THIRUVANNAMALAI

I had been to Thiruvannamalai on the 4th of Augusat 2011.
My association with Thiruvannamalai is almost five decades old.
Before i share my experience with thiruvannamalai here is a small write up about the famous town.

Tiruvannamalai (Thiruvannamalai) is a world renowned temple town in TamilNadu which is synonym to deepam(fire). Here Shiva (Arunachaleswar) is worshipped in the form of fire. This temple city is located about 180 kilometres from Chennai or when accessed from Vellore it is around 80 kilometres by road. It is believed that this temple on the foot hill of Annamalai hill came to be built around 750 A.D. period as per the details available from archeological sculptures. It is the biggest temple in India dedicated to Lord Shiva.This Shiva – Parvathi Arunachaleswarar temple has a 66 metre high gopuram that comprises of 13 storeys or tiers.
As in most hindu temples Lord Arunachala temple has the biggest walking path around the hill. Devotees are expected to go around the hill at least one time to reap the full benefit and the blessings of the lord. Going around the hill is also known as Girivalam or Giripradhakshana. At Tiruvannamalai it is great sanctity to go girivalam during every full moon day of a month or during the annual Tiruvannamalai deepam day.

My earliest rememberance of my visit to Thiruvannamali goes back to the time when i was studying in 4th standard, My family has to shift to a village claled Asokapuri, situated on the road conecting Villupuram and Gingee, consequent to the retirement of my father from Railways.Those days retirement age is 55 and my father at that age was agile, brisk and full of energy.There is no work which he does not know abaout and therefore it has become antural for him to take to agriculture as his passion and hobby when we moved to this village.

We had an old Austin car in those days-APG 628 is the registration number.Looks like a jeep but with the convenience of a car.My family consisiting of self, mom and dad brother and sister(allmost it comes to a dozen, if you count the relaives and friends who used to accompany in each such trip) used to have a comfortable journey in the car in those days. It can not go beyond 40-50 miles speed and it will obey the instructions of only on man...affectionately called by all of us as Pratap Uncle..another mirasudar, owning lands almost equal to or more than what we possessed then... and who took to driving our car as a hobby and as a means of showing his friendship.

And the first trip to THiruvannamalai was in this Austin car on the DEEPAM day. I did not know then that this temple is going to be associated with my life again after 50 years.AS ANY FIRST EXPERIENCE, TRIP TO THIS TEMPLE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN FOR VARIOUS REASONS, most important of them being that it was an wholesome and enjoyable trip with my family.The surging crowds on the day of DEEPAM, the difficulties not withstanding which we had dharshan, the appetite which became multifold on account of the waiting for dharshan, the hot ' KAL DOSDAI WITH MILAGAI PODI' spread uniformly which Pratap uncle procured with great difficulty at night 9 pm, braving all crowds , the last but not the least, the terrific rains on return with thunder and lightning which almost hit the eye of Pratap uncle and gave us some tense moments before we finally returned back home.

Since then i had made several trips along with my relatives when ever they had visited us in our village.Then we moved over to CHENNAI and alamost for four decades no connection whatsoever.

Then in 2005-06 when i procured a maruthi 800 self , wife son and daughter and one of our neighbour's son Vinoth paid a visit to THiruvannamalai.This trip is remembered because of the convenience with which the journey was undertaken, the comfortable ride in the new car (thanks to Vinoth who drove the car)and the arrangements made at thiruvannamalai for stay and dharshan beforehand.When self . ife and daughter returned to bed(On a sultry night) my son and vinoth went for GIRI VALAM .What they attempted and completed in 3 hours or so by walk, we managed to do by doing giri valam in car in about half an hour.

(To be continued)