Ramanathapura 2007

I wanted to write about my trip to my native place Ramanathapura. But my dear friend Ramana (who had come along with me for this year's rathayatra) has done more than justice by coming up with a highly descriptive writeup about the trip. So, here it is.
p.s. One small correction Chadrapura = Channarayanapatna
and some parts are a bit too dramatic. :D

" Trip to Ramanathapura

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Ours was no different. It was 5:00 am when the alarm rang to the tune of Alaipayuthe (Sathiya). The ringing of the alarm did not wake anyone up; it was just a mere formality. I was already awake. It had been a difficult night to sleep with. I was partly excited about the trip, partly anxious about not waking up to the alarm and partly worried about the current state of the project. I switched off the alarm, said my morning prayers and got down on the “right” side of the bed. As I did so I remembered my previous day conversation with KB wherein we had decided that as soon as one wakes up he will call/ msg the other. I did so and was glad to hear that both KB and Dilip were awake. Our plan was to catch the 7:00 am bus to Arkalgud and then from there take a local van to Ramanathapura. It was 6:00 am when I sauntered to the bus stop. As I just reached the bus stop a Pushpak stopped by and fortunately for me it happened to be going towards Majestic. I got into the bus and updated the other two about my current status. A few minutes later KB replied that he too had got into the bus. At around 6:20 the bus reached the terminal. I was the first to reach the place and in few minutes time Dilip also reached the terminal. It took us a few minutes to locate each other and we identified the bus that would take us our destination. It was 6:40 am and there was still no sign of KB. The driver had started the engine when we saw KB rushing to the bus through the crowd like a raging bull. Just as the driver put the bus in gear, KB jumped and caught Dilip’s outstretched hand and entered the bus. The door was shut and the wheels were in motion. The first step had been taken.

The bus we had boarded was a KSRTC bus, an ordinary one at that. It has to be noted that the suspension that was being used in the bus must have been as old as the village we were going to visit. Speed breakers started feeling more like back breakers. We did not let the condition of the bus affect our high spirits. The 3 of us tried keeping each other involved in a discussion which was primarily focused on the LIST and every now and then some memorable incident was recalled and laughed at.

Soon Dilip fell asleep and KB and I tried keeping the conversation going. Just as things started to settle down and we were cruising along in the highway a person who was sitting a couple of rows ahead of Kb and I threw up (vomited). The aroma of that really took our breaths away. It gave us a reason to practice holding our breaths which would be useful later on when we would dive into the Cauveri. Dilipa was sleeping away to glory in spite of this. As the aroma started dispersing away and our breaths became normal, the unthinkable happened. The front right tyre had a puncture. We had been traveling for just over an hour and a half and were on the outskirts of Kunigal when this happened. We were 2 hours away from the midpoint of our journey and we had disembarked from the bus. Just as we started thinking that things couldn’t get much worse, the driver told us that he ha no spares, no stepnee and we had to wait for another bus to take us. Bus after bus passed by but not all of them stopped. Those that did stop were not the ones which we could board. Things had come to an absolute standstill. Our spirits had started to sink.

As we stood there waiting for a bus to pick us up, we could not help but admire the villagers who were putting up a good fight with the driver and conductor. The driver then took a bus and said that he will get another bus to pick us up. We knew that expecting him to come back with another bus would be too optimistic but we still waited. After 45 min of waiting a bus that was headed to our destination came by and without giving another thought we jumped in only to realize that there was no place to sit. And so it was that we had to stand and travel for the next hour and a half until we reached a place called Adhichunchungiri. There the driver stopped for a small break and we helped ourselves to some idly and vada with hot steaming sambar. As we were getting into the bus we overheard someone saying that they would be getting down at Channarayanapata which was around 37 kms from our place. So we stood next to the people who were getting down at the next stop so that we could take their seat when they got down. Seconds became minutes and the minutes ticked by. We didn’t let the standing dampen our spirits and kept chatting away to glory and then as another hour passed by, the bus came to a stop at Channarayanapata. The couple got down and we were lightning quick to occupy their seats. 3 people sitting in a 2 seater was not an easy job but we weren’t complaining as we got a place to sit. Our next stop was Arkalgud which was another 2 hours away.

