TIRUVANNAMALAI VISIT AND GIRIVALAM 22 07 2013

TIRUVANNAMAI VISIT AND GIRIVALAM  22 07 2013

I had earlier planned to go to Tiruchirapalli on 23rd and 24th July and hence thought why not I go on Girivalam at Tiruvannamalai on 22nd being Pournami or full moon day.   Hence started from Bangalore on 21st night and reached Tiruvannamalai at 03.45 hours.   After  getting settled in a hotel near Thiruvannmalai temple, after taking bath and getting ready, I started at 05.00 hours itself to the main Rajagopuram of Tiruvannamalai temple.  After prayers to Arunachaleswarar from outside the temple and offering camphor in the agnikundam in front of the temple, I set for the first of the girivalam temple, the Indra linga which is nearby the main arunachaleswarar temple on the southern side.   Then walked 2 kms to Agni lingam and from there to the Yema lingam. This completed the  first 4 kms from arunachala temple and was a difficult stretch to walk barefoot.   The metal road from here is a newly laid one with an excellent side walk, tiled fully and stretches to about 7 kms,  wherein the following other lingams in the girivalam are seen - in order - Nrithi lingam, varuna lingam, vayu lingam, surya lingam, chandra lingam, kubera lingam and Esanya lingam.  Between Kubera lingam and esanya lingam temples, the Idukku pillaiyar temple is situated.   You can see on the girivalam path itself, the Ramanshramam, Seshadri swamigals adhistanam, Ramalinga swamigal jyothi nilayam, Raghavendra mutt etc.,   then again another 3 kms stretch on the roads of the town, to complete the valam and to reach the Rajagopuram of Arunachaleswarar temple, thus completing the walk of 14 kms.   An able bodied youth can cover the entire distance between 31/2 and 4 hours duly having darshan along the way all the lingams and the temples of Neerannamalai, Veeraanjaneyar, Murugan and Idukku pillaiyar. 

                   I was able to cover the first 4 kms in 1hr and 40 min duly having darshan at Indra, agni and yema lingams.  However small pebbles and stones injured the barefoot and thus my speed got reduced as I covered the next 6 kms in 3 hr and 20 min duly resting at intervals,  having darshan at Nrithi lingam, vayu lingam, varuna lingam, surya lingam and chandra lingam and also the temples of Nerannamalai,  Veera anjaneyar and Murugan and also having prasadams offered in the early morning poojas at two of the temples.
Thus I started at 5 AM in the morning and finished darshan at Chandra lingam temple at 10 AM and further I had to cover Kubera and Esanya lingams and the stretch of 3 kms further.   As I was finding it difficult to walk further with barefoot, I engaged an auto from here and had darshan at Kubera and Esanya lingam temples and also Idukku Pillaiyar temple.  I reached the main Rajagopuram at 10.40 hours and joined the queue with entrance fee of Rs.50/-  and had darshan of Arunachaleswarar and Unnamulai amman and came out of the temple at 12.55 hrs.
                  Again went to Ramanashramam, but the library opens at 2 pm only and thus returned back to the hotel and then proceeded to Tiruchirapalli by road.  There is a free darshan and also a darshan with Rs.20/- entrance fee in this temple.  The temple timings are: 
Morning
5:00 amTemple Opening Time 5:30 am Gomatha Pooja 6:00 am Oudshakala Pooja 8:30 am  Early Sathi Pooja   

Noon

11:00 amMidnoon Pooja 12:30 pmTemple Closing Time 3:30 pmTemple Opening Time 6:00 pm   Sayaratchai pooja   

Night

7:30 pm  2nd Kala Pooja 9:00 pm Arthajama Pooja 9:30 pm  Temple Closing Time   

The photographs have been taken from cellphone camera.

I went to Tiruvaiyaru on 24 7 2013 before returning to Bangalore.