Deshe Bideshe 22 - Rameswaram
Devmitra:
We undertook a trip to Rameswaram in November 2010. Some among you may wonder why this trip to a pilgrim center...I believe that it is always better to undertake these trips while one is still young and able rather than yearn to do so in old age when the body and spirit are comparatively more infirm. Also the beauty of these cities is that not only are they pilgrim centers but also locations that offer a contrasting and interesting perspective to life that we are commonly accustomed to. It is indeed difficult to believe that a distance of only 600 kms separates a bustling metropolitan city and a town that appears untouched by modern times. As we got off the Rameswaram Express from Chennai on 13th noon having flown in the previous day from Hyderabad, we were stumped to encounter a town that appeared to fit the image of a typical Indian village - roads and transport infrastructure were conspicuously absent, cleanliness seemed to be unheard of and people appeared to be laid-back and least bothered by the goings on around them.
A word of warning to those who intend to come into Rameswaram by this train - this route conspicuously lacks the amenities of tea/coffee/meals that are otherwise ubiquitous during any train journey in the country. Hence it may not be a bad idea to stock up some light bites for the trip. This did not seem to be too much of a problem for our co-passengers though - a middle-aged Gujarati couple who had set out on a South India tour fully stocked with all kinds of snacks. On talking to them, we could only admire their enterprise; they had set out 3 days ago from Vapi in Gujarat and would meet up with their group at Rameswaram with who they would then tour almost every tourist spot in this part of the country - Tirupathi, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty, Kodai and of course Rameswaram...Whew!
Before the train rolls into the sleepy station of Rameswaram, it enters the Pamban island through a bridge that shares the name of the island. This offers a wonderful view of the gurgling waters of the ocean below. The bridge bears the distinction of being India's first sea-bridge and comprises twin bridges - one for rail traffic and the other for road vehicles. It has a still-functioning double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under the bridge. Experts assert that the location of the bridge is in a cyclone prone high wind velocity zone. Yet the sight of a long train crossing this almost guard-less bridge and the beauty of the uninhibited view that the train passengers behold, as we did on that cloudy morning, can hardly be described in words.
We had reservations at Hotel Vinayaga which is a stone's throw from the railway station. We walked in and were shown into a room on the 3rd floor which still reeked of cigarette smoke doled out by the previous occupants. Our request for another room was met with willingness and alacrity although it took a while to open the lock of the new room. After a wait of about 10 minutes, we were shown in to room 311, a neat and spacious abode for the next 24 hours or so. While I freshened up, Shantanu stepped out to "explore" the surroundings. His venture revealed that we were very close to the Western entrance of the temple.
Once Shantanu had also washed off the dregs of travel, we stepped downstairs for lunch. The restaurant at Vinayaga can hardly boast of a diverse spread and house flies seemed to have captured most of the tables. Hence we opted for a simple meal of Rice, Sambhar and Curds after which we lay down for a short siesta. We had inquired about conveyance to Dhanushkodi earlier during check-in and were informed that only 4-wheel drives were allowed and that it would cost Rs. 1000. Shantanu's search around the town also indicated a similar price; so we booked a jeep from the hotel for 3 pm.
Dhanushkodi holds mythological as well as historical significance. It is said that Lord Rama broke the bridge constructed across the ocean with the end of his bow; a series of rocks found in a line at this point today are believed to be the remnants of the bridge. The area around Rameshwaram has been frequently ravaged by several high-intensity cyclones and storms in the past. A severe storm in 1964 literally washed away the town of Dhanushkodi. All dwellings and structures were destroyed and about 2000 people were killed. Today the town has been declared a Ghost Town, unfit for habitation. Eerily, the spot has now assumed touristic significance; people visit Dhanushkodi today to experience the unfathomable force of nature and its after-effect. It was with the same intention that we undertook the jeep ride that afternoon although I should confess that the first sight of our conveyance made us re-consider the plan.
The seats appeared mauled and were hardly fixed to the vehicle, the body badly needed a fresh coat of paint and the controls seemed to be completely powerless. We were actually convinced that there was a mistake and checked with the hotel again only to be told that it was either this vehicle or none at all. Left with no other option, we sent out a silent prayer to all gods and set out on the 18 - 20 km ride of which only about 10 km was along well-paved road. Once the vehicle crossed the Dhanushkodi check-post, the ride got rough, much like Harry Potter's bus ride in Book 3 - "Fasten your seat belts, clench your buttocks, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" After the great storm, the entire area is covered by sand dunes that make driving extremely difficult and uncomfortable. The view of the area itself spells desolation and abandonment today; on one side the ocean waters come in but lack the playfulness of a beach, instead they are still and covered with weeds. On the other side, sand stretches across for miles appearing like a great desert extremely hostile to life of any kind. At some parts, thorny shrubs had overtaken the entire "road" and so as the jeep cut through them, they attempted to scar the vehicle as well as us seated inside, almost as if they wished to prevent us from entering the barren landscape.
