A Pilgrimage

Tirunnamalai, Tamil Nadu - January 21

This night of the January full moon, 100-200,000 Indians have flocked to this small town to pay their respect to the Hindu God Shiva. Offerings are now being made at the temple and at the time of the moon rise, around 9:00 PM, the pilgrims will set out to circumnambulate the holy Mount Arunachaleswar. Men, women and children will walk barefoot for 14 km to show their devotion, and we will join them. There are urns of fire set about in front of the temple symbolizing Shiva's light, which is believed to eradicate darkness and evil. The pilgrims surround the fire, tossing in chunks of white camphor to make it blaze higher. They reach their hands towards the fire, through + over it, bringing the light and warmth to their face + throat. Again and again. Then they move their hands to a gesture of prayer. The mood is reverent.

The next day

Last night was amazing! We did a respectable job, not arriving back at our guest house until 3:00 AM. Even at that hour, the streets were still full of late-starters, vendors and the hundreds (or thousands) who would be sleeping outside wherever they could. It was the largest gathering of people (for religious or non purposes) I've ever been in that had such a mellow + respectful vibe. Solo men + women, families, and groups of sadhus all demonstrating serious devotion in solidarity with one another. The route was an ever-changing scene of shrines, chai tea stands, snack carts, candlelit tables full of religious offerings for sale, brightly lit stores stocked floor to ceiling with music cd's, billboard adds selling political candidates, blind bands playing in open-back vans for the hope of a few coins, palm-read + computerized fortune telling, women cooking food over open fires, people begging + sleeping lining the road, and on and on. It was India, in the way that only India can be. It was beautiful, sad, celebratory + heart-wrenching all in one. And the full moon shown bright above it all, ever illuminating the dark hulk of the sacred hill on our right.


As the hours passed, the crowds pace began to slow, but not by much. Darin and I were trying to hurriedly soak it all in while keeping up with their brisk pace, so we were thankful for the slowing. And, our feet were starting to hurt. We looked at the feet of the pilgrims all around, and we saw people limping, we saw club feet, we saw the frail feet of the elderly. And we looked at our own shoe-clad feet and felt like weasels. But hell, WE weren't doing this for Shiva, nor did we want to end up with hepatitis or some other infection, so we kept them on. People were indifferent to us and our shoes as they focused on their task. For them, there were still SCORES of shrines to be visited along the way and offerings to be made. Only a few broke their revere to exchange greetings. Now and again, people would stop for a free chai or food handout from some community group, but most just kept walking.

It was a fine, warm night with just enough cloud cover to make it all seem even MORE mystical, if that were possible. We'd long ago lost sight of the city lights behind the hill, but could now just see them appearing around the other side. Over half way! We stopped for a chai to energize us, and later a fresh coconut for hydration. We were flowing in an ever-changing river of people.
Parents now carried sleeping children, groups were singing together and the elderly were hobbling. The minimal talk had mostly died out. People were tired - it was nearing 1:30 AM.

An hour later we again stood before the Arunachaleswar temple. People now slept along it's entryway while those that were newly returned stood gazing up at the towering Eastern gate. Again, hands reached into the fire, over and over, bringing the warmth and cleansing to face and throat. They raised their hands in the air. They bowed. They prayed. And we wandered in fascination among them. Yes, this is India, in the way that only India can be. This is why you suffer the hardships of travel here, just like the poor. This is why you come. And it's worth it.

Check the "link" for the rest of our photos from Tamil Nadu