A trip to Kanya Kumari..

Thanks to TCS training programme in Trivandrum, I got to see the Kanya Kumari. We boarded the bus at 3 AM to catch the sunrise but as the weather is so gloomy, we missed it. The journey was quite eventful and the experience is beyond description. We went to see the Vivekananda Rock for which one has to board the steamer boat. There is Vivekananda Rock and just beneath it was a Dhyan Mandir where people can meditate if they wish. I sat inside the Dhyan Mandir and could feel the positive vibrations. Its was the best time which I ever had with myself. The mix of the light chanting, natural ventilation and the sea weather made me feel quite heady. There is also a Thiruvalluvar statue, a great Tamil poet, where a short summary of each of his 133 chapters were inscribed. I was quite delighted to read each of them, one of the best poetic expressions I have ever read. To top off the day, we relaxed at the Thipparappu Waterfalls. The scenic beauty was fabulous. It was one of the most beautiful days of my life.

A trip to Tirupati!

I can call my trip to Tirupati as a part pilgrimage activity. My family decided to pay respects to the richest God of India(World, maybe)Lord Venkateshwara. We wanted to climb the seven hills by walk and learnt few lessons on the way. For the first, its not easy to climb 3750 steps at one go and if you believe that you can do it fine, its over confidence! The second is never carry your footwear along, as after sometime, very likely that you want to pack it in bag or throw it overhill. Never carry any luggage and that includes your water bottles as there are enough to replentish you on the way. And the last and final is that even if you start the walk saying O God, its likely that you will end up saying Oh! God! so be prepared.

On a serious note, it took four hours to climb the stairs and four hours for the darshan as we have already taken slots for the darshan a month ahead. The darshan was rushed, but I could catch a glimpse of the Lord. It was a pleasant trip, I could test my stamina!