Srirangam Temple visit

 16/Feb/2025

Back at Bangalore, taking the evening slow, sitting in my balcony with a cup of hot ginger black-tea and a piece of Hyderabadi Neeloufar Biscuits (gifted by a vendor). With a piece of biscuit in one hand, the other hand placed the tea mug at the table and approached the phone to see if I can commence writing about the magical experience of my Srirangam Temple visit.

The moment I opened my blog page, the thoughts, photo-memories and feelings from the temple-visit came gushing. My feelings shifted from easy-breezy, to ecstacy, to self-doubt (am I over reacting), to un-worthiness because the level of my experience was way beyond the capacity of my words to be able to narrate and at last, I simply gave-up on the idea of documenting the experience....more so because I was sure the outcome would be more of a branched story where I might loose-out on the important events from my day at Srirangam.

Now, I picked-up the book that I thought will read to keep my mind in one place...completely forgetting about the enveloped garland, pressed between the pages of that book. the garland that I had received when visiting Temple's main Deity (Swami Renganathar) and that gift completed me.

To keep it safe, I had pressed it inside the book, just behind the hard cover....it re-affirmed my belief in life's magic and it felt so precious to me. 

The garland dropped out of the book and my heart knew, I now have a go-ahead, the muse has just blessed me... 

So, Let's begin from here and go back to the memory lane and reminisce about the magical realm that I was blessed with.

My journey from Bangalore started on 14th Feb 2025 by 1:30pm Vande Bharat Train, from cantonment railway station. The desire to visit this temple was there since long, this time, I had promised myself to take a step ahead - booked the train tickets for both sides, onwards and return. My onwards ticket wasn't confirmed and that was the final deciding factor.

(Feb 18)

Two day before the departure, I got a sms as CNF, I checked the railway portal and it said seat is confirmed but will get assigned when chart is prepared i.e. 4 hours before the trip and I was also thinking will get one final message confirming the same.

I was excited!! Finally another solo adventure but feared that language may become a barrier...

I then enquired with a friend to help me find some connections locally and there, I was introduced to Mr. Krishnan Ramajunam!! Who planned my complete itinerary :) (copied below)...the only caveat till here was - he was overwhelmingly chatty 💔.

I thought, that's ok as long as I am focused on my temple visit and some quite time which is what I conveyed to him in my chat while discussing the agenda of my trip - "Primarily temple visit and some quite time and no shopping"

Happy morning R (13th Feb 2025)

As discussed please note the following road map during your Trichy trip.

14.2.25 Arrival Trichy Junction 7pm. Will arrange for your pickup meter auto booked by me

Once you reached the hotel relax for 30 minutes minimum and plan for dinner traditional food outside if you wish. Otherwise restaurant 

Sleep well 

15.2.25 you should be ready in your hotel at 6.30am for Lord Renganathar darshan at 7am through my guide arranged due to the Saturday crowd.

After temple darshan (3 god's) around 8.30am have complimentary breakfast in your hotel and rest for an hour.

I will come and pick you up at 10am for the darshan of lord Siva temple Thiruvanaikovil. Excellent architect holy place. After darshan will reach the hotel sangeetha restaurant and relax for 3 hours.

4pm will have excellent filter coffee and proceeding to Lord Ganesh Rockfort temple darshan. Due to the sunset it will be an awesome environment in the evening

 

Night dinner same Sangeetha or different place 

Night sleep well due to hectic travel 

16th morning pickup by meter auto from hotel to drop in the Trichy railway station 

Tentative expenses 

Stay Rs.5500

Food Rs.750 max

Auto Rs.1500 max

Temple as you wish 

Keep some small amount Rs.20, 50, 100 for pandit in 3 temples.

We are covering

1. Lord Renganathar 

2. Lord Renganayaki

3. Lord Chakrathalwar

4. Lord Ramanujan 

5. Lord Siva

6. Lord Akilanendeswari 

7. Lord Vignesh on top Rockfort Temple top view

Hope you will be enjoying the Trichy trip and thanks for the opportunity given to me to take care of you.

---

At BLR Cantt., I checked the seat allocation on the railway portal;  I never got any further confirmation or seat allocation message. I happily settled in there @ C4 32 (aisle), my luggage (one duffle bag 🤗) was neatly placed in an overhead luggage racks. 

Just after the train started and we crossed the 1st stop, a family approached me asking - "Mam, this is our seat" and my heart hammered in my chest, a frantic drumbeat. I politely said, no this is assigned to me but if you are unsure, I can vacate and till you figure out I can be standing (knowing they were family and elderly).

Then I started to doubt myself that possibly my tickets never got confirmed but I am in the train and I may be pushed out by the TC if this is true...and the humiliation I might have to bear, was getting pictures head. 

I shaking checked my phone and one has the SMS from Indian railways and just this morning it stopped working, network went down and sim wasn't getting recognised. So I had to hold another phone in another hand and type the PNR manually...it all felt so stupid and deeply embarassing.. especially in this era of 5G! But thankfully the family was utterly kind and said, you take your time and check it peacefully. 

It turns out, all this while, I was referring to my confirmed seat no. For the return journey and never actually saw the confirmed ticket for onwards....but It was confirmed and I was assigned C1 16 :).....had to cross 5 coaches to reach the last one...and the seat assigned to me. And it so happens that the seat was a middle one in a row of three and a Mom and his adult son was sharing each on either side ...and luckily the guy suggested I take the asile seat so that his mom can be on window side and he can be on my seat :) ...and I breathed easy after all the mismatch...

To be continued....

What Darshan!
Started at 6:33 am into the temple and got out at 7:45 am
Lord Renganathan doors being opened for me 🙏
Meeting and taking blessings of White horse, Elephant and Cow....
Also saw two peacocks
At temple 2 seeing decorated cow

Buying some stuff 

Chkravkra deity's flower garlands being accepted 

Seeing a cow