Trip 1/25 - Chenngalamma Paremeshwari Temple - Sullurpet, Andhra Pradesh - 16 Jan 2022

After 18 days of being home bound, in hospital recovering from Covid,  been in long term isolation and treatment,  finally we embarked on the first trip of 1/25 trips we planned this year in 2022, as Raghu and I will be completing 25 years of our married life.    What is the best way to break your quarantine than driving some 100+ kms to a serene Temple which follows all covid protocols,  less crowded ,  absolutely no human handshakes, but breeze through the calmness,  fresh air and greenary on the way.   

Initially our plan was to visit Europe for our 25th Anniversary this year, however, given the ongoing pandemic situation it is not ideal to even plan now and with all the protocols and masks on, I dont think we can enjoy.   So we decided, why not make 25 odd short trips, most of them for a day or 2 to the places we love to visit and not visited before.  We also wanted to do many road trips with both Raghu and Aishu being able to drive and also having ample space for our pet Rumi in our Creta.   Something we enjoy, we can plan-replan- realign as needed, no hard and fast rules, but lot of flexibility on weekend travels and long weekends.   Yes, we already missed 2 weekends and a long weekend, but however, as a family we spent the maximum together time thanks to covid.   So no regrets whatssoever! 

About Chenngalamma Paremeshwari Temple- Sullurpet - Andhra Pradesh

Distance from Chennai :   Around 90 kms  (from our home it was around 110 kms)

Time taken to reach the temple :  Around 1 hour 45 mins

Timings of the Temple :  

Wikipedia link on the Legend of the temple:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengalamma_Parameshwari_Temple

Contact numbers of the temple: 097008 48008 and 08623 242076

There are no big shops or hotels around the temple, unless you plan to go inside the town of Sullurpeta..so please carry the things you need, including water bottles, food, puja samhan etc as you may need.

Few pictures from our Trip 1/25....May the divine Maa Paremeshwari protect us all from all evils and guide us in the sense of truthfulness,  happiness and success.  May she protect us all from this pandemic,  and remove all health issues, financial troubles, relationship issues or any with which you are fighting with.   May Chenngallamma, embrace us with her love, care and protection!   

'The lease of new life is the gift of God in the New Year!". Thanking the guiding stars of my life! Now as a Covid Conqueror!

Every year, it is my tradition to write the first post of the blog about a favorite deity and this year is no different.    After my family and I had to take our first ride of the year in the Ambulance in the early  hours of 1 January 2022,  I had no thoughts.   There was an absolute blankness in mind,  but a firm faith in the God, that this too shall pass.   I did not even want to do a root cause analysis on the source of Covid that just caught us all at a time, with fullest of its new form variant symptoms and absolutely made us disoriented for a while.    The guiding deities of my life are my parents and grandmother.

As first Aishu drove us to the Rapid tests,  and our little puppy dog waiting eagerly in the car for us to come back,  the tests going positive, again going back home to pick our stuff and getting back in Ambulance to Kings, and the long queues of waiting and having no energy to even stand, we got back to Medway Hospital and took CT scans, needed hospitalization and as a family started our first 'outing' of the year in a very interesting way!

Today is my 10th day in hospital.  Recovering slowly and steadily from the 'Covid' after my family got back home last Friday, 7th Jan.   Yesterday, was my dad's 30th death anniversary.   I spent in silence, meditation and prayers sitting in my hospital bed.   I generally do lot of puja things at home, go to temple, do some food donations and feed cows etc.  This year, being 30th year, I thought few more things in his memory as it is also a Sunday.  But looks like he had different plans for me.  Most of the day, I spent in chanting, in his good old memories,  his guiding light and blessings all these years.   Just a week back, I went around the places where I spent most of my childhood with him.  Recalling those was the best part of the day.

Covid took the energy out of me like hell...fatigue like never before...longest stint of hospitalization,  weakening my heart and fluctuating my diabetic levels crazily like never before (Of course, I am a sweet person, I am loved!).    Cough, intermittent fever, severe cold, body-aches, headache like a rock on my head, tiredness (crazily sleeping 18 hours and feeling tired ugh),  pandemic did not spare us and the universe wanted us to experience this too!  

First time in many years, I spent a whole week gadget free,  away from internet, continuous conference calls, laptop and social media.   Phone was the only connect with loved ones who kept worrying about us.   It showed me how lucky I am to have my family backing me up...especially my sisters and families, and Raghu's sister and elder brother family and loads of friends, cousins and extended family who prayed for us.   Especially we will be truly grateful to Raghu's sister for taking care of our 4 month old Rumi with so much of love.   The strongest of my sisters crying every time seeing me having ups and downs being bed ridden, was a mixed emotion to experience.  My office, colleagues and friends in our Covid support team,  everyone wishing me well.  Sometimes,  adversities show you what you have earned in life.   The people who love you is what matters and in that way, I think I am absolutely rich!

