Here is a not-so-brief account of my travel to Tirupathi and Kanyakumari not very long ago.
Tirupati - the temple of seven hillsThe journey began on the 27th April in not very extra-ordinary
circumstances. The shortest way to reach the temple town of Tirupati
from the shores of Goa is through Bangalore, which could be reached
quickly but not-so-often conveniently by bus on a road punctuated by
numerous potholes that had almost succeeded in their endeavour to
obliterate any resemblance to an accepted definition of a road.
My base camp for Tirupati was Chennai. The rationale behind this
choice was the presence of numerous Travel agents and their pre-
arranged one-day tours to the seven hills.
To anyone who is visiting Tirupati for the first time, the tours can
be a good option. The tours are conducted by both, Tamilnadu Tourism
Corporation and private operators, the former being more reliable
and therefore enjoying more popularity among pilgrims and tourists.
The more adventurous type may catch a bus directly to Tirupati.
Here, a little geographical detail becomes mandatory. The main
temple dedicate to Lord Balaji is situated atop the hill of Tirumala
(The holy hill) about 25 kms or an hour away from the town of
Tirupati. The road is winding and curvaceous but the journey is
pleasant. There is a government bus every minute going uphill and
downhill. For those who seek a more religious approach to the temple
premises, there is an option to climb up a series of about 4000
steps. The town of Tirupati is well connected by rail and road to
many important cities in South India.
The most difficult part of a visit to the temple of Tirupati is
entering the temple itself. It is not uncommon to find people spending more
time waiting for Darshan than they spend traveling to get there. A
lot of measures have been taken up by the temple authorities to make
things a lot easier for pilgrims but they come with a price
attached. The time spent waiting for a Darshan in a queue is
inversely proportional to the money one is ready to shell out from
one's pocket. A free Darshan may not materialize for more than 24
hours in the worst case, the entire duration of which is spent in
closed enclosures with hundreds of other people in conditions which,
the temple authorities' efforts to maintain otherwise
notwithstanding, are overwhelmed with the filth perpetrated by the
visitors. There is lot of eatables for sale while you suffer through
the excruciatingly long wait. There are baths and toilets available,
the former being subjected to the same treatment as the latter.
Those intending to follow this option are requested to keep handy
additional clothes to change into.
The more affluent options come in the form of tickets and
appointments. Tickets with bar codes are issued and stuck around
one's wrist at various counters situated at Tirupati Railway
station, Balaji Temple at T. Nagar, Chennai and the temple premises
itself. The ticket indicates a time when the bearer is supposed to
report for a Darshan. The bearer is then asked to join another
shorter queue that takes far less time than the free Darshan line to
reach the objective. The price ranges from Rs.40 to Rs.1000, the
latter offering the privilege of a longer darshan combined with the
good fortune of performing an archana etc. for the lord. For the
less fortunate ones, the darshan lasts only a few seconds. The
temple is open for Darshan between 0300 hours to 0000 hours
approximately.
On the plus side are the impeccable lodging arrangements, transport,
amenities and, last but not the least, the idol of Lord
Venkatachalapati or Lord Balaji. I must say it was one of the most
breathtakingly beautiful idols I have ever seen. There are no
photographs allowed inside the temple so you will have to see it to
experience its enchanting beauty. If there is one reason why one
must visit the temple, it is the Darshan.
The story behind the temple is a very interesting one, and though my
version is based purely on hearsay, I will reproduce it as I heard
it. Legend says that while Lord Balaji was roaming around Tirupati,
he saw Devi Padmavati and fell for her enchanting beauty
immediately. However, Devi Padmavati was a princess and would marry
a person who was in status higher to her family. To fulfill this
condition, Lord Balaji took a huge loan from Lord Kubera. Though the
marriage ceremony was completed soon thereafter, Lord Balaji could
not return to his heavenly abode at Vaikuntha until the debt was
repaid. The Lord, therefore, asked his followers for help and it is
with this faith and every one of those who visit the temple donates
loads of money to it. It is also said that those who donate money at
the temple are blessed by Goddess Lakshmi to attain more wealth.
There are a number of touts and frauds and "agents" that one must
beware of. Though, with proper negotiations things can be done
pretty efficiently and quickly with their help.
Overall, the journey was a bag of mixed feelings, the end result of
which was quite satisfactory. I would advise everyone to pay a visit
at least once to this temple and undergo an experience that is
shared by an astonishing hundred thousand pilgrims everyday!
Kanyakumari - The virgin GoddessIndia is probably one of those privileged lands which have high mountains on one side and oceans and sea shores on the others. Often in literature, the former are likened to the crown of the country whose feet are washed by the oceans. India is also one of those rare countries that have their shores shared between not one, not two, but three great seas. And there is probably only one place in the whole world where one can witness the “confluence” of three great seas; and that place is Kanyakumari. This unique geographical phenomenon has made this little town in the southern most tip of mainland India one of the significant destinations in any religious or pleasure trips that one seeks to undertake in this country. The fame of Kanyakumari has in the past attracted great saints like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. There is beauty in every part of this little town and one has to be there to witness it.
