MY TRIP TO TIRUMALA

 MY TRIP TO TIRUMALA - MEMORABLE AT VARIOUS LEVELS

During my earlier avatar as The Week correspondent, I had done a small piece on `Curtain Mani,’ also popularly known as `Pardah Mani.’ He is a donor of hand stitched curtains for Swami Vaaru, Lord Venkateswara and like his father earlier, walks up to the temple almost on a daily basis for his darshan. And donates the curtains every quarter or possibly more often.

And he has been inviting me to visit Tirupathi for the longest time. But as they say, the invitation has to come from the Lord of the Seven Hills or else nothing works.

A couple of days earlier, Manigaru called me and asked me to come to Tirupathi that evening. He probably thought I was from Chennai. I had to convince him that since that was not a possibility, if he could postpone it for the coming Monday.

But for some reason he was insistent and booked me for this Friday. What was meant to be a picnic with my other girl friends, soon became a picnic with my other couple friend Uma and Jaikumar. And of course my ever trusted vaahan chalak, Raju.

Manigaru asked me to stay in Tirupathi, saying the darshan timings were fixed for 10 am on Friday and so we could leave in a leisurely fashion.

Tirupathi has grown. Vastly. Well lit shops and crowded roads, a lot of hotels and restaurants. But we decided to stay in our old haunt at Bhima’s Deluxe next to the railway station. A neat, homely and familiar place.

We reached there at 6 pm, after a start from Hyderabad at 7 am. Dropped Murali at the airport and proceeded. With our usual breaks and general bonhomie and a lot of snacks we reached the foothills. My calls to Manigaru continued and he would not pick calls for a long time, but invited us to visit his place behind the Padmavathi Temple.

We drove there, only to be told that there was a homam happening and so general public was not being allowed after 5 pm.

We returned to the hotel and finally we were instructed to be ready by 8 am the next day. After breakfast and then buying the required Bheema’s Mysorepak, we waited for Manigaru, who called to say that he had a cold and that he could not come but he had made all arrangements.

We had to meet a TTD official, who arrived after the required amount of tension and waiting on the side of the road. Our pass was ready and all we had to do was reach Tirumala, park at designated place and get a darshan of the Lord and return to Hyderabad.

Our names, name of sponsor, donor, everything was in green ink and feeling that God was in heaven and all was right with the world, we set off to Tirumala.

The ride up was gorgeous and we kept telling ourselves that all the vehicles going up were surely not for darshan. There were veritable traffic jams on this steep road, but with the zingy mountain air and the imminent darshan, we were sitting pretty.

We, as ordinary mortals, live in a different world, with its vagaries. We thrive and carry on. But Tirumala runs on its own axis. It is a different world, occupied by a different set of people who run it. An autonomous entity, it is run by a set of board members (currently not even one person known to me), who probably hold a lot of power. But in Tirumala, even the auto driver, the guy selling tea at one of those corner shops belong to this unique planet.

And there is no Covid or Omicron in Tirumala. Everyone sports a mask, but with the surging crowds, I wondered about its efficacy. But also surged on with faith in the supreme being.

We were to go to a particular car parking, from where our darshan was to be a lark. Apart from huge traffic jam in said car park, the guy in white t-shirt refused to even look at the papers I showed him and shooed us away saying we had to go elsewhere.

Tirumala, as you know, is a small hill top religious town. Did I tell you, they occupy a different planet? Well laid out roads and decent enough signage, but they are put there to only add to your confusion. And suddenly you realise that there was no free darshan and just about everyone present there was on a Rs. 300 ticket. So there. A bit humbling, but with our names in green ink, we were still confident.

Finally we asked a very rude couple, with the husband using hammer to nail something and wife supervising, about which gate to take for darshan. They actually replied and we actually found a very good parking spot.

All working well for us till now. We entered gates and walked confidently enough. But once barefoot the confidence in me just took a back seat. Somebody told us to enter one line, in one of those eternal cages, where everybody is full of energy, with shaven heads and sandalwood paste on top. A smell of old flowers hangs around continuously. No smell of malli at all, both in Tirupathi and Tirumala.

We walked, we halted, we walked, we halted. Meanwhile, Uma, constant source of questioning pointed out that there was another queue on the other side which was moving very quickly.

Manigaru was not picking up phone and having visited Tirumala as an honoured guest, I was getting pretty chaffed with this experience. So took out my anger on Uma and shushed her. We walked, we halted.

