Where are the keys?

Over 15 years ago, we had just moved into the new flat. On one of the first days, we found ourselves locked out! “I thought you had the keys!” my wife said. “I thought you had the keys!” I retorted. Many a happy family has thus been marooned, the culprit being the main door fitted with an automatic lock.

You have exactly 2 choices- break down the main door, or have someone get into the home, in stealth mode, through the window. We think our homes are safe, secure, and out of bounds from nefarious elements. All it took the security person, was one leap from the neighbor’s flat to our restroom window. That done, he entered our flat and let us in! So much for our “notional” sense of security.

We immediately made friends with our neighbors. We gave them a set of keys for safekeeping. But what if the neighbors are on a holiday and we get locked out? We gave another set of keys to the housemaid. What if the housemaid is also away on that fateful day? We needed still more “redundancy”. Now, everyone on the planet has our housekey. Yes, this way, we will never get locked out again!

Housekeys are slippery fellows. You stuff it in your pant pocket on your way to the office. In the evening, just as you are about to enter your flat, you feel your pocket, and he’s gone! Where did he go? Where did he go? You dig your fingers deeper into your pocket- the front pockets, the back pockets, just about everywhere! He has slipped away. You cannot describe that feeling- the panic, the helplessness, the futility of it all. The brain is totally foggy- from where will you start your search?

Some stories have an unusual ending like the twist in an art film. Your wife lets you in- and you mumble, “I don’t know where I lost the housekey!” She replies, “You never took it to the office in the first place! It is still by the washbasin!” Sometimes, after coming home, yes, after coming home, you cannot find the key. This takes the cake- you used the key to get in. And now, the key is gone! The ridiculousness of it all taunts you. A room-to-room search is conducted, combing every nook and corner, shelf and drawer. The key is nowhere. The entire home is upside down- if ever there was a key, it is now likely buried deeper in this debris.

And guess where you found the key eventually? No! Not in the restroom or inside the refrigerator! It was still inserted on the main door lock! I doubt whether this is oversight- I sincerely believe keys have a life of their own, and a morbid sense of mischief too. They tip-toe out of the house just to send you on a wild goose chase!

One thing about keys- they are faithful to the core. Only the houseowner knows how to operate them. A thief has no hope in hell of entering the house, even if he has the key. Every key has its special character, a quirky behavior, known only to the master. In some cases, the key must be inserted the other way, with the teeth facing up. In other cases, you need to insert the key midway, give it a little jerk, till you hear a click. Thereafter, you can open the door. Miss that vital point, and you will be twirling the key endlessly.

A single key, without a keychain, is like a bachelor. He’s too wild, and given his wayward ways, you are sure to lose him very soon. Sometimes, he tunnels his way down your pant pocket. You come home, and find a tiny hole in the pant pocket, and sure enough, he’s gone! “Why would you carry a single key, without a keychain? That’s surely asking for trouble!” you are asked repeatedly.

Keys with keychains have other issues. You develop some bad habits along the way. You get into a habit of twirling the keychain, as though you are wielding Lord Vishnu’s discus. It looks stylish all right, but at the most opportune moment, just when you are leaning over the embankment, with a raging ocean below- you twirl the keychain, and this one time, out goes the keychain along with your key…into the swirling water! Your eyes bulge, your mouth is ajar, and you let out a strangulated yelp, but there is little more you can do! At least with a single key, this accident wouldn’t happen!

Way back in college, I once got locked out of the hostel room. I forgot to carry the key, and my roommate had locked the room and gone off. He returned much later in the evening. He said, “You know what? I never carry the key with me! I leave it every single day under the locked door!” In his excitement to demonstrate his innovative solution, instead of pushing the key towards himself, from underneath the doorsill, he ended up flicking it the opposite way. The key now lay several feet inside the locked room! Now, there were 2 fellows locked out, and 2 sets of keys…both inside the room!

Ahi Mahi Ravana and deep fake news!

As a child, if there was one story I loved to hear, it was the one centered on “Ahi Mahi Ravana”. I pestered my uncle repeatedly to narrate the story. The plot was filled with intrigue and suspense. Each time I heard my uncle, it was with the same wide-eyed wonder. “And then, what happened uncle? And then?”

