The Snake that Went Unscathed

           

           

                                                                               
                                       


                                                                       (  I  )

               

                         From yonder rain-filled chink in the compound wall

                         A long head peeped straight with dark glistening eyes

                         Her long lithe body’s dark-stripes half-hid and half-seen

                         Her sharp tongue like lightning darted now and then

                         Her language went above our human minds –too vague

                         Like foolish chaps with anxious faces we watched

                         Waiting for her to come out of her shelter dark

                         Some came with long sticks to teach her a lesson

                         For entering the place transgressing her bounds ; 
 

                         Some came with folded hands to show their devotion

                         Some stood at cautious distance watching the show

                         Some mumbled prayers to gratify the serpent-goddess;

                         Some dwelt on events past with dramatic gestures

                         About vengeful snakes with magical powers;

                         Some spoke of her huge length by stretching hands;

                         Some heard her hissing sound with dangerous portents

                         Some ran for the priest to exorcise the evil creature

                         Some suggested a snake-catcher’s support;

                         Some cursed the state for lack of civic concern.

                                                   ( I  I  )

                        Securely coiled herself in a dark crevice

                        The snake found herself in a tight corner

                         Facing a critical life-and –death crisis;

                         Not finding a place in concrete jungle

                         Driven from post to pillar, this place she found

                         But now to save her own dear life from crushing sticks

                         She strove with all her might and speed 

                         Uncoiled her length and slipped at once in dark

                         Like a thief with a sense of guilty hush

                         Into a gutter as people chattered in vain;

                         One lady squeaked – “Snake,snake! Behold there went

                         Oh, not a cobra with a dark mark on its hood

                         Non-poisonous type—perhaps a water-snake;

                         Her dark brown stripes removed our seething poison

                         The snake went soon unscathed in slithering curves

                         Far from the madding crowd with notions strange

                         Thanking her stars for not being beaten to death

                       Or worse for not being adored by men

                     For not being killed with blind devotion.

                         

                          ****************************************************

                    22nd August, 2018                                          Somaseshu Gutala

                      

                                               

On my visit to Kapaleeswara Temple, Mylapur, Chennai

               

      
                         

                               

Lord Kapaleeswara

                                           

Goddess Karpagambal

Sri Kapaleeswara temple is one of the oldest temples in Mylapur which has got rich historical and cultural heritage. The 125 feet –tall painted temple tower and colorful statues with intricate sculptural art fill our hearts with a sense of wonder.  Mylapur is a very primitive coastal town dating back to first century. Ptolemy (A.D.90—168) , a Greek geographer referred to this town in his book as “Millarpha”. Tiruvalluvar, the poet-saint, who wrote “Tirukkural” was born here in 4^th century A.D. Great Saivite saints of 7^th century like Sambandar and Appar sang about this temple in their hymns.

 This place is regarded as another “Kailasapuri” where many gods and saints 

worshipped the Lord and got salvation. Previously this place was called “Sukrapuri” and “Vedapuri’ where Sukracharya worshipped the Lord and got back his lost eye. Brahma’s fifth head was cut off by Lord Shiva when he became arrogant and thought himself as the supreme master of the whole universe. Later Brahma realized his mistake and did penance here after installing a Shiva lingam. He called the Lord as Kapaleeswara  and got back his power to create. In olden times Kapalikas, a sect of Saivite monks, lived here and in Thiruvottiyur. Hence the Lord might have been named as Kapaleeswara. Lord Rama worshipped the Lord here after he killed Ravana in the battle. Four Vedas came and worshipped the Lord here. Goddess Parvati was once cursed to become a pea-cock and she got liberated from the curse after worshipping the Lord. Along with the Lord she stayed here as Karpagambal (one who gives fulfills desires of devotees like wish-fulfilling tree). Lord Murugan received the spear (Shakti Vel) from Parvati here. This place was named as Mylapur as Parvati in the form of a Mayil (In Tamil it means a pea-cock) worshipped the Lord here. On the  northern wall of the  prakaram in the courtyard, there is a small shrine adjacent to a punnai tree, showing Karpagavalli worshipping Lord in the form of a pea-cock.

