Dear SPS its as though you have read my thoughts but one can only do what he/she can do just listen to all the tales till i breath the thanjai manvasanai again best wishes and good luck to the trip
It would be a pleasure to host you all esteemed people at my place for lunch. Due to our tight schedule and the numerous places we need to visit, am unable to do that.
Let us have our next trip in Dec-Jan when it shld be convenient for our overseas members. We shld plan a different set of temples along with Periya koil. And the tour should be three days apart from the to and fro travel. During that tour whether we have time or not, a lunch at my place is definite. Let SPS find the time somehow!
A big thankyou to each and every one who was there in the Thanjai Trip. Calling it a ��memorable�� or ��unforgettable�� is belittling it���� should look for a good word beyond these��
4 days absence from work kept me busy. Now Ganpathi Bappa is in our office and home. He comes for 5 days every year. He also kept me busy with all the preparation for his grand stay.
Today I got time to open my non-official mails, and then it took all this time to finish reading all the mails that have poured in from 2nd onwards. I couldn��t help going through www.varalaaru.com for those articles which were fresh in my memory and those I had kept aside for future reading. Especially, the one on ��Ekaveeri Pidari�� and Lavanya��s articles.
Mr.Sundar Bharadwaj is known to Varalaaru.com readers through an article by Dr.Kalaikovan; still, nothing like experiencing his hospitality in person. Noone would have imagined that he would come to rescue us from the mini-bus, that too, driving it all himself all the way from Thanjavur. When we stopped for dinner, he wouldn��t focus on his food till he gets news about those who were still travelling by the mini-bus. His love for RRC, for Periya Kovil; his on-going work at Thiruvalanchuzi����. No words��. I am yet to meet another person who can be so enthusiastic about Tamil History. Hats off to you SB Sir!
Mr.Ram, the young guy all of only 25, who started this wonderful group. His love for Kalvettu Aayvu , music and Tamil ( Ram, I re-read your article on Thiruvaiyaru Thiagarajar Aradhanai) ��. Amazing guy! Gives me lots of hope on his generation! Good show! Keep it up!!
The multi-lingual specialist with an eye for temple architecture �� Mr.Kamalakannan. His lingo on architecture became more meaningful for me after I saw them and met him. Such a soft-spoken gentleman with firm views and deep conviction!
Ms.Lavanya, the Kalvettu Karigai. Amazing enthusiasm! I am sure she will get her doctorate in epigraphy very soon. All we have to do is divert her attention from the ��kudumi anidha aanmagan�� in the fresco painting in the Big temple!!!
Mr.Krupa Shankar, Mr.Ramnath, Mr.Satish����. the young team working hand-in-hand with Ram, Kamal and Lavanya in making Varalaaru. The inspiration for Satish��s interest in history could be seen from the interest of his mother in history and PS.
Ms.Swetha, the mobile history encyclopaedia ����.. the number of books she has read and remembers, and also recollects within fraction of a second����.. not to forget her family��s hospitality in their farm-house. Yes, Nirai Kudam Thazhumbadhu!!
Mr.Venkatesh with his knowledge on Padal petra sthalam and sense of humour added a different, enjoyable flavour to the whole trip. I really wish to visit him in his office to personally check whether he can ever be sober !
Mr.Sriram (Kamla Hasan Fan!) Mr.Shankaran, Mr.Rajni Ramki, Mr.Raj Pandiyan, Mr.Ganesan����.. thanks to Kalki for bringing all of us together!
Mr.Dhiwakar, the one who just missed the ��thennai-maram treatment��. Vallalar alone is capable of making him sound little serious��..
Mr.Muruganandam with his observation on feudal system in Thanjai district; Ms.Anuradha with information on Krishna Premi, Veda Patasalas etc., Ms.Lavanya the ��Patti �� converted �� to- Bangalore�� girl, Mr.Seetharaman with the original copy of 1950 PS with Maniyam drawing���� one more thanks to Kalki and Ram for PS and PS group!
Now coming to Thanjai��Some one could conceive such massive beautiful construction in those days, is enough to visualize how civilized our ancestors were even 1000 years back! Dr.Kudavoil Balu��s session was a treat! His explanation on Lingam, Kailasam�� what to mention and what to leave! The climax of Thanjavur trip was the Darshan of ��Kumzhil Siripppu�� Nataraja at that time of the day to the accompaniment of Thevaram sung in such ��venkala Kural��. Namachivaya Vazhha, Nathan Thal Vazhha!!
Pulla Mangai, with its miniature sculptures deserves another 2 days trip to Pulla Mangai alone. Gangai Konda Cholapuram Gopuram is still haunting me��. SB Sir, when is GKC special trip????
Thiruvalanchuzhi Vellai Pillaiyar, Ekaveeri Pidari are the ones I am thinking of before going to bed for the last 3 days��..the wonderful chanting of the Mantras by the young Archahar in that temple��.. My hope on India��s youth is increasing multi-fold after seeing this innocent, uncorruptable young man. One could see the purity of his heart in his eyes!! Can he ever be bothered about America-Iraq war or oil price increase, or even Sonia becoming Congress Head! He is capable of having trust in God and lead a peaceful life.
Again, the ��kudumi-anindha- aanmagan�� chased us at Panchavanmadevi Pallipadai. Who is he? What made Rajendra build it for his step-mother? How many secrets it is holding in its stones???? Is this life enough even to grasp all these???
At Kumbakonam, in Swetha��s bungalow, picture of Netaji made me so happy, I know not why!
On our way back to Chennai, the lively discussion on PS was the finale to the grand trip.
I have not written in Tamil for a real long time. I am going to try writing the travelogue in Tamil in a day or two.
Once again, Thanks Kalki! Thanks Ram! Thanks SB Sir and Swetha! Thanks Satish! Thanks to one and all for those lovely 2 days!