Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 6 - Concluding Part

Namaskarams...!

After the trials and tribulations He made me reach the Adivaram at around 9 AM on Sunday (21st Apr '13) I remembered the words of Holy Soul I met in Pambaati Siddhar Cave at the start of third mountain. When I saw Him, I literally begged to help me climb down, he uttered "உன்னை இந்த மலைக்கு ஏத்தி விட்ட ஆண்டவனுக்கு உன்னை நல்லபடியா இறக்கி விடவும் தெரியும்...!". His words turned out to be Divine Truth when I was able to come and have a Darshan of Pachchaiamman and KaruppannaSamy and thank them for all their help.

My legs were aching now, amidst the relief of His Support in completing the Yatra. There was only one shed below and I just fall flat on it. The sun was very hot and still my body was undergoing some unknown changes with His Order. I was not able to stand and there was shrill pain in the left side of my hip, stopping me from standing for a moment. Flies were swarming on the right leg more due to the blood, torn skin and flesh. I never had the power to even shoo them off, tried only in vain.

On Sr. Narayanan's insistence we went in to the temple and thanked Manonmani Ammal sametha Velliangireeswarar and the other Deities. We had booked a cab to go to Isha Medical Centre in Perundurai. It became a mighty exercise to walk bare foot to the entrance, with hip not co-operating adding to foot pain. Isha folks did a very good job of dressing the wound and putting a good bandage cloth. We moved to Coimbatore station and again the agony of walking into the station on the hot sun, oh my...! He was with me all along to give the Courage and Strength...! I literally sat on each steps to climb to the platform, never bothered about any odd onlookers.

On climbing and seeing the Duranto Express I found that my E1 was the last carriage...! I got into one of the earlier carriage to slowly sit and walk to the last. Before I reached E1, I got a call telling the booking was wrong...! Ticket has been booked for Monday instead of Sunday...! It was only around 20 min to go and I did not want to get into some more adventurous 'ticketless' journey and got down in a hurry only to land in shadowless platform, where with no choice I sat in a bench to manage the foot pain.

Finally it turned out to be that He wanted us to travel in car, a door-to-door service. A Xylo was booked and I was in no position to walk again, but only sitting and climbing down. Accidentally there was Rly Employee who helped me with a wheelchair. The moment I sat on a wheelchair, I felt like heaven...! Oh My God, what a comfort to my hip, to my feet and to my body in whole...! When we stopped for dinner and were having our food, the hotel guy came with a mop and asked me to slightly move. I was in no mood to move and asked him 'what'. He showed me blood stains in the floor, my bandage had come out and I was making my bloody mark wherever I walked...! After that food, it was great sleep for me in Xylo, till Sr. Narayanan waked me up to tell we were nearing home. We reached home at around 2 AM on Monday morning. My Mother was in tears, she was seen bit shivering, my wife was not showing emotions since she has to serve me in nursing the wounds...! 

The Yatra did not have any 'Mystical Experiences', no 'major surprises', no 'strange experiences' broadly. There were visions, but all of them on the subconscious mind. What I felt was He had a Definite Plan and make me walk into it for my good. If I had used my conscious mind I would've missed many of these experiences. In hind sight all the pains had a reason all the strains had a reason all the physical stress had a reason, on which I'm only assuming things...! He Decides and He executes and when we have the faith and patience to tow His Line, He takes us into Profound Happiness...! I'm not sure what I did, but would always like to be in holding His Hands...!

He cured me fully, made me wear my shoes in a week's time. In this exercise, my blood sugar showed 350 first, 214 later and 301 after that. So I'm waiting to see what His Plan is on me about this...! The best part of this Yatra depiction is that, many who heard this wanted to come to Velliangiri...! I'm happy that I've not discouraged anyone of doing a Velliangiri Yatra, for His Call to His Darshan cannot be turned down by anyone...!

 

Pranams

Ram

Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 5

Namaskarams...!

 

The thought that comes in the mind when He makes us walk on the mountains is that 'Can such nature every be created by human beings...!?'. This thought is prevalent during evenings, late evenings and in night. I still remember the sight from the balcony of the Ashram in Parvathamalai...! A vast green cover with varying gradients of slopes, but all green and huge...! I stand like a small speck in the entire Big Thing...! I came to wash my hands after having food and stood in awe...! Similar experiences was there in Velliangiri too...!

