Becoming a south Chennai vaasi

I wonder, "Am I a snob?" When I feel it is like home, setting up house in south Chennai, would I be a snob?
On my explorations in the lanes and winding roads with traditional houses with small thinnais, the corner grocers, the small and big repair shops, spread of green vegetables in the gap of every 3 or four buildings, I breathe in the dusty air laced with scents of jasmine and other flowers, should I feel happy and peaceful or not?
The familiar sights and sounds, even the blaring horns, the crowds - all envelop me so soothingly that I say, my choice is south Chennai!.  There is this value addition to all these small roads connecting with one another and leading you to all the cultural hot spots and the temples! Why wouldn't I prefer this area?
I keep walking back home after soul stirring music every evening around 9.15 pm  - with countless ideas, some undefinable feelings and engaging dialogues (with myself within me) - inching forward to be out from my mind. This is the rainy month for the state and particularly the coast. Rain cleanses. It is a miracle; it is a celebration! 
Yes, the familiar smells of dust, vegetables, flowers and incense,  the stray phrases from some conversation from some neighbouring house, carried by the November breeze, the sing song calls of the vendors on roads, the quiet of the residential area, all envelop me in a warm embrace and... I have begun another phase of life.

Relocation

Moving to a new place, setting up house at a new place - is not only bone - tiring but mind-blowing too! I can easily imagine a sigh of relief from those of you who needn't lift even the little finger at the moment. For about 4 to 5 months,  events were leading to the inevitable (I think so) shift not even within the same city but a move to another place. It was a peaceful life with a sharper awareness of self (How will it be otherwise living at the feet of Arunachala!)  and a closer communication with all lives around for about three years and now it is back to busy schedules of professional work and busier evenings filled with music in the December music season.
I was mentally planning the shift - what to discard, things to give away and those I would take along with me. However, when the packers came, things in all shapes and sizes kept appearing from every corner of the house. I didn't even recognise some of them - "When did I get it and for what purpose?" - that is what I thought with guilt. I waited for my daughter to give her disapproving look or the usual refrain: "Amma! You have such a lot of 'saaman' that clutters your thinking." Perhaps she is tired of repeating her opinion or she hopes that her Amma would now unclutter her things!
At some point, I wanted to drop everything and shout "Enough!". Finally, after four and a half hours of packing, we could take leave of the mountain and the people.
Here I am, after four days of moving in - finished one training class, boarded a city bus after a few months to go to Mylapore, walked around the 'Maada streets' and bought some vegetables and spent a blissful fifteen minutes in Kapaleeswara temple and even attended two historic lectures about architecture and iconography in temples of Cambodia and Tamil Nadu. My daughter and I wanted to move to South Chennai (the 'happening place'). Most of the streets hold fond memories and there is this sense of coming home in this locality that I cannot deny. All around me, friends, cousins and colleagues went into one happy nostalgic trip on hearing the name, 'Mandaveli'. They started reeling out names of streets, temples and shops.
Excitement apart, this unloading and setting up the place is a daunting and time-consuming task I feel, especially for me.  Can you imagine, I have about 12 to 13 cartons of books - spiritual, religious, fiction and non-fiction and different kinds of school textbooks?  Quite a lot of them would have come down from my grandfather and granduncle. Kitchen items run a close race - again there are utensils which are older than me and some come with their unique stories. Now, tell me, how do I discard or throw away these things? A strange dilemma, I would say.
Now to an important matter:
I was giving some excuse or the other for not writing every day and wanted to start once again. Here is to a new beginning in a new house with all good energy flowing around me.

Monsoon travel - 2

I know, putting down my impressions of the travel as not immediate. It became a trifle (no, a lot!) difficult to bring back the scenes in my mind, relive the same sensory experience and same level of excitement.

However, it is a commitment, I had made to myself and I need to see through till the end. Other equally important tasks demanded my attention and time. Right, let me hit it straight - It is an unavoidable delay but I have tried not to make it 'contrived'.

