Payasam of Guruvayoor

Payasam of Guruvayoor

From hereon i proceed to Previnnya lodge. The room is spacious with an attached bath.
After taking a room in a lodge, i sought hot water in a jug which could enable me to undertake steam inhalation. For steam inhalation to be effective and the cold to cure, it is important to put vicks ointment in the hot water. Post steam inhalation i decided to proceed to the Guruvayoor railway station to seek a ticket for the next day.

With a ticket secured and a doctor visited (in east nada the doctor going by the name Mr N ) i returned to the lodge. Soon after i had two cups of horlicks from Indian Coffee House. Perhaps they have more than 50 outlets in the state of Kerala alone. Sometime between three and four i joined the Guruvayoor temple queue. There were display boards on the way that sought to stress the electronic devices like cameras, pagers and cell phones that are banned from being taken inside. As small iron railings that separate one queue from the other gets over, the upper half of the body of gents should sport no fabric and dhoti-wearing is a must. As you get inside you have to turn left and few metres away you need to take some steps and then get down. Before getting down you can see a huge collection of bananas lying opposite the sanctum sanctorum.

Glimpse of Guruvayoor Gained

Glimpse of Guruvayoor gained, any cash offering should be deposited in the boxes meant for this purpose. Sitting or standing for a longer duration is not permissible but just at the back of the sanctum sanctorum near the exit is a place where devotees lie down entirely to say a prayer or two. Here if lucky you can write your prayers too. You can also write prayers from the point where you go past big doors and on the left where some almirahs are there and some temple officials can be seen seated. Here there is a platform where you can write prayers while standing.

As you come out of sanctum sanctorum and go past the exit gate, you can see hordes of people taking a round of the structure which houses sanctum sanctorum. Mind you this is all within the temple. Few metres away from the exit point (not the main exit) which is very much in the temple complex on the left is a point from where one can purchase bananas, butter and payasam. Charges vary depending on the quantity. It is Payasam and the eagerness to have the same coming along with the sight of hot payasam being poured from one big utensil to another. Not on the first day i collected Payasam.

On the first day came out by six in the evening. The cold had not subsided and in effect made enquires about tomato soup from different eating outlets. Most expressed their inability.  Around eight i had tomato soup from Krishna Inn.   A bit steep but quality and quantity was comfortable. Since it is a major hotel with a restaurant, the price had to be on a higher side and with no outlets serving the soup, the best option was Krishna Inn. 

Low cost airports aa rahein hai

Low cost airports aa rahein hai

According to reports appearing in a section of press which resists the idea of sending their reps to debates and wants them to take the desired rest, 51 new low -cost airports are to be set up across country. This low-cost template would release benefits enduring in nature and help to arrest the all-prevailing rupture. To begin with, those entering the low cost airports would have low blood pressure, not exceedingly low to see a no movement but much away from high blood pressure which entails argumentative fear.

With low cost airports around, the roads leading to them would have petrol pumps that would see a sizeable lot with rotating bums parking themselves and paying a fuel cost that would be comparatively low and with a hope that if accretion ever takes place it would be slow. As for these airports and those engaged/enrolled to serve in various capacities would be paid low salaries with a reminder their outgo on home front should primarily be low calorie.    Eatables inside the airports would be priced fairly low and those coming in groups and wishing to display debate tools would be handed moisturiser free of cost with a reminder that they should not be lost  as one never knows at what point the debates can begin and some among those watching stop beaming.

Structures to these airports

Structures in a radius of 50-odd kms to these airports would be raised with a low budget coming with fewer electronic gadgets. Even the roads that lead to these airports and beyond would come up with sizeably low budget and if ever the contractor building them wishes to secure a hike all he would be left with is a bike. Coming back to airports those with low-and-not-to-grow height would be entertained as the battle since the 80s has been on height and hint. Even those who are wheatish and whimsical would secure a grand entry; those looking outright fair would be asked to fill a questionnaire on whether in the past they worked in a pantry.