 

Amongst the experiences that He gives is the blood curdling ones where we 'felt' the animal but wasn't sure what to do...! As told earlier, I was in no mood to panic, since nothing could be done if it attacks...! Some members took the bamboo stick and stood in attacking position, which only scared me. We are in the territory of the animals and we should never do anything that disturbs them. Now one person said in a husky voice 'It is not bear, but it is koveru kazhuthai'...! Then one another told 'No, no it is a deer'...!

 

Whatever it may be, we started walking away and I maintained my 'pace'...! The animal scare made us come together and walk in group and matching my slow pace. We were at the edge of fourth mountain and then came the descent into third mountain. The view was scary...! I never thought I could've ever climbed this steep steps...! In hind sight it occurred that when we climb up we look at steps till our nose level, but while climbing down, the entire lot of steps are visible...! It looked like a waterfalls with rocks and no water, from top till bottom...!

 

Junior Narayanan took the Punyam of guiding us to climb down. Me and Ravi Anna were able to manage the climb with His help and Junior Narayanan's guidance. We were worried about Jr. Narayanan's steps since he was more walking reverse looking at us and showing the torch. When we successfully climbed down, we realize we have come to our resting point. We went to sleep in the same tent where we slept while climbing. I was not able to sleep much due to various problems of a weak body, tummy disturbance and pain in the leg.

 

Everyone else went into fast sleep mode. Senior Narayanan was in a different world, Junior was just behind him. I was the one lying, not able to sleep, not able to keep awake, not able to move and not able to do anything good enough...! This was around 1 AM. I forced a sleep or a sort of it, when I was suddenly awakened by some deep pain in the feet. I got up and looked at my feet and saw it has deteriorated much more. Skin was torn and there were more slices in the soles of the feet. I wasn't sure what to do. Now, I remembered the medicine given and woke up Sr. Narayanan and got the same. I applied the medicine all over my soles. The soles now looked blood red...! It was the effect of the medicine and I wasn't sure whether this will be fine by early morning...!

 

I was never able to think much, so there was no thought about 'how will reach down', as of now how will keep my next one step, was on the top of my mind...! When I got up at around 6 AM in the morning, Sr. Narayanan wanted me and Ravi Anna to proceed so that they will catch up with us later. The shop keeper stopped me from moving and gave me a cloth to tie around the left foot, which was aching more than the right. With the 'kaal kattu' I started walking. The pain was stalling my movement heavily...! The state of mind was very different. It did not bother about reaching home, it did not bother about 'what would happen if I'm not able to move', it only instructed me 'Walk till you can, rest then, walk again when you can'...!

 

At around the same time, there was suddenly a buzz telling that a boy had fallen in the sixth mountain and injured his leg. People around me were bit scared and I was staring as if it was a totally un-connected news...! All this on the Friday morning. If someone would've told that we will take one more day to reach the 'adivaram' we would've laughed, but it did...! The pain was growing and speed was decreasing and the discomfort becoming more...! I was able to see His Game played in full swing...!

 

(My experiences to be continued...!)

 

Pranams

Ram

Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 4

Namaskarams...!

As we got down to start towards the Seventh Mountain, with His Blessings, it looked like visually very near, but by distance still far...! We first sighted the Nandigeswarar looking skyward (attached image shows that. Not taken by me...!). In another view it looks like Vinayagar Vaaganam Moonjuru lifting its Head towards sky. Then we sighted the 'Thorana Vaayil' the naturally formed arch-shaped rocks, which is a wonder...!

When the top was reached the immediate surface was flat. I praised the Souls for making a wonderful place on top there, very comfortable, very much like any temples on any normal ground...! While we walked around, there was various thoughts rushing in my mind...! It was a strange feeling of 'Absolute Silence' everything sounded white, everything sounded dark, everything sounded noisy, everything sounded silent, everything was exciting, everything was calm...! Mind was in a very different state...! Un-explainable, yet happy, yet quiet...! Honestly, I wanted to dance...! While I feel bit shy to convey this feeling for a heavy body like me, I felt like jumping around...! Senior Narayanan told 'Rudra Thandavamaa...!', I told 'No, just a thandavam...!'. I didn't do it, owing to conventional wisdom forcing me not act odd...!

