Saturday, November 13, 2010

A tryst with the city of pearls



Six months after moving to Bangalore, today I am back at the city of pearls! So, how does it feel? Amazing! Hyderabad has something attached to it which makes it special. The wider roads, the garden of chillies, rocky hills, water bodies, hoardings in Urdu, every view from the bus as we entered the city, gifted me memories. 

The first time I visited this city in early 2006, I did not like it much. It was summer and people who have visited this place during summer would know the reason! It took more than a year for me to get accustomed to this place. Five years after my first visit, it was hard for me to relocate to another city. The language - Hyderabadi Hindi, the people, the kebabs, world famous hyderabadi biriyani, those gorgeous eyes hiding behind the hijabs, how could anyone not fall in love with this place?

I cant wait to savour each of my moment here. Lots of people to catch up with, some work and loads of food! How I missed the nawabi khana! I am here for two days. I ll head back to Bangalore on Sunday evening. So till we meet again, miss you Bangalore :)

Monday, October 4, 2010

Bangalore IndiBlogger Meet 2010

Five months after I attended the first Indiblogger meet of my life, in Hyderabad, today I walked in to the seventh floor of Fortune Park JP Celestial, Bangalore to meet Renie and team yet again! The first impression was not as good as what I had in Hyderabad - thanks to the 60 minutes motorcycle ride through the unknown streets of Bangalore, struggling to find our way to the venue. 

It was a pleasure to meet Renie, Anwin, Anoop, Vineet, Bala, Rashmi and the entire team yet again. Was Nafisa in there? :O The reception looked more techie with the presence of gorgeous gadgets with HP label printed on them! The registration counter sure looked better than what we had in Hyderabad and looked lovely with the presence of the bubbly young ladies of the Indiblogger team!


The hall was as expected, crowded. 274 registered entrants - now that's what I call a real offline meet! Being new to the city, the excitement of being with so many fellow bloggers was building up. To add to the excitement, I spotted Vinay, Shravan and Aparna in the crowd. Ive known them only through their blogs, meeting them in flesh and blood was an experience worth mentioning! Abhinav and I found ourselves seated towards the farther row from the screen.


The '30 seconds of fame' made us clap at commendable introductions, laugh at ridiculous self promotions and drool at gorgeous girls. The youngest blogger present was 14 years old and the oldest has seen 62 years of life. I got a chance to meet the brain behind "asklaila.com" and his cute little one. There were professional content writers, creative managers, photographers and a handful of people who respected their work. As an irony, most of the people present described their work as "crap", something which I found sad to hear.


I am still in love with the interface Indiblogger has created lately. This screen inspired me to fiddle with my phone a few times. Amazing is the advancement of technology in the communication arena!


 I took a few minutes break from the session to appreciate this beauty. The HP ePrint web-connected all-in-one cloud printer is a marvel of technology. Think of a situation were you click a photograph with your mobile phone, forward it to an email id and the photograph gets printed on a stand alone printer! No more laptops or software, no restrictions on proximity - printing is a breeze, just like sending an email! I tested this machine personally and verified the quality of the prints. Its amazing!



This time the event was not all about fun. There were a lot of "gyaan" sessions as well. People talked about technology, languages, civic sense and responsibilities, helping RTO find polluting vehicles and what not. The Indiblogger team made sure that the microphone passed hands before the crowd gets bored, something which made the sessions more effective!


The introduction rounds have made people glue to their seat. It was time to take a walk, to meet people and to say 'hi'! Yes, the Interaction round was on its way, with yellow chart papers and sketch pens. When it comes to sketch pens, there is only one name which comes to my mind, Rashmi :)


It was a wonderful experience to meet such a diversified crowd in such a short time! This half day experience has added at least two more names in my friends list - something which I appreciate about such an event.


The tiring interaction session was followed by a coffee break. I had the best coffee in my four months of Bangalore life, thanks to the catering wing of Fortune Park JP Celestial. The samosas weren't bad either! :) 


Thats Abhinav, myself and Shravan sharing a lighter moment. The best thing about any bloggers meet is the awareness it create, the thought that it shares suggesting that there indeed is life among the words shared in the lifeless medium. To meet the person who wrote the poetry which stroke a chord in your heart, to meet some one who shares his/her thoughts with you, to meet some one who made you think you are in love - its an experience enjoyed by blessed souls. Next time you get an opportunity, DO NOT miss it.


