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Let's Relax, Let's Walk Around Madurai

Discussion in 'Wednesdays with Varalotti' started by varalotti, Oct 10, 2006.

  1. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    I am now balancing!

    Dear All,

    I wanted this to be a light post to entertain the ILites who for the past few weeks have been bogged down by the tragic stories of Radhikas, Sushmas and Rajis. But many have become nostalgic, homesick and were almost shedding tears reading about Madurai Streets. I learn that the volume of tears doubled when Chitra joined me in discussing our town.

    But, ladies, let me just balance my post. Madurai, especially the streets I have described in so great a detail, has its own problems too. As a writer I am very subjective and in my passionate attachment to the town which has been my home for almost half a century I have made it look like a heavan flowing with milk and honey.

    As a writer I have to be subjective; as a professional, objective. But lest you people get carried away and make a trip to Madurai and miss something, let me add a few points to balance.

    For instance when you cross North Chitrai street and enter the central vegetable market area there is an unbearable stench of urine as there is a poorly maintained public toilet so close to the temple.

    And when we Maduraiites go to the great Temple before we pray for salvation we pray for parking space. There are times where I have parked the car at such a good distance that I took an auto to the temple. Driving the car around the Chitrai Streets is a toughest psychometric test one can take on to test the quality of one's patience.

    The food at the joints Chitra and I mentioned are tasty. But those of you used to the American and European standars of hygene may not like the way it is prepared or delivered.
    And unless you have a liver and stomach made of solid gold you should never drink the water offered at these joints.
    But ladies, in spite of all this, I cannot help loving my town. I have toured around the world. But a week is the maximum I can stay out of my Madurai without getting homesick.
    My professional friends working in the US and Far East used to say, "Sridhar, you have missed millions of Rupees in earnings by opting to stay in Madurai."
    I use to tell them "You are missing Madurai for your millions. Anyday your loss is greater than mine."'
    love to all,
    Varalotti
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2006
  2. Preethi

    Preethi Gold IL'ite

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    To the True Maduraite ...

    Mr. Varalotti,

    I have been a Silent reader of your Madurai Posting..As I have not seen madurai before, I honestly, couldn't experience the happiness and joy like other IL's members. However I came to know how madurai looks like from your post. I think, One needs to go through all those streets and places by themselves to enjoy and to relate the emotions in your post.

    However there was one thing in your post that caught my attention and triggered me to respond. You may wonder what it is ? Well, actually its not your madurai itself that aroused this writing, but your attitude towards madurai.

    An excerpt from your post :

    My professional friends working in the US and Far East used to say, "Sridhar, you have missed millions of Rupees in earning by opting to stay in Madurai."
    I use to tell them "You are missing Madurai for your millions. Anyday your loss is greater than mine."'

    This one line blatantly shows you're a deep lover of your homeland and how true you are ! ...That made me to ponder..!! I wonder in today's world, how many people are ready to sacrifice those lucrative offers, rupees and lifestyles of foreign countries for their love for their homeland. In reality very few would do so!!! And definitely you seem to be that few !! Even I love my Singaara Chennai a lot, no place in my opinion could match the life of Chennai. But when it came to seeking outside opportunities, I happily forgot about chennai and came to mid-east, not that chennai has deprived me of opportunities and prospects in career, it was fulfilling my needs alright ! (I don't say going to foreign land is entirely wrong, it's one's own priority and preferences that decides where she/he should live) . However having left India, Whenever I get an opportunity to think of Chennai, I speak in length about its advantages, charm, fun and love to remind myself and others how I much I love my city, but till now, never thought of going back to the city which I love the most. I prefer to rather surrender myself to the monotonous life here for the sake of money/comforts, than to go back to my homeland giving up these materialistic pleasures for the sake of my land of real happiness, where I have left behind my parents, in-laws, my happy days of life, my childhood memories etc etc. Whenever I miss Chennai, I constantly console myselves saying its just a matter of another 5 years or so. We will earn enough for our future/kids and then go back and settle in Chennai !

