The temple at Tiruvottriyur

Truvottriyur is in North Chennai.....just past the Chennai Harbor. A quick drive on Chennai's famed Beach Road takes us to Tiruvottriyur.


The word "ottri" means to "exempt" or "to keep away". As per the sthala puranam at Tiruvottriyur, once upon a time, there was a deluge. The ocean threatened to engulf everything in its wake. Devotees prayed to Lord Shiva. Shiva acceded to their request and the ocean spared this piece of land. Hence, the name "ottriyur" or "Tiru-ottriyur".


We had a little talk with the temple priest. He had some interesting stories to narrate. It seems, after the deluge, this was the first temple which came up here. Hence, the name of Shiva as "aadi-puri-ishvara".  Adipureeshvara is not a conventional linga. The naaga, i.e. snake itself is the linga. It is kept covered in a golden armor through out the year except for three days when the armor is removed. Abhishekam is possible only on these three days.


Everything is in two-s at the temple- there are two shrines for Shiva: as Adipureeshvara and as Tiruvottreeshvara. There are two shrines for Devi: as Kali and as BalaTripuraSundari.
There are two sthala vrikshas: "atti" and "magizham".

Kali at the temple was in ugra rupa to the extent that even human-sacrifice was done in the past! Adi Shankara installed a circular (vattam in Tamil) srichakra and quelled Kali's anger and converted her into a benign deity.  Hence, the name of the deity as "vatta-parai-amman".
Tiruvottreeshvara is a conventional Shiva linga. Regular abhishekam is only for this linga.
We reached in time for the evening abhishekam for Devi. Devi as Bala-tripura-sundari is beauty personified!



There is connection between this temple and the one at Tiruvarur in Thanjavur district. The utsava murti is Tyagaraja, as Somaskanda (sa uma skanda)- Shiva with Uma and Skanda. It is a replica of the one at Tiruvarur.


There are 27 shiva lingas, one for each of the nakshatras, at this temple. This is one of the unique features of this temple.

Kaliya naayanaar:


One of the 63 naayanmaars, Kaliya naayanaar is primarily associated with Tiruvottriyur. He used to light lamps inside the temple. Once wealthy, he lost all his money. It came to a point when he had no money to buy oil to light the lamp. He decided to slit his throat and use his own blood to light the lamp. He is prevented by Lord Shiva. This stirring story is documented in the "periya puranam".
As per the temple priest, saints like Sundara murti naayanaar and Pattinathaar are also associated with Tiruvottriyur. However, Kaliya naayanaar was the only one who belonged to Tiruvottriyur and was specially blessed by Lord Shiva at this temple. Hence, the special recognition for him at this temple.


Sundara murti naayanaar:


One of Lord Shiva's leelas was played out at the Tiruvottriyur Temple.  Sundara murti naayanaar (Sundarar) visited Tiruvottriyur. Though he was already married to Paravaiyaar at Tiruvarur, he meets Sangiliyaar at Tiruvottriyur and decides to marry her. He wants to promise her that he will never leave Tiruvottriyur. He takes the Lord also on his side by asking him to step over to the Magizham Tree (sthala vriksha, inside the temple premises) so that he can make the promise in the absence of the Lord! Lord Shiva tricks Sundarar by appearing in Sangiliyaar's dream where he asks her to allow Sundarar to make the promise only under the Magizham Tree! Now, Sundarar is in a spot. He still makes the promise to Sangiliyaar and that too, in the Lord's presence, since Lord Shiva has now stepped over from the garbhagriha to the Magizham Tree. Sundarar gets married to Sangiliyaar and stays in Tiruvottriyur. Soon, he wants to return to Tiruvarur. He breaks his promise. As a result, he loses his sight on the way. But the Lord takes pity on him and later, restores his sight.
Once Sundarar reaches Tiruvarur, he has the unenviable task of placating Paravaiyaar. Again, Sundarar takes Lord Shiva into confidence and requests him to pacify Paravaiyaar. Shiva does the needful for his devotee! This story is documented in the Periya Puranam. The text praises Tiruvottriyur as a veritable "shiva loka".
The story shows the extent to which Lord Shiva bends to fulfil the pleas of a devotee. It shows one more connection between Tiruvarur and Tiruvottriyur. It also reveals the antiquity and sanctity of Tiruvottriyur, lest we brush it aside as yet another nondescript temple!


Tyagaraja and Tiruvottriyur:


Veenai Kuppaiyer was a resident of Tiruvottriyur and a famous musician. Some of the popular varnams, especially the one in Shankarabharanam (sami ninne), were composed by him. On his invitation, Tyagaraja visited Tiruvottriyur along with his disciples. He visited the temple and sang 5 pieces....all on Tripurasundari. Together, they are known as Tiruvottriyur Pancharatnam in the ragas Saveri, Shuddha-Saveri, Kalyani, Begada and Arabhi.
In particular, "daarini thelusukonti" in Shuddha Saveri and "sundari nee divya rupamu" in Kalyani are popular in concerts.
Veenai Kuppaiyer was a devotee of Lord Krishna. At his behest, Tyagaraja composed a number of kritis on Krishna including "elara Krishna" in Kambhoji and "venugaana" in Kedaragaula. These are often sung by musicians to this day.


Today, the view from the temple is limited. Urbanization has taken its toll.
In the not so distant past, the ocean could be seen from the temple. It would have been beautiful.
As the waves rise up and come down in cascades of white foam....it's as if they have a song on their lips. They are....as it were....singing in Kalyani....and extoling Tripurasundari….as "sundari nee...divyarupamu"!!! We join the chorus....on our way back.