This post wouldn't be complete without this photograph. R, if you read this, know that your smile is contagious. It makes the people around you feel good. It wraps you with an aura of friendliness. Thanks for the extra t-shirt :) Bless you!


The major attraction of the event! I loved the wordings in this edition of the t shirt. Quality wise, I would stick to the one I got in Hyderabad. Having said that, I am happy to have received my share of the symbol and I am waiting eagerly for a chance to flaunt it :)

With that its time to ring the closing bells. Time for me to hit the bed! You guys wait, you got to comment before you leave! 

Have a good day folks. Communicate, Smile and Live your life!



Thursday, September 23, 2010

Honda - my new love!

Finally the new love of my life has arrived! She made me wait for  12 days before I could have a glimpse of her. Better late than never. I am so much in love with her :) All of a sudden Bangalore roads seem better!



She is Pearl Nightstar Black. The booking experience was nice. I booked her from Saphire Honda, Jayanagar, Bangalore on 8th of September. The expected date of delivery was 28th. I got a call on 21st informing me that my beauty has arrived :) After a night shift, "tired and sleepy" was the last thought I had. The urge to see her landed me on the showroom 20 mins after I got the call :) The paper works were done in an hour and the wait began. 





She was at the godown, dressing up! I saw her at 1.30 in the afternoon, and boy, it was love at first sight! I took her home, gave her food and took her for a small ride in the city. I guess she loved Bangalore as much as I do! I got her name [read as registration number] that evening. Her birth certificate [read as registration smart card] is yet to come.

Specs time:

Weight/ Measurements:

Kerb weight: 138 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 12 litre
Wight: 754mm
Length: 2073 mm
Height: 1085 mm
Ground clearance: 162 mm
Wheelbase: 1328mm

Chasis:

Chasis: Advanced Design Dimond Frame
Tyre type: Tubeless
Front suspension: Telescopic fork
Rear suspension: Mono suspension 3 step adj
Rear tyre: 110/80 17- M/C 57P
Front: 80/100 17-M/C 46P
Rear Brake tyre: Disc 220 mm dia
Front Brake tyre: Disc 240 mm dia

Engine & Transmission:

Transmission: Constant Mesh, 5 speed gear
Gear shift pattern: 1 Down- 4up
Engine: Air cooled, 4 Stroke, SI endine
Torque: 1.3kg@ 6500 rpm
Displacement: 149.1
Net Power: 14 bhp@ 8500 rpm
Air filter: viscous paper filter
Carbuerator/ fuel injection: Carb
Starting system: self

Electricals:

Chain case: Half
Mileage: 60
Lgnition: Digital CDI (Multi Mapping)
Headlamp: Halogen 12V 35/35 W
Battery: 12V-4AH Maintenance Free
Inst panel: Digital




She has 17 inch alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, five speed transmission, digital instrumentation, and rear disc brake.She has shed 8kg from her prototype[read as unicorn] and looks sleek and sexy! The riding position is more comfortable compared to its competitiors on the same segment. Gear shifting is a breeze and power is commentable. But due to the super soft gear i sometimes put it in neutral from first while taking off. Have to get used to it :) You cannot make out if the engine is running at lesser RPM, its so silent! The monoshock suspension could be adjusted to 3 modes - hard, medium and soft. Couldnt share much of a long riding experience since I just covered 50+ km and she is just one day old.I guess, for the money you pay - she is worth the buy. But if you are some one who says "how about some goodies, what are you giving for free?", then be ready to hear this from the dealers "This is Honda sir, nothing is free here" :) you got to buy all the accessories. How ever i wouldnt recommend the extended warranties that the shop keepers offer. The warranty stands void if you dont service the bike from the honda svc during the waranty period [read as 5 years] :P

So wear your riding gear and befriend the road. Happy riding! :)


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Experienceing Bangalore!

If you are new to Bangalore and if you are coming from a city like Hyderabad, the first thing you'll notice is the weather! Bangalore has an awesome weather, atleast for me. The short drizles make the city look beautiful during the day.The cold breeze makes it even better at night! I am in love with the weather here.

Accommodation is one thing which I have not found yet. Thats scarey given the fact Ill have to vacate the guest house any day this week :( I do not know th city yet. From experiance this is what I found about locations:

* Bhannarghatta road: Not Recommended! [even if u get a palace on rent for cheap price, avoid this location if you working in E City. Travelling is such a pain!]

