Chettinad in April was a hot cauldron. The crumbling mansions here belonged to another era. Time had warped a slow dance through this village. As I stepped out of the heritage bungalow of Chettinad Mansion, the air suffocated me immediately with the heat. It was not yet noon. I wilted, but I walked on.
I walked through the nearly empty streets, tracing no path, and having no agenda in mind. The best moments are found through serendipitous coincidences, aren’t they?
I turned the corner and there was this goat that stood staring at me. I stared back. And then, in front of me was this pond, the morning sun reflecting shimmer through its rays.
A temple lay watching over it. I sat down under the shade of a huge tree. Isn’t that the best part of temples? That you always have a shady tree to sit and stare? I sat under the tree, chatted with a friend, read my book, spoke to the goat, and then just watched the beauty of Life envelop me. I was hugged. Embraced. Loved. The Universe was reflecting its love to me. How beautiful. How precious. How enduring.
In the evening, I would go near the pond again, in search of an Ayyanar temple. I never did find it. But I found this God.