 Originally this temple was built by Pallava kings in 7^th century at the spot where now San Thom cathedral (St.Thomas Cathedral Basilica) is seen. When the Portugese controlled this area (1522 to 1697), the temple was demolished in 1561. The present structure of the temple was constructed by Vijayanagara rulers of Tuluva dynasty (1491—1570). The structures of the old temple might have been used here since old inscriptions dating back to 12^th century are seen on the walls of the new temple. The 125-foot tall east facing gopuram was built later in 1906. The San Thom cathedral was built by Portugese  in 16^th century over the tomb of St. Thomas and later was rebuilt in 1893 by the British. But as per evidence,the actual body of St.Thomas was interred at Ortona Basilica in Italy. Besides St.Thomas who came to India in 4^th century from Iran was the St.Thomas of Cana and not the apostle of St. Thomas as many believed.

 This temple has two entrances.  The shrine of Narthana Vinayaka is seen in front of the 125-feet tall eastern Raja Gopuram.  As one enters the hall, the shrine of Karpagambal is seen on one side facing south. A stone lion is found outside in front of this shrine.  The shrine of Kapaleeswara is seen facing west (Sadyojatha form of Shiva). On the northern wall of the main sanctum a small shrine of Durga is seen. On the back wall a small shrine of Lingodbhava Moorty is seen.  Just in front of this the 63 images of Nayanmars are found. On the southern wall the shrine of Dakshinamurty is seen.  In the halls of pillared mandapas there are shrines for Sundereswara, Jagadeeswara, Annamalaiar and Unnamalai. There is a beautiful shrine of Murugan (called Singarvelan) along with Valli and Devasena.

The smaller western gopuram faces the temple tank and is surrounded on four sides by broad mada veedhis (streets).  This temple tank was built by mayili Muthaiappa Mudaliar in 16^th century.The shrine of Saneeswara is seen on the eastern prakaram. The platform with Navagrahas is of recent origin.

 This temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. in the morning and from 5.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. in the evening. In this temple special poojas are performed on Monday, New Moon and Full Moon days. On Fridays special poojas are done in the shrine of Karpagavalli. Every day poojas are performed six times (6.00 a.m. 9.00 a.m. 1.00 p.m 5.00 p.m. 7.00 p.m. amd 9.00 p.m.)  There are four yearly festivals. Rahu Abhishekam is performed twice at 11.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. every day and two more times on designated days and timings.  The Arupathimoovar festival is grandly celebrated for ten days in March-April. The deities are taken in procession on different vahanas or mounts. On the eighth day the sixty-three Nayanmar idols follow the Kapaleeswarar idol in procession.

 The nearby places of visit are Marina Beach (1.7 kms), San Thomas cathedral (1km),Mundakaneeyaman temple (1km), Audi Kesava Perumal Peyalvar temple (1km) and Rama Krishna temple (1.3 kms). One should see this beautiful and spacious temple to get some idea about the marvelous art of Dravidian sculpture. You will also find many shops selling various types of Pooja material and refreshments by the way side.

                           ***********************************************

        17th August, 2018                               Somaseshu Gutala

About my visit to Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, Chennai

       

Most of the tourists visiting Chennai do not miss seeing this oldest temple located in the heart of the city at Singarachari Street, Triplicane. This temple called “Parthasarathy temple” is one of the most beautiful temples with many special features. Apart from being the sixty-first Vaishnavite  Divya Pradesam, it has the unique idol of Lord Krishna as Parthsarathy with a silver moustache in standing posture with a conch in his right hand and showing varada mudra in his left hand. As the Lord promised that he would not directly participate in Mahabharata War, we do not see Sudarshan Chakra in his hand. In the main sanctum along with Parthasarathy (also called Venkatakrishnan), we can also see his whole family present, a rare feature nowhere found in any other temple. Hence this place is called Southern Brindavana. Rukmini and Lord Balarama are seen on the right side of the main deity and Satyaki to his left along with Pradhyumna (Krishna’s son) and Aniruddha( Krishna’s grandson). On the face of the main deity a mark seen which said to be the mark left by Bhishma’s arrows during the Mahabharata war. In this temple we can see five forms of Vishnu – Lord Narasimha, Lord Sri Rama, Lord Gajendra Varada Raja, Lord Ranganatha and Lord Sri Krishna at one and same place.

