PONNIYIN SELVAN TRAIL

Love at first sound -  is how I’d describe the fairy tale! 4 years ago I stumbled upon an amazing audiobook titled “Ponniyin Selvan - authored by Amarar Kalki and rendered by Bombay Kannan" at the quaint footwear room of the mighty Brihadeswara temple in Tanjore. I had heard people rave about Ponniyin Selvan and hence decided to give it a try. The audio book is a beautiful rendition of the classic - perfect background music, different (and apt too) voices for different characters & absolute clarity in recording make the audiobook an irresistible one! 

Ponniyin Selvan is a 5 volume epic by Amarar Kalki about how the mighty Chola king Arulmozhivarmar @ Raja Raja Cholan ascended the throne. The novel is so full of literary beauty, emotions, twists, eclectic characterisations and what not! Amarar Kalki’s extensive travel, deep research and literary genius shines forth in every page of the classic! 

My good friend Kaarthick (another victim of the Ponniyin Selvan bug) and I embarked on a 3 day Ponniyin Selvan trail on 21-08-2018 and here is the travelogue:

DAY 1:

We left Coimbatore at around 5:30 a.m, filled with curiosity, energy and  expectations... Our 5 hour drive took us to Veeranam aeri (Aeri = lake or lough). Veeranarayana Aeri (as it was then known) was where Vanthiyathevan enters the classic riding a horse, admiring the scenic beauty of River Kaveri flowing through the 74 canals built by the Chola kings. The bumpy road gave us the feeling that we too were trotting alongside the brave soul Vanthiyathevan… The very thought that he may have stood where we stood, sat where we sat, seen what we were seeing gave us goosebumps!

We were absolutely fortunate to have seen the river just as Vanthiyathevan had witnessed it - flushed with water and flowing in its full glory! The lake had been dry for almost 13 long years and the heavy rains in Kerala and Karnataka had rescued the lake from the pangs of drought! 

Our 2nd destination was Veeranarayana Perumal temple - a temple as old as the dam there. The Chola king who built the aeri and the dam had built  the temple for Lord Perumal who is believed to be the guardian of the dam and the lake. Many localities could neither connect to the name “Veeranarana Perumal Kovil” nor were they aware of its historic significance! They referred to it as just “an old Perumal temple”. The temple is situated at Kaatumannarkovil, the birthplace of the Nathamunigal, the great Vaishnavite who collected and compiled the Nalayira Divya Prabandham (the compilation of works of 12 Alwar saints which now forms an integral part of a Vaishnavite’s religious life).

A few kilometres away from the temple is the place where Vanthiyathevan had crossed the Kollidam river to reach Kadambur Sambuvarayar’s palace. Kollidam again was flushed with water which was a visual treat!   Sambuvarayar’s palace, is the place where 2 important events in the novel take place: 1. The secret gathering of the conspirators happens 2. The assassination of Aditha Karigalar (elder brother of Raja Raja Cholan). There are no traces of a palace now but the elderly localities showed us a place called Periyamedu where the palace was believed to have stood.

Our next stop was Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the capital of Rajendra Cholan. Though unrelated to the epic, the fact that it was created by Raja Raja Cholan’s son makes it a place you shouldn't miss. It is within an hour’s drive from Melakadambur, as Kadambur is now known. (There is another place called Kadambur, 70 kms away from Melakadambur. So please be mindful, lest you land up in the wrong place).

Gangaikonda Cholapuram has 3 spots that shouldn't be missed: 

1. Brihadeswara temple - a massive Shiva temple built by Rajendra Chola which is an architectural marvel. (please note that this is different from the Brihadeswarar temple in Tanjore built by Raja Raja Chola)
2. Rajendra Cholan museum which houses a few remnants of the Rajendra era.
3. Maaligai medu: the remains of Rajendra Cholan’s palace now guarded by the archaeological department.   

Brihadeswara temple

Swords at Rajendra Museum

                                       
                                  

Maaligai medu

 We then headed to Kumbakonam (referred to as Kudanthai in Ponniyin Selvan) where we stayed that night.