An adaptation from Krttivaasa’s Ramayana, the story went as follows. Ravana had lost almost everyone in the battle against Rama. Ravana’s brother Kumbhakarna was no more. His mighty son Indrajit was felled by Lakshmana. Ravana was distraught. How can he combat Rama? He suddenly remembered Ahi-Mahi Ravana. (In some versions, there is only Mahi-Ravana, but uncle’s version had 2 separate characters Ahi and Mahi Ravana, based on a Tamil film in uncle’s time).

Ahi and Mahi were Ravana’s sons. They ruled the nether world, paataala loka. The moment Ravana thought of them, Ahi and Mahi immediately materialized. Hearing Ravana’s predicament, they calmed him down. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We can easily take care of Rama and Lakshmana!”

Meanwhile, in Rama’s camp, spies informed Vibhishana that Ahi and Mahi had been summoned by Ravana. Vibhishana was terribly worried. He cautioned Hanuman, “Ahi and Mahi Ravana are “mayavis”, master magicians. We must be extra careful! Do not allow anyone close to Rama and Lakshmana. Remember, Ahi-Mahi Ravana can take any form, at will. The security must be top-notch!” Hanuman was confident, “Vibhishana, don’t worry! Not even a fly can touch Rama and Lakshmana!”

Hanuman beefed up the security. With his tail, he created a huge conical fortress. The entire vanara army sat inside the fortress, all around the circumference. Rama and Lakshmana were placed at the center. Vibhishana himself manned the fortress on the outside, doing the rounds. Each time Vibhishana passed Hanuman, he warned him, “Be careful Hanuman! You never know what Ahi-Mahi Ravana are up to!” During one of the rounds, Vibhishana wanted to re-assess the security inside the fortress. “Hanuman, let me in. I want to double-check that all is fine!” Hanuman let Vibhishana inside.

Vibhishana was suddenly back doing the rounds. Hanuman caught Vibhishana by the scruff of his neck, “I know you are Mahi Ravana! You think you can fool me by taking this fake Vibhishana form? The real Vibhishana just went inside!” Vibhishana struggled to speak, his voice choked by Hanuman’s vice-like grip, “Hanuman! I do not know what you are talking! I…I…I am the real Vibhishana. I do not know whom you let inside. That was not me! He was fake!”

It was a Trojan Attack- you couldn’t differentiate between the real and the fake! Hanuman was caught napping. He rushed inside the fortress. The entire vanara army lay unconscious. Rama and Lakshmana were gone- whisked away to the nether world by Ahi and Mahi Ravana!

Today’s world is exactly like the world spun by Ahi-Mahi Ravana. If you read a piece of news, you later learn, it was fake news. Videos are faked, even the voice is faked. Recently, a song was released in the voice of musicians, who no longer exist. It’s like Maareecha faking Rama’s voice, so much so, even Seeta was tricked. Generative AI is already here. It has taken over- creating a virtual world, blurring the boundary between the real and the unreal.

How will it change the world? Earlier, the “chashmadeed gawaah”, the “eyewitness” played a pivotal role in cracking many a riveting crime case. Will his account be tenable anymore? “Yes, you were an eyewitness, but what your eye witnessed was not real. It was just a hologram, a fake reality!”

What is real? What is unreal? Those searching questions are suddenly our questions- questions that only a philosopher grappled with. Till now, the rule was simple- you “see” an object, and hence the object is “real”. We are set to revise this rule- “You see an object, and hence, that object is unreal!”

“And then uncle? And then? What happened to Ahi-Mahi Ravana?” Uncle continued, “Well, Hanuman had to go to paataala world. Rama and Lakshmana were held captive. It was not easy to kill Ahi-Mahi Ravana. Their “life” was carefully protected- across the seven seas, in a secluded place. Hanuman had to blow out 7 flames, all at the same time, to take the life out of Ahi-Mahi Ravana. Rama and Lakshmana were eventually freed. Hanuman once again came to their rescue!”

“And then uncle? And then? What happened after that uncle?”

The elephant at Kumbheshvara temple

 

Elephants are some of the most lovable creatures. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Kumbhakonam. The elephant at Kumbheshvara temple stole my heart! Unlike other temple elephants, this one was completely unchained. Imagine- an unchained, untethered elephant, standing on its own, in total freedom!

Elephants are like magnets. They arrest your attention, so much so, you can scarcely take your eyes away. This elephant stood on the pathway leading to the main shrine, on a little perch filled with fine sand. What was distinctive about this elephant was the brown hair on its head! A few long, auburn strands of hair hung from the sides of the head elegantly. In its youth, it must have had a full crop of auburn hair, the kind we find in the Jungle-Book cartoon character! Scanty, brown hair stuck out from the top of the head, like tiny bristles! The face was pocked with pink freckles, that gave the face a stately and mature disposition.

