An Invitation
Sometime around the end of July 2015 I was invited to an annual prayer ceremony at the ashram I had previously visited in India. The event was to be held on the 29th of December, 2015. I remember the day with much clarity. I felt a magnetic pull to attend. It preoccupied my mind for some time. I tried to convince myself that the feeling would pass. I could not conceptualize another trip to India as we had just been there in April of the same year. Needless to say, it all happened very quickly, signaling that nothing was within our control. Flights were booked, an itinerary was coordinated, and all other arrangements were finalized for an unplanned re-visit to India, this time with two children.
Lost or Divinely Orchestrated
After a long and tiring flight, we arrived in Tutticodi (a port city on the Gulf on Mannar, in Southern India) late on the 26th of December. This destination was to enable us to make the climb up a hill, nestled within a nature reserve the following day. After a scrumptious dinner, and some rest we retired for the night. Around sunrise the following morning we set off for the holy hills. Our driver, Ganesh cheerfully declared that he had previously lived in the area, but had not been to the reserve. Nonetheless, armed with a map, directions from the concierge and a driver familiar with the town we headed toward the hills with confidence. We were on our way to a temple in the Athiri Hills, which was enclosed within the Pothigai mountain range along the Western Ghats, in the Tirunelveli district, India. The morning sun was warm and soothing. The drive was long but picturesque. Not expecting to lose our way a few times, resulted in a more scenic, meandering drive toward the hills. Going off course however led us miraculously to another temple, one dedicated to Lord Shiva in the town of Papanasam. Ganesh, unperturbed at having lost his way merrily suggested, that we were at the entrance of the renowned temple hence we should go in and pay our respects. We were happy to do that since the temple had been closed during our previous visit there. To this day we question if we were indeed lost or guided there.
The Sweet Scent of Sandalwood
The temple was busy and bustling with people. We bought a few lamps at the entrance and proceeded towards the main alter. After praying at the main alter the priest guided us to where our remaining lamps could be lit. There were lots of people everywhere, both inside and outside the temple, but there was still a sense of peace, calm and stillness. The energy, ambiance and experience inside the temple was indescribable and one could not escape the awe and wonder of being within a sacred space believed to be approximately 1000 years old. The temple has a rich history associated with the Pandya, Nayak dynasties as well as the Chola Kings and is known for numerous legendary stories. People are drawn to the temple for various reasons often seeking the blessings of the presiding deity Lord Shiva to absolve them of past karmas, to spiritually cleanse their souls or to simply reconnect with divine sources. One could rationalize at length around how we were diverted to the temple but that would be pointless. In short it was extraordinary. The most noteworthy experience from that temple visit was most certainly the sweet fragrance of sandalwood that permeated through the air catching my attention as we existed. I later learned that the fragrance of sandalwood was associated with the divine play and presence of siddhas.
Tiger Reserve
Recovering from the wonderment of the Papanasam Temple, our focus reverted to the original destination, Athri Hills. The weather was mild and cloudy, which was much in our favor. Upon arrival at the entrance Ganesh assisted with arranging access into the forest with the official at the gate. I came to understand the temple was within a forest (nature reserve), the reserve recorded the entry and exit of all patrons that visited each day and was astonished to learn that the temple was within a “Tiger Reserve”. No prizes for guessing why it was necessary to record the entry and exist of patrons daily. I was hoping my children would not see the prominently displayed board indicating “Tiger Reserve” at the gate. Unfortunately, they did and boldly expressed their desire to see a tiger; much to my horror.
Path Riddled with Tests
We began the trek with much enthusiasm until we found ourselves before a motionless body of water. That, we were not prepared for. Perplexed, we stood before the water, our minds racing to find a solution to get across. Although that strategy often proves effective in most situations that was not one of them. The only way to get across was to walk through the water. Our hesitation to process and think was based purely on our lack of exposure or experience to being in a forest, a “tiger reserve”, on foot without the guidance of a professional or experienced reserve official, hence submitting to the wicked hand of fear was effortless. That was exacerbated by the circumstance of having our two children with us, aged 13 and 15. There was little time for deliberation, we had to walk through the knee-deep water. We reached the other side with relief and continued deeper into the thick forest. The narrow single file path was strewn with large red and black centipedes. The forest was dense with lush plants, colorful flowers, large established trees, numerous insects and more. We trekked for some time before being confronted by a stream. By this time, we were far into the mission, to ponder over it, it had to be crossed. The forest became denser and darker in some places and fear began to escalate. I resolved to keeping my head down, to concentrate on the narrow path and focus on the destination to lessen the fear. This was not met with success. I grew more concerned about our safety, particularly that of the kids. My kids however were coping with the experience far better that I was. I was acutely aware that the forest was home to many dangerous and fearsome beings who took their role in protecting their territory seriously. I silently put out a prayer communicating that I was aware that we were walking through their home, I fully respected them, we would leave without causing any harm to their environment, and humbly requested that they not present themselves before us.
Now What?
