Friendliness of people in North Chennai

5th April 2012 was Good Friday and was holiday for me. I thought I should take my parents to a temple that day and checked with my father. Being a pournami (Full Moon Day) on a Friday, he suggested that we should visit Thiruvotriyur Vadivudaiyamman temple. When I checked with my friend who lives in Thiruvotriyur, he said that the temple will be very crowded as it is Friday and also pournami which is very auspicious for the temple. I was bit worried as my father is stroke patient and can move around only on a wheel chair. Since it was my father's wish, I thought I should go for it and left it to the goddess to do the needful for the dharshan. We (my parents and my wife) started from home around 4:00 p.m and reached the temple around 5:00 p.m. We had to park the car more than 100 meters away from the entrance and we walked to the temple with my father on the wheel chair.


When we entered the temple, there was huge crowd and long queues not only for Dharma Dharshan but also for paid dharshan as well. People said that it will take 4 hours to get the dharshan even if we go for the special Rs 100 dharshan queue. I thought I had made a mistake of bringing my parents to the temple on such a crowded day. Having come all the way decided atleast to take my father around the temple. People would have thought we are crazy to bring aged parents (one of them on a wheel chair) on such a crowded day.


One gentleman, on seeing us suggested that we should try entering thru the back door thru which people come out after the dharshan. When we went near the back door, the security lady said that only one person can take my father (on wheel chair) inside and the others have come thru the dharshan queue. Waited for a few minutes and to my surprise they stopped people coming from special /general dharshan and let my father and mother go freely inside and get the dharshan of Vadivudaiamman. What I was impressed with was that they did not rush us thru the dharshan. They had stopped the main queue till we completed our dharshan which would have been for say 2 minutes. I thanked the Goddess for her kindness and we came out blessed and completely satisfied.


I had taken my parents to many temples and I have found people to be quite impatient in helping disabled people like my father. Most often they will rush us during the dharshan and treat us like as if they are doing a great favour. That way, the staff of Vadivudaiamman temple were helpful and courteous.

I generally felt that the people in North Chennai are more friendly and helpful. I have heard that North Chennai is not as economically developed as central or south Chennai. Probably friendliness relates inversely to economic well being.