We first had the Darshan of Ambal...! She was in all Grace there, Manonmani Ammal...! So many Bhakthas have done so many offerings to her there...! We sat down and started the Bhajans. While Senior Narayanan did all the pooja, Junior Narayanan (one of our teams most eligible Bachelor) played the kanjira for the bhajans. All this around 2 PM. The speed of wind blowing there was posing a challenge for us to light a 'Agal Vilakku'. Finally after the pooja we went to have a Darshan of the Swayambu Lingam Velliangireeswarar. It is believed that Panja Lingam is available in the Seventh Mountain, showing all its elemental forms.

I thought of sleeping there for sometime, but to my surprise did not fine any place to do so. After a good Darshan of Velliangireeswarar, we started climbing down through the grass route, which is claimed to be shorter. At this juncture, I should refer to the Poojaris on top. They look very dedicated and involved. They do the Pooja activity as their 'Duty'. I saw an absolute calm in the eyes of the young Poojari boy who did the Aarthi and gave us Prasathams. I can guess what it would be to stay on the top day-in-day-out and do this service...! Just Phenomenal...!

When we started walking in the grass path, the strains started showing. While the sun was going down, the heat was still there on the sand. I had to keep praying Sairam continuously to provide me the necessary support. I was moving at around 5 meters for every 15 minutes. My team was bearing with me. Junior Narayanan and Ravi Anna had to put up with my speed and after some point in time, they told they will move to the 'Naatu Marundhu shop' and wait for me and Senior Narayanan who was accompanying me. It looks like a story now, but in hind sight I only wonder how it was all managed and re-discover again that He was with me all along...!

On reaching the seventh mountain 'adivaram' I slept for around one hour at the 'Naatu Marundhu Shop'. I asked the Holy Soul again for medicine for the Sole (I understand that He has already taken care of the Soul...!). My sole, each one, had around three slices of opened feet at that point. The Holy Soul at the shop gave a medicine to put only when there is unbearable pain. We thanked Him and started moving, with the plan of taking a break at the third mountain.

It became quite dark very fast and we were on the move. Certain slopes looked very steep, wondering whether it was some different path that we were taking. When we reach the fifth mountain, we met a set of very friendly shop owner couple. We had our 'Kambang Koozh', when they suddenly offered food for me. My heavy build would've made them feel 'this guy needs to be fed'...! I had a heart filling food, but the mur mur in my stomach was only increasing...! I felt like His Wish to make me have food, so I took it without wasting a speck of it...!

When we reached fourth mountain, which is a very flat one, we decided to sit. I sat on a rock that looked very much comfortable. The rest three sat on nearby place which was like a small stage. There was a huge rock on this small stage and it was around midnight 11:30 PM. It was dark and we were able to see the silhouttes of other mountains, like a huge painting on a very huge canvass...! While we were chatting and enjoying the scene, we heard a noise...! All of us clearly knew what this noise was...! An animal...! Some of them even knew that there was bear visit two days before...! I was in no mood to get agitated, since agitation is no way going to help...! The tones became husky and then we heard the noise again...!

(My experiences to be continued...!)

 

Pranams

Ram

Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 3

Namaskarams...!

 

There was a continued discomfort in my body when we started from the third mountain the next day early morning. There was some weakness, some sleepiness, some lethargic feeling, overall a tendency to stay back than to move. When we climbed to the fourth mountain, we rested for the 'Kattan Chai', which helped me last time move fast. But, this time, this chai was not a major inducer, for reasons discovered later - anti-biotic culprit...!

 

It is a flat ground in fourth mountain, so the walk was more peaceful. To look at clouds handing below you and to see huge moutains surrounded by you, is a great experience. The early morning weather helped me a bit to overcome the discomfort. When we reached the fifth mountain, we saw our team which moved before us, returning. There was a standard response from them 'Good, you've made thus far, easy for the rest to be done'. Only I knew the problem that my system was undergoing...! My team was encouraging me, but I was not able to even respond and share their feelings...! You can see it in the attached snap.

