Tiruvannamalai
Took a four hour bus ride from Mamalla to Tirvannamalia which is further south, it was raining all day and we spent most of our time on the bus and the interchange (a wrought iron awning, rusting and with many holes - held up with wooden poles direct from tree to bus stand) soaked. However on entering the town it was completely worth it, on approach to the town you got a spectacular view of a looming green mountain shrouded in a misty fog. Later in Nov pilgrims flog to this town to walk around the base of this mountain until a giant wick is lit at the top using an incredibly long rope and tones of ghee. The town is home to a Shivite temple, which covers 10 hectares, the Aranachaleswar Temple.
We decided to visit this temple for its evening opening at 5.30pm, the skies covered with rain clouds brought the night early and we approached the temple in darkness lit by street and vendor lights with sheets of rains flowing down and the wafting smell of Jasmine from the flower sellers that line the temples entrance. After depositing our shoes with the Chapel Stall (Chapel is shoe) we squished our way through mud and splashed our way through water to the main temple.
It opens with a large courtyard in which pilgrims can sit in the open and talk, we came in to find a group of religious men talking as 3 monkeys circled them and quickly darted away as we made our way through. Entering the main temple the first thing that hits you is the smell, oil lights are laid in every corner and are fueled with ghee and oil is rubbed into the walls and statues of the gods, so the smell is of warm, slightly rancid ghee, it is very pungent but not as bad as it reads. The light is low although fluorescent lights do line the ceiling the space is so vast and the walls so black from age and oil that light is subdued. The halls are sparse with left wall lined with what Greg tells me are replica's of Shiva's penis (was not really keen to confirm this with priests or pilgrims - language barrier and all). It does feel like you have gone back in time there is something ancient and a little scary about this temple.
After exploring the inner temple we sat on one of the outer courtyards, watching the rain, orange as it sheeted under the street lights, but still had a direct view into the centre of the temple many pilgrims were sitting there praying and waiting, we were not sure for what. Two musicians came to the court and starting playing one a hand beaten drum and the other an oboe the music was pulsing, strong, loud and beautiful. At 6.30 a large bell suspended above the court was rung the noise resounding through the whole temple, the musicians continued to play and everyone stood up to face the inner centre of the temple closing their eyes and mumbling feverish prayers, the large bell tolled as the musicians played and priest walked around ringing a small bell and as the rain came down and darkness closed in I felt this sense of peace and connection to what it was to be in India.
We decided to visit this temple for its evening opening at 5.30pm, the skies covered with rain clouds brought the night early and we approached the temple in darkness lit by street and vendor lights with sheets of rains flowing down and the wafting smell of Jasmine from the flower sellers that line the temples entrance. After depositing our shoes with the Chapel Stall (Chapel is shoe) we squished our way through mud and splashed our way through water to the main temple.
It opens with a large courtyard in which pilgrims can sit in the open and talk, we came in to find a group of religious men talking as 3 monkeys circled them and quickly darted away as we made our way through. Entering the main temple the first thing that hits you is the smell, oil lights are laid in every corner and are fueled with ghee and oil is rubbed into the walls and statues of the gods, so the smell is of warm, slightly rancid ghee, it is very pungent but not as bad as it reads. The light is low although fluorescent lights do line the ceiling the space is so vast and the walls so black from age and oil that light is subdued. The halls are sparse with left wall lined with what Greg tells me are replica's of Shiva's penis (was not really keen to confirm this with priests or pilgrims - language barrier and all). It does feel like you have gone back in time there is something ancient and a little scary about this temple.
After exploring the inner temple we sat on one of the outer courtyards, watching the rain, orange as it sheeted under the street lights, but still had a direct view into the centre of the temple many pilgrims were sitting there praying and waiting, we were not sure for what. Two musicians came to the court and starting playing one a hand beaten drum and the other an oboe the music was pulsing, strong, loud and beautiful. At 6.30 a large bell suspended above the court was rung the noise resounding through the whole temple, the musicians continued to play and everyone stood up to face the inner centre of the temple closing their eyes and mumbling feverish prayers, the large bell tolled as the musicians played and priest walked around ringing a small bell and as the rain came down and darkness closed in I felt this sense of peace and connection to what it was to be in India.
posted by My Little Life at 1:17 PM
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