Conversations in these airports

Conversations inside these airports would be less voluble coming with the advantage of having innumerable tubewells. These structures would be raised in places where groundwater is in plenty with a hope that it does not dip to a level where after every attempt to secure it one has to take bath with a soap. Since these would be low cost airports, lower would be the air tariff and low would be the heights at which the aircrafts are in the air and with each passenger looking to those in their vicinity with extra care. Tea would come for free leading to conversations that puts in circulation a sentiment heavy with glee. As for the taxis that take passengers to the airport, they too would be low fuel guzzlers. Shared taxi would be the reigning sentiment giving the advantage to those who share them to share their thoughts on who have been their bosses and who among them have been fabric short. In these shared taxis the gloom descending on the corporate sector would be dwelt at length hoping against hope that if salaries are cut across board, they would be able to spot who is a woman and who is a gent.

 Low cost housing and no bed tossing

Once these low cost airports would come, this would lead to a low cost housing and a freedom to those who are not able to secure the same during night from bed tossing. Sleep deprivation is because of the prevailing high cost and fewer assimilation. Low cost airports would lead to low cost ports, roads and clothes. LOw would be the power tariff and a close scrutiny of books would suggest that if power companies are able to shed operational/running weight, consumers would get a bill that can thrill.  THe excuse that you are purchasing expensive power is bunkum. Power can easily be sourced from other sources and mind you the reality is there is effective power generation perhaps more than the demand in lot of places and still you want to pass the high cost to the consumer. Natural gas prices which are set to jump from $ 4.2 mbtu to $8.4 mbtu would be decision on which the govt would have to do a rethink, failing to do so would add to their scam zing.

Dollar Ka Darr hat sakta hai

Well not only the quantity even the quality of scams have improved in the present phase underscored by the need to seek new alignments and remain part of the chase. With the coming up of these airports, everything would be low and every attempt made to make indian companies invest at home thereby  defeating their attempt to invest abroad and take away the dollar gold. Rupee could have easily been in the range of 41-43 to a dollar, if attempts had been made then and seen as bold. THere are enough oil wells that have not been explored, a success on this front should be tried at all cost so that we abstain from paying this dollar as never-ending rent. Even oil companies books need to be closely scrutinised so that a better picture would emerge and each one of us would get the right advice.

Oil rationing

Oil rationing is not a bad idea; begin with households having these many cars/vehicles and this much oil to be given. A fair account of oil given to each individual/household and factory/administration in a month. In the income tax return there should be a column on the quantity of fuel purchased yearly and oil to be given to those who file return clearly. There should be a bar on how much a household/individual can get oil, going past would lead to imposition of a cess. A household/individual can get oil from two selected pumps and if he or she seeks oil from other pumps, they should be outright discouraged with a rider this exception is once in a season. This is all possible if a data is maintained. More importantly, there should be oil rationing across country beginning with govt departments/ministries. Once the govt makes the move, the private sector would have to fall in line and spending less on whine.

Low cost elections

Close on the heels of low cost airports would be low cost of elections. A candidate with a taint of serious nature would have to deposit a minimum 25 to 40 lakh rs before he or she seeks elections. How to define the taint and its seriousness depends how serious those in the house are to desist from treating politics as business.  And for every year completed in lower house or vidhan sabha, he would have to deposit the same sum. Say if a house has completed two years and dissolved, he or she has had to pay 80 lakh besides 40 lakh that had to be deposited before seeking elections.  Similarly if one intends to contest from the same seat for a third time a deposit of 40 lakh would be fine. Mind you this won't be refunded perhaps with a rider of expressing the desire to not get fainted. Once low cost polls are a reality low would be the chorus of those who don't believe in creativity.

These low cost airports would bring more benefits. A large number of students scoring high are not able to secure admission in institutions like DU. A student from Sec 12 RKP School in Delhi scored above 94 per cent and all he could get was admission in Rajdhani College. Well you need to not only increase the number of seats for different courses but create more DU colleges on the outskirts of national capital calling Extended DU which would be as good as having colleges in north campus. Instead of handing land for diplomatic enclave or private educational institutions, it should be set aside for Extended DU. SEc 12 mein RKP ho, RMP ho, CMP ho EMP ho yah kisi ne bhi pee rakhi roh sab difficult hai. Let us not make things difficult by lapping Sec 12 results and remnants.

