My Journeys In India: 2014

November 4, 2014

Sabarimalai Lord Ayyappa Temple

!!! Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa !!!

This is one of the very famous temple in South India where close to 5 crore people visit every year. The main purpose of this blog is to share various routes, accommodation and other useful information to other pilgrims. During the months of December and January it will be heavily crowded due to the Makara Vilaku (is on 14th January 2015).

This is one temple where everyone is allowed inside the temple irrespective of religion. Only with "Erumudi" you can go via sacred 18 steps, without Erumudi you can have darshan through the side ways.

Places with photos covered here are

Erumeli Vavaru Masjit
Erumeli Shasta Temple
Pamba River
Sabarimalai Ayyappa Temple and sacred 18 steps

Yearly Darshan Calendar and Temple timings

Please follow this link to know the Opening and Closing Days of this temple. Note: This temple is not open all the days.

There are different routes to reach the temple by walk and see this link for details Trek Routes.The temple is not open always as it is in middle of thick forest in Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. Only barefoot walk. You need to follow the customs if you want to go via "sacred 18 steps". One need to follow Viradaham for about 48 days. Following this customs will definitely help you a lot in many ways.

During Dec-Jan, many devotees walk via "Periya Pathai" (Big route) which is close to 45Kms. This is done with barefoot as per customs and a very tough one unless you are prepared well during Viradaham. There will be a huge crowd on the way and you will never feel alone in the forest route.

Viradham or Customs to be followed

Once you start your "Viradham" (customs), please do a barefoot walk everyday and prepare your legs and feet. Take bath twice a day i.e. morning and evening, so that your body will get used to the weather and you wont catch cold or fever. By following these customs you will be more immune and prepare your body. I have reduced my weight a lot and this helped me to start walking on a daily basis.

For differently abled persons, they have the "Tholi" where set of four people will carry this differently abled person on their shoulders uphill. (this is very challenging). Refer the photos below.

Benefits of this Viradham

Mind control
Avoiding outside food helps you control/manage your diet well
Taking bath twice helps building your immune better and keep you clean
No tension by worshiping Ayyappa, performing pooja twice a day and chanting his name.
Good exercise by practicing bare-foot walk daily during Viradham days
Being a very simple person by wearing mala and simple black dhothi
Many more.......

Accomodation

This is a very challenging one for all the visitors. I have added the details to help.

For advance online booking, refer this link https://www.onlinetdb.com/tdbweb/dist/ Once you book online, carry the confirmation slip and produce in the booking office to get the keys to rooms. Remember the rooms may not be so clean, but you can take the broomsticks and clean it yourself. Take the floor mat for sleeping inside the rooms. (normal rooms, you get bed in other types of rooms)
For on the spot booking, visit the booking office near the temple complex. Refer the photos below for details.
If you don't get a place to stay but want to stay overnight, then you can just rent a floor mat and sleep on the mantap. (remember it may be bit cold in nights). This is the main reason you need to follow the customs for 41 days and be prepared.
Make sure to reach the temple early in the morning and do darshan and leave immediately so that you don't need to stay.

Food

This is one more very challenging thing for all visitors. The temple and surroundings are not so clean due to huge crowd and garbage. Rain make it worst sometimes. Though there are many restaurants around the temple, I personally felt the cleanliness of the restaurants and food can be improved a lot.

I suggest you to try the "Annadanam" (free food) supplied by different group of people who visit the temple time to time. Many of the temple who visit this temple, have the habit of serving the other pilgrims with food which is really a very good one. Mostly try to take this free food which is prepared well and served immediately. (No need to worry about any stale food from restaurants).

Kind Request to all pilgrims !!!

Please be very cautious and throw the waste in dust bins ONLY. Plastic bags and other items should be thrown only on the dust bins. SEARCH for the bin and put it inside, this way you are helping the temple to keep clean and you are helping other pilgrims as well.

PLEASE dont throw your used Malas, clothes and soap etc into the Pamba river. It is sacred and many depend on this water. Let us keep it clean, use dust bins to throw your waste.

