The Yamuna-Kaveri 'Tehzeeb' of my life!

Vanakkam Makkalay!

Arangamaanagarulane - Aadi Rangam

The Yamuna Phase

Its been a little more than seven months since I shifted from the banks of river Yamuna to the banks of river Kaveri. My father used to pull my leg saying that when I am in the banks of Kaveri I become a mischievous and a lazy kid. Thus, he made me do my college far away in the banks of Yamuna. But I have never been closer to home even at Thanjavur than I was closer to my traditions and culture at Delhi. I was never able to feel home to understand and associate with Yamuna though. (One simple anecdote on this note is the taste of Kaapi. For some reasons the Kaapi I made with all the popular and regular filter coffee powders never tasted right in Delhi. I tried many combinations and ratios to make it perfect but was never able to achieve it. Until I moved to Mysuru, found a new constant 'Gayathri Coffee Works' in Devaraja market. Their special blend powder's aroma touches your soul when you brew. Might sound silly, but believe me 'twas a serious issue.)

Arangamaanagarulane - Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Satsangam's Primary Object of Worship

The South Indian Temples, Vishnu Sahasranama Satsangam and other activities made Delhi feel like a home. At some point I even thought that there is no going back for me from Delhi. Every time I finished and tried rushing back to Thanjavur, Indraprastha would soon drag me back for some reasons. I made friends, brothers, sisters and mentors and they welcomed me to their homes, made me part of their families, appreciated me and I became the 'Chamathu Kondhay' the parents would compare their kids with saying 'look at how he is regular to temple, doing his Nithyakarmas etc.' I am hope they knew that the delicious Prasadams and the company of the people that made me going to the temple most of the times. But the fact is I got to learn a lot about my culture, identity, purpose and life. Dhanyawad to Dilli!

Vaikunthanatha Swami, Delhi

The Kaveri Phase

April 2023 - Feb 2025 was the climax of Delhi time for me. I stepped into the world of job, switched jobs within months. Towards the end, a call came from a batchmate who was not so familiar beyond just the knowledge of each other's existence and she became the reason for my homecoming (Not exactly to Thanjavur, but to the beautiful city nourished by the Kaveri river, Mysuru). The initial month was to orient myself to the place, people and the work. Then became my frequent visits to my home, being closer to mom, doing things I love (doing tours and talking about the history of Cholas & Thanjavur region). Surprisingly, the workplace in Mysuru had put me in touch with lot of good people (I am grateful for each and everyone). More than anything, it got me closer to Kaveri. I don't know from when did I grew so fond of Kaveri. But I know one thing for sure that it is the purest, cleanest Kaveri that is flowing that had made me so fond of her. Because, the same divine Kaveri when she reaches and blesses the fertile land of Thanjavur, she had seen a lot by then and carries all the dirt and sin of people along with her (Sorry got too much philosophical. Kaveri is revered even holier than the Ganges (Sorry Ganga Maiyya, we have this bias and affection towards Kaveri).

The Royal Mysuru

I am trying to recollect why I started writing this post. Nevertheless, I am enjoying my time at Mysuru and feeling home with lovely people around me (Don't Put Nazar pleej). The colors, the calm, Kaveri and Kaapi are all the reasons. The joy of being in a city that retains its rural characteristics is something that is unexplainable. Seeing agricultural fields, clean and sacred river flowing in some 10 kms radius, a chaotic and historic local market are something that I missed for a decade while I was in Delhi. Not to forget my palatial workplace filled with culturally vibrant objects and every corner to fall in love with. The work that I am doing has restored my confidence in many ways.

My Dear Kaveri

I am realizing this while writing my post that how these two rivers actually shaped my journey. Right now I am being embraced by Kaveri's warmth and I like to hold on to that. I also feel that Delhi lingers in me a little and I carry the Delhi within me.

I think the universe puts you at the right place in the right time. Trust the process!

Flavours of Karaikudi - An experience

"Too much passion for culture and heritage triggers oneself to explore different aspects of it." Likewise due to my interest, I got triggered to explore the cultural aspects of Karaikudi when my friend Annamalai invited us to his sister’s wedding. So, I along with my buddies started to plan itinerary two weeks in advance. We were all excited to go to Karaikudi and stay there for the marriage. Since we are always ready to wander anywhere all the time, Annamalai’s invite came to us as a saviour.