With low cost airports on the way those wishing to join the north campus fray would be less and less strenuous would be their years hoping against hope life does not turn fierce. After low cost airports even if stock market reaches lowest low or dollar begins to lose lustre and glow, the two acts looking to be formidably impossible in one stroke can still happen and one should not treat it as a joke. If dollar would begin to lose its way, then debates would see the anchor say with sincerity "you can come in here, don't have any fear, time is on my side, interest/atm are two sides of the same kite".

Let us hope we don't get tied by dollar rope. Dollar may have dinner every day, rupee could still be winner in some way. Once imports are curbed, travels abroad are discouraged, perhaps sanity would return by more than average. Let low cost airports come, let us spot the 7 gems and prayer goes out for all those who keep their budget low and in effect retain their glow.  Low cost airports to low cost elections may in a way keep the mandate from getting fractured and even if it is two year tenure, the sanctity to govern would be clean and pure. 

How policemen have been torturing us for the past five years. How they in plainclothes torture us, spit on us and create reign of terror for the past five years. 

Does shirt collection intrigue you

It is not an issue that for how many days you can wear a shirt. Or for that matter the number of days you can keep it unwashed. As long as the shirt you put on does not put away the people or leaves the body in a least state of comfort, the shirt you put on and the strings you pull along are acceptable.

Shirts as old as 14 years
The number of shirts you have in your almirah, some as old as 14 years, though you may not have worn for the past eight to nine years, may throw up a collection that is not timid and tasteless. Shirt numbers can vary between a dozen to 20-odd if you take into account those procured way back in the 90s to those gained recently and adding to 2010s kitty. Shirts you wear and shirts that are subjected to wear and tear defines the person who tries them and activities which he or she would have pursued and now prefers to not stick to them.

Travelling in a public transport
Those travelling in a public transport which does not bring with its share of dust and hailstorm may see the passenger wearing the shirt if not for days together for at least two days. Against this if there is a transport that calls for jugglery and jostling for space or sense and a bout of dust that does not mind getting pasted on the fabric you sport, a change of the shirt is the least you can do on days you get on that transport.

The collection of shirts may not look like something of a collective responsibility but the collection over the months/years may give a range of colour to the collection coercing you to maintain a continuity.  Shirts collected over a period of time may not necessarily tempt you to flaunt them but colour advantage need not colour your judgement. Sporting this colour with that collar may drop a hint or two on the person who puts on, possibly airing  an assumption that may be way off track. Shirt Colour coating may be nothing to define a person, it is the colourful life or colourless thrive, both achieved with equal degree of collusion that helps reach a judgement.

Fabric colour you sport
You may have shut yourself to the outside world yet the colour you sport may bring spring to your steps on which you need not pay a cess. Say you sport a colour and you step out the chances of discolouring depends on the level of dust that fabric pulls coming close on the heels of decisions that make you go shirtless/colourless which also calls for an equal degree of collusion. Holding someone by collar may not seek a specific colour to sport, but holding for long may call for a return journey by a boat.

Apart from colour of shirts, the shirts put on a hanger is something desisted and disliked. Hanger hunger is unpalatable yet people hang the shirts on hanger believing that it gives an aura of creativity. Hanger not only takes away whatever little space you have in your almirah, it also makes the task of searching more strenuous. Let us do away with hanger and lift pants/shirts rightaway from almirah. Hanger hunt is leading us to nowhere, leading us to  swim against anger gear.

Let shirts be worn for a period it can run, washing and drying may be done once a week and different shirts worn different time may be to do with the prevailing heat. Colour and consensus may be hard to reach, light in the late evening/night is something that anyone can showcase as a feat. Colour on a train or a bus may not suggest you are under stress but shirts/pants carried on a hanger is something you need to address. Let colour and collection of shirts remain pompous as ever, much made possible by a collection over a decade and keeping up with different forms of weather.
As for places like Kanniyakumari, Ahmednagar and Madurai different range of shirts one can try. One can associate in these places with the weather if shirts have nothing to with leather. As for places like Udhagamandalam, all colour would do, the unfolding night would give you a weather clue. 

