Rubbing against each other in a temple congregation, converting an open air stadium into an orgy park, and feeling each other in public place does all this take India (the land of Kamasutra) to the new heights in sexual liberation? Or has it always been there? Was it harassment or consensual? Was this happening to men or women or both? Can it happen in God’s own country?
When temples can have erotic postures depicted on the wall, what is wrong in groping to match the sounds of the Elenjithara melam?
I set out on the journey (Poolgrimage) to Thrissur to do a firsthand validation of tall and short, big and small, and black and white claims, during day and night!
Day 1: It was 7 am in the morning and I set out towards Round in Thrissur. Vehicular traffic is stopped and only Natraja service was available. Round is pretty much a hub of all activities! All mini Poorams from surrounding temples (9-10) temples congregate at Round, right outside Vadakkunathan temple. Mini Poorams (parade of elephants with the Utsavamurthy on top to the beat of drums and blow of wind instruments walk towards the main temple). It is a spectacle to watch the magnificent mammals walk round with a long and highly ornate decoration (Nettipattom) that run from their forehead to the middle of their trunk. The festival falls during peak summer in Kerala and this means you have no options to escape heat, mugginess, and sweaty days that makes you feel like sitting in an oven. I also managed to click an elephant with a hard on.
8:30 AM – I came out of Thiruvambady temple and was walking towards Round. Since I was already aware of Mallu men, their appetite and Thrissur pooram (a vehicle to their meat), I was all set to receive and record their pings, paws, and prowl. 2 men walking towards the temple paused and gave me a prolonged look. Not sure if it was my egg head devoid of fuzz or I was looking like a photo journalist that got their attention. My gaydar blipped, and I confirmed the blip when I found them turning back to catch a glimpse every few feet they moved forward.
Round – 8.00 AM
For the next hour I forgot my purpose of visit and I was running in front and behind the elephants to capture their movements in my SLR. By then the parade had reached Parameikkavu temple and I caught the mahouts squatting beneath the four legged creature and resting in the shade. The orchestra (drums and wind instruments) in front of the parade reminded me of my purpose behind the visit. I must confess bare-chested men beating drums looked hot and sweaty like freshly made gulab jamoon. I thought I was going to be a part of the audience, but it was these men who made me a player.
I spent the next ten minutes catching them on my camera, you may call it a sovenir. By then there was an impressive line-up of elephants and onlookers right outside Vadakkunathan temple. My petri dish was fertile and ready, while intentions of many were furtive and fleeting. There were 3 rows of youngsters on either side of the melam who lift both their hands to cheer the bare-chested men beating drums. I saw this as an opportunity to move in and feel them while they were busy throwing their arms up in the air and none to shield my movement. And this was when I also met a few friends from Chennai. I shared my plan with them to attack the first three rows, but they said these could not be gay men but only straight men. Well isn’t it all the more exciting to convert straight to gay and teach him all tricks in the trade?
We got close the press/media pit to get a few good shots of the elephants and onlookers. But very soon we decided we had to divide and conquer rather than play on each other’s turf or miss the game elsewhere. But before we split we promised to call each other and inform any action spotted or engaged. The heat was unbearable and we soaked our towels, handkerchiefs and the inner wear. Wouldn’t playdry (fit dry) innerwear be a good idea?
Brahmaswom Madam – 11.30 AM
It was 11.30 am and the next action pit was Brahmaswom Madam (North East corner of Round) the three of us decided to move towards the next action pit to check out the intensity of the hormones. We walked through the lane and there were people standing on top of buildings and looking at the public below, but then there were some eyes that were walking with us and at time chasing us and our hormones. We looked at the spread and quality, it was neither too good nor too bad and our appetite wasn’t big and we decided to save ourselves for the best. With the hope that we would find something we trekked back half kilometer to the Round.
Sun had reached the peak and our stomach was growling. We walked around the Round scanning for any actions, possible prospects and finally settled for some rice and buttermilk. I decided skip lunch and go a fluid diet (look more slim, fit and fiddle). One among the gang was strategically seated to scan every piece of meat that entered/left the restaurant. Where do full tummy and tired legs take you? We decided to go back to my friend’s room and rest our feet for the while before the next man-hunt. The next action pit was 1.30 PM – Elenjithara melam inside the temple and we had an hour to get there.
Our territories marked, our rules were simple and clear. We also made a pact to move away if one of us found an interesting catch and we would make our rooms available for the feast.
