The Great Temples of South India

Masterpieces of Architecture

Some of the most inspiring and breath-taking sights in south India are the sprawling temple complexes dotted around the region with their towering ‘Gopurams’ rivaling the modern high-rises. Having seen the life and times of millions over the ages, these great time-defying structures stand as a testimony to the prowess of our ancients. Starting from the master-builders, the Cholas to the empires of the Pandya, the Chera, the Pallava, Vijayanagara and the Nayaks, these architectural symbols of Dravidian cultures were centres of art, dance and drama. Even today, millions visit these magnificent places of worship daily.

From India’s largest temple at Srirangam to the richest at Tirumala; from the awe-inspiring big temple at Thanjavur to the quiet ruins of Hampi; from the thousand pillars of Rameshwaram to the town of a thousand temples, Kancheepuram; from the sea-side temples of Mamallapuram to mountain temple of Sabarimalai. The variety and beauty of the architecture is simply incomparable. Each is an epic in stone to it deity, be it Rameshwar or Ranganath, Ayyapan or Ayyanar, Sundareshwar or Skanda.

Every time I visit one of the grand temples, I feel like being in a time-space warp! The atmosphere, the sculptures, the ‘abhishekams’ and the ‘mantras’ transport me to a long-lost era where that very place was the centre of life under the ‘Maharajas’. I marvel at the innumerable figurines on the ‘gopurams’ and spend a lot of time gazing at the intricate carvings throughout the complex. The colorful paintings on the walls and ceilings portraying great mythological and historical occasions make a wonderful read. The wonderful layout of the complexes itself, the floor plans and the utility of each building etc are as advanced as modern constructions. Of course, for centuries there has been this practice of placing a coin on the temple elephant’s trunk and getting Lord Ganesha’s blessings!

Worldwide Influence

The other day, I was going through the website of the New 7 Wonders Foundation. Yes, the Taj Mahal is a candidate but what caught my interest more was the world’s largest temple complex, Angkor Wat in Cambodia. As I was going through the pictures what became obvious was the extent of the influence of the Chola-Dravidian style of architecture and sculpture! But it was not surprising, considering the fact that the great Cholas once ruled lands as far away as Java, Sumatra and Malaya, let alone Indo-China! Not many centuries ago, Hinduism and Buddhism were the state religions of those kingdoms. The royals oversaw the construction of some of the most marvelous temple complexes in the world – Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borbudur in Java, Bali temples etc. Angkor Wat itself was constructed by Raja Suryavarman, a Hindu king. But today, most of them are ruins and many more are lost to the forests. This is in contrast to our temples, which have been in continuous use for millennia!

Still the countries of south-east Asia, from Thailand to Indonesia have retained many aspects of our culture. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are still part of popular folklore including the famous shadow puppets that continue with the same old Sita-Rama-Ravana story! In fact, Jakarta has many sculptures related to these epics and their national airline is called ‘Garuda’ Indonesia, a testimony to the influence of Indian culture. When the new international airport of Bangkok was named, it gave me great pride. Why, you might ask? Well, it was christened ‘Swarnabhoomi’, meaning ‘Golden land’ in Sanskrit. This shows how much influence this golden language has had abroad. More importantly, languages like Thai, Malay and Bahasa (as in ‘bhasha’!) Indonesia have a large number of Sanskritized words in them!

The Temples Today

Coming back to India, the great temple complexes were intended to be mass places of worship and serve as the heart of a bustling temple-town surrounding it, providing livelihoods to thousands. But that’s all they were for centuries! Of course, there were temple dancers (the ‘devadasis’) and many festivals to celebrate the grandeur of the holy centres. Then there are the ‘kumbhabhishekams’ that take place once in a few decades. Apart from the regular daily ‘archanas’ and ‘poojas’, there are the occasional ‘mahayagnas’. Even today, the great temples’ corridors serve as public meeting places and the tanks are the baths for the townspeople. In many places, free public feasts (‘annadanam’) are held. Outside the red-white perimeters of the complexes are the straight roads lined with nice little shops selling anything from flowers and fragrances to coconuts and collectibles. Also seen are the huge banyan, neem and mango trees that provide shade to the devotees. It is heartening to see that even in this ultra-modern age, people wear traditional clothes like ‘dhotis’ and ‘saris’ while going to the temples.

But since the temples were built, there is one thing that hasn’t changed – the beggars! No matter who rules the country, the rajas of yesterday or the rowdies of today, their pitiable plight remains the same. I wish temple authorities had the power and the will to accommodate them and give them a new life, if possible in the temple itself. After all, service to mankind is service to God.