None of this deterred our driver or his assistant; they deftly negotiated the hostile conditions as if they had been doing it for eons. We passed near desolate stretches and at times it seemed like we had reached the end of the world; then we would again 'bump' into a few stray dogs or some horses which seemed to represent the current life at Dhanushkodi.
Here and there we encountered the "other India", an India unknown to us living a comfortable life in gated communities with a secure job and fat pay cheque - of simple women folk traversing miles on foot carrying a bucket of water on their head, a very precious commodity in those parts where saline water reigns supreme. Kids of almost all ages who should ideally be at school ran wildly along the 'road' accompanying our jeep hoping to attract our attention and earn a few rupees in the process - the school of life had already taught them the lesson of survival. Half-way through the ride, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, our driver met up with his friend. We understood later that another of the hotel vehicles had broken down on the way (no surprise there!) and so he went to help his colleague in repairing it while another person drove us to our destination. After about 45 min of ordeal, we reached Rama Sethu, or more accurately, the point where India is the closest to Sri Lanka. It is from here that one needs to walk for another 4 - 5 kms to view the remains of the bridge that Lord Rama had constructed to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana. According to the Ramayana, the two engineers in Lord Rama's team - Nala and Nila, designed the bridge and every army man helped in constructing the same, including a small squirrel, whom Lord Rama patted affectionately and thus the stripes on the back of the animal. While the story itself may be a figment of imaginative mythology, it helps us in understanding that the contribution of even the poorest of the poor and the smallest of the small in any endeavor is very important and should be recognized.
Dhanushkodi is just 20 miles away from Srilanka's Talaimannar along the Gulf of Mannar. Don't know if today's Sri Lanka is yesteryear's Lanka of Ravana. Some say that original Lanka had gone under the sea, while others maintain that it remains today. Interestingly according to the Mahavamsa, Ceylone or Simhal was invaded by Vijay Singha, who was originally from Singhapur, Bengal (now known as Singur in Hooghly district). As the poem eulogising the exploits of Bengal and Bengalis say - "Bangalir Chhele Bijay Singha Lanka korechhe joy" or "the son of Bengal Bijay Singha conquered Lanka". Bijay Singha apparently came to Dhanushkodi and from there began his march towards Simhal, and he landed on the Mannar (possibly via land route along Adam's bridge or Rama Sethu.
As we left the 'safety' of our jeep and stepped out onto the beach, we saw a family perform their customary Puja rituals near the sea shore. The surroundings were enveloped with a calm that we have rarely encountered before - no sounds of bustling traffic, no noise of human habitation, just the soft whisper of the ocean waters as they kissed the shore and the distant call of the birds as they went about their chores. We were strongly tempted to forget returning and give into the serenity of the spot. However as dusk tip-toed in, it became obvious that this was not an option. The peace that was so inviting at first assumed an ominous hue as the sun came down. Given that it could all well be a figment of my imagination...but the desolate surroundings, the absence of cheerful electricity or such other city comforts and the desperate looks on the faces of the locals did not inspire much cheer. It was also not as if we had a smooth ride ahead of us and it was exactly due to this reason that my protective husband ordered me into the jeep and we once again set off on the rough ride bidding farewell to the lives and afterlives at Dhanushkodi.
On the return journey, we halted for a brief time to see some of the remnants of the Dhanushkodi town.
What remains today is just the broken facade of the erstwhile railway station, a few beaten and rusted tracks that are completely enveloped in sand and the ruins of a church that seemed to attempt to retain a dignified stature despite the starkly visible adversity that rankles the area even today. Standing amid this evidence of defeat and destruction, I tried to picture a bustling town in the same place, people going about their daily lives with little care and an almost arrogant confidence not knowing what deadly draught fate held in store for them. How often do we also fall prey to this recklessness, this impudence that life will continue to be as healthy and as happy as it is today without realizing that a single turn of events can spell dismay to us and those around.
As we resumed our return journey, we further witnessed the sorry state of affairs in this part. Our jeep started giving some problems again and had to slow down at one spot when to my sudden surprise, a group of kids jumped on to the foot board of the vehicle. It was obvious that they lacked some of the very basic amenities that kids in the city almost take for granted, but that did not prevent them from flashing their brightest grin at us. Their elation was further compounded as one of them received a pack of biscuits from my hand and the group ran back to their abode delighted at the gathering. Our driver dropped us at the check post and drove back to assist the other vehicle and its repair team.
