MahAmaham-2016- My Pilgrimage to Temple Town – Part 1

Anya kshetre kritam paapam punya kshetre vinasyati
Punya kshetre kritam paapam Vaaraanasyaam vinasyati
Vaaranasyaam kritam paapam Kumbhaghone vinasyati
Kumbhaghone kritam paapam Kumbhaghone vinasyati”

It is a true statement. One has to experience of divine air of this city and that to especially during mahAmaham festival !!!!

It is not a customary statement and whoever made the above verse, is a saint who has experienced the spiritual background of Kumbhakonam. 

Krupananda variAr, the famous “upanyAsakA” mentioned, while talking about vaLLi kalyAnam, “valli, in order to marry Lord Muruga, started from Valli malai (a mountain nearby Tiruttani) to Tiruttani.   Lord Muruga came all the way from “KailAya” to Tiruttani.  The distance between tiruttani and kailayam is immeasurable. 

What it means, if a bhakta takes one step towards God, God takes a giant step to reach the bhakta”

The same experience happened to me. When I was thinking whether to go or not, because of crowd factor, pollution factor and train, Bus etc, I decided, at last, to go because of “Guru’s grace”.  After I completed the pilgrimage, I felt so happy and felt, had I missed this, that could have been a great loss in my “spriritual journey”.

My wife was adamant to go as she was born and brought up in kumbakonam (kumb) and in laws’ big house could be a bonus for me as shelter and food are taken care of.

Leave balance in my office which, otherwise  get lapsed if not taken before March 16, was an added advantage for me to visit Kumbakonam.

So, I took off from Chennai by Rockfort express to Trichy as all the trains to Kumbakonam was full.  I had to stay with my parents  on Friday and visited “ShEEtalAmbha” in Anbil, a small place near Lalgudi, Trichy.   Goddess is said to be the younger sister of Samayapuram mAriamman and so powerful.  It was a good start from me as I prayed to magamAyi,  (Goddess of protector from evil) before I left for Kumb.

Saturday, morning train to Kumbakonam from Trichy was fully crowded indicating the intensity of the festival.  After getting down at dArAsuram, with great difficulty I reached my home at Soliappan Street.

As my wife joined me only on Sunday morning, Saturday, I had a field day and had two “divine” happenings.

1

 I   I could take a holy bath in mahAmaga tank, poRRamrai kulam and Cauvery. 

“It was the first time, I came here for mahAmagam, so it was a great experience of seeing so many “wells” in the tank and taking the water from each of the tank and pouring on the head.  Sprinklers also assisted in pouring water on your head.  The crowd enjoying the moment….”

       I had a darshan of kAnchi seers and could witness PradOsha pUja of kAnchi Mahan.

Sunday, after my wife joined me, we again went for a dip. It was an ordeal for us as the crowd was heavy in our second-PK- and we were asked to wait in a hot temperature and in a tAr road.  It took 4 hours to complete the full circle of “bath” in all the three kuLams. (tanks)

That day evening, we again went to Sankara mutt with our cousins to get the blessings and there, again, we met both the seers.

As I mentioned in the first parA, it was the blessings of my parents, Guru that we could get the darshans without any problem, despite the crowd and with no transport (auto,taxi) within the city etc.,

….to be continued.