Apart from that, one word aptly describes the management of our cultural icons – neglect! It is indeed shocking to know that many temples are in such a state of disrepair that they are beyond restoration. Of course, the ASI and other agencies are doing stellar work in maintaining and restoring most of these masterpieces, not just the temples but also the artifacts, treasures and manuscripts in them. However, the sheer size and number of our ancient monuments overwhelm them. Nature and time also have their part to play in the slow decay of our monuments. There is even a legend that the sea has claimed six of the seven shore temples at Mamallapuram. I don’t know how true that is but legends aside, it is a fact that our activities are also destroying our heritage. The reckless behavior of visitors, including throwing trash and scribbling on the walls pollute the sanctity of the temples. Modern sanitation facilities are unavailable in most of these places. All these are decreasing the quality of the temple complexes.

Instead of taking pride in the zenith of our culture’s achievements, there are those who would rather steal and sell the sculptures for money. Such smuggling and thievery are costing us our precious cultural treasures and they end up in museums and auction houses abroad! Precious bronze, stone, silver, brass and gold idols have been smuggled out of the country. Security to our temple complexes has become a major concern. In the midst of this, all that the government wants is ‘World Heritage’ status for them instead of addressing the ground concerns. Another thing that has been bothering me is the question of entry to non-Hindus. Though I have no second thoughts about the inhuman practice of preventing Dalits from entering the temples, I’m not yet decided on whether or not non-Hindus should be allowed to enter the greatest shrines of Hinduism! It might be retrograde in today’s modern secular society, but still every religion has its own beliefs and practices. Maybe, non-Hindus can be allowed just before the sanctum sanctorum. That wouldn’t hurt the feelings of the faithful either. Even though non-Muslims aren’t allowed in Mecca, you can very well go and pray in a mosque or a church. Please give me your idea on this.

The Future of the Great Temples

As I said earlier, the N7W website gave me a wonderful insight into the way great monuments across the world are preserved and promoted. Right from the Acropolis in Greece to the Great Wall, from the Sydney opera house to Stonehenge, every monument in foreign countries is well preserved and beautifully marketed. Though they may not be places of worship, they attract millions of tourists every year. This set me thinking about the way we handle our monuments especially the great temples. Though commendable work has been done in marketing the diversity and richness of Indian culture (‘Incredible India’), a lot of work is still to be done. It is not enough if tourists finish off their India itinerary with just the so called ‘Golden Triangle’ of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur. The grand temples of south India should also be repackaged as a great tourist attraction. After all, the artworks in the temple should be enjoyed by everybody. In fact, I was very much disappointed when the Madurai Meenakshi temple couldn’t make it to the final 20! Of course, more tourists along with devotes would mean better business for the people around the temple complexes and it would also bring in more money for temple administration.

This reminds me of the many examples we have in our country itself. There are many wonderful temples and monuments that are a marketing success, the biggest of which is of course the Taj Mahal. But the one place that awed me the most is Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi. The temple was an experience in itself! It was as if the great craftsmanship patronized by the great kings had been given a new life. The stunning sculptures and beautiful landscape of Akshardham was breath-taking. No amount of words can describe the immensity of the place! One has to see it to experience it. However, the most important aspect of Akshardham is the fact that it is not just a temple, it is almost like a theme park! There is a wonderful boat ride there that illustrates the glorious history of our civilization. Also, there’s a musical fountain that ‘dances’ according to the light and music with the theme of creation-preservation-destruction of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. It is an experience par excellence!

Akshardham attracts thousands of tourists daily and it holds out an important lesson in the promotion of our temples. We have to package them properly and add auxiliary experiences to them. Their history, spiritual and religious significance ought to be explained to the visitors. Each and every sculpture, each and every painting should have an explanatory board detailing the beauty and greatness of the work. Plus, cleanliness in the temples complexes along with aesthetics in the surrounding are important. This draws my attention to the awesome ISKCON temples I’ve been to. Though they are much smaller, they have all modern facilities and even shops. Though the commercialization is sickening, their method of marketing is really good. A ‘shining’ example of Indian hospitality and openness is the Harmandar Sahib, formerly called the Golden Temple. Other examples from around the world are Angkor Wat and the ruins of Greece and Italy.

The ASI and other agencies must think innovatively to preserve, protect and promote our temples. Thousands of years of our civilization’s cultural, architectural, artistic and scientific achievements are embodied in the great temples of south India. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that this heritage is maintained and passed on to the next generations. At the least, we can start off by learning more about the temples in our region, knowing their background and their current status. Ultimately, only if we give our patronage by visiting and learning about these magnificent monuments can their greatness be furthered!

PS:

I am disappointed the second time now that Angkor Wat didn't make it to the N7W while some statues and tombs made it! But I'm still happy that the Taj Mahal made it.

