My Sabarimalai Pilgrimage :: The Vratham Period.

Hi folks,
One fine November morning,I sudenly got a mail from my friends Suku/Athi regarding a trip to Sabarimalai this year.I had gone to Malai in my final year of college with the same college group. It was an awesomely spiritual experience ...but thats a different story and I wouldn't talk abt that now.Still, when I got this mail, it occurred to me IF I hadn't slipped quite far from God (as we conventionally call the Unknown Higher Power) - except for the times when I was in trouble and prayed .Its been a loooong time since I've been to any temple for that matter.So, I decided it was high time I did something spiritual to recharge my soul.
So, I put on my maalai on 4th November 2005.I was joined in this endeavour by my college friends Sujin in bangalore and Suku,Athi,Mummy,Half & Senthil (Suku's friend) from Chennai.

For people who aren't aware about the intricacies of SabariMaalai and the general details of the pilgrimage to Sabarimalai - Please visit this website. The vrath that I had undertaken was a very uphill task....especially to a guy like me who's become accustomed to a decadent and excessive lifestyle.
But I decided to make the effort.One of the main driving forces for taking this decision was that the last time I had been to Sabarimalai, I had been plagued with very heavy wheezing due to the dust and the cold.So, I had to climb the Sabarimalai with wheezing.I would climb 5 steps and stop to get back my breath, and I still dont actually remember how or even believe that I actually managed to climb the whole mountain.I climbed the 18 steps (ponu pathinettam padi), and as soon as I had the darishanam of Aiyyappan, I passed out.The next thing I remember is that I was lying in the hospital in Sabarimalai with my blood being tainted with Asthalin spiked glucose.The other fact that i remember was that every now and then, a new doctor would come and stick in the needle in another vein on my hands -only he knew why.But I was proud that I had atleast steeled my body till I had the darishanam.
This had been a pretty bad experience for me and so, I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do it properly.

So, coming back to the present, having donned the Maalai(put on my neck by a Guruswamy at the local Aiyyappan temple), I set out to be the ultimate pilgrim.
I got up early in the morning around 5:30 - 6:00 AM , took bath in cold water (which in Bangalore is not usually wise) . donned the kaavi (sandalwood color) dhothi , went to the templ, prayed to God , came back and got doned my formal dress for the company - sans shoes , went to company, as soon as i got to my desk, i would take the print out which had the 108 Saranams and chant them, In the evening, when I got home, I'ld sleep on a mat instead of a mattress. I bought some MP3 CDs of Aiyyappan songs and listened to them all the time on my MP3 player.I stopped listening to ROCK or any other music for that matter.This was one of the bigger sacrifices to a rock fanatic like me.I didn't shave/ cut my hair and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.But I wasn't able to totally curb my active tongue.But I was good enough.

The reasons for all these chittai's (rules) as I understand them are very practical.
* U have to take bath in cold water in the morning 'coz during the pilgrimage, the only baths that u will be able to take will be in rivers and no one has till now devised a way to heat up rivers.So, ur body should be hardened to the water.
* U have to walk on bare feet as the path to Sabarimalai through 5 hills will be done on bare feet and the 50 days of walking like this before that will harden ur feet for the ordeal ahead.
* The non usage of luxuries is for the same reason - Ur going for a pilgrimage not for a 5 star trek.

I don't claim that I followed ALL these rules ALL the time, But I tried my utmost to keep my body and most importantly my mind clean all the time.Which is pretty tough especially considering how the gals in my company dress up (or is it dress down??) on fridays.I am proud to say that there were very few instances when I let down my guard and was for the most part a pretty good (if not perfect) Saamy.

This is the way I looked during those days.....


So enough about my Preparations about my trip...I'll shift to the Trip log now.
-Cne

Half of Infy Bangalore is trying to solve an awesome puzzle created by guyz in IIM Indore.

