I have always been amazed by the love shown towards Tamil culture and heritage by Tamil diaspora from across the world more than the locals in Tamil Nadu. Yalini Raja is one such person who, even though being from Canada has immense love for the Tamil culture and especially the Tanjore Big Temple. So when she approached me for a dance portfolio shoot at the Big Temple, I couldn’t but grab the opportunity. Apart from the grandeur of architecture and sculpture, the Big Temple is an ode to dancers. In its heyday, the temple had 400 classical dancers from across the Tamil land who devoted their life to dance at the temple. And the great king Raja Raja meticulously had their names engraved in the temple walls which can still be seen today after 1000 years. The temple even has natya karanas in sculptures inside the sanctum. So a dance shoot in this temple just felt right.
Ancient India is known for a lot of things. Women’s liberation is not one among them. On one hand the womenfolk were worshiped as goddesses and on the other, they were seen as nothing more than domestic slaves. There is however, still one glory that you can’t deny India. It is the fact that there have always been women who broke the chains of servitude to carve their name in history and the men who always encouraged and supported women to reach for the stars.
As I read this in a social media post, I couldn’t think of a better way to wish all you lovely womenfolk a very happy women’s day.
“May the fire inside of you burn stronger than the storm surrounding you.”
Here is a small collection of my favorite women in Tamil sculptural heritage for this Women’s day.
Gajalakshmi, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, 11th Century ADGnana Saraswati, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, 11th Century ADGnana Saraswati, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, 11th Century ADVishnu Durga, Melpadi, 11th Century ADUnknown Chola Queen, Kumbakonam, 9th Century ADGaja Lakshmu, Mahabalipuram, 7th Century ADThe Warrior, Mahabalipuram, 7th Century AD (yes we had women warriors with six pack abs too)Durga & Thavvai, Kanchipuram, 8th Century ADKottravai, Mahabalipuram, 7th Century ADVishnu Durga, Thirukazhukundram, 12th Century AD
There are a few instances when you get a feeling that you are about to witness something special. The grand Chettinadu wedding of Akshey & Sowmiya actually went above a notch and ended being one of the most amazing weddings I’ve ever been to. Although I have been fascinated by the Chettinadu culture for years, I had never witnessed an authentic Nagarathar wedding. So when Akshey’s father Mr.Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, a renowned novelist whom I have had the good fortune of knowing since 2013, invited me to Devakottai to be a part of the wedding celebrations, I booked my tickets right away and packed all my camera bags, ready to go.
Anyone who knows Mr.Venkatesh can vouch for his infectious enthusiasm and his warm persona. Akshey is no different and we hit it off right from the moment we got in touch to make plans for the photoshoot. But little did I know that their whole family had the same warmth and cordiality.
Right after I arrived in Devakottai, I was urged to the dining hall and was fed a sumptuous Chettinadu breakfast. Mr.Venkatesh & Akshey pretty much introduced me to all their relatives and I started getting treatment like a VIP. Later did I realize that that is how they treat their guests. Right from the fun uncles, naughty kids and shy ladies, everybody I met radiated happiness and warmth. Right then I knew I was about to witness an amazing experience of the Nagarathar wedding.
The event itself was spread over 2 days and happened at the Groom’s and Bride’s bungalows across Devakottai and Kandavarayanpatti. First day of the celebrations were at Akshey’s century old bungalow where all his relatives gathered to perform pre-wedding formalities which included welcoming bride’s relatives, assembling the “Thaali” and just plain good fun. It was fun to hear the constant uttering of “Vaanga, Vaanga” by the ladies and gents of the house who were welcoming the guests assembling at the house. And by the way, the guests were pampered with 4 meals through the day all prepared in a big kitchen in-house. The highlight of the day however was the assembling the huge gold “Thaali” containing 34 pieces of gold.
The next day was even better with Akshey being welcomed to Sowmiya’s house with an elephant, firecrackers and traditional music and western music bands. The most interesting ritual was the “pon edukki kaatradhu” where the bride is supposed to be seen for the first time by the groom. (Psst…I know for a fact that they have met each other beforehand). The wedding took place in Sowmiya’s beautiful ancestral home which was brimming with relatives and well-wishers. The wedding in itself was quick with the groom tying the thaali, following by some of the post wedding rituals like the Naathanar sadangu.
