I know it has been quite a lot of time since the first one came out. But as I did tell in the first part, it is an attempt to recall the incidents and post them out. Yes, 2009 to 2011 is quite a gap - and will admit that. Here is one such a recall.
On a nice and sunny afternoon, during the lunch hour, taking a stroll in our rather green and enchanting office campus at Coimbatore, I suddenly decide on the "plan" for the next day, a saturday. "I will visit the Thirumittacode temple near Pattambi, in God's own country (Kerala)", I think to myself.
Alright - what's the big deal about it? Well, here is the deal - first thing, I need to know how to get there by some available train. Next, I have to figure out how to be back in Coimbatore on the same day before afternoon as I "planned" to leave to my native place from there by afternoon. Talk of the wonderfully crunched timelines for travel, surely "Family folks envy, bachelor's pride..!"
I call in the cab for a pickup at around 2:45 AM since the train to Pattambi was at 03:45 AM. Still not having got up fully, I manage to answer the call on my mobile phone from the taxi driver in a sober tone. Quick brush up. Quick bath in the rather freezing cold water. I dress up and rush out of my room, taking my wallet and phone. It was a quick and hurried drive to the Podanur railway station. Lo behold, the train was running late..!
Never the one with a patience to wait for things, I decide to board the upcoming train which doesn't stop at Pattambi but nevertheless stops at the Shoranur junction - one junction before Pattambi. "Anyways, I can change to the train that stops over at Pattambi whenever it does come to Shoranur... Or, I can always take a bus/auto to the temple from Shoranur itself..." went my thought.
The travel through the Palghat pass takes me around 2 hours or so and I stepped out in Shoranur junction. After waiting for twenty odd minutes, I also manage to get onto the train that would stop at my actual destination, Pattambi.
And here came the highlight of the whole trip. I actually landed up in the temple. It was a very serene and nice place. The Bharatapuzha river was flowing beside the temple without making any noise even as it was rubbing past a rocky bed. It certainly felt as if the clouds have descended from above - such was the level of fog in the morning - with everything looking towards the grace of the Sun to descend on it.
Temples in Kerala are pretty strict in sticking to the tradition. And I have definitely heard that. But what I didn't know was this - you can enter the temple's sanctum sanctorum if and only if you are either wearing a dhoti or towel. No trousers allowed. And there came the hit for me - I never took any towel or dhoti with me. Nevertheless, I did go in and boldly asked for an archana ticket. I was handed one by the person at the counter.
Next came the ultimate thing. Obviously, I was blocked from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple premises. There was definitely nothing much I could really do. Purchasing a towel or dhoti anywhere nearby was totally out of question. There was hardly anything around the place which bore a resemblance of even a tea shop, let alone a clothes store that would sell a dhoti or towel.
Anyways, being at the place itself was very satiating experience. With this thought in mind, I returned to the counter to request the person at the counter to perform the pooja on my behalf whenever he could and I explained to him I need to leave without seeing the inner sanctum sanctorum because I really didn't bring anything other than my wallet and phone with me.
Much to my surprise, he decided to help me, unconditionally and without being requested for it at that..! He quickly guided me to his rather small dwelling and instructed me to pick up a dhoti from there, which I would later wear and enter the temple premises..!
I could ultimately make it in. The only thing is - while I was spending time SEEING the inner precincts of the temple and the presiding deities, I was THINKING totally about this person who could help so unconditionally to a total stranger..!!
