Velliangiri - The Southern Kailash

Being a traveller for a long time and enjoy my travelling days, I thought why not put my experiences of travelling into black and white.  My travels are mainly to places of nature and religious.  Fortunately for the Tamils, Lord Muruga resides only on the hills.   My actual trip would be for the hill but colours many times as a religious tour by others.  It is perception and I don't want to differ.
This time also I had selected Velliangiri Hills in the Western Ghats bordering Kerala and Tamilnadu near Coimbatore.  For a long long time it was my wish to trek this beautiful pristine Ghats. Of course the ending of the trek is the sight of Lord Shiva at the peak.  So you can either colour it as religious or nature as you see it.
Before going into details let me brief what this place is about and where it is.
Legendary story goes a young maiden wished to reach the peak of Velliangiri before sunrise so that she will wed Lord Shiva.  Once Shiva got married probably he may not return is the apprehension of the Devars.  So due to sabotage  an artificial sunrise is created by fire and the maiden remained as virgin and stood still on a rock known as Kanya Kumari .  Lord Shiva unlike other places here settled like a man of dejection and frustration.
The place is 32 kilometres from Coimbatore and plenty of town busses are plying.  The shrine is open 24x7 from 1.2.2019 to 30.5.2019 this year and say usually for every year also.  It simply starts a few days before shivarathiri and a few days after chitra pournami in Tamil months.  In other words for a period of 3 months.  Rest of the period it is closed.
Coimbatore known as Manchester of Tamilnadu should bring you one thing immediately to your mind. It is the humidity and sultry summer.  Though this hill is part of western ghats the climate is not much different from Coimbatore.
The height of the hill is 1840 meters, thanks to google you can see the google map in terrain mode to know how the trekking route likely to be to this peak.

Preparations for the trek.
I was having a dual mind whether to climb it bare foot or with trekking shoes.  Human being's mind always goes with the majority by default unless you are a rebel to do so.  Though I have taken the shoes for trekking and chapel for reaching the foot hills I decided to go with the mass.  Yes I did bare foot.  A good torch light is the need of the hour as I have decided to do the night trekking to avoid the scorching sun in the middle of March. My sincere advice don't go for regular torch with battery as they will not last for a full night.  Go for a LED miner head torch which served full 14 hours for me. A bamboo stick for a sum of Rs.30(roughly half US $) is available in the temple at the foot hills.  Two litres of water to quench your thirst is must even for a person who hardly drinks water. By the way even that will serve you for only half a way while coming down.  Don't worry entrepreneurial abilities of the local traders make your life easier with lot of lemon soda, bottled carbonated drinks, sugar rich juices and the famous "Sukku Malli Coffee" (a black hot watery beverage made out of dried ginger plus coriander seeds and palm jaggery).

I started the trek at around 5.15 p.m. on 20th after a tiresome journey from Bangalore to Coimbatore by train which was delayed by an hour.  After lunch at my friend's house I proceeded by taxi to foot hill .  There was a mad rush for buying the bamboo stick by everyone.  The moment a bundle of stick is thrown, like monkeys scrambling for banana thrown to them,  everyone jumps to take one and everything is gone without any law and order.  I too was forced to become a monkey for a minute to get a small bamboo stick to withstand my 75 kgs weight.  Fortunately the rate is fixed by Government at Rs.30 per stick no bargaining or cheating. Thanks to the temple management coming under Tamil Nadu Government.

The forest department person at the entry check post meticulously checks your baggage for any plastic items. Being a reserved forest that too open only for 3 months in a year it is not surprising . A good move to keep it up.  They throw even the plastic covers of biscuits, chips cover and pack them neatly for you in a paper.  The label of the water bottle is also removed with instruction to bring back the plastic bottle and dispose them at the foot hill temple.  I was on cloud nine about the strict implementation of the no plastic rule by the government .......alas wait; my dreams were short lived.   All the petty shops enroute blatantly sells the same chips, biscuits water bottles with plastic untouched.  It reminded me only the proverb "The going of elephant is not seen but the ant"  Okay nothing could be done unless the individual person changes for the good from the bottom of the heart.
Being maintained only for about less than 4 months in a year, the so called stone steps have wear and tear for the rest of the year.  Some places the steps are missing dislocated, washed out or uneven.  The first 100 steps takes you to your right a shiva temple in a small cave.