Front Facade of a Chettinadu Residence

Thilakesh brought his car and seven of us started at the dawn of 24th January from Thanjavur. Our enthusiasm for the trip brought a glow in our faces. Rajaguru curated the playlist for the journey. After halting for fuel and tea, Thilakesh throttled towards Kundrakudi first.

Rock-cut Shrine and Kundrakudi Temple

Kundrakudi is a famous pilgrimage site known for its Murugan Temple, located atop a small hillock. But there are also 3 rock-cut shrines from the Pandyan period. Kundrakudi is also the place which gave us a legendary violinist Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. At the temple,we were welcomed by the beautiful sight of Subbulakshmi (64 yrs old), the temple elephant who was enjoying her morning shower. We stood there for some time admiring her and listening to her master's tales about her. But then we were disappointed to know that nobody was allowed to visit the rock-cut shrines. But we got ourselves together and started climbing the hill and had Dharshan of Lord Subramanya. I was not ready to leave Kundrakudi without visiting the rock-cut shrines. So, I entered the temple office and sought permission from the officer. Then we went ahead and saw the shrines which remained in low lighting conditions and stinking due to the family of bats living there. It was so dirty and dangerous to go further and to take a look closer since all the bats started flying. But still we had the opportunity to see few details of it. Each of the shrines were dedicated to lord Shiva. I am yet to research about these shrines in detail.

Pillaiyarpatti Temple

Then we headed to the famous Ganesha temple at Pillayarpatti. The main deity here is known as ‘Karpaga Vinayagar’. This is actually a rock-cut cave temple of Pandiyan Kings. The other rock-cut shrine adjacent to the sanctum of Ganesha shelters is the shrine of lord Shiva as ‘Thiruveesar’, which is not accessible nor visible to the devotees. Historians claim that the Ganesha is the earliest sculptural representation in Tamil Nadu. The trunk of Ganesha is curved to his right which makes him more powerful and unique. We were amazed by efficient management of the temple. Unlike the other famous temple, this is managed by the Nagarathars, who are a popular community of Chettiyars. We spent some time around the temple’s pond.

A Grand house with Colonial personality stuccos

Then we thought of visiting the famous 1000 window house which is a grand Chettiyar style residence and where a lot of movie-shoots takes place. But we got disappointed once we got to know that visitors were not allowed inside. Then we proceeded to the venue of the marriage. To our surprise, the venue of the marriage was also a grand Chettinadu residence. We were awestruck by the grandeur and the design elements of the house. We reached exactly on the time for lunch.

The First Karaikudi Meal

Talking about Chettinadu by default, it is inclusive of the spicy, delicious cuisine. I was specifically amazed by the mouth-watering vegetarian dishes of Chettinadu. We were on cloud nine after having the authentic Karaikudi lunch. The Sakkarai Pongal was the sweetest amongst all the dishes. We had Mandi, Pudalangai (Snakegourd) Kootu, Raw Banana fry, Getti Kozhambu, Thanni Kozhambu, Beans Poriyal and curd rice as our first meal. Our disappointments just flew away after having a scrumptious meal. We embraced ourselves for the next meals already. To add to the beauty of the food, the dining hall were decorated with some colonial period paintings, which also includes the famous Ravi Varma portraits.

The Dinner Menu

We spent some time at the venue and left to our retiring house. It was again a Chettinadu house but less ornamented. We again went to the Mandapam in the evening to take part in the rituals. The dinner was very appetizing. The dessert was toasted bread soaked in badam kheer (not sure) which we loved the most and enjoyed hogging it. On the evening, we saw the procession of the deities of the Shiva Temple. Finally, we reached back our room for sleeping. Since we were overwhelmed with the grandeur of the Chettinadu flavours and residences, we couldn't sleep. I played with Maddy for sometime while others were trying to sleep.

Ravi Varma's works in the Dining Hall

Later, we decided to take a stroll around the lanes since nobody wanted to sleep early. It was almost 11pm. It was frightening to witness such grand houses in the dark light. We walked even further despite of seeing the houses and imagining a ghost staring at us from the portico of every house just like how it happens in every Tamil horror movie. GP courageously stood, starred and clicked few photos while walking. Asiq left us inbetween because he was tired (for real, he was slightly afraid of the grand houses and haunting stories we were talking). We came back by 12:30 am and slept.

At the Night

It is really amazing to see those grand houses which are actually residence for joint families of Chettinad. But what is unfortunate is that most of the portions of the houses are not used and it's dark. It makes one to reminisce about the good old days where families were large and each portion of the house was occupied and there was always some sound of joy around.

