Turbines that took me to Chennai!!

Nearly 2 years and my sister was back from the Us and she had come only for 5 days, that too working days. As I've got a job, I was worrying whether I could see her in person. Luckily it was announced that I will be put in the shift system and I was given the choice of taking a weekly off for myself. I chose Tuesday and decided to go to my hometown to meet my sis. It so happened that the next day after my weekly off I got my shift swapped to night shift. So I decided to stay and be with my sis for some more time and start say early morning in the first train. But there was no trains available and obviously no buses.

The only option that was left for me was catching up a flight to make it to the night shift. Thanks to the magnanimity of my sister she decided to sponsor me for the flight. She booked the ticket. It was the first time I was gonna get into a flight and reach another destination. First time is always memorable. I reached the airport with my sis accompanying me till that. I was really excited cause I didn't know how it is gonna feel while it takes off and lands down.

After bidding adieu to my sis I checked in and was waiting for the bus to take me to the machine. After some time the bus came to pick us up and it was boarding time. I saw this huge machine built up for flying. Once I saw the jet engine I was reminded of the General Electric, Pratt& Whitney, CFM international, Rolls-Royce etc. who do design and develop those engines with so much passion and commitment. I went into the flight and it was time for take off. I was offered a seat near the window and I was witnessing everything happening outside on the right wing. I could see the whole wing with the engines. The plane started and I could hear the engines vrooming and that sound is simply amazing to hear. What an invention it has been!! The flight went to the runway and started to catch some speed. Then suddenly a sinking kind of a feel. My stomach was full of butterflies when that happened.

A turbine of similar kind took me to Chennai!!

The flight took off and we were in an inclined position. The city started zoomed out. And soon we were at a very high altitude. Then there was this message from the captain that we were flying at an altitude of 9.5 kms above the ground and cruising at a speed of 850kmph. That is roughly, three times the speed of a racecar and I was not able to feel even a thing inside and what would I call it as!! Wonderful!! 10 minutes after that and I was in Chennai. It was funny to know that I'll be in the office in the next 1 hour. It was landing time and slowly like zooming in into Google Earth all the houses of chennai started showing up. It looked so small that I wondered how we could live in there. Then after getting the signal the flight was ready to land into the airport. I could sense the engines come down slowly as we reach the ground level. Sudden thud and we were into the land. The brakes were applied and the engines ceased. I came out and saw the giant again from the outside and it was awesome to see some other international airlines. I was in a state of awe for the whole of the night shift. I was not able to believe that I was in Chennai for quite sometime. Thanks to the thinking of so many people!! I was able to make it to the office on time!!

-SATZ

Divyadarisanam!!

This has not been new to me since I've been doing this for the past, I think, nearly 10 years of my life. It is a very different experience altogether, every time I visit him. It gives me some kind of peace that I don't know how to express. I'm talking about my recent visit to the holy shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala. After having been under fasting for more than 48 days, it has been really good to see the lord, which was the ultimate aim. I found this time as very interesting and that's why I chose to write it on to my blog.

It all started on the 23th of February when I started my fasting. I started to chant those mantras that talk a lot about this lord. I started to be as clean as possible. Calm and focused as ever. Those 48+ days have been very difficult for me since people look at you as though you're someone untouchable and separate from a lot. People do not recognize you as a human being. Well no need to talk about the respect that they give you. Atleast for the fasting that you're there for. No, never. Modern people do not care about all those. Being an artificial professional is all they want and nothing else. Anyway the focus was on seeing the lord for a cause and realizing that without pain no one can come up in life and pain is always good. Though it has been difficult, I was waiting for the day to come when we finish our kattunera and start off to Sabarimalai. The adobe of the great Ayyappa. It was an awesome day. April 10,2011. There are so many customs to be followed which are told by your guru and those last few days are really terrible especially in the physical sense. You've to make sure that all the ritual items are ready and all the customs are ready to be followed.

