ganapathi bappa morya

tsunami territory
Wed, 7 Sep 2005

Vanecome!

Day 5 in Chennai brings rain and get this! A temperature of 85 degrees..very nice indeed.

Yesterday was just simply amazing. It all began 14 years ago when Shyamala took me to Chidambaram (a huge Siva temple built in the Chola dynasty, containing 999 stone pillars - the last pillar being Siva's leg - making it the temple of 1000 pillars), I had a premonission that I was to bring my daughter (not born at that time) there and have her do an "Opening Namaskaram" on the Koothambalam (the dance stage)...well, it all happened yesterday. Everything became very dreamy...time slowed down ...the temple bells were beating our hearts...the arati fires were the light/love that moves through us all...on and on. So I don't know what happens when one completes a chapter as big as that one but I'll be sure to let you know.


taxi driver siesta

We hired a very nice driver named Krishna to take us on this massive excursion (5 hours there-5 hours back) in his taxi...I know, I'm a total wimp for not taking the bus but I'm using Lila as my excuse. On the way back he asked if we could stop at his wife's families house, about 3 hours outside of Chennai since we would be passing right by there and he hadn't seen her in a long time AND SHE JUST HAD A BABY! How could I refuse? Whoa Nelly! Was that ever a delightful turn of events! He drove us down a bullock path amidst beautify constructed mud huts, the kind that have a shrine alcove constructed into each wall and asked us to come in and meet his family. GEEZ! His wife was about 18 and utterly gorgeous, his father in law has that sleek "work ‘in like a dog" physique and totally covered in mud...it goes on and on. Nobody spoke English of course, they placed the one month old baby girl (not named yet because she will be having a naming ceremony in two months time) in my arms and needless to say I melted into a puddle...right there on the mud floor. Then they machetied green coconuts for us and we all sat around enjoying each other in the noonday heat.

Just before Chennai, we stopped in at the Sri Aurobindu Ashram in Pondicherry, where I proceeded to have several moments of angst brought on by the westerners in their shorts.... the worst part is that when asked to remove their shoes they place baggies over their socks so that they can walk on hallowed ground with out actually touching it? ...i'm embarassed.


chidambaram temple 

Lila's quote from yesterday--"I'm learning so much about everything!"

She particularly enjoyed making a study of who gets the right-of way creature or machine. Cows seem to be at the top so the goats and dogs strategically place themselves amidst the cows whenever they need to cross the road, next down is the government bus and by golly! Everyone had better clear the way....

Happily Landed