We decided to grab a cup of tea at this point and also bought a pack of biscuits to go with it. However it turned out that there was another serious contender for the biscuits - a goat roaming the area spotted it from afar and flashed a silent demand for its share. What was slightly unnerving was the fact that its eyes seemed to literally pop out of its head and that it refused to take no for an answer even after receiving a few biscuits. It was only when the locals there drove the animal out that we could finish our tea. Our guide team returned shortly thereafter and after a few failed attempts to tie the un-functioning vehicle to ours, we continued on our way back, our driver apparently promising to return for the other party. By now, it was pitch dark and our jeep was making quite a racket of noises, none of which were remotely reassuring. We had our fingers crossed until we reached the hotel where we expressed our dissatisfaction to the staff. More surprises lay in store - we were informed that dinner that night was a buffet spread and that we had no choice in this matter. This meant we had to step out and look for alternate options in this unfamiliar town. It was only after talking to the restaurant manager that we were able to obtain a menu of our choice. Hunger thus satiated, we turned in early for the night as we had plans to offer early morning prayers the next day.
Day 2 of this short trip saw us rise early...'realearly'. We had already familiarized ourselves with the Puja procedures at this temple and hence set out suitably prepared. Although the temple was a short distance from the hotel, we took an auto as the roads are not exactly suited for walking (the fare from Hotel Vinayaga is a fixed rate of Rs. 40/-). As we reached the East entrance, we were approached by Sarvanan, a local priest or panda as they are more commonly known as. He looked reliable and more importantly spoke good Hindi which made it easy for us as we have zero knowledge of the local dialect; so we appointed him our guide for the day. First off, he took us inside the temple for the Mani Darshan. As we walked inside, he gave us a brief introduction to the temple history. The exact date of the origin of this temple is not known; it is purported to belong to the same time period as the Ramayana. Different rulers have contributed to the construction of the temple starting as early as the 12th century. The early morning light revealed a formation of black granite adorned here and there with some paintings. The first step in the puja is the viewing of the sphatik mani which is open between 4 and 5 am. This mani is in the form of a Shivling and is made of emerald. It is believed that this is the mani of Sheshnag, the five-headed snake on which Lord Vishnu and Devi Lakshmi rest. We bought tickets for the Rs. 50 line and within a few minutes, were escorted to the door of the innermost area of the temple. The sanctum was lit by many oil lamps and in the middle of it all stood, nay sparkled a small icon of pure white. As the light danced off the many surfaces of the Sphatik mani, the entire atmosphere assumed an ethereal glow, almost as if the gods themselves had come down into that tiny enclosure to bless us lesser mortals.
After the mani darshan is the turn of the Samudra Snan or a dip in the ocean. Sarvanan escorted us down a road just opposite the East entrance to the temple which ends at the ocean about a half kilometer away. He advised us to take 3 dips in the water chanting Om Namah Shivay. Although the ocean was most likely calm at that early hour, I shamefacedly confess that there was something about the gray swirling waters that scared me and so I was extremely reluctant to venture out too far myself or even let Shantanu do the same. Hence I clung on tight to his shirt and literally screamed my lungs out in an effort to be heard over the prevailing din as I urged, literally begged him not to go out far. Despite his best attempts to convince me that the water inside may actually be cleaner than that closer to the ghat, I held on. Finally we completed our snan in the waters as far out as I would allow us to venture and joined up with Sarvanan who then informed us of different options available for the Teerth Snan. He then picked up a small bucket from a shoe stand keeper where we left our shoes and we re entered the temple where we were joined by another gentleman, most likely Sarvanan's elder brother. As we walked towards the kundas or wells, the duo pointed out some important spots in the temple including a 12 feet tall Nandi. We then reached the first of the 22 Kundas that comprise the Teertha Snan. These kundas are situated all around the temple premises and are supposed to contain holy water from different places. Honestly, I was a bit wary of the whole idea - bathing in waters from unknown sources and that early hour in the morning and spending quite some time in wet clothes in full sight of so many other people? But it took just a few buckets of water from these wells to quell the skeptic in me. As Sarvanan tied up his lungi and jumped up on the narrow wet ledge of the well and emptied buckets of water first on Shantanu and then on me, I felt refreshed, relaxed...almost rejuvenated. Some mysterious inner voice whispered that we were safe, that we faced no danger from this ritual. And any embarrassment from having to walk around in wet clothes also seemed to have been washed away by the holy waters along with the last shreds of my innate fighting tendency; after all, the place was teeming with other devotees who went through the same process. By the time, we reached the last kunda, I surrendered to the inevitability of the slightly cold, slightly warm, slightly sweet water overpower me from head to toe; I tried to say a prayer as the flow enveloped me, but soon realized that I was better off giving in to the moment, surrendering to experience as there was little else I could do - an important lesson for those among us who are easily disconcerted by trials and tribulations and should instead focus on doing our best as far as possible and leave the rest to the unknown.
