Ok, I know this is really going to piss Nitya off. But, I loved the Bhaiya on the Marina beach at night time. Its the the famous molaga (mirchi, chili) bhajia.
They make it really well, really oily and brown... you wont like to stop. And they give it with worlds most tasty chutney... it has some dhania, mirchi and some coconut and green(kachha) mango (kairee).
its really tasty and mouth watering..umm....mmmm.
Next time you visit Chennai, you know what to eat...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
100 rupees a peek
I always used to feel that God is getting commertialised in places like Tirupati and Shirdi (At Tirupati they charge 100 ruppees for the highest ticket for darshans. Thats the express darshan which takes around 4 hours). I realised this on my recent visit to Tirupati that thats wrong. God is not getting commertialised, its the people who are becoming more materialistic. God probabaly Himself realises this and is sad about it.
We went to Padmavati temple (who is Lord Tirupati's wife). There also there was some rush, I feel if managed well, everyone would have finished ther darshans much earlier than it takes. I have realised that on the way to Tirupati and other temples theur are man-made bottlenexks. Anyways, thats not what I will be discussing here as everyone knows this. The incident happened on my way out of the shrine of Padmavati temple. In southIndian temples, they have thsi crown like thing called sadari which the pujaris to bless people on behalf of God.
I realised that the pujari who was standing there with sadari has one hand protruding from under the railing, people put 1-2 ruppe coins in his hand, he put the sadari on their heads and they go ahead. This all happened as programmed and within 2-3 secs the transaction used to complete.
I searched for coin and felt relief when found one, but then I realised ths is wrong... the God will bless me even if I do not pay that person, its just as respect to God that people are paying him. The money is not his, its the Lord's and God does not need my money. i decided I will not give him that 2 ruppee coin to this person and see what happens then.
My turn came, I did not hand him the money, the sadari was on my head and the his hand searching for any trace of a coin. It searched and searched for almost 5 secs, then he realised there is no coin available. he took off the sadari from my head and I moved ahead. This time the transaction took 5-6 seconds. I was a slip of 100%. I realised that money and NOT the blessings was on critical path here :-).
We went to Padmavati temple (who is Lord Tirupati's wife). There also there was some rush, I feel if managed well, everyone would have finished ther darshans much earlier than it takes. I have realised that on the way to Tirupati and other temples theur are man-made bottlenexks. Anyways, thats not what I will be discussing here as everyone knows this. The incident happened on my way out of the shrine of Padmavati temple. In southIndian temples, they have thsi crown like thing called sadari which the pujaris to bless people on behalf of God.
I realised that the pujari who was standing there with sadari has one hand protruding from under the railing, people put 1-2 ruppe coins in his hand, he put the sadari on their heads and they go ahead. This all happened as programmed and within 2-3 secs the transaction used to complete.
I searched for coin and felt relief when found one, but then I realised ths is wrong... the God will bless me even if I do not pay that person, its just as respect to God that people are paying him. The money is not his, its the Lord's and God does not need my money. i decided I will not give him that 2 ruppee coin to this person and see what happens then.
My turn came, I did not hand him the money, the sadari was on my head and the his hand searching for any trace of a coin. It searched and searched for almost 5 secs, then he realised there is no coin available. he took off the sadari from my head and I moved ahead. This time the transaction took 5-6 seconds. I was a slip of 100%. I realised that money and NOT the blessings was on critical path here :-).
Different strokes
I have seen it many times but have realised it just now... I went to Rajasthan/Gujarat and saw the Dilwara temple there. The carving there is world class. The guide told me that the exteriors are very simple and dry but these temples have excellent carvings inside. He was right. He told me that reason for this was to save the carvings and art work from the mughals who would have used to destroy the temples which had great architecture.
On my Tirupati visit where I visited many temples in South India, the architecture has reversed itself. In south India you see Gold plated temples and bg kalashas and stupas on the outside but inside its very dry and dark. The interiors are mostly plain black stones.
It does not suggest anyhting just that at different times and places, how things can be exactly opposite because of circumstances. Probably that will make me more open. I can acept opposite thoughts and can understand why they both are correct...
On my Tirupati visit where I visited many temples in South India, the architecture has reversed itself. In south India you see Gold plated temples and bg kalashas and stupas on the outside but inside its very dry and dark. The interiors are mostly plain black stones.
It does not suggest anyhting just that at different times and places, how things can be exactly opposite because of circumstances. Probably that will make me more open. I can acept opposite thoughts and can understand why they both are correct...