DAY 2:

We began the day from Palaiyaarai (the ancient capital of the Cholas). We visited Venupureeswarar temple - the ancient Shiva temple that Sembiyan Maadevi and Kunthavai Piraati used to visit each day. Within a few hundred metres away lies the place called Cholan Maaligai - the place where the Chola palace would have stood majestically ages ago! There are now no traces of the palace. The place is now filled with houses, petty shops and people whose livelihoods depend on income generated from the petty shops around the temple.

Our 2nd stop was Udaiyalur, the place where the great Raja Raja Cholan is believed to have  been buried! A small sivalingam has been installed over the samadhi, which is in a plot of private land. We got to interact with the owner of the property, a simple man who seemed happy about the promise of the authorities to build a befitting memorial for the great king… 

We then headed to Panchavan Maadevi Pallipadai, a temple unknown to most localities - the place where Panchavan maadevi, one of Raja Raja Cholan’s wives, has been buried. The priest there lamented about how a lot of repair and maintenance needs to be done but are pending due to dearth of funds. The temple is small but calm and spiritually vibrant!

We then went via Arisalaaru, the place where Kundhavai’s friends pranked Vanthiyathevan with the carcass of a crocodile while he returned from the Kudanthai Jothidar’s house. I couldn't help but reminisce about the countless times I had stood embarrassed in front of pretty girls! As my friend Kaarthick drove, I sat mentally talking to Vanthiyethevan, empathising with him and telling him that its ok to be embarrassed at times... "We're warriors after all" I sighed!

Our final destination in Kumbakonam was Airavadeeswarar temple, a temple unrelated to the classic but built by Raja Raja Cholan 2, the great grandson of Arulmozhivarmar or Raja Raja Chola 1. It is another architectural marvel, declared as a Unesco World heritage site... The architecture is marvellous and the attention to details fills us with pride! What amazing architects and artists our forefathers have been! How much love they must have had for Lord Shiva to have poured so much love and attention into carving every small structure there!

After meditating at the Airavadeeswarar temple, we headed to Nagapattinam, where Soodaamani Viharam, the buddha vihar  (buddhist monastery) in which Vanthiyathevan and Poonkulali admitted Arulmozhivarmar (who was then treated and cared for by the buddhist monks) stands majestically. Ironically, what was once a place of intense meditation and quietude is today a bustling place of conflict resolution - Soodamani Viharam is now the District munsif court of Nagapattinam!  

 After a simple and rather mediocre lunch at Nagapattinam, we drove towards Kodiyakkarai (a 60 km drive) where we first visited the light house or kodiyakkarai kalangarai vilakkam (ask for the old light house situated within the boundaries of the animal sanctuary there). This is where Poonkulali resided and where Oomai Rani was rumoured to have committed suicide. The sanctuary is now devoid of any trees, you’d only get to see thorny bushes, horses and deers - all of them lean on account of starvation, thanks to the drought! But the forest must have once been fertile and dense when Amarar Kalki had visited… This is the forest in which Poonkulali noticed balls of fire popping out of the earth’s surface, where Vanthiyathevan chased Poonkulali to retrieve his belongings and where Poonkulali hid Vanthiyathevan from Paluvetaraiyar’s men.

Our final spot for the day was Kulagar Kovil, a Shiva temple frequented by Poonkulali. It is a mid-sized temple so full of tranquility… Since we had a long drive ahead of us, we left the temple in half an hour and reached Tanjore for the night.

Day 3:

Our final lap began at Tanjore Brihadeswarar Temple @ Thanjai Periya Kovil where we spent close to 2 hours - basking in the spiritual magnetism  and admiring the architectural marvel. It was pradosham, a sacred day for the Saivites and that added to our joy! We learnt that the Big Nandhi wasn't built by Raja raja Cholan but by the Maratha kings during their reign. Amazed  by the fact that Raja Raja Cholan took just 7 years to complete the construction of this massive temple, we walked around the temple with the awe that we were walking on the same path in which the mighty Raja Raja Cholan must have once walked! It is a holy experience which only a Ponniyin Selvan lover would be able to relate to!

                       

We then headed to Thiruvaiyaru, the holy land of five rivers where we first visited Thyagaraja temple, the Jeeva Samadhi of Saint Thyagarajar, situated on the scenic shore of the Kaveri river! We sat on the shore, lost in the beauty and grandeur of Kaveri that flowed majestically unmindful of who was admiring her…

Our next stop was Aiyarappar Kovil, the temple where Kundhavai Piratti, Vanathi devi and Poonkulali stood watching the Urchavam march and bid farewell to Arulmozhi Varmar and Vanthiyathevan who were on their way to Tanjore. 