There are different types of puja that the devotees can offer. Sarvanan and his brother asked for our choice and assured us that they would buy the tickets and all associated items as required. The temple has provisions for changing into dry clothes so that one can immediately resume the rest of the puja, however we told Sarvanan that we wished to go back to the hotel for the purpose. Reluctantly he set a deadline of 30 mins for us to return and indicated a spot right opposite the east entrance. We took an auto back to the hotel, changed out of the clothes that had by then almost become a part of our skins, took a quick shower and returned to the temple, all within the deadline. Back into the temple, we first paid our offerings to the idol of Sri Hanuman and his Sivalinga. Then we were seated along a corridor where there were many other devotees also offering their prayers. A pujari first took us through the Ganesh pooja after which a second pujari came by. It was difficult to follow his accented Hindi and Shantanu was having a tough time understanding him. This became obvious when the pujari instructed us to place a little kumkum on his forehead and Shantanu mistakenly adorned his own forehead :-). Also when the pujari instructed us to apply the vibhuti, Shantanu ended up grabbing a fistful.
However these minor events were soon forgotten as we got into the line for the main darshan, both of us laden with trays of flowers and other items for prayers. As we waited in the line, we read the story of the Rameswaram temple that was painted across the roof. When Sri Rama returned after vanquishing Ravana and rescuing Devi Sita from the latter's clutches, Rishi Agastya advised him to install a Sivalinga and offer his prayers in order to rid himself off the sin of killing a Bramhin. Hanuman was dispatched to Mount Kailash to bring back the Sivalinga, but he was delayed firstly due to the temporary absence of Lord Siva and later as he had to return midway to bring back one for ridding his sins also. As the auspicious time for the puja was close at hand, Devi Sita made a Sivalinga out of sand and Lord Rama offered his prayers to the same. When Hanuman returned, he was disappointed at this and tried to displace the sand Sivalinga but in vain. To comfort him, Sri Rama instructed him to place the Sivalinga that he had brought for him - Viswalinga before the one made of sand - Ramalinga and ordained that devotees would first offer prayers to the Viswalinga and only later to the Ramalinga. The other Sivalinga that Hanuman carried was placed in a separate part of the temple that we had earlier visited.
We had waited for almost 15 - 20 minutes in the line before we were guided to the door of the main temple. The pujaris relieved us of the puja items and Sarvanan instructed us to sit at the door and watch the entire proceedings. The Sivalinga is bathed in milk offered by devotees amid loud chants of Om Namah Sivay. The entire temple seems to reverberate with the prayers of the many devotees for those few seconds. After this puja, we visited the shrine of Devi Parvathi where we again offered our prayers. This concluded the entire process and Sarvanan and his brother escorted us to a quiet corner where we all partook the prasad and settled our dues. On inquiring, Sarvanan guided us to a nearby South Indian hotel called Aishwarya where we had breakfast and coffee. We then took an auto back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours as we were to check out by 11 am. We left our luggage in the hotel cloak room and then hired an auto to take us around to visit the local sights.
Our first stop was Gandamadana Parvatham. It is believed that Lord Rama left his feet imprint on a wheel atop a hillock here. Today a small temple has been built around the spot. This is the highest point in the island and hence offers a wonderful view. From here we went to the Satchi Hanuman Temple located at the point where Hanuman is believed to have delivered the news of finding Devi Sita to Sri Rama and presented her jewel as evidence (Satchi). There on we were driven to the Five faced Hanuman temple. It is here that we witnessed the amazing stones that are said to have been used in the construction of the bridge that Sri Rama had built to reach Lanka. It was indeed surprising to see that these stones floated effortlessly in water while a different one sank to the bottom of the tank. Appearance wise, the stones resemble corals as they have a similar perforated surface, but apparently their constitution remains a mystery to this day. After this, we visited Lakshman Kund and the nearby Nag temple. The kund is a big one and houses many fish who come in to the shore in anticipation of food (I wondered if they would be willing to offer a foot massage in return). We then rode down to Ram kund where we again saw a few of the stones from the bridge. This concluded our local sight seeing and the auto dropped us off at the temple. We walked down to the sea shore and spent a few quite moments here now that the chaos of the early morning pujas had sufficiently reduced. We then walked back to the temple which was by now closed for darshan. This allowed us a great chance to walk through the much famed corridors.
It was so calm and so cool that we sat down to relax awhile and also admire the beauty of the temple. It was only with great reluctance that we decided to head out for lunch at around 2 pm. As we left through the West entrance, we saw a huge array of shops selling all sorts of interesting and local souvenirs. The western door of the temple is closer to the North Indian restaurants - Gujarati Bhojanalays, Rajasthani fare, Punjabi cuisine and even Bengali food! We headed to Ram Nivas which is believed to offer good food, satiated our hunger and returned to Hotel Vinayaga where we picked up a parcel for dinner. We had more than an hour to kill before our train which we spent reading in the hotel lobby. Finally when it was time, we walked down to the railway station and boarded our train bidding farewell to Rameswaram.
