RANDOM THOUGHTS

 AYODHYA YAATRA DAY -2 THE DAY STARTS REALLY EARLY IN THESE PARTS . IT WAS HARDLY 4.30 IN THE MORNING AND SUNLIGHT WAS ALREADY STREAMING IN THROUGH THE WINDOWS . KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND BEING OFFERED TEA AT 6 .00 AM SET US ALL UP FOR THE DAY . AFTER A HEAVY BREAKFAST , WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE SARAYU RIVER FOR A HOLY BATH . SARAYU RIVER BESIDES BEING THE RAMJANMA BHOOMI, FINDS MENTION IN THE RAMAYAN AT MANY PLACES . MORE RECENTLY IT FOUND MENTION IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS AS ONE LAKH DIYAA OR LAMPS WERE LIGHTED ON ITS BANKS DURING THE LAST RAMNAVAMI FESTIVAL / DEEPAVALI FESTIVAL.  THE LATA MANGESHKAR VEENA ENROUTE WAS THE IDEAL PLACE FOR THE GROUP PHOTO OP OF THE 70 PLUS YATREES TAKING PART IN THE SUNDER TRAVELS . HOLY BATH AND GOW POOJA            ( PASU ) DONE WE WERE AT THE RAM DARBAR WHERE SHRI RAM GOT HIS PATTABHISHEKAM AND ASCENDED THE THRONE OF RAM RAJYA .  SITA KITCHEN AND THE WELL USED BY SITA MAI HAS BEEN PRESERVED . HANUMAN TEMPLE VISIT FOLLOWED AND WE WERE BACK AT THE

 AYODHYA YAATRA  DAY - ONE     Sundar Holiday Travels  As instructed  by Mr Ashok of Sunder Travels , we were dot on time at 9.00 thanks primarily due to smooth flow of traffic from Vadapalani to the Chennai  Airport .  Other Yatrees also slowly trooped in . Ashok seemed to have his way with the Indigo Airways . Group Check in saved us a lot of time . Lunch packet Distribution done we were on our way and were before time at Lucknow .  Lucknow was a lot different from what I had imagined , airport was spotlessly clean as was their baggage handling services .  Mr Ashok saw to it that we were off on a Bus to Ayodhya in a flash . It was a near Two and a Half Hour journey and we reached the Resort by 5.30 pm .  Our Chennai to Lucknow Flight  was by The  Indigo Airbus A 320 Flight 6E 515  Aircraft with a capacity of 180 Passengers.  That , we from the Sunder Travels made up for the larger part of these Seats made it a Big Group Travel . लखनऊ अब पुराने ज़माने का नवाबों और शाइरों का जगह तो अब र

     KIND ATTENTION OF THE      UNION RAILWAY MINISTER        DRM / ADRM - MADURAI  Dear Sir , We are a couple in Our Seventies who make frequent use of the Railways and are very appreciative of the excellent services provided in making our journey safe and comfortable.  Our recent experience at Tirunelveli Junction has been sad to say quite an opposite of the above .  We are from Ambasamudram and were on our way to Ayodhya via Flight from Chennai to Lucknow . We had our reservation by the PNR 4515407270 -  S1 Coach Berth 49 and 52 by on the 28 th August for us to catch the flight . Our reservation was by the 30 th 12641 Thirukkural Express From Tirunelveli Junction to Chennai Egmore .  So we had 2 Check in and 2 Hand Luggage with us .  The Shenkottah to Tirunelveli Passenger arrived on Platform No 3 . Why should a train which is a connecting Train for all the long distance Trains at Tirunelveli be received on Platform 3 is beyond me . For those not comfortable with climbing the connec

  AYODHYA VISIT  PRECURSOR  IT WAS ALREADY EARLY JULY , 4th of July to be Exact , BY THE TIME WE FINALLY DECIDED ON THE SUNDER HOLIDAYS AND TRAVELS CONDUCTED TOUR TO AYODHYA , ALLAHABAD TRIVENI SANGAMAM , GAYA ,   BODH GAYA AND FINALLY VARANASI  AS OUR TOUR OPERATORS . IT WAS A7 DAY AND 6 NIGHT ITINERARY. THE DEPARTURE WAS BY FLIGHT FROM CHENNAI TO LUCKNOW SET TO DEPART AT 11.30 AM ON THE 30 TH OF AUGUST 2024 . This meant that we had to be in Chennai on the 29 th itself. Barring the Vande Bharat Express which left Tirunelveli at an Inconvenient Time for us , there were 11 other Trains to Choose from to make our Reservations.  I am quite aware that this is a very busy sector and that the Southern Railway makes a whopping amount of money from this sector alone . I got the shock of my life when I found that  Barring the Thirukkural Express , No Reservations were available in any other train on this day . What was even more surprising was that even for this Train Reservations were only ava

   POSTAL DELIVERY IN INDIA AS ALSO IN  CANADA  It may come as a surprise to many but unlike in India or many places in the Sub Continent , Postal  Letters are not delivered to each and every Individual House in Canada . Each Neighborhood has a place where individual small Metal Kiosks with  locks are provided for each and every House in the neighborhood.  CANADA POSTWOMAN/MAN drops the letters individually in these Kiosks .  People walk to a distance of say 100 Meters to collect their Letters.  A person newly entering the neighborhood applies to CANADAPOST to get his alloted kiosk and Key for the same in his own neighborhood . A short walk to the concerned Pillar Letter  Box becomes a mandatory requirement.  Manpower Shortage and Cost effectiveness makes this possible. Even in India , in Metropolitan Apartment Complexes , Letters are dropped on the Ground Floor in similar Kiosks . I know of  Apartment Complexes  in Bangalore and Chennai  which have this facility.  Agasthiarpatty thoug

