Yes, we are ready for the Yatra 4

My suit cases are packed. Rao, I am sure, will start soon and finish before 10 a.m. tomorrow. The American Airlines would neither let me print the boarding passes nor let me check-in online. So, we have to be at the Cleveland airport at least 2 hours before departure. From New York, we are flying by Jet Airways and I am looking forward to that. I was told that their service is wonderful. But, I could not get the seats allocation over the phone since they filled 30% of the seats already and they told me that is all they are allowed to do ahead of time. My Travel agent never told me that I could even call them for seats. Now I know and I have to see whether I can get it done in Cleveland itself.  I stopped traveling by Air India because of their poor customer service in the past decades. Now, this is first time I am traveling by American Airlines domestic!!!!!

We land in Chennai airport around midnight. A Taxi will be sent for us from Tirupati and the journey would be about 3 hours. We should reach Nirmala's place by 5 a.m. local time. I will go to Nellore my native place on the 17th to visit my sister(s) and it will be a day trip by bus, a 3 hour journey each way. On the 18th, we will go to Tirumalai for the Shasra Deepa (thousand lights offering) Alankarana of Sri Balaji, also referred to as Malaiappa. Nirmala purchased the sponsor ticket for the event long time ago. We will rest on the 19th and leave for Delhi the next day!!!

I will write my next post as soon as I get a chance to meet an Internet Cafe.

Follow me (us)!!!!!


Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva

Every day evening at 5:30 p.m. Sahasra deepalankarana seva is performed in the Unjal mantapam located on the south eastern corner of the Srivari Temple.

Sri malayappa swami along with Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken out in procession to the mantapa, where one thousand wick lamps are lit. In the midst of vedic chanting and singing of Annamaya Sankirtanas, the Lord seated aon an unjal is rocked gently. The grihasthas who purchased tickets for performance of this seva are given Vastra bahumanam.

Geethanjali and Amma Karunamayi

Recently, Amma Karunamayi visited Cleveland. Myself, my husband Rao and my grand daughter Geethanjali went to have Her blessings. We were approaching the Church door and saw the van coming. We just waited and thought it was proper to have Her go in first. Someone put a garland around Her neck and Geethanjali had 3 jasmine flowers in her hand which she wanted to give at the individual blessings time. Instead, she walked over and offered them to Amma and every one was so thrilled at the sight. As Amma approached the door, I had it wide open for her, feeling grateful for that opportuniy. She looked at me with a beautiful smile and asked "baagunnara amma?" in Telugu. Meaning Are you alright (= How are you?) After she went in, I paid $36.00 to their organisation for Amma to write the Saraswathi Beejaashram on Geethanjali's tongue during individual darsan. They gave her a yellow thread with a pendant hanging on which you could see pictures of Saraswathi on one side and that of Amma on the other. She wore it around her neck.

There was a speech and Srichakram abhishekam first.

It was a long wait for the five year old. Finally, when our turn came, we three approached Amma. I gave an index card with a question written. Geethanjali wrote her name 'Anjali' on her card and gave it to Her.
She blessed us by putting Her hand on our head and pressing it.

Amma wrote the saraswathi beeja akshram on the little one's tongue with a Tulasi (sacred basil) stem.

Now comes the interesting part. Geethanjali, with full reverence, spoke in Telugu. Asked Amma "nenu Durga suktham neyrchukunnanu, naanna nerpadu naaku, inka yemi neyrchukomantaru, Amma?" (Meaning = I learned 'Durga Suktham', my father taught me and what do you want me to learn more, amma?') Amma took it very seriously and replied "Saraswathi, Medha suktham neyrchuko" (meaning = 'Saraswathi, learn Medha suktham'). Anjali nodded her head. Turning to me, Amma said "ammayi chaala humble"= this girl is very humble/polite.

I was filled with happiness. And I felt really proud of Geethanjali.

Yatra 4, almost ready

I would just like to mention all the places we plan to visit in July and August, 2010.

Tirupathi to Delhi, Delhi to Jammu/Kashmir.

Amarnath, Vaisno Devi (we have decided to take the Helicopter - no 45 km trekking)
Kurukshetra, Amritsar (Golden Temple) and then to Jalandhar.

From Jalandhar, we take a Taxi to Dharmasala, Jwalamukhi and return to Jalandhar.

Train to Rishikesh from Jalandhar, Taxi to Badrinath from Rishikesh (we missed going to Joshi Math Shankara peetham during our first trip to Badrinath. So, we have decided to include it in this yatra since we will be in the vicinity anyway. Night stay at Badrinath/rishikesh.

Return to Delhi by Taxi from Rishikesh. We were planning to go to Jaipur, Mathura etc., but it was cancelled by our domestic planners in India. Time and health and energy permitting, we will visit Pandaripur. By the way one more sakthi peetham in Assam, Kamakhya also is on the agenda.
Finally, Pandaripur to Solapur to Tirupathi.

As we continue our journey, I will make notes and start posting whenever a computer becomes available.

For the time being, my readers will know that Yatra 4 is REAL!!!!!!!

If all goes well, we will go to Sabari Malai in September after visiting our immediate families and some friends.

Thats all folks!!! Thanks for joining and following.!!!!!