Fifteen minutes past one I stepped out of my friend’s room and headed to the elevator and there was a guy standing near the elevator giving me goose bumps, creating a twister within me and reminding me of my adolescent days. He must be in his mid twenties; there was sculpted flesh to host a carnival and his eyes were intoxicating and lost. I gave refuge to the lost eyes and offered him a souvenir, a token and love and in return took back a rain check for the night. He was worth many nights, but I wanted to look around the town before I settled for him.
We stepped into the elevator and there were two more eye candies starring at us. I moved and rearranged like the cola bottle waiting for its turn to be filled. One of them didn’t waste any second, he ignored my friend, beamed his smile at me and when the elevator door opened I moved closer to him and gently pushed his hard button to show my consensus. He held me from the back and asked how long I worked out and I answered a few more questions and then we parted. Perfect elevator pitch!
Elenjithara Melam – 1.30 PM
We entered the temple through South Gate and it didn’t feel like a temple complex. There were many standing just outside the gate and hunting with their eyes and smile. Who wants to settle down for a meal immediately when thousands of sausages are available for sampling? Men were scattered around like mushrooms under the trees and they were ogling at men entering the temple. I have never seen anything to this scale, choice and spread. There was definitely more than one for everyone to pick and move.
Some were in groups and some were all by themselves, but there was a lot of hesitation in air. What are they waiting for where there is burning desire I shook hands and spoke with a few, and didn’t go beyond that. While some friends of mine never bothered to engage beyond a short conversation and got into action right away. By then Elenjithara melam (near the Eastern gate) had begun. My friend’s phone rang and coordinates for the barbeque pit for sausage was shared. It was a 300 sqft place, 2 sides closed with brick, one side covered with wooden grill and the fourth side completely open. I saw people pretending to look at the melam through the wooden grill, but there was something else happening. I was not sure what was exactly happening. I folded my dothi and entered the pit for some action.
Men of all age group were there in that enclosure and every inch of space was occupied. I have travelled in suburban trains in Mumbai, but this place dethroned Mumbai trains. But unlike the trains there was no push or pull, but shoulders (flagella) moved to accommodate me in the overpopulated space and within seconds moved me to center of the room. Now no consent was required, one hand grabbed by ass, the second hand grabbed the boneless muscle and was vigorously exercising, third hand caressed my chest and fourth hand started to finger my ass. I felt like a rat pinned on a dissection board, I was alive and my heart was racing. My two hands were busy one trying to hold on to my dothi and the other wiping sweat off my forehead and my eyes turned a spectator with no control or influence. Like tonsure, kavadi, etc. doesn’t this sounds like a temple ritual?
I couldn’t stand in the action pit for more than 10 minutes with so many hands working on my sausage and those ten minutes felt more like a rape. We stepped out of the high action zone and took refuge in the garden on the Northeastern side of the temple. So many men exhausted from heat and action were all seated in the shade (pavilion seat) and watching people enter and leave the sausage pit. I rested for a while in the shade, we made a few eye contacts, got a few numbers and finally decided to go back to the room and come back fresh that evening for more action.
On the way home I met a few more men. Some were waiting for me to make a gesture and to talk to them, while some waiting for me to take them home. For once I felt like a celebrity and I decided to talk to all of them and shake hands though my sack wouldn’t have that much ink to autograph all of them.
Kodamattam 5 PM
I went home washed my parched throat with a few liters of spicy buttermilk and took a cold shower and proceeded back to the Round for Kodamattam. Elephants were lined up on either side and colorful umbrellas went up and down the cheer of the crowd. While many in the crowd was busy cheering, some in the crowd were rubbing their crotch against and a few hands that I shook before I went home that afternoon now approached me. Sun was setting and people were on top of all buildings trying to catch a glimpse of the kodamattam and I looked around to see how many on the high rises were looking at my high raise. I couldn’t spot any and moreover I was a tourist and I didn’t have to care about my identity and I let the hungry souls fondle me in the crowd. But I ensured I save myself for the night beyond the twilight.
So many on the street were looking around and sometimes I had to make the first move to shake hands with them and I didn’t use any of those cliched pick-up lines, “do I know you from somewhere”, “have we met before”, “you seem so familiar”. My question was sharp, action packed and driven. “Do you have a place”? For those without a place there were always dark corners in the city.
