Travel to Guruvayur

Legend has it that once upon a time, in an age when Berlin Wall still stood as the visualization of Iron Curtain and Manmohan Singh’s economic plans still a distant glint in his eye, I had been thin. Yes inconceivable though it is to any contemporary peers, there was a time when I was slim, hyper active and extremely reticent to eat food. Photographic evidence provides ample verification for these legends. However even more astonishing than my anorexia is the way by which it was cured and I embarked on the lifestyle that made me the 6’1.5” 115 kg behemoth of today. My mother often used to narrate the story of how when I was around 4 years old during a massive tantrum spell, I refused to eat anything for a long time and consequently was getting progressively weakened. In a spate of grief she implored upon Guruvayurappan to take care of me and if he did, henceforth every year one Thulabharam would be done in my name at Guruvayur temple.  Apparently minutes after this prayer I    got up from the bed and asked for food.  The rest, as the moniker goes, is history, I assume it has been overall a profitable arrangement for Guruvayurappan, the embodiment of Lord Krishna, the wiliest of the many Avatars of Lord Vishnu as my weight started increasing steadily from then on and without a single year’s lapse every year I had been going to Guruvayur to do the Thulabharam offering, an offering in which a person’s weight in some commodity is given as offering to the Lord, be it paddy, bananas, coconut, jiggery or as in the case of some uber rich, gold. The sense of weightlessness as one is being weighed in a colossal set of scales is indeed an awesome one.

                Thus it was that on Octiber 24^th I set out from my home to pray at Guruvayur. I left at around 1030 meaning to stop at St. Albert’s College in Kochi where I hoped to finish with my IGNOU Certificate verification. The sparse Sunday traffic ensured that I had a hassle free drive to St. Alberts through Vyttila-Kadavanthra-Kathrikadavu and the new Pullepady Bridge. Unfortunately at IGNOU office the circular informed me the IGNOU office was closed for the day due to election duty for the officers. I confirmed with the Study Center Director who was just leaving that certificate verification could be conducted in the coming Sunday too.

I had planned on at least an hour being needed to be spent at Alberts after which I would drive on to Trichur to my aunt’s house at Ayyanthol. However with time barely 11.15 I decided to push on anyway. Under the hot and sunny weather the drive was really pleasant and I really pushed the speed on the Kochi-Angamaly highway. Though I touched 90-93 kmph I did not dare push higher in this road with heavy traffic, lots of curves and intersections. At noon I had driven through Angamaly when the fancy caught hold me of visiting the Dhabas at Pongam. Between Angamaly and Koratty there are a couple of roadside Dhabas that are a regular haunt for long distance truckers hence a guaranteed spot to get good food at all times. During my college years at FISAT, late night escapades to these Dhabas had sustained us on many hungry nights, especially during exam seasons. The memory of the sweet lassis enjoyed from these Dhabas made me take a prompt detour at Pongam onto the bylane servicing these Dhabas. The Raju Dhaba was open and they still had lassis. Though I did inconvenience the manager by making him give me change for 500 rupees for two lassis worth 30 rupees, the lassis definitely proved to be an lifesaver. Bolstered I left for the road again. The stretch of road from Pongam until beyond Chalakudi has some of the worst stretches of roads in this area and the traffic was complicated at Koratty where some church festival was happening. Police and student volunteers from some college were effectively managing the traffic and hence the drive was not hindered.

                The drive to Trichur henceforth was unremarkable over reasonably good roads and mild traffic. Reaching the aunt’s house at 12.30 I had a sumptuous lunch and rested a while before freshening up for the drive to Guruvayur. I had learnt that the temple opens up at 4.30 in the evening so I decided to arrive there at 3.30 itself making allowance for the ubiquitous crowd that would be thronging such an important pilgrimage place. Though Guruvayur is only 25 kms from Trichur, this was a drive I would be making while wearing Mundu (White dhoti) with no protective garments like jackets, gloves or shoes.. hence greater preparation was taken before getting started, especially with arranging the Mundu properly as I had no intention of making my genitalia or my underwear an object for public enjoyment. There is nothing more helpless than driving on a busy road and a gust of wind blowing your Mundu off.

                The drive from Ayyanthol to Guruvayur through the Kunnamkulam road was as ever heavy in traffic with the over speeding private buses a definite hazard to the travelers. Since the previous time I drove through this road was under heavy rain, this time I could better appreciate the scenic beauty around. After Kechery the road passed through the very same massive fields that captivated me on the drive to Nilambur. At Choondal I turned left for the road to Guruvayur for a calm and pleasant drive. Traffic was much lighter and the shady trees provided a welcome respite from the burning sun.