* Koramangla : Highly Recommend! This place has a good connectivity with the rest of Bangalore. Travelling to and from E City should be easier from here! Koramangla is slightly expesive compared to other locations Ive been to.

* E City: Not Recommended! This is one advice I have been consistently getting from every one around and from day 1! Do not stay in E City. It would look comfortable for a few months and later you get a feel that you are trapped in a corporate jungle!

* BTM Layout: Highly Recommend! I havnt been to this place personally, but who ever visited this place for searching accomodation has good words about it.

* Yellahanka: Not Recommended! Not sure if it spells correct. As far as Ive heard of this place, its easier to get an accomodation here and its cheaper, but its really very far!

* HSR Layout: Recommended! Not visited the place personally. Got lots of reccomendations about this place though :)

* Madiwala : Not sure! This place is awesome in terms of connectivity. Since I hail from Kerala, this place is awesome in terms of food as well! We have lots of Kerala messes and restraunts here. But in terms of quality of flats, this place doesnt come near BTM or Koramangla. We have old flats here an most of them have a PG kind of look [from what Ive seen]. Since I wish to get a feel of home from where I am gona live, I would rather not recommend this place!

As I said, I still havnt figured out where to stay, so if anyone of you have suggestions, I would be glad to read them in the comments section!

Travel to home town has been another thing which brought me to Bangalore! Now I am nearer to Kerala. In Hyderabad I had to depend on One train [Sabari express] which run dailey and which is full almost on any given day! The journey took almost 22 hours! Bangalore is better with atleast 3 trains and 40 plus busses going to Kerala! But booking a ticket was not as easy as I have imagined! I had to travel to Kerala this weekend [21st] and wow, no tickets available in the trains! No tickets available in the busses as well [remember the count was 40 plus!!] Then through an agent I got my ticket to kerala. Now the return journey? No tickets available on any mode of transport on Sunday night! Got special permission to be away from desk on Monday and what do I find? There is just one ticket waiting for me on a mOnday night! So I booked it - the last seat, God knows how the journey is gona be!

Now, the reason for my relocation to Bangalore: my New job! Infosys is awesome! Atlast the campus! I am yet to get a feel of the work culture and process, but the campus sure looks worthy of the change! I spent almost 18 hours in campus these days! No, not at desk, in the campus!! The job looks challenging as of now, looking forward to interact with the team and fall in now with the process :) Infy has spent so much in maintaining greenery around the campus which is GOOD! We even have monkeys and cute birds in the trees near our food courts :) so much close to nature, i say! its really refreshing! There are 50 buildings in the campus of which I guess 9 are food courts! Any one here works in E City? Lets meet :)

Oh, forgot to mention, my lazy lazy blog completed 100 posts with the last note! So this is the 101st post :)

have a happy time friends and smile! :)

Friday, May 7, 2010

Good bye Hyderabad

In December 2005, Sabari Express took me from Palakkad, Kerala to Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh - a journey which changed my life, perceptions and career graph! Four and a half years of fun, laughter and mood swings comes to an end! Today, Sabari Express takes be back to Palakkad for a vacation before I start my next journey. I would miss the city, a city which I know better than my home town. I would miss the exotic food, the beautiful people and Hyderabadi hindi. This journey is for good, a long vacation at home, ghar ka khana, some time with my beautiful niece! After a week I start another journey, another train would take me to Bangalore. Is this for good? let time decide!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Being Real: UniverCell Bloggers' Meet, Hyderabad.

You have lived a virtual life in the real world. Ever tried having a real life in the virtual world?

Now you could tickle your wits offline! How? Irritate Renie to a level that he go down on his knee and promise to conduct a bloggers meet in your city! I attended one in Hyderabad this month and boy, it was fun! Do not get scared by the length of the post, trust me, there wont be much to read. Photos would do the talking for now and I shall think loud with some snaps :)

A small introduction to the event: Indiblogger meet happened on Sunday April 11, 2010 - 2:30 PM at Fortune Select Manohar, Hyderabad. The official page claimed 150 bloggers would come under one roof, I seriously doubted the number! I mean, Renie and his team thought that 150 bloggers would move their sorry ass on a Sunday afternoon when the outside temperature would be anywhere above 35 degrees?