!!! REMEMBER PAMBA IS ALSO A SACRED RIVER YOU SHOULD NOT POLLUTE !!!

How to reach Sabarimala?

There is no direct access to Pamba by Train, hence one need to reach the nearest railway stations and then head towards Pamba by a Taxi or a local bus transport.

Kottayam - 97 Kms to Pamba
Thiruvalla - 89 Kms to Pamba
Chenganur - 89 Kms to Pamba
Ernakulam - 150 Kms to Pamba
Alappuzha - 123 Kms to Pamba

Refer these sites which has every detail you need to know.

Moving onto Photos

Erumeli Vavaru Masjid

First time pilgrims perform a custom by applying these colors on their face and body

Erumeli Sastha Temple

Pamba River

!!! PLEASE DON'T THROW WASTE HERE.... PAMBA IS A SACRED RIVER !!!

Dholi for differently abled persons or Aged people

Free Food - Annadhanam at Pamba

It is hot and Sambar is getting mixed with Rice, served to all pilgrims freely

Sacred 18 steps and Padi Pooja

Pooja timings and Temple Timings

Other photos

Sacred Bhasmakulam (Pond)

Vavar Swamy

Long Queue for Darshan (but this is not even 1% of what you will see during December, January)

View of the forest from Sabarimalai

Hope you liked this post, share with friends and add your comments below !!!

October 28, 2014

Ratnagiri Vellore Thiruvannamalai

In this post I am sharing my trip details to Ratnagiri, Vellore and Thiruvannamalai. As usual, I have added many photos at the end. Hope you like it. I appreciate your your comments and suggestions. Thank you.

You can also plan a day trip from Bangalore and cover Thiruvannamalai and Vellore seperately. Vellore is just 3.5 hrs drive from Bangalore. Thiruvannamalai also is just a 4 hour drive from Bangalore. So added these into my earlier post "Weekend breaks Or Day-trips from Bangalore".

Places covered

Ratnagiri
Vellore Jalakateshwara Temple
Vellore Fort and Museum
Golden Temple at Sripuram
Thiruvannamalai

Plan with one night stay at Thiruvannamalai

We started from Bangalore by early morning at around 6:15 AM. Had breakfast at Saravanabhavan (before Krishnagiri) and reached Rathnagiri in 3.5 hrs. (we went on Oct 3rd week).
There are plenty of options on the way for breakfast after hosur like Kamat, McDonalds+CoffeeDay, A2B, Saravanabhavan ...etc.
First we visited the Rathinagiri Temple, it took around 1 hour. Come back to Vellore and visit Jalakateshwara Temple inside Fort.
Have lunch outside the fort complex (Arya bhavan).
Getback to Fort and visit the fort and walk around the fort walls. Visit Museum. Or visit other places in vellore like observatory (but this is 71Kms from Vellore). ss
After 4PM, head towards Golden Temple. Walk for 30 to 45 minutes inside. Visit the main temple and wait again for lightings to be on. Get inside again and see the temple and its reflection in water.
Head towards Thiruvannamalai and stay at Thiruvannamalai. (many stay options are there. see below).
Get up early in next day morning, visit the temple. Visit Ramana Ashram. and then to Thirukkoyilur. Make sure to be there before 12 noon.
Get back to bangalore or visit Satanur Dam nearby.

1. Rathinagiri Bala Murugan Temple

This temple is located on the Vellore-Chennai Highway and close to 14 Kms from Vellore. When you go from Vellore, this comes on the left side where you can see a big arch. This is built on the small hill with just 200 steps. One can also drive up the hill on motorable road.

Route: Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Vellore - Rathinagiri

Refer http://ratnagiri.org/ for more details on this temple.

2. Vellore Jalakateshwara Temple and Fort

This is one of the places in Vellore you MUST visit. This fort is built on 16th century by Vijayanagara Kings. Centre of the fort there is a beautiful temple for Lord Shiva. The temple tower is so amazingly built and there is a mandap where one can see beautiful carvings. There is also a museum in the fort complex. With grand ramparts and wide moat the fort was well protected those days.

Guides are available and you need to ask for one near the entrance.

