A journey as beautiful as the destination: On the way to NPR Cricket Ground, Dindigul
The journey itself is sometimes worth it.
Often perturbed by the time taken to reach the destination, you forget to enjoy the little things. Like how the wind slowly catches your ear as you stick your head out from a moving vehicle with the enthusiasm of a young kid or a canine. Or just forget to be mesmerised by the long and winding roads that represent an epoch, surrounded by an endless array of trees whose names grow longer with each turn.
Perhaps nature isn't what excites you. Perhaps you are often too worried about the destination that nothing else seems to matter. Deadlines and deals might matter more than daydreams that come true. Yet even the harshest of critics can't quite traverse through the wilderness without a mark being etched in their memories forever.
Nestled like a picturesque painting amongst the canvas of green lies the NPR Cricket Ground in Natham, Dindigul. Even before entering into the ground that serves as a hearty meal for a hungry soul in need of some rejuvenation, you can't help but admire the beauty that marked your journey (30 kms) to the ground from Dindigul.
Usually taking just under an hour to travel from Dindigul to the ground in Natham, the journey is less about time and yet somehow more about it. For the majority of city dwellers who have thronged to the stadium in huge numbers, it offers a glimpse into what life was like before.
Before social media brought us all together while also driving us apart, there was a time when you knew everyone in your locality and not a name went unnoticed as the whole place was nothing but an extended community.
As you traverse through the long and winding roads, on either side, rows of houses exist, yet seemingly invisible as they are engulfed by the arboretum, which harks back to an epoch when there were more trees around you than you could count. To when you could spend hours lost in the midst of a sea of green and listen to nature's sounds instead of burying yourself in your couch, waiting for the pop-up from your phone.
In many ways, it is the idyllic setting each pastoral demands. Perhaps even accompanied by the mellifluous melodies of the music Mozart of your choice (in these parts that would be Isaignani Ilayaraja) to tug at the strings of your beat that keeps yearning for more and more with each turn.
The journey is less about getting to the ground that sits on a canvas of green, shining brighter than the morning sun thanks to the magnificence of the mountain behind it. It is about taking the path, that although travelled frequently, still remains serene and scenic at the same time.
About going to a place so beautiful, it reminds you of a childhood memory that still remains fresh, even after time has eroded most memories you cherished in life.
It is all about getting lost in the intrinsic beauty that can only arise from being one with where you are. And where you are, as the sun slowly fades behind the mountain after a journey of discovery, is the NPR ground in Natham.
It would be easy for the ground itself to be overshadowed by everything that came before. After all, how is a ground that was inaugurated by Indian opener Gautam Gambhir before an inter-school T20 tournament in 2013 supposed to live up to the almost ethereal experience that came before it?
Yet, the ground itself stands out with its lush green outfield that has been a hit with the players, the nature of the pitch that offers something for everyone and even the picturesque backdrop that accompanies it and grows on you more as the light begins to fade.
Despite the fact that ground itself is still in its infancy and nestled in the heart of a quaint farming community, it has already witnessed Indian World Cup winners, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh playing at the venue.
The arresting sight that one is overcome with while taking the journey towards the ground is one that will remain etched in the memories of every supporter, staff or player who comes to Natham. And while the endearing memory of most memorable moments is the destination, for once that isn't the case. For once, the journey itself is sometimes worth it.