Yes, we did have had a rough beginning to the year!   WE did have a scare of life.  We did experience the pandemic.   However, this did not deter our spirits.    

I may need some more time to get back to my active social life...but this whole experience had only strengthened my resolve.   I may upset my sisters who keep pushing me to be selfish and focus on my life, my health and family at least now.  Of course I will do that.  I will respect their thoughts for me.  I love to listen to them.   But same time, I will also surely listen to what my heart says.  What my calling is!  This time, I will not risk my health but will surely give back the way I still can.  After all, this is one life.   I will live my life to the lees!

Thank you everyone for making my journey meaningful.   Thanks to  my family, friends and all my colleagues, well-wishers and all those great experiences that sculpture me to be a better person!!

2022...Please be a bit kinder for rest of the year dear!   Every year is a new leaf in our lives where we take it is as it is and go with the flow.   With a full heart of gratitude and compassion,  thanking my parents who are my guiding stars and sharing with you all our deity Chengalamma Parameshwari. with you all!!!

Divine Light - Remembering my father Shri. N. Sampath Kumar on his 30th Death Anniversary 09-Jan-2022

 30 Years gone by

Yet the light shines

Cannot hear you again, 

but your words echo wise

Memories fade of your physical form

but your dreams don't die in us!

Cherish my 15 years of life with you,

Memories and Lessons are not few,

You have been my one constant

despite of people saying you died, 

Fire that I lit to your pyre

rekindles the first inside me too!

Who am I?  Just a part of you!!

an extension of one man with a smile!

You are the divine force that drives

The true Divine light that guides

Love you Daddy,...gone too soon

But never forgotten :-)  

Tributes to the loss of my loved ones- Dec 2021

 2021 had been very tough year to many of us. We have lost precious souls around...many friends, relatives, neighbours and collegues who were with us at beginning of the year now remain most precious memories...due to covid, illness, age etc..some losses have disturbed us to an extent that it will take time to revive to old selves....to all those surviving such thoughts, stay strong and with comfort that our dear ones are in better place out of human sufferings...Dec had been cruel with 4 of my loved ones going one after the other especially Sreesaran Saran Sridevi, my uncle Ragupati Saidapet , my teacher Srinivasarao Vella , my opp house uncle Sri Ramanujam uncle who used to keep a close watch on us always as wellwisher... probably making me fall sick...but I will rejoice the moments I celebrated with them in life and carry their blessings and feel well soon as all 4 will not like me sulking ...wishing 2022 a better year.....

Rotarian Umasree Raghunath of RC Chennai Spotlight

 8th AGM of RC Chennai Spotlight - Women of substance who Serve to Change Lives - #RID3232 #RCCS #AGM #Spotlighters #ServeToChangeLives

2021 also has been kind enough to let me embark my journey as a Rotarian by joining the prestigious Rotary Club of Chennai Spotlight

Gremaltes Hospital - Golden Jubiliee Celebration and recognition of the good samaritans - 18 Dec 2021

 "Leprosy is curable" .."National Leprosy Eradication Programme"..1983 Cricket team support Leprosy Foundation for cure and prevention.....we grew up with such campaigns during 80's and 90's when lepers were treated as untouchables and shunned by society. Though the disease is now slowly fading, the stigma associated to it is still a reality. Raghu and I had our biggest lesson during pandemic when we went into Balarampuram Leprosy Colony in Villivakkam, with a truck load of rations on request of Dr Renuka Ramakrishnan and on financial support from Maatram Foundation Sujith Kumar . They treated us with humbleness and deepest gratitude as they hardly had support during pandemic. 95 houses secluded from the heart of city, having their own way of life, their younger generations are struggling to find a new recognition.

"The string emits fragrance along with the flowers"... t

oday was such an experience when we were invited to Golden Jubilee celebration of German Hospital Gremaltes Hospital which is doing free Leprosy treatment for last 50 years in Shenoy Nagar Chennai..Renuka Ramakrishnan Doctor was honoured with several other doctors, nurses, pharma and para medical institutions, several social workers, field workers and few patients in a beautiful function held at @Union Christian Association Paramedical College campus in chetpet and I was also felicitated for our little contribution during the covid times ... Thank you Dr Renuka Ramakrishnan for taking me along in your service support and also recognitions galore....There is lot more work to do to make India Leprosy Free Nation...Sandhya Subramanian and family do support the Leprosy village in Vellore every year and I feel grateful when we can send torn cotton sarees and socks they need.

