Our wanderings and perceptions

ஓங்கி உலகளந்த உத்தமன் பேர்பாடி நாங்கள் நம் பாவைக்குச் சாற்றிநீர் ஆடினால், தீங்கின்றி நாடெல்லாம் திங்கள்மும் மாரிபெய்து ஓங்கு பெருஞ்செந்நெ லூடு கயல் உகளப் பூங்குவளைப் போதில் பொறிவண்டு கண்படுப்ப, தேங்காதே புக்கிருந்து சீர்த்த முலைபற்றி வாங்கக் குடம் நிறைக்கும் வள்ளல் பெரும்பசுக்கள் நீங்காத செல்வம் நிறைந்தேலோ ரெம்பாவாய். -Andal Thiruppavai Here is another po st on Th irumala as we our second trip to Perumal since th e existence of this blog. This time we went aroun d three places near the templ e so will see them in detail. Secured our darshan tickets for a S aturday through https://www.ttdsevaonline.com/. Si nce it was for 6PM, left from Chennai in the morning at 7 AM vi a Thiruvallore, Thiruthani, Thiruchanoor rout e.      Reached T irupati by 10 AM after taking a break at Poonamalee for breakfast. On reaching went to Alamel Mangapuram temple to get the Goddess's b lessin g before going to Tiruma laiyan's darshan This temple was flocked by devotees. Too ...

Its been 10 days since Swathi lost her life but the impact refuses to go away. It will take a long time for the wound to heal and scars to disappear as the damage runs deep. Having grown up in Chennai and passed a life similar to that of Swathi its very difficult to accept, leave alone digest this incident. Having commuted via the same suburban train at 6am in the morning to attend classes in T.Nagar at 7am; having taken up job in software industry and commuted alone in odd hours; having walked to the suburban railway stations - never felt in-secured or scared as it feels in the last one week. Traveling in the train, crossing the Nungambakkam railway station since this incident, one can see this fear reflecting in the eyes of everybody in the ladies compartment. Tamilnadu and especially Chennai is known for its hospitality. So how did this happen here? Have we become insensitive? Just when these questions were hanging around, we just saw over the weekend how public chased a car w...

Election - a festival? Yes! Like any other religious fest or cricket tournament in our country election too carries lot of pomp and richness . Crores of rupees are spent on Ganesh Pandals and match tickets while government spends money in setting up free and fair elections. Ganesh Chathurthi or deepavali or kumbhmela, be it IPL or Chennai Open, we participate and enjoy the festival. Similarly participate in democracy through elections and experience the feel of your right.  Election is not a duty so not enforced on us like how one can stay out of a festival celebrated by their own family. How to forget a day off from work. Vote early and relax for the rest of the day. After all democracy is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people"