 In this temple there are two entrance towers (Raja Gopurams) : one in front of Lord Parthasarathy’s shrine facing east; another one just behind this temple in front of Lord Narasimha’s shrine f acing west. Lord Narasimha called Yoga Narasimha is seen in sitting posture.  Besides these two Raja Gopurams, there are five vimanams or temple towers – over the shrines of Lord Parthasarathy, Ranganatha,Rama, Narasimha and Andal respectively. On the right side parallel to Parthasarathy shrine, the shrine of Goddess Vedavalli is seen facing east. There is a shrine for Ranganatha and for Sri Rama seen in the passage to the main shrine. Lord Ranganatha is seen facing east in reclining posture on the holy serpent bed of Adi Sesha with His two consorts sitting near his feet. In the shrine of Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are seen on sides. A small shrine for Hanuman is seen just in front of this shrine. There is a separate shrine for Andal. There are shrines for Vaishnavite Gurus like Sri Ramanuja, Sri Vedanthadesikar and Sri Manavalar in the Maha Mandapa. It is said that the parents of Sri Ramanujacharya visited this temple and prayed to Lord for a worthy son. In this temple one can see many beautiful sculptures and elaborate carvings on pillars and on the panels depicting ten incarnations of Vishnu and Leelas of Lord Krishna.

This temple was constructed first by the Pallava King Narsimha Varma I in eighth century and later was expanded and developed by Pandya, Chola and Vijayanagara kings. There are many stone inscriptions in Telugu and Tamil referring to Pallava King Nandi Varman,Chola kings Raja Raja and Kulottunga III, Pandya king Maravarman  and Vijayanagara kings like Sadasiva raya, Sri Rangaraya and Venkatapathi raya II.  In 1564 the temple was renovated with new shrines.

 According to legends a king called Sumathi did penance and prayed to Lord Vishnu to appear before him in the form of Lord Parthasarathy. The Lord directed him to go to Tiruvallikkeni (now called Triplicane) to see the idol of Parthsarathy installed by sage Atreya Rishi. The king went there and built a shrine there after meeting the sage Atreya. The temple pond is called Kairavani and Godess Vedavalli appeared from this pond seated on a lotus to sage Bhrigu Maharshi. In this temple tank (seen opposite to the eastern entrance), there are five wells namely Soma, Agni, Indra,Meena and Vishnu theertha.

 The seven  great sages Bhrigu, Atri,Mareechi,Markandeya,Sumati,Saptaroma   and Jabali did penance at this holy place. In holy prabhandas also mention was made about this holy temple. Saint Thirumangai sang the glory of the Lord in his Mangalasasanma hymns. Among the Divya desams this is the only one place located in Chennai.

The temple is open from 5.30 a.m. to 12.00 noon and from 4.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. every day.  Here worship is done according to Vaikhasana Agama in accordance with Thenkalai tradition. Many special poojas and celebrations are performed here on festival days like Sri Krishna Jayanti, Sri Vaikunta Ekadasi, Ratha sapatami, Sri Rama Navami and Nava Rathri. Brahmosthsavams are celebrated for  Lord Parthsarathy during Chittirai month (April and May) and for Lord Narasimha during Ani month (June and July).  Theppostsavam (float festival) is grandly celebrated here for one week during the month of Masi (February) every year.

 The nearby temples are Kalikambal temple (4.6 kms), Kamakshi Amman Temple (3.5 kms) , Kapaleeswar Temmple(2.1 kms) and Rama Krishna temple (2.9.kms). One can see all these temples as they are very near to one another.  One can also visit Bharatiyar Illam , the house where the famous poet Sri Subramanya Bharati spent his last years of life. This house was purchased and renovated by the Government of Tamilnadu in 1993.

