We begin each daily journey or excursion with a pooja (prayer).We all file into our van, warmly and affectionately greet our driver Pandyan, and set out to meet the world. As we drive along we pass out M & M's. Each color represents one of earths elements: yellow for sun, blue-water, red-fire, orange-sacrifice, green-prosperity, brown-earth. Each little pig, including piglet Rex, takes turns leading the prayer. Some days it is a quote from something we are reading; some days a simple"God bless this van and all within it". Our local guide Aroon even said a prayer in Tamil one day. Our prayers are always said with respect and sincerity.
Pandyan does not speak much English but he has a keen sense of observation. He has come to know each of us, not so much by our words, but by our actions and expressions of affection. He loves to hear us sing, and he loves to hear us laugh. He thinks we are "holy people" since we are always doing pujas and visiting temples!
I tell you all this to help explain why today, as we head to the Chettinad district, Pandyan asks our Toby Saab if he can make a short detour to show us something special. Pandyan is from this area and knows it very well. We leave the main road and head off on a small country road,enthusiastic about our surprise. We pass people working in the fields harvesting and reaping the rice.The sun is shining and the weather warm.
We come to a stop at the arched and brightly painted gateway that denotes there is a temple beyond.What is different about this temple is that there are hundreds of terra cotta horses lining the path to the large Tamarind tree which serves as the alter.We have not seen anything like this in India. What a special place!
The priest appears seemingly out of nowhere and three gentlemen approach the alter. They have come to this temple to have the priest bless their new truck. We are invited to participate in the blessing, which lasts about five minutes. I notice that the priest uses a coconut, incense and fire much like Toby Saab did at the blessing of Papa John's Cremation site. Once over, the priest collects his bicycle,the gentlemen collect their deed and keys,and we all proceed back down the terra cotta horse lined lane to our vehicles. Pandyan has given us a glorious gift today! We all are lighter of step and at peace with the world. I sing a song I learned as a child: "Oh The Lord's been good to me,and so I thank the Lord....For giving me,the things I need...the sun,and the rain and the appleseed. Oh the Lord's been good to me."
M
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