The train journey was pretty uneventful except for a minor tussle over seats with another family. It was quite a surprise when the little kid climbed into my bunk mistaking me for her grandmother! When we reached Chennai early morning, it was raining. Since we had a few hours before our flight back to Hyderabad, we decided to visit the Marina beach. In the spirit of adventure, we avoided autos or taxis and instead opted for a bus. It was a short drive to the beach but through crowded streets and markets. We alighted the bus on the advice of the conductor and realized we were faced with a long walk before we could actually reach the sea shore.
The beach could hardly boast of cleanliness; remains of visitors from the previous evening still littered the sands. We spent a few minutes but headed back to the bus stop and reached Egmore. A few inquiries revealed that there were local trains that went till the airport and so we decided to continue our adventure by taking the same as we had time in hand. A smooth 30 minute train journey brought us right till the doorstep of the airport where we again settled in waiting for our flight back home.
We had reservations at Hotel Vinayaga which is a stone's throw from the railway station. We walked in and were shown into a room on the 3rd floor which still reeked of cigarette smoke doled out by the previous occupants. Our request for another room was met with willingness and alacrity although it took a while to open the lock of the new room. After a wait of about 10 minutes, we were shown in to room 311, a neat and spacious abode for the next 24 hours or so. While I freshened up, Shantanu stepped out to "explore" the surroundings. His venture revealed that we were very close to the Western entrance of the temple.
Once Shantanu had also washed off the dregs of travel, we stepped downstairs for lunch. The restaurant at Vinayaga can hardly boast of a diverse spread and house flies seemed to have captured most of the tables. Hence we opted for a simple meal of Rice, Sambhar and Curds after which we lay down for a short siesta. We had inquired about conveyance to Dhanushkodi earlier during check-in and were informed that only 4-wheel drives were allowed and that it would cost Rs. 1000. Shantanu's search around the town also indicated a similar price; so we booked a jeep from the hotel for 3 pm.
Dhanushkodi holds mythological as well as historical significance. It is said that Lord Rama broke the bridge constructed across the ocean with the end of his bow; a series of rocks found in a line at this point today are believed to be the remnants of the bridge. The area around Rameshwaram has been frequently ravaged by several high-intensity cyclones and storms in the past. A severe storm in 1964 literally washed away the town of Dhanushkodi. All dwellings and structures were destroyed and about 2000 people were killed. Today the town has been declared a Ghost Town, unfit for habitation. Eerily, the spot has now assumed touristic significance; people visit Dhanushkodi today to experience the unfathomable force of nature and its after-effect. It was with the same intention that we undertook the jeep ride that afternoon although I should confess that the first sight of our conveyance made us re-consider the plan.
The seats appeared mauled and were hardly fixed to the vehicle, the body badly needed a fresh coat of paint and the controls seemed to be completely powerless. We were actually convinced that there was a mistake and checked with the hotel again only to be told that it was either this vehicle or none at all. Left with no other option, we sent out a silent prayer to all gods and set out on the 18 - 20 km ride of which only about 10 km was along well-paved road. Once the vehicle crossed the Dhanushkodi check-post, the ride got rough, much like Harry Potter's bus ride in Book 3 - "Fasten your seat belts, clench your buttocks, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" After the great storm, the entire area is covered by sand dunes that make driving extremely difficult and uncomfortable. The view of the area itself spells desolation and abandonment today; on one side the ocean waters come in but lack the playfulness of a beach, instead they are still and covered with weeds. On the other side, sand stretches across for miles appearing like a great desert extremely hostile to life of any kind. At some parts, thorny shrubs had overtaken the entire "road" and so as the jeep cut through them, they attempted to scar the vehicle as well as us seated inside, almost as if they wished to prevent us from entering the barren landscape.
None of this deterred our driver or his assistant; they deftly negotiated the hostile conditions as if they had been doing it for eons. We passed near desolate stretches and at times it seemed like we had reached the end of the world; then we would again 'bump' into a few stray dogs or some horses which seemed to represent the current life at Dhanushkodi.
Here and there we encountered the "other India", an India unknown to us living a comfortable life in gated communities with a secure job and fat pay cheque - of simple women folk traversing miles on foot carrying a bucket of water on their head, a very precious commodity in those parts where saline water reigns supreme. Kids of almost all ages who should ideally be at school ran wildly along the 'road' accompanying our jeep hoping to attract our attention and earn a few rupees in the process - the school of life had already taught them the lesson of survival. Half-way through the ride, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, our driver met up with his friend. We understood later that another of the hotel vehicles had broken down on the way (no surprise there!) and so he went to help his colleague in repairing it while another person drove us to our destination. After about 45 min of ordeal, we reached Rama Sethu, or more accurately, the point where India is the closest to Sri Lanka. It is from here that one needs to walk for another 4 - 5 kms to view the remains of the bridge that Lord Rama had constructed to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana. According to the Ramayana, the two engineers in Lord Rama's team - Nala and Nila, designed the bridge and every army man helped in constructing the same, including a small squirrel, whom Lord Rama patted affectionately and thus the stripes on the back of the animal. While the story itself may be a figment of imaginative mythology, it helps us in understanding that the contribution of even the poorest of the poor and the smallest of the small in any endeavor is very important and should be recognized.