The visage, between the eyes, was painted with a white design. It was not overly large to disfigure the elephant’s face, but just enough to make it look totally adorable! Elephants’ eyes are tiny- but they are expressive. As it greeted each visitor, you could see the mouth crease into a gentle smile with a peculiar glint in the eyes! The ears flapped, the tail waved, and the trunk was ever animated!

Just beside the elephant, a mega dance program was in progress. Rows upon rows of chairs were filled with people. At the far end, was a stage, and troupes of classical dancers regaled the audience. Silhouette of the gopuram, lit with a row of lights was pasted against the night sky.  Music blared from the speakers- now playing “Bho shambho” and now playing Lalgudi Jayaraman’s musical composition. The elephant seemed to enjoy the music and was an equal participant in the dance. It crossed one front foot over the other, in a steady rhythm, doing its little jig, even as the program continued!

I picked my chair carefully, and sat as close to the elephant as possible, just behind its tail! A thought did cross my mind- what if the elephant turned around and made a sudden charge? That sea of humanity, yours truly included, and the dancers dressed in all their finery, will soon be running helter-skelter!

But I nipped such imaginative thoughts in the bud. After all, it was the perfect vantage point to observe the dance, the elephant and the steady trickle of visitors who were irresistibly drawn to it. The elephant followed the drill to the letter. It picked the rupee note from the visitor’s hand, deftly handed it over to the mahout who sat beside and placed the trunk on the visitor’s head in a mark of both affection and benediction.

If it was mother-child duo, it was extra careful and placed its trunk ever so gently on the child’s head.  There were bold children and there were children who panicked and froze, refusing to go any further. The elephant waited patiently, till the child lost all fright and gained an element of composure. All along, its movements were fluid and languid, as it visibly enjoyed the entire setting!

When it was dinner time, the mahout stepped away to bring sheafs of green grass from the other side. The elephant waited- with no chain, no mahout, and no restraint whatsoever.

It was 9 pm. The temple was to close for the night. The mahout made a little gesture. On its own, the elephant got down from the sand perch and walked towards the shrine. It swayed from side to side, its majestic gait, a sight for sore eyes! The elephant’s gigantic frame was now noticeable, as it passed the temple’s doorway, and towered over everything in its wake!

Once home, I learnt that the elephant’s name was “Mangalam”.  Apparently, Mangalam was the recipient of “The best-behaved elephant” award!  

What a bundle of joy!

Temple tour- Tirunallaar

Tirunallaar is in Puducherry, as opposed to the other nava-graha shrines, that are in Tamil Nadu. It is the sthala where Saturn, Shani bhagavan is propitiated. As we know, Tiru is an honorific, "nal" refers to King Nala and "aar" is the one who gave comfort (to King Nala). Thus, Tirunallaar refers to the place where King Nala got the solution to tide over his difficulties.

Nala's story is well known. Nala and Damayanti predate the incidents in the Mahabharata. Shaneeshvara, the Lord of Saturn torments Nala, so much so, Nala who was a king, loses everything including his wife Damayanti. When the Pandavas were in the forest, Yudhishthira questions why he is going through so much suffering in life. At that point, Yudhishthira hears the story of Nala chakravarti. Yudhishthira understands that his trouble is nothing compared to what Nala faced! Such was Nala's life.

Nala roams all over for comfort and finally reaches Tirunallaar, the site where Shaneeshvara has a special place. Unlike other places where Shani Bhagavan faces West, in this temple, he faces East. Propitiating Shani Bhagavan at this place, Nala's life takes a turn for the better.

As per the priest at the temple (with whom we had a lengthy conversation), all the other grahas are referred to, by their names alone- as "chandra", "angaraka" etc. Only when it comes to Shani, eeshvara (the Lord) is added to his name (especially at Tirunallaar), so that he becomes "shaneeshvara".

Like other navagraha kshetras (apart from Suryanaar), this is essentially a temple for Lord Shiva. Shiva is known here as "Darbhaaranyeshvara" (darbha-aaranya-eeshvara), the Lord of the forest filled with "darbha" grass. As per the priest, this is a swayambhu linga (not man-made/sculpted linga, but as appearing in nature). Tirunallaar was a forest filled with darbha, and hence this special name for Lord Shiva. The sthala vrksha in this temple is "darbha". As one goes around the praakaara, darbha is seen growing like wild grass, extending over 10 feet in height.

