Thursday, January 31, 2008

Experience the bliss at Golden temple - Sripuram

I was out of my standard routine for a week in the first month of the year when I got a sudden opportunity to visit a beautiful place with my Family. My vacation was just planned for a kinda relaxation at my house and meeting some friends but amidst of it rooted out a plan for small trip of visiting some divine places. I was not so amused at it at the first sight..but yes…was happy to keep the smile on my parents face by accompanying them…and also was happy for myself accompanying my brother until he boarded his flight for his return back from his vacation….

So we started at around 8.00 p.m from my home town and we reached the first temple (Melmaruvathur Adiparashakthi - few kilometers away from chennai)by 6.30 in the morning. As soon as we got down I was just surprised to see the huge mass of devotees early at the dawn. We then managed to get ready by 7.30 offered our prayers and left by 11. When My cell rings for a welcome note from my Friend. Slowly a smile passes away my lips as usual due to my excitement.

Then the 1st day just pushed off. My dad and brother were busy with some official appointment s and my mom and aunt resting in the guest house and I busy meeting my friend.

The 2nd day dawned early at 2.30 a.m itself for us, as we had to see off my brother by 4.00 a.m at the airport. That day was very special for me. After my bro’s departure, I and my dad reached the guest house by 6.00 a.m. While I took a short nap, my mom, dad and aunt got ready and we set off to our next devotional destination (Katyayni temple ). My mom had read about this temple and was interested to take me there.

We moved to the main bus station in Chennai and started enquiring how to go to this place. To our surprise, not many people knew about this temple. Somehow we managed to get hold of a plan to reach the temple. We were not aware of the distance and never bothered also to think about the temple timings. We were lucky enough to trace (kind of adventurous visit) the temple by 11.45 and the temple usually closes by 12 noon and reopens at 2. If our travel had got delayed by 15 more min then we would have got disappointed as we did not have the time to wait until 2 and see the God.

It was a Devi temple amidst a small village (I don’t remember the name ), beautiful and there is a defined way to offer prayers to God. We offered our prayers and set off to the next temple.Uffff…I was tired by then..was feeling little bit feverish and was just waiting to get back home………

It was 4.00 and we reached the 3rd board of divine oasis. Even to this board we had to travel lot inside into a remote village. But it was worth a visit. It was a Golden temple at “Sripuram”. Goddess Narayani was worshipped there as an embodiment of Goddesses Lakshmi,Durga and Saraswathi.

To start with we had to leave our baggage, cell phones, sandals etc at a counter inside the temple. As usual we stood in the queue. I was thinking oh my god…when will this all get over…but still was curious to see the temple as It was completely built with Gold. I had just heard of the Golden temple at Amritsar, then came to know from my mom and Dad that this was newly built and they came to know about this via a article published in the news paper….I was gazing at mom to see her interest….

After about 30 mins we entered the main gate..oh my God..I just felt I am entering some heaven..I just checked myself whether I was alive or dead and that I am in the heaven..yes I have not seen heaven..but still the way I had seen it in some devotional movies….I had some imagination in my mind that the heaven would look like this and this matched exactly with my thoughts and I was so happy just at the entrance that my soul immediately felt some kind of peace inside it……..

Being a very emotional, sentimental personality I always had lot of confusions, problems in me..but as I was passing by my way to the centre peedam where the idol of Lord Narayani was placed, I was taken away by the surrounding environment. The temple was spread around acres of land….with beautiful arches until the main peedam…. We had to walk few kilometers inside the temple after passing through the main queue… The environment was so clean..the entire way was posted with beautiful message that would instill divinity into the human mind. The intensity of the message was so good that I did not leave even a single message that was posted throughout the way. Even my mom and dad were engrossed in reading them and exchanging more attractive ones with each of them. The main temple was built with Gold…oh my God our eyes had a beautiful treat that day and were just rejoicing them…. I felt very nice and blessed for having visited that temple. After an hour we were out and I immediately rang up my friend to share my happiness with her. The messages posted throughout the way were very inspiring and gave the meaning of what we saw around in the day-to-day life.