Ride from Tirunelveli to Madurai; leaving for Guruvayoor

Ride from Tirunelveli to Madurai; leaving for Guruvayoor

Having boarded another bus, leave Tirunelveli at 10.25 and about a km later we go past dr bose diabetes foundation. Sattur comes at 11.55, Thirumalapuram around 12.45. Somewhere around this time Kanniyakumari is shown 220 km and Tirunelveli 140 km, the latter on other side of road.

Reach madurai bus stand at 1.10. From here a local bus would be handy for Periyar bus stand which i am able to get after half an hour. By the time i reach Periyar bus stand, the pain in the entire body has considerably increased and the fever too has returned. I take three plates of poori and a curd soaked with smashed onions hoping things would improve. As i begin to walk from eating joint i spot opposite victoria edward hall madura tiffin centre and close to that mass stores from where i collected plastic u shaped tongue cleaners in 2012. This time round they have no collection. Then there is hotel shree kanna perhaps offering tea/coffee. Here black tea is stored in utensils put on gas, preparation taking the form of adding sugar and milk to the glass/cup as you please. One has to be careful on the tea you take as more than desired fill can prove troublesome.

Still there are two and a half hours left for the Guruvayoor train to depart, i visit a STD booth run by Navanethan. Conversation with the old man even for a minute can uplift you by a broad margin. The booth is inside the neww college house complex and i follow this up with a visit to office point which among things has internet, std, isd pco, dtp, xerox, secretarial service. The entrance to office conveys the facilities on offer on a door.

Perhaps the Meenakshi temple opens between four and four thirty and i am in the four streets that encircle the temple during this time. Seeing the rush, i decide to drop the idea of going inside as my train is little after five. The whole idea was to collect the laddus and return. With little time and a long queue, the laddu-collection idea has to be given up. To be noted here is before going to entry point and coming back i try coffee from Pechiaman cafe bar.  Pechiaman cafe bar is near meenakshi temple, having opened recently. The coffee tastes great and same sentiment is shared by others present during that time.  Soon after i take an auto and leave for station.

THe mood inside the coach is no different from what is experienced in a train. A side lower ticket procured from Rameswaram station has come handy. Late evening in the train i take sandwiches which i had secured from sargam hotel in Kanniyakumari. This i folllow it up with another round of medicines. The next morning by six i am in Guruvayoor. The state of health i am in i can't decide the number of days i am going to stay here. The first thing i do after deboarding is to stand in the tatkal ticket counter. After  waiting for half an hour or so, i request two other men to mark my space as i am going to take a room and return soon. A little after eight i return with some failing to recognise me. But there are others who help to break the deadlock and i return to the queue. Since there are not more than 10 people, there is not much of a protest. From hereon i realise i can't stand for long and start looking for anybench/chair to sit. The body pain is severe. After collecting ticket the first thing i do is to see a doctor. The doctor name goes by Mr N in East Nada. Very helpful indeed. And he suggests me to continue with the medicines with one set replaced by another.

From hereon i proceed to Previnnya lodge. The room is spacious with an attached bath. 

Kanniyakumari stay (part II); ride from Kanniyakumari to Tirunelveli

Kanniyakumari stay (part II); ride from Kanniyakumari to Tirunelveli

The previous day the temperature recorded was 103 or perhaps a little more than that. To believe that injection which the nurse gave and the medicines that were handed to me would prove effective may have worked for a while. Otherwise what would explain the visit to Vivekananda ashram despite knowing well the wear and tear and the resulting fever were enough to keep me down. As for Vivekananda ashram, there is a canteen here, some 200 metres from the reception, where two and a half years ago an  old man used to serve water for those taking meals. Similarly the internet cafe has been known to be manned by a middle aged person in 2010. Since i had to leave early nothing could be be ascertained about these two gentlemen. Close to the Ganapati temple is a SBI office/branch.

Post Vivekananda ashram visit i collect luggage from Raja Palace and leave for bus stand. On the way there is a roundabout and a cloth store on the left. One can collect handkerchiefs from this store. This store is looked after by a man in 30s and a girl probably in teens. The man is humble and honest enough to tell me the amount i gave was not a rupee more or less for handkerchief . After collecting handkerchief, the auto turns right to head towards the bus stand. At the bus stand there are buses for Tirunelveli, not for Madurai at that point. I settle for Tirunelveli  bus. Before the bus is about to start i seek suggestions from passengers on the clinic i visited last and on the injection thereafter. Assurance on the clinic comes to take off most of the worries. THe doctor and the nurse were helpful. I have not been in touch with them. Hope they are doing well.