Religion and Sprituality
Once I told someone, I am a very religious person. Now I know I am not. I am actually a spiritual person. There is a meeting point between religion and spirituality and so I pass on to the other side at times.
We went to Tirupati recently. It was actually a very easy trip (comparatively). I say comparatively because it was easy for us because of my father-in-law who arranged the trip very well. So, we went to the temple and it hardly took 1.5 hours for us to get the darshan and come back.
I was looking at the deity and felt its really grand and magnificent. They keep the lights very dim and it looks as if the God is un-perturbed by the hum-drum going on for His darshan.
I realised my mom-in law has eyes filled with water. She was so over-whelmed. I remember my mom to go this way when we went to Tirupati earlier or to Amarnath. There were other people there who have walked all the way to Tirupati to get the darshan and then were waiting in line cos they cant afford to buy someone to get a quick dasrshan. I sometimes wonder whether He will bless them more than me, well, I think yes, I think they deserve it also.
There were others who were non-stop doing roll overs to pay their respect to God. Looking at all these people, I really felt like I am a very small person in front of them as far as belief is concerned.
I have been a traveller, my blog title says that. Arriving is nearly the same whereever you go. Its the journey which has always excited me and will continue to do so always even in the future. Journey is enriching. Even if it is the same journey from home to work. Every journey will be new. Arrival is stale. Its always the same.
Life is series of journeys and arrivals. A person who maximises her journey and minimises the arrivals will have a better vision and allround development.
All this does not mean arrival is not important. Arrival can be the desired outcome of a journey. And so, going to such places like Tirupati and paying their best wishes to God bring tears in the eyes of people, as they have done a very difficult journey from far away places, taken all the trouble and now darshan of the Lord is the result of their journey.
For me, the concept of paying for getting darshan done is itself so materialistic, that getting overwhelmed becomes very difficult. I am unable to separate the God from the commertialization happening in His name. And so, that samarpan does not easily come.
I guess we are just different types of travellers. They are more focused on religion so corruption outside the shrine does not matter to them and I am more focused on spirituality and so believe in simplicity and serenity when it comes to holy places.
They are simple people. Its easier for them to get the feeling of samarpan and so, probably they will reach the nirvana earlier and more easily and I am a more complicated person and so it will require many more journeys for me.
I am looking forward to all those journeys...
We went to Tirupati recently. It was actually a very easy trip (comparatively). I say comparatively because it was easy for us because of my father-in-law who arranged the trip very well. So, we went to the temple and it hardly took 1.5 hours for us to get the darshan and come back.
I was looking at the deity and felt its really grand and magnificent. They keep the lights very dim and it looks as if the God is un-perturbed by the hum-drum going on for His darshan.
I realised my mom-in law has eyes filled with water. She was so over-whelmed. I remember my mom to go this way when we went to Tirupati earlier or to Amarnath. There were other people there who have walked all the way to Tirupati to get the darshan and then were waiting in line cos they cant afford to buy someone to get a quick dasrshan. I sometimes wonder whether He will bless them more than me, well, I think yes, I think they deserve it also.
There were others who were non-stop doing roll overs to pay their respect to God. Looking at all these people, I really felt like I am a very small person in front of them as far as belief is concerned.
I have been a traveller, my blog title says that. Arriving is nearly the same whereever you go. Its the journey which has always excited me and will continue to do so always even in the future. Journey is enriching. Even if it is the same journey from home to work. Every journey will be new. Arrival is stale. Its always the same.
Life is series of journeys and arrivals. A person who maximises her journey and minimises the arrivals will have a better vision and allround development.
All this does not mean arrival is not important. Arrival can be the desired outcome of a journey. And so, going to such places like Tirupati and paying their best wishes to God bring tears in the eyes of people, as they have done a very difficult journey from far away places, taken all the trouble and now darshan of the Lord is the result of their journey.
For me, the concept of paying for getting darshan done is itself so materialistic, that getting overwhelmed becomes very difficult. I am unable to separate the God from the commertialization happening in His name. And so, that samarpan does not easily come.
I guess we are just different types of travellers. They are more focused on religion so corruption outside the shrine does not matter to them and I am more focused on spirituality and so believe in simplicity and serenity when it comes to holy places.
They are simple people. Its easier for them to get the feeling of samarpan and so, probably they will reach the nirvana earlier and more easily and I am a more complicated person and so it will require many more journeys for me.
I am looking forward to all those journeys...
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