Read more in Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vellore_Fort

3. Sripuram Golden Temple or Malaikodi

This is one of the place you might want to visit while you are in Vellore. I suggest you visit this in evening so that you get to see the lightings which is the major attraction. Dont forget to see the reflections of the temple under the water.

This is situated on 100 Acre land near Vellore and is 7 kms from Vellore main city. You might be knowing about the Golden temple in Amritsar, this seem to be similar to that and having spent around 1500 kilograms of Gold on the 5000 sq.ft of the main temple. Sri Lakshmi Narayani is the main shrine. The temple is star shaped and you might end up walking close to 1.5 kms inside the temple to reach the main shrine. Not to worry, there are plenty of places you can buy water bottles and prasadam, coffee, tea to energize yourself. Also you can sit and relax anywhere on your way. Well laid stone benches are there elsewhere on the sides. There is also a big Gomatha statue which is made of pure silver and about 150Kgs which is so beautiful. Also there is a Swarnalakshmi statue which is about 70Kgs of pure gold, you can perform pooja yourself (milk abhishekam) to this statue by paying donation.

The main temple is been surrounded by water and so beautifully designed. I suggest you to visit this temple during evening and wait till lightings are on by dark. Once the lights are
on, it is so amazing to see the Gold that glitters so brightly in dark and the reflection of the temple on water.

Unfortunately no phones or cameras allowed inside. Even bags are also not allowed. Strict security check is in place. You can deposit your phones and bags in the counter and collect it
after you finish your darshan. A big car parking space is also there.

Like in ISKCON, you get prasadam while you return back after darshan. Plus you get to see lots of stalls selling all kinds of devotional books, photos, CDs, etc..

For photos, please visit the temple site: http://www.sripuram.org/

4. Tiruvannamalai - Arunachaleswarar / Annamalaiyar Temple

You should visit Thiruvannamalai for many reasons, one main reason is to see the majestic temple Towers. This Raja Gopuram or main temple tower is the second largest after Srirangam temple tower. Dont forget to visit the Padala Lingam where Ramana meditated. If you go here on full moon day, there will be hundreds of devotees performing Girivalam i.e. barefoot walking of 14 kms surrounding the temple premises.

Apart from temple, you can also visit Sri Ramana Ashram which is very famous. I dont need to write more about this place, refer Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiruvannamalai which has everything. I have added many photos as usual.

I am not sure if one can climb the Arunachala hill, if you could go up there, you get to see the amazing view of the entire temple complex. This is the hill, where Kaarthigai Deepam is lighted during the famous festival here.

5. Nearby places from Thiruvannamalai

Close to Thiruvannamalai there is a Santanur Dam if you are interested and get time. You can also visit "Ulagalantha Perumal" Temple in Thirukoyilur is 20 kms from Thiruvannamalai.

Refer Wiki for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiruvannamalai

Route info to Thiruvannamalai from Bangalore

IMPORTANT: Please dont go via Uthangarai road. Follow the below route which is better (not the best still).

From Bangalore, go till Krishnagiri and take left to Chennai NH.
Dont take right for thiruvannamalai as you see on the sign board (after joining this Chennai NH from Krishnagiri). Continue for 14Kms.
Look for Bargur exit sign board on your left. Dont get onto the flyover and take left in this point and go below the flyover and take right.
Now you are on the way to Bargur.
Go till Bargur and next to Thirupathur .
From Thrupathur go via Singarapettai.
From Singarapettai, continue on Thiruvannamalai road. This distance from Singarapettai till Thiruvannamlai is slightly bad in few places.

But never ever go via Uthangarai which is very bad. Use the same route while coming back as well.

Stay options at Thiruvannamalai

One can also stay at Ramana Ashram or Seshadri Ashram but need to book well in advance.

There are plenty of options. We tried Sunshine Guest house which was kind of okay though it was not the great option. Refer my tripadvisor review for details. Apart from that, there are many options like Arpanaa, Hotel Ganesh International, Hotel Arunachala, Hotel Ramakrishna ...etc. Refer to review sites for better options and ratings by travellers. A2B restaurant is also is there.

Moving onto photos...