Rameswaram : In Praise of Sri Ramanatha Swamy
As I left RMM for the third time in seven weeks, lucky enough to secure the blessings of Sri Ramanatha Swamy (Lord Shiva is known by this name here) for one more time, the boundless love and affection in the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Ramanatha Swamy has a expressive narrative to it.
Had it not been for his blessings the keenness to visit the temple town at such early intervals won’t have been there. THough the road from Madurai to this part of the world takes five to six hours, the journey is best done on a Monday when the doors to the temple remain open till 1 in the afternoon and reopening sometime after 3 pm.
The thought of the swelling crowd may break your determination to visit the place but the vast spaces the temple and its surroundings abound with give you enough breathing space to be one with the Lord. Some of the queries you would be confronted with may necessarily relate to the urgency to visit so soon - from near and dear ones and the lodgewallah who was kind enough to let you stay put for over a week - these may be dismissed as unwanted interventions that need to be kept aside.
Some of us have been struggling with the so-called infringement into our rights by suggesting that we need not prolong our stay and relive the magic the creator spawns on us for the simple reason that our savings are depleting and elusive the city mode is becoming for us. The creator has taken care of us - and he would continue to do so given the affable nature he has for his devotees. And this is the mesaage that essentially comes through as you hit places like Rameswaram and Kanniyakumari.
The approach to famed Rameswaram is not cluttered. THough roads not wide given the choc-a-bloc stores of all shapes sizes and status on either side but enough to ensure movement with seamless ease. THe traffic movement is minimal the entire day; the pedestrian movement even less. Most movements are of school/college students and those hitting the Madurai trail for replenishing the inventory. Sudh Shakahari Bhojanalaya (food paradise) are dotting the nook and corner of temple town followed by hotels, small and medium make. If that doesn’t complete the picture, there are innumerable dharamshalas and others owing allegiance to different mutts, essentially broadening the accommodation availability.
The temple town has a face of its own not necessarily mirroring the sentiments of big centres. Cash would do but with limits. You would come across a man running a food joint giving you the meal slip and telling you to wait for over an hour. Exasperation all over your face you would run for the next joint telling them the urgency to reach the bus terminal.
The best reflection when you face an old man or a young lady and the opportunity and the urge to keep clarity in thoughts and mind. No amount of greed would suffice you as no amount of pain and toil would go unnoticed. Most of the day to day accessories can be accessed from stores in vicinity of your house.
With strong historical imprints tracing to the Ramayana period, the temple’s template speaks essentially of the spiritual growth that one would be endowed with. The comforting thought being that Lord Shiva’s (Ramanatha Swamy) disciples have ample time to stay in the complex , say a prayer or two to the Lord and besiege themselves with thoughts of the all-pervasive power in one of the large identified corners of its precincts. The wide swathes of the temple complex seems to bestow you with a new hymn in the praise of the Lord and how this unshackled link is up and running despite the onslaugths we face in our day to day existence.
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In my first visit in the first week of September, not being the peak season, the seasonal rush of the masses was missing and providing on a platter the urgency to visit the sanctum sanctorum more than once in a day. You are conferred with the belief that the sighting of the Jyotirlingam was more than what you desired for.
The RMM has a charm of its own. THe bus fare begins at Rs 2 and the most of the commute can be completed in that range. The tea-enriched moments can be secured for Rs 5 (plastic cups) and the Sun’s outing isn’t intimidating enough to get your umbrellas out or to quench your thirst you need to settle for umpteenth bottles of water and soft drinks. The thirst is there; it is the thirst to seek oneness with the reigning Lord; to seek compatibility and commitment to the Lord by being good and considerate to others.
The best part about this pilgrimage to RMM is the return journey. On all the three occasions that I have taken a public transport towards Chennai/Madurai , the commute has been comfortable enough to get me some of the memorable blessings from co passengers, thrust with the idea that though we may never touch base in future Sri Ramanatha Swamy would be there to keep us rooted to the ground. And the ground beneath us would be one where longing for greed would be less and interventions few. And this is the message we shared before parting ways.