Some of my family members are expert writers, and though not up to their excellence, I still wanted to share this experience with you all the best I could.
It is my sister’s place that I stay, and it is needless to say that each and every day, throughout the visit, I feel so at home. The love and affection from my family are undeniably evident. Our daily routine, discussions, singing, dialogues, and special moments are precious and private.
Now about a few key moments from this trip…
The first thing that always hits me when I visit India is the noise level. The mix of dialog, traffic, TV, and phones is nonstop throughout the day. In most homes, except for a few hours, the TV blares non-stop. The visit of the foreign president gets moderate media attention, whereas local politics and movies occupy 99% of the time. The movie channels are fun to watch, especially those where the hero runs in heavy rain, lightning, and thunder while being chased by the villains in a high speed car and the heroine sings from a house from far away in a single microphone so that the hero could find and rescue her regardless of all the obstacles!!
Heavy rain and howling wind chased us until the first stop at Chidhambaram, a famous Hindu temple (image Credit: Alamy Stock Photo).
It was near closing time, but we got lucky since it was a special day and the temple was still crowded. I was awed by the ladies who elegantly wore nine-yard sarees!! It was too dark to see the sculptures outside the temple, but I was still able to see the amazing workmanship from many centuries ago within the temple. With no forklifts or machinery, it is hard to imagine how they sculpted chains with stones at the tips of the pillars, built the pillars with perfect symmetry, and painted pictures that depict stories so high in the ceiling. The breeze was so cool (due to the rain that just stopped), and the walk from the temple to the outside was extremely pleasant.
The next visit was to the Vaidheshvaran temple (image credit: Vaitheeswaran koil temple official website – The Temple Guru), which was a divine experience. Despite the crowd, I was able to spend enough time in and around the temple.
Visited my niece and her family. In addition to the yummy food, their company was joyful and the trips we enjoyed together were memorable. Having made a decision to drive to a site recently discovered by the tourism department, we followed the well known mapping app directions. For about 30 kilometers (~18.6 miles), there was a road for namesake, and the drive was scenic and adventurous; most of all, we saw absolutely no one the entire distance!!
Golconda Fort, the climb to the top of the Dharbar Hall, and the ruined structures that are still standing after many centuries told stories. The history behind the rise and fall of the Fort was fascinating, a mix of sad and happy events; there is a love story between a prince and a dancer, fights, golden periods, and the destruction.
Just an afternoon, but the few hours spent with Athai (version of Aunt) and family were so memorable, the affection was immense. We got a little lost finding their home, but when we asked for direction, there were several folks who were able to point out what they referred to as ‘the Teacher’s home’. We were able to celebrate Athai’s long and impactful service as a teacher with her family and heard that she was going to be honored as one of the best teachers from the past.
Creating beauty with fresh flowers was a new experience at our niece’s home. It was so much fun with her and her family. The little one filled the day with non stop surprising actions and stories told with such detail and expression.. unforgettable.
Moving on..
The taxi reaches the first destination, where we enjoy a delicious lunch with a variety of mixed rice, veggies, including Babaganush, and fine family time. The next ride stopped a mile away from our destination, and there was no way to make the driver change his mind. Ventured to walk to the next destination, the library. Yes, it is the norm where the bus, cars of various sizes, cycles, motorbikes, and autos, along with stray dogs and cows, maneuver through the traffic, and humans just want to cross the streets by showing their hands, while a few of us are plotting as to how to walk on the few gaps at the very edge of the streets, which are pretty much store entrances. Now that we have gained expertise in walking between the traffic and the know-how of when to burst out to cross the street, we walked to the sweets and snacks shop. Everything looked delicious, but after half an hour of serious discussion, I bought lots of sweets.
I could still taste the Dosa and Chatni at our nephew’s house. It could be because of the love that the family shows, which is why visiting them even for a short time makes it wonderful.
Ah… the early morning at the beach and the walk can’t be explained in words…
Well... I can go on and on but for now 