Parvathamalai Darisanam - Part 3

After the kadapparai malai is the stairs made from rail tracks...! How would one have brought the rail tracks up here...! It is learnt that Saint Ramagiri was the person instrumental in this. His jeeva samadhi is near the rly station as told by Shri Krishnan sir. The body just keeps moving after a point, there is no thought of what is right what is wrong, every move is expected to be right...! You are now very near to His Kingdom and you ought to be right...!

 

When I finished it and came up, my people who were already on the top cheered me...! I thot there is nothing to my credit, it is all His Doing...! We went into the MounaGuru Ashramam. Many of us were hungry, some reason I was not that hungry...! so I told we will go to the temple in the same tempo and complete our Abisekham. Others were not for it really...! I told fine and got into the Ashramam and requested for food. They informed that food will be ready by 7:30 PM, i.e. atleast two hours later...! Now, there was no choice to go to the temple...! It was His Wish...!

 

We went to the temple and started our Abisekhams. We did Panneer abisekham, Thaen Abisekham, Santhana Abisekham, Nei Abisekham, Elumichai Abisekham and finally Vibuthi Abisekhham...! We started our Bhajans and were lost in it. PSL Narayanan and Nagarajan were expert singers of Bhajans and I only did a chorus for them. All the thots on getting up getting down staying in the night has vanished. It looked like only thing in the world at the moment was doing Bhajans. We were all so immersed that we sensed we had taken more than an hour for the same and people were waiting outisde.

 

After completing the Abisekham of Mallikarjueswarar we went and had a Darshan of Piramarambigai. What a beauty this Deity is, She looked so Graceful and with some much love on Her Face...! Her Smile was so infectious, you start feeling that This Lady will take care of all your life's problems...! Then there is statue of Saint Agasthiar opposite to Her in a corner. We felt it was a real 'bagiyam' to have come to this place, where Shri Agasthiar had also been...!

 

Now, it was more than 8 PM, and when we came out after having Darshan of Lord Muruga, the sky was lit with too many stars. It looked like if you can jump a bit, you could pluck few stars and put it in your pocket, they were bright and there so many...! We understood why we were able to see so many stars, when we saw clouds sweeping our legs...! Yes, clouds are below us and that's why so much of visibility to the starts - a lesson for life...!

 

Being pitch dark I was hesitant to climb down fm the temple to the Ashramam. I informed that I will sleep in the temple and get down next day morning. HP Narayanan sounded very concerned since I didn't have my dinner, which was actually not a concern for me...! Then came these people from nowhere. One showed a bright torch fm the front and another fm behind. Suddenly pitch dark became damn bright and I climbed down i a jiffy and was wondering 'Have we really reached the Ashramam...!'.

 

The night stay was planned after the advice of Shri Krishnan Sir. We stayed in the Ashramam where we were guided for doing meditation and later offered a good dinner. We slept comfortably and started climbing down at 5 AM on Sunday 21st Dec 2008. Actually, I had various visions during the sleep like climbing down and bit shaken because of the same. Now, here was the instruction fm PSL Narayanan 'Sit and climb down'. I took this as vedha-vaaku in all testing times. All the steep climbdowns I sat and got down. Now is our favorite Kadapparai Malai, which I was adviced to climb down the same way I climbed up...! Again I just did what PSL Narayanan told me...! When I got down on flat surface and when PSL Narayanan announced me that I've crossed 'Kadapparai Malai' I was not able to believe myself...! He Did it again..!

 

Then on the descent was very comfortable and was a 'Suganubhavam'. I had 'more', 'ilani', 'lime soda' and herbal water as I came down...! I even slept for around 10 minutes on the side of the steps. What an experience...! On reaching Veerabadhra Swamy temple our Noi-kanji with keerai vadai and pickles was waiting for us...! Wow, what an experience...! Fulfilling the soul and body too...! Only He can give this Darshan..!

 

The best part of this, on reaching down, everyone looked more charged than they were when climbing up...! My younger brothers were asking me 'What next Anna?' I was happy and not surprised...! That's the way He Treats people..! We took a mini-van and reached another village fm where we got a bus to Thiruvannamalai. All of us wanted to convey our Pranams to Annamalaiar. We saw Annamalaiar even before we started entering Thiruvannamalai and we started our Thanks Giving...! From Thiruvannamalai we boarded the bus to Chennai and reached home safely and Happily...! His Mission is Accomplished...!

