A Vibrant Highway of Many Dimensions

What is there in a road you may wonder?

NH 45, the highway between Chennai and Trichy, is an entirely different experience for us, the regular travellers!

NH45's starting point is Chennai and it extends up to Theni  though our journey ends at Trichy, the Rockfort city.

Those were the days of narrow roads when without breaking a coconut to a small but powerful temple in the where about of Chengalpattu,  a safe journey was never assured.  Our driver would collect these the needed items for pooja even if he forgot to fill the tank and the  additional  can of petrol ( when petrol pumps were almost non-existent and even the measly ones didn't have the stock!)  It was another story that once in the process of filling up the tank from can he sucked in quite an amount  petrol (used to suck the petrol with a small hose) which created an emergency situation and we had to rush him to a clinic which was hard to find in the god forsaken place! But the good news is that he survived the ordeal of pumping out that precious liquid off his tummy (not usable anymore!)  and today lives healthy and happy with his cattle and children! 

Coming back to the small yet powerful temple, the thronging crowd of devotees made up of the vehicles queue up till the obeisance was done by each driver to the fullest satisfaction of the goddess.  In spite of this time tested ritual one can witness five to six trucks turned turtle  to the accompaniment of  occasional smashed up smaller ones on a journey!  'Dangerous curves slow down please' and ''very dangerous' curves slow down please' created no fear unto those drivers minds. Like the ten commandments of the Lord these were ignored by all and sundry  and instead  steadfast  hope was positioned  in the tested and proven Indian fatalism!

 There were plus points too. Though the yesteryear roads were narrow the age old tamarind  trees  formed  beautiful welcome cave  all through the journey so much so one can wind  down  the car windows to get the assured cool breeze. And a small picnic among the groves of either a breakfast or a lunch or a snack and coffee was an enjoyable event!

On that particular day as  we traveling from Chennai my eyes couldn't believe what they witnessed.  Those huge tamarind  trees being  sawed off with the help of big machines! I was in tears . It was atrocious. It was similar to the shivers that ran   through my nerves when I watched in the TV the cruelty at  Bamiyan in Afghanistan  where those beautiful Buddha statues were dynamited due to religious orthodoxy.

It was  little solace when my dear husband pointed out to the saplings being planted off the roads with proper tree guards and the explanation that sacrifice in some form had to be made for growth and development. In this case it was a four lane roads for our comfortable travel!  That trip was indeed a sad one!

Now we go through the luxury of four lane roads paying through the nose at the toll gates of NHAI. It is heartening to see the  plants growing up to  trees. The median is a blossom of  red pink and white  oleander  plants.  And since the saplings were just growing up  the other items by the roadside attract me.

For one thing the name of the hotels throughout the journey fascinate me. Apart from the ubiquitous  Vasantha Bhavans, Sangeethas, Balaji Bhavans and the mushrooming Adayar Anandha Bhavans, the creative and the imaginative ones thrill me. Starting from hotel Pattikadu. saappida vaanga , Mappillai hotel, (bridegroom hotel ) keda kari virunthu, (young lamb feast) naattukozhi samaiyal, (country chicken cooking) Mamiyar hotel (mother in laws hotel) Sona Meena  3 idlis ( what if you ask for more than three?! will they come in threes only nothing less or nothing more?! ) Haritham hotel at the 100th km and the all-pervading Kumbakonam degree coffees in their various avatars  make the journey appealing .One lodge in particular near Perambalur is named ‘Rani Thangum Edam’ (place where the queen stays) and I wonder whether the king can stay along with the queen.

Religious fervour abound throughout our journey. The first striking point as we travel from Chennai is the   Melamaruvaththur Adhi Parasakthi Peetam, with  its own reddish tinge. During the festival season we have to anticipate a heavy traffic jam amidst the  sea of  the red saris and  dhotis  which could beat  a trade union congress of  Kerala in that vibrant shade! Adjacent to it is the  mazhai malai madha koil (which literally translates as "Our Lady of rain hill") with the big Ave Maria sign etched in the local lingo on the hill side facing the road . The winding steps leading to the church atop the hill is a view worth a watch.  On full moon days people go for catholic version of 'Girivalam' (perambulating the hills as at Thiruvannamalai)  Continuing with the temple story at the 100th km to Chennai one can witness a grand and mammoth Siva's statue  adjacent to an equally big Hanuman one! We also witness small ones like a Christian denomination chapel called  ‘Philadelphia samaadhana  sabai’. (Philadelphia Peace Congregation) You may wonder what  could  possibly Philadelphia  do to make peace at NH45? Mind you we  Tamilians  are indeed highly imaginative as far as naming everything including our gods and goddesses !  The ‘Vallalar Thirumana koodam’ (Wedding hall with the name of an ascetic saint)  tickles you as equally as the Mother Theresa Thirumana Nilayam (match making centre)!