In Maheshwar, looking at the intricate designs on the walls and the pillars of Holkar Fort was out of the world experience. The story of the great woman behind the fort and the history of that place touched the core of my heart for it revealed the care and concern of the people's ruler and her utmost humility. 

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, despite the personal suffering and loss, rose to be the great queen always attuned to the welfare and needs of her people.

Durbar hall

 Within this beautiful fort, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (ruled between 1765 to 1796) had built personal residences, offices and durbar audience hall which stand as testament to her simplicity. Here are some pictures showing her Raj Wada (palace)

entrance to the living quarters

 My imagination just pushed aside the present scenes and noises to a distant blur and there! it was show time!  I could imagine my boat ride along the fort and other buildings in that time long gone past. For a few minutes, scenes flashed past where Kalidasa, Vikramaditya, Bhoja Raja and Rani Ahilya Devi were the characters on the screen. It was a personal interlude! 
In any such historic place, walking the same path as those great people or breathing the same air or being in that environment moves me in an indescribable manner. Here again, Maheshwar or Ujjain and an 'add-on- bonus-Dhar' (the important city and capital under Paramaras during 11th century), Mandu with those ruins engulfed me in a swirl of emotions.
I wish I could share all my impressions of every place we visited, the beautiful archaeological sites we feasted our eyes upon, the solemn and profound Bhasma aarti of Mahakaleshwar, the conversations with the common yet colourful people of the land or the 'never-far-off' magical monsoon! However, I find it a bit strange to write in detail as though I came back from the trip just now! Yet, I wanted to share my impressions very much and feel the thrill of words breathing life into the writing. 
The beauty of the ruins of Mandu - perched on the slopes of the Vindhya, looking down at the Narmada valley on one side and the Malwa plateau on the other - is such a visual delight! If you are one of those people with lot of imagination you can easily do the time travel to slip a few centuries into the past! The winding way up the slopes, the tall domes, arched gateways all against a backdrop of overcast grey sky and an occasional spell of cool showers  -  any one will jump onto the whinnying  horse to join the marching soldiers -"clip-clop-clip"!

Far from the madding crowd

Mandu at an elevation of 633 metres above sea level remained the fort capital of Paramaras because of its natural defences. If the walls of the fort can speak... what kind of stories would unfurl! The frequent wars, love, treachery, espionage, plundering and of course the creation of beautiful structures would tell us about the transfer of the fort and power into Khaljis, Afghan rulers and the Mughals. How can I leave out Roopmati and Baz Bahadur's love story beautifully woven into the folk tradition!

Far from madding crowd

 The icing on the cake was the retreat away from the hustle bustle of all human activities! We could just look out and see the plateau in azure shade.
Like the fragrance of flowers from a distance occasionally gently teasing the olfactory nerves, the images and emotions of those four monsoon soaked days flash in my thoughts. I know, I haven't covered all of those experiences but perhaps it is meant to remain like this - an intricate Rangoli design , left half way- for those of you driven by urge to experience for yourselves!

There are regular travellers on these trips with an insatiable quest for knowledge and an immense passion for seeking out the beauty of the monuments and sculptures who never cease to surprise me. Then, there is the driving force behind all of this interest and she is the one who stokes the fire - the insatiable quest! 
Dr. Chithra Madhavan's enthusiasm and passion for our ancient history, architecture and iconography is so infectious and perhaps you would plan an experience with her!

On the road , moving with monsoon clouds

Sometime, the travels happen quick in succession and then there will be months before another one materialises.  From the end of June to Mid July , I travelled to two entirely different regions, yet, with one underlying bond! 

Imagine travelling to places like Ujjain and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and back to characteristically a Tamil land.along Kaveri with paddy fields, coconut groves and temples as the hub of all socio - cultural activities!  

Back in February itself, the idea of a trip to MP slipped into the thoughts of our travel planner. Yes, that is an easy guess! I was hooked then and there!

summer rains, thunder showers or the occasional downpour caused by cyclonic depressions  - all passed us by, the people and land of Tamil Nadu while we we were looking at all the fast moving black clouds with deep longing!