A sight of the busy residence

At the day of the marriage, we went to the nearby Shiva temple which is managed by the Nagarathar. Along with the procession of the groom, we reached back to the venue after bursting crackers and pretending to throw them on each other. Then the groom tied the knot. We stayed there for some time and headed towards Thanjavur in the noon.

The View of dining hall adorned with the paintings

While coming back, we visited the Thirumayam fort and the two rock-cut cave temples of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The fort of Thirumayam gave an edge to the rulers of the region who were known as ‘Sethupathy’ against British. The rock-cut shrines are located at the base and the fort on top of this hillock. The shrine of Lord Vishnu in the reclining position was huge. I specifically liked the shrines of Lord Narasimha and Sudharshana. This shrine of Vishnu is believed to be built by the Pallavas, while the shrine of Shiva built by the Pandiyans. 

Sathyagirishwarar and Thirumayam Fort

At the temple of Lord Shiva, the Dwarapalakas were remarkably vibrant. We then had the divine opportunity of arranging the procession Vaahanas of Lord Shiva on the occasion of Thai Poosam. The shrine of Lord Shiva is the oldest among the two shrines. Without fail, we also had dharshan of the Kottai Bhairavar temple which is located on the outer side of the fort wall. Most of the drivers definitely stops at the shrine and offer their worship since the shrine is located facing towards the road and is very powerful too.

Dwarapalaka at the Rock-cut Shiva Shrine

After all the fun and blessings, the trip to Karaikudi came to an end. Throughout the trip, Rajaguru made us laugh with his rapidfire counters for which Kumar became the scapegoat most of the time. His playlist kept us cheerful while Thilakesh was driving with full focus and made us reach home back safely. All thanks to Annamalaiyaar for inviting us to experience the flavours of Karaikudi. We are looking forward for another invitation by Annamalai actually.

Yours East Gaterr

Ayyan Kulam Shilpa Mandapam - Parthiban Kanavu!

Hundreds and thousands of articles on the rich cultural heritage of Thanjavur is not enough to let the world know the secrets of the cultural heartland. As I have mentioned earlier, Thanjavur is the only historical city with an unbroken history for more than a millennium. From the golden period of Cholas, Thanjavur is known for its well-planned urban layout and planning. Cholas effectively managed the water systems of Thanjavur. When Nayaks of Thanjavur revived the Chola Desam (Chola Country) they got inspired by the rules, administration, planning and effective management of the Cholas. Nayaks revived the infrastructure of the city.

One of the remarkable contributions is the development of water tanks by the Nayaks. Sevvappa Nayak created a tank behind the Brihadeeshwara Temple, to filter and supply water to the palace and the rest of the city. It was known by the name ‘Sevappa Nayakkan Vari’. Unfortunately that tank was destroyed by rapid constructions that happened in the area. The area is still known by the same name. Nayaks also built another water tank known as the ‘Ayyan Kulam’, named after the illustrious Chief Minister for the 3 Nayak Kings, Govinda Deekshitar. He is one person who needs to be gratefully celebrated for the development of the city.

Part of the water Channel -  Shivaganga Tank

Outlet of the water channel - Ayyan Kulam

Ayyan Kulam in the recent past was in a bad state. It was used as a dump yard by the resident of the area. It is one important tank of the whole water management system of the city. It was part of the Konganeshwarar Temple, which is of the Nayak period. This tank is equipped with a Mandapam which houses beautiful painted stucco works and murals of Nayak Period. I came across this beautiful Mandapam only before a week. There is a Tamil Inscription near the entrance of this Mandapam. It says that this Mandapam belongs to the Konganeshwarar Temple and during the festive season, the processional deities of the temple were kept and worshipped here. Another hisotric importance of this tank is that the historic water channel outlet is still found. With this, officials were able to track the water channel dating back to Nayak period which runs from the Shivaganga tank and shares its water with the important residents enroute.

The Tamil Inscription - Ayyan Kulam

This tank is currently being renovated under the Jal Shakti initiative of the Central Government. Though this is a happy news since the tank is being revived, but the fear is about losing its historic fabric. Even the beautiful stucco works are going to be repainted under this initiative. I am at least glad that few bloggers and I could click this with its original fabric. The stucco works consists of the Kailaya Dharshan (Shiva and Parvati with Lord Ganesha and Karthikeya among other celestial beings in the Kailash), Sri Rama Pattabhishekam, Dasavatars of Lord Vishnu and other murals.

