Kukke Subrahmanya Temple

We had planned for this trip since the last 15 months but somehow I got engaged and wedding arrangements proved to make this trip impossible...I am a strong believer in following certain things when it comes to the Almighty and so certain things that happened during the past one year made me feel the importance of not having done what I was supposed to do 15 months back. Well, not that I regret it now, but when things don’t go as planned, when things fail even when U make sure everything is set right, when plans break right in front of you, it makes you feel very insecure..!!

So the stage was set for the trip to happen and so it did..!!

I happened to make a few arrangements for the pujas in the end of September. Well, I had Kala Sarpa Dosha (When all planets are to one side of Rahu and Ketu, Kala Sarpa Dosha is supposed to be caused. This is considered a very bad yoga which gives rise to misfortunes and is supposed to be a major obstruction to ones progress) and I had to make sure that I do what I was told…perform Sarpa Samskara & Ashlesha Bali at Kukke Subrahmanya Temple.

I got in touch with a Poojari (whose name I will not be able to mention due to reasons best untold) who was referred by another person (whose name I will mention if need be at a later stage). I contacted this Poojari in the end of September and booked the dates for the pujas on Nov 10 & 11, 2008 (U will need to contact the Kukke Subrahmanya office on 08257-281224 for booking any pujas atleast a month in advance. They have various pujas that are scheduled on various days and hence the start up needs to be done atleast a month in advance).

Once this is done, you will need to book your accommodation as getting a room in Subrahmanya after reaching there might be a bit difficult. There are various other websites that can help you with the list of hotels in Subrahmanya. We opted to stay at Sheshnaag Ashraya which is opposite to KSRTC bus stand and which is one of the best hotels in Subrahmanya. This is also the same hotel where celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, the Kapoor family, Juhi Chawla, Kannada superstars Darshan & Sudeep have stayed. The hotel also has AC rooms available for Rs. 1400/- for 3 people and Non AC rooms for Rs 550/- for 3 people. The staff is extremely courteous and helpful (to the extent that they even might help you get the tickets for pujas in the temple. I actually spoke to one of the members there and he helped us get the puja tickets after we got screwed from the Poojari. Had to pay him some extra cash for this but it was worth it). The phone numbers of this hotel are 08257-281215, 281219 and 281279.

Day 1:

We left Bangalore on Nov 9 at around 8 AM. We had booked a Qualis and I think this is one of the best ways to travel to places where you have never gone before. You atleast get free transportation and are assured of not getting screwed by the local transport available there. There are KSRTC Volvo / Rajahamsa / Karnataka Sarige buses available. For more information & online bookings, you can check http://59.162.166.116/AWATAROnline/. We reached Subrahmanya at around 3:30 PM after a couple of breaks for lunch and coffee. Once in Subrahmanya, we drove straight to Sheshnaag Ashraya, rested here till 6:30 PM and went to the temple for Darshan.

We finished the first Darshan by around 7:30 PM that day, confirmed our bookings for the pujas for the next day (Nov 10 – Sarpa Samskara) and headed for dinner at a nearby hotel. There are 2 main hotels here located in the same street as the temple. First is the Neo Mysore Café and secondly we have another one which is right opposite to this. Mysore Café serves good food and is open from 5 AM to 11 PM. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and slept as we had to get up early the next day.

Day 2:

Nov 10 – Got up early at 5 AM and headed to the Kumaradhara River which is around 1.5 kms from the hotel. You are advised (when booking for pujas) to bathe at this river and then head for the pujas. Once we were done with this, we headed to the Adi Subrahmanya temple (which is the next street to the main temple) for the Sarpa Samskara. The puja started at 8:30 AM and continued till 1:30 PM. Kala Sarpa Dosha is believed to be afflicted by the Sarpa (serpent) dosha (curse) either knowingly or un-knowingly through many ways in this birth or any of the previous births. Pooja can be done either by the person afflicted or through a priest. This is because the puja involves rituals similar to the ones done in performing Shrartham (death rites). Sarpa Samskara Seva devotees need to stay for two days at Subrahmanya and only eat at the temple where food is provided (Palya, Rice, Rasam, Sambar, Sweet & curds). The cost of Sarpa Samskara is Rs. 1500/-. After lunch, you are advised to return back to the hotel and rest till evening.

In the evening, you can opt to bathe again at the Kumaradhara or at your hotel room before heading back to the temple for more rituals. Before going into the temple, you are asked to eat your evening snack at the temple premises (food area). Once at the temple, you are advised to go in 12/24/36 pradakshine (rounds) around the outer ring of the Garbha Gudi (where the main deity resides). You are also advised to wish for anything and then go for the pradakshine as this always fulfills if done with a pure heart. After this, we were back at the hotel to rest again as we had to start off early the next day.

