It was fun draping and posing.

 It was fun draping and posing.

Not easy striking a balance between materialism and spiritualism,

Enjoy the comfort without getting attached to it,

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309Rahul Reddy, Jayalaxmi Takkala and 307 others

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KANYAKUMARI DIARIES

 KANYAKUMARI DIARIES

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Overlooking the gently lapping waves of the blue sea, the temple in Kanyakumari is renowned for its mystical aura and intriguing history. Famous as Devi Kumari Mandir, Kumari Amman Temple, and Bhagavathy Amman Temple, the glorious architecture of this temple was shaped by the Pandayas and renovated by the Nayaks. Commemorating the passionate love and tragic faith of Goddess Parvati, the temple worships the reincarnation of the goddess as Kanya Kumari.

They say one will also find a light shining in the middle of the sea. And though it may appear to be a lighthouse, it is said to be the shining diamond of the goddess’ nose ring. This light has been told to misguide many ships over the years, causing lost ships to mistake the rocky cliffs for the shore and crash into them. Thus, the east-facing door of the Kanyakumari temple is kept closed throughout the year, opening only on infrequent occasions.

Amma looks gorgeous and divine with turmeric paste applied all over her body, decorated with a red vermillion tilak on the forehead and two large diamond nose pins shining bright in the light of the diyas.

It was a blessing to get her darshan.

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Vivekananda rock memorial is a tribute to Swamiji and the legacy he left for us.

As a child, I used to stare at a life-size portrait of Swamy Ji in my father's office and wonder who this man with saffron robes and a turban was.

My mama was a disciple of Swamiji, and his friends worked for the mission in the 80s. He was a significant influence on young minds: their idol and hero.

When we moved to Siliguri, en route, I had the opportunity to visit dakshineshwar, Belur math, and kali bari, which opened my eyes to the world Of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Vivekananda.

My husband gifted me their biographies in the temple complex itself.

Ever since, I have been reading, learning and discussing their greatness with many intellectuals in my surroundings in Siliguri.

Visiting the rock memorial brought glimpses of Swamiji's time on the rock.

A fellow traveller Madhuri from Pune, is a Deeksha student of Thakur Ji, and she all along narrated the turning points in swami jis life.

The meditation room allowed us to do silent Satsang, soaking in the aura of fellow devotees.

This trip became all the more beautiful because of my companions Suchitra, Madhuri and Rajini from Bangalore, Pune and Delhi, respectively.

Each brought their learning and knowledge to the table, sharing many anecdotes about each place of worship.

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The sunset point at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian sea and the Indian ocean are sights one should not miss. It left me speechless and spellbound. The roaring ocean, cool breeze shining sand, and enthusiastic travellers make a fantastic movie set.

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The stay at Kanyakumari was for 8 hours; we had to leave early to reach Trivandrum before midnight.

I would want to go back there again to meditate at the rock memorial, watch amma and enjoy both the sunset and sunrise and the lands end of our beautiful

The Spiritual pilgrimage turned into a food pilgrimage.

 The Spiritual pilgrimage turned into a food pilgrimage.

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I am an Architecture fanatic, history buff,

small-time culture connoisseur, and food enthusiast who primarily focuses on learning ancient recipes.

Chettinad is a place which feels like home as it caters to every liking of mine.

In the mid-90s, with the advent of satellite television, cooking shows on channels like Star Plus Zee TV were top-rated and most watched.

If my memory serves me right, the first time I heard of Chettinad chicken was on Sanjeev Kapoor's show. The dish's excellent balance of spices and colour made me drool while sitting in front of the TV.

Today, I taste Chettinad's most authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for the first time.

Fusion cooking has diluted the genuineness of ancient recipes. Cauliflower, paneer, and cheese dosas are unpalatable for my taste buds. I am obsessed with preserving the inheritance. For someone like me, a two-day stay at the food haven Chettinad is an extraordinary blessing.

End of day one.

Stay tuned for more.

 Madurai is synonymous with Meenakshi amma. Shri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple is a historic temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River.

The goddess Meenakshi amma is worshipped as a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, is a form of Shiva.

This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams. The Paadal Petra sthalams are 275 temples of lord Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE. While walking inside the mammoth temple I felt like a queen. The sculpted pillars, the big hallways, the pond in between, it is royal picturesque and divine at the same time.

An experience to live with till the last breath of life.

The temple exterior too is a dramatic sight, its gopuram crowded with multicoloured sculptures of angels and demons, a magnificent view from a far distance. It was constructed over 5 centuries, from the 13th century to the 18th century.

Apart from the mythological stories, Madurai was introduced to me by the Telugu movie Arjun, released in 2004. Ever since I saw the film, I was provoked to visit the temple, but I wasn't sure how it would happen, who would take me, or will I ever go.

A chance visit to Madurai Arvind eye hospital allowed me to get ammas darshan on one evening after work.

I was so mesmerised by the temple and its setting that the following day I woke up early to go and get the darshan of mother goddess once again.

A lot happened during my Madurai stay of 4 days, culminating in some new decisions and embarking on a new journey. Madurai is special to me for personal family reasons too, but I never planned to revisit the city anytime soon after my 2015 visit; I thought it was only once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It is time that takes us to places, primarily to unplanned beautiful destinations.

As they rightly say, man can ask for small things, but God is limitless and boundless when he gives.

When you love Meenakshi amma, when you have faith in her, she will beckon you at her doorstep to give and take darshan.

So the take-home lesson to me is don't ask. Always accept whatever comes your way.

213Rahul Reddy, Jayalaxmi Takkala and 211 others

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 The self-doubts: Why these spiritual vacations?

Is it the love for god?

Is it for the fulfilment of my wishes?

Is it to travel and see new places?

Is it the herd mentality?

Or is it an escape from the mundane routine?

I do not know the answer;

Maybe it is a bit of everything put together in different proportions.

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I am a fangirl of mythology and folk tales. I believe everything mentioned in the scriptures happened ditto some time ago in our distant past.

The Rameshwaram, Dwaraka, the Ayodhya, the Badrinath, the Madurai and the Mathura exude power and spiritual energy towing me towards them. There is a persistent need to visit every temple and place mentioned in mythology.

I have been unpretentiously focussing on this need to cater to the core.

There is some opposition to this idea of temple hopping among friends and family. However, for my rigidity, I am going to join the company of strangers doing Satsang, trying to draw spiritual energy from the surroundings.

So when someone asks me why is this temple hopping happening periodically?

My answer: I will tell you soon once I cover the entire stretch!

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Thanks to the husband, children and colleagues for letting me go.

 A Walk through history!

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Rameshwaram has been on the list since I listened to a discourse on char Dham yatra's significance on YouTube.

He said Lord Vishnu has a bath in the seaside temple of Rameswaram, a meal in Jagannath Puri, goes onward to Badrinath for meditation for the welfare of humanity, and retires in Dwarka.

Moreover, since then, plans are on to visit all four sites.

Rameswaram is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiv Purana.

It is a pilgrimage to worship both lord Vishnu and lord shiva.

Bhagwan shree Krishna is my mentor, teacher, and guide.

Shiva Parvati is like my parents.

So today's pilgrimage is a homage to parents and teachers.

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Kalam museum, where they magnificently created his life.

Salutations to him .

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Dhanishkodi.

Train ride.

It was a walk through history, reliving and recreating many scenes in my mind and heart.

Emotional and overwhelming.

Pamban bridge.