LIFE IS NOT FAIR , BUT IT IS STILL BEUTIFUL 1) Life isn't fair , but it is still beautiful  2) When in doubt , take the next small step 3) Life is too short --- Enjoy it  4) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick , your friends and family will 5) Pay off your credit card bills every month  6) You don't have to win every arguement , stay true to yourself  7) Cry with someone , it is more healing than crying alone  8) It is OK to get angry with God , he can take it 9 ) Save for your retirement , starting with your first paycheck  10 ) when it comes to chocolate , resistance is almost always futile  11 ) Make peace with your past so that it will not screw up your present  12 ) Don't compare your life to others . You have no idea what their journey is all about  13 ) It's OK to let your children see you cry  14 ) If a relationship has to be a secret , you shouldn't be in it  15 ) Everything can change with the blink of an eye , but don't worry God nev

    Ambasamudram Arch - 1945  We have all over a period of time passed through places  and important landmarks , the significance of which fail to register in our minds .  1) Suradevar Idol in Papanasam Temple  2) The Original Old Papanasam Temple near Sivanthipuram .  3 ) Vandi Maritha Amman Kovil in Ambasamudram  4 ) The Arch at the Entrance of Ambasamudram Town .  I have already covered the first three places in detail in my Blogs , anyone interested can go through the same in in my Website  : Random Musings      thinktank-revathyganesh.blogspot.com  How many of us are aware of the fact that the Ambasamudram Arch was built around the year 1945 by the BRITISH Rulers of the day to commemorate their Victory in the Second World War .  There is a Huge Glass Covered Clock at the Top which unfortunately shows the correct time only Twice in a day , meaning it is non functional.  After Independence The Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam have taken it upon themselves to Maintain this near 80 Year Old

NAINAR KOVIL - RAMESHWARAM BE IT THE SOUTH OR NORTH , KULA DEIVA VAZHIPADU IS INGRAINED IN OUR CULTURE . ELDERS IN THE FAMILY OFTEN ADVISE US TO VISIT OUR MOTHER SIDE KULA DEIVA  KOVIL ALSO FROM TIME TO TIME. WITH MY SON ALSO BEING PRESENT IN INDIA , APART FROM VISITING OUR FAMILY DEITIES AT TENKASI AND SORIMUTHUAYYANAR KOVIL , WE DECIDED TO PROCEED TO NAGA NATHA SWAMY KOVIL NEAR PARAMAKUDI WHICH IS CLOSE TO RAMESHWARAM ALSO . THIS HAPPENS TO BE OUR KULA DEIVA KOVIL ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE . A VERY FULFILLING VISIT TO THE RAMESHWARAM TEMPLE  AS ALSO   THE MANDATED VISIT TO  DHANUSHKODI WHICH IS JUST 27 KMS FROM THE SRI LANKAN COAST . RAMAR SETHU PAALAM. Naganatha Swamy Temple  Tarrpanam at Agni Theertam  On Way to Dhanushkodi  Sea on Both Sides Hardly 100 Mts Apart  On the Pamban Road Bridge With the New Rail Link Underway . The Construction of the Rail Link over the Sea by the Indian Railways is an Engineering Masterpiece.  On way Railway Level Crossing 

  FIRST CITY MUMBAI REVISITED  Nothing as they say remains unchanged . Everything changes with the passage of Time . Two Decades as everyone will agree is a pretty long time by any standard .I am visiting Mumbai after a gap of 20 Years . Having spent almost 5 Years here , I used to pride myself of knowing this vast City like the back of my hand .  How wrong I was . The very street and The Complex where I lived has changed beyond recognition. What used to be a run of the mill 3 storied Complex has now become a 20 Storied Apartment Block with Automated Parking Facility with a Prized Jewellery Shop in the Forefront .  The entire city has changed beyond recognition.  The place where I spent 3 years as a college Student  The Locale around SASMIRA has also changed beyond a lot with a lot of new skyscrapers.  Below is the undersea link to Marine Drive  This stretch which used to take nearly an hour by road can now be covered in less than 10 Minutes .  Matunga to VT could be covered in 90 Minu

    HOLY CITY OF HARIDWAR  HARIDWAR IN THE UTTARKHAND STATE IS AMONGST THE MOST SACRED PLACES VISITED BY MANY IN INDIA . AS THE NAME INDICATES IT IS BELIEVED TO BE  THE DOOR TO GODLINESS.  MOTHER GANGES AFTER MEANDERING IN THE HIGHER REACHES OF THE HIMALAYAS MAKES ITS FIRST FOOTFALL IN THE PLAINS AT THIS PLACE . THE WATER IS FREEZINGLY COLD AND ONE HAS TO SHORE UP ALL OF ONES COURAGE TO ENTER THE WATER.  OUR STAY AT THE MATA ANANDAMAYEE ASHRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS WAS VERY COMFORTABLE AS WAS THEIR FOOD WITHOUT A SPECK OF GINGER , GARLICK OR ONION.  A VERY SAFE OPTION WITH CROWDS IN THEIR THOUSANDS MAKING THEIR WAY HERE TO CELEBRATE THE KANWAR FESTIVAL IN THE MONTH OF SHRAVAN  FROM 22ND JULY TO 6 TH AUGUST.  THIS KANWARI FESTIVAL IS IN LINE WITH OUR OWN KAVADI FESTIVAL DOWN SOUTH  . VAN , CAR , TRUCKS , TRACTORS , IN FACT ANY MODE OF TRANSPORT IS UTILIZED TO REACH THIS PLACE .  TWO WHEELERS WITH 3 OR 4 PERSONS ON BOARD WITH THE EXHAUST PIPE BEREFT OF THE SILENCER , RACING AWAY WIT