As time passed by our conversations started dwindling. The strain on our bodies due to the cramped up space was beginning to show. We tried to catch up for the lost sleep but it was all in vain. Finally at half past 12 we reached Arkalgud. As we got down from the bus we were greeted by sultry heat and dust. We identified a local van that would take us to our final destination Ramanathapura. The van wasn’t scheduled to leave for another 30 min or so and so we helped ourselves to mouth watering cucumbers and raw mangoes. After the van was filled to the brim, it started to move. After stopping at every possible stop on the way, the van finally reached our destination.

As we stepped down from the bus a cool breeze blew, taking away with it all the stress built up inside us. We started our walk towards Dilip’s home stopping by every now and then to admire the natural beauty of the village. As we approached Dilip’s home, we were greeted by a lot of smiling faces all of them enquiring if we had a safe trip. As we reached Dilip’s home we were told that lunch was about to be served. We wasted no time in freshening up and rushing to the lunch hall.

The minute we entered the hall cups of Kesari bath, curd rice and ven pongal was handed to us in the form of prasad. That curd rice is the best I have tasted till date. Kesari bath and pongal were steaming hot and covered in ghee and were gobbled up in no time. Lunch started in a few minutes and went on to last for an hour and a half.Whatever adjective I use will not be sufficient todescribe the quality of food.It was an apt occasion to sing the song from maya bazaar:

Kalyana samayal sadham, kaigarigal pramadham

Andha gaurava prasadam, idhu veyanaku porum

Angara bajji angei, jungara sojji ingey

Sandosham meyi ponga, idhu veyanak thingah

Puliyogarin soru, peru porithimai sambar

Poori kizhangu paaru, idhu veyanaku joru

Jorana peni laddu, suvayana seeni puttu

Peralamana thattu, ini ishtam pola vettu.

Every dish was served in liberal quantities. We finally got to taste the famous Iyengar puliyogare and relished it to our hearts content. Rasam was again top class. We were in state of confusion as we didn’t what to eat the second time. Each item was excellent. If it weren’t for my stomach I would have gone on eating. For desert, steaming hot Jilebi’s was served. With great difficulty we had lift ourselves from the floor once lunch was finished.

Finished with lunch, we headed towards Lakshminarsimha temple. The outside of the temple had this cool floor on which on could just sit and talk and that’s precisely what we did. Leaning on the pillar and talking away to glory took its toll on us and soon we were fast asleep.

It must have been around 4:00 in the evening when we woke up. After a hot cup of coffee we headed off to see a one of a kind suspension bridge near the village. After spending time admiring the bridge and an old temple next to it we headed back to the village. The next hour or so was spent feeding groundnuts to the fishes in the river and watching them fight over the groundnuts.

We then headed to a place Gayatri Sheelay. This is a rock formation along the riverbed and is an ideal place for meditation. We spent the next hour at this place, staring in to space, searching for answers to questions we didn’t know.

We then headed back to the temple to watch Gajendra Moksha. This is a particular event at the temple where they depict the gods fighting off the demons. We were treated to some brilliant display of fireworks.Dinner soon followed and we feasted on steaming hot bisibele bath. After the heavy dinner we headed to the Lakshmi Narisimha temple to catch up on some sleep. There was another event @ 1am in the morning which we cunt attend but Dilips mom was considerate enough to wake us up @ 2am and give us steaming hot sakre pongal with ghee, puliyogare and avalakki. That was when I made a big mistake. As it was pitch dark I could not differentiate b/w puliyogare and sakre pongal. I thought both were the same and gave the sakre pongal to KB. Fortunately for me, Kb was considerate enough to share some of it with me.

