Today is sivarathri. My father was born a day before Sivarathri.
Years go back and I landed in 1970s when we were staying in Peringana madam, Sreekandeswaram, Thiruvananthapuram. Once, I and my friend and neighbour Mr.Easwara Varma - now a known violin professor decided to visit 11 temples in Trivandrum. There were a few cycle hiring shops near-by. Now a days these have vanished and I saw a cycle hirer in Zurich where you can go around in cycles and also chain your cycle to a stand provided by the Government on the road side.
The night before Shivarathri, we hired cycles @ 5ps per hour. A whistle by 4 a.m. in the morning (remember Huckleberry Fin or Tom sawyer) - compare the present days when we can keep an alarm in our mobile or a missed call etc.
At 5 am we started cycling - first to Gowreesapattom. It was darkness everywhere. The dynamo a metal piece with a bottle shape fitted to the rear rim and "press" the head of the dynamo starts rotating. The wire to the headlight is connected to the dynamo. The speed of the cycle is determined by the hard pedalling and the brighter the light and yet we can see only the nearby potholes. We check the brakes also. We tell stories to take away the fear and boredom - we fear the police who may stop ( remember the police who asked why the light is not on and for the reply that when there is light everywhere why in this small light, the policeman opens the air out and said that when there is air all around why in this tyre..) or the stray dogs waiting to run after cycles and we imagining such a situation, how we should keep our legs high so that they could not bite and at the same time there should be enough speed for the bicycle.
After praying ( only God can give the good sense to the teachers for giving moderation marks) at Gowreesapattom, we go to the siva temple near University Stadium - now the entire picture is changed - the new legislature complex has come up in the place of the Police Horse Stable (Kuthira laayam) and the high rise public office complex has come up in the parade ground and now it is known as Hanuman temple.
Then we go to Valiasalai where the famous Kanthaloor Mahadeva Temple is situate. Then the Karakandeswara temple and thereafter to Karamana Siva temple and to Thaliyal Mahadeva temple. Then inside the Fort area, it is Puthen theruvu, Thekke nada sivan kovil, Padmatheertham siva temple, and then the Mithranandapuram trimoorthi temple and thereafter to Old Sreekandeswaram and to Sreekandeswaram. Eleven temples has been covered en route and sure this time our prayers will be heard.
At Sreekandeswaram, there would be a Kathakali in the night. Barring a few Kathakali lovers, the crowd consists of people who come to be awake all night and so they would chew betel leaves and spit all around and there is also a good rush in the tea stalls selling "chukku kapi or Kattan kapi". You will have keep yourself awake by any means. Theatres will also have an extra show of Bhakti films.
Myself and our other friends would keep ourselves awake atleast till mid night and keep ourselves busy with jokes and stories..and making fun of each other. But Sreekandeswaram has changed a lot. Now you can see big snake like ques to go inside the temple and outside the crowd just flows to go round and round and throwing vilva leaves into a big brass vessel. I can see many writing "Om nama sivaya" hundred times and putting into a basket kept for it.
and unlike those performing Vrita inside the temple, we have vritam at our house with "Nenthram Pazham cooked and Rava Kanji with milk two or three times and wheat dosa also included in the menu. and we call it "Pattini" ( no food )
and this Sivarathri, i am unable to keep myself awake beyond 10 pm. and visit to temples is restricted to one or two.