Then comes the 2000 plus steps to reach Vellai Ganapathy temple and a shop where you get all types of beverages, water, mangoes,  cucumbers  etc., to satisfy you.

This temple is on the left side of your climbing and photos are allowed.   No one is permitted to enter the temple as like regular temples elsewhere there is always a priest.  The name Vellai Ganapathy is a puzzle to me.  Probably I guess because the ganapathy is soaked in holy ash due to which it looks white.

It has taken 90 minutes for me to reach this temple and after the prayer I proceeded further.  The further pathway is steps carved out of solid rocks of the hill itself.  Being a full moon day, which I had intentionally preferred to go, and with torch for my assistance not much of a problem.  The steps look soft and innocent and one wrong step probably you will be tumbling down like "Humpty had a great fall" So with full concentration I was proceeding.  May be a company would have made your visit a boon; not sure because that may take your energy by conversation and/or lack of concentration while climbing,  The photos are taken entirely during the night time hence the quality of the photos are to be excused.

After climbing for a long time, finally at the end of the third hill I came across a small trickling stream of water which is natural, herbal and cool.  Being the holiness attached to this water, a big rush of people is there to collect the water in bottle.  Incidentally it takes a minimum of 3 minutes to fill a bottle.  This stream of water is called as Pambatti Siddar Sunai.  The water is diverted in the aborigine way of through a bamboo split.  The cave of Siddar and the miniscule stream are given below.

People patiently collecting the water from the split bamboo raft which tickles down at a slow rate.

 The cave of the Siddar announced boldly by red letters in Tamil above and the statue inside it below.

It was 8.20 p.m. by the time I crossed this point.  Here after this the trek take a left circular climb from where you can see the coimbatore in the night, a treat to watch having completely soaked in your own sweat by that time.  

Hereafter the path is rough, no stones but looks more like a valley created by the forest stream.  With mounds of sand, stone and tree roots to assist you in places for climbing, you have to continue your journey. Further climbing takes you to another hilltop which is having stone like a big ball to welcome you.  It is called as Bheeman Kali Urundai means Bheema's -- one of the five brothers of pancha pandava -- Ragi Ball.  Ragi Ball is a food item prepared out of finger millet.  The vision in both sides is just valley and my mobile camera could not do justice for the view which is really splendid during the full moon night.  The path is now that of fine talcum powder like sand and the night made it ice cool for your foot to wade through.  Imagine if you have to walk during day time the exactly the opposite situation of blistering hot.  The dense forest cover which was your company till now had vanished now.  The typical Chola forest common to Western Ghats is the only one that is welcoming you.

The time now is almost 1020 and I have decided to take a break.  The sukku malli coffee is the blessing for the sore dried throat and tongue and I relished it as if it is my life.  The next hill is thiruneer malai means Holy Ash Hill.  The stones in the hill if you hit becomes powder like the holy ash.  Having attached religious sentiment it is not uncommon to see people hitting the hill side with sticks and collect those ash like sand or dust with the bit of stone as well to be kept as memento at home.  After a steep climb and literally sliding down the wooden logs nailed to the floor we reach the resting place for the people to continue their journey to 7th hill. The place is good to rest with plenty of petty shops to nurture your hunger and thirst.  The issue before me is now to climb the seventh hill I have to get down first to the half bottom level of sixth hill where a big perennial water stream is available and then again you have climb up the seventh hill from its bottom in a manmade one way.  It is something like you can see the lights at the top of the hill -may be powered with solar or battery power- at the same time it makes you feel whether the hill peak will come or not.   With the path is smooth it takes lesser time to reach the stream where people to forget their tiredness had a good bath recharge their water resources and after a prayer again at a ganapathy temple proceed further to seventh hill.  