Listen to these Titruvottriyur pieces sung by Maharajapuram Santhanam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQFsNewH4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiUhYraOTn4

Grandeur of the Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchi

Three hundred years after the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchi was built, a certain tourist visited the temple. He was bowled over. It was poetry in stone! He ordered for the measurements of the temple to be taken forthwith. With this, he rode back to his capital city. Such was his restlessness that he could not go back to his palace. His first priority was to find a piece of land and lay the foundation for what would be his temple....on the same lines as Kailasanatha; only it would be 9-times bigger and better! He was no ordinary tourist- He was King Raja Raja Chola!

And what he built was the Brihadeeshvara Temple at Thanjavur. They say copying or imitation is the best form of admiration. Raja Raja Chola's Brihadeeshvara Temple was copied.... a second time at Gangaikondacholapuram by his son Rajendra Chola.
When we think of the Cholas and their immense contribution to temple construction, Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram are the first temples which come to mind. What we don't know is that the blueprint for these finest temples came from elsewhere- from the Kailasanatha Temple built by the Pallavas at Kanchipuram. And that too, a baffling 300 years before these Chola masterpieces!

Gangadhara

We are at the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram. This is the oldest standing functional temple at Kanchipuram. It is 1400 years old and built by the Pallava king Rajasimha Varma. His successor Nandi Varma built the Vaikunta Perumal Temple, also at Kanchi. These two temples are strikingly different from the other temples at Kanchi.

Till the time of Rajasimha Varma, temples were built as bas-relief works inside caves. We find such examples at Mahabalipuram and even elsewhere, like the Chalukya works at Badami.
Rajasimha Varma was a pioneer when it came to building a temple by stacking up boulders. He was a trailblazer, and temple-construction would never be the same again.


What greets us at Kailasanatha is the sheer grandeur- the scale, the richness in sculpture and the detail. The elaborate temple tower and the corridors are filled with panels- stone panels, each depicting an episode from the puranas. A casual visitor will likely miss them. You need a tourist guide. We are lucky to have the guide Narayanan. He makes the place come alive.


The sanctum sanctorum has a giant Shiva linga. It has 16 "faces", each face is a chiseled flat side. If an octagon has 8 sides, you double it and you get the 16-faced Shiva linga. A little tunnel runs from one side of the garbhagriha to the other side. There are steps to a point inside, after which you crawl your way out! It is dark and narrow and we have no volunteers to burrow through the tunnel!


Kailasanatha is dominated by Shiva in his various forms. Dakshinamurti, Ananda-thandava murti, Urdhva thandava murti,


Ananda-thandava

Lingodbhava, Gangadhara, Kiraata, Trimurti, Tripurasamhaaramurti....each one is a gem. Lord Vishnu's popular avatars find a place too- in samudra mathanam,  as Trivikrama and Narasimha. So does Devi as Durga. The 'ratna trayam'- Shiva, Vishnu and Devi dominate the sculpture-scape, but the focus is on Shiva at Kailasanatha. It is clear that the Pallavas of the time were equal devotees of Shiva and Vishnu as evident from these two temples- Kailasanatha and Vaikunta Perumal.


Not to be missed is this huge panel depicting King Rajasimha Varma and his queen Rangapataka. And the entry points to the temple flanked by two walls- one with the 12 Adityas and the other with the 11 Rudras. A couple of plain panels would have had paintings in the past- remnants of which are seen today....in greens and red….and with the partial image of Lord Vishnu. That is all that survives.


Poosalaar naayanaar and King Rajasimha:


The consecration of the Kailasanatha Temple was scheduled. The night before the event, Lord Shiva appeared in King Rajasimha's dream. Shiva said he could not be part of the ceremony the next day because he had another consecration ceremony to attend at Nindravoor by his devotee Poosalaar. King Rajasimha rushed to Nindravoor (to the North West of present-day Chennai) to see the temple which superseded his. To his surprise, he found there was no temple at Nindravoor. He searched out Poosalaar and reached his hut. That is when he learnt that Poosalaar had built an entire temple, brick by brick in his own mind! That day, was the consecration day planned for the 'maanasa' temple. King Rajasimha understood the supreme power of devotion- even emperors had to bow down!
Nindravoor became "Tiru-nindravoor" and Poosalaar is venerated to this day as one of the 63 naayanmaars. The story of Poosalaar is inextricably linked to the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchi.


Muthuswamy Dikshitar has composed a couple of songs on the Kailasanatha temple. One of them is "Kailaasanathena samrakshitoham" in the raga Kambhoji, Shiva's favorite raga.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ3n_2Kq8xE



Words are superfluous.  They can do no justice beyond a point. We leave you with these pictures. They can perhaps convey a little....a little of the sense of awe, wonder and absolute amazement we felt!
No doubt....this is poetry in stone!



Dakshinamurti

Lingodbhava

Arjuna fighting Shiva as Kiraata    






 

Dvaadasha Aadityaah

Ekaadasha rudraa

Saraswati (no veena but with book!)

Corridor



Indra trying to take on Shiva
And prevented by Brahma!



kaalasamhaaramurti

Shiva plucking off Brahma's head!







Kanchi Kamakshi

At the sannidhi of Goddess Kamakshi....
The darkness of the garbhagriha, the flicker of the lamps, the orange radiance spread all over....and bathed in that mellow light, the surreal image of Goddess Kamakshi!


Our thoughts race. Our mind turns numb. Just the immensity of this vision! Think about it- this is the same deity which Adi Shankara saw a thousand, may be, two thousand years ago! This is the same idol which Muthuswamy Dikshitar saw two hundred years ago. And in this march of time, spanning centuries and millennia, how many kings and emperors, musicians and artists, saints and Shankaracharyas, devotees and common-folk would have sat just like us.....on this very floor, and beheld this very deity....this Goddess Kamakshi!
If we had any specific prayer for the Goddess, forget it! Either it does not come to mind or even if it does, it seems too trivial to ask! It's as if we are on top of a mountain peak; from that height, everything in the valley down below is just a speck, a tiny little dot!