Take Two at Bangalore

Eye on Singapore

As I was going about my preparations for the JEE, one fine day my art teacher at school suggested that I should aim for a foreign education. She told me about her nephew who was studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Handing me the information pamphlets and advertisements, she advised me to apply for the NUS or Nanyang Technological University (NTU) rather than the go with the stream. After discussing with my father and brother, I decided to apply just for the sake of it! After all, I already had a passport. I chose NTU and learnt about the application procedure from both their brochures and their website. After all, just one more exam along with JEE, AIEEE, BITSAT, TNPCEE, VITEEE and SRMEE!

Bangalore Beckons

Unlike the others, this exam was to be held only in Mumbai and Bangalore; an objective test followed by a subjective one. English, math, physics and chemistry were the subjects. The sample paper was easy enough. During the online application itself, I was required to write a short English essay on any topic of my choice that had an impact on me. I chose to write about the December 2005 tsunami! After my application for computer science or electrical science was accepted, I was asked to attend the test at Bangalore. Father and I took the train to Bangalore and reached Nataraj uncle’s house. I found the climate of that city to be much cooler than Chennai’s. After settling there, I prepared for my exam. It was to be held at the National Public school in Koramangala. On exam day, uncle took us on his old Maruti 800 and the trip was unusually long considering the short distance. Anyways, I met some of my coaching class friends there who were also taking the exam. The hall was huge with nearly four hundred students accommodated there. As I had expected, the exam was of a good standard, neither too easy nor hard. After finishing it, I had to negotiate with the autowalas to take me to Kamanahalli. As is the case with Chennai, they demanded exorbitant amounts, knowing that I was not a local. One driver even asked me, “Which country you from?” -while his intention was to know which city! Back home, I prepared for the English subjective test the next day, at the same place. Again, uncle dropped me at the school. The English exam was a bit long and I had to write a lot. Ultimately, this test also went on well.

Having finished the exam, we went sight-seeing around the city. I saw the Vidhana Soudha, the Writer’s building, Kempe Gowda stadium etc. We went window shopping on MG Road. One thing that was very apparent was the traffic congestion and pollution! We didn’t have time to visit the Electronic city and the IT campuses there. I had also wanted to visit the IISc campus. But we left as I had other works. After returning to Chennai, I received a call letter from the BARC in Mumbai asking me to attend a summer testing camp and the INChO. I had been qualified at the regional level and was to learn as well as compete with some of the brightest Chemistry wizards from across the country! But the starting date of the week-long camp almost clashed with my second stint at Bangalore!

Back to Bangalore

This time around, I had to attend the interview by a Singapore company SIA-NOL, who were ready to give full scholarship to a select few to pursue their UG in that city. But once again, the centres were Delhi and Bangalore. So, I packed my bags again for another day at the garden city but this time it was especially large as I had to go to Mumbai for the camp. Just like a TV replay, I traveled by the same train and reached at the same time, same place! Nataraj uncle was more than happy to have me there again and was glad to know about the camp. Not knowing what to prepare for the interview, I just double-checked all requisite documents and chilled out for a day.

On the big day, I dressed in neat formal clothing complete with a tie. Embarrassingly, I had to use my sports shoe as the cut shoe was, well, cut! After getting ‘compliments’ for my shoes, we started early and used the same old car. Little did we anticipate what lay ahead of us! As usual, the traffic in the darn city was painfully slow-moving and to make matters worse, it was unusually hot that day. The interview was to be held at a hotel called Windsor Manor but we had no ides where it was. After arriving in that area, we asked for directions from bystanders who answered in Kanglish, a funny mix of English and Kannada!

While waiting at a signal, we faced our fate. The car stopped in the middle of the road! With the vehicles behind us honking, we got panicked. My father and I got down and pushed the car towards the side of the road with a little help from the traffic policeman. An already bad situation just got worse as the road ahead was uphill! We learnt that the hotel was on the same road, the so called Golf course road. Nataraj uncle suggested that we two walk to that place while he gets the car fixed. So we set out in search of the manor with just 10 minutes left for my time of interview! Not knowing that we were just about a hundred meters from the manor, we ran towards the golf course and took the road that goes away from the hotel! Having missed the appointed time, we caught an auto but he didn’t know the place either. Full of tension, father started shouting at me and at the autowala. I myself had a panic attack and started to lose hope of attending the interview let alone get the scholarship!

At Last!