The evening saw the Pen Azhaippu where the bride is brought into the groom’s home for the first time. Somewhere in between I managed to sneak in the couple for a quick photo shoot on another bungalow that belongs to the family. And boy was I surprised with their chemistry. I had my doubts with this being an arranged marriage but Akshey and Sowmiya did surprise me there. With him being the outgoing happy-go-lucky chap and Sowmiya, poise personified, it couldn’t be a better match.
Oh and by the way, it was awesome to catch up with Gopu anna, the human wikipedia that he is, his brother Jayaram and the young at heart Mr.Vaidyanathan. By the time I took leave and was waiting for my train to Chennai to arrive, I couldn’t help but wonder if the elders of the house did “Dhrishti Kazhitthal” to not just the couple but to the whole family as well.
The idea of a ride across Tamil Nadu has been germinating in the remotest curvature of my brain for a long time. Riding a motorcycle alone from Chennai to Kanyakumari and back may sound crazy even to the adventurous kind. But then the executive functions of my brain wanted to push the limits on craziness factor just for the sake of doing it.
The last week of March, I cordially ended my relationship with a company where I worked for over 6 years. While cleaning up my official laptop, nested within 6 years worth of useless information was a file titled “Weeklong Kanyakumari Ride_2012.xlsx”. Well that’s my “manifest destiny” and after a major convincing exercise at home with all the Alpinestar protective gear, I finalized on a 4 day ride across Trichy, Kodumbalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru and Pazhuvur.
How stupid of me to think I’ll get time to read books on the ride!
Typical of my plans, started my ride from Chennai just when the Sun was flexing its muscles to put on a display of might. With an open road, an open schedule and the thump of the Royal Enfield that was music to my ears, it literally was a dream head out on the highway.
After having a hearty brunch and hydrating well enough at Haritam, my favourite pitstop on the National Highway 45, I went in search of the Temple priest at Sendamangalam near Villupuram. The dilapidated temple at Sendamangalam is an archaeological treasure house and I was glad my story on it had attracted a generous heart who had offered to donate 5 liters of oil to the temple every month. Satisfied seeing the priest happy and with a polite decline to the invitation to lunch with him, I was back on the road to continue my battle with the star that’s supposed to be 149.6 million kilometers but felt like only a few inches away from my face.
My stop for the night was at Sri Ramakrishna Kudil, a residential school for the orphaned and underprivileged kids, on the Trichy -Karur road, right after the toll gate. My experience at the Kudil is jotted here.
Kids at the Kudil
I started the next day from the Kudil quite early in an effort to gain an upper hand in the duel that I had been having with the Sun. I gotta say thanks to PLA Residency at Trichy for storing my baggage for free while I went temple hunting in the city of Trichy. Trichy proved interesting with meeting quite a few interesting people. Right from the autorickshaw guy who almost convinced me to part with my baggage in his auto, to the pleasant hotel people who took in my baggage with a smile, I was feeling lucky to run into some good people. But then I had no idea I was about to meet two most insteresting characters in Trichy. A photographer/historian/flower shop owner and a most dedicated and helpful ASI official.
ASI Official Mr. Arockianathan and Photographer/Historian/Flower vendor Mr. Shanmugam
Being the follower of the old Tamil saying “Vida Muyarchi Viswaruba Vetri” or in other words “Try until you succeed”, I to knocked on the doors of Mr.Arockianathan early in the morning to get him to open the Pallava era cave temple at the RockFort in Trichy. Waking up from his slumber, he asked me to visit the Thayumaswamy temple and Uchi Pillayar temple and in the meanwhile he will be there at the Pallava cave temple by 9.30 AM. I followed his directions to a tee and went ahead to the Pallava cave temple by 9.30 AM. Unlike any government official that I had seen, there he was, Mr. Arockianathan opening up the cave temple for me exactly at 9.30 AM.
