Awestuck!

I went there more out of self imposed compulsion. After all, I have been staying at Thiruvananthapuram for six weeks and have never once gone to see Him. I wondered if I am that bad enough!

Finally, I rolled my sleeves up to meet the His Highness…

I caught an auto after a lengthy effort. Nobody was really ready to drop me there. May be because they were targeting at long distance customers and not people like me! Finally, one autowalla dropped me a few steps away from the temple premises. As I got off, I was awed by the amazingly sculpted gopuram. It looked so much like a Tamil Nadu temple and I felt at home. The gopuram was painted in plain cream color. It looked too somber, yet it had the inevitable charm to attract me. I gazed at it as I was awestruck!

That place made me feel nostalgic. I could not stop myself from remembering the last time I was there; almost a dozen years before. I was there with my parents clutching to my ammaji’s hands tightly. I could not believe that I am back to the same place; this time all by myself.

Am I really grown up, I sighed

I came to know that salwar suits are prohibited inside the temple. I had to hire a dhothi. There were a bunch of helpless looking North Indians. They imitated me as I draped the dhothi aka mundu around me.

Thus, I marched towards the temple. It looked majestic and I was awed!!

Alas!! There was a lengthy queue in spite of the hot rays of the merciless Sun. I joined. Almost all of them were with family. I felt alone. I missed my parents. That made me feel unusually close to Him and I started feeling desperate to meet Him…

The queue started to move after waiting which seemed like an eternity to me. An old lady was chanting Narayana… Narayana… Without my knowledge, my mind joined her.

But, the enthusiasm started to vanish. I was dying to talk to someone. I wished that I had someone to call as mine in the crowd. I felt lost. I love to travel. But then, travelling will be fun when somebody accompanies you, isn’t it?

Finally, amidst of the hopeless crowd… Annoying policemen… Old people chanting mantras…

I saw His hands…

I felt as if He was holding out for me…

I stood there AWED!!!

Tears started to roll down my cheeks…

All my loneliness seemed to have vanished in a moment!

I stood there for a long time and gazed at Him…

Fruits of my efforts were tastier beyond my expectation...

As I left Him behind, I felt alone again…

Awed as well!

Thus ended the awesome journey to meet Him –Sree Padmanabhaswamy...

A couple of hours well spent!!

Awestuck!