                            *************************************************

          8th August, 2018                                 Somaseshu Gutala

Under the green dome

                           

                   

                          Now under the green dome in sober light      

                          A world of whirling tiny lives I found;

                          Some in parrot-green tinted robes

                          Some in silver shining colors and some

                          In golden yellow bristling hues while others

                          In transparent glass-like thin liveries seen;

                          Some with queer monstrous snouts and some

                           In brazen armors like bold matadors

                           Whirling, whirling and whirling round the dome

                           Of mild emerald glow like uninvited guests;

                           In larger numbers like Siberian cranes

                           That fly crossing the hills with lightning speed

                           Like clouds of green locusts despoiling crops

                           Like flying flakes of snow-filled weather

                          They flitted with thin wiry feet on agile wings

                           Like brisk messengers from faraway lands;

                          Their swift attack from gloomy corners unknown

                           Like legions invading a sleepy citadel

                           Revealed their merry unstoppable zeal;

                           How life even in tiny proportions showed

                           A stunning vigor with various shapes and sounds!

                           A meaningless sight to our casual looks;

                           Just small creatures not worth our human gaze

                           Their short-lived play as petty as a pantomime

                           In their brief span of life, they played with tireless spirit

                           Leaving in morn a few broken traces of their mirth

                           Thin filmy broken wings that shine in morning light

                           Scattered around the dome like splintered glass;

                            As reminders of their happy playful show

                            Unspoiled by vague longings and pursuing desires.

                                              *****************************

                         30th July, 2018                        Somaseshu Gutala

          Ref :    Bristling hues ---- dynamic colors

                      Green dome --- a decorative covering over a lamp (shade)

                       Monstrous snouts --- peculiar projecting mouth

                       Liveries ---------------- a uniform worn by an official or a member of a                                                                    company

                       Matador --------------------  a bullfighter

                       Siberian cranes ----cranes migrate from Arctic zones of western and                                                                eastern Russia during winter to warm countries

                                                        like China, Iran, India and Nepal.

                        Green locusts ------ a species of grasshoppers that fly in large                                                                  

                        numbers and cause damage to crops.
                         
                        Pantomime -----  an entertainment show in which performers  

                                                     express meaning through their gestures.

                                      ***********************************************

                           

                                                                

YETI

                           

                       


                           

           

                       

                          The savage in man liveth still, a boon or curse

                          Or remnants of antiquity left over

                          Beneath the veneer of modern living ways ;

                          That naked nature-like creature

                          Far from the cunning subtle craft

                          A shaggy full-blooded bear-like beast lurks

                          Still crossing the bounds of rigid reason ;

                          Still like the snow-man far from worldly gaze

                          Amid the icy caves of lofty peaks

                          Where grass too trembles to grow

                          Where dense-haired yaks too fear to climb ;

                          Like the lonely monarch of all he surveys

                          Amid the hanging glaciers that like ruins

                          Of heaven-built huge snow-white citadel

                          With twinkling crystal peaks in star-light shine ;

                          There like a Minotaur in the solid gloom

                          Of winding Cretan labyrinth too profound;

                          There defiant, devil-like with a heavy tread

                          Alone along the frozen icy cliffs

                          Jagged like massive glaciers from Arctic main ;

                          There with red savage fury towards the hounds

                          Of culture who eagerly track his broad foot-prints

                          And cage him as a specimen in some

                          Science gallery with complex theories; 

             

                          With bristling strength he rose like a lofty Titan

                          With gargantuan strides he broke through barriers

                          Going back to his mysterious freezing cold

                          Surviving against the crooked traps at every step

                          Above our world that kills instinctive feelings

                          Above dry dissecting skills of worldly minds

                          Substituting vain fashions for rising passions.

                            ****************************************

                25th July, 2018                         Somaseshu Gutala

 Note :