Lalitankura Pallveswara Griham – The cave temple excavated by Mahendravarma Pallava in 7th Century AD
After taking in the beauty of the Lower and Upper cave temples in the rockfort,thanks to Mr. Arockianathan who was excited to explain me things, I headed out to get on the motorcycle which is where I met Mr.Shanmugam who is a man of many talents, of which selling flowers seem to be his primary competency. He was trying to get people to buy bermuda grass to offer to Lord Ganesha at the top of the hill. When they declined and said they were going only to the Shiva temple, he was quick to think on his feet and asked them to offer the grass to Nandi in the Shiva temple. While the sale did not go through, it was interesting to see the platform independent solution that he was offering :P.
It was interesting to get to know this multifaceted personality and it was quite a surprise to know that him and Mr.Arockianathan were quite good friends and often discussed history with each other. Glad that I met them, I left on a happy note only to find that my motorcycle keys were missing. After a frantic few minutes of searching did I find my keys safely resting on the ignition with not even the side locks secured, inviting people to take a joy ride on my bike. Thanking the Gangadhara residing on the Rockfort, and more vigilant than ever, I went on my way to the most amazing and totally unexpected experience of my trip at Tiruvanaikkaval temple.
Akila – The Temple Elephant at Tiruvanaikkaval
The temple at Thiruvanaikaval is one of the anient Chola temples supposed to have been in place since the 10th century AD is humongous to say the least. But what made my experience special was the time I got to spend with the temple elephant Akila and the Mahout Mr.Arjunan. Arjunan and Akila, both were from Kerala and Akila would listen and obey every single thing that Arjunan said. It was amazing to see an animal of such size respond to the sounds of Human beings and that too a specific language. Waited an hour and half at the temple, throwing off my plans to be at Kodumbalur before high noon, just to get a glimpse of the rare ceremony of the male temple priest draped in a saree, worshiping Lord Shiva. The priest was affable enough to let me know that this is an age old practice to symbolically conduct the worship on behalf of the goddess of the temple.
Priest draped in saree – Symbolically representing the worship by the goddess
See the curious guy next to the priest? Thanks to him I had a much needed comic relief. We spoke for 10 minutes, with him assuming I’m from “The Hindu” newspaper and me talking on the lines of “I’m a Hindu”.
Off again I was, on the furnace, or otherwise called as open roads of Trichy. Oh and by the way, on my way to Trichy the day before, my speedometer wire decided to give up and I had no idea how fast I was going. But then I managed to get a rough idea based on the RPM. Nevertheless I decided to get it fixed before continuing further and went to the Royal Enfield Service station at Oxina Motors. The guys there took my bike in immediately and got it fixed within 1o minutes.
Getting the speedometer fixed
Thanks to Oxina Motors, I was back on the road again and this time I was off to Kodumbalur which is located on the corona of the Sun.
Trichy Rockfort – Bye Bye Trichy
If there is one highway I would recommend anyone to avoid during summer noon is the Trichy-Madurai highway. With no trees for shade along the highway, I literally felt like Ghostrider with a burning head. Not the one to easily give up, I stacked up enough water to survive on the Thar desert and rode on to my next stop, Kodumbalur.
Kodumbalur Moovar Kovil – The early Chola era temple, 10th Century AD
The ride was worth it to see the magnificent stone temples of Moovar Kovil at Kodumbalur. Built by the Irukku Velir, a subordinate clan of the Cholas, these temples were quite marvellous with their sculptures and architecture. I even got to see a couple romancing in the temple.
The romantic couple
Riding further along the corona, I reached the ancient temple town of Kudumiyan Malai which houses an inscription of a musical treatise from 7th century AD presumably authored by Mahendravarma Pallava. The place also has a beautiful ancient temple.
Musical Treatise of Mahendravarma Pallava, Kudumiyan Malai – 7th Century AD
The best part of Kudumiyan malai was again a dedicated ASI official Mr.Balu who treated me like royalty, showing me around in every nook and corner of the temple, explaining the inscriptions, paintings etc. He also called up the ASI watchman at Narthamalai, the place I was planning to visit the next day and asked him to take good care of me. We had a good chat and I dropped him off in Pudukkottai in my bike.
