Leaving Madurai In Tamil Nadu State In South India For New Delhi And This Followed By A Visit To Puttaparthi In Andhra Pradesh State In South India
Having gained fleeting glimpse of Goddess Meenakshi In Meenakshi Amman Temple In Madurai it was time to make adequate preparations to head back to New Delhi. Given the uncertain state of affairs my stomach was in there was no other way out except to head to New Delhi. Areas in and around Meenakshi Amman Temple could not provide requisite information on flights to Delhi which decades down the line may have more than 4000 flights yearly. With tour and travel operators least to be traced I found fit to access Madurai airport with Mr Zaheer Husain/Khan the automan at the helm.
Traffic On The Way To Madurai Airport Not Notorious
The traffic on the way was not notorious unlike cities of Delhi and Mumbai and it took little over half an hour to reach Madurai Airport. What I could gauge was there were few and far flights to Delhi and some restoring connectivity via The Big City Of Mumbai. I zeroed in on Flight 6E 2088 earmarked to leave Madurai on July 21 at 8.55 AM and reaching New Delhi well after 12.15 PM. The personnel at the counter who was in animated conversation with me made me err as I forgot to collect the identity card which I had furnished at the desk. This I realised when I reached Vijaylakshmi Lodge in West Chitrai Street of Meenakshi Amman Temple. Here the need to underscore automan Mr Zaheer Husain/Khan who provided to and fro ride was a man of principle and his conduct was wonderful free from biases. Whenever I have arranged an auto on my own the automan has not misbehaved or carried a conduct of notoriety.
Making Umpteen Calls To Airline Office To Get Back The Identity Card
Once inside the lodge I made umpteen calls to the airline office with headquarters in Delhi narrating in detail the identity card lapse and the need to recover the same and here there was not much success. Finally I got hold of Madurai Airport Manager Mr Akram who was kind enough to spell that the identity card which I had left at the booking counter had been traced and I could collect the same from Madurai Airport Manager Mr Shabiq Jalil the next morning. With stomach sending mixed signals I settled for curd rice from Bhumika restaurant run by guys from Rajasthan State. Here Sri Meenakshi Hotel Pure Veg And Sri Meenakshi Coffee Bar too came handy whenever I desired to have curd rice or black tea.
Taking Round Of West Chitrai Street, North Chitrai Street, East Chitrai Street And South Chitrai Street Of Meenakshi Amman Temple; Mr Akram And Mr Shabiq Jalil Getting The Deed Done
In the evening hours in Madurai I walked 5 kms back and forth to collect apples and later took a round of outer courtyard (West Chitrai Street, North Chitrai Street, East Chitrai Street, South Chitrai Street) of Meenakshi Amman Temple. For a stretch of almost 2.5 to 3 kms it took 18 to 20 minutes. When I retired for the day with a prayer on the lips that the coming day I am able to keep peace with my stomach. I left the bed by 3.30 the next day. A little before 5 AM I visited the outer courtyard of Meenakshi Amman Temple and stayed there for a while. Later I had two sets of apple and left for Airport at 5.30. Mind you I did not visit Sri Meenakshi Coffee bar which opens up by 5 AM as that would have delayed the departure. I reached Airport by 6 and here automan Mr Pandian deserved all praise for maintaining a conduct that was sure to get him good dividends. When I reached Mr Jalil's office his assistant told me that Mr Jalil would be coming soon. For infinite times I told the assistant that identity card had been left on Mr Jalil's table and he better take some effort to return the same. When Mr Jalil came it was well past 6.30 and in nick of time he returned the identity card. Mr Akram and Mr Shabiq Jalil had come to my rescue and identity card had been returned.
Some During Flight Listening To Tamil Songs As Tamil Is Barely Heard And Spoken In New Delhi
It was Mr Avinash who issued the boarding pass and the flight left after 9 and around 11.20 AM I sensed the descent had begun and few minutes later the commander made announcement to this effect thereby stating Delhi was just 250 kms away. During the time the plane was in the air some were listening to Tamil songs on their devices knowing fully well they were going to a city where Tamil is barely spoken and heard. I had met a group from Tenkasi (Tamil Nadu State) numbering 11 in all going to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Rishikesh in Utttarakhand State. Probably they were not aware that fires had broken out on the way to Badrinath and climate change maelstrom was the culprit. From 11.20 to 12.15 it took nearly one hour for flight to cover a distance of 250 kms.
Most Heaved A Sigh Of Relief
When the flight finally landed in New Delhi and most collected their luggage they heaved a sigh of relief. It was a visit to Madurai in Tamil Nadu State In South India to express gratitude to Goddess Meenakshi and this visit could be recalled down the decades. Though not able to visit Rameswaram and Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu State this visit opened doors that a longish stay could well be explored, weather permitting. The pre paid taxi counter in Wing 2 of Delhi Airport convenient and ride provided by a gentleman from Haryana State whose hands seem to be trembling while holding the steering wheel. I hope the gentleman whose hands were trembling would get over this challenge with ease. By the time I reached Safdarjung Enclave Home it was well past 1.30 PM.
Making Train Booking For Puttaparthi (Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam Station)
Three weeks down the line I made booking for Bengaluru Rajdhani train to access Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh State In South India. Effusive praise could not be laid at the doorstep of Indian Railways as the ride mirrored an India that was humongous and yet to get in an act to retrieve. With Upper Berth Allotted and conversation not truncated this ride to Puttaparthi gave insights on how far some travel from their homeland to gain employment in a country where skirmishes shouldn't stay permanent. I was the sole guy to get down at Puttaparthi and that too around 2.30 AM in a country where some have doubts on EVM.
YEDU KONDALWADA VENKATRAMNA GOVINDA GOVINDA