I see the indiblogger team laughing at my instinct! A full house? WOW! Yes, we had a full house at the meet, bloggers from different background with different perceptions sat together in a room for three hours! In one line – “its an experience I would cherish till I attend another bloggers meet”.




This is how registration happened. A small group dressed in black greeted us at the registration counter. The first thing I noticed: The stack of t-shirts kept for distribution! I did notice the gorgeous lady at the counter. The guys who gave her company looked healthy which made me decide that staring at the t-shirts is a better option! Registration was piece of cake, you enter your email id and whoa, u r in!




This screen gave live feeds of the arrival of guests, the indiblogger tweets and blog updates. Technology! Who writes code for you? Renie, whats the hiring strategy of indiblogger? :O




Say hello to the organizers!




30 seconds of fame! Did some one keep the time? This was a treat! Some bloggers were shy, some reminded me of politicians. We had people writing about the older generation and we had people writing about new born kids! The blogger in picture is an ex googler, a hardcore techie! A few bloggers were interesting, others did shameless self promotion! So what did I get from all this? A good laugh and one realization: Blogsville is definitely a different planet! It’s like playing a game. You control your avatar, live a second life. The three hours we spent there in blood and flesh, we were real! Walking mortals of those unknown avatars. We had all out limitations. So did I miss my laptop? Maybe!




This was the show stopper! The interaction time. 



These charts were given to us along with one sketch pen each. We would have to hang these charts around our neck and go meet people! We meet people, talk, try to know them in a minute or so [experts we are, aint we?] and then? 



Comment of course!! We scribble our thoughts on their chart and they return the favor. Idea! Who is heading your creative team? [wide eyes]



More and more snaps here since this was the essence of the meet. Some one with a professional camera took a photo of a gorgeous lady signing my chart. Renie didn’t put it with the rest! Bad Renie [cries].


thats my chart!!





Yeyyy!! This was one session which I wouldn’t have missed :) Fooooood!! Hungry kya?




Quiz time!! Riyaz teased my brain! So did I know the answer for any of the questions asked? Does it really matter?, forget it :)

Update:



Nafisa, you were the one responsible for the arrangement of venue? Good work friend!

Alright, so the meet comes to an end and so does the post! Tired? Have a sip of your favorite drink and move your sorry ass to the comments page now! :) 






Cheers to all, cheers to life!


**All photos stolen from Renie's photo stream!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

random updates

i havnt been here for long now. i have no excuses to give. i wasnt that busy. it was not writer's block. i wasnt ignoring social life. it wasnt "silence mode". ter were so many things happening all of a sudden that it took time for me to realize what's happening, to sort it out and to make myself stable. so now that ive said that, here is a list of updates for all those who missed me and for all those who forgot to miss me :P

Update #1 : Would write solaris [scsa] paper soon. bought the voucher.
Update #2 : Joined MBA. its a one year course for working professionals.
Update #3 : Resigned from current job. Would soon leave the city. 
Update #4 : Would be relocating to Bangalore in 2 months. [Frenz in B'lor, wud need ur help/advice/suggestion to search for an accomodation]
Update #5 : Gona attend the Sun International Conference. Keynote Speaker: James Gosling. Excited!
Update #6 : Went for a tamil movie after long. Havnt seen Avatar yet. Wish to see LSD & The book of Eli. Reviews anyone?
Update #7 : Bloggers meet @ Hyderabad [Fortune Select Manohar] on Sunday April 11, 2010 - 2:30 PM. r u coming?

more updates soon. sorry, i havnt read ur posts. i would be doing that really soon. luv u all :)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day

[ Pic Courtesy : enragedinfliction ]


Valentine's Day has always been special. Whether you are single or committed, happy or sad, healthy or weak, V Day is definitely not like any other day. It brings us happiness with the presence of our loved ones, memories, dreams or atleast hope. For some, it might even gift pain. Not every memory brings a smile on us! Good or bad, it definitely brings a different emotion tagged to it. So here we are, experiencing another V Day! It definitely brings on memories in me. I am not sad, not happy either. But i feel good, good to have beautiful memories to cherish. With so many wedding bells ringing around me, I definitely cant hide my smile! When you have a lot of positive energy around you, you cant escape from it even if you want to :) I wish each and every friend who is preparing to take the big step, a very very happy, romantic, fun filled and prosperous married life. 