We journeyed through the narrow path, listening to the many different sounds of birds, swaying branches, noticing the strong fragrance given off by medicinal plants, aware not to step onto the countless centipedes that lined the path and delighted in the free-spirited butterflies which danced around us. That temporary relief was interrupted by several more streams and rivers, many with fast flowing, high levels of water, as the area had just experienced much rain. My fears mounted as we trekked further on which distracted me from deriving the full transcendent benefits of such a journey. It was not long before we were challenged by yet another river. This river was not to be outdone by the others. It was fast flowing, crystal clear, proudly displayed it’s mighty rocks and much wider than any of the others. At that point it occurred to me that the first body of water began as a manageable task (or test) and the level of challenge to get across subsequent streams and rivers gradually increased. Our dear, good-natured driver, searched for the best spot along the river for the safest way to get across. By that time, he probably thought “I did not sign up for this”; understandably so. The day had been a far cry from a driver’s ordinary work day. However, he showed no signs of discontent. On the contrary he revealed his exceptional character in the way he accommodated and guided us; fully cognizant of our fears, inexperience and insecurities. Nevertheless, the glorious river coursing before us was to test his and our mettle further.
Believe it..or Not
Ganesh continued to look around trying to plot the safest path across. My heart sank. My fear could not step up a notch having already reached it’s peak. I glanced skyward and mentally called out for help in prayer, with as much composure as I could muster. There was an almost immediate response to my call, as I heard voices of people. I looked beyond and around the thick leafy trees and saw a group of people further up across the river. They were shouting to get our attention. They signaled to us to walk further up the river. An unbelievable sense of relief came over me. There was immense comfort knowing that there were other people in the forest. We were no longer alone. There was a group of men in the river making their out, another group were having a meal around a gigantic rock and kindly invited us to join them and another group across the river where we were headed. I was amazed to see a tight rope that spanned across the river to help people get across safely. The group across the river directed us to the tight rope, guided us to take hold of it and advised how to walk across to maintain balance as the flow of water was swift, the river bed was course and the rocks were extremely slippery. Traversing the river safely, we were warmly greeted by the group who assisted us. They informed us that they too were going up the hill to the temple and would be happy to accompany us. That was unquestionably a response to a divine call right there. They sang and chanted the mantras of Lord Shiva as we ascended. Three of them walked ahead of us, we followed and one of them walked behind. We stopped at a cave, known to have been that of the siddha Korraka. They had come fully prepared with a bag of prayer items and promptly lit up a lamp, incense and guided us in prayer; thereafter explaining the history and wonder of the cave.
Faith in Humanity
I felt extreme relief. The trek with the four saintly guides continued. I was able to relax and notice more of the amazing greenery that sprouted off the sacred earth. The air was clean and fresh. There was a soft drizzle but the sun managed to peep through the forest foliage. Being divinely led, the walk reaching the temple felt more like a leisurely stroll. The temple buzzed with people. Others had clearly reached there earlier in the day as we did not encounter anyone on the path up. Preparations, bathing and adorning the deities were performed. Once complete, we were invited to pray with them. The people were warm, welcoming, friendly, hospitable and kind hearted. It was an absolute privilege to be assisted and guided by such kind souls given that we were complete strangers.
Reflection
Our journey down the hill was relaxing, pleasant and rewarding. In the absence of debilitating fear, I was more appreciative of the rare beauty around us. I was more aware of the splendor and grandeur of the diverse flowers, trees, plants and insects that went unnoticed on the way up. We joyfully crossed the many rivers and acknowledged them as rare, mystical, magical experiences. The slight drizzle disappeared and the sun made a more prominent appearance. Reflecting on the day later that night, I questioned if I would have entertained the idea of visiting the temple had I known it was within a Tiger Reserve, the nature of the terrain, the number of streams and rivers that had to be traversed, without a guide etc. I am usually known for conducting extensive research before committing to anything particularly when it included our kids hence, I am still mystified as to how those decisions came to pass. My only explanation which may appear as an excuse is that many or all things around us are indeed beyond our control. You have the choice to disagree.
Trust
It was indisputably an epic excursion. These were not experiences we could encounter in our home town or country. If there was ever a time in my life when the existence of something greater could be questioned, that moment had prevailed when I glanced skyward and requested help. Everything that subsequently followed was miraculous. Similar to the rivers and streams, life tends to give us manageable problems at first thereafter incrementally increasing the levels of challenge. One of our biggest impediments may be fear. Fear is every bit a human emotion and acknowledging it does not make us weak or inadequate. On the contrary it teaches us to be aware of it and to bring it under control. How can that be achieved? Personally, when confronted with fear these days, I ask myself “For how long are you happy and willing to carry this fear around?”. The answer to that steers me toward “trust”. One has to believe in and trust in something. Trust in the existence of something greater in the universe. That “existence” can mean different things for different people, but, when it exists; miracles follow. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho confirms this when he said “once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen”.
On a side note, the biggest disappointment of the day for the kids, remains, having not seen a tiger.
Self-Reflection
When you look back on your journey, do you recall the occurrence of similar events or experiences that cannot be rationally explained? Experiences that can only be understood and felt on a deep, personal level.
Were you able to extract what the universe may have been communicating to you around such experiences?