    The reality of life is "If you want one, you loose one", for want of more prospective future, I lost the pleasure and happiness of my homeland. Amidst people like me, your love and your liking for your homeland and thus the decision to live and serve the place where you have been born and brought up, makes you definitely unique...! Afterall homeland is also like our parents, providing the basic needs of life to us when we grow up...! It really needs a courage and a heart to say I am happy with what I have and what my home-land has given me ! That also shows your contentment in life , which again is a rarity !

    Hat's Off Varalotti, Looking at those lines, I admire you for one more reason now (apart from your writer qualities) !!

    Vaazgha Varalotti and his Madurai ! You're indeed a true Maduraite!!

    Regards,
    Preethi
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2006
  3. meenaprakash

    meenaprakash Silver IL'ite

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    fantastic tour of Madurai

    Hello Sridhar,

    Good you thought of a madurai tour cause we always see this name often in yours & of couse our Chitra's mails. It surely was a fantastic tour starting from the chaotic drive in the market place to the temple of Goddess Meenakshi to the beautful Gopurams on the four sides and the lip smakin' eatieries out there. Now we all know what to look forward to/include when we make an itinerary. the eatery list seem to be a little longer. looks like we need to spend a day just to taste all those dishes mentioned by you & Chitra.

    I surely will want to taste the "cut tea" & watch the madurai crowd passby.
    while in college, we used to enjoy walking down the road with friends but its a long time since I actually went into a busy road. after reading your post, I feel like making a trip to Bangalore & walk down the Brigades & Comm streets & gobble up few chaats & laze around. Nowadays, anytime we travel, it is to attend functions, see someone in hospital clubbed with a short, serious shopping. Maybe I'll do a trip just for myself. Madurai will definitely feature in my "to Visit" list.

    Regards,
     
  4. Ushakrishnan64

    Ushakrishnan64 Silver IL'ite

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    Thanks for the enjoyable tour of Madurai

    Dear Sridhar,
    I am sure you would have scored 10/10 for your essay writing in school. Amazing description. I am looking forward to seeing all of what you have described when Queen Meenakshi calls us to Her (of course yours too..) place (hopefully soon!!).
    I am eager to read your write-up about your experiences in Dubai:tongue . Do you think there is a possibility? You can take this as our invitation to visit our second home with your family..

    Regards
    USHA
     
  5. Varloo

    Varloo Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Sridhar,
    that was a very nostalgic write up of Madurai. As a child, I remember eating in a hotel, I was so small I had to sit on the table and eat, while coming back to Trivandrum from Chinnamanur after visiting my new born cousin. That was when I was around 5 years old. After that, I had not gone out of Trivandrum for a long time. Then I went to Chinnamanur again in 1984 . From there, I also visited Madurai and saw the film Puthiyavan- mostly to escape from the asbestos roofed home of a relative during the summerest. My next visit was in 1985 to do the wedding shopping of my sister (she had not come, only and me and my mom came, my uncle is there you see). I remember that we did the shopping for clothes, pattu sarees and other groceries in just 6 to 7 hours time and well inside the budget.
    Next, I visited the lovely town in 85 itself, from Trichy where I was undergoing training in Railways. I enjoyed the trip tremendously with my batch mates.
    Next was in 87, 'to see' my prospective husband. You see, Madurai served as a midpoint of Chennai and Trivandrum. Myself and hubby met at an uncle's house. It was a simple affair with a huge crowd of relatives from his side.Our wedding was finalised there.
    Next trip was with my husband just a week after marriage, as newlyweds, to attend a marriage and then to proceed to Kodai for honeymoon.
    After that, I have visited Madurai many times. I like your place very much, it is a completely different place compared with a calm Trivandum. And no fear about roaming at night also. No need to say about the world famous Madurai malli and malai vazhaipazham and also kadambham.
    Our family has a tradition of offering hair at both Pazhamuthircholai and Azhagarkoil. We still have to complete the offering at Azhagarkoil. I guess we may visit Madurai in May of next year, I am just looking forward to that.And i shall look up the fod places you and Chithra had mentioned.
     
  6. purnima_2k

    purnima_2k Senior IL'ite

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    Good one !

    HI Varalotti!

