A visit to Navagraha temples

16 th Wednesday Jan Morning 8 am

Reached Chidambaram from Bangalore.
Got into a small hotel and freshed up and visited the temple. Stayed there for half an hour in front of powerful and serene Nataraja .

Walked outside the temple thinking what to do next ,surfed the net in nearby internet cafe and found out some basic information about Navagraha temples near Kumbakonam,took down the names of the temples . Well to be honest I had no idea how to go there since all these places were scattered around Mayiladuthurai in 50 km radius. But I always believed in making a first attempt and assumed that rest will fall in place. So found that there is a one on the way to " Mayiladuthurai".

2:30 pm started on bus
3:15 Vaitheeswarankoil (Mars) (Darshan timings 6 am to 1pm,4 pm to 9 pm.)

It is between Mayiladuthurai(15 km) and Chidambaram (25 Km) .Found out that temple opens only at 4pm. Vaitheeswarankoil is crowded and a untidy place and it is famous for "Nadi Astrology".In between I picked up an interesting conversation with a guy who introduced himself as a Muslim working in Middle east. He told me that there is a navagraha temple at Thiruvengadu which is near to this place.

4-15 pm
After darshan at Vaitheeswarankoil ,a person told me that I need to go to Sirkali to get a bus to Thiruvengadu..So I reached Sirkali after 10 min ,and I got into another bus.A fellow passenger told me that it will take 20 min to reach Thiruvengadu and it is about 12 kms from Sirkali. Also he told me I can visit "Kethu" temple today itself and it is quite near to this temple.

5-15 pm Thiruvengadu temple (Mercury).(Darshan timings 6 am to 12 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm.)
It is a vast place and neat with a vast ground. The temple is very serene and peaceful and enjoyed walking around that place.

5-40 pm
Started from Thiruvengadu to Keelaperumpallum.(Kethu). There is a mini bus service ,but a person warned me not to depend on that,instead he asked me to take a bus to Dharmakulam (Mayiladuthurai-poompukar route)and take a rickshaw from there to cover another 2 kms.Bus took another 15-20 min to reach dharmakulam and I thought of taking a walk instead of dealing with "rickshaw guys".It was a typical beautiful village with lot of paddy cultivation along the side of the road. I wanted to take some pictures ,but didnt feel like spending time on it.

6-15 pm Keezha Perumpalam(Kethu) (Darshan timings 7 am to 12 am,4 pm to 8 pm)

It is a very small temple in the middle of a pure village and I couldnt even find a shop nearby.

6-40 pm
I walked back to Dharmakulam and waited for an hour for a bus to Mayiladuthurai. It took almost an hour to reach there and found a descent hotel to get a good sleep. In between I made up my mind to visit the remaining six temples in the next day itself.

I took a room at a hotel called "Golden Tower" on M.G Road.At 10 pm,after having a shower and dinner I went to the reception and asked whether I can get a taxi next morning to cover the six temples.He called up a guy immediately and we started negotiating a price and finally we agreed on Rs 1700 .I told him I would like to start at 6:30 am.
17^th Thursday. 5-45 am
Woke up from bed ,and walked outside to have a tea at a wayside teashop.It is one of the best ways to mix with local people and be part of human race.

6:25 am
I checked out from the hotel and sat down at reception. Immediately I saw a white ambassador car with "mercedes" symbol on the front.The hotel guy told me that is the car I am supposed to travel. We started immediately and first went to the ATM to withdraw some cash and driver told me we are going to Thirunallur which is almost 30 Kms away on the way to Karaikkal. He drove fast into a place graced by the beauty of the nature. Driver introduced himself as Selvam.

7-15 am Thirunallur (Saturn, Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm.)

Selvam asked me whether I need to take a bath in the pond there ,I said no .Later I came to know that is the custom there. Saturn temple is a fairly large temple and it was crowded. But I managed to get a darshan ,and I guess it would be very difficult to do it on Saturday. At 7-40 am we started towards the next temple ,Thirunakeswaram.We almost traveled back and took a turn before reaching Mayiladuthurai

8-50 am Thirunakeswaram (Raghu, Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 8:30 pm)

It is fairly big temple covering a huge area. I circled around that temple three times ,and prayed for the well being of my friends and relatives. There is a pond in front of temple and circled around that place taking some pictures. I enjoyed some nice views from there. I was feeling hungry and Selvam told me that we need to go to Kumbakonam to get some good food.