But thanks to goodness, we managed to spot the Windsor manor and immediately took to our heels, rushing to the hotel reception. After enquiring about the interview, we went to the hall where I met many other students. I was a good 20 minutes late! Some of the students had given the interview while the others were waiting for their chance. A lady there verified my documents and told me that I was next in line. Wiping the sweat off my face and adjusting my shirt and tie, I got ready for the interview. Father started chatting with the others present there. One student was from DPS and we had a nice friendly chat.

Soon enough my turn came and I was asked to go inside the room where the interviewers were. There were two of them and both of them looked like Chinese. After wishing them, I took my seat. As they studied my documents, they asked me about myself. A most difficult question! After that, they appreciated my academic prowess, especially my board marks. It seems they were really impressed by it. After a friendly chat, they came to the question that I was always expecting. “Would you choose IIT or NTU, once you get your results?” I was slightly surprised that they posed this question in such a stark manner! It was time for me to play the diplomat, trying to appease them and convince them. I told them that Singapore would give me a wonderful international exposure and experience. If I had said otherwise, my chances of getting the scholarship would have sunk. Careful not to denigrate my coveted IITs, I somehow convinced them that I placed NTU Computer Science as the first preference followed by IIT!

Impressed with my credentials and my answering, they told me that I could realistically expect to go to Singapore! Wishing me all the best they thanked me for choosing to study in Nanyang. After coming out of the room, I discussed with father about the interview. He recalled his earlier prediction about the question on IIT vs NTU! The other students also shared their experiences and they congratulated me for my board marks! The lady there told us that they would soon get in touch with me by email. Having salvaged a bad situation and converting it into an advantage, I was satisfied and started preparing for the long summer camp ahead.

Thanks, but No Thanks!

At the camp, father called me up and gave me the good news. I had been awarded the full SIA-NOL scholarship for UG in Computer science at NTU! This meant that an exciting international education awaited me in Singapore! I was enthralled. The camp went on well and I got a gold medal in it, though I wasn’t selected for the IChO. After returning to Chennai, I was seriously considering the prospect of a foreign education but not without knowing my JEE result. And when it did come, I was even more enthralled. An AIR of 352 meant that I could pursue EE in Chennai itself though not CS. This left me in a fix. Should I choose CS in NTU or EE in IITM? After consulting my coaching class professors, my brother, my father and many of my seniors, I thought over it for days and finally made the decision.

After all, my country and my family are more important to me than any international education. Anyways, who would want to go to Singapore and serve a 5-year bond for the scholarship after the UG? This was the right decision and I was happy about it and my art madam also wished me well! With a stern but candid email, I conveyed my reasons for turning down the offer of CS in NTU as well as the scholarship! Without being apologetic, I thanked them for the wonderful experience I had. I was surprised that they didn’t ask me to reconsider my decision but instead thanked me for the interest I showed in joining their institute and wished me well.

As I prepared for the JEE counseling, I reminisced about my two stints at this city that could have changed my life dramatically but instead ended up as fond and funny memories!

PS:

I eventually did a branch change in IITM from EE to CS!
If anything, the ‘Garden city’ is only getting less greener by the day!
By the way, Bangalore has been officially renamed Bengaluru!

At the Interview

NTS Exam

Having been exhorted by my Social Science teacher, Mrs. Vimala Naidu, I had decided to write the National Talent Search Examination when I was in my Tenth Standard. I had company since many of my friends had also applied for it. Without an air of seriousness, I just went into it. I never prepared anything especially for this. Nor did I read any books on the past NTS exams, which my friends were doing. But I had always liked Math, Science and Social studies. These were the major subjects covered by this exam. So perhaps, I didn’t need to prepare for it.

I forget the dates, but the exam was held at the Meenakshi Girls School! At that time, we owned a second-hand Maruti Omni and I went to the exam in my car. It was fun to see the driver ask for directions to the ‘Girls’ school! Anyways, many of my friends had already arrived there and I reached just in time fro the exam. It went on very well, despite my lack of preparation. With confidence, I finished my exam before time. Some weeks later, I received a mail informing me that I had been selected for the second round. Great! So, I cleared the exam and I was one step closer to becoming an NTS Scholar.

My First Interview

I still keep all the mails with me for record. I just searched the internet and learnt a few tips on attending interviews. I came across some dress code for these but ignored them. On the day of the interview, I was surprisingly calm. Why was I not anxious or nervous? After all, it was my very first interview! Never before had I attended any such thing and I had no experience whatsoever. Anyways, after my morning routines and breakfast, I got ready for the interview. I wore a casual tee-shirt and pant with typically ‘unprofessional’ sandals! My father did mention about ties, shirts and shoes but I had none. What else could I do? Then again, I didn’t take any folder of certificates with me, just the reference letter.

