Pondicherry - Everytime is the 1st time!

Uncle: Can we go to Pondicherry tomorrow? Just a day trip?

Me and my Sis: Sure thing, it can be done

Grandpa: But, we havent asked the driver to come in early

Gramma: You can go day after, plan the trip, we'll make some lunch, and you can go

Uncle: No ma, we'll go tomorrow, no worries

Me and my sis: Yep, we are cool with it.. We can head over to Koyembedu CMBT, hop on a bus and head out and be back by night

Uncle: Ummm, can we make sure it is an AC bus?

Me and my sis : Ya ya.. whatever!! :D

We head out around 5.30, so we can make the most of the day and get back before it gets too late!

Granparents and mom nodded their head and smiled [ they probably thought these kids will talk big, but wont get up and go through with the plan]

And thus began the most recent trip to Pondicherry [ it has been a year, mind you]

It was 5am, and we were up... the 3 of us had actually woken up, had coffee, showered, and packed for the day. None at home could believe it...  Dont remember how, but we reached the bus stand around 5.30am and were walking around trying to find an AC bus heading towards Pondicherry... 

The day flew by, the journey was fun, with us yapping over the things we had done in the past..We were surprised that our uncle dint get lured by all our rants, and remained focussed.. he wanted to buy some ceramic pots and bowls from the stores there.. and he did!!

May in Chennai is always Hot, and Pondy was no different.. It was scorching, but thanks to my friend V, we got a cab that took us to Auroville, where we spent quite a bit of time wandering the grounds, watching the video on Matri Mandir, and ofcourse shopping, eating drinking in the complex within Auroville center. its a good thing the stores were all in one place, else we would have been exhausted. 

Adventure began when we were heading back to the Pondy bus stand to grab seats on a bus bound to Chennai.. Many came, but they were all so crowded, uncle was starting to panic and freak out.. Lets wait, lets wait.... we waited for an hour before my sis and i kinda decided for him - No use waiting, we just have to fight it out, grab a seat and that's that! He dint like it one bit, but went along since no AC buses seem to make an entry. We travelled by Non AC bus, reached chennai around 9pm, and got home... 

Gramma: So, how was the day?

Uncle: It was good.. All but the return journey... we dint get an AC bus, and it was quite a ride...

Me and my sis : Chuckles!! Yes i am sure K had one hellova experience and wont ever travel with us

Uncle: Are you kidding me? no way, it was fun travelling with you girls... :-) [hugs]

Every visit of mine to Pondy has been different and unique. It is like i am travelling there for the 1st time! The person i am travelling with is different, the things i do are different, the kind of experience is different..

Well, my uncle is coming for a visit in a few weeks and i wonder if there will be a trip like this... :-) Until then, adios!!

Day 4 Celebrations and memory

As i wrote the post on Coimbatore 2days ago, i remembered another incident that flashes before me every now and then... It was my uncle R's wedding [gramma's brother, last one in the string of 4, and he was about 2yrs older than my mom].. He is one of those with whom you can have a conversation on any topic, and be comfortable enough to debate/discuss... Someone chilled out, who we were/are all very fond of... Sigh!!

We were living in Madurai am guessing and had gone to Coimbatore for the wedding few days ahead of time!! And one evening,we had gone to Richie Rich for ice cream [ again , dont ask how i remember, but it is one of those things that is registered deep in my mind].. As we were getting out i slipped on the steps, fell and sprained my legs to a point where i could not walk... Yep!! i couldn't walk at all .. Was home, and literally bed ridden for couple of days.... Recall all coming to the room i was in to give me food,help me with other stuff... 

Thankfully was alright by the time wedding date arrived and then over the years, this incident keeps popping in my head at the most random moments... 

Today, as i was heading home from the movie, i saw a man with a prosthetic arm and though of uncle R, when a lone tear trickled down my cheek.. He passed away couple of years back, sudden heart attack..totally unexpected ................Why did i think of him? well, he had a factory accident few months after marriage, and lost his right arm,shoulder down...But went about life without showing pain or expecting people to go the extra mile cos he was forced to use his left hand for everything!! Amazing person, spunky and lively.....!! Sigh............ life.............

Deja vu - Singaperumal koil

On April 14th, Tamil New Years Day, uncle came home and exclaimed - your manni wants to go to a Lakshmi narasimha temple today.. She is talking of a temple in Sholingur, can you find out about it or other temples? After a quick on my ipod touch, i read out some facts about that temple, distance etc... Given the heat, uncle said -no way, thats too far off and climbing a hillock in this blazing sun is just out of the question.. Any other options?  

 The hillock on which the temple sits

[Ding Dong ]Thats when it hit me..  Singaperumal koil, near Chengelpet.. I had been there with Lakshmi about 7months back and it was a Narasimha temple, and i was very sure we saw a Lakshmi narasimha idol there.. Narrated in detail to uncle and then to aunt about the temple, how far it was, and how it was built inside a mountain, and the giri valam or pradakshanam was done around the temple, on the hillock... Managed to find the number and found out that the temple is open till 12noon and then 4pm onwards.. 

The tree where people worship and leave something on - pile of stones[homes], cradle[babies], thread[marriage]

Post lunch, we hit the road around 2.30pm and as we were driving along, aunt wanted a detailed version of  what i had spoken on the phone earlier.. I went on to describe our journey, starting with the time we left home to where all we visited .. She was fascinated and had a gleam in her eye, but uncle clearly cut her off saying - today you want to go to this temple, we do only this and get back home!! :)

We reached the temple at 4pm, but the priest came to open the doors only around 4.30pm. Aunt had a bit of doubt if there was an idol of Lakshmi narasimha, but that was put to rest as we proceeded towards the main sanctum... I quite like that temple, there is soemthing peaceful and powerful about the place!!! 

A sense of Deja vu hit me as we passed along familiar places and paths... Kept remember bits and pieces of conversation Lakshmi and i had had earlier... the car, AC not working, all of it came flooding like as if it was a trip taken few days ago!! 

Its beautiful how a visit to the same place with different people can add to our experiences!  For more pictures from our earlier trip, click here

Untill next time!!