Elliptical single piece of stone is where the Pudukkottai Royalty conducted their weddings and other auspicious functions – Kudumiyan Malai
This ride took me to a lot of fantastic places out of which I’ve captured the beauty of only a few. There were places like Sittannavasal, Karunthittaikkudi Vasishteshwarar temple, Thiruvaiyaru and Thillaisthanam where I did not click much pictures but rather just took in the beauty and cherished the history. Like for example, the Vasishteshwarar temple was where two men had an archery contest and in the end of which both of them died due to one of the contestant rigging the contest. The amazing thing was that the contest was witnessed by the great Raja Raja Chola himself. There were a few heartbreaks as well, such as in Sittannavasal which houses the ancient paintings of the Jain monks containing two beautiful danseuses, the Pandya King Arikesari Maravarman, his queen and the Jain concept of Samvatsarana. Sittannavasal is frequented mostly by the local college kids bunking classes and spending time with their girlfriens/boyfriends. The one good thing was the ASI official Mr.Kuppusamy who knows his stuff and was an excellent guide for me.
Vijayalaya Choleeswara – Narthamalai
The next big highlight of my trip was the Narthamalai ruins. Narthamalai in the olden days was called Nagarathar Malai, named after the influential merchant guild in the Tamil country. Nattukottai Chettiar clan claims its descent from the Nagarathar of the yore. An interesting piece of info on Narthamalai is that this was the granite quarry from where the Cholas got stones to build the temples in their kingdom. This includes the Tanjore Big Temple and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple.
Huge Reliefs of Vishnu, Narthamalai
The hillock contains a grand old Shiva temple called as Vijayalaya Choleeswaram, a cave temple containing 12 identical 10 feet tall reliefs of Lord Vishnu and another small cave temple for Shiva. Thanks to Mr.Balu from Kudumiyan Malai, the ASI watchman came up the hillock to open up the temples and let me have a free hand in shooting them.
Possible Chola era fresco painting – Narthamalai
By the evening, I had retired to Thanjavur and after getting my bike checked out the at Royal Enfield dealer Jaf Motors there, I spent some time at the Raja Raja Cholan Museum which houses Chola era artifacts such as swords, utensils, toys, jewellery, coins, inscriptions etc. The museum also houses a fantastic inscription broken into pieces that sings the praise of Raja Raja Chola. The sad story behind it is that the inscription stone was found by someone while digging his backyard while renovating his house. Afraid that the Archarological department will confiscate his property, he broke the inscription and threw them away. However the vigilant contractor informed the authorities and the inscription was recovered.
Hail the king Raja Raja Chola – Broken Inscriptions at Raja Raja Chola Museum, Tanjore
After spending the evening at the Tanjore Big Temple, having delicious Chandrakala sweets at Bombay Halwa and the Kalkandu Milk at the old bustand, I retired for the night in Tanjore.
It was the final day of my trip and I covered Karunthittaikkudi and Thiruvaiyaru before stopping at Thillaisthanam which is presumably the place where Karikala Chola from over 2000 years ago died.
Disappointing to see the temple closed – Thillaisthanam
After being disappointed at Thillaisthanam since the temple was closed, I headed onto my final temple in the itinerary, the Keezhaiyur temple built by Pazhuvettarayar clan. For those of you read the Ponniyin Selvan, you can imagine Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar consecrating this temple with all his pomp. The amazing sculptures at this temple requires a separate post in itself and hence I’m restricting myself with sharing just this piece of maginificence, the most realistic Nandi in all of Tamil Nadu.
Most Realistic Nandi – Keezhaiyur Twin Temples
The priest at Keezhaiyur informed me about another age old Shiva temple a few feet from this one. While I went there I could see no traces of ancientness. It was newly painted and everything was brand new. I sat on my bike deliberating if I should enter it or not. Making up my mind, I entered it only to find fellow history and temple hunters Ramesh Muthaiyan, Sasi Dharan and Manick Rajendran surveying the temple for a documentary.