As per Paramacharya, the name 'Kamakshi' can be looked in two different ways:
She is the one who has Kaa (Saraswati) and Maa (Lakshmi) as her very eyes (akshini). As per this interpretation, Devi, Lakshmi and Saraswati are not separate deities, but indeed, One composite Being.....with three different aspects. The interested reader can look up the verse "giraam aahur deveem" from the text Saundaryalahari.


Another way of looking at Kamakshi is the one whose sidelong glance gave a fresh lease of life to Kama. The story of Kama, i.e. Manmatha is well known. After Shiva burnt Manmatha to ashes, Devi takes pity on Rati, Manmatha's wife and restores Manmatha back to life with just a glance. Hence, the name Kamakshi.


In the moments available, we try, try ever so feebly, to drink in....the image of the Goddess.
On her crown is the digit of the moon....sparkling! Both Lord Shiva and Kamakshi hold the "third-digit of the moon" (triteeya) . It is said that Shiva and Shakti are similar in several ways.  They are similar in name- He is Shivah, She is Shivaa. They are similar in features,  He has three eyes, so does She. And when it comes to ornaments, He has the moon ( triteeya chandra-kalaa) on his head, so does She (kalaabhyaam choodaalankrta).


Our eyes rest on Kamakshi's eyes. We are reminded of Dikshitar's song "kanja-dalaayataakshi" on Goddess Kamakshi- The one who has lotus-petal shaped eyes.
As Kamakshi, she holds the same weapons as Kamadeva. Her right hand holds five arrows made up of flowers and her left hand holds a bow made of sugarcane, exactly like Manmatha. It is as if, under the sway of Manmatha, we fall a prey to kama, to desire; but when we surrender to Kamakshi, the very same weapons become a source of blessing for us.
Dikshitar says the same in his song- "rakshita madaney". She protected Madana, i.e.Manmatha….and through that, she protects all of us from Madana's snare.
The other two hands of Kamakshi hold the pasha i.e. noose and the ankusha i.e. a tiny spear. With the pasha, she takes care of our binding-likes. With the ankusha, she pierces our binding-dislikes.


Unlike other deities, Goddess Kamakshi does not hold her hand in "abhaya mudra" (protection gesture). Adi Shankara nicely says that what protection other deities offer through specific "abhaya mudra", Kamakshi does casually, through her very feet!
Dikshitar, in his song "kanja-dalaayataakshi" says the same. He describes her feet as "manjula charaney" and immediately says "maamava"- may the Goddess's feet protect me!


 Sitting at the sannidhi, we see the parrot perched on Kamakshi's hand. More lines from Dikshitar's song come to mind. He says Kamakshi is "shiva panjara shuki".
If Shiva is the cage (panjara), she is the parrot (shuki). It's as if in the cage of Shiva's heart, Kamakshi is forever lodged....never to fly away! This phrase is significant because outwardly, at Kanchi, it looks as if Shiva and Parvati are staying in separate temples since there is no shrine for Devi in any of the Shiva temples! Still, she is shiva-panjara-shuki.

Finally, Dikshitar says she is "ekaamresha griheshvari". At the Ekaamreshvara Temple in Kanchi, we do not have a shrine for Devi.  Still, Ekamresha, i.e. Shiva and Kamakshi are inseparably one.


As we head out of the sannidhi, the dazzle of the sun makes our eyes squint. The white gopurams flank us on each side. We walk around the temple-tank and head out of the temple premises.


Kanchi may have divisions of Shiva-kanchi, Vishnu-kanchi and Jina-kanchi, Kanchi may have temples for Shiva and Vishnu, but one thing is entirely clear. The focus is on Kamakshi! It is ultimately a shakti peetham. Adi Shankara asked the Chola king to redesign Kanchi city into a giant Srichakra…..with 44 triangles....the centre of which is the bindu….and in that bindu...stands Goddess Kamakshi.
If the whole world is bhumi-devi, Kanchipuram is her naabhi, her navel. And on her navel, she wears a girdle, a kanchi-daama. It's as if the whole of Kanchipuram tinkles with just one sound....the jingling from the mekhala, the mani-mekhala, the girdle.... of Goddess Kamakshi!
We are blessed today!


Dikshitar's kanjadalaayataakshi in the raga Kamalamanohari sung by MS Subbulakshmi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjJ7fPKL_Sk

Ekamreshvara Temple at Kanchi

The 'pancha bhuta sthalas' are well known in South India. They are a set of 5 temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. In each of them, Lord Shiva is worshipped as one of the 5-elements. At Kanchipuram, Lord Shiva is worshipped as the very 'earth", at Tiruvaanaikaaval, as "water", at Tiruvannamalai as "fire", at Kaalahasti, as "air" and at Chidambaram, as "space". Shiva exists in and as the five elements in the universe.


We are now at Kanchi!
Ekamreshvara Temple in Kanchipuram is the prithvi kshetram, where Shiva is visualized as the "earth" principle. As Krishna says in the Geeta, "punyo gandha prithivyaan cha"..."I exist as the very earth, with its special quality of fragrance (gandha)". 


The sthala puranam associated with this temple is interesting. Once upon a time, in a momentary lapse of discretion,  Parvati playfully covers the eyes of Lord Shiva.  When Shiva's eyes close, the entire creation comes to a close! To atone for this unintentional error in judgement, Parvati comes down to the earth. She reaches Kanchipuram, creates a sand lingam under a mango tree and propitiates Lord Shiva. River Kampa is in flood. Parvati embraces the sand lingam and protects the linga. We see this incident depicted in the temple. It also finds a mention in the Periya Puranam while describing Ekaamranaatha.