 

I wish all of you who have not been to Parvathamalai visit the place. Go as a small crowd to share your Happiness...! Leave it to Him...! When He guides a 100+ Kg weighing man like me, He will do for you too...!

Namaskarams

Ram

Parvathamalai Darisanam - Part 2

We were all at the bus stand by 3:50 AM and were discussing loudly about the bus to board. Suddenly we heard the driver in the bus next to us ask us 'Are you going to Parvathamalai?'. We answered yes and told we are looking out for the bus to Then-maathi-mangalam. He informed that it is his bus that will take us there, but the name board was not Then-maathi-mangalam, so were confused. Then we told that the bus is expected to start at 4 AM. The bus dirver told that it is this bus and started to rev up the engine.

 

We were sort of not sure and wanted to take a calculated risk and got in, since after the 4 AM bus, it was 6:30 AM bus only that would take us there. On getting in we started chatting about where to get down and how to go further. Again, the lady in the seat before looked behind and asked us 'Are you going to Parvathamalai?'. How do categorize too much of these coincidences? All of us were in no mood to even appreciate His Kindness, rather were too involved in getting to know the route. This lady informed us that she has a shop atop Parvathamalai...! She told that we shd get down in 'Koot Road' and take a bus to 'Then-maathi-mangalam' and then walk towards Parvathamalai. She also got down at Koot Road and took the next bus along with us to 'Then-maathi-mangalam'. She got down earlier at Kadaladi and told that she will 'up-there' before we reach her place.

 

We got down in 'Then-maathi-mangalam' at 5 AM. There was a Selva-Vinayagar temple and Amman temple across the road. We went to Vinayagar temple and PSL Narayanan lit a camphor. Then we saw a dark image suddenly waking up, it was our 'Bhairavar'. Initially I did not much notice it, later I understood that the Bhairavar was there to guide us up the Parvathamalai...! Yes, this Bhairavar came with us till 'Kadapparai Malai'...! I was amazed with His Planning. He knew about arrival about the place of landing and the time of landing and had This Bhairavar wait for us...!

 

We went to the Amman temple and prayed there too and started walking. Bhairavar was leading us and we reached Pachiamman Temple. We prayed to the Amman and The Ayyanars there. There was Poondi Mahan photo there, before which I stood emotionally and requested Him to guide us all through. I felt like a school boy taking up some task which is just impossible by me but could be done only with His Blessings...!

 

We started walking further and reached Veerabadhra Swamy temple. We prayed there and went to Renugambal temple nearby. There was also 'Saptha Kannigai-gal' nearby. I had a bath in the water that was flowing there. This has to be done to rejuvanate yourself. Meanwhile, the poojari at Veerabadra Swamy temple had prepared Noi-kanji for us. We had good amount of kanji with keerai vadai. We rested for sometime there and started walking.

 

Near Veerabadra Swamy temple is the Vana Durgai temple, which also we visited and prayed. The prayer was the same everywhere, to guide us throughout...! The steps start near the Vana Durgai temple. This goes for 1.78 KM. We had a happy walk with needed breaks inbetween. After the concrete steps is the rock path. This is like Sathuragiri. Then you reach the Kadapparai Malai. The name has come because of the kadapparai struck on the rocks like jumpers. Since the climb is steep you shd hold these kadapparai one after the other to climb up. We prayed to Lord Shiva represented by a Lingam here. There is also a Pillaiyar before you step up on the Kadapparai Malai steps. These Gods give you the needed impetus to climb up.

 

My friend PSL Narayanan was behind me, doing all the needed guidance. He asked me hold the kadapparai tight, after going up a few steps. Then he told me 'Ram, look to your right, then look to your left, see what God has created for us'. Yes, it was an amazing sight. One has to be there to experience it. I just did what PSL Narayanan told me. I did not allow my mind to work, it was all my Heart at work...! It was just enjoying being there...! It was singing, it was dancing within all against the protests of the mind, which was scaring about the 3000ft down...!

 

(To be continued...!)

Parvathamalai Darisanam - Part 1

I had never planned to go to Parvathamalai after my friend HP Narayanan told about the boulders and steep climbs. But destiny has it that I shd visit Him atop on the given day - who could stop it...! This is the writeup of my experience to Parvathamalai - which He guided me up He gave The Darshan and He guided me down...!

