We where at the entrance to Kamaraj Arangam on Mount Road. We spent the next 3 hours in the auditorium witnessing the happenings! Not sure, I enjoyed the discourse thoroughly as I had gone with a different expectation in mind.
The programme was to begin at 7pm and the parking was almost getting full even at 630pm when we reached the venue. As we reached the steps leading to the auditorium, we noticed a mad rush towards a corner! What else....advertisement samples of filter coffee by a company...will any Chennai-ite shy away from a dose of hot coffee anytime of the day/night....!
We had 2 passes arranged by a cousin, so we walked straight into the auditorium and got seated. The program began at 7 on the dot. I knew the pattern from having watched some shows on TV, but didn't expect an hour long session of songs followed by the discourse. Although I did like some songs and got involved in bakthi cult, for most part, Bala and I were observing what the crowd was doing!
One elderly gentleman had vowed to catch the attention of the cameraman and was jumping about in his place to the beats of the songs every now and then. The moment he got a glimpse of him on the screen, the movements got more wild and then he would be seated. I could'nt believe someone could do such stunts to appear on TV. After all, who is going to remember ur face....as if u were Rajini or Kamal!
There were a lot of youngsters(incld us of course:-)) in the crowd which, am not sure, is to be considered a good or bad sign.Are youngsters really into bakthi at this early age or too stressed that they are looking for avenues to de-stress or had simply come (like us) to get a feel of the whole thing and write a blog sometime.....!!!
The highlight of the show was when at the request of the cameraman the crowd was told to raise their hands and clap to the songs so that it could be telecast on the TV show! People would have done it if they had really felt elated.....doing so at the insistence of someone does not really mean anything....except for propaganda though the show!
Here was a group of people(whom God had blessed with enough), ready to do anything for attention and looking for direction towards God, trying to see a way to wash away their sins by chanting the name of God for a couple of hours... Behind the auditorium in the slums, is a crowd, which attracts attention without any efforts, living in un-inhabitable conditions and yet thank God in their own ways for all that HE has given them....there is bakthi in that too....!