Sightings in Kanniyakumari
- There is tamil nadu mercantile bank atm, Lakshmana is the guard, alert and simple

- Next to mutthu hairstyle is a tea centre from where i used to have morning tea in Sept-Oct 2010. This one is across Kanniyakumari road just a few steps from where one has to descend to reach rajaram clinic.

- There are boards of muthoot finance 3 minute express loan on either side of Kanniyakumari road

- Opposite Viverkananda ashram is western bakery store, adjacent to that an outlet from where i used to have tea during mornings/evenings. There is a cyber cafe as well nearby. These places i visited quite often in Sept-Oct 2010 when the stay was elaborate during which i made it a point to visit Nagercoil and view the expanse.

Ride from Kanniyakumari to Madurai
From Kanniyakumari stand the bus leaves at 8 am, with more number of seats vacant than taken. Njugramam coming at 8.22, taking every precaution to keep the windows closed. A few kms later the first board shows madurai 220 km. Valliyoor comes at 9.15.
As for Vehicles sighted on the way, tn 72 q 1868 (van), mdk 1609, tac 6063 (both amby)
At 9.20 madurai shown 195 km, nanguneri coming at 9.35 and Tirunelveli  at 10.10. The bus is driven by p raju

In Tirunelveli bus stand from the side you take the bus for madurai there is a shop near the passage for other platforms and from here one of the stores has good collection of handkerchiefs, those a  little thick and white in colour can be taken. The ride in the morning from Kanniyakumari was comfortable as breeze was cool enough for me and other passengers to remain seated with no sign of discomfort. The roads looked to be fairly smooth and traffic as little as possible. The morning collections at different halts of the bus too were thin. By the time Tirunelveli was reached, the weather had turned hot and gathering at the bus stand a little thick.

Kanniyakumari stay; visiting a doctor; visiting Mahaganpati temple

Kanniyakumari stay; visiting a doctor; visiting Mahaganapati temple


When i reach the lodge, the body pain which was somewhat manageable before i boarded the vessel, has accentuated to a point where i have to take a tablet. I visit a nearby restaurant to take parotha before trying a tablet. After some time i visit the Kanniyakumari bus stand to ascertain the timing and frequency of buses going to Madurai. Apart from late night and early morning buses, the one to leave at eight in the morning looks to be a suitable option. The return to the lodge is on foot with temperature and body pain showing no signs of abating.

Never on previous occasions the visit to Kanniyakumari has been amidst energy sapping template.  Two hours later i seek help from T L Thambi , the manager, who suggests me two sets of hospitals where i can go for a check up. I seek directions for Rajaram clinic and after crossing the road there are some steps going down leading to the clinic. There is a car parked inside and at the reception some personnel can be seen. A nurse checks the temperature and few minutes later the doctor calls me. He scribbles name of medicines on a paper and i go to a different room where the nurse who checked the temperature gives me an injection. They hand me three small envelopes which have different set of medicines. For this entire exercise they charge 250rs.

The next task is to have something in the tummy before taking medicines. The first food outlet i visit, the time being 4.30 pm, has no one at the counter. I head towards Sargam hotel to take sandwiches and Horlicks. At eight in the evening i take another round of medicines, repeated at 1am. The entire night hasn't been comfortable quite uncertain of whether i would be able to take the Guruvayoor train from Madurai the next day. Another dose comes at around 6.30 next morning.  I follow this up with a visit to a tea vendor having multiple tea cups hoping against hope the feverish content would subside.

On previous occasions the stay in Kanniyakumari has ranged between three to seven days and this time despite being unwell i did not wish to miss a visit to Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda ashram; finally visiting at quarter past seven the day i am supposed to leave. There is no rush and Ganapati looks as resplendent as ever.  At the reception desk of Vivekananda ashram i meet personnel named Murugan and try to stress on  my previous stays in the ashram. I collect a brochure from the desk as there are no senior managers during that time. The internet/STD booth is closed as well.