Temples of Tamil Nadu: Part 1

I am not really a religious type of person, who would go to the temple on each Tuesday, or any other particular day or days. Neither I am an anti-religious fellow. Usually I go to a temple in the following conditions: firstly, when i need something urgently, secondly, when I am in deep trouble and there is no way I can save myself, and last,when I have nothing else to do, I am in a religious group and they all are going to the temple.
I had gone to Trichy to attend some sort of training and the third condition got fulfilled and the third condition got very dominant. After the regular hours of training I had virtually nothing to do. In a place such as Trichy, there were no shopping malls, no socializing spots and the only thing it was famous for was its temples. I was there alongwith four other friends, who were really religious. One of them, whom I could call as the leader of the religious group was from Tamil Nadu. He was really fond of temples and had been going to temples every tuesday since childhood. The other guy was sort of semi-religious, he was religious on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and on some Mondays; mind you he wouldn't eat non-veg on those days. The third one, a girl, whom we should expect to be the most religious, was really religious on days she would decide to be on, in advance. She was ok most of the time, just like me, unless she decided to visit a temple. She would stop eating non-veg food from 2 days prior to visiting a temples. Once inside the temple, she would seem to be completely devoted to religion, sinhging prayers of Gods and Goddesses and performing every ritual to perfection. The fourth one, I am not sure what type of person he was. He would just follow what others would do and I can say that he was closest to me as far as following the religion was concerned.
The first three decided that all five of us should go to the temples of trichy. The fourth fellow simply agreed to their plan, I tried to protest a bit, but finally I could not beat the third condition in which I go to the temples. I had no other option, I was going to the temple. Those three seemed to be in a religious mood. I decided to add some fun elements to the temple trip. I knew that if I had to convince them for something, it had to be linked to the temple or religion. So I gave them an idea that we all should wear a 'kurta' while going to a temple as a kurta is more traditional dress as compared to a shirt or a T-shirt and so will be a perfect outfit while visiting the temple. After some discussion the three of them agreed, the fourth one as usual also could not deny them and he too agreed to buy a kurta. We went to a nearby shopping mall. We asked the shopkeeper to show some nice kurtas for all of us. Those kurtas were really nice, I must admit that as far as traditional dressing is concerned the south Indians lead the rest of India by a huge margin. The first two and the fourth got 'kurtas' for themselves, while me and the girl were already having them, and so we just helped the first two and the fourth in selecting kurtas according to their looks, taste and style.
We were ready for the temple now, all five of us dressed in trendy jeans and kurtas. I bought a packet of sindoor and used it as 'tilak' on my forehead. To me it seemed that I was the most religious person in the world after those four friends of mine, as I had satisfied the two conditions of a religious fellow; a 'kurta' and the 'tilak'.
We reached the temple gates, they were huge and I kept wondering how could they build such a huge structure at such an old age, without using much of the present day technology.

We were welcomed at the entrance of the temple by a huge elephant called "chotu". I must say its name was a misnomer. The elephant was really big and could scarce easily even brave people like me, had it not been tied with heavy chains. One person was sitting besides the elephant. Those three told me that he was a priest, while I felt that he was just a good business man, who knew that he could earn big money with little investment in this business of religion. They told me, those three, that there was an old tradition in all the South-Indian temples. One had to stand in front of the elephant with some money in the hand, which one had to offer to the elephant. The elephant will respond by taking the money from your hand, giving it to the priest/businessman and then it would bless you by putting its trumpet on your head.
I said to myself, "poor animal". I felt it was being cheated. It should be given at least 60% stakes in the earnings while what that businessman would give him daily was some bananas too eat and coconut water to drink.
The three of them wanted to get the blessings from the elephant and the fourth one, seeing the others, followed too. I must say that 'Chotu' was a really nice elephant. He blessed all four of them. It seemed they were in some other world, the blessings of 'Chotu' had given them some magical powers and life seemed to be perfect for all of them. Their dream had come true, all their ambitions would now become fulfilled as they had the blessings of "Chotu" with them. They all wanted me too, to become happy, faultless and powerful, and hence wanted e to be blessed by "Chotu". But I was in a completely different world, it was different from their world; I had spotted a really beautiful girl in the temple. She seemed so perfect, her cute face, her long untied hairs, wearing a salwar-kurta, she seemed like a fairy to me who had come to save me from these religious idiots. I told them that I don't believe in those silly old traditions, instead I was interested in observing the architecture of the temple and understanding the paintings depicted on its walls. I told them to give me a call when they were finished with the religious proceedings and I will be somewhere in the temple only. They happily accepted the proposal, I believe I was the odd man out from their group and they were believing me to be a dull, unenthusiastic fellow who was not worthy of their company.
I was happy that I was now out of the religious group, my eyes were searching for the gorgeous girl whom I had just spotted. It was not difficult to find her, since my sixth sense never fails me. I guessed that a girl like her should be more like me, and not like these religious fools and hence she too must have come to the temple for observing its architecture or the scriptures. I headed towards the corridor where all the walls were covered with paintings. I saw her, there she was.

To be continued....