Dhanushkodi is just 20 miles away from Srilanka's Talaimannar along the Gulf of Mannar. Don't know if today's Sri Lanka is yesteryear's Lanka of Ravana. Some say that original Lanka had gone under the sea, while others maintain that it remains today. Interestingly according to the Mahavamsa, Ceylone or Simhal was invaded by Vijay Singha, who was originally from Singhapur, Bengal (now known as Singur in Hooghly district). As the poem eulogising the exploits of Bengal and Bengalis say - "Bangalir Chhele Bijay Singha Lanka korechhe joy" or "the son of Bengal Bijay Singha conquered Lanka". Bijay Singha apparently came to Dhanushkodi and from there began his march towards Simhal, and he landed on the Mannar (possibly via land route along Adam's bridge or Rama Sethu.
As we left the 'safety' of our jeep and stepped out onto the beach, we saw a family perform their customary Puja rituals near the sea shore. The surroundings were enveloped with a calm that we have rarely encountered before - no sounds of bustling traffic, no noise of human habitation, just the soft whisper of the ocean waters as they kissed the shore and the distant call of the birds as they went about their chores. We were strongly tempted to forget returning and give into the serenity of the spot. However as dusk tip-toed in, it became obvious that this was not an option. The peace that was so inviting at first assumed an ominous hue as the sun came down. Given that it could all well be a figment of my imagination...but the desolate surroundings, the absence of cheerful electricity or such other city comforts and the desperate looks on the faces of the locals did not inspire much cheer. It was also not as if we had a smooth ride ahead of us and it was exactly due to this reason that my protective husband ordered me into the jeep and we once again set off on the rough ride bidding farewell to the lives and afterlives at Dhanushkodi.
On the return journey, we halted for a brief time to see some of the remnants of the Dhanushkodi town.
What remains today is just the broken facade of the erstwhile railway station, a few beaten and rusted tracks that are completely enveloped in sand and the ruins of a church that seemed to attempt to retain a dignified stature despite the starkly visible adversity that rankles the area even today. Standing amid this evidence of defeat and destruction, I tried to picture a bustling town in the same place, people going about their daily lives with little care and an almost arrogant confidence not knowing what deadly draught fate held in store for them. How often do we also fall prey to this recklessness, this impudence that life will continue to be as healthy and as happy as it is today without realizing that a single turn of events can spell dismay to us and those around.
As we resumed our return journey, we further witnessed the sorry state of affairs in this part. Our jeep started giving some problems again and had to slow down at one spot when to my sudden surprise, a group of kids jumped on to the foot board of the vehicle. It was obvious that they lacked some of the very basic amenities that kids in the city almost take for granted, but that did not prevent them from flashing their brightest grin at us. Their elation was further compounded as one of them received a pack of biscuits from my hand and the group ran back to their abode delighted at the gathering. Our driver dropped us at the check post and drove back to assist the other vehicle and its repair team.
We decided to grab a cup of tea at this point and also bought a pack of biscuits to go with it. However it turned out that there was another serious contender for the biscuits - a goat roaming the area spotted it from afar and flashed a silent demand for its share. What was slightly unnerving was the fact that its eyes seemed to literally pop out of its head and that it refused to take no for an answer even after receiving a few biscuits. It was only when the locals there drove the animal out that we could finish our tea. Our guide team returned shortly thereafter and after a few failed attempts to tie the un-functioning vehicle to ours, we continued on our way back, our driver apparently promising to return for the other party. By now, it was pitch dark and our jeep was making quite a racket of noises, none of which were remotely reassuring. We had our fingers crossed until we reached the hotel where we expressed our dissatisfaction to the staff. More surprises lay in store - we were informed that dinner that night was a buffet spread and that we had no choice in this matter. This meant we had to step out and look for alternate options in this unfamiliar town. It was only after talking to the restaurant manager that we were able to obtain a menu of our choice. Hunger thus satiated, we turned in early for the night as we had plans to offer early morning prayers the next day.