The ‘Thiruvaachur Madura Kaliamman’ temple (Madura means 'endearing') depicts a study in contrast of  Kali's natural terrorising iconic symbolism!

In contrast to the Melamaruvathur  red  we witness pilgrims in their yellow attire as we approach Trichy walking sans chapels to the Mariamman temple at Samayapuram.  "My problem will be solved or my problems had been solved by the dear mother and I have to play my part properly" is the staunch belief  of these walking pilgrims!

Apart from these, one can witness people going in groups in their saffron attire during the months of August and September to Our Lady of Good Health's church at Velanganni,  pilgrims in green attires during second half of January to Lord Muruga's temple at Palani hills and sabarimalai Ayappan pilgrims all through the year. I am sure all the good vibrations emanating from these pilgrims will reach the travellers of NH45 too!

Another interesting God awaits us in the midst of the South Pennar river at Karadipakkam near Vizhupuram. You won't believe when I say the gold painted statue of Buddha is giving away His blessing to all those who take the effort to turn  to the river and pay their respect to Him!

There are some forts too on your way. The invisible 'Elavanasoor Kottai ' after Ulundurpettai though not  visible  from the high way the name board  kindles ones imagination.

'Ranjan Kudi kottai  which is visible from the road at Mangalamedu stirs up the interest in history."

But I feel guilty  writing about it  since we are always in a hurry to reach Trichy never ever taking the short detour to have a closer look at that dilapidated yet historical fort!

Further down  near Perambalur we take small detour to visit  the National  fossil wood park board, proving that these places were part of the sea eons ago and the marine calcium deposits has indeed made this district the cement  production region of Tamil Nadu.

I will end my NH 45 story with an equally interesting story. At Vikaravandhi cutting, the NH45 parts way with Kumbakonam and Thanjavur road and once we were obliged to take the road to attend a function. The road was narrow and goes via Pantruti, the cashew centre of Tamil Nadu. As we approached Pantruti there were innumerable stalls on either side of the road selling cashew nuts and I started salivating.  Promptly the vehicle was stopped and  I got down. Those packages did not belong to the broken variety but the cashew nuts were in their full beauty and majesty! I  enquired the price. It was way below of what we pay in Chennai. But still I bargained . Why not? They can share some of their profits with me! Elated at my bargaining prowess I became generous and unlike Aleksandr Solzhenisyn didn't stop with 'The First Circle' but continued with the  second circle too and bought one packet for my driver and my cook.

Back in Chennai the first distribution was to my driver and the cook.

"Ma.. did you eat the cashew nuts?" the cook asked  sternly asked me after two days.

"Not yet....."

"They are not good.."

I know that she belonged to those clan of critics  who can find fault with the best Mysurpa sweets from the famous  Sri Krishna sweet stall in Chennai!

"I want to you to open one..." 

I didn't want to.......   but to prove a point  I took one from the shelf.

"A full cashew is a beauty to behold isn't it.....?" I wanted to impress upon her mean self with the right attitude.

But she was already  there with the kitchen scissors. I took it from her and opened the pack. It was an effort to open the tightly packed plastic. I was aghast when  I tipped the contents into  a tray. Apart from the few full cashews artfully arranged around the pack the rest were.... what could I say... the rest  were the trash of  cashews which no one would touch  with a barge pole even  for free.... !

The victorious look on the cook's face didn't bother me. For once she was right.

And I learnt a life lesson  that day. Except for the fresh and loosely sold guava  at Ulundurpettai toll gate I scorn any packed item, however tempting  it is, at NH45 and its surrounds!