Our next point of interest was the temple located in the foothills of the great Arunachala: Mountain of Wisdom, in Tiruvannamalai, India. Nestled in the heart of Tiruvannamalai the mountain is respected as the physical manifestation of Lord Shiva and is a sacred cornucopia for ardent spiritual seekers. The mountain is renowned for attracting people from all walks of life and the main activity there is the circumambulation around the revered hill. People choose to walk around the mountain for many personal reasons; as a means to facilitate the purification of the mind, enable spiritual transformation or the seeking of liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Some walk in silence, others chant mantras and there are those who just wish to connect or reconnect with the atmosphere heavily infused with divine energies. At the time of writing, I could not accurately recall how I had learnt of the place. I just knew I was drawn to the mountain and it made its way onto the itinerary. The absence of research, knowledge and deeper understanding of the holy beacon came back around much later to expose my folly.
The long scenic drive towards Arunachala, was breath taking. We passed many small humble villages, encountered many cows who claimed their right to use the roads, admired long stretches of greenery and enjoyed the vibrational energy surrounding the mountain range. It was an auspicious day, a full moon which meant the evening circumambulation around the mountain would attract more people than usual. We arrived in the busy city a little after 6pm, as the sun was setting. We were met by a guide who imparted some important information to help facilitate the walk without being disturbed by the many activities and bustle along the route. It was then I discovered, in disbelief that the walk around the mountain was 14 km (the absence of research); something that should have jumped out at me before I put it in the itinerary. That was no small oversight as I was not physically fit to even consider such a quest.
It was too late to back out; we got onto the route and committed to do our best. We began the walk attempting to maintain a comfortable speed. Darkness was veiled by the full moon. Walking in silence, through the powerful vibrational energies; we were soon lost to the mystery, magic and magnificence of the mountain of wisdom.
Midway through the 14km walk I began to take physical strain. I was amazed at the levels of physical fitness demonstrated by others, many of them locals. Around three quarters of the distance I wondered if the physical pain, exhaustion and mounting strain I experienced was any reflection of my karmic debts. I tried to muster as much physical strength, mental endurance and dogged determination to see it through. I assured and consoled myself saying this mission stemmed from mysterious forces and I could not have been set up to fail. I was sure to succeed with the divine grace that permeated the air. We slowed down the pace significantly; my body beginning to cave and I found myself looking for the end or seeking an exit strategy. Some 3km from the end my husband demonstrated signs of extreme exhaustion and dehydration. He appeared to be close to the point of passing out. I intensified my prayers expressing my incapability to manage any emergency type situation in a foreign country. With that we paused the walk, approached a nearby store, purchased water and cold drinks and rehydrated ourselves. It proved to be a pretty effective intervention. Within minutes we were both miraculously refreshed, energized and ready to resume the walk.
We reached the end point shortly thereafter, which was also the point of departure; the temple itself. There was a time during that circumambulation when I thought we would not make it without being driven back. We not only made it back on foot but we made it back in good shape. We stepped back, gazed up at the temple and admired the magnificence of the hill behind it. It felt euphoric. The test of physical and mental endurance faded as we embraced the joy and blessings we felt as we looked up at the hill and acknowledged the master therein. Invigorated, mesmerized and filled with gratitude we turned around and walked off into the warm, moonlit night.
If at this point you are wondering about my identity, I humbly request your patience. Some of you know who I am. I am revisiting events that originated ten years back in a chronological order. I am happy to share more about the self as I go further into the journey, when it will make more sense. Thank you in advance for your patience.
