At the very tip of India

On the southern most tip of India was Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari. I visited this wind swept pilgrimage destination before the rows of souvenir stalls were constructed. I sheltered under a stone structure erected near the ocean but was interrupted by hawkers selling bottles of sand. Chanting like mantras, they claimed the bottles’ contents came from sand by the three seas—the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean which converged at India’s southern point.

Rameswaram’s arulmigu ramanathaswamy temple

Ramanathaswamy means the master of Rama, so the 12^th century temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Darvidian structure holds great significance to Hindus and devout believers try to make at least one pilgrimage in their lifetime. As well, the island is believed to be the site where Rama (as told in the Ramayana) stood gazing across the sea to Lanka where his wife, Sita had been captured by the evil king. 

Uppuma

I don’t remember where I first tried uppuma in South India, but I knew it was a flavour my taste buds craved again. After I left India, I scoured a bookshop in Tanzania and came across a South Indian cookbook with the very recipe inside.

Pongal

I ate a Tamil Nadu breakfast while my eyes wandered over a menu painted on the wall above, deciding what to eat for breakfast the following morning.

Journey into the past

When I first set foot in Chennai decades ago, I stayed near Egmore Station. On my recent return, I decided to venture back to see if there was anything I recognized from all those years ago.

Chennai’s Fort St George

I sat in the women’s section of a train that rattled to Fort St George. This was the only place where I enjoyed a real footpath that skirted the circumference of the fort. There were no crumpled sections or potholes.

People of Chennai

Even though Chennai’s traffic was daunting and it was difficult to walk on a level footpath if there was one at all, I met a number of friendly people.

Bollywood Invasion

 

In spite of being in Kollywood territory, I lost track of the number of Bollywood stars in advertisements on television from Irfan Khan (and other Khans) to Ashwaria Rai-Bachan and her in-laws.

Chennai alleyway street food

After catching ae bus, then another from Mamallapurum to southern Chennai, I idled in alleyways; anything to avoid the roar of traffic on the main road.

Last day in Mamallapuram

I ate rava dosa when a cow edged to the door of the restaurant. It took one tiny step at a time, its nose twitching for something to eat. When I finished, I folded my banana leaf plate and handed it to the waiter, gesturing towards the cow. The remnants of my breakfast were gone in a matter of seconds.