 







Our final destination was Kallanai, a majestic dam totally unrelated to Ponniyin Selvan but closely associated with the Chola Kingdom. It is a massive dam build by Karikal Cholan 2000 years ago. The kallanai dam diverts Kaveri into 4 streams - Kaveri, Kollidam, Vennaru and Puthaaru. The dam stands strong even after 2000 years and stands as an epitome of the Chola dynasty’s majesty, vision and people-centric regime!

The memories of the Ponniyin Selvan trail is a treasure Kaarthick and I would carry with us even to our graves! If you are a history buff, you shouldn't miss Ponniyin Selvan and if you are a Ponniyin Selvan fan, you shouldn't miss this holy trail! 

  

                 Mr. Ramanathan MSS

            The superstar of themed restaurants

Law of attraction, the magnetism of passion, the power of destiny - do you believe in any of these?

 I surely do… 

A few days ago, I walked into Superstar pizza in Saibaba colony to interview an author for my blog series on heroes who’ve taken the leap of faith on the pursuit of happiness… Everything about the place is special; it is a restaurant themed around Superstar Rajinikanth, and … It is so full of superstar!!! 

The walls adorn plates spelling out the names and year of release of Thalaivar’s movies, the pizzas are named after Thalaivar’s movies, the speakers blare Superstar hits and there’s even a Basha auto parked inside the restaurant which houses the cutlery!!!

Fascinated by the uniqueness, the taste and the quality of service, I asked the waiter hesitantly “Can I have the franchisee’s contact details? I want to write a blog” “Sir, the owner of the franchise has come down from Chennai, do you want to meet him too?”, asked the waiter with a smile! “Mannn, law of attraction works!” I tell myself and befriend Mr. Ramanathan, a soft-spoken, candid and down to earth youngster.

The interview:

“So Mr. Ramanathan, tell me about the path you've traversed?”

 “I worked as an IT consultant for 6 years. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur; so one fine day I took the plunge” he said with a smile!

Entrepreneurs have a knack of making complex things sound so simple I wonder…

“Why pizza?” I ask…

“Food was always a passion, hence the industry… A pizza place is easy to set up and manage” 

The smile never fades!

“Why Superstar?” I asked sheepishly assuming it to be an absurd question!

There were very few themed restaurants in Chennai and hence I decided to set up one! 

I’m a die hard fan of Superstar ever since I watched the blockbuster ‘Thalapathi’ when in Kindergarten! Pizza is an international cuisine and Thalaivar is an International celebrity; so I wanted to associate Pizzas with Thalaivar; hence this was an obvious choice! The child in him comes alive with full vigour!

“Could you talk about the journey so far?” 

A few moments of silence… “Maybe he's going down the memory lane” my mind says… 

‘Don’t leave me and go!’, my heart cries…

Thankfully he returned in a few moments and took me along…

“It wasn't easy! The 1st 3 years demanded back-breaking efforts and lot of sacrifices… I made a lot of mistakes, burnt my fingers, but I learnt from my mistakes! 

“Any regrets” I interjected and then wondered if I had cut him off the Arnab Goswami way!

Mr. Ramanathan is a satisfied man… He is proud of the fact that he has generated job opportunities for 45 people! His employees are happy, treated with respect and paid well… Satisfaction and contentment are two very different things! He’s satisfied, but not contented!! He wants to impact more lives by generating more employment opportunities!!!

(A person who has found his HIGHER PURPOSE will indeed be satisfied!)

The dreamer in me prods me to ask “Where will you be 10 years from now?”

“We have a few outlets now, we're growing fast... We’ll be the market leader in the themed restaurant segment” was the confident reply. 

“I also want to take our franchise abroad” he added

(once again, satisfaction & contentment are 2 very different things!)

“How do you ensure quality” 

“Did you get a feedback card along with your bill?”

“Yes, I did”

“Well, we take that very seriously!”

(Feedback is the pizza of champions - I remind myself)

“Let’s talk about Superstar… Have you met Thalaivar? Does he know about your venture?” I fire a dual missile…

“I heard he knows about our venture” he beams…

“I haven't met him yet. I’ll meet him only after making him proud!”

