It was on my birthday, and I wanted to celebrate the day simply by being with my family in the form of a getaway. Last four years, I wasn't in my hometown, which was why I decided to spend with my mom and sister this year, especially after roaming around places like a nomad.
Vishakapatnam, the city of Destiny, the bright coastal town of Andhra Pradesh, has been developing thoroughly lately. Regardless of the latest developments, some historical and heritage sites in the city make every Vizagite feel proud. Amongst them, Sri Varaha Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple is one of a kind because it's the only temple in India where two avatars of Vishnu blended as one with his consort Laxmi, blesses devotees.
Being a Vizagite, I at least visit this temple once a year, and this time, I thought of starting my year with his divine blessings. Hence, we planned to visit the temple in the evening before hitting our dinner reservations. After the previous night's birthday party, we all decked up and headed out in our vehicle. Situated at Simhachalam hills with the Simhachalam forest range surrounded, one must go through the ghat roads of the mountain to witness the spirituality this temple spills.
The views are breathtakingly scenic, and the roads are much more comprehensive for safer travel. We went in our car, taking twists and turns to reach the top of the temple premises. After getting our tickets booked at the counter, we headed inside. We have taken the VIP Darshan to cut the length of the queues as we wanted to be on time for our dinner plan. Within no time, we were in the sanctum sanctorum of Varahalaxmi Narasimha Swamy. Built and renovated by earlier kings, the temple interiors are made of sculpted stonework, and the pillars depict the stories of Vishnu Purana.
Among those pillars, Kappa Stambham is the most popular one. People pay to hug this pillar, which is believed to be the wish-fulfilling pillar. People entwine their hands around this pillar and pray for their wishes to be fulfilled by the Lord. And the mystical myth behind the hanging post with an inch gap away from the earth is worth witnessing the miracles of this temple.
We can only see the Nijarupa (the actual form) of the main god on Akshaya Tritiya. On regular days the statue gets covered with kilos of Sandalwood paste. As the Lord is mighty and the epitome of aggression, he is always covered with Chandan to reduce his divine intensity. We went inside and found the exact yellow form of the Mahavishnu amidst the cool stone interiors. You will discover spiritual happiness if you have a darshan at this temple. Typically considered the next most famous temple after Tirupati Venkateshwara Swamy, the vast premises of this temple allow people to explore other deities too.
After exploring all of them one more time, we collected our prasaadam and spent some time walking around the temple peacefully. We clicked a few pictures to save it as my birthday memories. On the way down, we witnessed the Sunset at Simhachalam Hills.
This temple lies at one end of the city, and my sister planned the birthday dinner at the other end. And it was at the Four Points by Sheraton. Fancy dinners are our family celebration things where we three relish exotic dishes. But the day went differently than planned because of our vehicle issues. Somehow we managed to reach our reserved table in this sophisticated hotel chain.
I have been to Sheraton hotels at various other places, too, but having dinner with my homies in my hometown was different. We had a crazy lunch that day, but we had pre-decided the dinner menu. The Mutton gosht biryani tastes yummy to the core. We have ordered that for my mom. My sister and I ordered Pizza Verdure, mocktails, and beers. It was a lovely dinner, even though our moods were different because of our mess-ups regarding my outfit and car.
Birthdays are meant to be like that, I guess, because no matter how much you plan. Some things go unexpectedly awesome, and a few things go unpredictably frustrating. But that cozy dinner under those lovely incandescent lights with an elite view complimented the end of my day. More than anything else, the staff was warm to the core, and they celebrated my birthday too. I would be excited like a kid if someone came with a piece of cake and a candle. If there weren't any troubles with our car, we would have enjoyed it better, but the best part was it didn't give us trouble when we were at the top of the highest hill range of Vishakapatnam.
Over some blended conversations, we completed our dinner and celebrations at our birthday reserved table inside the restaurant called "The Eatery."
Somehow we figured out our return journey in one of my friends' cars. So while waiting for the driver to pick us up from the hotel, we explored the inner premises of the Sheraton Vishakapatnam. I love the entrance and its vastness and elegance with the precise limited lighting and high-end furnishing. I couldn't resist clicking some unique birthday pictures in the hotel's lobby. And the Night Manager was sweet enough to click our family portraits beautifully with incredible backdrops of the hotel.
So, that's how we ended our particular birthday plan with a spiritual temple visit and a fancy dinner, both at famous places in my hometown. It was perfectly balanced with equal emotions. Spending your birthday with your homies in your hometowns by getting away to some favorite spots of your place feels fantastic. Try it!