Pillar with Parvati playfully closing Shiva's eyes!

Parvati protects linga from the raging waters of the Kampa River

Hence, the name Ekamreshvara for Shiva in this temple. Fragrance of mango is special. It is fitting that the principle of earth, with its special quality of fragrance (gandha) is associated with the mango tree.


A pillar inside the temple beautifully captures the sthala puranam. A mango tree inside the temple premises lends credence to the above story. It is said that this mango tree is unique. It has 4 main branches signifying the 4 vedas. The fruit hanging off from each branch is supposed to have a different taste! We are reminded of the Geeta- "chhandaamsi yasya parnaani". If the universe is considered as a giant tree, the leaves (parnaani) on each branch (shaakhaa), which keep the creation going, are the Vedas (chhandaamsi).
As we walk up to this tree and climb up a short flight of steps, we see the idols of Shiva and Parvati. We can take a pradakshina around this tree.

Mango tree with the shrine for Shiva and Parvati

Not to be missed is the glass-case housing a 3500 year-old trunk of the earlier mango tree. It is partially covered in a silver casing with the image of Parvati embracing the shiva-linga embossed on it.


There are no sannidhis for Devi at any of the Shiva Temples in Kanchi. She stays as Kamakshi, all by herself at Kamakshi Temple. At Ekamreshvara too, there is no sannidhi for Devi.
The gopuram is gigantic and looms tall and majestic. From the highway, when we take a turn into Kanchipuram, the gopuram which hits the eye is Ekamreshvara's.
The temple is huge and it takes a while to cover the entire premises. The sculptures on the pillars are exquisite- chiseled to perfection. The temple pond with its limpid waters and bordered with lush-green vegetation takes our breath away.


The story of Kamakshi does not end here. She proceeds to Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai and Sage Gautama expounds Shiva's glory to her. Thus, the prithvi kshetram and the agni kshetram are linked through this sthala puranam.

The temple pond

Dikshitar's pancha-bhuta kshetra kriti:


Muthuswamy Dikshitar has composed a kriti at each of the pancha-bhuta kshetras. We  find interesting details in his compositions. For this kshetra, he has composed the kriti "chintaya maa kanda moola kandam" ("Reflect on that Lord at the foot of the mango tree") in the raga Bhairavi.
Moola in Dikshitar's song can be taken as "root" also (instead of the foot). The Lord is indeed the root of the tree-of-creation. We see this in the Geeta- "urdhva moolam" (where urdhva refers to the Lord who exists as the root of the creation). It's as if the ashwatta vriksha (peepul tree) imagery in the Geeta has been replaced by the mango-tree at Kanchipuram's Ekamreshvara. And at the root of this mango-tree-like-creation, is the eternal couple "Parvati-parameshvarau". We can look at it this way too.
As per the musician Vijay Siva, it is apt that Dikshitar has chosen the raga Bhairavi. His reasoning is the following- At Kanchipuram, Shiva and Parvati reside in separate temples. It is as though they are cross with each other, as if she is "bhairavi", in ugra rupa at Kanchi!


While in the other kshetra kritis, Dikshitar explicitly mentions Devi, in this kriti alone, he stays silent, in keeping with the story at Kanchi.
However, he weaves in Devi into the kriti deftly by embedding the name of the raga in the kriti. He says "bhairavi prasangam" (united with Bharavi). In addition, in this kriti, Shiva is called "somaskanda"- "sa uma skanda", the one who is with Uma (Devi) and Skanda. Thus, inwardly, Shiva is forever united with Uma, with Bhairavi.


The result for worship at this kshetra is stated by Dikshitar. He says it is saamraajyam. When we worship the Lord as "earth", the reward is also gain of the earth- prithvi saamraajyam now...and moksha saamraajyam later.
The interested reader can look up this composition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-99FSoIHWlY


So....when are you making your trip to Ekamreshvara? Let us start.....and now!!

The thrill of that unexpected holiday

"School is closed today. -by order", read the blackboard propped against the main-gate. It was exactly what we hoped for, a feast for the eyes! Ever since the first rush of rain was heard clattering against the window pane at night, we prayed; prayed that it should rain so heavily that school should be shut down the following day! The Rain-God was pleased- this time around. The dreaded Maths Unit-Test would now be postponed. And till then, we will all get to live life and make merry! If an announced holiday has one quantum of happiness, an unexpected one is multiplied several fold. It is a bonanza!
For all its onslaught through the night, the rain was now a shadow of its former self. It presently came down in a little trickle. Therein lay the worry. I scoured the horizon- Sridhar had managed to reach, so had Mehernosh. As I looked more, more faces peered back- Adhir and Dinesh and David. It looked as if the whole class had braved the rain to reach school. It seemed hazardous to have a class reunion  within the school premises; not today. Father Bryganza's hawk-like eyes from the second-floor window would swoop down on us. The last thing you want is a total anticlimax- "Now that the entire class is here, I see little point in having a holiday today! I would rather you boys make your way to the class! The rain has anyway stopped!" Our hearts would have sunk.
We made our way out of school unobtrusively, till the entire class congregated on the opposite footpath, just outside the restaurant Rasna Punjab. That's when the adrenalin was finally let out....in a collective roar of absolute delight! Only a student would know this feeling, the unexpected sense of  freedom from captivity! The whole day lay stretched in front of us. The choices were many- troop back home, hang out at Five Gardens or dig into a dosa at Madras Café. No one could make up his mind. It was as if we had won a lottery- the bounty and the suddenness of it had made us numb!


