pilgrimage

[Eastern Mind]

This April for the first time (in this lifetime) I am planning to return to mother India. My daughter and I will be going to 7 (Tanjore, Chidambaram, Tiruchendur, Madurai, Palani, Rameswaram, and Tiruvanammalai) of the great Saiva temples in Tamil Nadu. I am currently looking at hiring a car/driver/guide for 14 day trip. Any advice on good companies would be appreciated..start finish at Bangalore..please reply to me privately. I thought we could publicly discuss the various traditional pilgrimages, and share travel information as well. Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Apparently there was little interest in this topic from before, but I'm giving it another shot. Since pilgrimage is one of our sacred duties, I thought it would be of interest. Just to share a story I found humorous of my upcoming trip planning. Firstly, it seemed ALL the tour groups I contacted really didn't get it... my purpose being pilgrimage, not sightseeing. (I did choose the one that came the closest to 'getting it" .) So I'm inquiring of them about the Tamil New year's Day crowd at Palani Hills, as I kind of want to avoid throngs, so I request to go up the hill early. They respond on the tram times, assuming that I will be taking the tram. But the humour is that there is no way in hades that I would take that tram and lose the possibility of the merit involved in walking up the steps. I'm not coming all the way from Canada at considerable cost to laze out by going up some mechanical device. What would Murugan think of me?
You came here to get my darshan? You lazy pompous fool! Scat from My temple!

Aum Namasivaya

(Suggestions from the original post still stand ... pilgrimage in North America
intrigues me as well.) BTW, I have added Uchi pillaiyar, pillaiyarpatti, and Rajaganapathi in Salem to above list.. wishing I had a year..

[atanu]

This April for the first time (in this lifetime) I am planning to return to mother India. My daughter and I will be going to 7 (Tanjore, Chidambaram, Tiruchendur, Madurai, Palani, Rameswaram, and Tiruvanammalai) of the great Saiva temples in Tamil Nadu. I am currently looking at hiring a car/driver/guide for 14 day trip. Any advice on good companies would be appreciated..start finish at Bangalore..please reply to me privately. I thought we could publicly discuss the various traditional pilgrimages, and share travel information as well. Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM,

You should have recieved some inputs, at least I assumed so.

I used to visit Tiruvannamalai often from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. You can easily visit Tiruvannamalai by hiring a car from central railway station/airport. It would take approximately 3 and half hours to reach the destination. Car rental one way would be approximately Rs. 2000-Rs.2200. I have always stayed at Hotel Rama Krishna, which suited my budget. There are AC rooms and the hotel is reasonably clean and run by devout people. Room Tarrifs used to be cheap ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 800 for a double bedded AC room, suitable for two people but 3-4 people can be adjusted. There are bigger rooms also. There are of course many hotels but I have always stuck to this. There may be accomodation available at Ramana asrama, for which you can get an advance confirmation through e-mail (available from Asrama web site) or enquire while being there.

It is also possible to take a bus (which are usually not AC and this time it will be hot) from Koyamvedu bus station of Chennai. I do not know whether that will suit you or not? But bus journey is not too uncomfortable and there are buses plying every 15 minutes or so. It takes about four hours by bus from Koyamvedu to Tiruvannamalai. Bus fare is dirt cheap, just Rs.70 per ticket. But I have not seen any foreigner travelling by these buses. Seats are two narrow for them.

While in Tiruvannamalai, you can spend one day or as many days you like. For me, a minimum of 2 to 3 days were always required. 5-6 hours would be required for circumambulating the Shiva, who stands as a hill there and this you cannot miss at all. Visit to the main Arunachala temple would take another 3-4 hours or more. Then one must sit silently at Ramana asrama and have Lunch or Dinner there. Sitting in Ramana Asrama in meditation can be for infinite time but one needs at least a session of two-three hours to begin to soak in the shanti. You can visit beginning early morning 6 am or at 4 pm. Do not visit asrama between 12.30 am to 2.30 pm during which it is rest time and the Asrama meditation rooms will be likely closed. Plan to vist either at 6 am or at 3-4 pm and staty there for 4 hours, including the meal at the end. This should be suitable for a tourist pilgrim, however you can do more depending on your schedule.

No one will invite you to Lunch/Dinner but you must approach the Manager in the office and put in a request, as soon as you arive there. I think it is must. It is Bhagawan who Himself feeds there. Do not leave without partaking of that prasad.

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Regarding visiting India and booking railway tickets online you can use IRCTC.co.in and I think there is a site "IncredibleIndia" which will give you tourist information.

