A wealthy God indeed...!
A trip to Thirupathi after a long long time. Had forgotten the whole place.Mom reminded me that my last trip was 13 years back. Ooh! Who remembers stuff that happened 13 years ago!? Travel time was less than what me and my thatha expected. We started at 10 PM in the night and we were there at 3.30 AM banging the hotel room where my parents had already checked in.It was the first "Meet the Parents" act this year for me (its March already!). So naturally that meant none of us slept after that. There were stories to tell and stories to be heard. Updates to be given, updates to be heard. We were by the way there to witness the marriage of Lord Mr.Venkateswara with Ms.Sridevi and Ms.Bhoodevi. Kalyanautsavam happens everyday at Thirumala for Him. Lucky person!
Get ready, breakfast done, travel from Thirupathi to Thirumala through the ghat road. Thatha was amused (not satisfied and upset a lot) about the changes that had taken place over there. "In this place, which is empty now, there used to be a Mutt. There, there used to be a Mandapam.What happened to these people? Why have they destroyed these structures?". There were other old people who echoed his sentiments. Anyway, left our slippers outside (in an unguarded place, taking a lot of risk) and we were ready to join the queue.
Man, it has to be said: People's patience is best tested at Thirumala. Mom would now tell me the stories of my brother, how impatient he used to get in those never ending queues! But this time, we were special guests to His marriage(that means we had already paid Rs.750 for the Kalyanautsavam ticket and two people are allowed for one ticket and we had two tickets. There was Rs.2500 Kalyanautsavam ticket as well. The priest outside told us: "Dont worry. You people have paid so much. You would be given the treatment that money deserves"), and that means the queue time is going to be less for us. But, one thing needs to be told about Thirumala: The queues are organised and managed very well. So after many rounds of checking, we are now put into a gallery where all the people who had paid 750 would be seated. Of course, there was a seperate one for 2500. And the beauty is that the system is so systematic and its happening over and over again everyday that the people who are managing the crowd, exactly know when to let people inside the gallery, when to let the people out as they know the timings of things happening around exactly.
We joined the queue at around 9 AM. Went into this gallery at around 10. There we were sitting for half an hour and by the time we passed various stages of the Q and reached the Kalyana Mantapa it was like 11.30. Mom wasnt happy. It was my uncle who booked the tickets online (He told me he was lucky to get them, for they were all booked for next two years already) and she was of the feeling that we should have booked the 2500 one: for there would be something special done for them than 750. Money Speaks!
So in the Kalyanamantapa, the people with 2500 ticket sat in the front rows.Money Speaks! And i psyched up my mother that yeah the Sankalpam would be done for people who paid 2500 and not for us. She got tensed up."No, I wont accept this marriage ceremony then. If I am not doing the Sankalpam with your father today, we would wait, pay 2500 again and do this whole thing again". So we were sitting behind and after sometime the priest who does the marriage arrived and the chating of mantras all started. After sometime it was Sankalpam time and luckily after all 2500 tickets were done, yeah, much to the satisfaction of my mother, we were allowed to do the same as well.
Now, my Dad and thatha would open the money covers which others had given to them to offer in the Hundi. Thirumala is so different from all other temples in the world. How wealthy is this God and how wealthy is this temple!? I have seen so many other temples in India, ancient ones but in a ruined condition.It would be pathetic to watch such temples going to ruins. Have heard stories of priests in those temples finding it damn difficult to make both ends meet. But for Thirupathi Balaji, its all different story. Mom would say "Hey, he owes a lot of debt to Kubera. We are just paying the interest of the loan still. The original amount is still left". I would reply back: "How many generations are you going to say the same?". When i put a 5 rupee coin into that cover of Dad, i told my Mom "This is enough for Him. He is already very rich". I used to wonder: "Why cant these people do something to other temples I have talked about? Why cant they do something to renovate those temples? Why do you have to concentrate it all to this temple? Arent those Gods, Gods? What is so special about this person who lives among these seven hills?".
Look at the mentality of the priests over there. (The following, which am saying is not applicable only to Thirumala, but in general to most of the temples I have seen). When I went for the Sankalpam, I didnt have any money with me in my hand. The priest never cared about me. But, when my Dad was waving a 10 rupee note, the priest snatched it in a flash of a second, then asked my father, name, gothram and did all those good stuff. So where is the Bhakthi here? Its all money. If you pay, they would do anything for you. If not, nothing, literally nothing! I also used to wonder, why do we need these special entrance tickets within temples? Why should I pay to see Him? Is God accessible to only those with money and not for others? After the Kalyanautsavam was over, when we stood in the queue to worship the main deity, I was told that all other queues of people in General Q, 50 rupee Q would be blocked and the God would be exclusively available for people who have paid 2500 and 750. Now these people in General Q would have waited for hours (sometimes it goes to a day as well) and see what happens now.We the people who paid money, would have access to see Him and they have to wait till we leave!
