Another Pilgrimage Travelogue to Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Temple, Kottayam.. NGDCs ..
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5cfIMG3R3jx9ycpK0H/803
NGDCs ..
It's been long time since I was thinking to go to Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Temple in Kottayam..
Especially after reading about it that, it's the first Temple that is opening all over Kerala (or even India too probably) at 2.00 am in the morning ..
There is a saying in English ie said by Bhagavan Sri Sathyasaibaba to avoid the probable "Grahappizhakal" to a great extent which goes something like "Start Early, Drive Slowly and Reach Safely" .. Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Temple is said to be open, even during the Eclipse Times ..
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qTM3LNBgCWkMLLTQ7
If there is blessings of the Lord, next Gloskrutham Gharana Corner's Bhagavatha Sapthaha Parayana Yajnam is scheduled to start on August 20th, 2025 and is planned to culminate on the Ganapathi Chathurthi Day of Vinayaka Jayanthi on 27th August 2025 with Bhagavad Gita Parayanam scheduled for the next day after on 28th August 2025..
Again, if God is willing, this time I am planning to start the Sapthaha Parayanam as early as 3.30 am itself.. ๐๐ ..
But getting up early is a great problem for me with my bio clock now a days perhaps.. Maybe since my Pre Degree days, sitting late at nights to complete the Records and other study matters seems to be a deeply ingrained habit ..
So I was thinking with the blessings of Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Swamy, I shall try an early to rise programme that is said to avoid or reduce on the so called "Grahappizhakal" ..
So with this thinking, first I thought of going to the Thiruvarppu Temple on a Wednesday morning via the Cherthala Kumarakom route getting down at South Chengalam or Illickal .. But some rumours said that, road from Cherthala to Kumarakom is under repair and so may have to take a break with the journey at a bridge..
Incidentally I happened to also remember about a brief period of my stay in Chennai before 2000 AD, millennium year .. After a post graduation in Marketing Management and Finance, few of us were sent to Chennai as executives to relaunch a famous product there ..
Then for us the company provided a big house with many rooms, but had only two bathrooms.. In that one bathroom was exclusively taken up by the Manager attached to his room by lock.. So the other four of us were left with just one.. I am habitually a time taking person for the morning activities including bath .. We have to report at the office as early as 8.00 am.. So, 4 of us waking up at around 6.00 am created a lot of name calling issues, to start by 7.30 am to Hotel Sharavana Bhavan for breakfast before going to the office..
I found a unique way to solve this issue for myself by putting up an alarm at 4.30 am and then doing all my morning activities including bath relaxedly much earlier than 6.00 am .. And while the other three fight after and do the name calling for the early morning bathroom space, I started taking some wonderful naps after bath until 7.30 am relaxedly with an attitude, as though their fights don't matter to me and it's their business to sort it out for their fare share of time for the morning activities..
After some time when they realized that I am escaping their fights with this attitude that "it's none of my business and while you guys just fight it out, let me take some naps", they felt I am not having that equality of sacrifice that Iacocca has said in his autobiography about morning pressures probably, as they have to face every morning for the bathroom space..
https://youtu.be/5Ez9m0hT5FM?feature=shared
One day while watching an India - Australia Cricket Match, the other three musketeers casually said looking at me that, they don't like that smile of Sachin Tendulkar showing the teeth out, when going to face the Aussie bowlers each time after looking around.. That seems to be lil irritating to watch and is probably against the religious decorum of a Gentle Man game like Cricket..
https://youtu.be/SUIiTT-Rzt8?feature=shared&t=202s
Australia been going great guns those days, and though Sachin Tendulkar was becoming more matured in those days, but was getting prone to criticisms as India was getting regularly beaten those days despite his solo(e) performance and nobody wanted to take the side of Indian Team during that match other than me.. Then I was like, "Oh ! Come on buddies.. Are you guys Pakisthanies or what opposing the new world norms in more aggressive seeming Gentleman Game that is attracting many millions in India and the world over .. " .. ๐ค๐ค?? ..
Though Chennai's Environment changed my bio clock habits for some time with the help of an "Alarm Clock", but once got back to Kerala, i again went back to my old habits of sitting late at night .. ๐ค๐ค ..
So coming back to the pilgrimage trip, I postponed that to Thursday because of the Cherthala Kumarakom route rumours of a bridge repair..
By coincidence or grace of the Lord, Thursday also happens to be the auspicious day for Lord Krishna.. And this time I booked a train ticket to Kottayam in Vanchnadu Express starting from Ernakulam Junction in the new RailOne App .. Paid Rs.62/- for the window seat that I got ..
Went to bed as early as 9.15 - 9.30 pm on the previous day night.. Put an alarm to get up at 2.50 am .. Though, went to bed early, actual sleep came a little late only, probably because of the habitual bio clock settings perhaps ..