On reaching the place, I was shocked to see most of the other candidates dressed in neat ironed full-sleeve shirts and pants complete with belt, tie and shoes! The kind of person one sees in companies, I thought. Many also had fancy folders in their hands. Now, I was beginning to feel a little out of place. But my father reassured me that only my confidence and answering counted. Then he wished me luck and left. I had to calm down and collect myself so as to focus on the interview ahead. A lady there called persons by name to enter the interview room. I did get a peek into the room when my neighbor’s turn came. I figured out that there were many people, not one to carry out the interview. I was pondering over whether this was more advantageous. While I was thinking of how to greet them, the lady called out my name. Oh God! This was it, my first break, my first interview!

A Pleasant Surprise

As I entered the room, I faced the two madams and an elderly gentleman sitting on one side of the table. I immediately wished them all and entered. The sir stood up, wished me back and requested me to enter. Lo! He was also dressed in a tee shirt and wore sandals! I was pleasantly surprised by this and it restored my calmness and confidence. After all, the interviewer was a kind looking elder and not a mean ‘company’ man dressed in a coat suite. Having taken my seat, the sir asked me about the exam and school life in general. The ‘friendly’ chat helped me a lot as I settled in that atmosphere with ease. Then, the interview began with the madams asking me questions on geography and civics. I scarcely remember them, but one was – ‘What are the oil producing regions of India?’ As the questions progressed, I was able to answer almost all of them very well. Then they asked – ‘What are the types of elections?’ After that they posed the question in which I stumbled - ‘Who conducts the general elections?’ I replied ‘The Election Commission of India’. ‘Correct. Who conducts the local body elections’? Again I replied ‘Election Commission’. ‘Which Election Commission?’ I had no idea as I didn’t know that there were different ‘types’ of ECs. As I blinked, she gave the answer – ‘There are agencies called State Election Commissions which conduct local level polls.’ I just nodded my head in acknowledgment as if I knew the answer! Then they wrapped up the interview session and wished me ‘All the best for the future!’ I thanked them and left the place.

After coming out, I heaved a heavy sigh of relief! Finally, my interview was over and I had done it well. After a few weeks, I got a call from Delhi informing me tat I had been selected for the scholarship. Oh God! I was extremely happy and my mother phoned up Vimala madam and thanked her for her encouragement. I am still thankful to her, for it was because of her that I came to know about this prestigious scholarship and eventually went on to become an NTSE scholar myself.

A Tryst with History at Shar

Opportunity knocks

As I was going through the e-mails that I had received, there was this mail from Vikram announcing a visit to Sriharikota to witness the historic launch of INSAT-4C by GSLV-F02. On reading it I suddenly felt an urge to join the gang. After all, permission had been obtained for only ten students. But then again, as usual I started thinking over it again and again. Should I go or not, can I go or not? If I go then I’ll have to suffer in the sun and struggle to reach Shar and so on … excuses to prevent me from going! On the other side, a rare opportunity that comes once in a lifetime that was not to be missed. India is to launch its own INSAT from its own rocket for the first time! Also it would be such a valuable experience for me who was stuck in the house due to the boring holidays. Oh God! When will I come over this self-cynicism? Just then, my brother passed by. I told him about this nice chance offered by IIT wherein students can go on this trip sans any fee. He wasn’t interested, but pounced on me saying I should go instead of being a ‘gosha’. Sigh! I was pondering over this for nearly half an hour. Imagine, sitting and thinking for thirty minutes, unable to decide even this simple thing! With a heavy heart, I replied to the coordinator Sai Prasad, asking him to include my name in the list. After mailing, I started feeling a little lighter and more enthusiastic. I went told paati about it and she was happy that I was availing this good opportunity. But then again, it wasn’t sure whether I would go or not. I waited till night to get confirmation from Sai that I was also to be included in the gang but only if I joined the Physics club, which I quickly did. That Friday night, the 7^th of July, I slept happily dreaming about the satellites, stars and rockets!

The next day, I thought I should learn more about the launch itself, about GSLV, INSAT, ISRO and so on. But as usual, my laziness got the better of me! Whole day, I was simply watching TV, orkutting etc. In the afternoon, I informed appa about this planned trip. He was immediately excited and asked if he could also join. May be; make it a family event wherein all of us can go to Sriharikota in a car! Unfortunately, only IIT students and that too only ten of us were given permission to visit. Not giving up, he immediately phoned one of his old friends working at Shar. Someone else spoke in Telugu and appa handed the phone to paati, who asked the other person something in golti! Oh boy, ‘maatladu’? Say, what? Anyways, finally we learnt from the friend that SDSC doesn’t allow public visitors during the launch. What a disappointment! But I was to go ahead with the trip anyways. Appa advised me to go from here by bus or train. But we hadn’t finalized our mode and time of travel yet.