Happy Meet Up
I started my ride back to Chennai with mixed emotions. Happy that I saw a lot of wonders, met so many amazing people, enjoyed the road and more importantly pushed myself to break my physical barriers, I did feel a bit of heavy heart leaving behind some amazing places and people. I will especially remember the kids at Sri Ramakrishna Kudil, Mr.Arockianathan, Mr.Shanmugam from Trichy, Mr. Balu from Kudumiyan Malai, the smiley faced receptionist at PLA Residency, an ATM watchman at Pudukkottai who was originally from Royapuram in Chennai, thelodge manager and owner at Pudukkottai (btw Sri Lakshme Lodge is where you stay when you go to Pudukkottai. Fantastic value for money), the group of policemen that took extra effort to direct me to Sri Ramakrishna Kudil, the mechanics at Oxina Motors and Jaf Motors, and the Narthamalai watchman Mr.Palani.
If there was one person I felt grateful was my wife, who had the biggest of hearts to acknowledge my passion and to send me away on a ride while she herself was slogging at her work.
That’s the lady with biggest of hearts taking an Ola cab to work while I head out on my Bike
The biggest takeaway for me on this ride was that you don’t go in search of stories but to just travel and let the stories come to you.
Ever since Amar published a story on SriRamakrishna Kudil last year , I have been wanting to visit it and spend some time with the kids there. So when I planned for a ride across Trichy, Pudukottai and Tanjore I was very keen to spend some time at the Kudil. I called up my friend Vivi who talked to the Kudil people and ensured I got accommodation there for a night.
For the uninitiated, SriRamakrishna Kudil is a residential school providing free food, education and clothing for orphaned children and children below poverty line. The school was founded in 1949 by Brahmachari Ramaswamy Adigalar based on the principles of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The school saw patronage from stalwarts like Kirubanandha Variyar, MGR, Anna Durai, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha.
The amazing thing is that the kids are all disciplined enough and manage the running of affairs of the institution all by themselves with only 5 adults to supervise around 350 kids.
Sri Ramakrishna Kudil located right off the Trichy-Karur highway after the Toll Gate
I reached the Kudil by 4.30 PM famished after riding down from Chennai for 6 hours in the Sun that showed no mercy whatsoever. I was accorded a very warm welcome by Mr. Sukumar at the Kudil office who helped me offload my baggage and showed me my accommodation. A Kudil resident student Sivakumar helped me get settled in my room which by the way was the room stayed in by the likes of MGR, Kirubanandha Variyar, Kamarajar etc. The room was spacious and good enough for a decent stay. The accommodation is aptly named “Anbargal Illam”.
“Anbargal Illam” – The place where stalwarts like Kirubanandha Variyar, MGR, Kamarajar etc stayed
After settling in and freshening up I asked Sivakumar if we could meet the secretary Brother Karuppiah and he gladly took me across the road to the Kudil. Meanwhile talking to Sivakumar, I learnt that he had been a Kudil resident all his life and is currently enrolled in ITI education.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa – On whose ideals the institution is built
Brother Karuppiah welcomed me with a big smile and offered me a traditional welcome with a huge glass of tender coconut juice. We got talking and I learnt that kids study till 10th grade in the Kudil and based on their academic performance, they are enrolled in ITI which is a gateway for an engineering education later. The top 10 performers are enrolled in Sri Ramakrishna Polytechnic school in Chennai and the rest are enrolled in other institutes in Musiri, Trichy and other nearby areas. It was Dr.MGR who reserved 10 seats in Sri Ramakrishna Polytechnic school in Chennai for the Kudil students. He also told me that the kids took care of every single task in the Kudil thereby ensuring them that they grow up responsible citizens with life skills strong enough to not just survive but also make a mark in the society. But I had no idea as to what extent he meant.
Revered Brother Durai with the kids
I was so eager to meet the kids and Brother Karuppiah assigned me a student Hariharan to take me around the Kudil. The first stop was to meet Revered Brother Durai who is the current head of the institute. By the time I got introduced to Brother Durai and came out, the students were all hurrying up performing various tasks around the institute.
