When Tiruvannamalai beckoned
6 years ago by SVBF
Geetha Ganapathy
(This article is planned to be the 1st in a series of articles leading up to Vedanta.)
The temple town of Tiruvannamalai is one of the important pilgrim destinations in India. Located in the state of Tamil Nadu, at about 185 kms from the state capital, Chennai, the town is well known for its Arunachaleshwarar temple, the spiritually significant Arunachala (Arunagiri) hill and the various ashrams dotting the foothills, one of the most important among them being Bhagawan Shri Ramana Maharishi’s. Though the temple, massive in area and filled with majestic gopurams (towers), is awe-inspiring in its own right, in this article, I will choose to only dwell on the exhilarating experience of circumambulating the Holy Arunachala Hill.
Bhagawan Shri Ramana Maharishi declared that unlike other Shiva alayas (temples) which are abodes of the Lord, Arunachala is the Lord Himself. He encouraged devotees to undertake this spiritual sadhana which he called a form of Yoga and attain immense spiritual benefits. Bhagawan himself describes the experience, “The body gets tired, the sense organs lose their strength and all the activities of the body become absorbed within. It is possible thus to forget oneself and get into a state of meditation. As one continues to walk, the body automatically gets harmonized as in the Asana state. The body therefore becomes improved in health. Besides this, there are several varieties of medicinal herbs on the hill. The air that passes over those herbs is good for the lungs.” What more would any bhakta (spiritual seeker) want?
An interesting story illustrates the significance of walking around the Holy hill, as described in the Arunachala Mahatmyam. It is said that a Pandya King, Vajrangada while on a hunt, inadvertently went around the hill and witnessed his mount, a horse, along with a civet cat that he was chasing, getting liberated from the animal forms they had assumed due to a curse by sage Durvasa and getting back their old celestial appearances. Thus having understood the power of the Holy hill, he immediately became an ardent devotee, relinquished his kingdom and spent his wealth and the rest of his living days in service of the Lord and the Holy hill. The story also illustrates the importance of walking around the hill and not using a vehicle for circumambulating – as the animals had done before being liberated from their curse.
The walk, also called giri valam in Tamil, continues to attract millions of devotees to this day, especially on the full moon day every month. Measuring a distance of 14 kms, the walk is undertaken by devout pilgrims who travel barefoot, circumnavigating the Holy hill. The start point could be anywhere in the circular path, but beginning at one of vayils (entrance) of the Arunachaleshwarar temple, after having had a darshan of the Lord, is a good option. From that point, the first 2 kms of the path is through the busy shopping area of the town. Starting full moon evenings and through the night, right till eight in the next morning, vehicles are kept off the road in order to ensure that the multitude of devotees that throng the town get a hassle-free path to walk. Sign boards start to appear a few hundred meters into the journey and regularly thereof, to help pilgrims ascertain the distance covered and what is left to be covered.
One of the rituals to be performed during the walk is the worship of eight lingams that line the path (not necessarily equidistant from each other) The ashta lingams, as they are called, are Indra, Agni, Yama, Niruthi, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera and Eesanya respectively. Besides these, there are two more – Surya lingam and Chandra lingam, that are believed to be more recent additions. Nearly half way into the walk, there is also an Adi Annamalai (Annamalai of the foothills) temple which is said to be the original temple of Lord Arunachaleshwarar. Partly due to its location that does not appear in the main giri pradakshina path, many pilgrims, unaware of its existence, happen to skip visiting this important temple. A few kilometers from that point, there is another small, but hugely popular temple. An interesting aspect of it is a small crevice on a structure that devotees are made to crawl through. According to popular belief, by doing so, one can get rid of misfortunes in life.
Besides the numerous tanks (many of them now defunct), ashrams and shrines that dot the giri pradakshina path, there are other points of attraction as well. There is no dearth of food and water supply for the benefit of devotees. There are tea stalls and paid restrooms at regular intervals for walkers to refresh themselves. Makeshift shops and mobile vans selling items ranging from herbal tea packets and fruits, to devotional music CDs are also a common sight, till we hit the junction about three kilometers before the end point of the path. This is the point where we re-enter the town of Tiruvannamalai. Busy roads and crowded market place mark the rest of the journey, till we reach the temple premises again to conclude the pradakshina.
The Holy hill, as seen from the Adi Annamalai temple at dawn (Photo courtesy: Shankar V.)
All descriptions so far (with the exception of some of the shrines mentioned) were about what lies typically to the left of the walking path. But it is on the right that lies the sight to behold. Rising magnificently, piercing through layers of
The bearded face etched on the surface (Photo courtesy: Shankar V.)
A few points to note for those who seek to undertake the giri pradakshina in future.
Though it is acceptable to do the pradakshina on any day, it is preferable to do this on full moon days. Religious significance apart, it is worth noting that on full moon days, due to the presence of lakhs of devotees, the path is reasonably safer and well managed, not to mention the numerous facilities and help available readily at hand, if and when required. For evening walkers, the best option would be to start at about five in the evening. An average healthy person can expect to complete the distance in nearly five hours, also factoring in the time taken to visit the numerous temples and shrines enroute. For people that prefer mornings, ideal start time would be three in the morning, as any later start time would mean walking the finishing portions of the path in the busy town area. And walking barefoot on Indian roads, amidst peak hour traffic and milling crowds, needless to say, is an option best avoided.
In spite of the joy the walk provides, one has to mention that in terms of infrastructure, there is a lot more that needs to be done for the benefit of the pilgrims. The obvious and disappointing commercialization of the area apart, it is unfortunate that not many arrangements have been done to ensure comfort of the devotees who congregate in large numbers. Some stretches of the path are, like already mentioned above, right amidst bustling and congested areas that makes it not only difficult to dodge traffic but also the dirty and dangerous objects (like glass shards) that lie strewn around. Untoward incidents happening in crowded parts are not unheard of either.
Nonetheless, like Ayyappa devotees proclaim in Tamil, “kallum mullum kaalukku metthai” (stones and thorns on the path are equivalent to soft mattresses at our feet), the Lord’s blessing at every step of the way ensures that the devotees take it all in their stride and continue coming back for more and more of the exhilarating experience. I too am grateful, for not only having got a chance to undertake this momentous journey but also recount the experiences and share it here. With the Lord’s grace, I am hoping I get the good fortune of revisiting the temple town many more times and come back with more accounts – especially ones on the Annamalaiyar temple and the Ramana Maharishi ashram. But until that happens, I will cherish the vivid memories of my first giri valam experience and continue offering Him my gratitude for the opportunity.