On Sunday morning, I mailed Sai and asked about the itinerary. The whole day I could think of nothing but the trip. How will we go, when should we start? Will they allow us inside SDSC? It went on throughout the day but still no reply from Sai. In the afternoon, chithappa and chithi came to visit. On seeing Deepu, appa suggested that we go on a family outing to some movie. But being a Sunday, all cinemas were running houseful! Finally, they all went to Mailam. But I couldn’t, since I had to wait for the info about the trip. Balaji also didn’t want to go as he had booked tickets earlier with his friends to watch Superman returns! Appa and chithappa tried pressurizing me into coming. But with paati’s full support, I succeeded in staying at home! I didn’t want to go out anyway. Hour after hour, I checked my mail. Sai hadn’t replied to my mail. What do I do? With butterflies in my stomach, I waited till night for his reply but none at all! Finally, I decided to ask someone else in that group. Anush was online and so I started chatting with him. I found out that almost all the others were third years; I was only second year in the gang. Anyways, I enjoyed chatting with Anush and went on with it for nearly an hour! He told me about the itinerary. We were to leave from Central at 8.30 AM and go to Sulurpeta in Andhra. From there, we catch a bus or taxi and reach Shar by 1.00 PM. Each had to bring his own lunch. And in the end, he told me to phone Sai and inform him about my coming. Duh! Why didn’t I think of calling him before? Silly me! Of course, the clash of titans – Federer and Nadal was going on. Watching that with one eye and the computer with the other, that was an ordeal! Once the match got over, and the Fedex won of course, I called up Sai and he seconded Anush about the trip. Ah! Finally, some relief! The plan had been finalized. But uh oh! I didn’t tell maami about this. Anyways, what the heck? I’ll have some Curry noodles in the morning, I thought. That night, I couldn’t sleep till 11 PM due to all this excitement. And I put some enthu and took a print out of the info given in the ISRO website about the launch. Too bad I had to miss the clash between Italy and France in the football finals. But the trip is more important and I had to wake up early the next day.

The Big Day arrives

Having set the phone alarm at 5.30 AM, I managed to get up only at 5.50 on Monday. After finishing the routines, I settled to read the papers. I don’t know what’s with this magnetic effect of The Hindu that I went on till 6.30 reading it! Then maami came and immediately I informed her about my plans for the day. Paati asked her to make me idlis for breakfast and for lunch. After finishing my bath and breakfast at 7.15, I was in a dilemma over how to reach Central by 8’o clock! Maybe, my moped or by bus? Appa started shouting that I was late and asked me go by call taxi. Why waste money, I thought. Finally I went by auto, a cool Rs.130! As he went at his own pace, I started getting tensed. Would I reach on time? What if I miss the train? Oh no! God, help me! Finally, the good autowala got me to Central by 7.50 itself. I immediately rushed to the Suburban station only to find that the other junta were yet to come! Painmax! After buying the tickets, we waited for the train to come. In the meanwhile we all chatted and got to know each other. There was Sai, Vikram and Anush. Also present were Nagarjun and other Telungans, I forget their names. En route, we were joined by Sivateja, whom I had known from the Sanskrit classes. I greeted him Sanskrit and he replied in it as well! At Tondiarpet, we were joined by Sabhapati sir from IVL, whom I had known from the NSS trip. And so, the journey went on and on. It was a long journey but we discussed about the satellite and the launch. I had brought news articles about it and was reading it. My print-out proved quite popular with everyone taking turns to go through the info. And fortunately I had taken my MP3 player along. Listening to my favourite songs and showing it to the others as well! I wrote down the whole lyrics of the ‘Anbendra mazhaiyilae’ song from ‘Minsara Kanavu’ and showed it to Sabhapati. He was impressed with my Tamil and corrected my spelling mistakes.

Finally, we made it to Sulurpeta at about 11.30 AM. A sleepy little station in the middle of nowhere! After having the lunch we had brought, we set about searching for the bus stand to catch a bus to Shar. Ultimately, we had to walk nearly one and a half kilometers in the hot sun. But no bus there either; the knowledge that we had missed the last Shar bus by just 5 minutes added to our agony! In the midst of all this Sivateja had bought some sweets made of flour and jaggery called ‘Sununda’. It tasted somewhat like the ‘Maaladdu’ we make. While I was relishing it, the policemen there advised us to take a share jeep. Just as I was wondering why there were so many policemen, a cavalcade of cars passed by. With sirens on top and guided by Ambassadors with armed guards, it was the governor! Of TN or AP? Maybe both. Who cares when you are being baked by the sun and fleeced by the jeepwala! Ten of us were cramped into the jeep and the heat was relentless. The whole area looked like a semi-arid desert. Or maybe it was a dried up lake. The hot air blowing through made it even more difficult for us and that too in this remote place. After traveling like that for nearly half an hour, we had finally arrived at The Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota known shortly as Shar. Wow! The place was so beautiful and green; more or less like the IIT campus. I couldn’t believe that such a place was possible in this semi-arid area. At the entrance gate were placed two giant models of the GSLV and PSLV. Maybe we should have taken a group photo there. But there was no time to lose as we had to enter before 1.00 PM. We went through the security check at the gate and submitted all our electronics including the mobile phones and cameras. Too bad, they also took away my MP3 player!