9-20 am
Started towards Kumbakonam which is 6 kms away.Selvam took me to a nice vegetarian restaurant and had a nice idli-sambhar. When we started I asked whether I can visit Darasuram to visit Airavateswara temple built by Rajaraja Chola II ,he told me it is possible and it is around 5 kms from there.

10-15 am Airavateswara Temple

Well this is not a temple meant for worship even though daily rituals happens there.It is a protected monument and taken cared of by Archaeological survey of India and it is under renovation. Even though it is not big as Brihadeeswara Temple at Tanjavur ,it is storehouse of art and architecture and very exquisite stone carvings. The front mandapam is in the form of huge chariot drawn by horses.I clicked some pictures and walked around a bit. At 10:30 am I rushed back to the car since Selvam told me that we need to cover another 30 km to go to next temple at thingaloor.

11.15 am Thingaloor (Moon , Darshan timings 7 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 8:30 pm)

Temple at thingaloor is a small one in the midst of a village can be reached from Thanjavur (10 km) .The temple is almost 2kms away from the main road ,except rickshaws there is no public transport to reach there. I watched a "pooja" there and felt very refreshed after that.At 11.45 am we started towards Alangudi . Selvam told me that we need to reach there fast to have a darshan since temple closes at 1 pm.

12:40 pm Alangudi (Guru ,Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm)

It is fairly medium sized temple and it seems there is some renovation at the main entrance.I thought I have enough time to have darshan ,but when I went closer to that I got little nervous .I saw a huge crowd waiting for the darshan in a queue and I wasnt sure whether I am going to make it before 1 pm. But it seem it didnt close at 1 pm due to the crowd and I had the darshan before 1:30pm .At 1:40 we started towards Kumbakonam to have a lunch and Selvam told me that remaining two temples will open only at 4 pm.We went to same restaurant where we had breakfast and casually started towards next one at 3 pm, Thirumangalakudi.

3.25 pm Thirumangalakudi (Sun , Darshan timings 6 am to 12.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm)

Temple at Thirumangalakudi is dedicated to Sun and it is 15 kms away from Kumbakonam and it is known "Sooriyanarkoyil".It is relatively small temple and needs urgent renovation.I waited till 4 pm there to have a darshan and felt very energetic after that.At 4-15 I started towards Kanjanoor

4-20 Kanjanoor (Venus,Darshan timings 7 am to 12.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm)

It is 2 kms east of Sooriyanarkoyil. There is no seperate idol for Sukra. It is a very small temple
At 4:35 pm,I am done with all nine temples ,wow .Selvam dropped me at Mayiladuthurai at 5-15.I thanked Selvam whole heartily and started towards Pondichery via Cuddalore.
At 9 pm I reached Pondichery ,I thought of staying night there and visit Aurobindo ashram. But I was tired like hell.Then I found that there is a ticket to bangalore in KSRTC and brought that without thinking anything else.

When I reached Bangalore ,people asked me how was the experience.
I kept quiet ...
Peace , we should always thrive to achieve it ....somehow .

Some pictures

Traveling alone

Most people like traveling ,but may not know how to travel alone.These are very generic tips which will help you to travel alone without trouble.