We had a good darshan though thanks to most of the crowd that was blocked because of us. I was angry at Lord Mr.Balaji and when we were out outside after the darshan, we went to this Q for Prasadam. It was free prasadham, mind you, and the person who was distributing, was getting money from certain people and was giving them the prasadams rather than people in the Q. Now, after me, my thatha got angry and shouted at that person. See, this is what is happening everywhere! Money speaks. When we were finally out after all these to the unguarded place where we had left our footwears, know what? All the other three people with me had theirs safe and secure and only mine was lost. Mom and myself were looking over it all over, but no use! Yeah,Lord Mr.Balaji, so you have punished me for getting angry at you, huh!?, I thought. Such an instantaneous response, wow! I didnt expect. So I started walking bare foot. Was like 2.30 in the afternoon under hot sun. Yeah, go ahead Sir with your treatment to me for expressing an honest opinion to you. But, let me tell you people, on the contrary, I guess with those slippers of mine, I have left over something(which am not gonna tell u what) bad which I wanted out of me desperately but wasnt able to do so for a long time now and yeah I am feeling it for last 5 days. Then on my way back from Thirumala to Thirupathi I was thanking Lord Mr.Balaji for that. May be losing those slippers was a very good omen.Actually, he has done good to me for what I did to Him. I was thanking you then. Am thanking you still and I would be thanking you for this forever.
Get ready, breakfast done, travel from Thirupathi to Thirumala through the ghat road. Thatha was amused (not satisfied and upset a lot) about the changes that had taken place over there. "In this place, which is empty now, there used to be a Mutt. There, there used to be a Mandapam.What happened to these people? Why have they destroyed these structures?". There were other old people who echoed his sentiments. Anyway, left our slippers outside (in an unguarded place, taking a lot of risk) and we were ready to join the queue.
Man, it has to be said: People's patience is best tested at Thirumala. Mom would now tell me the stories of my brother, how impatient he used to get in those never ending queues! But this time, we were special guests to His marriage(that means we had already paid Rs.750 for the Kalyanautsavam ticket and two people are allowed for one ticket and we had two tickets. There was Rs.2500 Kalyanautsavam ticket as well. The priest outside told us: "Dont worry. You people have paid so much. You would be given the treatment that money deserves"), and that means the queue time is going to be less for us. But, one thing needs to be told about Thirumala: The queues are organised and managed very well. So after many rounds of checking, we are now put into a gallery where all the people who had paid 750 would be seated. Of course, there was a seperate one for 2500. And the beauty is that the system is so systematic and its happening over and over again everyday that the people who are managing the crowd, exactly know when to let people inside the gallery, when to let the people out as they know the timings of things happening around exactly.
We joined the queue at around 9 AM. Went into this gallery at around 10. There we were sitting for half an hour and by the time we passed various stages of the Q and reached the Kalyana Mantapa it was like 11.30. Mom wasnt happy. It was my uncle who booked the tickets online (He told me he was lucky to get them, for they were all booked for next two years already) and she was of the feeling that we should have booked the 2500 one: for there would be something special done for them than 750. Money Speaks!
So in the Kalyanamantapa, the people with 2500 ticket sat in the front rows.Money Speaks! And i psyched up my mother that yeah the Sankalpam would be done for people who paid 2500 and not for us. She got tensed up."No, I wont accept this marriage ceremony then. If I am not doing the Sankalpam with your father today, we would wait, pay 2500 again and do this whole thing again". So we were sitting behind and after sometime the priest who does the marriage arrived and the chating of mantras all started. After sometime it was Sankalpam time and luckily after all 2500 tickets were done, yeah, much to the satisfaction of my mother, we were allowed to do the same as well.