A place in History

Anyways, there we were. At the doorsteps of one of India’s most respected institutions. A place, from where India has launched many of her successful satellites. A place, where some the most advanced space technologies are being developed. A place, where great men like Dr. Abdul Kalam and Prof. Satish Dhawan have worked to make our lives easier. Surely, this centre has its name etched solidly in India’s history. Entering it gave us a great sense of pride and patriotism. We had come to witness this monumental launch and become a part of this historical occasion. The security guard had issued us a gate pass. As we were walking inside the serene campus that reminded us of IIT, we realized how early we had come. It was only half past one in the afternoon and there were three hours to launch. Once we entered the two-storey high administrative building, we figured out that this was where we were to be put up. What? We can’t go further inside! The launch pad would be kilometers away. The official there asked us to take rest and have some refreshments. We had to see launch from the terrace itself! I enquired about the distance to the launch pad. The building was nearly seven km away while the VIP dais was a cool twelve km away form the launch pad! That’s better we thought since there were television screens in the building showing the rocket in position.

We then moved to the office of the Controller’s PA. At least the room was cooled by air conditioners. Ah! What a relief from the sweltering heat outside. After chatting for some time, we went out to get some grub. Anush and I had brought idlis while the others walked around in search of a canteen or a mess. And find we did a small shanty with a few stools and a table. They cooked the food then and there, white rice, sambhar and potato curry. Just a simple meal for Rs.18 and of course they gave me potato chips for free as a compliment. Very good natured people indeed! But Sabha sir asked them for a bill. A bill, from these poor people! However, suddenly they got scared and reduced the price to Rs.10! But why? Anyways, we paid the amount and left. Then, Vikram went back and paid then the remaining amount! Sabha sir was annoyed but Vikram argued with him that we should help these poor people. How kind of him! After having some cold drinks, we returned to the room and many of the junta dozed off, just a quick nap. I couldn’t sleep sitting and so I was writing the lyrics of the ‘Thirumaal Perumai’ song! As we lazed about, a guy came and announced something in Telugu. We were startled! I heard it as coffee! But it turned out he had announced that the TV in a neighboring room was now open and we could go and watch the pre-launch telecast. Some of us went and sat in that room while the others continued with their nap. The sofa was huge and comfortable! I suppose that was the Controller’s office but what the heck! The TV had no cable and the only channel was the direct DD feed about the launch. And they kept showing the same picture continuously for one hour. Sickening! Some silly journalists were sitting and posing. But we could see the governors sitting in the front, including Surjit Singh Barnala, the sardarji with his big turban and beard! Finally at about 3’o clock they made an announcement that the launch had been delayed by an hour. It seems some pipe connections had a problem. And also the weather had become cloudy. We wondered what we would do if the launch were to be postponed to the next day! Stay back or go home? Keeping the dilemma aside, I started reading the reviews of Arindham Choudhary’s book ‘Count your chickens before they hatch’. I didn’t know that this ponytail guy was such a respected economist. Little did I realize how false the title would turn out to be in the context of today’s event!

After being there for a while, we went up to the terrace at about 4.45 PM. The terrace was filled with people. Everyone from little kids to old guys had turned up. I suppose they were the family and friends of the people working at Shar. As we stood chatting about INSAT and GSLV, more and more people started pouring in. In about half an hour, the whole terrace had been filled. All the security guards had also come up to see the launch. All the people were looking eastwards, as if they were sure that is where the launch pad was. Also the tall trees, a few hundred metres away from the building blocked the view of the horizon. It had also started becoming cloudy. We were all praying that the launch should go ahead. The tricolour was flying high near the entrance. It made me overflow with national pride. Just then, an announcement was made - ‘T –15 minutes’!