* Find out information about the place from the web .There are lot of information available on Wikipediaand wikitravel.
* Be aware, in some places hotel owners dont give the room for a lonely traveler,since they think that these people have a "potential " to commit suicide.Avoid these places ,or try doing a booking over phone before you reach there.
* Carry a light backpack.Backpacks are easy to carry if you are forced to walk a long distance.
* Dont keep all cash in one place.Carry only one credit card (preferably) or debit card.If someone snatches your purse ,make sure you dont have much to loose.
* Carry biscuits or other "ready to eat" food items and water .If you dont find any good hotel to eat you can have this.Dont drink water from outside.
* Have a light meal and eat lots of banana.Banana will help you to achieve a "stable stomach" and ensures smooth bowel movement.
* Carry mosquito repellent always.
* Wear comfortable clothing (t shirts /track pants/kurtas/cargos/khakis).
* Dont carry expensive cellphones and other gizmos.Carry a basic cellphone .Criminals always nails down a "prey" based on looks and gadgets they carry.Always try or pretend to be commoner .
* Use public transport ,buses and train.Try avoiding auto rickshaws or taxis since they charge horrific rates and may be operated by criminals.
* Dont go walk /trek all alone especially in forest or other lonely places.Try walking along with other groups.Criminals and animals are a real threat.
* Ask shop owners or policeman if you are unsure about a place.They can give very good information on other nearby tourist destinations and good hotels.Avoid touts.
* Manage your time very well.Travel becomes horrible if you run out of time.
* If you want the travel to be memorable, you need to walk or trek and this requires lot of fitness.

@ Kanchi

Sat June 23 Morning

Got up as usual, sipped some green tea and sat idle. For sometime I had a strange desire to go to Kanchipuram and I thought of making a try. After getting fresh, packed my bag with very essential clothes, took a light breakfast, took some cash from ATM and started towards bus stand. When I reached bus stand ,I came to know that there is no direct bus, I need to go to Vellore first and then Kanchipuram. Bus started at 10:30 and it took almost another one hour to get out of Bangalore city. Journey was comfortable due to moderate temperature which was triggered by a depression in Bay of Bengal and well designed roads. It went via Hosur ,Krishnagiri and took a turn towards Chennai. By around 3:30 pm bus reached Vellore and immediately got into another bus to Kanchi aka Kanchipuram, one of the oldest cities in India.

Bus went through lush green paddy fields and seemingly pleasant for the eyes. By 4-45 I reached Kanchi .After having a light snack I followed a sign towards Ekambaranatha Temple .At some point I asked someone the way to "temple", he told me go to straight. Surprisingly I reached in front of Kailasanathar Temple which was built by Pallavas in 8^th century AD. It is a small beautiful well maintained structure with amazingly intense sculptures. I spend some time, took some pictures and this time I walked towards Ekambaranatha temple.

Ekambaranatha temple is one of the five forms of abodes of Lord Siva which represents "earth". The main priest told me that "lingam" was worshipped by Goddess Parvathi and it is known as "Parvathi Lingam". Temple complex is huge, spread over 40 acres, but it is not well maintained. I tried walking inside the complex but seemed impossible since it was getting dark. From there I went to Kamakshi Amman Temple, where I had to wait for some time to get a "darshan". I always envied people who lived near to big temples. I felt those structures and atmosphere has filled their lives with something more than the illusions created by humans recently.

By around 8 pm, I felt like I am tired and asked a police man where I can find a hotel. He politely told me a direction. I walked into a modest hotel and asked for room. Before showing the room, the hotel guy warned me against mosquitoes .I told him I am prepared, as I always include mosquito repellant in my bag while traveling. After having dinner I watched some television program on "climbing Mount Everest" on discovery channel. I couldn't really understand their "resolve" and "determination". Sooner I retired to sleep.

June 24

I got up early at 5:30 am, walked down to café for coffee. Surprisingly the café was crowded and people were really enjoying the morning coffee. After getting fresh, I checked out from room and walked a bit .After that I "negotiated " for a auto rickshaw and asked him to take me to Varadharaja Perumal Temple .Temple was huge and it was built by Cholas in 10^th century .I stood some time in peace and waited till 7am to enter the "inner sanctum" of the temple. When I walked into the interior of the temple I found that "inner most sanctum" is in first floor and can be approached only from a particular way. Ancient temple always presents me a mystery and as usual this didn't disappoint me .I walked a bit to explore the temple, took some pictures. By that time I realized that I need to start towards Bangalore early. After having breakfast I started my return journey.

Looking back it was a amazing weekend

Pictures

Some travel

Well, traveling all alone is not that easy. Well I thought about it ,finally decided to put me through this. From first week of December I started looking at couple of websites to find out places I should cover .I am always fascinated by historic temples ,which have some amount of peace and architecture .After doing some amount of research ,I rounded to Chidambaram ,Thiruvarur ,Thanjavur ,Rameshwaram and Madurai.

