ANDHRA TEMPLES VISITED IN 4 DAYS

ANDHRA TOUR DIARY 21.01.2011 1530 hrs The weather was very nice at Chennai when we stepped into the Mahendra Van collecting 16 friends to board Circar Express leaving at 1720 hrs Egmore for Vijayawada. 4 friends joined us in Coach S2 . Srinivasan organized Iddly+ curd rice packets for dinner . It was a joyous crowd with devotional songs sung by Mrs Rukmani Ganesan. 22.01.2011 0300 hrs At Vijayawada junction we refreshed ourselves at the A/c retiring room and proceeded to the Krishna River ghat for a holy bath. Which was clean and well maintained with safety rails. We had to go by autos to Kanaka Durga temple as our TATA 709 could not climb up due to road repairs. It is divine and extremely soulfilling experience to stand with folded palms before the beautiful idol of the Goddess. The view from the hillock with vast flowing Krishna around was enchanting. The visit to Mangalagiri hill where we had dharshan of Panaka Narasimhan was also by autos as private vehicles are not allowed beyond a point . The Panagam is offered b the temple and fed to Narasimhar by the priest through a conch (sangu). Every sangu-filled panakam enters the mouth with a gurgle and at one stage it is rejected and collected back in the sangu and poured back into the pot. It is learnt that Narasimhar drinks only half the quantity offered . It is a miracle so to say isn’t it? Down the hill, we visited the Lakshmi narasimhar temple . On our way to Bhadrachalam we found a roadside small canteen where we had our break fast with hot iddlies dosas and poori and tea. The food was tasty and hygienic. It was really a long hazardous road travel worsened by our young Driver Yakub Khan contributing with his sudden breaks all the more. Around 2 pm we entered a mess where we were served somewhat palatable Andhra meals. By 10 pm we reached Bhadrachalam . Rooms provided by the Seetha Ramachandraswami vari Temple Devasthanam were not bad and we had a well earned rest. 23,01.11 0500 am As usual Mr Srinivasn woke up everyone and we had an excellent dharshan of Rama Lakshmana and Seetha in the temple built by Gopanna (later Ramadas) . The idol of Ramadas is installed in front of the sannidhi in worshipping form. Parnasala is about 35 km away from Bhadrachalam. One can see the rocks where Rama and Seetha stayed, had their food, the place where they dried up their clothes and where they took bath etc., and the cottage built by Lakshmana for their stay, the Lakshman rekha drawn by Lakshmana to prevent Seetha from any danger by Rakshasas are shown here. Ravana Sanyasi with begging bowl and his real form with 10 heads are exhibited as colourful dolls. Photography not allowed here. The hazardous bus journey resumed for us to reach Rajahmundry for about 150 kms. With the bus jolts we managed to find a place for lunch and continued. At about 1745 pm we reahed the Hotel Dwarka where we had our rooms booked already. Within 15 minutes we were ready after a brief refreshment to visit the Iyappan Temple and Shirdi Saibaba temple with marvelous scrulptures. The Lingam in this temple is 52 ft tall and has to be seen climing steps in 5 stages. A very neat temple and well maintined. The imposing idol of Saibaba is breathtaking and brings enormous inner happiness. The night halt in our rooms in Rajahmundry rejuvenated and recharged us for the next day’s misery on the road. 24.1.2011. We came with a lot of plans to visit Annavaram, Bhimavaram, Samalkot etc., to have dharshan at various temples listed by us, but it was decided to proceed to Draksharama temple (one of the 5 Pancharama Kshetrams – Legend is that Tarakasura made a sivalinga which burst and splintered in to 5 pieces each place where a piece fell was a Pancharama Kshetram - Dhraksharama, somarama kshetram, ksheerarama, kumararama etc. At about 8.30 am when we almost reached Dhraksharama , it was unfortunate, the writer who was seated in the middle of the last row, facing the passage between the two rows of seats was thrown up and landed about 5 ft away fracturing his spinal cord. The writer has no words to express his sincere and grateful thanks to one and all who decided to discontinue the tour and accompanied him to Kakinada to board the Circar Express for return to Chennai with a trace of sadness and dis appointment the way the tour ended. The fall was caused by one of the sudden breaks applied by the young driver Yakub Khan. The lesson to be learnt is not to sit without safely holding on to something pariculary when seated IN THE LAST ROW in any bus facing the open passage. 27.1.11 The misfortune aggravated with the sudden demise of Mr A.Parthasarathy one of the tour members due to cardiac arrest. A very good friend he was with pleasing manners and may his soul rest in ever lasting peace. Perhaps a few months later when the writer is back with his “back” restored to normalcy, there will be the next tour as usual..!!!!!!!!!!!!! J.K SIVAN 9840279080 PHOTOS TAKEN WILL BE SENT IN AN ALBUM TO THOSE WHOSE MAIL IDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE WRITER.