                As I crossed the railway level cross at Guruvayur and passed the Manjulaal to get the first sight of the Eastern Nada (Gateway) of Guruvayur temple, a strange excitement had caught me. At a sedate pace I looked out for the first priority – a parking space. Instructions from a friendly traffic policeman enabled me to find a good parking spot at the Devaswom rest house very near the temple. Hoisting my bag with the helmet attached to it I enquired about the time at which temple opens for Darshan. Temple normally opens at 4.30 PM or at 3.30 PM if there is Siveli. The time was then 3.15 and I decided to stand in the queue anyway. There was a substantial crowd in the queue and I figured even if temple opens only at 4.30 the queue would only get progressively bigger. Having deposited the slippers and bag for safe custody I joined up the queue.

                Normally I am a person who hates crowds and detests long queues. However of late I have been able to maintain equanimity when faced with such unwelcome instances. I suppose it must be a result of my mnemonics and dabbling with Mandukya. After all why get bothered with something one cannot change, just weather it.  

                A few minutes after I stood in the queue and started playing some mnemonic games the sound of Chenda aroused me from my reverie. This was accompanied by apparent movement of the queue. As I looked on, I heard the start of Siveli Melam. The temple had opened up. As the queue slowly snaked inside the temple I got progressively more enthralled as the Melam started picking up its pace. Praying heartily at the first sight of Lord Guruvayurappan from the doorway I was even more pleasantly surprised to see that the Melam was led by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, the acclaimed Chenda maestrp currently ruling the various Poorams and Utsavams of Kerala. The Melam and Siveli with three elephants ensured that it was one of the most enjoyable queues I had ever stood in. Uplifted by these joyous accompaniments, I prayed to Lord Guruvayurappan and came out of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Now the next item in the agenda, ie Thulabharam which I learned would start only at 5. The time was now just 4.15 so away I went to enjoy the Melam.  Keeping pace with the Siveli circling the temple corridor I did not even notice the time flying until I noticed that a queue had formed at Thulabharam counter. Now standing for Thulabharam I continued to enjoy the Melam and to my ever increasing joy the Nadapparakalaasham, a musical form played in front of the Lord at the conclusion of Panchari Melam started just as I was able to enter inside the counter. I was sitting on the massive scales getting myself weighed for Thulabharam when in a very prescient manner the Nadapparakalaasham concluded in style. It was indeed an enchanting moment, the weightlessness and the magnificence of a concluding Melam. Indeed I prayed quite heartily to the Lord for giving me such a cherished Prasadam. Though previous visits had oft left me quite hating the temple and its ubiquitous crowds, this time I truly enjoyed my pilgrimage here.

                Calm and serene after the praying I collected my stuff and soon was on my way back to Trichur. Though I reached my aunt’s home at 6 PM itself, I decided to wait until 8 to return to Kochi as I hoped to avoid the maddening evening traffic in the highway.

                However this precaution was found to be naught when I was caught in a humongous traffic pile up near Ollur on Trichur High Road due to some Church festival. It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry and his umpteenth relative had decided to show off that day in their shining or not – so – shining cars and as a result the entire road was jam packed. My two wheeler could somehow weave its way through but even then progress was impeded by several youth showing off in their racing bikes, their blings causing a visibility hazard and their pig headedness generally causing more traffic trouble. I was really angry when I saw an autorickshaw with a medical emergency case aboard that was struck up in this snarl. The injured person inside was being supported by some drips indicating the severity of the case. Their predicament really made me hate the crass idiots who were causing such traffic blocks. Every side road leading off this main roads were jam packed, either with cars held there, or cars parked irresponsibly by jackasses. Somehow I made my way through and reached the NH47. By this time however my anti glare glasses which I bought for the princely sum of Rs. 250/- had outlived its usefulness by getting thoroughly fogged due to perspiration. I conceded defeat and henceforth rode it out without any eye protection. This proved troublesome along certain stretches of the Highway when the moderate to heavy truck traffic raised a lot of dust. However a medium speed and extra awareness enabled me to survive it. I had known that the traffic would be quite heavy in the NH at night and hence wanted to experience it as part of my long term road seasoning process. Glad to say this ride was fruitful too.

As I passed Chalakudy I began to look out for the Dhaba I mentioned earlier to have my dinner. The joint which was nearly deserted with unkept waiters in the afternoon was quite active and more presentable waiters at night. Some truckers were also sitting on the Charpoys and some bikers were also having their food. My recently started experimentation with vegetarianism caused me to forgo the juicy chicken pakodas that seemed to the fare of the evening and I settled for Roti and Chana Paneer. The food was simply sumptuous and accompanied by a cool spicy Lassi it was an excellent meal. Burping my satisfaction I left the Dhaba at 0945. The roads from thereon are of very good quality and that combined with the nearly empty traffic enabled me to maintain a brisk pace for the final ride to Kochi. The bright moon painted a beautiful landscape all around and thus I reached home without any event at around 1030pm.  Total 12 hours from home and it was a very pleasant drive with a very spiritually satisfying pilgrimage. A total of 223kms had been driven.