This was a good day. But rains are notorious for being fickle and moody. At times, it rained through the night, raising hopes of an imminent holiday, only for the sun to break out in the morning, in all its glory!  How could the rains be so heartless?
Where the Weather Gods did not oblige in doling out an unexpected holiday, human ingenuity compensated for it. From time to time, there were "bandhs". The reason did not matter a hang. We just had to show complete solidarity to the cause- any cause! Only, the bandh had to be total and successful- schools had to be closed. And the roads, emptied out for a game of Cricket! Bandhs were unpredictable. Often, rival groups patched up, much to our dismay, and called off the bandh in the nick of time. It would then be school as usual. What a drag! The fate of the bandh was decided early in the morning. We hated those who came home and reported- "The situation is normal!". No one wants to hear the word "normal" on a bandh day. It has to be abnormal - we felt the irresistible urge to take matter into our hands, show some initiative and if need be, pelt a few stones!


Sometimes, the unexpected holiday, at least the prospect of it, came as manna from the heavens! Literally! The US had launched the spacecraft Skylab. The purpose of the mission was lost on us. All we knew was that they had lost control of the spacecraft! It was now a free spirit....hurtling towards the earth, certain to collide! The writing on the wall was simple- this blessed spacecraft can crash anywhere on the planet; yes, even on our head. Newspapers chalked out the trajectory of Skylab, how it would re-enter the earth's atmosphere- break-up and plunge into the heart of Bombay! Back in school, Sridhar had his gaze fixed on the skies....his hands clasping his head! He moved about in that posture, his mood sullen, like a convict on a definite death-roll! Those were anxious times no doubt, where anything from a plane to a buzzing dragon-fly rattled everyone with the prospect of impending doom. Sridhar pleaded with Father Bryganza. After all, if all of us were to perish, it would be more comfortable sipping Bournvita at home than in the confines of the school. He wanted the school to declare a holiday for a week, till doomsday was over! "Yes Sridhar! You can have a holiday- today, tomorrow, this whole week, this month, this year also! I give you full permission" Father Bryganza's over generosity upset Sridhar and the rest of us. Father Bryganza just didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Eventually, Skylab did fall, but over the Indian Ocean.....off the Australian coast. We missed a big opportunity to force an unexpected holiday.


From time to time, leaders and statesmen passed away, some all of a sudden. The state announced either a three-day mourning or a seven-day mourning depending on the magnitude of the loss. The TV, with its single black-and-white channel, was depressing, with the strains of "sarangi vaadan" playing through out the day. There was no respite. But students would have none of that. They were ecstatic....thrilled... that it was a holiday after all! It's as if these leaders gave oodles of happiness to a bunch of kids, in their passing away; what happiness, they might have struggled to give to the public at large, while living! What irony! Looking back, we feel remorseful now, how we were devoid of basic empathy as kids! But a child's outlook is entirely objective- life, death, nothing merits grief. It's as if everything is a matter of celebration! Who can contest that?


The other day, my daughter let out a sudden, excited yelp which split the roof! Totally unlike her! What could have made her so happy? She blurted out that the school had declared a holiday on Monday and her Maths exam would be postponed! I keep hearing from time to time that "school is fun" these days. Back then, we did not think so. Leave alone the root of education being bitter, we were sure, the root-shoot-fruit- everything about it, was just as bitter, filled to the brim with castor-oil! Like being strapped to a dentist's chair and enduring the drill through a decayed tooth....with no end in sight!
I found my daughter's reaction to an unexpected holiday refreshing! I was relieved that things have not changed, schools have not changed, not that much! The basic student emotion is intact!

Don Bosco and Elocution competitions!

Times have changed. Public speaking competitions in schools today are generally centered on "Model UN" sessions (MUNs) and debates. Rarely do we hear about an Elocution Competition. It is not the flavor of the season anymore.
Not so in the good old days! Don Bosco had an annual Elocution Competition and the best speakers would vie with each other to win the coveted contest. Winning did not matter in the least; may be it did- but only for the participants. For the rest of us, it was a laughing-riot- three hours of non-stop rib-tickling entertainment (at the expense of the contestants of course). The audience was an active participant. It decided how long the competition lasted....and while it did, more classes got canceled, especially the back-to-back Maths periods making the day that much more palatable! Much was tried to rein in the behavior of the audience as it erupted from time to time and drowned the speakers. On that day, even Father Bryganza's iron fist would appear limp- for the offenders were too many!


The recitation at Elocution Competitions followed a standard, time-tested pattern. The audience knew it "by heart". Of the 15 participants, at least 9 (if not all 15) recited the same speech-  Mark Anthony's address on the death of Julius Caesar. It was the one which started with "Friends! Romans! Countrymen!" It was as common place as Gabbar Singh's dialogue from the film Sholay- "Arey O Samba! Kitney admi the!". Needless to say, the competition was eventually to crown the best Gabbar amongst the 15 Gabbars who went up on stage!


It was lost on us that Shakespeare intended this speech for "Romans"! In the hands of the six graders at Don Bosco, this speech had a different connotation altogether. Everyone pronounced "Romans" as "romance"- correctness in enunciation  was not our strength.  For us, Mark Anthony's lines meant "friends romance countrymen!". The open admission, in a public forum, tickled us to no end! Of course, with friends romancing all countrymen, there was one stickling point- how do we reconcile this line with the message on the pledge which said all Indians are my brothers and sisters!! Mehernosh got carried away and giggled on stage when he said the opening lines! It provoked the Elocution teacher (sir) Michael Nazareth. Later in class, with each hit on the knuckle with a wooden ruler, he would correct Mehernosh- it's "Romans!", it's "Romans!", it's "Romans"! Ouch!