I at least felt rejuvenated after reading the messages there and was driven to adapt some discipline in my life. I was taken aback by the temple authorities for keeping the temple so clean and caring for the devotees in a well organized manner.

In my opinion people who have disbelief in the divine power and also the righteous paths must definitely visit this board of serenity, and soon can see a transformation in them.

My mind which was initially not so enthused about the divine trip was completely lost in thinking about the messages posted there and the temple, on our way back home.

Never miss an opportunity to visit the Golden temple at Sripuram –Vellore

Akshatha

Monday, January 28, 2008

Friendship

M back out here after a looooong break to just pour in my thoughts..n this time it's about the amazing relation ship "Friendship"....

Something has been just driving me from past few days to write on this....n finally today m at the desk to shell out some of my sweet experience with it....

When I was in my childhood days....I never new what's friendship....But simply we used to tell I have 4 friends, 5 friends innocently....and my numbers were moving up and down lie waves.....whenI was in 12th it came down to 3 and raised to and again down 1 like that.... and then I was just focused on studies..then came to college where used to see freindship as some kinda give and take policy..so i do not know if my way of looking was wrong or what? Most of the time I used to hang out with my brother.....but still I was in a group of 6 tp 8 gals...we had formed our so called "Gang" etc..... But it is during those days when I slowly started missing my School friend..started writing letters etc..... slowly started moving within the group well...enjoying etc....and then was the Farewell day where I did not feel anything and was happily smiling......

and then time passed I also passed out of the college and swinged on job hunt...even some of my frenz were on job hunt and did not have time to think about anything.....But now when all are quite settled we have got together in loop again...all are growing old and one by one is getting married.... n slowly I feel a pinch of this relationship......Whenever i meet our Gals my heart starts jumping like anything.....and Can see the same from others..... we keep updating each other on our life's happenings...and now after maariage slowly our gals are again getting back to the busy life..where there is less space for friendship.... I feel it is that wonderful relation that has still kept us bonded in a bunch even after separation of 3 years now.......I feel very proud......

and next to see it in a still astonishing way...It's been almost 20 years now we have been together ... but paved way to this beautiful relation only 7 years back.....I have been extremely happy sharing this beautiful relation ship with my FRiend.. ..a shoulder to lean upon whenever I wanted....a beautiful soul that always bared my boring ventures...always cheered and supported in my challenges..what not.....Most of all whose ears & heart never got tired for listening and sharing the sadness and hapiness......and now that great soul known to me out this "Relation" is is no less than a sibling of mine.... The way I care for her or she cares for me...although we are not related by blood is still shocking for me....."It is all the magic of "Friendship".....

I miss my wonderful friends and just hope to under the light of this relationship throughout my life time......

Akshatha





Monday, January 7, 2008

Vacation - Exploit it as much as you can to make the best use of it

Vacation in simple words a break... and I never though seriously about it...I had just heard about during our school days...and we used to just jump for having a bulk of days as holidays...and even in my office whenever my colleagues used to take leaves they used to say they are going on vacation...but now the term "vacation" makes sense to me as I myself on vacation for a week...and enjoying it very well



It simply means taking a break out of your normal routine but its very powerful.... it makes us more productive. Now I understand y in a year y we used get 2 months vacation....after a continuous hectic routine..suddenly i got to a take a week off and relax at home...when I was leaving for home I was happy that I will be meeting my parents but at the same time I used to think if a week break was necessary...but now I can feel the real use of it...



Apart from ur normal work...during the vacation ur mind is able to rest and think of some different things....I am surprised that I have been reading books and thinking of various things...As we plan our work I guess even the vacation times have to be planned properly to exploit it significantly.......



All these days vacation at home for me was just eating some home made goodies, sleeping and if possible meet friends etc....



But this time I have realized the magnitude of it...and also got a hint of how to make it useful..may be I ll post some tips in future regarding the same...



Effect of planned vacations...using it nicely rejenuates ur mind....and I can feel now my mind is fresh to start with some good work with full enthusiam again.....





That's all for now..will just go back and enjoy my vacation....



Akshatha