 

We met a Holy Soul in the fifth mountain. Called 'Sadamudi Siddhar', He blessed us and offered a snacks. He did not speak and was only talking in 'Mouna Bashai'. I was moved and became bit emotional on seeing His gestures. In my mind, I was wanting to have a Darshan on Seventh Hill, which I prayed to Him and He blessed us as well. The snack he gave could have been an anti-dote which helped me overcome other troubles and complete the Yatra.

 

When we climbed down to the sixth mountain, I was eager to bath in 'Aandi Sunai'. This is the water body that made some un-describable good effects in my system during the last visit. I was eager to have a good bath again. When I saw the Sunai, I turned too excited. Just ran towards and got into this knee dip water body. There was container, as if kept for my usage, which I picked up to use a can for bathing. The water was 'ice-cold', just chillll...! It was a great experience. Suddenly some thoughts on few blogs came to my mind, where they've warned about leeches (Attai) that could get through the nose and reach the brain...! But the excitement of bathing in 'Aandi Sunai' made me not stop much and with little glaring at the container for leeches, I kept bathing...! It was a heavenly experience...!

 

From there we started moving towards the seventh mountain, His Abode...! We reached the starting point of the seventh mountain, where there was a thatched hut and one Naatu Marundhu shop. The Holy Soul running the shop was a very very pious person. He has travelled to various Holy Places including attending Kumba Mela...! I asked Him, whether there is some medicine to stop thirst of water, He did not answer me directly, but offered me water from another Sunai...! I should tell something at this juncture, the amount of Sunai water that I drank during this Yatra are gallons...! The taste is un-beatable and my strong belief that it was doing good things to my system is very high...!

 

Here the next major blunder was done...! It was precisely noon. The sand was like ashes and it was only this sand and rocks. We could've waited in the thatched hut for couple of hours and started later, but He had different plans. We started moving and after around 200 meters, the hot sand was taking a toll on my foot sole. It was burning as if I had put my feet into some furnace. I was not able to move forward nor return back to the hut.

 

At one point, I stopped and sat on a hot rock...! The pain was intolerable, but my mind was blank...! It only told that I cannot move, but never gave solutions...! Now, it was good that I didn't think about the need to climb all the way down...! Mind was totally numb. Senior Narayanan came to the rescue, as usual. He found a huge rock on the slopy grass lands. There was some good shade below the rock, but we needed to climb on the slope to reach the rock. I never had energy for that, but as well never had a choice...! With the little energy, I pushed myself towards the rock shade and on reaching it, just lied down on my back...! Aaah...! What a happiness...! Suddenly, the sun vanished and it became cloudy...! There was a cold breeze...! First time in life, I knew that sleeping on grass would be a heavenly experience...!

 

We still had to have His Darshan and most importantly climb all the way down...! The pain had just now started...!

 

(My experiences to be continued...!)

 

Pranams

Ram

Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 2

Namaskarams...!

 

We started climbing Velliangiri with His Blessings, at around 5:30 PM on Thursday. We offered our Prayers to Karuppasami at the start of steps and to all other Deities surrounding, praying for a good ascent and good Darshan and good descent with all of us Happily reaching our homes. Very Honestly, the climb was made very smooth, He was pushing me from the back and it was a thorough climbing. The first mountain which is said to have few thousand steps, in rock, was climbed in around two hours.

 

We reached Vella Vinayagar temple and offered our Prayers to Him. Senior Narayanan was amazed at the short time we took and I was just 'blinking', since I was in a state of trance and not sure what I was doing. As usual the mind started scaring me and I told Senior Narayanan 'Narayanan, can I stop here, so that you can all pick me up on return'. This had become the regular dialogue, for whcih Sr.Narayanan stared at me with 'chella' anger and told 'Did we make this three day plan for staying here'. My heart was yearning to move forward, and my mind was scaring me. My system was sounding bit week, but ready to move on.

 

We had our standard 'lime soda' which is opposite to Vella Vinayagar temple and stayed for around half hour, before we started moving. This was also in good pace, with His Blessings...! It was something sort of a 'Jura Vegam' that was moving me, His Hand was probably behind me. Next was 'Vazhukku Paarai', the second mountain. One person who carries material from 'adivaram' to mountains joined us. He scared us by telling 'We take two hours to climb and up one and half hours to climb down'.