Preparation

Searched the internet for a local map to find out where to start with.I wanted to start from North and move towards south and eventually to my home town ..Based on that I made a bus reservation to Chidambaram from Bangalore .I prepared a list of things to be carried (t shirts ,cotton pants, undergarments,soap,rubber sandals ,towel,moisturizer ,biscuits ,medicines etc).Moreover I emptied CF card of the camera and charged the battery .

Dec-15 evening

Came back from office early ,got into a store brought the things which i found missing from the list. Ironed the clothes and put it in my trekking bag. I brought some biscuits in case I didn't find anything while traveling. At around 8 o clock I got out from my home and went to near by hotel and had a light dinner. Took some cash from ATM and put some part of that in my purse and some I put in a cover and kept that in another pocket. I reached the bus stand at 10 but came to know that bus was late by 45 min. At around 11 pm bus arrived ,it was a air conditioned sleeper .I got into that and immediately retired to sleep.

Dec-16

When I got up I came to know that bus was passing through Pondichery. Initially I wanted to start from there to visit Aurobindo ashram and Auroville ,but I had to drop that due to time constraints. Bus was almost empty after Pondichery and it moved via Cuddalore and finally it reached Chidambaram .I told the bus guy to stop near to the Nataraja Temple. I got down there at around 9 am and I saw one of towers of temple .Chidambaram is a modest town with basic amnesties. At first I walked into a hotel and asked for a room ,he said it will "take time".Then I had to take room in a nearby lodge. The room wasnt that great but manageable .My initial thought was to stay at night and move to Thiruvarur .After getting fresh, I went to temple. Even though it is a famous temple ,I couldnt see much crowd there. Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram is one of the panchaboota temple which represents "space" and it stood on a vast area guarded by four majestic towers .Lot of waste, graffiti and ill maintained structures really dampened the look of the ,one of the finest abodes of Lord Shiva. But it has the energy ,serenity and peace required for any person who is looking for .When I approached the "santum santorium" I saw the famous "Nataraja" statue which is unique to this temple. I stood in peace for sometime and tried to encompass the energy there. I paid for a special ticket and got closer to the idol .The main priest removed a curtain near to the idol and tried to explain to me which I didn't understand. Well I came to know that it represents "space".Since temple is running short of funds ,they were persuading me to pay money for "prasad" which they will send me by post. I spent some time walking realizing that our fore fathers had a great sense of aesthetics while designing structures. Then I went to room and to take my camera and tried capturing those things through my lens.

Well after spending time till noon ,I felt like I can cover Thiruvarur temple by today itself. I asked the lodge owner and he told me there is no direct bus ,but I can take a bus to Mayapuram from there to Thiruvarur .After having lunch ,I got into bus to Mayapuram. Bus went via green paddy fields and buildings which seems to me as historic. After reaching Mayapuram I had to walk 100 meters to get another bus which will take me to Thiruvarur. At around 5 pm I reached Thiagaraja temple at Thiruvarur. This temple is considered one of the oldest and it dates back to 9^th Century.

Like all other temples at Tamilnadu, it has majestic four towers and have finer pieces of architecture interwoven. These days some people tried to solve issues without looking at the bigger picture,thats what is happening at most buildings. Some buildings were built with great aesthetics ,craftsmanship and architecture ,but these days people are free to try new surface paints ,wire freely with electric cables and add some worthless structural additions to these buildings. This really shows how much we are disconnected with the past !.I took some pictures and spent some time there walking around. When sky became dark ,after having a light and refreshing snack ,I started to Thanjavur.
When I reached Thanjavur bus station it was really dark and I was thinking where to go. I saw one internet cafe where I sneaked in and checked my mails. After that I asked shop owner where exactly is the railway station and the great Brihadeswara Temple. He told me I need to go to old bus stop and temple is on the way. I got into the bus and sooner I saw the glimpse of the tip of a big temple my eyes eagerly followed that. As bus neared that,I got down ,and I started walking closer to the temple. When I saw the first glimpse of the temple I felt like "Oh my god I haven't seen anything like this in my entire life ".Since it was around 8:30 pm ,security was asking everyone to leave .Reluctantly I moved out and ran into a medical shop and asked him "Where can i find a descent hotel",he pointed a direction and gave a name which I followed .Hotel was good and after having dinner ,I immediately retired to sleep.