The contestants had to pack their speech with emotion. The louder you were, more the emotion, more were the claps. You literally played to the galleries. On an occasion,  Sridhar recited the poem "O Captain, My Captain". We loved it! The poem apparently dealt with the death of Abraham Lincoln. We knew someone had died for Sridhar got too involved with the lines. Convulsed with an overwhelming sense of bereavement, he bawled on stage...."O captain"….sob...sob..."my captain"!!! He buried his face with his hands, his shoulders rocked...and nothing more came out of him! "Abey koi mar gaya kya!?" someone shouted from the audience! The crowd erupted- some jeered, some clapped, some heckled...they were thoroughly enjoying themselves! But Sridhar's grief was too intense! Eventually, he needed an escort to drag him out of the stage, much as he protested to stay on and continue his never-ending act! Father Bryganza's eyes were to be seen. He didn't like it one bit!


We repeatedly told Ms Nattie in class not to select Adhir for the competition. Adhir was a good speaker, but he had got his teeth fixed with braces just that week. Evidently, he had not got used to speaking with braces. When he went up on stage, no one had a clue what he was trying to say. It could have been "Friends Romans" or a piece in Swahili. We knew he was trying very hard, but it was as if he was speaking through a wind-tunnel. Or the kind of sound when you slow down and play a piece of recorded audio.....so that you wouldn't know if it was a man or a beast! He did not like it one bit when the audience drowned him with the cackle of a rooster..."kukrooo koo ku!" To make matters worse, he stumbled down the steps and fell with a loud thud! Just the trigger the audience needed to let themselves loose once more!


There were two different schools of thought when it came to Elocution competitions. One said you could use your hands, gesture animatedly and recite your speech. The other school claimed that you should not use the hands at all because  it would be dramatics and not elocution. The problem was- there was no consistency in enforcing this rule. Some used their hands, others didn't.
If you didn't use your hands, you were at a disadvantage. You got stuck to an unnatural posture. You had to clasp your palms at your belly, with the elbows sticking out (that was the rule). The stance looked plain silly. You felt wooden- like the ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye's puppet, the kind which stays motionless...with only the head bobbing, the eyebrows craning up and down, the eyes bulging out of the sockets and the mouth moving in sudden spurts!!! As Dinesh clasped his palms and rocked his shoulders inadvertently, it was as if he was cradling a baby! The audience had a field day- "Abey Dinesh, kiska bachcha hai...tere haath mey!", they taunted!


"Women are irrational, their heads are full of cotton, hay and rags!"- The speech from My Fair Lady elicited more applause than Vivekananda would have got at Chicago.  Shouts of bravo! bravo! drowned Subra! It didn't matter what he said next! It was a big hit!
It happened year after year- lines were learnt in the last minute and forgotten on stage. Lines were learnt well in advance, but like Karna, you forgot them when you needed them most. You dealt with stage fright as best as you could- frozen like a deer with a bullet between the eyes or casually, by making eye-contact with your friend in the audience and giggling! It did not matter. No one remembered after the event. Everyone was there to have fun, unadulterated fun, to have a good laugh and to live that day with a sense of reckless abandon!
Where is that sixth grader....with that contagious laugh? In time's relentless march, he is lost forever.


P.S. The trigger for this essay was a dream! I woke up dreaming about school days and this event in particular! Before the details evaporated the following morning, I quickly wrote it all out!

Vishvarupa, the cosmic form......

A child of four starts her Bharatanatyam training. The first prayer she learns to dance goes as follows:
"aangikam bhuvanam yasya....
 vaachikam sarva vaangmayam....
aahaaryam chandra taaraadi.....
tam vande....saatvikam shivam" 
"I bow to that Shiva.....who exists as the very cosmos. The world is His limbs; words spoken anywhere, in any language are His words; the stars and the moon are His ornaments. Unto that cosmic Shiva, my prostration!"

It is unlikely that this grand vision will fuel the mind of the child at that tender age. But the seeds have been sown. The dancer will surely reflect on these words someday. These words will become meaningful.
Poets see this world....and see in it something more than meets the eye. There is a special value-add, a rosier hue with which they view the world.  The nature poems of Wordsworth, Tagore's Geetanjali and Bhaarati's verses are but some examples. When Bhaarati writes..."kaakkai chiraginiley nandalaalaa"- he sees a crow differently. It is not that he compares the black of the crow's feathers to Krishna's complexion. No! He sees the black-feathers of the crow as Nandalaalaa!
Indian thought is steeped in this concept, that the Lord exists..... in and as the creation. The Upanishads, the Geeta and religious literature develop this theme systematically. Some examples are presented below:

"Saptaanga" - The Lord seen in a seven-fold form:
In the Mandukya Upanishad, there is a reference to the cosmic form in a seven-fold way. It is called "sapta-anga". As per this, heavens are his head, the sun is his eye, the air is his breath, fire is his speech, the all-pervading space is his body, the ocean is his bladder and the earth is his feet!
The Upanishad cannot paint the Lord's features on a small canvas. For the Upanishad, the canvas has to be stretched to infinity!

"Ashta-murti" - The Lord seen in an eight-fold form:
Krishna, in the Geeta (chapter 7), divides Himself in an 8-fold way (ashtadhaa): as space, as air, as fire, as water, as earth, as the total mind (manah), as the total intellect (buddhi), as the total ego (ahankaara). Every aspect of creation- animate and inanimate is made up of these 8 building blocks, which are non-separate from Him. With this foundation laid, Krishna reels out a series of verses- "I am the taste in water, I am the light in the sun, I am the sound in space, I am the strength in the strong, the intelligence in the intelligent etc."
Yes, Krishna follows it up by allowing Arjuna appreciate this total form as Vishvarupa in Chapter 11.
In some places, the 8-fold form is presented with a little variation. We see it in Ramana Maharishi's work Upadesha Saaram (ashta murti bhrit) and in Adi Shankara's Dakshinamurti stotra. As per this, the 8-fold form is as follows: as space, air, fire, water, earth, sun, moon and surprisingly as each of us (pumaan)!
Though the presentation is slightly different in terms of enumeration, the concept remains the same.....He exists as this world, as everything in it...including each one of us!