Now, my Dad and thatha would open the money covers which others had given to them to offer in the Hundi. Thirumala is so different from all other temples in the world. How wealthy is this God and how wealthy is this temple!? I have seen so many other temples in India, ancient ones but in a ruined condition.It would be pathetic to watch such temples going to ruins. Have heard stories of priests in those temples finding it damn difficult to make both ends meet. But for Thirupathi Balaji, its all different story. Mom would say "Hey, he owes a lot of debt to Kubera. We are just paying the interest of the loan still. The original amount is still left". I would reply back: "How many generations are you going to say the same?". When i put a 5 rupee coin into that cover of Dad, i told my Mom "This is enough for Him. He is already very rich". I used to wonder: "Why cant these people do something to other temples I have talked about? Why cant they do something to renovate those temples? Why do you have to concentrate it all to this temple? Arent those Gods, Gods? What is so special about this person who lives among these seven hills?".
Look at the mentality of the priests over there. (The following, which am saying is not applicable only to Thirumala, but in general to most of the temples I have seen). When I went for the Sankalpam, I didnt have any money with me in my hand. The priest never cared about me. But, when my Dad was waving a 10 rupee note, the priest snatched it in a flash of a second, then asked my father, name, gothram and did all those good stuff. So where is the Bhakthi here? Its all money. If you pay, they would do anything for you. If not, nothing, literally nothing! I also used to wonder, why do we need these special entrance tickets within temples? Why should I pay to see Him? Is God accessible to only those with money and not for others? After the Kalyanautsavam was over, when we stood in the queue to worship the main deity, I was told that all other queues of people in General Q, 50 rupee Q would be blocked and the God would be exclusively available for people who have paid 2500 and 750. Now these people in General Q would have waited for hours (sometimes it goes to a day as well) and see what happens now.We the people who paid money, would have access to see Him and they have to wait till we leave!
We had a good darshan though thanks to most of the crowd that was blocked because of us. I was angry at Lord Mr.Balaji and when we were out outside after the darshan, we went to this Q for Prasadam. It was free prasadham, mind you, and the person who was distributing, was getting money from certain people and was giving them the prasadams rather than people in the Q. Now, after me, my thatha got angry and shouted at that person. See, this is what is happening everywhere! Money speaks. When we were finally out after all these to the unguarded place where we had left our footwears, know what? All the other three people with me had theirs safe and secure and only mine was lost. Mom and myself were looking over it all over, but no use! Yeah,Lord Mr.Balaji, so you have punished me for getting angry at you, huh!?, I thought. Such an instantaneous response, wow! I didnt expect. So I started walking bare foot. Was like 2.30 in the afternoon under hot sun. Yeah, go ahead Sir with your treatment to me for expressing an honest opinion to you. But, let me tell you people, on the contrary, I guess with those slippers of mine, I have left over something(which am not gonna tell u what) bad which I wanted out of me desperately but wasnt able to do so for a long time now and yeah I am feeling it for last 5 days. Then on my way back from Thirumala to Thirupathi I was thanking Lord Mr.Balaji for that. May be losing those slippers was a very good omen.Actually, he has done good to me for what I did to Him. I was thanking you then. Am thanking you still and I would be thanking you for this forever.
5 Comments:
No offence meant... but did YOU write this posting? Who are you talking to when you say 'people'? What happened to the person you were supposed to hold a conversation with when you began blogging?
Did we all, knowingly or unknowingly make you conscious that you are up for display...? So much so that the integrity in your tone- which made me come over and over again to your blog... is 'lost'... From where I see it at least...
Ask the world to go to hell- and me along with it... Write for yourself as you have written before... write for Jike...
Did u leave behind your viral infection?;)
Well, if it had been the viral infection, I would have told that. No it isnt... Its a dark secret, never to be revealed.
To Poornima: Well, I didnt expect this from you either. I thought you would understand it yourself, for you had come in Jike's life when there was a huge change going on around him. Thats why I had been silent these days. But the thing is: "Jike was hidden from the rest of the world. I did everything possible to hide him, OK?. Now its not the case. He has friends,like you, like others who are with him now.And I want his friends circle to grow everyday. The whole atmosphere has changed around him now. So am writing it for him, for you and other friends of Jike now. Its a very big family now and I am happy that I have a family like this for Jike. It would be nice if you continue being part of it. I am not forcing it though. Its upto you. But yeah, its not gonna be a dialogue between me and him alone anymore. Thats for sure. I want this family to grow as big as possible as Jike grows everyday."
Well, to be honest, I have changed my welcome note after reading your comment. Check it out first.
Man... I feel lousy- saw this comment only now...
I dont know what to say Zy, when you began talking to all Jike's friends... I felt the intimacy was lost... I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way...
Stealing those rare intimate moments, a little peek often... well that's the most I thought I would...
Oh- I like Jike... and yes, am a part of his topsy turvy world Zy...
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