    This snippet is quite good. I think it holds good not only for Madurai but for all parts of India. It is very sad that our country is shaping into such a filthy mass, of course lots of good points are there, neat places etc, still the very fact that such filthy areas still remain in most parts of India is a point to be pondered. I Think first the attitude of indians should change. When we came from US via Frankfurt to chennai, the change observed by me was quite drastic. The same tamil crowd was so well behaved in frankfurt-- standing in queues for the restroom, very docile and quiet,helping others, adhering to all rules etc. The same crowd-- soon after we reached chennai, became a big ball of chaos, people started cluttering in the so called queues, people making distacting noises etc,smelly restrooms-- gwarsh! Where can the reformation start from? Who can start it? How do we go about it? are the few points that we really need to whack our brains on!

    But Varalotti, all said and done , "India is our Home Sweet Home", i was so glad to be back home! :)

    Thanks for the enlightening post!

    Purni
     
  7. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks For Accompanying Me!

    Dear Sudha,

    Thanks for accompanying me during the walk around Madurai. I wanted you and all the ILites to feel just light and enjoy the walk. But many of them have become even more emotional than while reading about Sushmas and Radhikas.

    And you guessed it right. Day and Night should alternate and so should lightness and heaviniess, happiness and sorrow. That's life.

    There are days we should eat a feast with two sweets (the rose included) and a number of side dishes. And there are also days where we should finish our dinner with milahu kozhambu and paruppu thohaiyal, pathiya sappadu.

    As to the next Wendnesday, please wait till Tuesday.
    regards,
    sridhar
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2006
  8. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks Kamla For Coming Along!

    In 1986 I was only in Madurai. From 1958 to 2006 I have been in Madurai but for a few weeks/months of absence when I was travelling. In 1986 I was a 28 year old lad (the fact that I am 28 even now is a different story; let's discuss it elsewhere) roaming in the streets of Madurai. Maybe we would have seen each other. But we might not have known. ha ha.

    I am afraid that you have not been properly guided as to the availability of South Indian foods. In Madurai you will have real jasmine-like hot idlies accompanied half a dozen chutney varieties even as late as 2 Am in the morning. Madurai richly deserves the epithet Thoonga Nagaram.

    We have exclusive South Indian joints, exclusive north ones, all in one shops and we have joints that serve only idli and "dosai vahaihal" starting from a palm sized onion Uthappam to a large Onion Rava.

    We have a Dosa Festival in Hotel Supreme where they will serve a Dosa large and long enough to occupy one whole table. A group of 15 can comfortably eat one Dosa. How is it?

    sridhar
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2006
  9. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks Safa

    Dear Shahana,

    The one thing I am sad about Madurai girls is the change in their dress. In my school days the dress will correctly tell the age of the girl. Upto 11 years "pavadai sattai" from 11 to 18 "pavadai thavani" from 18 to 30 modern saree and from 30 to 40 sober saree and from 40 loose fitting blouse and sungidi saree.

    That way we can tell from a distance about the womans stage in life and correct our manners accordingly.

    But now from 8 to 80 everybody wears the chudidhar. And you cant say whether it is a girl or a woman or an old lady.

    Thanks for seeing Madurai through my eyes.
    sridhar
     
  10. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    Surprised At Your Tears!

    Dear Meenu,

    When you talked of "tears hanging" I was surprised. I remember that you didn't cry even for the Challenge Story. So a harmless walk around a dull mofussil town, how could that make you cry? Then I found out it was not nostalgia but kara chutney.

    Well, what you said about all other cities being similar to Madurai is true. But, Meenu, we Maduraiites will find out like a calf which can find its mother among a 1000 similar cows or a lover who can find her beloved in a crowd. Thats why I said that the narration is subjective.

    Traffic (non)sense is everywhere. But at least in Madurai we can manage. Last week we were in Bangalore. I clocked the time. To cross just 2 kms in the city it took close to an hour. Madurai from end to end is less than 10 kms.

    I used to tell my friends if you press the accelerator a little harder your car will go out of the city limits.

    For us this is a privilege. We have a luxury of space and time in Madurai. My travel time from home to office is about 3 minutes, if there is heavy traffic.
    Thanks meenu for coming along.
    sridhar
     

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