A special facet about Tirunallaar is that it is part of the "sapta vitanka sthalas" of Lord Shiva. At Tirunallaar, Shiva as "Tyagaraja" is present in the heart of Lord Vishnu. In keeping with this point, just before we enter the main temple complex, at the top of the entrance, is a sculpture of Lord Vishnu. He is reclining on Adi Shesha and from his heart, arises Shiva as "Tyagaraja". This point was specially narrated to us as we waited just outside the main temple complex.

Devi is known here as "Praaneshvari" (as pointed out by the priest at the temple). She is Praaneshvari because she is the life-breath, praana in every living being. He mentioned that the names of Devi in the Lalita Sahasranama "praaneshvari....praanadaatri....panchaashat-peetha-rupini" corresponds to Devi as present at Tirunallaar.

The shrine of Shaneeshvara also faces East (just like Shiva in the main sanctum). As in other Shiva temples, Devi's shrine is to our right (as we face Shiva), at right-angles to the main sanctum.

Just outside the main sanctum is Shaneeshvara's shrine- the idol is decked with kireetam and kavacha. Not much of a crowd since it is a Sunday morning.

Before entering the temple, it is customary to follow a particular regimen- you take a dip, or at least do a "prokshana-snaanam" at "Nala teertham". This pond is not co-located with the main temple area. It is across the road. After the dip, you proceed to the Ganesha shrine (to one corner of the pond). You light up a camphor placed atop a coconut, and after swivelling the coconut around yourself, you break the coconut at the Ganesha shrine. That done, you proceed to the main temple.

As per the priest, there are 2 sthalas where you need that "special calling" to visit- one is Tirupati and the other is Tirunallaar.

One last point about the pronunciation, though a very minor point. It is "TirunaLLaar", the L sound produced by striking the tongue against the roof of the mouth. That is, it is a "muurdhanyaa" letter. It is not the L sound produced by striking the tongue against the front teeth, i.e. it is not a "dantyaa" (light L) letter.

Nala Teertham

Entry to the temple-the gopuram is partially visible in this picture

 

Temple tour- Suryanaar, Kanjanur, Tiruvidaimarudur, Oppliappan

 Suryanaar temple:

We started at 6:15 am from Kumbhakonam. By 7 am, we were at the Suryanaar temple. It is one of the nava-graha kshetras. These days, this nava-graha kshetra tour has become so popular, every hotel room carries a map of this temple-circuit. 

Essentially, all these temples are Shiva temples, with Shiva as the main deity. The "graha" deity is also a prominent deity in each temple. However, the Suryanaar temple is different. Here, Suryanaar is the main deity- there is no shiva-linga in the sanctum as in other nava-graha temples.

Apparently, apart from Konark, this is unique- to have a temple dedicated to Lord Surya alone.

In the sanctum, Lord Surya is flanked by Usha-devi on one side and Chhaaya devi on the other. The graha "guru" faces the sanctum (as Nandi would in a Shiva temple).

In this temple, there are also separate sanctums for each graha- chandra, angaraka, budha,  shukra, shani, rahu and ketu. This is unlike the usual navagraha arrangement we find in Shiva temples. 

Archana was quickly done in each shrine- since these are clustered, few feet away from each other, the entire process takes little time.

Since last night was maha shivaratri, the priest expressed his displeasure that they have lit oil-lamps all over the place, so much so, he cannot even enter the shrine this morning!

Muthuswamy has composed a kriti in praise of Lord Surya at this temple in the raga Saurashtram.

https://guru-guha.blogspot.com/2008/10/dikshitar-kriti-soorya-moorte-raga.html

 

Suryanaar temple vimaanam: Lord Surya flanked by Usha and Chhaayaa devi

Kanjanur:

Suryanaar temple to Kanjanur is a very short distance. The temple is ancient- just the look and feel of the structure tells us.

Here, Lord Shiva is called "agneeshvara". As we face the shiva sanctum, to our left is the sanctum for "shukra" (labeled as "Lord Venus" atop the shrine itself!)

Devi's shrine has a special feature- we see Ganesha and Kartikeya just outside Devi's sanctum (not in separate shrines, but as though they are dwaarapaalakas), waiting on either side, for Mother to step out!