 

For some reason, vazhukku paarai also turned out a comfortable climb, with His Blessings...! Then it all started in the third mountain. When we reached third mountain start, there was this 'Paambaati Sunai' which gives adequate water with great taste. I was feeling suddenly too tired and felt that I cannot move anymore. I requested the team to stay there and climb after a good sleep. For some reason I get the same feeling while I write these lines, bit of sleep, bit of tiredness, bit of fatigue and overall need to rest.

 

There was a shop in the third mountain and a boy in it was very helpful. He offered us the requisite resource to have a good sleep. It was around 9:30 PM when we went to sleep. Suddenly at around 11:30 PM I was forced to wake up, due to pull of muscles in my calf muscle of both legs. That's one of the most dangerous things that can ever happen to a person in the mountain. A heavy weight person like me, getting struck in third mountain not able to move is a nightmare. With all Prayers to Him, I immedately stood and shook my legs for them to pacify and loosen. Then we moved to another location to continue our sleep till 3 in the morning.

 

I did not know that there were bigger tests planned by Him for me...! The test was in the sixth mountain...! We were walking in the fourth mountain unaware of His Plans...!

 

(My experiences to be continued...!)

 

Pranams

Ram

Velliangiri Yatra - His Call...! - Part 1

Namaskarams...!

 

It is always tough to understand His Intent, His Call, His Design and His Plans...! It all looked like a routine call from Him for doing the Velliangiri Yatra and have His Darshan...! It turned out to be beyond this and His Plans were revealed (or I thought so...!) only after the Yatra...!

 

When the Senior Narayanan of our Girivalam Troupe (we have two Narayanans here...!) called me sometime in early April (if my recollection is right...!), I only wanted to have a good peaceful Darshan of Velliangireeswarar and nothing more and nothing less...! His Plans were 'slightly' different though...!

 

Our Girivalam Troupe is an excellent set of people who are very agile and brisk. They needed only two days for the entire Yatra. I was sceptic and Senior Narayanan was supporting me. The plan was made for three days, starting the Yatra on Thursday evening and plan to return on Saturday evening (18th Apr to 20th Apr). We wanted to complete The Yatra before Chitra Pournami, since the crowd that would be there will be humungous...!

 

This is the third time Call from Him for the Yatra. First time, He took me till third mountain start and second time He gave me Darshan on the Seventh Mountain. I was not sure what He was planning, but thought He will do the Best for me. On the day of Yatra, I decided not to wear my slippers, my specs, not take my wallet, since our thoughts could be scattered in them. 

 

I had several Visions of Velliangiri Yatra before I started, something new, which I've never experienced earlier. He made me do Atma Velliangiri Yatra, where I had fancy visions of flight over the Temple and to His Abode on Seventh Mountain. I had goosebumps whenever I had this Vision in my mind. I was telling my wife about this, who also was taken aback with my experiences.

 

Very Honestly, not much of preparations were done for the Yatra, I was a child accompanied by the Parent, who was handholding me. My thoughts were too worldly, like no slippers, no specs etc, nothing about walking, climbing etc. I was ofcourse, waiting to have Chill Dip at Andi Sunai, which was a very refreshing experience during last visit. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

On reaching the Coimbatore, we straight went to Isha to get energy from the Surya Kund. That was a very exhilarating experience, where three Rasalingas immersed in water, gives us phenomenal energy. Then we were off to Velliangireeswarar Temple to have a Darshan of 'Manonmaniammal sametha Velliangireeswarar'. Manomani Ammal is a very rare Deity says Ravi Anna, our Group's Mentor, who improves the clarity of our thoughts.

 

It was around 4 PM when we rested in the Mandapam adjacent to the temple to get ready for the Yatra. We put our bags into cloak room and were about set the sail off. Then came a though in me. I had a boil in my thigh and was mid way through my anti-biotics. I had told my wife that no anti-biotics is required while on the Mountain. She put the remaining tablets in my bag on abundant precaution and at this time, I thought it was a good idea to have the same 'to ensure a smooth Yatra'. I was absolutely wrong...!

 

The anti-biotic weakened my system, which I did not realize till I was half way in the Yatra...! And, this was His Plan, possibly...! I was forced to take a one week leave on the return from Yatra, due to my mistakes, which was sensed only in hind-sight and not when I was doing the mistake...! Blunder...!

 

(My experiences to be continued...!)

 

Pranams

Ram