Long since we were invited by Annamalaiar for Girivalam, my friends and self formed sort of a group which was always together in such pursuits. Amongst these friends were HP Narayanan, PSL Narayanan, and PSL Venkat who made a visit to Parvathamalai last year. The story HP Narayanan told me later was scary...! He clearly sounded 'Never Attempt'. I was in no mood to attempt either way, since I always thought He decides what we shd do and yearning for something which we may not be fit for is of no use. Later in Mar '08 we all had our first Darshan of Mahalingam at Sathuragiri, later Mahalingam called us again during Aug '08 to provide another Darshan.

After all this, never was a thot of going to Parvathamalai came into my mind. Me and my wife were planning to come Sathuragiri again on our Marriage Day falling due on Nov 29th. Then was the travelogue of Shri Krishnan Sir got my attention and probably there was subconscious decision made to go to Parvathamalai...! I'm still only making a guess, because there is no logical trigger that made me think of this possibility, given the heavy frame that I'm.

Then on a fine day PSL Narayanan called me 'generally' and was enquiring 'kshema laabams'. I put in him the thought of Parvathamalai, which he imm'ly accepted. PSL Narayanan is one person who has got some amount of instincts, and I always felt this was because of his other yogic practices. He is a family man managing his spiritual side very well, which I felt was due to some Kundalini awakening within him. He never discussed this in detail with me, but only uttered few words of wisdom on the same here and there.

PSL Narayanan was actually very upbeat about this possibility. Then I talked to HP Narayanan, who is the younger Narayanan who was always fine to the possibility to visiting Parvathamalai. The surprise here is, the same souls who were heavily apprehensive earlier, were now more than forthcoming...! It actually did not strike me then.Now, I had a cousin brother of mine, Anand, for whom we had one-point-agenda 'getting-married', whom also I asked to join me. The crowd now became bigger and two more relatives joined and one more friend also joined, totalling to eight of us.

I started collecting details fm the google, as a truthful IT guy, to understand all about Parvathamalai. I actually started losing sleep when more info was available. As I told everybody, the feeling was like newly wed Girl, with fear, anxiety, worry, thrill and other mixed feelings. But I had one point in my mind, it was He who will do what has to be done. He will guide us up, He will show us the Darshan and He will guide us down and make us reach our homes happily.

The date was changed fm my Wedding Day, since people felt that on Wedding Day it is better to be at home and get the Blessing of Mom than to go out. The date later became 19th Dec 2008. It was me, Narayanans (2), Nagarajan, Vichu, Vijay, Ravi Anna and Anand. We were in constant touch with each other and were exchanging info on Parvathamalai we knew.

The day beckoned, on 19th Dec 2008, afternoon we set off to Thiruvannamalai. We wanted to get the permission of Annamalaiar before venturing on this. We reached Thiruvannamalai at 9 pm. We literally ran to the temple, which was said to closing down by 9:30 PM. When were entering the temple I saw a person taking alms. I went to him offered little money, he in turn told me a mantra on GangaDevi. He asked me to recite it thrice, which I did. I also informed him that we were planning to go to Parvathamalai. He looked very happy and blessed us and told we will have a Happy Journey. I was astonished by the kindness of Annamalaiar, it, in hindsight, looks likes Annamalaiar's words.

We went had an excellent Darshan of Annamalaiar, inface we went back and forth thrice to have more and more of His Darshan. Later when were moving to have a Darshan of UnnamulaiAmmai, we were struck with the Darshan of MahaDeepam atop Annamalaiar...! This is the first time in my life I'm seeing the Jyothi...! I literally screamed and called others to have Darshan of the same. What were seeing is the Worlds First Celebration...! All Ithihasam and Puranams has got reference to This Deepam...!

We went and had good Darshan of UnnamulaiAmmai. Here also I came back again to have peaceful Darshan on a plank. When we were through with our Darshan and started moving out, a Old Periyavar called us and gave us Abisekham Milk. What more can u ask for? We thoroughly felt that we had all His Blessings for our visit to Parvathamalai. When I was moving out, I wanted to have a glance of UnnamulaiAmmai again and looked behind, believe me, the doors were closed...! It looked Ammai and Appan were waiting to give Darshan for us only...!

We stayed in a hotel that night and started the next day at 4 AM. We never knew we were getting into a memorable journey of our life by then...!

(To be continued....)