Archana for Shukra deity is quick. From the stotra namavali recited by the priest, it is clear that most names are Shiva's- as though Shiva is worshipped as Lord Shukra (along with his consort) in this shrine. 

 Tiruvidaimarudur:

Also known as "Madhyaarjunam", Tiruvidaimaurudur is an ancient and important Shiva temple. We passed by this temple, on the way to Oppiliappan temple and took a spot decision to visit the temple. 

We passed by the massive Nandi, similar to the Nandi at Brhadeeshwara temple. Nandi faces the main sanctum, flanked by pillars all the way.

The main deity is "maha linga swamy".  On the way to the main deity, we pass by "Chola brahmahatti" to the left. This creature is crouched to the top left (as we walk towards the main shrine). As per legend, he is waiting for the Chola king to gobble him up, the moment the king comes back from the sanctum. But the king exits from the side gate. Since then, this creature is waiting (for a 1000 years!)- for anyone who retraces his path from the sanctum! Thus, in this temple, thou shalt not exit by retracing your path from the main shrine. You have to turn off mid-way, else, "chola brahmahatti will catch you!"

As you go around the main shrine, among other attractions, is Ravana carrying Kailasa, with Shiva and Parvati on the mountain-top. You can see Ravana with 9 heads- the 10th as a veena-head and with 19 arms- the 20th arm forms the body of the veena.

As you circumabulate the prakaara, just behind the Ravana-Kailasa shrine, is a little aperture. You hold your ear, and you can hear sama-gana as played by Ravana to appease Lord Shiva!

The goddess at this temple is "brhat-sundara-kuchaambika". Outside the main temple premises is a painting with "madhyaarjunam temple" at the centre and all other temples in the neighborhood as "satellite temples" for this main temple!

Madhyaarjunam (Tiruvidaimarudur) temple

Muthuswamy Dikshitar has composed a krti in praise of the lord at this temple.

https://guru-guha.blogspot.com/2007/11/dikshitar-kriti-chinthayae-mahaalinga.html

Oppiliappan temple:

We ended the morning with a visit to the Oppliapppan temple. Here, Lord Vishnu is "op-illaadha-appan", "the one without a comparison". As Ajuna tells Krishna, "na tvat samah asti" (when there is no one equal to you), how can there be someone greater than you? "abhyadhikah kutah anyah?"

Oppliappan is such- the unparalleled one, the one without a comparison.

The deity is very impressive-in standing posture. As we face the deity, to our left, is bhumi-devi sitting on the ground, to our right is Markandeya rishi, also seated on the ground. 

Unlike other temples, there is no separate shrine for the goddess, since she is present in the main sanctum itself.

The prasada in the temple is unique- there is no salt in the preparation. We ate vadai-prasadam in the temple premises- it tasted just fine, even without salt. In some homes, if the dish lacks salt, it is customary to ask in Tamil, "In your home, it is Uppliappan, is it?" 

There are stories for this type of prasada- that "oppliappan" got corrupted to "upliappan" and "uppu" being "salt", it is as though, he is the lord who partakes no salt!

We are fine either way- "Oppliappan" or "Uppilippan".

Oppliappan temple gopuram

With this, we were done with the temples in the morning. It was 11 am by the time we returned to Kumbakonam. 

Late breakfast at Mangalambika hotel beside Kumbheshwara swamy temple at Kumbhakonam!

Location of  nava-graha and other temples

Temple tour- Srirangam

 - Naamakkal to Srirangam takes just over an hour.

 - The road goes alongside the Kaveri. But sadly, there is no water. 

 - When there was once flowing water, it would have been really scenic.

 - Still, the vegetation is lush green.

 - As you approach Srirangam- you can spot the top of the temple gopuram and Trichy Rock-fort.

 - You cross the bridge over the river, to enter Srirangam.

 - It is an island. If you cross one more river-bridge, you will be in Trichy.

-  Srirangam has 2 main temples:

-  "Ranganatha swamy" (Vishnu) and "Tiruvaanaikaaval" (Jambukeshwara) (Shiva).

- Srirangam Temple was not crowded.

- It was a Friday, it was maha-shivaratri, and the time was just over 3 pm.

- The temple is open between 3 pm and 5 pm timeslot also.

- The temple is built in 7 layers of corridors.

- The most recently built gopuram is the biggest and the outermost gopuram.

- Other gopurams are smaller.

- All gopurams are colored, except one.

- One gopuram is intentionally left white, in memory of "Vellaayi".