As monsoon was advancing northwards into MP from Maharashtra, we flew into the sunset over Indore. It is in southern edge of Malwa plateau and been an important political and commercial centre and the seat of Holkar ruler.It has temples,palace and other buildings of historical interest.
Hey! if you are a foodie, the street food of Indore would pull you straight to Sarafa Bazaar.Then, it was just a transit camp for us!!    

    

                                                                              

When you plan to make your trip to the central plateau region, don't miss out on Poha Jalebi, Mawa Baati, Butte ki Kees or the typical Indori namkeen. My God! as I visualise the entire street coming alive by night (it is a midnight bazaar, you know!), mmm.... the delicious tangy and spicy aroma just wafting close to me. 

(Psst... Don't forget to share that experience with me!!)

I am going off the intended path! Night halt at Indore was followed by our first leg of our journey by road to Omkareshwar and then to Maheshwar. 

From the moment we boarded the bus at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport at Indore,the bus with the most helpful and efficient driver with his assistant were responsible for the comfortable journey by road in the winding roads going up and down the plateau.

The journey to Omkareshwar started beautifully with the befitting salutation To River Narmada. Dr. Chithra Madhavan, gave a narration of the different stories associated with Narmada along with other evidences from travel accounts of people from other lands  - like the second century Greek geographer, Ptolemy's description of Narmada. He referred to it as " Namade' or 'Namadas'. 

When Chithra chanted the Narmadastakam, it created the right ambiance to pause and think of this land being blessed with such rivers. Looking out of the window, I could feel and smell the monsoon clouds gently moving over the area. Ah... What a way to begin the journey!

"सबिन्दुसिन्धुसुस्खलत्तरङ्गभङ्गरञ्जितं
द्विषत्सु पापजातजातकारिवारिसंयुतम् ।
कृतान्तदूतकालभूतभीतिहारिवर्मदे
त्वदीयपादपङ्कजं नमामि देवि नर्मदे ॥१॥"

Meaning:1.1: (Salutations to Devi Narmada) Your River-body illumined with Sacred drops of Water, flows with mischievous playfulness, bending with Waves,1.2: Your Sacred Water has the divine power to transform those who are prone to hatred, the hatred born of Sins,1.3: You put an end to the fear of the messenger of Death by giving Your protective Armour (of Refuge),1.4: O Devi Narmada, I Bow down to Your Lotus Feet, Please give me Your Refuge.

The 'chandas'/prosody or the pattern of rhythm and sound of the verse is so captivating like the flow of the river that we repeated the verses after her. It felt so good on the tongue to roll,twist and pronounce the words. The river was previously called Nerbudda. She is also known as Rewa as mentioned in the Puranas. She is called thus because of the leaping motion through the rocky bed (being swift and agile).As one story goes, she is born out of the perspiration from Shiva;s body due to his intense meditation. The pebbles rolling on the river bed are collected and worshipped as Banalingas'. These naturally formed smooth stones with some unique markings on them are considered auspicious. 
Walking on the roads leading to the Shiva temples, I found shops lined on both sides with the huge spread of these stones for sale. (Though we were told the story of Narmada on the very first session, it took sometime for me to realise the connection!!) 

 


We passed through some really laid back villages where time seems to stand still. Looking outside at the passing villages, the colourfully clad women, the peoples' innocent and open curiosity made the morning bus trip all the more fascinating. 

Omkareshwar is an island formed by Narmada. Crossing the river and going across the bridge over the river was such an exhilarating experience. Think of us all coming from such a water - starved land and used to dried up river beds to look at a broad expanse of water flowing!! 
The monsoon winds were a welcome add-on value. All over India, literature and art go into overdrive celebrating the magical monsoon, not without reason.  Entire land - from the smallest creepy insects to huge elephants, from the short shoots of grass to the tall and broad trees, birds and human beings would be awaiting the moment when the dark clouds move in with the slight cool and wet wind and let go of the first drops of water. Yes, we all know the excitement and the relief when the first drops hit the parched earth. 
How would I not cheerful! The vast open lands that we crossed with the hint of forest at a distance, ploughed fields ready for the new season or lined with young saplings - Oh! I feel inadequate to express the beauty of all things around or my sense of gratitude , feeling blessed to be amidst all these! Then, wouldn't that be your feeling too, living in India?