There’s so much clarity & conviction in his voice - That’s the DNA of an entrepreneur, ain’t it?

“What are the qualities you imbibed from Thalaivar?”

1. Humility
2. Hard work
3. Social responsibility 

“Social responsibility! Interesting!! So what do you do towards social responsibility?”

“We donate a lot on his birthday”

(How many lives Superstar has impacted, I wonder)

“Your advice to youngsters…”

“The 1st step is the toughest! Take the leap of faith!! If you have the determination to succeed, you surely will!”

(This gentleman is wise beyond his years…)

After clicking a few pics, expressing my gratitude and wishes, I began walking towards the door with so many emotions swirling within… 

    From L to R: Me, Mr. Muthukumar (Franchisee of the Coimbatore outlet) & Mr. Ramanathan 

I look back, wanting to see this magical man one more time..

“Would you like some takeaways Sir?” asked the bloke who served us…

“No thanks, I’m taking away lots already” I patted on his shoulder and left the beautiful place…

Friends, If Mr. Ramanathan can, so can we!

Identify your passion, take the leap of faith, work extremely hard and you too will rise and shine as a star… Nah, superstarrrrr!!!

DIWALI

- KRISHNA, NARAGASURA & MARTIN SELIGMAN...

“Man is a social animal. He who lives without society is either a beast or God” wrote Aristotle! Festivals have been greasing the wheels of togetherness for many centuries…

LET THE FIREWORKS BEGIN:

Diwali is an Indian festival of lights celebrated by some (predominantly the north Indians) to honour Lord Rama’s return after an exile of 14 long years; while to the people of the south Diwali commemorates Krishna’s victory over the despot king Naragasura!

To most folks today, Diwali is simply a beautiful bundle of joy - new clothes, fireworks, get-togethers, loads of sweets (oh yeah, the gym can always wait) and above all - a day off from the boredom of routine! 

There is a child within each one of us and fireworks are indeed an interesting way to keep the inner child alive and kicking!

WHERE ARE YOU OH NARAGASURA?:

In many villages, people celebrate Diwali by burning effigies of Naragasura! In some parts, the rituals are elaborate where they enact a long battle between Lord Krishna and Naragasura, at the end of which the huge effigy of Naragasura is set to fire and people rejoice as the effigy slowly reduces to a pile of ash…

There is indeed a deeper meaning to these rituals! There is both - a Krishna and a Naragasura within each one of us… Love, compassion, empathy and all such virtues spring forth from the Krishna in us! Envy, hatred, anger and all such vices ooze out from the Naragasura in us!

I can hear some of you musing “alright, I understand all of this; But who on earth is Martin Seligman? Was he Rama’s best buddy? Or was he to Krishna what Kattappa was to Bahubali? What does he have to do with Diwali?”

Read on friends…

MARTIN SELIGMAN:

Prof Martin Seligman was one of the vanguards of positive psychology. He expounded a formula for happiness:

Happiness = pleasure + Engagement + Meaning.

pleasure is the ephemeral sense pleasures like movies, good food etc:

Engagement is our profession or vocation that makes keeps us engaged in meaningful pursuits.

Meaning is the higher purpose we define for our lives!

Martin Seligman says that while pleasures make life interesting and are hence essential, the happiness we derive from pleasures is very short lived! The happiness we derive from engagement lasts longer! The secret to eternal happiness is to define a higher purpose for our lives and to live that higher purpose!

In the context of Diwali: the fireworks, sweets, new clothes, the fun and frolic are the pleasure components. Though they add colours to our life (or at least to the sky), the happiness is fleeting!

To make this joy last forever, we need to define a higher purpose to our life! And this is where Diwali attains true significance!!!

Diwali is a reminder to all of us, of the Naragasura deeply rooted within the dark corners of our hearts; a reminder of the arduous battle that awaits us! Diwali is also a reassurance that if we dedicate ourselves to the battle with utmost sincerity, the good in us will eventually win!!!

Friends, let the quest of nurturing all that is good in us and destroying all that is evil in us be the higher purpose of our life!

Ladies and gentlemen, let the fireworks begin!!! 

Wish you all a very happy diwali and an amazing year ahead!!!

