Our Hidden Past Poem by Tirupathi Chandrupatla

Tour of South India brings one
To the epic town of Rameswaram
Home of Ramanathaswami Temple
In southern Tamil Nadu by the sea.

This great temple's devoted to Siva
Its origin is linked to Ramayana
Rama prayed Siva in the form of linga
After winning war with Ravana in Lanka.

The Siva form is called Ramanatha
A temple was built by recent rulers
And renovated over and over again
It stands intact even after many wars.

Valmiki wrote the epic Ramayana
Over two thousand years ago
He relates the story to real places
In India both north and south.

It's really a wonder to note that
An author made extensive study of
Places and people, spread wide apart
Extending over impassable regions.

Maybe the characters were not unreal
And the writer had a direct knowledge
Or heard through others knowledgeable
And some imagination added to real ones.

Millenia may pass as time keeps ticking
Yet we have many traces left to find
Long vacation and a well planned tour
Will take us to places which hide our past.