Travels and thoughts

 One fine evening, while reading the paper, I found an article on the Padmanabaswamy temple in Trivandrum. The news article spoke about it being the wealthiest temple, with the presiding deity made of fossilized shells dating back to 500 BC. It got my curiosity going, and before I could change my mind, the flight tickets were booked for Trivandrum. This time, though, Arvind's mother was my companion, and she also loves to travel, visit new places, learn about their culture and history, and explore the diverse culture of our country, India. Our trip was for three days, covering the Trivandrum, Kanyakumari, and Trinulvelli districts of Kerala and Tamilnadu states. the scenic route  We drove from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari, a 100 km distance that offers a picturesque landscape and a rich cultural experience. The blend of lush green landscapes that blend with the small water bodies and coastal views for miles at a stretch is soothing, calming, and rejuvenating. The road was flanked...

Shantha Vishwanath, my dear mother-in-law, was born in the temple city of Kancheepuram in 1943. She frequently reminisces about her childhood days spent with her grandparents. She remembered visiting the temples holding her grandmother's hands as a young girl. Holidays were spent playing with her cousins on the open terrace of the large house. The house had a central courtyard. From the balcony, there were windows to look down at the courtyard's activities. Essential family functions were held there, leading to the gathering of near and dear ones. All relatives converged on the grandparent's house for summer vacations, and simple pleasures were looked forward to.  Happy to be in her city Kancheepuram Our mind has a special place for storing these memories, and sometimes, as we age, it is enshrined, lending possibly a more golden hue than it actually was! But then, the 1950s and 60s were a different time and era - barefoot walks in the cities, sitting on the ground in the fr...