The so called resting place after the sixth hill .  Mid point shelter.

The stream at the bottom of the seventh hill plenty of perennial fresh water and people bath in the overflowing stream out of the small pond made out there.  Believe irrespective of the temperature at that time of the night a bath is still a refreshing one for many to rejuvenate their energy level.

The above picture is the ganapathy temple after the stream but before taking up the journey uphill to seventh one.  

It was 1030 pm by the time I reached here.  After having a sukku coffee I continued my journey to the seventh hill.  Unfortunately there were two ways at a point one is for coming down a bit steep to climb and other one going up a circuitous one.  I took the wrong path but again joined the climbing bath correctly after a while.  I have exhausted my energy in climbing the too steep way.   There are plenty of scorpions running around and without a torch it is bit difficult.  Some places they have killed the scorpions but in my opinion if you delay a bit it will go off on their own.  

As the journey is culminating to an end it makes you to feel whether the peak will come or not every now and then ?  It is mainly because you can see the peak all the way up without anything to hide.  A typical Chola forest with only bushes and grass it makes the final moment of climbing a tougher one.  "If winter comes can spring be far behind" is the words that ringed into my ears throughout and finally I reached the peak .  The peak itself is two big stones and in between the cave like structure the shiva, which is a swayambu, along with four other smaller ones resides.  Before going to the temple you have a ganapathy temple here also.

Being at the cliff the going up route is bit circuitous and like one way to circumambulate the shiva peak itself.  It was 11.50 p.m. and after a tough trek with just faith in almighty I could be able to reach the peak. The situation is calm, serene and blissful for the soul.  

I was waiting patiently in the queue for the final darshan of Lord Shiva.  There is no mad but normal rush and everyone was at peace with themselves to have the darshan at their own convenient. All others also know that their turn will come. The sight of the shiva with such peace, chillness, tranquility and a permanent lamp takes you literally to heaven.  Now you have the final glimpse of the lord in picture than telling it by words

After this the priest blesses you with holy ash as three stripes in your forehead and since there is  no other work you have to proceed down to see the nandi stone and take your path of climbing down.  The view of the full moon in the gap between the two large boulders of rock is mesmerising..

The downhill trek was not that difficult except for climbing up the sixth hill.  Though there is no breeze the chillness of the height compensates sufficiently to keep you going.  Most of the petty shop owners lied down and only on demand without murmuring they make you hot sukku coffee or a cool lemon soda which is their livelihood for just 3 plus months.  Though I reached the first ganapathy temple by 4.30 am next day now I know the rest of the path is only simple steps and took a long break to give the system a rest. It is not that long but just an hour regurgitating the journey I had gone through.  Finally at 7.15 a.m. i reached the bottom hill temple and returned back to home.

Few things that disturbed me were

1. The unchecked plastic pollution in bulk through the petty shops.  A better alternative as an eco friendly measure is that they also can pack the things in paper instead of plastic and give to the customer. Of course if every individual takes a oath not to throw the plastic bottle but only at the bottom the hill will be still clean.  

2. A death of a person on this night and 6 people carrying his body downhill disturbed me a little.  It made me to resolve myself that his time is over.  It strengthened my faith in the almighty and made me to complete the journey come what may by keeping my morale high.

3. There is no place for nature's call, few biodegradable toilets as a seasonal measure will make the place more eco friendly.  The government can think on this line bit seriously.  It is not the revenue from the temple alone that should act as a catalyst to this decision and also from the nature preservation point of view.

4. No woman is allowed between 10 and 50 age, again a tradition. It is really surprising and blessing to see woman of 60 + comfortably completing the trek.

Eventually it is a memorable trek cum religious trip for my soul.  The city life makes us useless  to climb except for fob on railways and that makes the trek tough for urban folks.  There are people who start by early morning and return by evening in the scorching sun with barefoot . It is possible only by will power and faith.  IF YOU WISH TO DO YOU CAN AND AGE IS A NUMBER. I did at my age of 62.