We had planned to hit the road at 6.30 am, so dat we could escape the blazing heat that starts at around 8. So we all got up at 8. Anyways, finally me, Paul and Sunesh reached Ashaan’s house by around 9 and for an hour we tried various methods of getting the bike started. Nothing doing. We tried to jump start it by pushing it and putting it in 2nd gear. No go. On the verge of cancelling the trip, Ashaan got Gopi, the original mechanic who’d sold him the bike. He came along, gave two kicks and vroom. We were all standing around with our jaws hanging open. Finally we started the trip at around 11. Sunesh and me on, Purple, my trusty Star City. Paul and Ashaan, on the Amazing Thumper. By this time the sun was on full blast.
The road we took joined up the Kanchi Road after a while. This road was through some kinda desert land or something. There was nobody in sight, and the vegetation consisted of some shrubbery. It was flat sandy plain for miles around. And bloody dusty and bumpy road frequented by truck that threw up mini dust storms in their wake. By the time we got to Kanchi Road, we were well and truly exhausted. But from there it was a beautiful highway through a slightly less of a desert. But a desert nonetheless. There was a railroad running parallel on the right side. On the left was a vast expanse of flat sands. Dotted with the odd vegetation. The road was good and there wasn’t much traffic. Walajabad was the only semblance of a town along the way. We stopped there for fuel, and landed in Kanchipuram at around 12.
Then we realized we had no idea where to go. So we decided to think bout it over lunch. All the while we joked about the exercise that awaited us, ie, getting the Bullet started again. Getting out after a heavy lunch, we noticed a doctors’ clinic next to the hotel. “Dr. GRAMAR” it said. Wow, what a name. But careful inspection showed a previously unseen ‘.’ between ‘G’ and ‘R’. They guy’s name was ‘G. Ramar’. Which brought us back to the task at hand. Each of us tried to kickstart it with no success, so Ashaan took my bike n went in search of a mechanic. The bike itself had attracted a small crowd, walking around it, looking at the shiny carrier boxes on each side, and three guys desperately trying to start it. So we were getting tensed as people started advising us how to start the bike. Finally somehow I got it started, Sunesh called Ashaan back, and we roared out of there.
We asked our way to Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple. That is the most famous temple in Kanchi. And that’s where we discovered that all temples are closed till 4. The time now was 1. 3 hours to kill. A persistent tout led us into a nearby sari shop. Given the heat we were pretty thankful to get into anywhere that had a fan. Thus four clueless guys started sari shopping. The guy in the shop started displaying sari after sari after sari. Each one was more beautiful than the next. I had no idea. It was like some foreign language movie without subtitles. Is there some kinda secret you have to know while shopping for saris, because I was totally lost. In the end only Ashaan and Sunesh bought saris. Ashaan got two for his girlfriend. Me and Paul stood around making excuses as to why we dint want sarees. “No sisters”. “All younger brothers”. “Not married”.
Finally we made it 2 pm and and went to Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt. The current sankaracharya, disciple of Swami Jayendra Saraswati, was seated at the further end of the mandapam, but would see devotees only at 4.30. However, a group of people, board members and their families, I think, were talking to him animatedly. The Mutt had a wax statue of Swami Chandrasekharendra Saraswati. It was so lifelike, that it was difficult to believe it was just a statue.
A guy who saw Ashaan’s bike outside the ashram, came to us trying to see if it was for sale. This happened a lot too. This is the object of desire, in all it’s glory. People around here have some kind of instinctive respect for anyone who drives one of these. He talked to us about how he had one of these and sold it only last month. He gave Ashaan his number, promising to call if he had another one for sale
From there we went to Ekaambaranathar Temple. It’s a Shiva temple, and it was 2 mins walk from the Mutt. So we went there and waited for half hour for it to open.
This is the gopuram of the temple. If you look from a height over Kanchi you can see lots of these gopurams. All the big temples have this style of gopuram.
These temples are not jus places of worship. They’re of archaeological value also. Each temple was built by famous kings of the past. It’s a wonder how they built up such a huge structure using heavy stone blocks without the help of either cranes or cement.
This gopuram is part of the outer wall. There is an inner wall too, around the temple as such. There’s a hall outside the sanctum. It’s got a lotta pillars with carvings. This is one of the pillars.
Then we went inside the temple. Paul stayed outside, because he got freaked out by a sign board saying “non hindus not allowed”. Me, Sunesh and Ashaan went around inside the temple. The inside of the temple is lined with 1008 shiva lingams, among other idols of deities. The temple houses a 3500 yr old mango tree. The tree is supposed to have four branches each of which gives a different tasting fruit. This tree gives the temple it’s name. It was under this tree that Kamakshi did penance for many years, and then Shiva married her under this tree. ‘Eka’ à One. ‘Amara’ à Mango tree. Ekambaranatharà Shiva.
From there we went back to the Kanchi Kamakshi Amman temple. There were two elephants outside, which would ‘bless’ us if we put 2Rs. as ‘kanicka’. This elephant was not getting much attention, as most people were going to it’s partner, so it was tryin to steal from the other one. :)
Inside the temple it was very crowded, and it took a long time to get to the ‘sannidhi’. A priest there gave us prasaadam of red kumkum. After we got out, we walked around the inside wall. This is the temple pond.
From there we could see the golden gopuram above the Sanctum. This is directly above the central idol.
We put red kumkum tilaks on our foreheads and our bikes and went on to the biggest temple in Kanchi, the last one on our list, Varadaraja Perumal temple. We reached there around 5.30. The gopuram was huge. Bigger than the other two temples.
The temple architecture was also more ornate than the other temples. There was a mandapam which had 100 pillars. And each pillar had elaborate ornamental carvings around it.
Here it wasn’t as crowded and we got to see the deity from really close up. The ‘prathishta’ here is Mahavishnu. It was around 6 by the time we got out. And again a 10 min exercise of starting Ashaan’s bike. Which again attracted a small crowd. Which was ended by me starting it on 2nd try. From there it was smooth highway non-stop to Chengalpet.
We stumbled back home at 8 at night. Exhausted to the bone, but having enjoyed every bit of the trip. The tripping has just begun. Next week, Mahabalipuram!!