The crowd became excited. Everybody turned eastwards and stood with apt attention. I could also see scores of people atop other tall buildings in the campus, all eagerly awaiting the launch. Again an announcement - ‘T –10 minutes’! We spoke about the time, effort and money that would have gone into making this project a reality. ‘T –5 minutes’! We had put so much fight to come here and witness the launch. ‘T –1 minute’! Oh God! All of us were extremely excited and anxious. After all, the rocket would be visible only for a few seconds. ‘20 seconds’! All eyes were fixated on the tree tops that hid the horizon. ‘10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 and lift off! GSLV-F02 carrying INSAT-4C’. We could here applause after that. And lo! The great rocket appeared above the trees in the sky. A brilliant blinding flash of yellow and above it the ‘thin’ rocket! The crowd broke out into a huge applause and whistles. I myself couldn’t help but clap wildly. Looking at the 410 tonne rocket that has been successfully launched by my country, a satellite that would revolutionize communication in India, a few tears of pride rolled off my eyes! Slowly the rocket disappeared into the clouds. Immediately everyone scrambled downstairs to see the scientists congratulating each other on TV. I ran as well. But Sai had stayed back to see the sky.

Sheer Pride to Sorrow

On the TV, there was this sign ‘No signal’! What! I thought they would replay the clips of the launch from close up and also that of the scientists at mission control cheering the victory. The whole crowd stood there looking into the blank screen for a few minutes. I then came out of the room and the junta gathered. We were sharing our amazement of that few seconds. Then the PA, Mr. Ramanujam came out and we thanked him for giving us this opportunity. I went ahead and even congratulated him for the successful launch. He just smiled and bid us goodbye. We then took our bags and went downstairs. There Sai joined us and told us that he saw some sort of ‘fireballs’ falling from the rocket. And then an orange-violet cloud had formed. Then Naga came with the most shocking of news – the launch was a failure! We couldn’t believe it. I was speechless. He went ahead and told us that the rocket had failed in the first stage itself! It seems he had heard it from a security guard. None of the scientists were around to confirm the news. Maybe that’s why the TV feed was cut off! I still wasn’t convinced. So many crores, so many years, so many scientists – their efforts could not have gone in vain. After all, India has had a continuous streak of 11 successful launches. This historic one just cannot fail. In a few moments, the whole building seemed deserted. All the people who had come to see the launch had dispersed. We also got going to the gate. All the while this heavy sense of sorrow, disappointment, disbelief accompanied me. While coming, we were happily chatting. But now, everyone was silent. The solemnity of the occasion was so overwhelming.

At the gate, there were a few ISRO buses waiting. But a private bus came just then and we quickly boarded it. As we were returning to Sulurpeta, the vast expanse of the dried up lake was evident; the orange sun looking at us as if it wanted to console us! Reflecting upon the monumental failure we had just witnessed, we were all filled with gloom. Adding to the sorrow was the fact that the Agni III had also failed the previous day. Soon, the bus got crowded. Just as we were going, some four Shar buses overtook us. It was followed by the governors’ cavalcade. By about 6.30 in the evening, we reached Sulurpeta. Munching on the sunundas, we were walking briskly to the station. I called up Balaji to inform about the launch failure but he had already seen everything on TV. Duh! At the station, we took a few group photos. Too bad, we didn’t take a single photo of Shar! Anyways, we boarded a train to Gummidipoondi at 7.00 and took a few group photos inside as well. While returning, we were talking about IVL activities as well taunting Sivateja about the sunundas! From Gummidipoondi we took a train back to Chennai suburban. En route, we chatted about the full moon and the Chandrayan mission etc. What will happen to the future of the INSAT series etc? I had a picture of the GSLV F02-INSAT 4C. I suggested that we frame the picture, garland it and put it up on the wall in the Physics club! Everybody burst into laughter. At least now, we had come out of the sorrow. As the train went along, we chatted about the holidays, projects and so on. Sabha sir got down at Tondiarpet. By the time we reached Central, it was 9.30! The junta were in a fix as to where to eat dinner. But I didn’t feel like eating. In fact, I still had three idlis left over as I couldn’t eat after seeing the failure!

I bid them all goodbye. What an experience the day was with all these new friends! Anyways, I’ll meet them some day or the other at IIT. I waited for a bus to Saidapet at the GH bus stop. But none came till 10’o clock. So I got into a share auto till Vijayanagar. It was 11.00 PM when I finally returned home. What an exhaustive trip! But a great experience, nevertheless. At the end of the day, it was the experience that counted for me; making new friends, visiting remote places, knowing new things and so on. I can also proudly claim that I had visited Sriharikota and witnessed a historic launch!

The launch might have very well been a failure but hey! After all, failures are the stepping stones to success. Confident that my great country will demonstrate soon that it can achieve greater glory in space science and technology, I went into a well-deserved sleep.