Mural on the Vault

Sri Rama Pattabhishekam Panel

Recently I completed reading the Kalki’s one of the masterpiece ‘Parthiban Kanavu’. In which, Parthiba Chola shows his imaginary murals painted in a secret room which is not accessible for everyone and is kept closed. Parthiba Chola explains this to his son Vikrama Chola, saying that the murals were his great dream to be achieved. Parthiba Chola asks Vikrama Chola to achieve this dream of ruling an independent country and also express his desires that the great Chola dynasty should rule the countries across oceans.

View of the first and second vault

One main reason for me to relate this artistically beautiful yet poor Mandapam with the Chithra Mandapam of Parthiban Kanavu is that the unknown and untold history of this Mandapam. This Mandapam was closed and dark when I first noticed the beautiful stucco works. I tried peeking through the window. After few days, they removed the door of the Mandapam. I went inside and checked the Mandapam. The structure is divided into 4 vaults. Each vault have different themes. The fourth vault is not accessible because of bats flying and hanging there. Though you might feel that this correlation is exaggerated, but the stucco art at this Mandapam is one best example of the art work of the Nayaks. Also you get to witness this historic beautiful art work so close unlike other places.

Fourth Vault - Not Accessible

One of the main reason that Thanjavur is still in the top of the cultural destinations is because of the continuity that was maintained by the scholarly Nayaks. I am yet to uncover many such gems of Thanjavur.

Yours East Gaterr

My Seven Wonders - World Heritage Day Special

Happy World Heritage day!

Every year 18^th of April is celebrated as the world heritage day.  Since 1982, when ICOMOS (International Council for Monuments and Sites) came up with the idea of celebrating ‘International day for Monuments and Sites’ with few other resolutions to protect and conserve the heritage monuments and sites, which then was accepted by UNESCO in 1983 and over the period of time is celebrated as the ‘World Heritage day’.

On hearing the word ‘Heritage’ some might feel that heritage is just meant for the elite people. But the fact is heritage is something that is much more inclusive than anything one could think of. Heritage is not only just respecting the arts, it is also about respecting the artisans and livelihood based on the form of art materials.

We all are part of the precious heritage of our vast country with various natural resources and cultural diversity. As an individual, everybody is equally responsible for the protection of our heritage and also there is a provision for the same in our constitution. 

This year I feel more enthusiastic about heritage, thanks to the awareness I found because of my course in INTACH (Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage). Over the last one year, I have been studying and reading a lot about heritage. One of the things that stuck me was the great heritage sites and monuments of ancient India that seem to inspire even after all these centuries. 

I was also going through the list of the ‘seven wonders of the world’ and was disappointed at how less India was represented. The current seven wonders of the world include

-The Great Wall of China

-The statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Jeniro

-The peaks of Machu Picchu in Peru

-The Chichen Itza in Mexico

-The colosseum in Rome

-The Taj Mahal in India; and

-Petra in Jordan

If you notice, this is clearly an unequal and imbalanced representation. That comes to the question of why are these ‘wonders’. Are they only because they are old and ancient? Do they have any value? Or have they just been hyped and promoted? Thanks to great tourism and travel packaging and marketing. 

When I saw these, I thought what if we had to make our own list of Indian wonders from the vast variety of heritage, both tangible and intangible. Then nobody would be able to beat that list. So I decided to make my own list. 

I would like to start with the ancient megalithic Kailasanath temple in Ellora, that was carved out of a single rock. Did you know that it is sculpted top to base? It is 164ft deep, 109ft wide and 98ft high and it took over 400 years to sculpt it. The whole temple complex is filled with intricate sculptures. It is still mind-boggling to think how our ancestors achieved this!

Ellora - photo from onecheaptrip.com

Then comes the ancient city of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. The capital of the Pallava Kingdom, was once a rich junction of culture and commerce. Did you know the great Buddhist monk Bodhi Dharma was born in Kanchi in 450 AD and took Buddhism to China? Kanchipuram is a town of 100s of temples even today. Amongst all these is the beautifully kept ancient temple of Kailasanatha. It is a brilliant piece of craftsmanship that reflects the great patronage of the Pallava kings. Filled with exquisite sculptures, Kailasanatha temple is a must-visit when you go to Tamil Nadu.