The town is well connected by rail and road to many cities in the south India. In fact, it was also one of the end points of the longest railway journey in our country for a long time (The privilege is now enjoyed by Tiruananthapuram and Guwahati). Best options would be a train from Chennai or a bus or train from Trivandrum.
The oldest and the most ancient landmark in this town is the temple of Goddess Kumari who prayed to Lord Shiva to be accepted as wife by him. The name of this place has taken after the name of the Goddess. During the Raj, it was also known as Cape Comorin, which according to me is probably a British spoilt version of “Kumari”. The town is so small that an enthusiastic tourist may actually walk the entire length and breadth of the town and not shed a drop of sweat. Anyway, buses are available and the fares are rock bottom. The auto rickshaw fellows may seek to fleece you but their higher limits of fare exaggerations still seem reasonable to someone who has had the past experience of auto rickshaw nightmares at Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai. In short, traveling in and around Kumari is not expensive.
The temple is rather small by South Indian standards, but comes with the usual ingredients of Pujaris, Poojas, Kumkums, and Prasads. The street to the temple is lined on both sides by Shops wherefrom one can buy little curios, essential stuffs, food items etc. After the experience at Tirupati, it was quite relieving to find unrestricted entry at the temple. Strangely, all men are supposed to enter the temple with bare torsos. I could not figure out the reason behind this except that, as described by a Pujari, it is a mark of respect to the Devi. The reason was good enough for me and since I have visited a few more temples in South India where such a rule existed, it was not a surprise to me.
The major attraction for any tourist at Kumari is the Vivekananda Rock Memorial.
The Rock is about a hundred meters from the shore and a regular ferry service exists between the mainland jetty and the rock. The tickets is 20/- for a ride. The Rock has two Mandaps; one belonging to Swami Vivekananda and the other belonging to a Holy Foot. The Holy Foot is a foot shaped carving found on the rock and is believed to be a foot print of Goddess Kumari who stood on this rock on one leg and performed the Tapasya. The Rock memorial has a tall statue of Swamiji whose photographs we are not allowed to take from inside the hall. Below the statue was mentioned the year of death of Swamiji and the “probable” dates when Swamiji attained Samadhi on the rock. Besides these, there wasn’t much to see on these rocks.
There is another rock adjacent to Vivekananda’s, and this one is dedicated to arguably the greatest Tamil poet, philosopher and saint – Tiru Valluvar. The rock supports a huge statue of the saint carved out of many rocks that were then joined together. It was inaugurated fairly recently. The statue is about 133 feet long which corresponds to 133 chapters in the greatest epic written by the saint – Tirukkural. Tourists can climb up to the feet of the statue. The view from this point is quite breathtaking! Inside the base of the statue, the entire Tirukkural is inscribed on the walls and also its translation in English. It makes a very entertaining and enlightening read and inspires one to lead a very principled life. It is a must read for anyone who visits this place and one is requested to take out at least half an hour for this exercise.
Such is the beauty of Kanyakumari that lot of people find themselves attracted to it. Mahatma Gandhi too could not resist its charm and there is a place here dedicated to him called Gandhi Mandapam. My interest in this place was two fold – A curiosity about how and when Gandhiji got associated with this place, and the fact this was the place, as told to me by a local, where one could witness the “Sangam” of the three oceans! Apparently, Gandhiji did happen to arrive here and succumbed to the beauty of the place as described in his beautiful words inscribed below his portrait in the Mandapam. Also, after he died, his ashes were brought to this place and kept before they were - for the lack of a better word - given out into the sea. At the place where the ashes were kept, stands a small stone which receives the Sun’s rays only on the 2nd of October every year through a small hole on the roof. It is amazing that on no other day does this phenomenon occur! At least, this was what I was made to believe and I did not find reasons to disagree with it.
The greatest attraction for tourists in Kanyakumari is the Sunrise and Sunset. Unfortunately, my itinerary did not permit me to witness this often beautifully described natural phenomenon. However, one is requested to find time to witness these if possible.
There are numerous hotels, residencies etc. in and around Kanyakumari and therefore, staying over will not be a problem. But there are agents, touts and brokers in every nook and corner looking for unsuspecting tourists. Vivekananda Kendra can be a good option for people looking for accommodation.
A note of caution for casual travelers – There are some travelers like me who do not like to carry enough cash with them with the hope that there are those ubiquitous ATMs to bail them in times of immediate need of money. Astonishing it may be for them that there are no ATMs in the town except for one belonging to the State Bank of India. Others are located at least 18kms away in the town of Nagarcoil, the bus fare to which is a measly Rs.11.
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