I feel sad about you not recieving any input on time. You may pm me for any other specific query wrt Tiruvannamalai.

Om Namah Shivaya

[Eastern Mind]

I'm back from the trip and can post results/observations/stories if anyone here is interested. A white veryHindu perspective. Aum

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namast�

Yes, indeed... please tell us of your trip. Any photo's too?


praṇām

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Sorry, but I am not a photo type. Photos remind me of the past, and I try my durndest to live in the present. Besides, for most of the places I visited there exist many photos. I will write about each place one post at a time. Hope you enjoy.

Holy place # 1. My home temple. The evening before we (my adult daughter and I) leave we go to temple to beseech the blessings of devas, Lord Mahaganapati, and expecially Lord Palaniandavar in the Vasantha Mandapam. I have a special connection to this murthi as it was the original one at the beginning of this temple. Priest says this is the first time archana is done to Him. On inside I KNOW that my time at Palani will be sufficient Darshan for the entire pilgrimage. There is a sense of excitement and a karmic destiny. My daughter is along more for the adventure than the pilgrimage. I try to focus on God and God alone.

Holy place #2. Bangalore - It's 2AM, we've had no sleep for 28 hours. The time difference is 11 and a half hours. As the plane touches down, I cry. We meet guide, and go to hotel. Next day around noon, I ask hotel staff if there is a temple within walking distance. Desk clerk gives directions, so we go. First encounter with bustle of India is bombarding senses. We see two temples. One draws me in magnetically. Not sure which God until I spot Mayil, and then I know why it drew me. Lord Murugan gives me a welcoming stare, and I take arati from Ganesha shrine in thanks for a safe trip. A few happy stares from people as if this is the first time a white guy dressed in Veshti, smeared in vibuthi has ever been in that temple. There is an overwhelming sense of spiritual welcoming by Mother India.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Holy Place # 3: Iraivan temple carving site.

Before beginning our journey I return to the same temple and purchase Ganesha archana for a safe trip. The day before we are introduced to our first scam. Driver takes us, (tired, not thinking clearly) to the best clothing store in town. We pay at least triple the going rates for saris, suits, and veshtis. (The fact there were no Indians in the store should have clued me in.) But I wipe it off my slate as learning from mistakes, and compare it to prices in Canada and its still cheaper.

We arrive at the carving site, and get a tour by the manager/host. The work is at once impressive. (Those interested can see pictures on the Kauai Aadheenam website) The stone bell and chains are marvels. Later we visit the hosts (an architect by trade) house and he has the most magnificent shrine room I have ever seen.

Holy place # 4: Salem and Rajaganapathi

We check into hotel, and soon I ask for the location of the nearest temple. I am given directions down a back alley/road, and soon I am at a small Ganesha temple that reminds me of home. I do pradakshina, sit for a moment, and then have to embarassingly ask "hundiyal?" and am shown a large steel container that I soon learn is the common Hundi in Indian temples, whilst I am used to a plain box on a stand type here. The vibration for me is not particularly strong, but still it is Ganesha.

On the way home I am introduced to the hardships in India via an armless youth searching through garbage with his mouth. I am forced to mentally chant "All is Siva."

The following morning we head off for the famous Rajaganapathi temple. The driver is unfamiliar with it so we keep asking for directions. We are sort of looking for a gopuram or larger temple. On the fourth or fifth asking for directions, the fellow we are asking points to beside the car, and there is Rajaganapathi in all His splendour. I get out and join the crowd, not having a clue what I'm doing. I see a priest near the archana booth so show him my card size picture of my Guru thinking it might help. He immediately breaks into a wide smile, and motions me to follow him. We skip the archana ticket. He pulls me up close and asks for name, nakshatra etc. and just goes in and does the archana right away. He returns with flowers, fruit, and a bag of vibhuthi enough for the prasad of 100 archanas. The vibration is unworldly, and I give him R100 dakshina, and off we go. The pilgrimage is now very on.
Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Holy Place # 5: Unknown name hill Temple one hour SW of Salem - Just off the highway we see 2 gopurams and many smaller shrines, and walks surrounding the hill. We turn around and go up to investigate. At the top of the hill we enter a Rajarajeshwari temple and discover the hill is surrounded by I think 3 pradakshina paths and there are exactly 1001 lingams. After aarti and darshan with Rajarajeshwari, we move down to the lower portion plateau area of the temple. Here it is cool, there is lots of grass, and it is very clean, and open aired. There are 108 Siva Lingams surrounding the courtyard. We walk to the main temple area, and encounter the largest Lingam ever. It must be 15-16 feet high. The place has one security guard, about 10 devotees, and a priest. Soon he is doing aarti for us. Nice clear loud chanting, but to me the place seems void of vibration. My daughter loves it. It is her favorite place on whole trip. We wander around a bit.