Day 3:

Nov 11 – Got up early again at 4:30 AM and got ready to be at the puja site at 5:45 AM. Here, we had to perform another ritual (Ashlesha Bali) which usually lasts for a couple of hours. At around 9:30 AM, we headed to have breakfast at the temple premises again and then went back to the main temple to perform the last ritual (Naga Pratishte). These pujas cost around Rs. 250/- and can be done on your own. The information counter inside the temple can help you out with more information on how to get this done. Finally, you can enter the Garbha Gudi and seek the blessings of the Lord. After this, we collected the prasadam (you need to produce the puja tickets to obtain these). Once, we were out of the temple, we paid the priest Rs. 700/- for performing the rituals for us, sought his blessings, packed out stuff and were on our way back to Bangalore at around 3:30 PM. We reached Bangalore at 10:00 PM (thanks to Mohan, who was an excellent driver). The roads at the ghats are not all that great and it is really hard to say the best time to travel to Subrahmanya using these roads. The stretch from Sakleshpur is really bad for around 20 kms until you reach the crossing to Subrahmanya.

Please let me know if you guys need any more information on reaching Kukke or booking for Darshans. I can help you out with this experience.

Tips:

• Use own transportation as this helps you to travel freely without any fixed schedules.
• The temple authorities at the entrance of the temple request all gents to take off their shirts and banians – a tradition that is followed in most temples here. So it is advisable to carry “punche shalyas” as it is best suited for this place.
• Try to visit this place from September to January as this is the best time in terms of climate.
• Make sure you book the hotel rooms and check for puja bookings either through the temple authorities or the hotel staff.
  The contact information for Kukke Subrahmanya Temple is:
  Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Temple
  Subrahmanya – 574238
  Ph: 08257-281224
• For more information on Kukke, check: http://www.kukketemple.com/Home.htm

I will upload some of the pics of this trip shortly. You can contact me on vinayghdke@gmail.com for any more information on Subrahmanya.

Wasim Akram - The sorcerer..!!

Wasim Akram was the master swing bowler of the modern era. With Waqar Younis he formed one of the most lethal fast-bowling partnerships in the history of the game. When Wasim and Waqar were in their pomp during the mid-1990s they were a formidable force, decimating batting line-ups, and making Pakistan one of the world's best teams. Wasim provided a finesse in his bowling that was rare in fast bowlers. Waqar, the perfect foil, pounded in to bowl fast and furiously. He also had great skill, but Wasim was the magician when it came to deception.

Wasim was probably the most skilful and deceptive fast bowler I have watched. Nothing was ever the same twice in a row. He tested every single part of your game as a batsman, probing away for chinks in your technique. He would seem to be rushing towards you at the end of his run-up. He had great balance and a quick arm action, coupled with very strong shoulders, and had the ability to bowl deliveries that could be anywhere between 120 and 145kph with no discernible change in his action. This rapid change in pace from one delivery to the next was lethal.

Long before I seriously thought about a future career in cricket, I remember watching two of the most unforgettable deliveries ever, in the final of the 1992 World Cup. England were chasing 249 for victory and going well on 141 for 4 when Wasim came back for a mid-innings spell.

The first ball was the one round the wicket to Allan Lamb, England's match-winner during that period. The ball seemed to swing into the batsman, only to nip away at the last minute and take his off stump. It was a wicked, unplayable delivery. The next was perhaps even better, swinging about two feet to bowl Chris Lewis first ball. Lewis looked dumbfounded.

These deliveries were produced in the middle of the innings with the old ball. It was this unmatched ability to reverse-swing the ball that was Wasim's hallmark. It was an ability that was dogged by controversy, with many accusations around the world that reverse swing was the product of ball-tampering. I think these controversies took the focus away from what was a supreme skill.

If I am sure of any of the greatest batsman were given the opportunity to challenge their skill as a batsman by picking bowlers from history whom to face, Wasim would be an automatic choice. Perhaps the greatest tribute you can pay him is that in the current era of fast bowlers there is no one who can be judged to be in the same class. He was a once-in-a-generation cricketer who lifted fast bowling to new levels, and helped carry Pakistan to the top of world cricket. A true legend..!!

Lord Ganesha - My Hero..!!

Lord Ganesha is known for his knowledge and is the remover of obstacles. Lord Ganesha is also called Vinayak (knowledgeable) or Vigneshwar (God who removes obstacles). He is worshipped & remembered in the beginning of any auspicious day for his blessings and auspiciousness.

Lord Ganesha - he of the single tusk, whose vehicle is the mouse and he who penned the Mahabharata with his own hands.

Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakoti Samaprabhaa.
Nirvighnam Kurumedeva Sarvakaaryeshu Sarvadaa.