Day 2 of this short trip saw us rise early...'realearly'. We had already familiarized ourselves with the Puja procedures at this temple and hence set out suitably prepared. Although the temple was a short distance from the hotel, we took an auto as the roads are not exactly suited for walking (the fare from Hotel Vinayaga is a fixed rate of Rs. 40/-). As we reached the East entrance, we were approached by Sarvanan, a local priest or panda as they are more commonly known as. He looked reliable and more importantly spoke good Hindi which made it easy for us as we have zero knowledge of the local dialect; so we appointed him our guide for the day. First off, he took us inside the temple for the Mani Darshan. As we walked inside, he gave us a brief introduction to the temple history. The exact date of the origin of this temple is not known; it is purported to belong to the same time period as the Ramayana. Different rulers have contributed to the construction of the temple starting as early as the 12th century. The early morning light revealed a formation of black granite adorned here and there with some paintings. The first step in the puja is the viewing of the sphatik mani which is open between 4 and 5 am. This mani is in the form of a Shivling and is made of emerald. It is believed that this is the mani of Sheshnag, the five-headed snake on which Lord Vishnu and Devi Lakshmi rest. We bought tickets for the Rs. 50 line and within a few minutes, were escorted to the door of the innermost area of the temple. The sanctum was lit by many oil lamps and in the middle of it all stood, nay sparkled a small icon of pure white. As the light danced off the many surfaces of the Sphatik mani, the entire atmosphere assumed an ethereal glow, almost as if the gods themselves had come down into that tiny enclosure to bless us lesser mortals.
After the mani darshan is the turn of the Samudra Snan or a dip in the ocean. Sarvanan escorted us down a road just opposite the East entrance to the temple which ends at the ocean about a half kilometer away. He advised us to take 3 dips in the water chanting Om Namah Shivay. Although the ocean was most likely calm at that early hour, I shamefacedly confess that there was something about the gray swirling waters that scared me and so I was extremely reluctant to venture out too far myself or even let Shantanu do the same. Hence I clung on tight to his shirt and literally screamed my lungs out in an effort to be heard over the prevailing din as I urged, literally begged him not to go out far. Despite his best attempts to convince me that the water inside may actually be cleaner than that closer to the ghat, I held on. Finally we completed our snan in the waters as far out as I would allow us to venture and joined up with Sarvanan who then informed us of different options available for the Teerth Snan. He then picked up a small bucket from a shoe stand keeper where we left our shoes and we re entered the temple where we were joined by another gentleman, most likely Sarvanan's elder brother. As we walked towards the kundas or wells, the duo pointed out some important spots in the temple including a 12 feet tall Nandi. We then reached the first of the 22 Kundas that comprise the Teertha Snan. These kundas are situated all around the temple premises and are supposed to contain holy water from different places. Honestly, I was a bit wary of the whole idea - bathing in waters from unknown sources and that early hour in the morning and spending quite some time in wet clothes in full sight of so many other people? But it took just a few buckets of water from these wells to quell the skeptic in me. As Sarvanan tied up his lungi and jumped up on the narrow wet ledge of the well and emptied buckets of water first on Shantanu and then on me, I felt refreshed, relaxed...almost rejuvenated. Some mysterious inner voice whispered that we were safe, that we faced no danger from this ritual. And any embarrassment from having to walk around in wet clothes also seemed to have been washed away by the holy waters along with the last shreds of my innate fighting tendency; after all, the place was teeming with other devotees who went through the same process. By the time, we reached the last kunda, I surrendered to the inevitability of the slightly cold, slightly warm, slightly sweet water overpower me from head to toe; I tried to say a prayer as the flow enveloped me, but soon realized that I was better off giving in to the moment, surrendering to experience as there was little else I could do - an important lesson for those among us who are easily disconcerted by trials and tribulations and should instead focus on doing our best as far as possible and leave the rest to the unknown.
There are different types of puja that the devotees can offer. Sarvanan and his brother asked for our choice and assured us that they would buy the tickets and all associated items as required. The temple has provisions for changing into dry clothes so that one can immediately resume the rest of the puja, however we told Sarvanan that we wished to go back to the hotel for the purpose. Reluctantly he set a deadline of 30 mins for us to return and indicated a spot right opposite the east entrance. We took an auto back to the hotel, changed out of the clothes that had by then almost become a part of our skins, took a quick shower and returned to the temple, all within the deadline. Back into the temple, we first paid our offerings to the idol of Sri Hanuman and his Sivalinga. Then we were seated along a corridor where there were many other devotees also offering their prayers. A pujari first took us through the Ganesh pooja after which a second pujari came by. It was difficult to follow his accented Hindi and Shantanu was having a tough time understanding him. This became obvious when the pujari instructed us to place a little kumkum on his forehead and Shantanu mistakenly adorned his own forehead :-). Also when the pujari instructed us to apply the vibhuti, Shantanu ended up grabbing a fistful.
