this shrine was, in the words of C. Jinarajadasa, the fourth President of the Theosophical Society, "a combination of two styles, both contemporaneous, though one is at Buddha Gaya and the other in Nepal. The base of the shrine, with its rounded arches and pillars, is taken from Buddha Gaya, while the cornices and the dome are from a Buddhist temple in Nepal."  

The shrine is a small and quaint,white in colour. The wooden doors had lotus and swastika motifs on them, the seven steps were flanked by elephant-head balustrades that lead you to the main sanctum. While the doors were shut, I have read that the grey stone image of the Buddha inside the shrine was a gift from Dr. Annie Besant, the second President of the Theosophical Society.

Just beyond the lotus pond stood a tall Tree that had been planted by Shri. C. Jinarajadasa to commemorate the the 75th anniversary of the Theosophical Society. One can walk around the tree, down the steps leading to the pond and the main Buddhist temple as well. The entire space is open and lush greenery welcomes you everywhere you turn. 

If you were to turn left from the tree and walk, there was a small shrine of sorts with a black stone slate that stood as a tribute to the teachers.

Quite apt for today, Teacher's day!! 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Madras...

Woah, you are 375 years old today..

No No, you are 375 years young today....

Happpy birthday to the only city I call home... 

I knew you back when you were called Madras

I spent quite a few days here 

Holidays, so memorable

Visits to the Marina beach

Playing in the water, digging into vadai and sundal

Ice cream at Snowfield

And then time flew

you changed, but not too much

I still looked forward to my holidays here

Checking out new restaurants.

Biting into that 1st pizza at Cakes n Bakes

Japoise cake and brown bread that granpa used to bring home

from McRennett

Gulping down bottles of Gold Spot, Rush and

Enjoying the pop of the Coke cans

from Burma Bazaar 

And then we moved cities

I was left in your arms for a good 2 months

Did not like it much, 

for I was just a child...

And then a decade later, I was back here

Calling Madras "home". 

Walking through the crowded lanes of Flower Bazaar

Shopping for little trinkets along the narrow alley in Sowcarpet

Laughing with friends while we downed pani puri in Pursaiwalkam

Visiting Mahabalipuram as part of school day trip..

And exploring the Egmore museum with uncle and cousin

You sure have a lot to offer, Madras

The locals and visitors will never tire..

The hot bhajji and tea in the roadside tea shop

Checking out gold bangle designs at GRT in Ranganathan Street

Waiting patiently while mom and gramma did saree shopping at Nalli

Looking forward to catching up with friends at Hot breads after college with friends

You sure have come far!!

Whenever someone new comes to the city

they ask me "so, what is your city all about?"

I stare at them as if they are stupid and then  go on to list...

The plays at Alliance Francaise

Concerts at Venkata subbarao hall in Lady andal school

and then there are all those food festivals at one of the many restaurants in the city

The Mylapore food walks and festival

The Dastkar and Aarti Bagdy shows 

We sure have it all

Today, she is called Chennai, but to me

she is always Madras

the 10 Downing street, the Pasha, the Bikes & Barrel

the Darios, the L'amandier, the Brew room

The murukku chaat, the bonda+chutney and hot jalebis

the kancheepuram saree, the fancy lehengas and swanky jeans

the Fort St George, the Theosophical society, the Art Houz

the Churches, temples, mosque and the beaches

the IT parks, the IIT, and the Vandalur zoo... 

sema supera illa mama?!!

Happy Birthday Madras......... 

Oppana dance at Dakshin Chitra, Chennai

For those who are visiting Chennai and always asking the one big question – so what else is there to do or see around here? I have quite a few things on my “list of places to see and things to do’”. One of them is to visit Dakshin Chitra. I have been here numerous times, with family and friends, for family functions [yes an uncle had his 60^th Birthday celebrations here] and other times for a photo shoot a friend was doing. The most recent of them was on 12^th Jan with a bunch of friends. There were a few in this gang who were here the 1^st time, so we spent a leisurely 2 hours strolling around, checking out the various houses, the activities and few even did some shopping at the store in the reception area.

As we were completing our tour of the place, we noticed the area near the entrance all set and ready with chairs. There was going be a Kerala dance performance called Oppana. This is a dance specific to the Muslim community of Kerala. A bridal group dance, it is typically performed the day before the wedding day.  The bride dressed in all finery and covered with the finest jewellery sits in the center while all her friends and family dance around her in a circle.  Here we noticed one girl decked up more than the others, and she sat in a chair in the center while the others danced around her. There were 2 women singing on the side. It was quite a beautiful dance. Oh and the best part about this dance is that it is often made up of words used to tease the bride and the theme is around innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial bliss. The songs are composed in a mix of Arabic & Malayalam. Apparently, there have been times when this dance was performed by men for the bridegroom, just before he leaves to bring his bride over.  

We watched this dance for a few minutes and then bid adieu to the beautiful place, making our way towards Mahabalipuram.