Super Sunday in Trichy…Treble delight in the Triple Sundae !

Sounds like I simply devoured a Great Triple Sundae Dessert out there in Trichy !

Actually it was Trebly memorable Sunday in the Temple City of Trichy in Tamil Nadu due to

• An Emotionally Uplifting ‘Darshan’ of Lord Vishnu and ‘Goddess Lakshmi’ at Trichy’s Main Temple at Srirangam
• A very well received Two Day Workshop organised by one of India’s leading Broking Groups…Participants had come from Thanjavur,Madurai,Salem and Coimbatore and other places in Tamil Nadu 
• A Sensational IPL Final and Closing Ceremonies 

Actually I just returned to Mumbai from Trichy yesterday after this memorable weekend…Had gone to deliver the above weekend Workshop

It began with our Jet Flight from Mumbai to Chennai on Friday afternoon….On landing in Chennai we were told of the cancellation of the connecting Paramount Airways Chennai-Trichy flight on Friday Night..wasn’t too keen to drive six to seven hours from Chennai to Trichy at night,so transfered to a Chennai – Madurai flight…they served a Tamil Nadu brand of Water called ‘Diet’ ! …Diet Water ! ?….Smaller 72 seater Embareur Aircraft…pretty comfortable and stable too in the air…full dinner service on a 55 minutes flight with proper linen and cutlery and crockery……+ Scratch a Card and Win one of several Gifts !…pay Rs 599 and you can collect these at Special AVA Counters at airports…collected a FOCE Watch at Madurai Airport…..They’re smart…rarely can you win the more expensive gifts like a Blackberry !…and even if you do you have to write to Haryana to get it…What is stocked at the counters are just Watches and Pearl and Leather sets !…..pretty gimmicky really…..stayed overnight at North Gate,Madurai…..actually worked on the Presentations till 3.45 am in the night to update Friday Closing Market Figures….left for Trichy by road at 5.30 am in the morning…reached at 8.15 am and began the weekend workshop at 10 am on Saturday

But it was Sunday that was really great

It began with a Special Darshan at 8.30 am at Trichy’s most famous Temple at Srirangam…The residing Deity is Lord Vishnu lying horizontal on a serpent….It was ‘Amavas’ and the hordes of worshippers had formed a long  queue…surely it would take them hours to seek God’s Blessings !…Fortunately the ‘Darshan’ was arranged after we were guided to enter through one of the Nine Gates of the Temple…It was truly an overwhelming experience…However, though ‘Lord Vishnu’ blessed us,we were unable to pray to ‘Goddess Lakshmi’ as temple timings had to be followed…I was disappointed and evinced a desire to return that evening for her ‘darshan’

I began the second day of the Workshop at 10 am .It was very touching that participants were quite effusive in their appreciation….I hope their feedback forms to the Client reflect all of this !…They got out of their shell from Saturday afternoon and began interacting and responding well with me on Sunday…Covered Satyam’s Valuation on a Participant’s Request and covered Reliance Valuation to convey why the markets were so excited that they had raced this scrip from Rs 1100 in early March to twice that now !…Covered Concepts like Beta and It’s Application in Valuation,Hedging and Momentum Trading

Then I returned at 6.45 pm to the Temple for ‘Goddess Lakshmi’….and Wow !…what a ‘Darshan’…There were thousands all over the Temple and the queue was longer than the morning…First we were blessed by the Goddess of Health and then by the Goddess of Wealth !…and would you believe it ! …About a Hundred Temple Priests,with the Head Priest took out a Palkhi of ‘Goddess Lakshmi’,because it was Amavas….We were invited to stand right next to the Palkhi ! and partook of the ‘prasadam’…sweet water and coconut….. It was a wonderful and emotional  experience and truly inspiring…Kept the Faith ! 

I returned to the Hotel and viewed a scintillating IPL Final at ‘The Wanderers’ in Johanesburg….between Man of the Series,Gilchrist’s ‘Biryani’ Deccan Chargers from Hyderabad and Man of the Match,Kumble’s ‘Bisebelebath’ Royal Challengers from Bengaluru…Chargers won by six runs as Kumble’s Challengers were unable to chase 143 !…A visibly dejected Kumble,Man of the Match with 4/16,stated ” We were just One  Hit away from Victory !”…That’s the beauty of  T-20 Cricket…These Two teams were at the bottom of the table last year at seventh and eighth,in the inaugural IPL in India….in IPL 2 they contested the Finals !

But what really kept me up till 2 am was the IPL 2 Closing ceremonies !….Performances by Akon,Kaitrina Kaif (“Jai Ho”),Eddy Grant (“Walking on Sunshine” and “Gimme Hope, Joanna” ),Shaimak Davar,Phoenix Fire Dancers,Rhythmic Drummers with their Drum Sticks on Fire…Surreal !…Laser, Acrobatic (dangling from Hot Air Balloons !),and Pyrotechnic Displays…Phew ! Take a Bow ! Lalit Modi !  

caught just a half and hour of wink…. bathed at 2.45 am and left for the Trichy Airport at 3.15 am for my 4.40 am Air India flight to Chennai…we were domestic passengers on an International Flight coming from Sharjah….and then the Jetlite connecting Flight to Mumbai…so flew four  different airlines on the four legs in this trip

So no sleep on Sunday Night at all !…and to think of it even Friday night….And I knew the Sensex will misbehave yesterday and even Today…Divine Call at Trichy !…so I took a Break and slept !

Now off to Bengaluru on Thursday to deliver a Weekend Workshop,the eight in the present series !

Cheers !