[ Pic Courtesy :strangeprogram ]


Thirty two years ago, when Love Marriage was not a "happening thing", when the social circle was not so open to relationships and when Internet or mobile phones did not help the man meet his lady, two individuals fell for each other. Their love for each other was so deep that it broke the social norms that prevailed and they took the decision to stay for each other through out. Together they have shown me what love is. Dad and Mom, a very happy Valentine's Day to you!

Friends, in the midst of celebration, lets take a break of 2 mins, offer silent prayers to all those lovely souls who parted us in yesterday's bomb blast in Pune. lets pray for the speedy recovery of all those who got injured and lets pray that unfortunate incidents like this does not repeat. I wish all my friends a very happy and safe Valentine's day. 

Smile, Love, Play, Use a Condom :)

Monday, January 25, 2010

an abstract phase called life



[picture courtesy : Felilly [Devianart]

I stand facing the holy gate today
A bridge separating me from my haven
On the other end
I see the holy men set to choose my destiny!
Destiny - the word has always scared me.

the world I lived was so complicated
I muddled through, not knowing where my steps took me.

you said I never did it right.
you said I was still a kid and need to be guided
you never had faith in my decisions
you never allowed me to dream
you never had answers to my questions
Questions which meant life to me

I had you with me all my life
when I had to buy those color pencils
when I looked at that pretty frock with desire,
when I smiled shy to that cute boy in class,
in my teens, when privacy was denied to me
when I had to choose on my career, my life,
you were there observing, instructing, commanding
telling me how wrong I was every time
and how blessed I am to have you to guide.

you lived my life when I had one
and now, when I stand here, lifeless
I am alone, no one to instruct, to guide!
they called me stupid, insane
for I cut my vein, lay indifferent.
they say I ended my life for nothing
when did I have a life of my own?

I stand facing the holy gate today
a bridge separating me and my destiny
on the other end
I see the holy men set to choose my destiny!
yet again, some one else decides for me.

parents, you lived your life all way through. you’ve seen the good and bad of decisions taken. its human to have the urge to go back and correct the steps taken. please never let that urge kill your child's happiness. do not live their life. every moment you take from them, you are living your second life and they are loosing their first.
children, every moment of survival is tough. you could choose to fight and write your own destiny or to obey the rules of nature. today might gift you tears, tomorrow there is hope. dont let your tears stifle your future.

Friday, January 15, 2010

swamiye sharanamayyappa

Note: Long post ahead. If you dont have time, please look at the pics and read the last line :)



Finally I made it!! I visited the temple of Lord Ayyappa. It was an experience worth mentioning. I feel so different. I feel so good!

Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January.Mandala pooja (November16,2009)  and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th) are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).




Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. The devotees are expected to observe austerities for 41 days prior to the pilgrimage. This begins with wearing of a special Mala( A garland made of Rudraksha or Tulasi beads). In general from then they are to refrain from meat, fish, alcohol, tobacco, sex, using foul words, refrain from hair cut and shaving. They should visit the local temples regularly and only wear plain black, blue or saffron colored traditional clothing.

Sabarimala is one of the most visited piligrim centres in the world with an estimated 45 - 50 million devotees coming every year. The world's second largest annual pilgrimage (after Hajj in Mecca) is reported to be to Sabarimala.However no female between the age of 10-50 are allowed to visit this temple. Among many other reasons the fact that core story attributed to Lord Ayyappa prohibits the entry of the women in the menstrual age group.




Erumeli (a small town in Kottayam district, Kerala) is a place, which is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. That’s because the place is famous for its Sastha Temple andVavar Mosque Vavar is believed to be a close friend of Sri Ayyappa. The vavar swamy mosque is situated right opposite the entrance of the Kochambalam (little temple, Erumeli) where there is an idol of Sri Ayyappa. The pilgrims, after paying obeisance at the Kochambalam, come out dancing, dance into the Vavar swamy mosque, shouting out their traditional chants and with the accompaniment of a musical band with drums and nadaswaram. Then they come out and dance their way through the streets of Erumeli to the Big temple (Valiyambalam).

Okies, that's some info about Sabarimala. Now about my trip!! I started my journey on 10th. I went to a temple to fill my irumudi. lrumudi is the only travelling kit which a pilgrim carries on his head during the pilgrimage. Only those who observe fasting for 41 days are allowed to carry it. Without the Irumudi one is not allowed to step onto the holy 18 steps at the Sannidhanam. This bag is in two compartments - the Munmudi (the front part) and the Pinmudi (the back part) & the opening at centre. The front portion is reserved for keeping all the puja articles and offerings to the deity. The rear part is meant to hold the pilgrims' personal requirements for the journey. No pilgrim, except the Royal Family of Pandalam, is permitted to ascend the  `Pathinettam Padi' without carrying an irumudi on the head.