Holy Place # 6: Palani - We can see the hill as we approach, and I am feeling it. After reaching hotel, I arrange for tonsuring. Very short barber arrives, and we go to hotel tonsuring area. My daughter is amazed at his ability. Three minutes later, with no cuts even with karmic physical scars on my head, its done. We decide to climb very early the next morning in hopes of avoiding crowds as it is Tamil New Year. I am told that only Skanda Shasthi and Thai Poosam get larger crowds. We go for a couple of wonderful walks about the temple shops, admiring the happiness of the people. We see one other white skinned person working in a shop. My daughter experiences the touch of curious women feeling her oh so soft white skin.

Next AM we arise about 5 to beat the crowd. As soon as we get to the steps, and pray to Ganesha shrine there, we realize beating the crowd was some sort of absurd optimistic dream. I am determined to climb without stopping, so pace myself. As we arrive at the top, the queue goes back and forth all along the side of the temple, and must be 5000 strong. I estimate it will be a minimum of 4 hours. Given the new found heat, I figure its impossible, and we may faint from heatstroke, given our western wimpiness. Having no idea how to purchase archana ticket, and with no guide, I am overwhelmed, and say, "Well, at least we should walk around it." Nearer to the sanctum area, I spot a different line beginning at a sign that says R200. I realise it must be the special darshan shortcut line, so pull out my R stack, get a bit of help from a broken English deva in human body, cut through the main line, and am escorted into a fenced line with still a substantial queue. We follow along until we have to squeeze through a small hole of a door. Its dark, hot, sweaty, and dank. Suddenly we are there in the darshan of Palaniandavar. I have no idea what happens next, other than I sense its important. It takes somewhere between 2 seconds, and 2 hours in our time sense, and we exit the other side to be given vibhuthi and kumkum by a priest. We see others looking upwards and realize the early morning sun is hitting the vimana. It is a glittering gold like I've only seen once or twice before. We feel happier than earlier, and continue our walk more slowly around the temple. After what feels like only going half way, we realise we're back at the steps. We watch as kavadi bearers go by and we see a few women beginning their penance of rolling around the temple. The rocks seem hard and dirty for that, but I know they know what they're doing. After a few more minutes, we decide to descend. it is relaxing, and we stop here and there just enjoying the bliss. I mention to my daughter that the pilgrimage is now over. All the rest will be bonus. If it was 10 seconds, and we paid $6000 Canadian, then His darshan was $600 a second. Priceless.

Later that night I am faced with a moral dilemma. I am being kept awake by a light coming through the crack in the curtains, as I am light sensitive. But when I get up to draw the curtains, I realise it is the light from the pinnacle of the hill, and for a minute it seems like I am turning my back on God if I close the curtain. After another hour of circling moral debate, I beseech Palaniandavar mentally, and He allows me to close the curtain.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Holy Place # 7: Madurai Meenakshi temple.

After a night's rest we meet company's temple guide at hotel and start out by car. Immediately he informs me that I won't be allowed in the 'inside part" where only Hindus are allowed. I chant some slokas, and ask to be turned around to retrieve my passport copy, and certificate of conversion. We set out again. He is not at all convinced, and doesn't seem to understand that I am not a tourist.

After stopping at the guide's priest contact house, we enter via east gopuram. The 12 year kumbhabishekam had just finished on April 4th, so gopurams have fresh paint, and look magnificent. (Personally I prefer stone, plain stone, as it adds to feelings of antiquity for me.) After demonstrating (prostrating and praying to every God statue that comes into sight) I don't really want to hear the details of architecture etc, we finally arrive at the 'Hindus only' entrance point. Priest meets us and takes documents to an administrative office. In the meantime about 5 or 6 priests gather around and kind of watch us. One in particular, I can feel. He is young, but has that special 'wow" feel about him, and the thought strikes me that he is running this whole show from the inside. Perhaps he is just a vision.

The priest returns, and says "No problem, no problem." I can't tell from look on the guide's face whether he is surprised or disappointed. None of this actually bothers me much. It is just part and parcel of the story of life: karma comes, karma goes. Later, when I encounter gawking western tourists, I am thankful the policy exists.

