We hired a taxi(Indica) from Chennai to Tirupathi – round trip costing us around INR 5,000 which included the interstate permit of 2K as well. I found it quite reasonable. The only issue was the driver who does not believe in lower speed levels, minimum for him in the bylanes and the 4 lane highway was 60KM and Maximum being 110 !!! Attaching a few snaps and a video which proves in India, you need not yield while driving, you just need some guts to drive and of course the bigger the automobile you drive, the better :- ) Also I found a hotel in Kalahasti (a place near Tirupathi) which is of the same name as our own MGM Grand !!! Wondering of its genuinity or even more, what is a Casino giant is doing in a pilgrimage center :- ) We also came across a major accident, hoping that all of them survived, encountered a truck repair right in the middle of road not caring about the other road users, ducks crossing the road at their will where in all the motorists were in a stand-still position, some snaps up the road to the Seven Hills God, could not get any snaps from the actual center as it is illegal and not allowed, hence did not do it.
I had planned it in such a way that my visit would be a surprise for my parents. More than them, I wanted to gift myself a nice gift on my Birthday as well :- ) All the way, took Ravi & Vidya’s name and out of the blue sprang ourselves in. They were in utter surprise & tears as they could not believe it was Shweta & me. Thanks to my ISCKON membership, we managed to get them a room in Tirupathi before we joined them from Chennai. I should admit that ISCKON has grown leaps and bounds, it has a beautiful guest house, temple, free prasad(food offerings to God before giving it to public) distribution centre and vegetarian restaurant. I suggest all of you to become members of ISCKON, they have some nice payment plans. If at some point of time you are off to a pilgrimage with your parents, this membership would help as they have their centers pretty much in all the major pilgrimage centers in India and Abroad. For the records, I share the same name as the God of Seven hills along with the liability status of the God as per the mythology as well :- ) This God has a daily collection from his followers which is close to or exceeded the collections at the Vatican as per the 2011 status check. Lets hope I make atleast a percentage of that kind of monies at some point of time in my life. My good friend Madhusudhan had arranged our Darshan in Tirupathi. A special mention has to be made here about Madhu, Rajesh Bafna and Venky without whose presence in my life, it would not have been so smooth at times. They have been the pillars of my glorious past and also most importantly have supported me all through my resurrection phase after my family’s business loss. I hope to make them proud some day soon. Coming back to Tirupathi, this place is special to me in many ways, every time I have been there, things have turned out be well for the next phase. There is something about the Sanctum Sanctorum which beats all the irregularities outside the temple premises. Having said that, I should admit that things have changed a lot in Tirupathi after some new committee members took over, facilities are also improving for old aged and handicapped which is a rarity. I feel thrilled about the progress of this place. We also visited Tiruchanoor which is also considered a must visit when we go to Tirupathi. This was again a pleasant visit for my mom who is a big devotee of this deity, I can see the thrill on their faces for which I can travel the seven seas atleast once in a year for sure, but I have to keep in mind of my big mother Marilyn (my US employer) and convince her of atleast a week to 10 days every year if not 3 weeks like this time. After the Darshans, we had a sumptuous lunch at Bhimas – my favorite restaurant in Tirupathi for its Spicy Dosas (Crepes made out of Rice & Lentils) and drove back to the Country of Chennai !!!
"A week in Chennai" would be the next topic, stay tuned.....
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