December 17

I got up early really excited ,got fresh and went directly to temple. What a sight ...Even though I visited few countries ,I haven't seen such a majestic building anywhere . It was built by Raja Raja Chola in 10^th Century whose empire (Chola dynasty) stretched from Orissa to SriLanka .The architecture of the temple is different from the usual "tamil nadu" style .The main tower is about 65 m in height and its "shikaram"(crown) weighs almost 80 tonnes. Shiva's mount or Shiva linga there is considered to be the tallest and it should be more than 12 feet. I went around and around and tried to understand and capitulate to that majestic effort took by our forefathers who built it around 1000 back. Since it is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India ,it is very much infact and looks very fresh.

After spending few hours there ,I reluctantly went to Thanjavur Palace supposedly built by Marathas .It is not a luxurious or "well kept" palace but it hosts a wonderful museum. It showcases some ancient bronze statues ,artifacts and jewelery starting from 8^th century AD onwards .I spend some time just like another curious onlooker .

After having lunch and thought of starting towards Rameshwaram. Well I assumed that it would be directly connected by bus and that was a mistake. I had to take bus to Pudokottai ,then to Karaikudi ,then to Ramanathapuram and finally to Rameshwaram .Travel from Karaikudi to Ramanathapuram is something anyone should avoid if possible due to bad state of road there.Well travel wasn't that bad ,I went on talking with a student who was with me till Ramanathapuram. When I reached Rameshwaram it was almost 9 o clock at night I had to travel around 8 hours from Thanjavur and I felt like I really underestimated the time.

Rameshwaram is island town connected to the main land with the famous Pamban bridge which is almost 2.3 kms. I had to struggle a bit to get a room because hotel owners feel that "lonely" travelers mainly come for committing suicide. With a bit of luck I managed to get into a good hotel. After having a good shower and food ,I slept fast.

December 18

I got up early at 4 am ,got fresh and went to famous Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to legend Lord Ram worshiped Lord Shiva by creating "Shiva linga" out of sand to absolve of his sins committed during war against Ravan ,the demon. I had to purchase a special coupon to avoid horrendous queues .While I was standing in the queue I looked at the beautiful paintings which narrates the story of Ramayana. When I was a small kid ,I used to climb up to the table to hear stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata from my great grandfather while he was having his breakfast. All those memories suddenly gushed into my mind .Temple was crowded since it is considered to be holiest and it is often visited by people from North India . After having "darshan" I had my breakfast and walked around that area. Well I thought of visiting neighboring place called "Danushkodi" but somehow I didnt like to move around there. Crowd ,dirt and stench didn't keep there for long.

After lunch I got into bus which took me to Madurai. I have been to Madurai before ,but this time it appears to be very polished. I had to get into another bus to reach the famous Madurai Meenakshi temple .It was almost 5 in the evening and after placing my sandals outside I walked in .Security was tight ,people need to walk through metal detectors and they opened my bag as well .Madurai Meenakshi temple is obviously one of biggest temple in South India and even considered for "seven wonders in the world". It is really majestic but I am not sure whether recent "modernization" has gone well with the aesthetics of the temple .I feel that lot of people have made a temple as a "commercial center ".I walked around and it was getting dark and I felt like I need to come again to understand the place.

After collecting my sandals I didn't have any clue how to go back home from there. Another bus travel will be a disaster unless I stay there overnight. Well I thought of checking availability of train ticket and casually walked into railway station .I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the availability of berth for the same night itself. I took the ticket ,had dinner and got into the train and I couldn't do anything further for that day.

December -19

Next morning to my surprise, I found that train actually goes to a station which is quite near to my home itself. I got down there and walked towards home.

When I looked back I felt something good about myself.

