nimmijay

Monday, May 01, 2006

Thiruvannamalai Deepam

Thiruvannamalai Deepam

Imagine thousands of white cotton dhotis wrapped to make the big wick. Tons of ghee transported along with wick to the top of 500 foot holy hillock. Wicks lit at exactly 6.p.m. on Karthigai Deepam day in response to a signal from temple. Thousands of Devotees shouting Shiva Shiva at the flame is lit. Villages travelling in bullock carts from miles to witness the event. A temple so vast that it has 10 outer prakarams to reach the Sanctum Sanctorum. Big Nandi in front of deity. Thousand pillared mandapam with underground cellar, in which Ramana Maharishi meditated for years before anyone even noticed him. Temple of fantastic symmetry as seen from Skanda Ashram half way up the hill. Many devotees circumbulating 13 kms around the hill, with prayers on their lips. Even a tea shop owner is learned enough to talk philosophy. Peacocks dancing in Ramanashram , as devotees are attending prayers and meditation in the hall. That is Thiruvannamalai.
I have seen the Deepam being lit when I was 10 years old. My uncle Jayaraman chinnayana did not let me climb the hill. Later when I visited Ramanashram twice, I always wanted to see the Deepam being lit. Once, in Bangalore, I lit the Deepam in our home exactly at the same time as I listned to AIR live broadcast. The next experience was when I booked bus ticket to Pondicherry via Thiruvannamalai. I was the only person awake apart from the dark bus when it reached Thiruvannamali at 1 A.M. There was eerie silence as bullock carts with people asleep on it going back to villages. People snoring in open verandah of Ramanashram. The whole town in darkness except the Deepam on top of the hill. An unforgettable sight to behold


K.Jayaraman( Jay)

2 Comments:

  • At 12:53 PM, Blogger dinesh said…

    Just wanted to say hello. I read in a post that you were Kalyanasundaram's room mate in REC calicut. I am his son. He's doing well.

    You write well.

     
  • At 7:08 AM, Blogger Jayaraman said…

    Where is he? I would like to meet him

     

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