The last day, April 10th, that is, the day of the kattunera, we consume literally nothing. Not even water and we wait for the time when we can do the puja. Once the time comes, it is all full of good signs. We pray the lord to help us see him without any trouble and we offer him the ghee, rice, money, dates, jaggery, fruits, rose water, aval, pori, etc.. We start off and have some nice food to break our fast. We start our journey and reach the river Pamba, after 9 hours. We give what we call as "Tharpanam", meaning a prayer and salute to all the dead souls of our family, and then take a holy dip in Pamba. After offering prayer to our ancestors we start from Pamba to the Sannidanam. First up is the Pamba Ganapathy. We pray Ganapathy to lead us into the forest without any problems and to take us to the Lord. Then we go through the Pandala raja vanam(Forest). The one that comes first in the forest is the Neelimalai Yettram. It is the steep part of the forest. We ascend our way towards the direction of the sannidanam. Once when we think that the steep Neelimalai is over we see that it is the start of Appachi medu(Ascent). Much steep than the previous one, we cross the Appachi medu with the help of the lord. Then we reach Sabari peedam, the place where the old lady, Sabari was given salvation. It is all about endurance. Then starts the plain terrain wherein we start running to reach the lord and bypass the crowd. Once we reach the mandapam, we have a clear view of the 18 steps which denotes the 18 siddhis that a man should attain. With no crowd whatsoever this time, we touch each of the steps and move towards the Sannidanam. Then we come in the platform provided around the Sannidanam, now with the golden shrine right in front of our eyes. We get closer to the Sannidanam. After being in the queue, we take a glimpse at the god. The face that is so peaceful. Crushes all the problems that you've in your life. It is a face that is never forgettable. A face that always lingers in your mind. A wonderful sense of feeling that is hard to describe and express. I told you that this time was a little different. I'll tell you the difference. I got the opportunity to take a glimpse at the god for three times. I was able to see the idol three times and that has not happened in my life before. You just can't take the eyes from the lord. Such a calm face that is hard to find in the entire world.

A Lord with utmost patience!!

Man takes advantage of everything and Lord Ayyappa is also not an exception. Man finds business opportunities everywhere and that is what is happening there also. The pilgrims take their ghee that they've brought and they bring it for the abhishekam to the sannidanam. What these priests do is that they give only half of what the pilgrims had given to them after doing the abhisekam. Rest of the ghee is given as Abhisheka nei(ghee) prasadam at a rate of Rs.40/- to the pilgrims. Man finds a business anywhere and people also fall for it because they have a belief. Exploitation of the feelings of the pilgrims takes place. People sell the abhisheka viboothi(holy ash) and mint money. Even the god will turn on the other side and sit, telling that "I don't want to see all these with my eyes." That is what has been created over there by the devasthanam people.New thing at Sabarimala is the slipper shops at the top near the sannidanam. People go to the temple, see the lord comeback and wear chappals for the rest of their journey. We do not wear slippers because, one, we give a due respect to the mala that we wear, second, we give a lot of respect to ourselves. It is said that we bear the god in us for which we give respect. All these happen. Where ever you go in Sabarimala you can see your money getting looted in some way or the other. It has changed a lot now. It is not the Sabarimala where you can find only the god and not many people. Now people have taken over.

Lord over there does not change. Yet it feels something special every year. The lord has taught me patience, calmness, positiveness, good thoughts and I feel like I've been lucky enough to see the lord for 10 times, each time with a difference. The moment I see the lord every worry gets off and it feels like it is great. I don't know, as I always say, whether others like it or not, it is a place that fills up the heart with goodness. It is a sense of success that you've. All because of the "Divyadarisanam"

"Swamiye Sharanam Ayyapa"

-SATZ

An Unsung hero!!

What a cup to win!! The prestigious ICC Cricket World Cup was ecstatically won by the Indian team through their proper planning and execution. It has been a sensational moment for all the fans across the country. But there is always an unsung hero and he is "the cricket crazy fan". He doesn't get any tangible benefits just like how the Indian cricket team is getting now. The fans of the game can experience only a sense of joy which is priceless for him and worthless for others. So sometimes it feels like whats the point in being one. Especially after being a fan for nearly 12 years. It is a bit tough to digest the fact that there is no recognition for being a fan.

The Indian cricket team has gone through a lot of phases since the world cup of 2003 when they got defeated in the final and not against anyone except Australia in the final. That was the match that created havoc in the Indian cricket team. That was the start when some of the players went out of the team and were never recalled. Then when the fans were eagerly expecting the team to win the 2007 World Cup. There was this shocking exit because of the Bangladeshis. They were a whole surprise to the Indian team. After many changes in the team, the leap for the 2011 world cup begun. The preparations started after the 2007 fiasco. Then it has been a journey of roses for the Indian team. They won nearly every series. That was the transformation. After years of playing the game, 2011 World Cup seemed to be peanuts for the Indian team. It was a very good time to make the record. The team also deserved the world cup because it didn't win it against sub-standard teams but teams which has won world cups and which consists of high quality cricketers. Especially against Australia, which was winning it for the third time and was aiming for a better four. The winning streak of Australia was ended after it faced India in the quarters. Then came Pakistan and then finally Sri lanka. There has been a constant support from the fans in all the matches that India has played. Analysing team strategies, getting glued to the television for hours to see those matches, being an anorak, which gives nothing,talking hours together after each match gets over, all these done for nothing. But as a fan there is nothing except "fun at that moment" and feeling happy for the team. Whether they recognise or not, being a fan is a happiness within the self. We have passion for the game. That drives us crazy. Whether there are any tangible benefits or not. We're always "an Unsung Hero".

-By An Unsung Hero named
-SATZ