The kids were pretty curious to find out who I am and why I’m there. But they were hesitant to come talk to me. I could see all sorts of signage from kids around, asking Hariharan to tell about me. I ofcourse took the initiative and introduced myself and broke the ice. That was good enough to get the kids around me shooting various questions. Ofcourse the predominant question that a lot of the kids asked was if I was a Vijay fan or Ajith fan. Being an ardent Rajini fan that I am, I felt a slight tinge of disappointment which was soon overcome by getting to know the kids.
Just as the ice broke, the kids all gathered around
Hariharan took me around to see the Prayer hall, computer center, a room for stitching clothes, class rooms, auditorium, cow shed, the huge playground, lunch room, kitchen, garden and the river Cauvery that runs right on their backyard. While we covered all these places I could see kids everywhere cleaning the premises, gardening and performing a lot of tasks that I myself have never done before. But they were all happy to see a friendly outsider in their midst who was crazy happy to click everyone’s pictures.
Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay Style – He dropped his broom to pose for a pic Vijay Style
The students day began by 4.30 AM when they wake up and be ready for prayer at 7 AM. Once that’s done, they take their breakfast at 8 and attend classes from 9 AM to 4 PM. From 4.30 PM to 5.30 PM, the kids do all their daily chores like cleaning, gardening, cooking etc. They play for a while, do a prayer, study for a while and retire to bed by 8.30 PM.
Daily Chores – Not much of a chore when you have fun with your brothers doing them
The most amazing thing is that nobody tells the kids what needs to be done. They all know what needs to be done and take to their responsibilities quite eagerly. There is zero adult supervision. Although younger kids are supervised by older kids. And everybody does their tasks on a monthly rotation basis so all the kids get to perform all the tasks.
A little break
The kids do have their occasional quarrels but then they regard each other as brothers and their quarrels are immediately sorted out and they go back to work together. Hariharan who was accompanying me throughout said there have been very very few instances of boys running away. A lot of the kids who have passed out come back to do service at the Kudil. One such kid who passed out has devoted his life back at the Kudil, taking care of the cows.
The lovely cow Ambika
The institute has about 30 cows and the kids all take care of the cows assigned to them. They have a special affection towards their pet cows and they compete each other in taking care of them. The institute is kind of a self sufficient place with cows for milk, gardens for vegetables, flowers and fodder for the cows.
Master Chefs
The most amazing thing was that the meals were prepared by the children themselves with the recipes handed over to them from generation to generation. It is a complete vegetarian environment and the kids take Rasam rice, Sambar rice, Upma, Dosa, Chapathi for their meals. Here is one of the kitchens where kids are preparing food for the Brothers.
The Large Kitchen
The kids take sanitation seriously and they take bath twice a day before entering the kitchen to prepare their food. I had a chance to eat there the night I stayed and I should say I was blown over with the taste. All I had was Dosas, Chapathis and Rasam rice but how could I not enjoy them when served with their little hands and large hearts? And by the way did I mention that my accommodation and food was completely free and the Brother did not ask any money even in donation?
By around 6.30 PM, all tasks are done and the institute bell rings indicating the completion of all tasks. The most beautiful thing is that the kids did not show any sign of disinterest in performing the chores. They were going about it as if it is the most natural thing to do and all the while having fun. I contrast this to my attitude when I was a teen when it was a mountainous task for my mother to make me do chores around the house. I can honestly say that when these kids graduate, they will have more life skills than I have accumulated over all these years.
Hariharan – The future Computer Engineer
I’d be damned if I didnt mention about my interactions with Hariharan, my guide thoughout the days I spent there. Hariharan was a child labour who was a cleaner in a lorry service, sold pani puris and did odd jobs before being enrolled here at the Kudil. He joined the Kudil starting from 1st grade while he was old enough to attend 5th grade. He has a family in Thuraiyur who comes once a year to see him. He is also allowed to visit his family during the holidays but he hasn’t stepped out of the Kudil since the day he joined here since he likes being with his brothers. He is currently studying 9th grade and aspires to be a Computer Engineer. While he looked up to me for inspiration, I couldn’t tell him that he was actually being my inspiration.