The word “Yeti” is derived from Tibetan meaning “bear”. The name “Abominable Snow-man” was coined by Henry Newman who interviewed the Everest reconnaissance Expedition Team in 1921. In Tibetan language the phrase ‘Metoh Kangmi” means metoh=man-bear and Kangmi means snow-man. Many mountaineers have told various experiences of seeing this mysterious wild man of the snows from distance and his broad foot-prints. But none has been able to give a clear description of his figure and his features.  Yeti may be some form of man or beast or hybrid of the two that lives in snowy mountains. Yeti was sighted in different countries like Nepal,Bhutan,Tibet,Mongolia and Russia. There has been no conclusive evidence to show that Yeti is an animal.  Yeti is said to be “an enormous shaggy ape-man with huge feet and aggressive sabre-like teeth.its fur is grey or white.” Some scientists thought that Yeti might have been a hybrid creature between a polar bear and a brown bear. Many myths and legends have cropped up around this theme of Yeti’s existence. But still the mystery remains unresolved. Yeti represents the mysterious missing link in the chain of many creatures during the process of evolution. Man’s curiosity to know his origin and his relationship with other creatures in Nature still continues and will continue forever. In this poem Yeti symbolizes the unexplored depths of human consciousness beyond the bounds of analytical reason. The traces of savage man with animal instincts still lurk behind our civilized appearances. The search for true self is a part of ongoing process in this drama of our lives.

       Ref :  Minotaur =  A mythical creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
                  he dwelt in a maze-like designed cave in Crete.

                 Cretan Labyrinth  = A maze like construction in Crete.

                               Titan   = A powerful giant of incredible strength

                             Gargantuan = gigantic

                             bristling strength = full of energy
                             
                            Sabre-like = like  a heavy sword with curved blade

At “Millets Kitchen”, Secunderabad

     

When anyone wants to give a party, one generally thinks of modern delicacies and dishes like biriyani, Manchuria,nan, paratas burgers, pizzas and  spicy and oily preparations. But with public health awareness growing, many have now switched to eating healthy, nutritious foods with less oil content and spices. Scientifically speaking also Indian food has more starch content without much fiber and minerals. In earlier days people included all types of cereals like ragi, jowar , pearl millets and foxtail millets which gave them sufficient energy to carry out their activities. Now millets have become a favorite recipe for many who realized their nutritious values.

 Recently during my stay at Hyd, I chanced to go to a restaurant quite near our residence  called  “Millets Kitchen”, a purely vegetarian restaurant with nutritious and healthy dishes prepared in hygienic conditions.This casual dining restaurant is located besides Bank of India, 5^th Avenue, Sainikpuiri, Secunderabad. At the entrance we saw a narrow corridor decorated with colored bulbs and bluish illumination. Though the restaurant is not so spacious it looked very tidy and impressive with framed pictures of millets and menu charts. We went to A.C. section and ordered thalis so that we can taste more number of food items prepared with different types of millets. The executive millet thali costs Rs.170/- and the maharaja thali costs Rs.210/- comparatively less expensive when compared with those of other restaurants. We tasted kaju fried rice made of foxtail millets, ragi sankati, millet tamarind rice, and six varieties of rotis, all made of millets like proso (varagu), foxtail millet(korralu), pearl millet(sajjalu) and ragi. All types of tiffins and meals are made of millets along with ordinary varieties also. So the customer is free to choose either millet variety or normal type of tiffins and meals. Just to name a few , there are items like millet idli, millet upma, millet pongal, millet bajji, millet vada, millet dosas, millet payasam (porridge),millet biryani etc.

 We find a very wide choice of delicious and healthy types of refreshments which nourish our health without any harmful effects. Our choice proved to be a very good one and we came out with a sense of satisfaction. A good health drink made of nannari (herb called Sarasaparilla) is also available here along with other normal cool drinks, ice creams and beverages. The staff are quite courteous and well-mannered and their services are also prompt.

 This restaurant was started last year. In future they wish to set up many branches in other parts of the city.  Their way of preparing with millets both North Indian and South Indian dishes is a very novel and good concept and will be very beneficial to public health also. This restaurant is open on all days of the week and the timings are 7.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. The menu changes every day to add more variety to tiffins and meals. Facilities like free parking space, home delivery, wheel chair are available.

 In Secunderabad there is another millet restaurant called “Granny’s Millets & Grains” at Naya Kranthinagar, High Tension Road, A.S.Rao Nagar.  In Hyderabad there is “Aahaar Kuteer” in Begumpet and “Ahobilam Foods—organic Cave” near Meridian School, Madapur. You can try there if you are a lover of millet food and wish to improve your health too. By the bye this year is declared as “the Year of Millets “by the Union Government following a request by Karnataka, which is the country’s leader in the millet sector.

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18th July, 2018
  
Somaseshu Gutala