Sundappalayam !!

Sundappalayam.. That is my native village, where my forefathers lived for many generations.

If my great grandfather, Varadarajan  Krishnan (I inherited his name and nothing else) had not squandered all his wealth and family fortunes,

and if my grandfather had not migrated to 'Patnam' (Madras / Chennai) to make a new beginning,

and if they had continued to live & prosper in Sundapalayam,

Then I would  not be wearing these Nikes, the Levis and the Polo sweat shirt.

Instead, I would be wearing a spotless white veshti (dhoti) and a  dazzling white half-shirt (tailored out of  'MLA - White' Coimbatore cotton cloth)  and a white towel neatly folded and draped on my left  shoulder!
And I would be proudly surveying my acres of lush green paddy fields , my large banana plantation, my summer flowering mango grove and the vast stretches of coconut trees !!

And I might also be wearing a thick gold chain with a tiger claw pendant and a wide military green money belt with pouches to hold my thick wad of currency notes and of course, my cellphone.!

Now can you picture me in Sundappalayam?  – a medium sized south Indian village (now graduated to a small town) , with fertile land , thick flowing stream and good underground water, and a small  hill to give it a scenic beauty . 

Sundappalayam falls on the highway road connecting Coimbatore and Palakkad ! And that is why our home cooking style is so very different from the normal Madras and Tanjavur cusine !!

And if you drive down from Coimbatore to Isha Yoga Center situated at the foothills of Vellangiri, you will pass by my little town,

Ten years back we drove down to Sundappalayam after locating the place on the Google map , and inquiring the general directions from one of my channel business partners .
A 45 minute ride ; on a good well tarred road ; on a bright sunny morning ; passing by long tracts of well irrigated paddy fields; lined with coconut trees ; and the steady hum of water pump sets .

And then we pass by a bright yellow signage declaring the arrival of Sundapalayam !!

Slowing down we arrive under the generous shade of a huge banyan tree - a row of tempo trucks , a few farmers negotiating fares, some daily wage laborers loitering lazily, and some idle folks flocking near the two small shops selling Chai, Bananas, Cigarettes and vadas & chips.

We hear the boom of the  temple bell and we quickly rush to  our family temple of Sri Varadaraja Perumal (my dad is named after this deity) and attend the morning sevai (aarti), before the temple closes for the Lord’s afternoon nap ! 

A huge imposing 200 year old temple majestically  and bravely trying to retain its long lost spender , resolutely fighting the erosion and wear & tear due to neglect &  lack of proper maintenance. 

None the less, the Lord’s shrine is beautiful ! So calm , so peaceful, a well decorated Idol and a wonderful & serene atmosphere inside the hugeopen hall.

The priest ( Vaadiyaar ) is middle aged , well built wearing a traditional veshti and the trademark Iyengar naamam on his forehead , a pair of glittering diamond ear studs , a thick gold chain , and a strong resonating voice. 

He conducts aarti in a very pious and professional manner chanting mantras in a clear effortless and unhurried manner. His right hand holds the brass plate with bring camphor with  which he he first points out the various features of the idol and then circles the lords idol four times. And all this while his left hand is ringing the big bronze temple bell with a big handle.

And  then he offers us the traditional camphor & tulsi scented  water , shadari ( blessings ) and flowers .
For some reason I am compelled to make a handsome donation to this temple and pocket the receipt . 

Then we go around inspecting all the smaller shrines all around the temple complex identifying the various deities and taking pictures of everything that I can focus my lens on . 

For another half hour we soak in the temple atmosphere and reluctantly leave the temple

 
And then we make a couple of half-hearted attempts  to trace our roots , some family link ? – but of course , we have not done our homework seriously and very soon we draw a blank .

And we return back to our hotel rooms – somewhat satisfied and somewhat confused about what we really achieved ?

We had started off on a full load of enthusiasm & excitement and adrenaline .
And we had returned back with a sense of déjà vu !!

And now we regularly visit this temple every once in a few years.

And the feeling remains exactly the same!!

Krish..