Finally someone said that we would enter in the next batch. Tiredness vanished but Manigaru was not picking up phone. He had told me he had a cold in the morning when he said he would not be joining us.

We joyfully pushed all and sundry and entered huge hall and then ran to another narrow gate. Here our doubts were toned down to a large extent, when a gentleman told us that we were in the correct room, as we were all invited by the employees of Tirumala. Each person apparently allowed to invite ten persons, which the TTD officials changed to five at the last minute.

Officials of Tirumala live in a separate planet, including the lowliest of the employee. They all sport a lanyard and that gives them a huge sense of power and they use it.

We finally reached a table where there were said employees. The green-ink document was presented and he loudly asked us where our copies of Aadhar Card were. I showed the gree-ink document and said this was a VIP visit.

One guy in a safari dress and with a hand set actually told me, and I quote, “there is no VIP in front of God.”

Anyways we showed our originals and again went into another hall, where the payment had to be made and then it was darshan timing.

Showed paper to said computer savvy man, who dropped the money, yelled at another guy and said something. The other extremely rude person told him to put cross mark on our invite with green-ink and then he turns around and tells us to go home.

Jaw-hanging occasion and the reason he said was our sponsor, a TTD official, who had delivered the paper to me, had sponsored another fiver persons and so we would not be allowed and could go home.

The official had meanwhile switched off his phone. Manigaru meanwhile picked up the phone and told me he would do needful ad asked me to wait. After 30 minutes of watching small time Tirumala officials act tough, I called him again and he actually told me to have patience.

I finally broke down and we decided to call it a day. We came out and my confidence returned after wearing my footwear and I called Murali to tell him of the drama.

He asked me not to give up and use some police influence. The police, both in Tirupathi and Tirumala are on deputation, but still under the AP government.

There was some positive movement and we decided to stay.

More in my third story.

The police anywhere has a sense of hierarchy and when it is top boss calling, there is a sense of duty and obedience. And so what if you are on deputation. A few airs but duty calls.

Things started moving when top cop’s aide called and said we would be helped. Top command of Tirumala station called and said things would be taken care of.

We were attached with a constable, a polite guy who told us to have lunch and arrive at station.

We found this place called Saravana Bhavan and with people everywhere, we once again found parking and went in for a South Indian plate meal. The less said the better about the food. But with police help I was feeling a bit more confident.

We reached police station, after going around in circles and reported to one cheerful person, who said we should wait. While the place was well lit, the smell of phenyl was so overwhelming that we stepped out.

Manigaru called me and said that he had arrived at Tirumala, after my emotional outburst. I was touched at one level for I realised that he too had been taken for a ride by Tirupathi TTD official. Incidentally he said he was at said gate where we were not allowed to park.

Meanwhile our constable arrived, all handsome and red haired and told us to wait. I told him that I would go out and visit with Manigaru and return and he actually scolded me and said that the station had 12 Covid affected persons and if I went and met with Manigaru I would return with cold and so on.

Feeling chastised I went and sat in car and waited. People came and people went and we waited. Meanwhile it was getting to be 4 pm and so I called the top cop of Tirumala and said that maybe we should cancel for we had to leave for Hyderabad.

He told me not to be discouraged and all would work out well. And the constable called and said we should get out of parking and proceed to wait outside. Meanwhile another constable, and we will call him bare-foot marvel, was attached to us. One cheerful fellow, very respectful and used all his skills against TTD officials within temple.

The irony of it was that we went back to where we had to park earlier and the constable there refused to meet our eyes. Parking done, we then followed the constable and we must have clocked in 2 kms in seven minutes. Crowds surged in separate line and we simply sailed by parallely, the constable just opening gates for us everywhere. Soon we paid our money finally and continued to go at a clip and then we were taken to front gate of the temple. Literally taken for the crowd simply grew exponentially and we just moved along. The constable guiding us sure footed.

Saturday was the last day for the Northern Doorway darshan. We were there on a Friday. Sheer faith, inhuman strength and Lord Balajee’s attraction kept us on our toes. We reached the outside ring of the sanctum sanctorum and volunteers touch you unnecessarily and push you mightily. But bare foot constable stood his ground amidst the small time officialese protest and told us to stay and worship.

You think it was a miracle? For a person who was all ready to return to Hyderabad, who has a severe case of claustrophobia, that I stood in front of the Lord, even from a distance, it seemed miraculous. We worshipped and then the constable took some more cusses from the officials and pushed us into the Northern Doorway. It was push and shove as we breathlessly walked through a flower garden and then walked out towards the hundi where the offerings were made.