The darshan of Omkareshwar, one of the the 12 Jyotirlingas was brief and fleeting as would be the case in all the pilgrim centres of the country. We should have a certain frame of mind to look at the crowd, the long hours of standing and jostling by all kinds of people around.
We had to find which parts of the building were from around 11th or 12th century and which were modern. The older pillars, of course captivated us with the embellishments. 
 

The ambience of the place, however, cast a spell on me with the name of Shiva resonating everywhere.
There is a cave below the temple along the river Narmada known to be where Shankaracharya met his Guru, Govindapada.  
  

I could imagine the chanting of the beautiful verses of 'Nirvanashtakam composed by Adi Shankara in front of guru Govindapada as a response to his question," Who are you?" (It is believed by many that the verses were composed by Shankara on that occasion.)
" मनोबुद्ध्यहंकार चित्तानि नाहं न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे । न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। "
It can be translated to mean as follows:
"Neither am I mind, nor intelligence,
Nor ego, nor thought,
Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,
Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,
But I am Shiva the all pervading happiness"
   What an incisive and astute analysis of Advaita philosophy!
                                      

The above pictures show us going down into the cave where Govindapada met Shankara and the statues of guru and Shankara coming to meet him when Narmada gave way for him.

While walking out on the bridge, we gave in to temptation and bought spiced cucumber pieces and sweet and tart Jamun fruits. Mmm...wasn't that delicious! I enjoyed it more when many of us could share and enjoy that simple fun. 

Then there is Mamleshwar (Amreshwar) temple, right opposite Omkareshwar temple on the south bank of river Narmada. Mamleshwar is considered the original Jyotirlinga and both Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar are considered to be two halves of one Jyotirlinga. This 10th century temple is known for intricate carvings.

We had our lunch on a highway restaurant and moved to our second base - Maheshwar. As was the pattern, we got our brief introduction to the history of Maheshwar (The one aspect all of us knew very well is about the Maheshwari weave and the exquisite light weight sarees. Is it a surprise when majority of us are women?).

By the time we reached the city and our resort - a beautiful place on the banks of Narmada called Narmada Retreat - it was early evening. 

 


Yes! it is count down to Operation Maheshwar!   The exciting part of the evening began! We squeezed into 2,3 autos and straight went to the textiles shops to
indulge in a shopping spree!
Maheshwar had remained a major centre for hand loom weaving since 5th century and later under Holkars, enjoyed a royal patronage. Legend says that Rani Ahilya Bai appointed special team of craftsmen from Surat and Malwa region to weave a nine yards saree to gift to a royal guest. since then, the saree became a great success among the royal and aristocratic women. Now the weave has become popular not only within the nation but in the international market as well for its subtle hint of elegance combined with glossy finish and light weight. I know, out there, there are sighs of pleasure and expectation!  Hey! some of you may be in possession of a saree or two. 

Enjoy the colours here and be sure to get them and feel the softness of the weave soon! 
When you visit the fort, you will see the intricate designs on the walls as panels and do they look familiar? You are right! The motifs and designs on the textiles are a reflection of the beauty on stones.

  The steps in the above picture can be seen on the unique 'pallus' as five stripes (three coloured and white, alternating running along its width.
Gearing up for a shopping expedition? The experience is enhanced when we see the intricate design on the walls of the Fort, palace walls and temples. The next day, we roamed around the fort, listened to the story of the determined, brave and compassionate ruler - Devi Ahilya Bai and experienced her humble yet an all pervading presence in her palace. 
                                                                                   
Moving through the lands blossoming under the monsoon rain has a magic of its own! You too, get ready to soak in the experience!