Mobile alarm rang at 2.50 am and within 5 minutes, got up out of the bed, which seemed a lil surprise to me for i didn't do the usual habitual act with the snooze time button.. ๐ค๐ค ..
After bath, had a Bannana and some Sprite and then I was out on my bike by 3.45 am itself which also seemed a lil surprising to me with my regular time taken habit of doing the early morning activities like bath etc .. For the last trip it took around 1.5 hours and this time just half of that time within 45 minutes .. ๐ค๐ค ..
A Slow bike ride to Ernakulam South Junction Railway station early in the morning with manual Police patrolling seen here and there in the empty roads without any crowds made me think of the song "Ekantha Chandrike" ..
But for the sake of a special Ekadashi take I am not putting that song link here now.. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ..
https://www.facebook.com/655440352/posts/10161995075460353/
In between on the way to Ernakulam South, filled some petrol also from the pump and while moving forward, as and when reached the Naval Base, somewhat a moderately heavy downpour started ..
Immediately put the recently bought Rs.100/- RainCoat and continued the journey to the Railway pay and park area for bikes .. Paid Rs. 30/- there and got into the Vanchinadu Express D1 coach staying in the second platform by around 4.45 am or so..
The train started moving forward by 5.10 am and a small drama of Lord Ganesha got unfolded as and when the train been starting to move forward..
When I opened the Window seat shutter, before the train started, water just gushed in, to wet my window seat, but then immediately I closed that shutter and reopened it only once the train started picking the momentum .. My fellow traveller used a paper piece to clean the water in the opposite seat .. Luckily I bought a Mathrubhumi Weekly and before the train started, probably because I tried to steal some words from the hair of Sunita Williams for a new work of poetic expression, maybe the heat got generated from that stealth, and within 5 to 10 minutes or so I could sit by the window seat again, when new travelers arrived in for the other seats ..
https://www.facebook.com/MathrubhumiWeekly/videos/1504550867373227/
Then I started my "PranaYama" meditation sessions religiously with Carbon Di Oxide (organic) donations/ serving with sraddha to the early morning scenic beauty of trees, hills, ponds, Skies and Clouds while sitting inside the train trying to watch up above along the sides of the railway track .. By around 6.30 am or so the train reached Kottayam Railway station..
I was about to start a walk to the "Nagampadam" Private Bus stand to catch a bus to Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Temple thru the Railway station road and then lo on behold, there comes a bus to Thiruvarppu.. I boarded that bus from Railway Station stop only, and it went to the old private bus stand before the "Thirunakkara MahaDevan" and stopped for around 10 minutes or so there for more people to board ..
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cRuDH55oGfPxmBoH8
Had some friendly chats with fellow passengers about the current downtime plight of regularly conducted Bhagavatha Sapthahas in temples in an organized way other than personal Sadhana, compared to the earlier times, when the likes Bhagavatha Hamsam Malliyoor Thirumeni were conducting that..
Then within half an hour or so, the bus reached the Thiruvarppu Sreekrishna Temple.. Ramayana Parayanam was going on there..
Went inside the temple after removing the shirt and had a "Sashtanga Namaskaram" and took the Vazhipadu Cheettu for "Thrikkai Venna" and "Archana", put Kanikka and gave Dakshina to the "Potti" who gave the "Prasadam" and then came out and listened the Ramayana Parayanam again.. Had Dosas and Tea from the nearby hotel and checked the trains .. It was around 8.00 am then and Memu to Ernakulam was about to start from Quilon.. Thought a while whether to take a ticket in Parasuram or Sabari Express and for fear of rush hour decided not to .. Also to keep all options open including that of the bus for the return journey..
When the Ramayana Parayanam reached the point of Hanuman's journey to the Mountain of Medicines, I slowly got up and started walking to the Bus stop on the road.. Bus to Kottayam town came within 5 minutes or so and in another half an hour, reached the Kottayam Nagampadam Private Bus stand ..
Private buses were getting ready to depart to Ernakulam Vyttila Hub and were calling for people to board .. I was looking for a toilet to pee in, in the private stand and some of the people there said that within that bus stand, the available toilet stands closed for then..
So I decided to use the "Hanuman Gear" to walk up via the Railway station road, from Nagampadam Private Bus Stand.. In 5 to 10 minutes I was at the Railway Station ticket counter.. Three trains are coming up in quick succession to Ernakulam.. Two Express trains to North Railway Station and one ordinary Memu to South Railway Station.. I asked whether the reservation in the express train is possible now from that ticketing counter for a seat in the Express trains.. Only general tickets were available without any reservation.. My Bike is also in the South Railway Station's pay and park .. So I took a Rs.20/- Quilon - Ernakulam Junction Memu Ticket which is scheduled to arrive in an hour, after the departure of both the Express Trains, one after the other .. Used the Toilet in the Railway Station and waited in a bench on the platform watching moving crowds with arrival and departure of both the Express Trains.. Because it was rush hour people were standing in the general compartments (and even in reserved compartments too probably.. not very sure though about Sabari Express .. yet ..) ..