If you think getting in was difficult, getting out is more so, because people want that last look at the God and walk backwards, slow down their steps and so on. But soon we were out, walked bare feet for a kilometre on the road before the car arrived and after due goodbyes, left for Hyderabad.

Will I visit Tirumala again? I don’t know, for I believe it all transpires elsewhere and we are given to believe that it happens because of us. This special note is for the Tirumala/ TTD officials, if at all someone reads it.

I have always wondered why make the passage to visit Lord Venkateswara, so labyrinthine? Some official in his wisdom must have decided the tougher it is to reach him, the more the people would fall over themselves to visit the temple.

My definition of bureaucracy has also changed a tad. If as common citizens we thought the IAS officers and their airs were maddening, the small time official in Tirumala will send you into a tizzy. For he seriously and all the officials working here, believe that the sun rises and sets because of them. There is no sense of equity, respect or worship in this place.

You as a pilgrim, walk alone in your thoughts, carried as you are with the crowds and you fulfill your vows, even as you wait, get mangled, all along believing that you get what you deserve because the Lord of the Seven Hills wanted it so.

Think of all the VIPs who walk the portals of the temple, get due darshan and walk back a few steps to parked cars. They are the truly blessed.

Then there are the billions of devotees who walk up the Hill and then wait in endless queues in cages, smelling of urine quite often. They get a view of the Lord literally for a few seconds and they come out feeling blessed. Maybe there are the truly blessed? They are a happy lot and talk of the experience as a god-send.

But people live in this planet, self-ordained disciplinarians, rude to ordinary pilgrims and simperingly cloying to the VIPs. The higher ups in the echelon of the temple visit the Lord everyday for their worship and they lose their humility and humaneness. All under the watchful eyes of the Lord. They are never smote.

How can worship remain pure and divine, when you know that if you have the wherewithal you can visit the Lord faster. A little bit of string pulling and I did get my time in the queue.

Will I visit Tirumala again?

The destination was Tirumala and a darshan of the Lord of the Seven Hills. From Hyderabad to Tirupathi is close to 570 kms and from there to Tirumala is 31 kms of Ghat road.

The road is fantastic till you reach the Kadappa junction from where you turn left to the road leading to Tirupathi. A distance of 120 odd kms is a double road, which means that the density of the traffic is high, with huge trailer trucks, zipping autos and of course two wheelers. Not risky, but definitely crowded.

We cross a lot of forest cover and forest gates, where the gentlemen are so busy watching their mobiles.

We had a delicious breakfast at one of the mobile bandis and since we said `please’ at least twice, the boys there made us fresh wadas.

We had lunch at a place called Gujarathi Lunch Home, thinking I can feel nostalgic and enjoy the meal.

I had forgotten that long, long ago, so long ago, my colleague PS Jayaram and myself had stopped in the exact same place and had been hugely disappointed because there was no Gujarati food. And then, the hotel was also in a state of disarray.

But now there were blooming flowers, people enjoying their meals and an extremely clean, well lit place. While the Nepali boy who talked through his mask did not know who named the place, he asked me why anybody would order for Gujarati food? Normally ready with witty answers and quick comebacks, I get quite stumped when such direct questions are addressed to me. Because in my mind Gujarati food is quite the favourite.

But having said that, the food was hot, well made and quite delicious. And though a bit awkward, the food served and eaten was on disposable stuff.

Plenty of water, good, clean toilets and life was quite kind to us. That evening we had food at Bhima’s Deluxe restaurant. Not the usual humming place, full of devotees and noisy with kids. They have refurbished the place and the waiters are kind and gentle.

The return journey was a bit tense because we had very little daytime left with us. And so we drove through the single road for close to two hours and reached the six lane Kadappa-Kurnool road quite late. And stopped at a dhaba only because I saw a lady at the counter.

Obviously a family owned dhaba, they spoke only Telugu but the menu was roti, paneer and daal.

We sat in the open, getting chilled to the bone, when the rotis arrived hot and thin. We could see the cook still stir frying our curry and our waitress walked slowly bringing in our onions. Soon the curries arrived and it was delicious. Hunger does things to your taste buds and even raw onion with a sprinkling of salt and a dash of lime juice tastes yummy.

We were to halt at Nandyala and at that time of the night, difficult to find someone for direction. Then we saw a place with colourful lights and two young men were chatting. We asked them for directions and one of them offered to drop us at the hotel since his house was close by.

And so with escort we arrived at the hotel. And after the rude treatment at the planet called Tirumala, this was so refreshing.