I got this link to an amazing puzzle from my friend in TCS - GK Vidya....She's my old partner for all cultural competitions while in college.Myself,GK and another wierd jandhu called Winsley used to go for all competitons as a team and we have had our share of successes....
Well, thats besides the point.The link is : http://www.iimi-iris.com/iris/irising/klueLESS
Ths puzzle is really good and will tax ur knowledge , wit and even ur software knowledge to the edges of genius.
I posted this link on our Bullettin Board in my company.And got soo many replies and requests for hints that I couldn't do any sort of work that day.The same was happening on the BB.But then this guy posted all the answers for the puzzles on the BB......I saw this and mailed that guy -
This is the sequence......For Best effect : Read from the bottom!!

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Hi Vinod,

Let me summarise what u just said!! If getting the answer to a puzzle is the only reason someone spends great time and effort on solving the puzzle, then its similar to saying the only reason to live is to die(since thats the last thing u get-its the answer!!).......and spend all ur time and effort trying ur best to DIE!!

No Sir, people work on puzzles to sharpen their thinking skills.....sharpen their logic and increasing their knowledge and last if not the least, the thrill and self satisfaction u get when u solve a puzzle by urself.

So, when I look at it from this perspective, I dont think sitting in office till 12 at night trying to move to the next levels (which i did) is not wrong!! - It was NOT wasted!!

If u dont agree with me on this....its ok!! But i request you not to spoil the fun for others by posting the answers on the BB.

And I would also request you to remove the answers from ur blog.

[If i may be forgiven for giving an anology here........Posting the answers on the BB because u think solving puzzles is a waste of time....is like someone pissing in a pool just because he/she thinks swimming is a waste of time].

Disclaimer : This mail is not meant to hurt ur feelings.....its just to help u understand that other's feelings need not be the same as urs!!

Regards,

Srini

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Hi Srinivasan,

Frankly speaking I dont have time to look and solve into these kinds of puzzles. Just for curiosity I happenned to see the link in the BB with so many people wasting their time and mind to solve this puzzle. I just got the answers in the same website which had the puzzle. I posted the answers also on BB but got many mails to remove it........hence today morning I put those answers in my blog. How much time you wasted to reach level 20 (May be 7 hrs till now !!) ? Dont you think you could have utilsed this time to learn any thing new/useful regarding your project ?

I just wasted 5 min to find the answers !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Third Foto

The Third Photo is the lowest altitude photo without compromising on clarity and shows my house clearly - its a room in the terrace of a house.The size of the house is ridiculously small considering the rent i pay for it- but I'm not complaining.I have a nice playground right in front of my house and trees all around.Most importantly, I have a wide terrace which is 2.5 times the size of my house.I'm happy!!

U wana see my house in Bangalore?

U may remember the issue which was HOT around a month back.It was even the first page news in Times Of India in Bangalore which in itself is not too much of a compliment.But anyway, it was about how terrorists and other sane people with normally ulterior motives can use Google Earth to see the happenings inside the the biggest and most secretive establishments in India...like the BARC in Mumbai,the mumbai shipyard and the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Station.
Whether the grainy pictures that are many many months old will help any terrorist is a moot point.Hey, the only way he/she can use these pictures is to land/crash a plane on the building.Well, most of the planes in India seem to have enough trouble getting off the ground - on time or otherwise and so, to hijack one and crash it in any of these premier installations is in itself a stupendous task.But even if someone does indeed do it......what difference is it goanna make to our country's mothballed bureaucracy? They'll just get a new excuse not to work.

Well, I've gone a lot offtrack.The main point i was attempting to make is that we normal people canmake good use of the Google Earth (which is conveniently free) to show routes inside the city.
I've made use of it to show the way to my house in the fashionable suburb of Koramangala in Bangalore.The roads may look cool from space...but do not be deceived by the looks, they are treacherously bad!
The first photo is a very high altitude picture which can set the context for the route.I've taken the Hosur Road and FORUM as the main landmarks to my house.

The Second Photo is a lower altitude one which will show the important landmarks in the immediate vicinity of my house.

-Cne -The Coolest Dude