Missed the 'alamaram'

Dear friends,

Last weekend, I spent a day at Madurai - the place where I lived for 24 years from my childhood. I moved out in 96 and last I visited was in 2000.

I was shocked to see that the big and famous 'Alamaram' near Fatima college has been brought down. How many sunny afternoons have I spent there with my school satchel, waiting for the bus to go to our house at Shanti nagar! It was a welcoming place for a nice afternoon siesta for all those tired villagers who come to the city. It probably fell prey to the 'modernisation' drive but it literally brought tears in me. There was also other signs of 'modernisation' - some with obvious benefits but many which looked like 'blind acts of killing the old world charm'! Thankfully, the streets around the temple and the temple itself were the usual self - serene inside and beautifully alive outside.

We also visited Palani - sadly the part that is etched in our memory is not the radiant idol but the gross commercialisation and misuse of powers by the temple employees. The crowd management was lousy (worse after the accident with the rope car). The priests were literally greedy for money (to the extent of shamelessly asking people to donate 'generously' while showing the 'deeparadhanai' plate). It left a bad taste in us. I hope the temple authorities stop people from accepting money privately, collect it officially and make better civic amenities. Priests can be paid good salary from the money that anyway pours in.

At madurai, It was heartening to be treated with so much respect by the vendors and to hear that sweet 'anne'! We left madurai with the 'hot, melting halwa' from prema vilas melting in our mouths. I have a selfish wish that the city be just like it was 10 years ago!

Cheers,

Sumathy

Dear Sumathi,
I am in total agreement with you. In the name of modernisation and improvement, we are losing so much of our nature. A number of trees are felled down for the four lane highway and within the city also for building apartment complex and shopping buildings. It is a sad state of affairs , indeed. I dread to think what traffic troubles, we are going to face in the future when the IT Park gets started in our dear old Mdu. But all for the sake of growth of economy and welfare in our city. So i guess we have to accept this change. Everything - peoples habits, lifestyle, dressing , food ftc. change; except their unclean habits like throwing litter everywhere; spitting, using the sidewalk as urinals. Civic sense is very hard to be found, no moral values and people are more selfish and materialistic. KALI KALAM i suppose!>

oh really............ aalamaram is not there? oh no..........

Originally Posted by Sumathy

Dear friends,

Last weekend, I spent a day at Madurai - the place where I lived for 24 years from my childhood. I moved out in 96 and last I visited was in 2000.

I was shocked to see that the big and famous 'Alamaram' near Fatima college has been brought down. How many sunny afternoons have I spent there with my school satchel, waiting for the bus to go to our house at Shanti nagar! It was a welcoming place for a nice afternoon siesta for all those tired villagers who come to the city. It probably fell prey to the 'modernisation' drive but it literally brought tears in me. There was also other signs of 'modernisation' - some with obvious benefits but many which looked like 'blind acts of killing the old world charm'! Thankfully, the streets around the temple and the temple itself were the usual self - serene inside and beautifully alive outside.

We also visited Palani - sadly the part that is etched in our memory is not the radiant idol but the gross commercialisation and misuse of powers by the temple employees. The crowd management was lousy (worse after the accident with the rope car). The priests were literally greedy for money (to the extent of shamelessly asking people to donate 'generously' while showing the 'deeparadhanai' plate). It left a bad taste in us. I hope the temple authorities stop people from accepting money privately, collect it officially and make better civic amenities. Priests can be paid good salary from the money that anyway pours in.

At madurai, It was heartening to be treated with so much respect by the vendors and to hear that sweet 'anne'! We left madurai with the 'hot, melting halwa' from prema vilas melting in our mouths. I have a selfish wish that the city be just like it was 10 years ago!

Cheers,

Sumathy

Hi Sumathy
It is very sad to hear that the alamaram is not there anymore. Being a Fatimite, i love to see the tree.Thoe were the gold old beautiful days.