Hariharan is just one example. All the boys have a story each and to hear them is very moving. And ofcourse I did leave with a heavy heart.
My new friends
The institute had been run self sufficiently till recent times. However with the rising headcount and rising costs, they have started to accept donations from outside. In case you would like to brighten up the lives of these kids, you can donate to the following bank account.
Canara bank account no: 8434101007411 Cheque/DD payable at Sri Ramakrishna Kudil, Thirupparaithurai. IFSC Code No.CNRB0008434 MICR No.620015023
It all started with my recent FB post about the decline of Cholas. Kumaran, a Geologist working in Delhi, who had been following my posts for sometime, got in touch with me to discuss more on the history of Cholas. As we got talking, I was amazed at his passion for living one with the nature. Kumaran dons many hats as a wildlife conservationist, an adventure traveller, a rider, and a trained Wilderness First Responder. And oh, did I mention that he is also a Limca book record holder for paddle boarding in the open waters of Bay of Bengal for 7 kms? Kumaran also runs the Bay of Life surfing and paddle boarding school for people of all ages in Kovalam beach (yes the surfing school that we see in the Kovalam beach is run by Kumaran and his friends).
So when Kumaran called me up early last week and said he is going to be in Chennai for the weekend and would like to take me up for a session on Stand Up Paddle boarding, I was a little hesitant being part of the “non-swimming no life skills acquired” populace of the Chennai city. But then the adventure loving part of my brain that had earlier pushed me from a twin engine plane from 13000 feet woke up again and egged me on to go ahead on it.
Ofcourse Kumaran’s assurance that the water level in the lake wont even reach till my hip helped as well.
So off we went early in the morning in Kumaran’s Scorpio all geared up. We headed out on the Mambakkam road which suddenly turned from being the chaotic Chennai outskirts to a farmland heaven with fields dotted all over. I swear I even saw a signboard that cautioned drivers to go slow as peacocks and deer may cross the road.
Soft Idlies and Piping hot Sambar
After 30 mins of driving we stopped at the intersection of Mambakkam road and Tirupporur-Chengalpet road for breakfast. The small push cart shop run by a couple had hot idlis and masal vada with piping hot sambar which was enough ammo for the rest of the morning.
Kumaran with his beast. “The Ocean is for Everyone”
We arrived at the beautiful lake, away from all civilization except for a Hanuman temple atop a hillock nearby which actually did provide quite a spectacular view of the lake. And Kumaran has aptly named the lake Bajrangi Bhaijaan lake. What amazed me was the fact that there is this beautiful lake just within an hour’s drive from Chennai and not many know about it. We were the only two souls there and Kumaran nudged me to get things ready on my own with a bit of his help. After a few minutes of pumping, the raft was ready and we were all set to get into the water.
First step in being self sufficient
The clay bed of the lake was a new experience for my feet and for the initial few moments I had a tough time to not slip and fall. Once I got used to it, it was fun to balance and walk on the clay bed.
See the scare behind that smile?
Being a professional trainer, Kumaran helped me with the basics of paddle boarding and made me comfortable to onboard and get paddling. I was kind of expecting Kumaran to topple the boat and dunk me in the water to get my fear of water out but then Kumaran is not a banana boat rider in the commercial beaches of Goa. Being a thorough professional and not the one for cheap thrills, Kumaran was helpful and made me comfortable throughout.
After a bit of struggle, I got used to stand up paddle boarding and was quite enjoying the experience when Kumaran brought out his snorkelling equipment out. Since the water was pretty clear and wasn’t too deep we could see a lot of flora on the lake bed. Though there were a few turtles that were said to be there, I couldn’t spot one unfortunately.
Is that a snake?
After spending an hour experiencing nature at its best we wrapped up. Kumaran was quite a stickler for conserving nature as it is and hence we had to carefully check so as to not leave any garbage, plastic or otherwise.
No leftovers. And BTW that’s the Hanuman temple behind.
One of the best things about my photo blogs on history is that I get to meet a variety of inspiring people. Kumaran is definiftely one such inspiration and I would recommend everyone to follow him on FB.
Voyager in Time 