However these minor events were soon forgotten as we got into the line for the main darshan, both of us laden with trays of flowers and other items for prayers. As we waited in the line, we read the story of the Rameswaram temple that was painted across the roof. When Sri Rama returned after vanquishing Ravana and rescuing Devi Sita from the latter's clutches, Rishi Agastya advised him to install a Sivalinga and offer his prayers in order to rid himself off the sin of killing a Bramhin. Hanuman was dispatched to Mount Kailash to bring back the Sivalinga, but he was delayed firstly due to the temporary absence of Lord Siva and later as he had to return midway to bring back one for ridding his sins also. As the auspicious time for the puja was close at hand, Devi Sita made a Sivalinga out of sand and Lord Rama offered his prayers to the same. When Hanuman returned, he was disappointed at this and tried to displace the sand Sivalinga but in vain. To comfort him, Sri Rama instructed him to place the Sivalinga that he had brought for him - Viswalinga before the one made of sand - Ramalinga and ordained that devotees would first offer prayers to the Viswalinga and only later to the Ramalinga. The other Sivalinga that Hanuman carried was placed in a separate part of the temple that we had earlier visited.
We had waited for almost 15 - 20 minutes in the line before we were guided to the door of the main temple. The pujaris relieved us of the puja items and Sarvanan instructed us to sit at the door and watch the entire proceedings. The Sivalinga is bathed in milk offered by devotees amid loud chants of Om Namah Sivay. The entire temple seems to reverberate with the prayers of the many devotees for those few seconds. After this puja, we visited the shrine of Devi Parvathi where we again offered our prayers. This concluded the entire process and Sarvanan and his brother escorted us to a quiet corner where we all partook the prasad and settled our dues. On inquiring, Sarvanan guided us to a nearby South Indian hotel called Aishwarya where we had breakfast and coffee. We then took an auto back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours as we were to check out by 11 am. We left our luggage in the hotel cloak room and then hired an auto to take us around to visit the local sights.
Our first stop was Gandamadana Parvatham. It is believed that Lord Rama left his feet imprint on a wheel atop a hillock here. Today a small temple has been built around the spot. This is the highest point in the island and hence offers a wonderful view. From here we went to the Satchi Hanuman Temple located at the point where Hanuman is believed to have delivered the news of finding Devi Sita to Sri Rama and presented her jewel as evidence (Satchi). There on we were driven to the Five faced Hanuman temple. It is here that we witnessed the amazing stones that are said to have been used in the construction of the bridge that Sri Rama had built to reach Lanka. It was indeed surprising to see that these stones floated effortlessly in water while a different one sank to the bottom of the tank. Appearance wise, the stones resemble corals as they have a similar perforated surface, but apparently their constitution remains a mystery to this day. After this, we visited Lakshman Kund and the nearby Nag temple. The kund is a big one and houses many fish who come in to the shore in anticipation of food (I wondered if they would be willing to offer a foot massage in return). We then rode down to Ram kund where we again saw a few of the stones from the bridge. This concluded our local sight seeing and the auto dropped us off at the temple. We walked down to the sea shore and spent a few quite moments here now that the chaos of the early morning pujas had sufficiently reduced. We then walked back to the temple which was by now closed for darshan. This allowed us a great chance to walk through the much famed corridors.
It was so calm and so cool that we sat down to relax awhile and also admire the beauty of the temple. It was only with great reluctance that we decided to head out for lunch at around 2 pm. As we left through the West entrance, we saw a huge array of shops selling all sorts of interesting and local souvenirs. The western door of the temple is closer to the North Indian restaurants - Gujarati Bhojanalays, Rajasthani fare, Punjabi cuisine and even Bengali food! We headed to Ram Nivas which is believed to offer good food, satiated our hunger and returned to Hotel Vinayaga where we picked up a parcel for dinner. We had more than an hour to kill before our train which we spent reading in the hotel lobby. Finally when it was time, we walked down to the railway station and boarded our train bidding farewell to Rameswaram.
The train journey was pretty uneventful except for a minor tussle over seats with another family. It was quite a surprise when the little kid climbed into my bunk mistaking me for her grandmother! When we reached Chennai early morning, it was raining. Since we had a few hours before our flight back to Hyderabad, we decided to visit the Marina beach. In the spirit of adventure, we avoided autos or taxis and instead opted for a bus. It was a short drive to the beach but through crowded streets and markets. We alighted the bus on the advice of the conductor and realized we were faced with a long walk before we could actually reach the sea shore.
The beach could hardly boast of cleanliness; remains of visitors from the previous evening still littered the sands. We spent a few minutes but headed back to the bus stop and reached Egmore. A few inquiries revealed that there were local trains that went till the airport and so we decided to continue our adventure by taking the same as we had time in hand. A smooth 30 minute train journey brought us right till the doorstep of the airport where we again settled in waiting for our flight back home.
Labels: Rameshwaram, Rameswaram
posted by Devmitra at
9:17 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home