After breakfast, we all set out on the Qualis. We instructed the driver to take us to Pattamadai.
Since its on the road from T'veli to Paapanaasam, there was no difficulty in locating the place. And once we reached there, we made enquiries about the whereabouts of Anandhavalli Ambal kovil. We were given directions and ultimately reached an agrahaaram.
But the road to the temple was too small for the Qualis to proceed and so we were contemplating our next move. That's when a friendly lady asked us about where we were headed and we asked about the temple. Lakshmi also started rattling off to the lady about this being my grandpa's village etc.
After much pushing from her side, I too joined in the conv. and finally the maami arranged for one of the boys in the street to direct us to the kurukkal's house. This was in another agrahaaram and we went there.
Finally got hold of the priest - incidentally he is a vertical, yet caters to the 2 vertical temples and the 2 horizontal temples in the village - in a Perumaall temple. Told him our story and he directed us to procure some pujai material and agreed to join us at the Ambaal temple.
We headed back to the Pattamadai versions of Reliance Fresh and Spencer's Daily and got the thaengai, pazham, vethalai and paaku. Couldn't get flowers though.
Then we reached the temple.
It was a small temple, constructed probably on a 1 ground area. It wasnt dilpitated or anything, but it wasnt a happening temple like the ones in B'Nagar either. The kurukkall performed the pujais and gave us all the blessings.
And thanks to Lakshmi, he almost did an on the spot jaadhaga parivardhanai. We finally moved on, after giving him my Chennai contact details.
Once I stepped out of the temple, I started taking pictures. The kurukkal told me to go inside and take pictures too. When I hesitated, he clarified that since it was my family god, there was nothing wrong in taking a picture. And so I took many, with different settings on my camera. Of course, he requested that he be given a copy of the photo!
We then started leaving the village. One thing I noticed was a cool stream that was flowing around the village. It had running water with a decent depth and most of the kids in the village were having a bath, indicating that the stream was not overly polluted.
Also, the village painted quite a green picture, with nice paddy fields, vaazhai thoppus and a good section of the western ghats also being visible at a fairly close distance.
One aspect was that, right through the whole visit, I didn't experience any kind of emotion or exhilaration that I have set foot in the village where my grandpa and the lineage before him lived. There was no rushing of blood anywhere and I felt like I was visiting yet another place.
Probably the logic half of my brain was functioning more than the emotional one, since I really like to observe and store details about things I see/experience for the first time. Perhaps, if I make another visit, I will experience more emotional stuff.
So, we finally left the village and started out to Baana Theertham Falls.
No comments:
Post a Comment