- She jumped to her death from this gopuram.

- When the temple was invaded from the North (12th century?)-

   she managed to outwit and distract the invader.

- The main idols were carried to safety due to her. 

- In the process, she threw off the invader from the gopuram top.

- She also jumped down from the gopuram. 

- In her memory, that gopuram is colored white.

- This story was narrated by the guide at the temple.

- The temple is a maze, with several sannidhis and pillared structures.

- It's as if, you need Google maps inside the temple, to find your way.

- Just before you enter the main sanctum of Lord Ranganatha is "gayatri mandapam".

- Lord Ranganatha is majestic and beautiful.

- You do not have too much time to register all the details.

- At the back is Adi-Shesha: You can catch the gold on his heads. 

- The deity's eyes are prominent as he reclines and faces south.

- The features have a rugged grandeur.

- The utsava murti and its prabhaavali are prominent.

- In a matter of a few seconds you are out.

- As you move out, you can see the feet (symbolically embossed on the sanctum wall)

-  The golden vimaana with Krishna is not to be missed.

-  We visit Goddess Ranganaayaki next. The mandapam is called "navaratri mandapam"

-  There are several other shrines inside the spawling temple:

    (a) Rama with Seeta to his right (Kalyaana Raama). To Rama's left is Lakshmana.

     Beside Lakshmana is "baby Hanuman"- He has no tail (the priest says)!

    (b) Shrine with the "parivaara at Vaikuntha":

         - Lord Vishnu with Sri Devi, Bhu Devi and Neela Devi.

         - "Aandaal" with mirrors all around her.

   (c) Shrine for Saint Ramanuja:

         - The priest says, he is still seated as seen here. Hence, no abhishekam is done.

- On the way out, the guide points to a pillar. It shows Vibheeshana.

- Vibheeshana tries to carry the idol of Ranganatha back to Lanka.

-  We know the story. Ganesha thwarts him.

- Thus, Ranganatha stayed here, but kept his gaze at Lanka, by facing Southwards.

- We are also reminded of Saint Tyagaraja inside the temple.

- It was here, he sang the krti "O Rangashaayee" in Kambhoji raga.

- How often have we heard this song with "neraval" done at "Bhu loka Vaikuntham".....

- Truly Srirangam is "bhu loka vaikuntham"!

Outermost gopuram as seen from inside the temple permises.

 

 

Temple tour- Naamakkal

 Naamakkal

- It is on the road to Trichy from Bangalore,

- The route is: Bangalore-Salem-Naamakkal-(turn left here) to Trichy.

- Massive monolith rock at Naamakkal- the kind seen at rock-fort Trichy, but smaller.

- Atop the hill-top sits a fort.

- At the base are 2 temples:

  (1) Hanuman:

        - The idol in stone, is open to the skies.

        - Black granite monolith rock-cut Aanjaneya .

        - This is the famous "Naamakkal aanjaneya".

        - No crown for Hanuman.

        - The hair is rolled up in a bun at the top, the kind worn by Shiva.

        - Large, prominent eyes.

        - Hands in anjali mudra-Between the pressed palms, is a japa-mala.

        - The stance is majestic.

        - The weight is more on one foot than the other, so that one knee is slightly relaxed.

        - Two small canine teeth- "damshtra"- protrude, one on either side of the mouth.

        - Abhishekam was in progress as we entered. 

        - The priest climbs atop an elevated ridge to get to the top of the idol.

         - Exceptional naadaswaram artiste was playing within the temple premises:

                - first "kaliyuga varadan" in Brindavana Saranga.

                - Next- "vishveshwara! chal-man-tum-kaashi" in Sindhu Bhairavi.

                - We are reminded of the nadaswaram maestro "naamagiripettai Krishnan".

                - He hailed from this part of the country.

       - This Hanuman faces the hillock with the fort mentioned above.

    (2) At the base of the hillock, bang opposite Hanuman, is the "Yoga Narasimha" temple.

         -  This temple is not to be missed!

         - The sanctum has Lord Narasimha as a "bas relief work" on the hillock.

         - The main sanctum has all the features mentioned below: 

            (a) Yoga narasimha is at the centre, Shiva on one side and Brahma on the other.

            (b) Around Narasimha, are rock-cut sculptures- the kind seen at Badami.

            (c) There is Trivikrama to the right (as we face Lord Narasimha).

            (d) Ugra-narasimha tearing apart Hiranyakashipu to the back-left.