SEVEN DAYS IN HEAVEN

“Travel and tell no one, live a true love story and tell no one, live happily and tell no one; people ruin beautiful things” penned Khalil Gibran. 

On the contrary, “The world is sustained by people who would share rather than hoard for themselves - even elixir that bestows immortality” proclaimed Tamil Saint Thiruvalluvar!

Invoking the blessings of Valluvar and with all due apologies to Gibran, here is our Ladakh travel diary… 

THE PARADISE CALLED LADAKH:

Majestic mountains crowned by snow, beautiful lakes & streams that make you wonder “If the creation itself is so beautiful, how beautiful would the creator be!” and mesmerising Buddhist monasteries emanating a strong spiritual vibe - that’s Ladakh for you! 

Ladakh is one of the 3 main regions of Jammu & Kashmir and is guarded zealously by the Indian army since it is neighboured both by Pakistan and China! Majority of the population are buddhists and the languages spoken are Ladakhi, Hindi and Tibetan.

Majority of the people you come across in Ladakh are people who come there for work during the season which spans from March to October. The lakes freeze and the temperature becomes unbearably severe during the remaining months and hence these people retreat to their natives - be it Srinagar or Delhi. But rain or shine, storm or snow - our army works 24*7 in guarding our country!

THE PILGRIMAGE:

DAY 1 - 13.09.17:

Our journey began on the wee hours of 13th morning when the sun was still hitting the snooze button! 

With lots of excitement and childlike curiosity, we boarded our Jet airways flight to Delhi scheduled at 3:05 a.m. 

We ran around the Delhi airport with our baggages thanks to the confusion about the terminal from which we had to board our 1.5 hour flight to Leh! 

I learnt 2 lessons from the chaos:

1. With expansion/ growth comes complexity! (Coimbatore airport is uncomplicated you see!)

2. Even chaos becomes fun when you are surrounded by lovely people!

Leh is one of the districts in Ladakh and that's where Ladakh would welcome you if you are travelling by flight! Make sure to fasten your seatbelt and brace yourself when you hear the announcement for landing;  else you'll be blown away by the beauty of Leh! Make sure you grab a window seat; the aerial view of Leh is something you would regret missing!

 On reaching Leh we checked into our hotel "The Silk Route"; a nice and cozy place! The staff were friendly, the food was delicious and the owner who resides there went all out to make our holiday a comfortable one! 

We were advised to rest and acclimatise ourselves to the altitude. Leh is 11480 feet above sea level and hence acclimatisation is vital! So our day 1 ended with a short visit to the local market - though small in size, bustling with life!

DAY 2 - 14.09.17:

6 people, 3 royal enfields; destination: Alchi monastery! 

Royal Enfield is the most preferred mode of commuting in Leh if you want to venture out on your own; the rental would hover around 1600/- per day excluding fuel.. 

The 60 km drive to Alchi monastery on the Srinagar highway was an enchanting experience! Alchi Gompa (Gompa is the Tibetan word for monastery or a place of meditation) is the oldest monastery in Ladakh and is so full of spiritual magnetism! 

Thanks to the roadwork in progress, 2 of us lost our way, ventured into the woods on foot, crossed thorny bushes and streams and finally made it to the monastery!

All our frustration vanished as we dug our spoons into the steaming bowl of Thukpa - a must taste delicacy in Ladakh!

Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup which is now an integral part of the Ladakhi cuisine.

The next destination was magnetic hill - a spot that is believed to defy gravity! More of a legend than a fact, though you sense an iota of magnetic pull there! Or maybe we didn't enjoy it much as we were busy mending our broken bike! (an adventure is always a package of both good and bad, ain't it?)

On our way back we visited "The hall of fame" - a museum constructed and maintained by the Indian army in memory of the soldiers who had lost their lives in the Indo-Pak war! It is one place every Indian must visit to be able to appreciate the valour and sacrifice of our armed forces! The museum houses the weapons confiscated from the Pakistan army at different battlefields with detailed descriptions! We had gone around 6:00 p.m and hence were fortunate enough to witness the ceremonial march to remove the Tricolour flag from the mast! The cherry on the cake was the 25 minute video capturing the feats of our army at Siachen, Kargil etc:

DAY 3 - 15.09.17:

After breakfast, we began our bike ride to Nubra valley at around 10:30 a.m. It seemed like the longest journey of my life! It took us more than 6 hours to cover the 170 kms stretch;  thanks to bad roads, extreme climate and altitude sickness! 