Pictures

Exploring Tiruvannamalai

On Saturday afternoon ,I reached Tiruvannamalai after travelling for more than 5 hours on a bus from Bangalore.it was a typical town with a some level of modernity ,garbage and people.As soon as I got down I looked around to find a place to stay and I walked into a lodge which I found closer .Shops were closed due to Diwali and I thought it might not be easy to find a place to eat.
As soon as I got into a room and I was promised by the lodge guy that he will arrange some food for me.I got into the bed and scanned through some tv channels.After having some food ,I started walking towards the great Arunachaleswarar Temple.I really had a surreal experiance when I started looking closely at the one of towers or "Gopurams" .Tall structures always fascinated me and I always liked to look at the upper tip from the ground.After having darshan at the temple and I started slowly towards Shri Ramana Maharshi's Ashram.
Ramana's Maharshi's ashram is a peaceful place and remains unpolluted even after his samadhi in 1950.I always felt enthralled by the picture of Ramana Maharshi with a similing face.That smile has got lot of depth and peace built into that.After that I started walking and I thought that I should make a earnest attempt to one round of the "Auranchala hill".It requires lot of commitment since it is 14 kms.I wasnt sure when I started and I thought I "may" make it.
I reached one intersection and I read a board which advised to take a right turn.I slowly gained pace and started walking fast .On the way I could see lot of saffron clad sadhus ,some of them started begging money as soon as they saw a unfamiliar face.I assumed it is familar place and started walking like a machine.Trees and gentle breeze gave me lot of energy ,but couple of times I took essential tea break.
Finally nearly after 3 hours I completed the entire 14 km strectch.After having dinner I quickly bumped myself into the bed.But I couldnt sleep well ....Oh my god mosquitoes.
Next morning I again went to the temple and took some snaps and spend some time there enjoying the peace.One of my friend over phone advised me to go to a hill top ashram where Ramana Maharshi spent some initial time.When I started walking towards that ,I assumed that I really underestimated the route ,it is steep and it is over 1.5 kms.When I reached the top I saw the wonderful view of the temple ,but it is really small !!!.I spend some time at ashram and came down.
On my return journey when I looked back ,in the last 24 hours I walked around 20 kms all alone without making much social interactions.
My Pictures

Boby's wedding

On Saturday ,I gently walked into travel agents' office and collected my tickets.It was dark outside and I was walking slowly towards the bus bay. Suddenly I heard a big noise ,it seemed that I hit a rock. But it wasn’t rock or a stone ,it was a dog in black.Dog came running behind me but I stood like a rock and exposed my macho image.I really wanted to say "sorry" to dog .But I suddenly realized !!!.

Bus was late as usual. I was really unhappy with travel agency which booked my tickets on a lousy bus. After one hour ,bus started moving. It was moving like a snail and I was pretty worried about the fact that whether I will be able to join the wedding next day.At around 3 o clock in the morning I got up hearing a sudden explosion .One of the tyre burst and it took almost an hour to fix that.Again late and bus continued like a snail and finally reached ekm at around 10 am .I was really concerned whether I will make it to the wedding or not. I ran to the bus station and took the next available bus to Piravam.At around 11:30 I reached Piravam.I realized at that point ,I might need the help of Michael Schumacher if I wanted to see last part of the wedding. But I got one local Schumacher who took me in a auto. He took his auto through narrow roads inside intense forest like estates. And finally he took me to a church and I couldn’t see anything there except school kids inside the class room.Oh god I thought it might have got over. I asked one person over there whether this is the church ,but he pointed to another building. I expressed my sincere thanks to "Schumacher " and ran into the church. I saw there a very familiar man wearing neat formal suits .I quickly changed my t-shirt inside a car and washed my face.

There was hardly 75 people out there in the church and Boby looked weary under intense heat of the flash. A dozen photographers from tata elxsi armed with latest digital cameras were constantly punching him with flash.And I joined them .He looked indifferent and grinned at everyone. I came to know that ceremony started few minutes back,I thanked God .

The function went on for another 1 1/2 hours ,I was weary about the fact that I didn’t have proper food for last 18 hours and had a very incomplete sleep last night.Before the couple got down from church ,I saw a very familiar face looking great with his beautiful wife.Oh my god, their presence was totally unexpected ,Ladies and Gentleman, it was George and Lin.He told me openly he came there just for having some good food.He finally took me to Boby's house for the lunch.