We all (driver, guide as well) enter and follow the same priest to the front of the line at both the Meenakshi, and then the Siva shrines, getting archanas performed at each. Security is everywhere, and stick out their hands for bribe/dakshina at each passing, which is a definite distraction to the worship. I'm glad I have a pile of R10 notes in my pocket. The darshan is otherworldly, but I am unsure why. I ponder if its just the unfamiliar crowded dark dirty methods, or a real vibration. In the end it doesn't matter as I KNOW that its not if you see him, but whether or not He sees you.

When we exit, the priest accepts my generous dakshina and supposed donation to the temple itself. My daughter is overwhelmed and starting to feel 'templed out'.

The guide escorts us to his business contacts outside in some "special shop" that is really just a sideline of his as he is to get a cut from the shop for bringing in some stupid western tourist. The two shops we are shown are run by Muslims (They don't know that I know this, but it's blatantly obvious.) and although the artifacts, statues are nice artistically, have had all vibration drained from them. I am looking at a simple one I like, and the owner shows me a 'finer' one. I stare him down and state directly, "I'm not interested in how it LOOKS. I only care how it FEELS." This, being very contrary to his frame of reference, takes him aback, and he no longer even wants to help much. As I leave it strikes me that our guide may well have been a Muslim, too. This would really highlight the stupidity of the "No Hindus beyond here." policy we just went through, and show it for what it is in part... racism, pure and simple.

When it comes time to tip the guide, my offering is somewhat cheaper because of all this. Besides, he's getting paid by the company.

Back at the hotel, and across the street, I find an uncovered Ganapati about a foot high on a small concrete slab amidst the garbage of an Indian street. I am impressed, and He becomes my 'real Madurai' for the next couple of days. I am not alone here as each morning when I go to see Him, someone else has already garlanded Him.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Holy Place # 8: Pillaiyarpatti:

From Madurai we are on a day trip to the famous Pillaiyarpatti rock cut Temple. There is a sense of anticipation as this of all Vinayaka temples, comes highly recommended by older souls than me. The drive takes about 2 hours. We stop the car, and being unfamiliar with the temple, we enter the south entrance. We start pradakshina, (which of course I later realise is impossible in rock cut temples unless you venture outside and walk around the granite outcrop itself) and soon encounter Pillaiyarpatti himself. I stand alone for a few minutes, and prostrate. A priest comes along, and I show him my Guru's picture. We have a brief but powerful discussion on when the last time the current Guru of Kauai Aadheenam was there, and when He will be in my home town as well. I ask for archana, but he explains that archana is not done in this temple. I am not sure whether it is just now in this moment, or it is an ongoing temple policy, not to rip anyone off, and just give free darshan. Because of this I make substantial hundi donation. After continuing pradakshina, I realise better how the temple is laid out, Siva facing south, Pillaiyar facing east, and the two lines of darshan crossing, with two kodimarams. I reapproach Pillaiyar in the more traditional way, directly from the east, and this time I get a much stronger Darshan. After a few minutes we exit and sit by the temple tank. Two or three buses pull up and identically clad souls in beautiful yellow saris and similar veshtis approach. I ask for an explanation, and it is a college field trip. Everyone seems so very happy. There is something to spiritual camaraderie, that makes me eerily homesick for the first time. We sit beside a Sanskrit homa class inside a temple premises classroom, and listen to the many young priests in training there. On the way out, we see the temple's cow herd. They all look so well fed and happy.

Holy place # 9: Unknown named Murugan Hill temple 3 km east (past .. my sense of direction is way way off with no reference points, and sun almost directly overhead) ) of Pillaiyarpatti. (After returning home and researching, this temple is called Kundrakudi, and the 6 faced Shanmuga Murthi is worshiped there. It is a very old temple steeped in tradition.)

At Pillaiyarpatti, this temple was recommended. We know nothing of it, but stop at the row of shops heading towards the temple. I purchase a garland. On the street I see up close two marvelously carved festival carts. We climb the hill, and I notice how the steps are carved into the rock with footprints carved along in each one. One wonders how many souls have passed this way, or for that matter, in each temple we have visited, or will visit. It is not a far climb. After pradakshina, we encounter Lord Murugan peeking out. I offer my offerings, priest does aarti just for us. It seems again that we are the first and only westerners to ever be here. I am struck by how Pillaiyar automatically leads to Murugan somehow. And once again it strikes me how so extremely individualised worship is. The field trip group arrives just as we are leaving as per Pillaiyarpatti. Aum Namasivaya