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.