Sometime back I have shared about a new Vekkali amman temple in a small village called 'Vizhudhamangalam' near Madurantakam over here. A pilgrimage to this temple had been remaining overdue for really really overdue and long in my Todolist. Today afternoon, I was relatively free and hence just thought I would have a quick trip to this temple. Around 3 PM, I started off from work. Fortunately, I got a direct bus to Madurantakam right near the traffic lights. Since it was an ordinary bus and had more stops to cater at Tambaram, Chengalput etc, it took around a while and could reach Madurantakam only around 4.15 PM.

 

I had the following landmarks to the temple from Madurantakam as given by the temple organizer [(91) 984-063-3366]:

 

These landmarks were not sufficient to get the bus. There seemed to be a lot of confusions/ambiguities waiting. A few of the interesting scenes were:

 

I called him again and he told me to see if Pazhanchoor bus was there and that would drop exactly in Vizhudamangalam Koot Road. It was already 6 PM. I set a self-set cutoff that if no bus comes by 06.15 PM, I would return back since it would be tricky to locate the route late nights to remote villages. Thanks to the Goddess, a private bus to Pazhanchoor came in around 06:10 PM. It costed me around INR 6 only to Vizhudamangalam Koot Road. Two copassengers exactly guided to the bus stop and the bus reached Koot Road at around 06.45 PM. It was already slowly getting dark. Since it was a remote village, the streets did not have much street lights too. I managed to know the route to the temple and walked off and reached around 07:00 PM. Since I had called the temple manager, he had informed the priest before he started off home and hence the priest helped me with doing some Archana to the Lordess.

 

The temple had sanctum sanctorums for Lordess Durga, Lord Saneeswaran, Lord Ganesh and Lord Muruga besides the primary sanctum sanctorum for Lordess Vekkali. It is claimed that the primary sanctum sanctorum does not have a roof similar to the one for the Lordess in Woraiyur near Trichy.

 

After doing a few circumambulation of the shrine, I started back around 07:15 PM. The darkness had already set in in the ambience all around now. I some how managed to walk a few yards but there was a eerie feeling because of the deserted area. Fortunately, a biker from near the temple premises was coming. He gave me a ride till the Koot Road, thanks to my Lord. He also was telling that there is a bus at 7.25 to 7.30 and the next  bus is at 8.30. The last bus to Madurantakam is around 9 PM (which might come at 9.30 PM also). But as he was telling and nearing the Koot Road, the bus reached the Koot Road and started off. He was telling that we should have been a few minutes earlier. But he waited along with me since it was very isolated place. Fortunately, an Aavin Milk Tempo came that way speeding. We chose to request them a ride till Madurantakam. They were more happy to help out. It was a good omen to get a travel in a holy vehicle too. Milk is always considered holy. The vehicle reached Madurantakam around 8 PM. Now I just thought instead of immediately starting off to Chennai, I should have a sneak peek into Madurantakam Kothandaramar temple also.

 

I had to wait a while in the temple since naivedhyam thaligai was being offered because the temple was being closed for the day around 8.30 PM. After the thaligai got completed, the sanctums-sanctorums of the Lord and Lordess were opened. I had a good darshan of the Lord and then started off around 8.30 PM. A Tambaram bound bus came in around 8.45 PM which dropped me in Tambaram around 9.45 PM.

 

In the night while casually going through the Panchangam, I just realised that it was Aadi Pathinettam Perukku. It was God's blessing to have turned a casual mundane Monday into a pilgrimage day for me.