Any pain is worth bearing for the privilege of commuting on the highest motorable road in the world! Khardungla pass is the highest point measuring a mighty 18380 feet above sea level! Make sure you stop by and click a few pics but don't hang around too long; the low oxygen level will cause altitude sickness - a heavy head, nausea, dizziness and so on! The pic that you see was clicked on our way back, after acclimatisation and consumption of tablets for altitude sickness; so please don't be fooled by the smile ;-). 

We stayed at the Sand dunes view resort in Hunder, Nubra valley. It was a nice place with spacious rooms and good food but no television or such amenities. But the warmth makes up for all the shortcomings! 

The day ended with a Ladakhi tribal dance - a mediocre experience!

DAY 4 - 16.09.17:

The speciality of Ladakh is the diversity in its landscape; it has both snow clad mountains as well as sand dunes! 

Our day began with a morning walk and a bath in a beautiful 

stream flowing beside the resort. The water was cold beyond description, but when friends join together insanity kicks in and thats when adventures are born! 

The 2nd adventure for the day was our ride on the double hump camel! These camels are very different from the ones we find in the deserts - two humps and pretty short in stark contrast to their Rajasthani counterparts!

On our way back to Leh, we visited the  Diskit Monastery, a beautifully situated, well maintained and a spiritually powerful monastery! The return journey through the mighty Khardungla didn't seem so arduous today - the power of experience or mental preparedness, I know not!

DAY 5 - 17.09.17:

Three days of bike travel had taken a toll on us! We now booked a cab for the next three days (an eight seater Innova with an amazing driver). All the cabs carry a pre-determined tariff card obviating the pain of having to bargain! 

We travelled for around 7 long hours to reach Pangong lake - a picturesque lake made famous by the Hindi blockbuster "3 idiots". 

It was indeed an arduous journey, but worth undertaking! Rough roads do lead to beautiful destinations!!!

We stayed in a tent beside the lake and spent the evening walking by the lake, sitting on the rocks and frolicking... Mountains and waterbodies have a mystical impact on our minds and when both join hands, it is sheer magic!

DAY 6 - 18.09.17:

We embarked on our journey to Tsomoriri Lake, another beautiful lake but still not exposed to tourists! Very few people visit Tsomoriri, partly due to the fact that it is another tiring 8-9 hour journey! But many a times, the journey is more exciting than the destination!

We travelled alongside the Indo-Tibetan border; visited Renzang La memorial where 114 Indian soldiers out of 123 were martyred in a battle against the Chinese forces after gunning down 1300 opponents! Our hearts swelled with pride and we awakened to the fact that our lives are built on the sacrifices of countless brave-hearts like the ones who were martyred here!

            

Walking on a battlefield isn't a very happy experience but is a very holy one! It humbles us, makes us realise the value of love and compassion and above all teaches us about the ephemeral nature of life!

The lake was charming in its own way. Since the place isn't a happening tourist spot, the choices of accommodation are very few! We stayed at Nomadic life camp, a decent enough place for an underdeveloped village.

The power outage was a blessing in disguise! We lit candles and struck deep conversations! As the candle died down, the sun rose up and shined bright... 

DAY 7 - 19.09.17:

Another long day; we returned to Leh - our boot camp! The journey was special for reasons more than one. We spotted the Himalayan Marmot (a large squirrel that lives in burrows), wild horses, mountain goats and black necked cranes (they're migratory birds).

We visited Hemis monastery - an architectural marvel and a serene place of worship! A place where I realised that silence isn't empty but so full of answers!

We also visited the Druk Padma Karpo School - the institution that is run by the person portrayed by Amir Khan in "3 idiots"

We checked into an amazing hotel named Omasila; went shopping and returned dog-tired!

DAY 8 - 20.09.17:

We left for Coimbatore carrying the memories that would last a lifetime! A series of flight delays and cancellations awaited us, thanks to the heavy rains in Mumbai!! Again, when you are surrounded by loving people, you can dance through the storms!!!

Thank you Manish Kankaria, Mansi Kankaria, Kaarthick Balakrishnan, Pawan Pattery and APC Venkateswaran for the fairy tale!!!

We went as friends and returned as a family!!!