"nava-atma" - The Lord seen in a nine-fold form:
Curiously, Shankara in the Soundaryalahari increases the count by one more! Now, what is this nine-fold form (nava-atmaanam anagham)? It is similar to other enumerations- Shankara says, "O devi! Manas tvam, vyomas tvam....You are the mind, you are space, you are the wind, you are fire and water and earth. The sun and the moon are your breasts". But he does not explicitly mention the 9th. Other commentators fill in and mention that "time" (kaala) has to be taken are the 9th. When there are only 8, "time" is folded up with the moon (because time is measured in moon's phases (tithis). If the moon is absent in the 8-fold enumeration, "time" is included along with "space" since time and space go together.

How to acquire this cosmic vision:
All this is fine! How do we acquire this cosmic vision? We read that Arjuna got a special boon (divya chakshu) from Krishna in the Geeta. How do we get our special goggles?
In the Geeta, we get some hints. When Arjuna asks Krishna to show his cosmic vision, Krishna immediately replies, "pashya mey paartha rupaani.." "Behold! See! pashya!"
It's as if the form is always present; it's not as if Krishna had to expand himself into a special, infinite form for Arjuna. All that was required.....was a change in Arjuna's mind, to appreciate a vishvarupa which is always present. A relaxed mind, a pure mind, a straight mind, a non-complaining mind, a non-self centered mind, a mind that accepts itself to be within the totality, that is the "divya-chakshu". For some time, Krishna let Arjuna's mind enjoy that mental freedom. And whatever Arjuna saw.......was the vishvarupa!
As Wordsworth says....
To see a World in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour!

Tirupati Trip

Twilight gives way to the darkness of the night. The car speeds away, skirting the hills of Tirupati. On either side, thick vegetation.....and ahead, the lonesome road. Slowing the car, we crane our neck....between the branches of the trees for one last look. There, up above....the faint outline of the hills...with their characteristic flat top. And the sparkling, necklace-like lights- snaking their way up the hill and ending in a prominent pendant.  "Look! Look! That is Gaali-Gopuram!........ There! Not that one silly! That's the street light! The other side....look there!"
One last glance....and we drive away. Sinking into the car seat, the mind replays the entire day.....frame by frame. It has been one memorable day!


The drive to Tirupati is scenic- vast stretches of empty land, small townships, sudden cluster of rocky boulders and little ponds. Taking the turn past Chittoor, the hills are visible- almost imperceptible at first, till we come close....and watch them take over the entire landscape! The Tirumala Hills cannot be missed. Their tops are cropped flat; and one chiseled vertical cleft in the hill, confirms it has to be this one...and no other. It's February and the hills are covered in a full coat of lush-green...except the rocky top...which is bordered a reddish-brown.
In every avatara of Lord Vishnu, Adi Shesha is always present -as Lakshmana in Rama-avatara, as Balarama in Krishna-avatara. When the Lord came down as Shrinivasa to Tirumala, in what form does Adi Shesha accompany him? Adi Shesha took the form of these hills. He is present as these hills. Hence, the name "Sheshaadri" to these hills.


From Alipiri, we take the hill-route to Tirumala. We drive past the "walkway"- with the giant Garuda at the base and a series of steps ending in the tiny Gaali-Gopuram, framed with the emblem of the shanka and chakra on either side. The walk will wait another day. Presently, we are in the car and gaining altitude....and watch the Tirupati town....down below.... fade away. The route is beautiful. Each turn reveals a new facet- of dense vegetation and rocky outcrops, of sweeping skies and panoramic hill views, not to mention the hordes of langurs...which grab our attention!


Tirumala is spic and span! Everything looks new- the roads, the sidewalks, the cottages and the parking arrangement. For a place which teems with thousands of devotees each day, it is unbelievably well organized! February is a lean month and it takes just about an hour in the queue.


We enter the temple through the outer gopuram.  It is a feast for the eyes- a pillar here grabs our attention; and before we have seen it in full, we drift off to a statue there. There's Krishnadevaraya, there's his successor Achyutaraya...and statues of devotees we've not heard of (Todaramal and Pita bibi)! The "Ranga mandapam" is not to be missed.  700 years ago, Allauddin Khilji's general Mallik Kafur attacked South India. The idol of Ranganatha was brought all the way from Srirangam and housed in this mandapam for safe-keeping. Going past the golden "dhwaja-stambham" and "bali-peetham", we enter the "vimaana-pradakshinam" through the inner gopuram.
To the left is the shrine of Lord Vishnu as "Varadaraja". The idol was brought from Kanchipuram to keep it out of reach from Mallik Kafur's hands. Tirumala had the fortune of having "the big three" Shri Balaji, Rangantha and Varadaraja under the same roof at one point in time! It shows nothing is entirely bad or evil. Even during testing times, grace overflows in unseen ways!