            (e) An unusual posture of Lord Vishnu to the left.

                - Sitting on Adishesha (he is not lying down).

            (f) Lord Narasimha's face is covered with a silver mukham.

                - The eyes look real- there is a glint in the eyes!  

From the look of the temple, its pillars and structures, it is evident that the temple is ancient.

The hillock is creased with stain of ribbon-like water-streams that trickle down the hill-sides.

Grandfather in Las Vegas!

Summer-vacation afternoons, during primary-school years, were spent playing a “car board-game”. My paternal grandfather and I called the game “six-one”.  Each time the dice fell with a “six” on one die and a “one” on the other, you pocketed a “car”.

Grandpa had mastered the art of rolling the dice. The dice danced to his tunes. All he did…was give the dice a good shake with the magic chant- “vei-raja-vei”! That’s it! If he ordered “six-one”, he got six-one. Fords, Jaguars, Volkswagens- grandpa amassed cars by the dozen. And when it was my turn, the dice was a different animal altogether. Leave alone six-one, the dice appeared to have no sides apart from the numbers one and two!

For a child, repeated losing can dent his ego and render him a total spoilsport. What’s the point in playing if you cannot win even once? Grandpa tried his best, “You are not giving the dice a good shake! And where is “vei-raja-vei”? That’s how you will get a six-one!”

“Vei-raja-vei” irritated me. What does it even mean? It is just some silly mumbo-jumbo. The more I cursed “vei-raja-vei”, the farther I got from winning. Grandpa tried to comfort me, “Let’s play one more game! This time you will surely win!” The next game was worse. No cars came my way, while grandpa had stolen all the cars. He wore a broad smile, while I whined even more, threw the dice away in disgust and swore never to play “six-one” again!

Though we believe the behavior of the dice is based on simple probability, my childhood experience confirms otherwise. It is loaded in favor of certain people. They have a particular disposition, some unbridled enthusiasm, that spills over to the dice and makes the dice behave as though putty in their hands!

I am certain Yudhishthira was a sober, serious, poker-faced and a terribly straight-forward gentleman. There was no hope in hell…he will ever win a game of dice or even “six-one” for that matter. You needed someone whose infectious character can influence the dance of the dice.

A few years ago, before the pandemic, as part of a work assignment, I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas in the US.  India has “punya-sthalas” and “moksha-puris” everywhere. “You can get moksha….by seeing Chidambaram, by dying in Kashi or by merely “thinking” of Tiruvannamalai!” We have grown up on such shlokas.

Las Vegas is diametrically opposite, both geographically and in its claim to fame. It is touted as the “Sin City of the world”- famous for its casinos with those expansive gambling dens. All that fills the Indian pious mind with “religious-fear”, so much so, you would cross your cheek with your palm murmuring “shiva-shiva”, Las Vegas stands for all that and more!

Grandma would say, “When Kali-yuga was about to begin, “Kali” deity had no place to stay- it was so pristine everywhere. Kali pleaded for a location and the first spot he got was a gambling den!”  

Las Vegas showcases Kali-yuga in its true colors. Both sides of the road are lined with an endless row of casinos. Each casino is a palace- crafted ornately and spread over multiple floors. Within each palace, it is a dazzle- anywhere you look, it glitters and sparkles- the gold on the walls, the gems on the pillars and the crystal on the chandeliers. Each floor is littered with all sorts of gambling possibilities- from the “slot machine” to “blackjack” and what not!

The push from within was immense. The mind pleaded with you- “Why not try a 10-dollar bill? Just a 10-dollar bill! Who knows? You may walk away with a million dollars! A million dollars!” I resisted stoutly, given my “six-one” track-record.

But I thought of grandpa. I should have brought him here, dressed in his characteristic white half-sleeve shirt and his spotless, white veshti. “Thatha! This is Las Vegas. This is a casino. You got it? You can select any game you want to play. You can say your “vei-raja-vei” or “bye-raja-bye” or any other mumbo-jumbo. Ok? End of the day, we must win a million dollars! You got it Thatha?”

I am sure grandpa would have won. I am sure he would have made ample moolah on that day- enough to fill an entire ship. I am sure I will still be counting the dollar in sackfuls, with several more sacks yet to be explored.

Alas…my trip to Vegas was a little too late. It was a few years after grandpa had passed beyond the pale of human existence. If only…if only…I had paid more attention to grandpa…if only I had mastered his “vei-raja-vei”!

If only…