We woke up in to the morning to the raga of various hymns that were being sung in the village. As we stepped outside we could see major preparations being made for the Rathotsava to be held later that day. The below song will be an apt description of how it felt then :

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for them springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's re-creation of the new day

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the word

After a hot cup of degree coffee, we headed towards the river ( Cauveri) for a swim. The next couple of hours were spent rejoicing in the cool river water. Of course Kb and I didn’t know how to swim and so we were just standing and playing around in neck deep water while Dilipa on the other hand was exhibiting Backstroke, breaststroke and so on.

On our arrival back at the house, ven pongal , Kesari bath and thate idly awaited us which was devoured in no time flat.

The cool floor of the Lakshminarsimha temple welcomed us back again once we had finished our sumptuous breakfast. Dilipa introduced us to his friends and somehow it seemed that we all knew each other in some other time. We were treated to lots of village stories and incidents. Hour after hour passed by, until it was time for the BIG event, the Rathotsava.

It was 14:00 when the rathotsava was about to start. The Chariot which we had to pull was around 50 feet in height. It had to big ropes in front and each rope was pulled by around 50 people. The boiling roads and the frying heat did not have any effect on the people pulling us. All of us were clothed in dhotis and our top clothing was tied around our waist. As the Lord’s name was chanted loudly we started pulling the chariot, united in heart, soul and sweat.My dhoti was bit low and someone stepped on it and it almost came off. Fortunately nothing embarrassing happened.

The chariot, it should be said , does not have any steering mechanism. So whenever we approached a turn, a wooden ledge was kept under the wheel so that the wheel would go about it and turn itself. After a grueling 60 minutes the Rathotsava was over. We immediately headed to the river for another swim. An hour passed by before we made our way back to the house for a sumptuous lunch.

Calling Dilip’s grandma an amazing cook would be a BIG understatement. Delicious majjige huli and Rasam along with spicy home made pickles were served. this was topped off by ice cold butter milk. Done with our lunch, we headed back to our Lakshminarsimha temple for a small siesta. As the clock struck 16:00 we woke up.After some hot energizing coffee we embarked on a small journey to a place kushalnagar which was around 30kms from our village. As we reached the outskirts of the village, it started to rain and we were mere spectators to the spectacular show nature was providing us. As we traveled through the Mungharu Mazhle, we could not help but sing:

Mungaru Maleye..
Yenu ninna Hanigala Leele

Ninna Mugila Saale , Dhareya Korala Premada Maale
Suriva Olume Aajadi Malege, Preeti Moodide

Yaava Chippinalli, Yaava Haniyu Muttaguvudo
Olavu Yelli Kudiyoduvudo, Tiliyadagide

Mungaru Maleye..
Yenu Ninna Hanigala Leele

Bhuvi Kenne Tumba, Mugilu Surida Muttina Gurutu
Nanna Yedeya Tumba, Avalu Banda Heggeya Gurutu
Hegge Gegge Aa Savi Saddu, Premanadavoo

We had entered the Coorg district. The bad condition of the road was an indication of that. The farmer tilling the soil in his field in the rain, the beautiful mountain ranges in the background, the eye charging greenery around was simply breathtaking. The irregularity in the rain pattern and the surface of the road did not allow us to get bored and soon we were at the parking lot of the Namdroling Buddhist monastery.