Presently, we are enveloped in a riot of gold- sparkle and grandeur all over! There is the Golden Gate, the bangaaru-vakili which leads to the sanctum, and up ahead, the  golden tower over the garbha griha- the "Ananda-nilaya-vimaanam".
Entering through the Tirumaamani-mandapam with its ornate gold pillars and chandeliers, we catch the first glimpse of the Lord. The full-throated chorus of "Govinda! Govinda!" reaches a crescendo.  From this point onwards, it is trance-like.  Some other force propels us forward. The people, the attendants, the temple premises....the tired body, the aching, the complaining mind...nothing exists! We stretch the moment.....as much as we can...and try and catch every detail. The deity....alive and aglow..... in an orange-tinged light....enveloped in a hazy mist. The crown is noticed, the prominent white forehead-mark, the dot on the chin, the layer upon layer of jewels, the four hands and the feet. One hand is in held in varada-mudra pointing to his feet. The other hand hangs down and touches just above the knee (kati-mudra). Surrender unto Me, unto to my feet. And with that, samsaara, which seems ocean-like and all engulfing now...is reduced to a puddle..so much so that its waters ...come just to the knee! Lord Balaji conveys this message through his mere posture!
The feeling cannot be expressed  in words. It is like no other. As we emerge out of the sanctum and congregate at the pradakshina, there is just one overpowering emotion- of total happiness.


Going around the vimaana-pradakshinam, the replica-image of Lord Balaji on the golden vimaana is not to be missed. The pradakshina takes us past the Hundi, the Vishwaksena shrine, the Yoga Narasimha sannidhi and the Ramanuja shrine.
A fistful of delicious Tirupati Laddoo rejuvenates the body. Another bagful of tempting laddoos will be carried home...for family and friends!


Back in the car. We ponder...as we gaze into the night......
Yes, God exists everywhere.  Still, we want to experience Him at Tirupati. What pull does Tirupati have? Why does it force  us to come back time after time....forgetting the milling crowds and the actual darshana time spanning just a sub-second? What made Adi Shankara come here to install the Dhana-aakarshana yantra? Why does a grammar textbook Tolkaappiyam in Tamil, about 2000 years old, refer to the Hill? Why do the Puranas talk about the mahima of Venkateshwara? Why did Ramanuja climb the hill on his knees? What brought Saint Tyagaraja to Tirumala and sing his heart out...so that the screen would part and the Lord would reveal Himself?
Wrapped as we are with these searching questions, we reach out for the laddoo in the bag. It is irresistible! The sweetness spreads in the mouth. Now...no question needs to be answered. They seem irrelevant. The whole being is filled....saturated as it were, with absolute contentment!
When is the next trip? Let's plan.....and now!!!

The perfect makeover

"Mirror-mirror on the wall! Who is the most wonderful of them all?" Perhaps, for Snow-White, the mirror answered in her favor. For the rest of us, we know the answer would be so disconcerting to accept, that we avoid the question altogether! Even assuming the miraculous possibility that the mirror did spell out our name, the crown rests but precariously. Time, that relentless predator, catches up with the best of us. A quick glance at someone who was a Miss Universe five-decades ago, tells the  whole story. It is unsettling how time batters us out of shape!


We feel a makeover will help-  a makeover at every level, starting from the physical. At the parlor, with the white cloak tightening its clasp on the neck, there is little room to wriggle away. Strapped to the chair and in the absence of other distraction, the gaze must meet the mirror. As the years go by, the experience is anything but pleasant. The features are scrutinized one by one- the hair with more white streaks, the forehead with more real estate, and the eyes with creased corners. The hair-dresser compounds the situation- "Shall I color the hair after the hair-cut? Would you like a facial to remove the warts on the bridge of the nose?" You give him a free hand for it couldn't get any worse!
The self-assessment is not restricted to the physical. With time, the sense of incompleteness pervades other spheres. Emotionally, we feel inadequate and the intellectually, increasingly challenged. Accomplishment wise, there is jarring limitation- success has either been sparse or it has bypassed us altogether! Suddenly, the more we introspect, the more holes we find! We find ourselves totally unacceptable. Wistfully, we question earlier decisions, decisions made in another age and wonder if the present would have rolled out any better if those could be revised.


We turn to Self-Help books. They dole out well-meaning advice all right. "A man complained that he did not have shoes. He stopped complaining, when he saw a man without feet!" The emphasis here is on contentment-  to be happy with ourselves, for others are far worse. Initially, the teaching makes us cheerful. We feel good about ourselves. But the maxim has a certain flaw- it is based on comparison. Soon, we are reduced to proof-readers, forever looking for chinks in other peoples' armor, cutting them to size so that we may appear taller! It brings out the cynical best in us. Earlier, the distance was only within myself. With this revised attitude, others keep a safe distance as well. No makeover seems to help; at best, it reinforces the limitation. It all looks totally hopeless, doesn't it?


It is here that ancient Indian Wisdom comes to the rescue. This timeless message questions the basic premise- Who is that entity who complains about the sense of incompleteness? Who needs this blessed makeover? It turns the attention inwards, to the complainer himself. It is a paradigm shift.
"What you are, you do not see. What you see is your shadow!" The body is a shadow, the mind is a shadow, accomplishments are shadows. The whole of life is spent in the futility of shadow-boxing and the real-you is lost sight of! The real-you is the observer, the observer which is always present, inheriting none of the traits of the observed. It observes with the aloofness of a lighthouse and lights up the waves- the childhood body and the ageing body, the child-like mind and the mature mind, the effervescent thoughts and the despairing ones. In itself, it is full and complete- limitations if any, are in the shadow- never in the original. It frees up the person and gives the necessary space to accept the body, the mind and the world with all its problems. Charged with this self-completeness, the problems of the world are dealt with squarely and cheerfully. If the problems are solved, it is fine; if the problems cannot be solved for whatever reason, it is equally fine. In no way, does it dent my fullness.


Now, each one can face the mirror with confidence and ask, "Mirror-mirror on the wall! Who is the most wonderful of them all?" The mirror need not answer. We claim our inherent glory and roar, "I am the most wonderful of them all!"
The makeover is now complete!