I started my journey from Palakkad, my home town, at around 3 in the evening. Somehow I felt that time was moving very fast!! Usually when ever i travel in bus from palakkad to cochin which is about 150 km, i feel tired! This time though the journey of about 360 km felt like anything but tiring!! I reached Holy Pampa at 12 midnight. Took a dip in Pampa river and I felt all fresh!! Lord Ayyappa (Sri Dharmasastha) appeared to the Pandalam Raja as a child on the banks of the Pamba River. The Pamba River has been venerated as Dakshina Ganga (The Southern Ganges), and devotees of Lord Ayyappa believe that immersing oneself in the Pamba is equivalent to bathing in the Holy Ganges River. Bathing in the river, believed to absolve one's sins, is a requirement before commencing the trek through the forest to the Ayyappan Temple atop Sabarimala.




I started the trek at 12.30. It was cold, but I felt good. The trek was tough indeed. I had to stop at 5 places to catch my breathe before I reached sannidhanam. The devaswam board has done a good job! there are atleast 5 cardiac centres and 8 oxygen clinics on the way to sannidhanam. For youngsters [especially IT guys] I would advice you to start doing cardiac exercises for minimum 40 mins a day, atleast 30 dyas prior to visiting the temple. Treking with irumudikette is not that easy :)




I reached sannidhanam at around 3 in the morning. 6 km uphill from pampa. The darshan starts at 4 in the morning. So i waited in queue till 4. At 4, the temple opened with Ayyappa Suprabhatham sung by K.J.Yesudas. The queue moved fast. By the time I reached in front of the 18 holy steps, I was so excited!!




Sabarimala temple complex mainly comprises of the Holy Eighteen Steps (PONNU PATHINETTAMPADI) in the front side for ascending to the upper thirumuttom, the main temple of SREE DHARMA SASTHA, shrines of KANNIMEL GANAPTHY and NAGARAJA.  The pilgrims with IRU MUDI KETTU alone are permitted to ascend the Holy Eighteen Steps. The sacred 18 steps (Ponnu Pathinettampadi) are covered with `Panchaloham'(a preparation of special metals and mortar). The inner meaning of these 18 steps is as follows:-
The first five steps represents the Five Senses(Panchendriyas) ie visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile. These signify theortal' nature of one's body. The next eight steps represents the eight Ashtaragas viz Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Madha, Maltsarya, Asooya, Dhumb(Love, Anger, Avarice, Lust, Pride, Unhealthy Competition, Jealousy and Boast fulness). The next three steps represents the three Gunas (nature-born qualities), Satv, (perspicuity, discernment) , Rajas (activity, enjoyment) and Thamas (inactivity, stupor). The last two steps represents Vidya (Knowledge) and Avidya (Ignorance).

It is believed that, those who detaches themselves from all these worldly pleasure, can see the Lord Ayyappa in real sense. It is considered that after climbing up these eighteen  steps reverently, one symbolically detaches oneself from all the worldly ties that bind one physically and mentally to the world . It is only then that a person will be in a receptive condition to be one in consonance with the concept of 'The Ultimate Creator'.




I touched all 18 steps and I felt like never before! The steps led me to the main temple. I had a good dharshan of 5-10 seconds. The feel that you get cannot be explained. No words could represent the peace and calmness i felt at that moment. Its an experiance I would always cherish. Then I had dharshans of Malikappurathamma and Nagaraja.







I started downhill at around 10 in the morning. The way downhill was more dangerous than the way uphill!! Walking through that path without slipppers made me think that this is how we wash our sins!! :) I reached back Pampa by 11.30. Had lunch from there. The went to Nilakkal where my bus was parked. I started my journey back at 2.30 in the afternoon. On my way back I visited Chakkulathukavu Shri Bhagavati temple, ambalappuzha SriKrishna temple and Guruvayoor temple. Watched kathakali at guruvayoor!! It was long journey and I reached back at 7 in the morning.




I took a dip in the Holy river of Pampa, touched 18 Holy steps, had a glimpse of Ponnambalavasi, I feel pure now!