( Pic Above: Mystical view of Arunachala hill which enthralled me during my girivalam 2017)
How i was fire fried by lord Shiva, Something that has changed me forever..
It was June 2017, Tamilnadu's hottest months are one of these. I had a strong motivation to visit the holy hill- Tiruvannamalai.
Lord Shiva, is said to have taken form as a fiery linga manifested as a sacred hill. The 14 km circumbulation around the hill is considered
soul liberating experience and the annihilation of sins of several lifetimes. Staying around and nearby this holy hill assures a soul liberation from the birth and death life cycle.
I was living with my parents in Chennai due to certain visa issues i was facing and i was unable to live in Malaysia for about 1.5 years.
But this was the time given to me by the universe to learn, understand spiritual way of life. During this period i learnt powerful pranayama practises by an advanced disciple following Maha Avatar Babaji. In about 3 months i lost almost 10 kg just by doing pranayama and brisk walking. I was led to this disciple via the hand of fate of Goddess Kalikambigai of Chennai (Parry's corner temple).
I took a bus to tiruvanamali which was around 169 km from Chennai. i booked quite a good hotel near Ramana Ashram. The hotel upgraded my room, i was happy. The name of the hotel is Hotel Sri Lakshmi residency inn ( near Ramana Ashram) but no food was being served at the hotel.
I found a small restaurant nearby opposite to the main road where they served south Indian food. Being a person who is quite adaptive to any kind of food, i was happy.
(Pic Below: inside hotel Lakshmi residency inn - Tiruvannamalai , Tamil Nadu ,2017)
I heard about the June heat in Tiruvanamalai. It was pretty Hot. So i decided to outsmart lord shiva by starting my circambulation around the hill as early as 2 a.m in the morning. I was awake at 1 a.m, meditated, showered in hot water and started my walk barefoot. I am diabetic and walking barefoot isn't advisable but i was pure in my faith and decided to walk barefooted fully trusting lord Shiva.
Initially i found it difficult to walk barefooted but i got used to it soon.
After the agni linga temple about 2 kms from it is a grave yard on the Girivalam road. As i went past the graveyard a heard a weird Shriek from a huge tree. I was frightened and hurried across the main road. i found an old man sitting on the road in white. He had a divine glow in his smile. I was in a hurry to walk away from the graveyard so i quickly paid him 100 rupee note and walked away in a hurry. But my intuition told me to turn around. When i looked back, there was nobody. I told myself to hurry and leave this place as soon as i could.
Then the girivalam road turned and i found many small temples and ashrams on this road. I felt safe and comforted. But i realised that my left foot started paining and it restricted my walk. I saw a priest offering prayers to a shiva linga. He waved his hand to me when he realised i was holding my leg and was unable to walk properly. The pain was excruciating. I neared him and explained to him about my problem. The priest went inside a room and brought a bunch of peacock feather and murmured a mantra and waved the peacock features against my left leg. The pain completely vanished and i was happy. The priest requested that i wait for his guru to come into the ashram temple at 5 am. I was grateful for the healing and so decided to wait for his guru. In the meanwhile he asked me if i needed any prayers as pournami or full moon was nearing in the next couple of days. I paid for prayers to be conducted in my name and my family members names. After the main guru arrived i learnt that this was the Ashram of the famous sage Durvasa, who was known for this wrath and who dared to even kick lord Vishnu himself on this chest. I took leave of the main guru but it was 6 am then. (Pic below: Mother Gayathri)
I had already spent 4 hours and have covered just 3 kms. i had 11 km to go. I wasn't able to walk faster as now i was drawn by the early morning mesmerising look of the holy hill Arunachala and the beautiful shrines on my way. at each temple i stopped and prayed to the deity of the temple. One temple i was particularly drawn to was Divine mother Gayathri devi temple who had six faces. Her sheer beauty made me stand there in a state of Awe. I was mesmerised by her divine grace and sheer brilliance. After sometime my leg pain came back. I was limping in pain again. I did not know what to do. I needed to complete my spiritual vow to go around the holy hill. I wanted a solution to my joblessness. As i managed to take few steps with great difficulty i saw Shirdi Sai baba temple. i was thrilled and entered the temple. The temple was beautifully landscaped. Baba was in white marble and so gracious. I quickly bowed to baba and sat down, closed my eyes and meditated. I requested baba to help me. Suddenly my pain vanished, i thanked Baba. At the same time i wasn't able to leave this sai baba temple. I sat with my eyes closed immersed in the love of Shirdi Sai Baba. My guru-god had indeed come to my rescue. I thanked baba once again, gave a dakshina at the temple and again set my foot to go around the holy hill Arunachala.
(Pic Below: Chittirai Nakshatra Linga)
It was almost 11 a.m the heat was scorching hot. As i carried on with my walking i was stopped by an elderly lady at Agasthya ashram, asking me to come in. I was somehow drawn to this ashram. I learnt that Saint agasthya had identified distinct linga for each nakshatra or star sign one is born under. I was asked to pray to the linga pertaining to my nakshatra visagam.
(Pic Left : the huge linga in ashram where i meditated)
Then i was led to a very big linga and was asked to close my eyes. My body vibrated in the energy emanating from this linga. Then i thanked the elderly lady and left the ashram. The lady insisted that i join their ashram. I said i am not that keen to join any ashram and took leave of her. I paid for the pournami prayers and wrote my family members names as pooja participants.
(Pic Right: The canal i could only see but could not use-my inner realization awakened by lord shiva here)
Now it was 1 pm. I reached a place where there was no tree shade and my barefoot had to undergo a brutal treatment. I was not able to bear the heat but firmly decided to carry on my journey. There was cow dung on the scorching road and that was the coolest thing available for my feet. Unable to bear the heat i put my feet into the cow dung. but it served little use. my feet were on fire. i was sure it was hurt. i was afraid to look at the feet. if i did i might decide to go back to hotel room which i did not want. so then as i walked i was a little stream of water which was below the road i was walking on. There was no access to the stream. As i saw the flowing water my mouth was parched in heat and my feet was burning. i sat by the road facing the stream began to laugh out aloud. i realised life was a maya or illusion. nothing was real and we are all helpless against karma. a new energy entered me as i stood and decided to walk the last few kilometres without a stop. i finally reached the last Shiva temple on the girivalam road and i bought a bottle of water at the temple. entered the temple sat down in front of lord shiva, i had an emotional outburst and i was full of tears and gratitude to my father lord Shiva. It seemed that in just one walk around the hill could change me inside out burning my past sins and negative karma. i felt transformed. i took an autorishaw back to my hotel room. as i showered in cold water i found my feet was intact no damange in any way. Another boon from my father lord Shiva.
Om Namah Shivaya.
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