srini's personal space

A Visit to Kalahasti

What is Sri Kalahasti All about:
This is one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams (temples celeberating Shiva as the embodiment of the primary element). There are five such temples each celeberating one of the elements -

Sri Kalahasti [Air]
Tiruvannamalai [Fire]
Chidambaram [Space]
Tiruvannaikaval [Water]
Kanchipuram [Earth].

This temple is also associated with "Rahu" and "Ketu"

How to get there:
Srikalahasti is situated in Chittoor district of Andhra pradesh and is just 30 kms away from the pilgrimage town of Tirupati (which is also the nearest airport). There are buses every 10 minutes from Tirupati and hence very well connected.

Where to stay:
There are various lodges and hotels all located within walking distance from the temple - the rates range anywhere from Rs.250 (for Non A/c rooms) to Rs.800 for an A/c room for 24 hours.

About the temple:
The inscriptions found in this temple date it back to approximately 10th century BC. The temple is west facing and is situated on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi. North of the temple is "Durgambika Hill", south is the "Kannappar Hill" and east is the "Kumaraswamy Hill".

There is another huge Gopuram which is besides the main entrance - this was built by Krishnadevaraya. There is an underground Ganpati shrine in the outer prakaram while the innermost prakaram houses Shiva and Parvati.

Shiva is said to have given salvation to a spider, elephant and a serpent who were ardent devotees of the Lord.

Festivals:
Mahashivratri (Feb 15 to March 15) is the greatest festival season of the temple and the otherwise sleepy hamlet is choc-a-bloc with devotees thronging to the temple from all over the country. Reservations for hotels have to be made in advance if one decides to visit the town during this period.

Temple address & Contact information:
Sri Kalahastiswaraswamy vari Devastanam
Sri Kalahasti
Chittoor District
Andhra Pradesh
PIN - 517644

Tel Nos: 08578-221655 / 222787

Some photos taken by me during my trip to Sri kalahasti [Mar 2, 2009 t0 Mar 4, 2009]

Thirukadiyur - a holy hamlet

Most of the temples are known either by the name of the Lord or His Consort. Nataraja is the name that rings in the mind when the word Chidambaram is uttered. Similarly, the name Madurai brings memories of Meenakshi. However, there are a few temples that are well-known for the Lord and his Consort and Tirukkadaiyur is one among them. The Amritaghateswarar - Abirami Temple of Tirukkadaiyur is associated with the legends of Markandeya and Abirami Battar.
Situated in the Mayavaram - Tarangampaadi branch of the Southern Railway, Tirukkadaiyur is a railway station about 250 km. from Chennai. It falls under one of the eight Veeratta Sthalams of Lord Shiva.
How to reach there
From Chennai
Thirukadaiyur - Just reach Mayavaram by State Express Transprt bus fromChennai and thee are lot of buses from Mayavaram to Thirukadaiyr (say every 15/20 minutes and you can reach in about 1 hour. This is about the only mode possible from Chennai as pending work on conversion of metre gauge into broad gauge train journey is not possible at the moment.
From Bangalore:
Apart from buses one could consider taking the Mysore - Mayiladuthurai express which leaves bangalore at 19:30 hours and reaches Mayiladuthurai at 0730 hours the following day. A very convenient mode considering that one could catch up on sleep in this overnight journey.Thirukadiyur is about 20 kms from Mayawavaram and this drive through the sleepy hamlet can be done in half hours time.

The temple:

In line with the grand temple architecture of the Cholas, the Temple occupies a very vast area of 11 acres, with five Prakarams, imposing temple towers and large and spacious Mandapams. Though the details of the king who consecrated the temple could not be ascertained, it is seen from the inscriptions in the temple that it has been in existence during the period of Raja Raja Cholan, that is, from the early 11th century.
It is a grand temple with 5 Prakarams, imposing towers and ornate Mandapams covering an area of 11 acres. Based on the inscriptions seen here, it is inferred that the stone base of the central shrine was in existence even during period of Raja Raja Cholan (early 11th century). It was during the period of Kulottunga Chola I (1075 - 1120) that the brick walls of the temple were replaced with stonewalls and the Mandapam in the front was constructed. The Rajagopuram is replete with images made of mortar, depicting the legends associated with the temple.

The temple's gopuram, in line with the other temples of the era contains intricate carvings of various deities and the usual colour combination of red green and blue makes it visually very attractive.

Auspicious times:
The worship services are offered six times a day in the temple. Almost every day dawns with one celebration or other, as hundreds of pilgrims throng the temple to celebrate their 60th or 80th birthdays.celebration of 60th and 80th birth days (birth star) called as Sashti Aptha poorthi and Sathabishekam respectively is held very auspicious by the people as their longevity will increase. The annual 'Brahmotsavam' is celebrated in the month of Chithirai (April-May); the 'Shankhabishekam' celebrated in the month of Kartikai (November-December) is also of great importance here. Few other festivals being celebrated over here include Navaratri and 'Aadi Pooram' .

Months to Avoid:

The summers are terrible so avoid April to June

Labels: 60th birthday, Mayawaram, Mayiladuthurai, sashtiabdapurthi, thirukadiyur

Turning 40

The countdown has begun and soon I will not be in the 30s something group. While some people dread the thought of going yonder 40 I would look upon it as a platform from where I can stand and take stock of my life. Have I led the life that I wanted to lead and am I prepared to go further in the direction that I want to take. There are certain things you can do better when you are 40 (like playing golf ;)) and certain things that might be beyond you when you are 40 (cant think of anything now!!!). Sometimes it is quite scary to think that half of my life is over but I think the better way to look at it is to plan how to spend the remaining half.

Now when I look back in life I can say that it has been quite a satisfying journey so far and the future seems even more exciting. A CA by qualification, 15 years in capital market, two scams, great parents, nice family, two wonderful kids, great friends - ya one can say it has been quite fulfilling. Having done what I wanted to do rather than doing what I was expected to do it would be true to say that I have led life on my own terms. Were the decisions I took right or were they wrong - well thats not for me to decide - but the crux of the matter is I have done what I wanted to do.

I would rather sum it up like this
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ~ "WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Some beautiful Dilbert one liners

Here are some nice Dilbert's one liners..:

1. I say no to alcohol, it just doesn't listen.

2. A friend in need is a pest indeed.

3. Marriage is one of the chief causes of divorce.

4. Work is fine if it doesn't take too much of your time.

5. When everything comes in your way you're in the wrong lane.

6. The light at the end of the tunnel may be an incoming train.

7. Born free, taxed to death.

8. Everyone has a photographic memory, some just don't have film.

9. Life is unsure; always eat your dessert first.

10. Smile, it makes people wonder what you are thinking.

11. If you keep your feet firmly on the ground, you'll have
trouble putting on your pants.

12. It's not hard to meet expenses, they are everywhere.

13. I love being a writer... what I can't stand is the paperwork.

14. A printer consists of 3 main parts: the case, the jammed
paper tray and the blinking red light.

15. The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot. The guy
who invented the other three, he was the genius.

16. The trouble with being punctual is that no one is there to
appreciate it.

17. In a country of free speech, why are there phone bills?

18. If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

19. Beat the 5 O'clock rush, leave work at noon!

20. If you can't convince them, confuse them.

21. It's not the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop at the
end.

22. I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

23. Hot glass looks same as cold glass. - Cunino's Law of Burnt
Fingers

24. The cigarette does the smoking you are just the sucker.

25. Someday is not a day of the week