The monastery is must see sight for all passing by that place. It’s beauty and sanctity is appealing to one and all. I was touched by the tranquility of that place and there were times when I was thinking if it as all worth it and ven considered joining that place. The walls of the monastery are decorated with beautiful paintings, each being a masterpiece in its own right. Inside the main hall resides the 60ft Golden Buddha and 2 58 ft golden statues of 2 monks. The monastery also has a beautiful waterfall similar to macchu picchu. Next to the waterfall is the play ground for all the students studying in the monastery. We exited the monastery and went to the shopping mall next to it. We looked at all Tibetan handicrafts that were on display and then treated our stomachs to some Chinese food at the Shanthi restaurant in the mall. The calm state of our minds was evident on the journey back to the village with each one of us reflecting our thoughts on life and beyond. The rain Gods had decided to call it a day and we could for a change open the windows and glance at the fireflies outside. Mahamanglarti had just got over as we reached the village and avalakki was being given as prasad. As we did not want the prasad to get wasted , we helped ourselves to steaming, delicious avalakki. We headed to Dilip’s house and soon a major round table conversation was going on. Major entertainment was provided by Dilip’s neighbor and his cousin. Soon our eyes could stay open no longer and before we knew it, we were fast asleep.

As the clock struck 6:00, the day I had begun to dread had arrived. It was Sunday and we had to leave by 1:00Pm. As we didn’t have anything much to do that day, we decided to spend a long time in the river. Dilipa showed us a sand bed in the middle of the river where in the water level was just a few inches above the ground. One could lie down on the sand bed and water would flow by giving a soothing massage. There are also certain rock formations in form of crevices in the middle of the river where one can go and sit and water will flow by you which gives a soothing feeling. We made our way to the other bank by walking along the rocks in the river and once there we were trying to pitch the stones on the water. After we came back to our shore we were trying to see who can hold our breath for the longest time under water which I must say Dilipa won hands down. We had spent 3 hours in the river when we decided to head home. Dilipa’s mom and grandmom had prepared something called ubburotti and gojju for breakfast which I must has been the highlight of my stay in the village. I have so far never tasted anything so delicious. The taste of the gojju alone was mindblowing and when it was mixed with curds it was nectar like. Once breakfast was over we made our way to the various temples to offer our prayers to the Gods for one last time. We spent a lot of time in the Subramanya temple which was where Kb’s mom had prayed before Kb was born. We headed back home, packed our belongings and left with a heavy heart. None of us wanted to leave but what choice did we have? With each of our projects in a precarious state, we did not have an option. Dilipa had decided to stay back and come the next day.

Kb and I took a bus to Hasan at 12:15 and had the best seat in the house. We were sitting next to the driver and beautiful countryside was visible in its entirety to us. The bus journey was filled with conversations ranging from the romantic love story we had witnessed between a 93 year old handsome young man and a beautiful , equally young woman to the temple and it’s pillars and design. The bus reached hasan at 1:35 and we immediately boarded a semi deluxe bus standing there to Bangalore . As Kb and I sat in the 2 seater, the absence of Dilipa was but obvious. All through the journey the last 2 days experiences were being talked about. The wonderful people, their jovial spirits, the awesome food, the temple and so on. The bus stopped at Adhichunchungiri again for break and we helped ourselves to some Cucumber, ice cream and soft drinks

The next hour or so went by quickly and before long we were on Tumkur road when we received a message from Dilipa which read “dude.you missed rain of the season…its unbelievable”. Little did he know that he was missing traffic of the season, it was unbelievable. In the last 30 minutes we had traveled less than 200 yards.

Traveling from the village to the city was like going in a time travel as far as development and modernization was concerned. The buildings were getting bigger, the roads got wider but the people weren’t the same. They too had changed. Fences were built between houses. The “We” and “Our” spirit that was highly prevalent in the village was replaced by “I” and “Me”.

We soon reached Majestic and KB and I had reached a parting of our ways. I searched for the platform that would take me to my home and soon found a Volvo bus that would take me to my place. On the way back as I looked back on my stay in the village the following lines from “The daffodils” by wordsworth kept flashing in my head:

For oft when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude

And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils.

As I sit back writing this article I can feel the rocks in the river beds below my feet, I can feel the wind blowing against my face, I can hear the river gurgling as it flows by. It is then I realize that a part of my soul has decided to stay back in Ramanathapura forever and I’m glad that it has.

It is good to have an end to journey towards. But in the end it is the journey that matters."

-Ramana