“Here we go…. Hammayya!” Chandrika grunted taking her friends bag pack placing them in another big bag pack, before walking on to the Anantha Giri hills. These are one of the densest forests in Telangana state after the Nallamalla forests in the Western Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
“So, this is the temple of Anantha Padmanabha Swamy? Looks great!” Aparna panted wiping her head to the scorching heat and looked at Gopura of the temple of Anantha Padmanabha swamy temple, which is shining like a pearl under the sunlight and white paint. “Let’s go... Looks like the Darshan is going to take a lot of time as it’s Saturday…I told you guys to make it fast, but look now, tsk!” Varshika said in a disappointing tone walking inside the temple.
There were many people in the premises of the temple, mostly youngsters' just like them and some families, lovers and newly married couples. The temple is mostly crowded as it’s Saturday, the girls entered the temple. All of them were dressed in traditional attires.
Chandrika was dressed in a blue kalamkari kurti with half sleeves and white plazzo with her curly thick hair into a ponytail and a little bindi with a single bracelet on the right hand. Varshika put on a baby pink salwar kameez, her hair is half braided and her tan skin shining with minimal golden ornaments like tiny golden jhumkas, nose ring, a lotus shaped pendent chain, silver anklets. Aparna is adorned in her violet and cream-colored light weight lehenga, her long wave air is braided neatly, while her sliver framed glasses sparkled for the sunlight and her left-hand ring finger has a gold ring which is highlighted her hand long with some gold-colored bangles. Ritu’s glasses shined for the light reflecting the gold frame along with her silver jhumakas and bangles. Her short ebony hair gently played on her cheeks; her peach and red long skirt and full top highlighted her medium frame…. they looked beautiful in those attires in their own way…. just like every girl out there…in the temple premises.
“Gudi moosestaramma! Darshanaiki Raavali! Samayam ippatike 11 ayyindi!” (The temple will be closed soon dears! Come fast for the Darshan early! It’s already 11 AM!”) The staff announced in the microphone inside the temple.
The girls went to stand in the que line fast. The temple ambience is beautiful and chaotic at the same time. The smells of fresh flowers and camphor and incense sticks filled the air. The Govinda Nama chants from the speakers of the temple added more beautiful chaos to it. Realistically, some of the people were sweating for the hot weather and uncomfortable clothing choices like silk or Pattu dresses.
Gladly as it’s nearly lunch time and the Naivedya time for the lord Padmanabha swamy, the que went faster for the Darshan. Ritu is the first one to get the glimpse of the idol in the Garbha Griha (inner sanctum), the lord of the universe Anantha Padmanabha laying on the bed of Aadishesha, while his navel as a string of lotus which bloomed revealing lord of creation Bramha sitting inside the flower. The whole Idol was intricated enchantingly from a black stone, the lord looked breathe taking. All the four girls prayed to the Shayana Vishnu closing their eyes and silent pleas.
After the Darshan of the deity, they shared the Prashad and sat under shadow special stone Mandap in the temple. “So, after lunch we need to go for our quest.”
Ritu said like a statement eating the coconut piece. “If our parents know this…like literally, this era is dangerous for us, for that dangerous work, we came and took blessings of Anantha Padmanabha and, going to screw up our lives” Aparna shot at her. “Arey, don’t worry we will be reaching Hyderabad even before five in the evening, it’s just one hour from here and we can manage trust the process like look at the weather already, it’s scorching hot, and it won’t be dark soon!” Chandrika patted her shoulder.
“You are right, but we need some safety anyway, why don’t we ask anyone in the area? Like even it’s real or any made up place. Because the days are no safe anyway…. “Varshika added with concern. “We will ask someone, any local wait.” Ritu got up and looked around the temple premises. She went near an old woman who is selling the little Murtis of Anantha Padmanabha and stood in front of her. “Avva, ikkada Anantha Giri kondala maddela, oka gudi undati ata kada, Shivunidi Kuberunidi? Neku telsa?” (Granny, I heard about a temple of lord Shiva and Kubera in the deep hills of Anantha Giri, do you know about that?). The old woman gave most judgmental look to Ritu. “Yendi amma?Gudaa? Naku telvadu” (What? A temple? I don’t know”) she replied dryly.
Ritu sighed and looked around, “You don’t have a mind Ritu papa, you should ask someone who is older than her! For example, that Thatha(grandfather) sitting under the tree, look he looks more ancient than many people around…” Chandrika placed her hand around Ritu’s shoulder, pushing her towards that elder man under the tree. Both of them went to him. That elder man who was siting peacefully under the tree gave another judgmental look even before they questioned. “Thata – “, Ritu was interrupted even before she begun; “Mee maatalu vinna, aa musalameni gudi gurinche ga adigaru?” (I overheard you, asking about the temple to that old woman?) He asked and both of the nodded silently. “Look amma, I am 87 years old and as child, I overheard man stories about that temple, and everyone forgot about its existence because of the history of it. Young girls like you shouldn’t even go to that place. Listen to me and go away. Even if you think you know more about it still, trust me.” His words are more like a warn and statement rather than a plea, so both has exchanged looks, before going inside the temple premises.
“I need to sincerely thank that Thata for educating my fool friends!” Aparna walked in front like a lead while the other three walked behind her. Chandrika and Ritu were disappointed, Varshika… well neutral walking beside Aparna and listening to her yapping about how scared she was about going there…
They hiked through the dense forest of Anantha Giri hills for site seeing, now in more comfortable clothes now. But suddenly the weather became cold, a cool breeze flown through the dense forest making the forest more enchanting…. There are many people who were hiking up the hill too, as it’s the weekend the crowd is more than weekdays.
The girls were taking snapshots and pictures looking and enjoying the scenery.
“Look a flock of peacocks and peahens!” Aparna squealed pointing at the flock from far…” Yes, it is...” Varshika added and lost in the sight. But Chandrika’s attention was drawn behind the flock… far in the woods, she felt something different and far in the woods, something mysterious …... but again Ritu’s word brought her into present.
“The flock is indeed beautiful…and guess what, I am going to bring a peacock feather!” Ritu said smiling and walked in that direction, walking down the hill region. Not only her but some nature enthusiasts also went down the path once the peacocks flew away…
The weather turned duller and darker suddenly, opposite to how it was few ours ago and soon the Anantha Giris were stuck with little rain shower… the hikers and visitors moved all the way under the trees, and some walked down the hills. Ritu who was collecting the peacock feathers signaled her friends to come to the place where she was standing, as the shower was about to turn into a full-fledged storm, they too didn’t think twice and ran towards her and stood under a huge Banayan tree where earlier Ritu collected the fallen Peacock feathers.
“This May and June months are also so unpredictable like Appu’s mood swings, every time!” Chandrika groaned, “Seriously? You are really a drama queen than me and every time you like to comment on me like you are a most normal girl rather than a devil...” Aparna shot a glare crossing arms and leaning on the trunk of the tree. “Girls, both of you act like toddlers… can’t you stay silent for while?” Varshika gave another disapproval look. “I gave up on them lately but look what I brought! Look all these feathers!” Ritu grinned showing Peacock feathers in her hands to Varshika. She took some of the feathers into her hands, “Guys! I think I found a shelter” Chandrika announced, and the girl attention drawn to her index finger which pointed towards some abandoned tone like Mandapa structure in the woods.
They saw that mostly no one were around the area where they were standing, but as the storm is pouring, they didn’t think much, they ran under that almost ruined stone Mandapa which is perfectly camouflaged in the green algae and climbers…. They are now very nearer to the destination which they abandoned in the mid-way…
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