Fast-forward Pilgrim

The weekend that jus' went by was a truly hectic one. I went on a fast-forward pilgrimage - 8 temples in two days!! Now thats A LOT especially considering the time you spend travelling between these places. But it was a good trip nevertheless, because I got to visit temples I've never seen before and revisit those I've already been to :)

Being a shivite, our places of pilgrimage (in the South) are usually confined to those in the Tanjore-Kumbakkonam belt. This family trip was undertaken to ward off the evil eye that has befallen us and to placate Gods who've been causing a ruckus in our otherwise pleasant lives. :) Ok so here goes

Day 1: Saturday 7th Feb, 2009

I got to the city around 5am. At 7am, we piled into our trusty old Scorpio for a journey that was to take atleast 8 hours (without too much traffic and too many stops). Our final destination was to be SwamiMalai. On our way, we stopped to lunch at Chidambaram. For those of you who do not know Chidambaram, it is one of the places of foremost importance to dancers. The town is most famous for its Nataraja Temple. (more details in a bit). The temple too had closed for lunch. So we ate and after a bit of arguing and dilly-dallying we went on our way. Unfortunately Nature's call had to be answered and being women, we cant just get out onto the road and "mark" our territory :D Around this time, my parents realised that we were close to the Vaitheeswaran Kovil and that it was important enough to warrant a visit.

Vaitheeswaran Kovil: Vaitheeswaran in Tamil means Doctor. This temple is literally a tribute to the Doctor God of Hindu Mythology. The resident God is Lord Shiva. Legend has it that Angaraka (Mars) suffered from leprosy and on praying to Lord Vaitheeswara, was cured of his disease. The Lord's consort in this temple is Thaiyal Nayaki Ambal. She holds medicinal oil to aid her husband and also grants the wishes of those girls who are at a marriageable age. You could find out more about this place on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaitheeswaran_Kovil

Having finished a series of archanas (pujas/ offerings) to these Gods, we were well and truly on our way to our destination, which we reached at around 9pm. Our hotel/ resort, Anandham/ Sterling Resorts SwamiMalai, was a lovely respite from the city life and its hustle. One that I immediately fell in love with. It is based on the the typical brahmin agrahara with the lovely patios, the garden, the thinnai and the works :) Amazing. Infact the place is the only Indian hotel that has apparently won the Global Eco Tourism Hotel Awards. Every evening has a cultural activity of sorts such as singing, dancing. Despite having the original house structures and architecture, modern facilities have been melded in such a way that it doesn't seem out of place. I'd give this place two-thumbs up :) The tired family had quick light supper and crashed out immediately