While the express trains were going North, on the second platform Kayamkulam Memu arrived from Ernakulam and it stood there for quite some time .. Then I noticed that two of the almost empty "Ladies Compartments" were there just in front of me (where I was sitting..).. And those "Ladies Compartments" seemed to be in between rather than at the ends probably.. So I thought, what if the "Ladies Compartment" of Quilon Ernakulam memu is also in the middle and stays where I am sitting .. ๐ค๐ค ..
So I got up and started walking forward to get another platform bench seat that could be aligning with some front boggies in the train rather than in the middle..
Few minutes after 10.00 am or so, the train arrived and the Ladies Compartment was adjacent to the Front Engine in this .. ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ .. Luckily I didn't move too forward and got on the train to get a seat Somehow.. Memu looked a lil like the Metro Trains in Chennai earlier days with wide open doors and a lot of standing space to accommodate bigger crowds .. But after 10.00 am, the rush hour is already past and so we** had a relaxed journey with lesser crowds ..
NB:-
An edited puffed up version of a journey that we** hadn't with PFA (Panchabhoota Fans Association..) been thought provoking too ..
Probably another interesting part of that journey been with some management games played by a group of "Hotel Management Students" going to Dubai for their interim apprenticeship in an International Hotel there, as a part of their curriculum project .. They said that they have their flight bookings from Kochi..
As students of a Hotel Management Course Programme from a prestigious institution, they started playing some "Management Games" in the train as a group activity to reduce their travel boredom ..
They formed a "Group Discussion Forum" and started discussing on a topic "The Marketing Challenges and it's solutions that a hotel management guy/gal may have to deal with in selling the Icecreams in an Ice Age" ..
And I was like "What the heck are they going to discuss about that .. ??๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ค๐ค .. " ..
And the further unfolding of discussions that they had been a lil more fascinating, beyond my expectations of their performance .. ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ค๐ค ..
.. ๐ค๐ค ..
https://youtu.be/aCghEsTPhdA?feature=shared
The one who started the discussion said, the abstract thinking in this issue is to formulate strategies to make one buy something that he or she doesn't need ..
Another one said, "Perception of "Quality" is of paramount importance and when there is Quality, people may even purchase, even if they don't need it, just to be seen associated with that Quality perception.."..
At that point, I was just like "Wow" and started forgetting my usual "Pranayama"/ Meditation programmes while traveling, trying to serve the trees, skies and clouds with Carbon Di Oxide (organically) in a process to enjoy the scenic beauty around more as said in the "Kriya Margopadesam" in Adhyathma Ramayana to an extent with principles of dancing electrons like a peacock in Quantum Mechanics when the rain clouds arrive to give some further beautiful sights than just the straight path of "Chaka Chaka" when fired from an electron gun in an unobserved manner..
https://youtu.be/a-gx0WVvC-g?feature=shared
Then another one came up and said " Perception of Freedom associated with the product, can contribute to the purchase even when not needed" .. For example India tried to buy "Freedom even when the British Rule" was going somewhat ok, because of the bondage perception of Taxes as shown in the movie"Lagaan", wherein actual reality any Government in power shall collect their due share of taxes for their Governance .. So the "lack of freedom" point in buying only the things that are necessary in PPP (Purchase Power Parity) terms, if gets portrayed synonymous to "Bondage", selling Icecreams in Ice Age can be easier .. Portraying "Freedom" as a carrot approach before the sticks of "bondage" perception with just living/having only the necessary items also can be a strategy to cheat the future outlook.. ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ค๐ค ..
https://youtu.be/GmCn31pq8i0?feature=shared
Then yet another one said the beauty in packaging is a never the least point and almost everyone agreed to that ..
So having an ice cream during the Ice Age is a symbolic act of better living for the moment.. It is all about having a Clean (shave) Faced living in the present moment that one has at the time (probably by even cheating the future too perhaps ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ค๐ค..)..
And when all of them were about to agree to that, yet another one came up with some further more Revelations and said "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" .. There need not be any short cuts to that in the long run.. So a time taken understanding of product by the customer matters more with Industrious promotions serving and contributing energy into the larger development pool of the Universe..
https://youtu.be/veTug54SS5E?feature=shared
Once I heard such a point, I came back to my senses immediately and started serving the trees, skies and clouds around again with Carbon Di Oxide emissions in PranaYama (in an organic manner) with better Sraddha and a more louder seeming posing with the meditation gestures .. ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ..
https://youtu.be/6exm2Hi28Xw?feature=shared