God ....please make this world a disease free space, free from pain and stigma

Tribute to my uncle : Saidapet Raghupati - 15 Nov 1934 - 15 Dec 2021 ( Om Shanthi)

 A life well lived... exact thought as we bid adieu to our grand old uncle in the family.. my favorite Jaya attai (aunt)'s husband and my go to uncle Ragupati Saidapet... we were eagerly waiting to celebrate his 90th birthday next year..but God had different plans!

'My little Monkey Girl'....this is how he used to tease me, as I believe I climbed on his shoulders when I was 3 years old....'Chatter box of the family'...the title I got from them..... we used to share stories of the days he worked as a Senior Bureaucrat in NTR regime in Andhra Secretariat.    A man of high integrity and simplicity, very soft spoken and very close to the family.   His 2 daughters MadhuLatha Saidapet and Asha Latha are his two eyes....he adored his wife till the end.. setting us strong couple goals in the family 🙂

Dance, Music,  Studies, Tuitions, Students,  Nice food, movies, Holi celebrations, holidays in Hyderabad,  their trips to Eluru,  they were a beautiful package of love and affection that a peaceful family needs.   It was very depressing to see my aunt sulking after he went into his final sleep yesterday morning as we saw them together for more than 5 decades....

He stood rock behind me during my dad's funeral and today, when Yamini Krishnan and I saw him on his final journey,  our hearts ached in pain.   My aunt and uncle were the one's who did kanyadanam over our wedding and Raghunath AnandaBabu is ever grateful and he felt it his responsibility to stand with the family at this hour of crisis.   

"Smile is the man"  - very soft, ever smiling, full of wit and fun, no great materialistic goals,  but peaceful, doing yoga every day, eating right,  sleeping on time, taking utmost care of his family...he was a complete man.  There are very few who influence you by their actions more than words and he was definitely one in our family.

Losing 2 important people in last 2 weeks is not easy on me, but here is a life that is well lived and need to be celebrated for the beautiful memories he left behind.   We will miss you Mammya...but truly wish we can live atleast 50% of the way you lived...Love you and keep smiling in heavens!!!

Tributes to B. Sridevi - my childhood best friend (28 Jul 1977 - 5 Dec 2021 ) Om Shanthi

 Tears rolling down as I bid farewell to my best friend from my childhood....

This is the story of 2 best friends who first met at the age of 4...both families being neighbours, and grandmothers who raised were friends, it was natural for the little girls to become instant friends...the twist to the story is everyday was a fight, fight for first bench, for standing first row in Marchfast or even to pick the lunch boxes n find best spot under the tree for lunch....the next 12 years was a superficial journey of competitive peer pressure, as this girl became an athelete, best class leader, then SPL of our batch and head girl in mock parliament...she used to feel her ego boosted every time she won over me.  She was my dad's favourite of my friends and always used to say, your dad loves me more than you...irritating me... probably she was true and thats the reason, he called her first to heavens.   

At age 44, she leaves behind two small children, boy who is 14 and girl 11 and husband n siblings heartbroken.   

She leaves behind this friend of hers feeling suddenly lonely and lost the biggest connect with her childhood, my hometown and my dad.   I feel so lost and numb

Thanks to my family, who are standing with me in this times of stillness and Raghu for coming along with me to see her one last time.   This time I will not hear her witty loud voice irritating me.   A teacher who was so hardworking leaves behind impressions that are hard to erase.   She did not have an easy life.   

Last one year her physical body was ravaged with cancer but it could never dampen her spirit.   She was loud n clear till she slipped into her final sleep.   

Wish we laughed more,. Wish we both had easy lives, we were together holding hands and raising our kids but truly wish she was there to see her children blossom.    

Yes Sridevi,. Thank you for being the finest part of my childhood and fairest part of my entire life.   I have many friends, but none who will take me granted like you fighter.   Go and rest now....you played your game well and even in this fight, it is me who lost ...Good Bye Angel ...be the tough girl you were and rule the heavens above ❤️😢

In memory of Balina Sridevi Srinivas Sreesaran Saran  28.07.1977 - 05.12.2021

Remembering and Celebrating the precious friendship I shared...

Every bit of my childhood is filled with your beautiful memories. Truly love you and miss you Sridevi. Thank you for the great friendship you gave me