KUMBAKONAM-2

Note : Sorry for the inordinate delay. ( As if you have been waiting eagerly ) I have been too tied up with movies, friends, roaming around etc.

We then proceeded to Mayiladuthurai to visit Parimala Ranganathar ( ThiruIndalur ) . Parimala Ranganathar was simply too amazing. Probably one can spend hours analyzing the Thirumugam , the pot belly , chatur bhujam, Thiruvadi etc. Surely one of the most beautiful idols I have seen so far. He is my new favourite .Infact all Ranganathar idols are awesome. Finally we went to the Saivite shrine of Vaideeshwaran Koil. My paati and mom totally avoid going to Saivite temples. She says if it is unavoidable go there and view Lord SrimanNarayana there. Vaideeshwaran Koil is famous for its healing and medicinal powers. ( Vaidya + eeshwaran ) . My Chitthi gave me a small lump of jaggery which was to be immersed in the Pushkarni. I assumed it was eating stuff and popped it into my mouth . Needless to say my cousins had a hearty laugh at my alacrity. As an aside Raghava Swamy at Thiruvallur , is also known for his curing abilities. Infact he is called Vaidya Veera Raghava Swamy.

Finally we returned totally exhausted at 10 pm and after dinner crashed immediately. The next day my Perimma and her sons came. That day was spent totally at home. All of us were together after 9 years. These guys keep meeting at the drop of a hat, I somehow don't get to go Kumbak regularly. When we all last met 9 years back,about 15 of us, we saw Jeans. The next 2 days were also spent at home and the temples. We got an opportunity of viewing Kodai Abhishekam at the Raamar Koil and a first row seat meant viewing without hassles. Back home there was a mini war among my cousins and myself for the Puliyodharai.The dumbass that I am, I wasted time segregating the molagai pieces while they cashed on the remaining part. A nice lesson learnt - females don't vittukuduthufy when it comes to food. The best part of the stay was my virtuoso Paati's heavenly food. My Perimma left that night and it was our turn to bid a sad adieu. Our bus was at 10 am the next day. The return journey was again a torture. I was in the aisle seat and my cousin in the window. It was a classic and literal case of "out of the frying pan,into the fire" when I swapped places for sometime. I didn't sleep a wink thanks to the heat,a modicum of normal conversation also not possible due to the movie.

We reached Chennai late in the afternoon . We went to Thiruneermalai ( 61), 7 kms from Pallavaram. Once again a very beautiful temple and a standard Kollywood temple scene shooting place. This temple has 4 sannidhis with Perumal in different postures - Ninran (stood) , Irundan (sat) , Kidandhan (slept) and Nadandhan (walked). Ninra Thirukolam is Neervanan , Irundan is Shantha Narasimhar (in the Praharam), Kidandhan is Ranganathar and Nadandhan is Thiru Vikraman. There are some legends associated with Sage Valmiki's penance and his insistence on viewing Lord as Neervanan and hence that form. Another legend is about Thirumangai Azhwar's dedication and pertinacity. There was a great deluge when Thirumangai Azhwar wanted to view Perumal in Thiruneermalai. The place was completely immersed in water.So, Azhwar waited there for some six months and then took Perumal’s darshan and the subsequent Mangalasasanam. It is said that we get the palan of visiting three Divya Kshetrams - Srirangam( Ranganathar), Thirupathi (Neervannan ) and third name has decided not to make it's abode in my brain, as a result of which I cannot recollect it here.

This marked the end of a sublime trip. God's own country was to be ravaged by 12 of us the following week. The pictures worth thousand words will be posted soon. Any attempt to describe the beauty of the place would be blasphemous as it is beyond my descriptional ability , due to which I have decided to resort to the easier way of posting pics, in this process ensuring that my esteemed readers and my blog don't miss out my adventures , thus entrenching a deep sense of satisfaction in me and giving me a chance to spurn any tag of "lazy, thus not blogging" !!!