Paadha yaathirai - Episode 1
Thai/Makara month (Jan-Feb) is not only famous for pongal festival but also for another important event, especially for people of southern Tamizh Naadu(TN). This thai month also marks the start of important pilgrimage of people of South-Central region of TN - the people of Madurai, Chettinad, Pudukkottai, and some parts of Tiruchi area. It flags off the pazhani paadhayaatra. Thousands of People from this region walk all the way from their place to the abode of dhandaayudhapaaNi to have a glimpse of him. The distance from these places to pazhani is around 75 miles to 100 miles. The padhayaatra period usually starts immediately after pongal and its culminates during the poosam star day of Thai month. Pazhaniyaandi on the rock rocks during thai poosam so it is natural that people wouldn't mind to visit Him on foot.
As in any piligrimage of India people of all ages, both sex, all castes and all classes take this yatra. The usual stricture is, just like widely known sabarimalai visit here too the devotes should follow austerity principles like wearing mala in the name of murugan for about a month, should wear only tradition dress (in saffron/green color), should visit places only by walk in barefoot. Yes, the main rule in paadayaatra is barefoot walking to pazhani.
Pazhani is nearly 75 miles from madurai. A simple 2.5 hours bus travel distance. Any vehicular traveller would know only madurai->kodairoad->sembatti->moolachatram->oddanchatram->pazhani (or) Similarly from the trichy area the distance is about 90 miles and the route is trichy/chettinad/pudukkottai->manaparai->dindugul->moolachatram->oddanchatram->pazhani (90 miles) as the route. But the padhayaatra reveals more than this simple mapping. Usually it takes 3 to 4 days yaatrai.
The experience one gets during this 3 to 4 days yaatrai will have a lingering memory on one. Variety of people, their good nature would always make even urban/semi-urban bred persons to forget the sheer physical toil and yearn for the yaatrai once again. That is the effect of culture on people. Such is the grace of westwards facing balasubramanian who stands atop the hillock simply wearing a loin cloth.
...to be continued
As in any piligrimage of India people of all ages, both sex, all castes and all classes take this yatra. The usual stricture is, just like widely known sabarimalai visit here too the devotes should follow austerity principles like wearing mala in the name of murugan for about a month, should wear only tradition dress (in saffron/green color), should visit places only by walk in barefoot. Yes, the main rule in paadayaatra is barefoot walking to pazhani.
Pazhani is nearly 75 miles from madurai. A simple 2.5 hours bus travel distance. Any vehicular traveller would know only madurai->kodairoad->sembatti->moolachatram->oddanchatram->pazhani (or) Similarly from the trichy area the distance is about 90 miles and the route is trichy/chettinad/pudukkottai->manaparai->dindugul->moolachatram->oddanchatram->pazhani (90 miles) as the route. But the padhayaatra reveals more than this simple mapping. Usually it takes 3 to 4 days yaatrai.
The experience one gets during this 3 to 4 days yaatrai will have a lingering memory on one. Variety of people, their good nature would always make even urban/semi-urban bred persons to forget the sheer physical toil and yearn for the yaatrai once again. That is the effect of culture on people. Such is the grace of westwards facing balasubramanian who stands atop the hillock simply wearing a loin cloth.
...to be continued
posted by Kupps at 11:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home