What a magic ,the crowd there was amazing when I reached his house.I suddenly realized that for many people marriage means just "food" and most people are out there where food is served .And most people turned up at his home instead of showing up at church…What a world..Me ,George watched new wed couple entering the dias and tasting the cake.Being a veg I had to contend with limited stuff .Finally George told me he needed to move out.We spend some time with Boby and I saw George giving Boby some "marital" advices.I can guess what he would have said .But I don’t want to mention it over here to make this prose a dirty one.

But George and Lin were extremely kind enough to invite me to his house and asked me to stay with thier family for a day.I politely declined and told him I need to travel to bangalore same day somehow.

He dropped me at bus bay where I took a bus to ernakulam .At railway station I found that I am totally tired of taking another journey to bangalore ,without proper sleep.

I immediately decided to go to my home town and spend some time there.

My first travel to US

On Friday 6th May 2005,I went to Bangalore Airport at around 7:30 pm.My Dad and my brother came there to see me off.After getting boarding pass I proceeded to the immigration counter .The immigration officer looked at my "school boy" picture and put his hand on head .I thought that he is going to make a issue out of this ,but he said something different ."Why you spell Nair as Nayar ,you must be proud of the caste you belong too.I am also a proud Nair?".I was relieved and equally embarassed.What to do ,people wont change even in 21st century.I promised him "I will try to change it".

The flight to Bangtok was late by 30 min.I got into Thai airways flight at around 10:30 and I was greeted by thai airhostess with smile and a language which resembles some "foul language" in my own native language .But I didnt care as usual. I know the people of Malay race(Chinese /Japs/etc) will eat anything that moves or which appears to be a living organism.So I specifically instructed my travel agent that I cant consume that.So for dinner ,I was given meal which consists of some "fresh" plants and half baked dough.I finished off my dinner by taking some red wine.

Hardly after 3 hrs and 45 min ,flight landed at Bangok The airport looked very luxurious ,but without proper sign boards.When I got out of the gate ,I thought that I have to do 4*400 meters self relay around the airport.There were other Indians from Wipro who were travelling instructed me the right place.I collected my boarding pass for my next flight and I approached towards the gate.

At the gate they looked mercilessly at my passport and run through the scanners to make sure that it not counterfeit .I found that they did only for Indians or similar looking people.Are we thugs ?.Security was strict .They removed my shoes and asked lot of questions on the nature of baggage I was carrying. In fact I like security ,it makes us feel that no member of bin laden gang is sitting next to you or in the plane.

After that I went inside into a larger plane (Boeing 747 ) of United Airlines.I saw very decently dressed crew inside unlike "over painted" grandmas of Indian Airlines and Air India.This time too I was offered special meal consists of "fresh" plants and dough.

After 6 .30 hrs,I landed in Narita international airport in Tokyo ,Japan.It is the best airpot I have seen so far.Clearly laid sign boards ,enough display screen,good view and polite people.I spend some time there just sitting and walking .It seemed everything there is expensive and I didnt courage to have food or drinks.It can be some snake !.After some time I took another flight to San Francisco.It was another 8 hrs of horrible journey,luckily a pal from Wipro was sitting next to me.

At immigration counter in SFO,the immigration guy looked at my "schoolboy" picture and asked me "Is it you".Our travel desk guys goofed something which spoiled my entire meeting.They booked return tickets on July.I infact asked for 12 weeks of stay ,which the immigration officer didnt like that.

But he did give me 12 weeks and advised not to stay beyond that.I was disappointed with that meeting,last time our travel desk booked a ticket for me to delhi for my visa interview at chennai !.He might have thought that I might be a Hanuman to jump from delhi to chennai.

There at SFO,I took some raw vegetables and bread as breakfast and made some quick calls to India to tell everyone that I landed in america.After some time I boarded another flight to Salt Lake City.Salt Lake Ciy is the "center" of state Utah which is a very conservative state .It was a rought flight since weather was bad,and I really got scared when it landed.I collected my baggage there went outside.it was cold.I had to travel another 50 miles by road to reach hotel .Finally I got into shuttle service and landed in hotel at Sunday 5 am India time which was 5:30 pm Sat in Utah.I travelled from one end to another end of the globe which took almost 20 hrs of flying time .I feel I am in a different world ,completely different from what I have seen so far.