 

Kanchi Kailasanathar temple

When you think of Khajuraho, you only see the erotic sculptures, thanks to western tourists who can’t seem to think of anything else. Do you know, there is much more to Khajuraho than these sculptures? Built by the rulers of Chandela dynasty, these temples are located in Chattrapur district of Madhya Pradhesh. Initially there were supposed to have been over 85 temple, but today only 25 survives. The main temple is Kandariya Mahadeva, dedicated to lord Shiva. Out of all the temples, about six temples are dedicated to lord Shiva, eight temples to Vishnu, one to lord Ganesha, one to sun god and three to Jain Teerthankaras. Built according to numerous Aghamas, these temples are some of the finest examples of architecture.

Khajuraho - mptourism.com

If you have the newly introduced 100 rupee note, take a closer look at it. The design is inspired by one of India’s greatest stepwells in the town of Patan in Gujarat, on the banks of the Saraswati River. This Rani Ki Vav basically means a queen’s stepwell. Who was this queen? Her name was Udhayamathi, daughter of Naravaraha Khangara, a Chalukya ruler. For many centuries this well was under the earth, after it got flooded and covered in silt. It was only unearthed in the 1980s by the ASI (Archaeological survey of India). Measuring approximately 65mts in length, 25mts in width and 28mts in depth, the well can be reached all the way to the deepest level. There are over 200 pillars inside the stepwell. The corridor has compartments at various intervals with different pavilions. Some of the finest and most beautiful and delicate sculptures can be found in here. There are more than 500 big sculptures and over a 1000 small sculptures of gods, goddesses and celestial beings and so on. 

Rani Ki Vav - photo from wikipedia

Can you imagine that one can build a 216ft Vimana without using a single binding material? Come and visit the magnificent temple of lord Brihadheeshwara in Thanjavur. Built by the great Raja Raja Chozhan, this temple is an epitome of Dravidian architecture. In its haydays the temple patronized over 400 Devadasis and countless musicians, scholars and artistes making Thanjavur, the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu. This temple unlike many others is not a monument, but a living heritage as it continues to function even today. The huge edifice is awe-inspiring and breathtaking even today. Though it was attacked the armies of Malik Kafur, who looted the gold plating over it, the temple is still in a great shape after all these centuries.

Brihadheeshwara temple Thanjavur

The next beautiful wonder is the 13^th century Sun temple at Konark in Odisha. This temple is attributed to the king Narasimha Deva, the first of the eastern Ganga dynasty. In ancient India sun temples were a common feature. Konark was one of the finest temples that looks like a huge chariot with massive wheels drawn by horses, all of it carved in stone. The temple was invaded and destroyed several times by Islam rulers. It is one of the finest examples of Kalinga architecture. The traditional portrayal of the sun god is that of one riding a chariot driven by seven horses. The Konark temple is built like a huge chariot driven by seven horses. There are 12 pairs of wheels corresponding to the 12 months of the Hindu calendar. There are 24 such wheels carved, each wheel has a diameter of 9ft and 9inches with eight spokes. The entire complex is worth visiting and taking a closer look to enjoy the beauty of Odisha’s fine architecture.

Konark Son temple - photo from wikipedia

Hampi was the capital of the largest Hindu kingdom in the world, which is the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi finds a mention in the Kishkintha Kanda of Ramayana. This is where lord Hanuman was born. This became the capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom and under the rule of the Vijayanagara kings, Hampi blossomed into a great cultural capital. From the stone chariot that inspired the new 50 rupee note, the musical pillars, Virupaksha temple, the Hazara Rama temple, the huge statue of Lakshmi Narasimha, the holy hill of Anjanadri and the beautiful Tungabhadra River, Hampi is filled with wonders. A lot of these were destroyed after the battle of Talikota, when the Vijayanagar empire to the attacks of Islam invaders. Hampi is a place every Indian must visit at least once in their lifetime. 

Stone Chariot - photo from wikipedia

I have only shown you seven which came to my mind now. By no means these represent everything in India. In fact, every state in India has its own set of awe-inspiring wonders. Maybe, some other time I will write about those also. When you see all of these, you wonder why a glorified graveyards like the Taj Mahal represents our country. Why is that counted as the wonders of the world when these are not so popular outside India? The mistake lies with the state and the system that constantly promoted the wrong things to gain cheap political mileage. On World Heritage day, I would make an appeal to all my esteemed readers to visit the places that I mention and discover the true wonders of India and let the world know that India can be represented far better than what it is right now. 

Yours East Gaterr