Saturday, November 20, 2010

"My first encounter with Karunachala" - (By Dr.Mithin)

I saw Arunachala for the first time on Nov 22, 2008. It was a few days ( ? month
) after having been touched by Sri Nannagaru that I finally was able to see the
Hill.

After a few hours drive from Chennai, my cousins and I could make out a form of
a hill in the distance. We immediately stopped our car and made salutations to
it. However when we rechecked it with our binoculars we found to our dismay that
it was not Arunachala. Later we came to know that we could see Arunachala from
that point and our salutations were not in vain.

I was praying in my heart to Arunachala.

"Please dont be covered in clouds. I am coming to see you. Please."


We continued for some time whence suddenly the great Hill could be seen with the
temple towers in the far distance.

It was covered with a rain clouds! :)

Only the portion of it from base to the middle could be seen. We made our
heartfelt salutations to it, though I was a little disappointed.



We continued into the town with the Hill growing larger every mile we crossed.
We got down into Nannagaru ashram from where the Hill looked magnificent and
mind numbingly infinite.

That night I slowly crept to the terrace of Nannagaru ashram to spend some time
with Arunachala. But seeing the overpowering infinite form of the Hill with a
magnificent cloud hugging its peak, my knees shivered in fright and my spine
gave way unknown power, prostrating before an unknown Power which was emanating
from the Hill.

I felt that I was seeing the Himalayas.

Infact I was soooo scared to see it that I asked my cousing to come up and be
with me. lol

After that everytime I think of Arunachala...the first time I saw it and more so
whence I saw it from the terrace of Nannagaru Asramam in the night, all
alone...I shiver.

I pleaded to the Hill to show me its form.

But the clouds did not relent.

Next day we woke up at 4.00 am for Girivallam.



It was Nov 23 2008

My fist day of Girivallam and it was Sathya Sai Baba's Birthday.

I was happy at that coincidence.

I rushed out to see whether the Hill was free of clouds.

It was not.

Dejected I started the Girivallam.

It was at a place near Adi Annamalai that I finally lost my control and
prostrating to the Hill I beeged it to reval to me its form.

And finally the Hill relented and the clouds moved away and I saw Arunachala for
the first time near Adi Annamalai.




And then I thought...

I have seen the most beautiful monsoons hit the parched soil of the western
coast bringing with it a joy unlimited to my heart when in Mangalore...

I have swam in the beaches of Iran dancing as a child with jellyfish surrounding
the shallows with their unmatched beauty...

I have driven in an auto on winter evenings in surreal Delhi the evening street
lights throwing out a yellow orange color of supreme beauty as the cold winds
lashed my face and I felt warm in my heart...

I have watched with awe as the great river Ganges slowly joined the sea carrying
in its bosom a billion sins on the banks of Kolkata...I have seen the city of
the Goddess saturated with her, everywhere Kali...everywhere the Mother Goddess
in Kolkata...

I have watched with fascination at the beauty of the deity in Tirupathi with my
heart beating wildly out of pure love for Him...everytime I saw Him...

I remember my first time when I saw the Taj Mahal, the first time I saw my
college mates on a rainy day, the first time when I trekked across the dense
jungles of South Karnataka discovering virgin waterfalls and lush greenery...

I have seen Frankfurt in the snow, I have gazed stunned and amazed at the
Universe and varied galaxies, stars from my telescope, went boating across the
lake district in Cambria, UK.

I have seen the London Bridge, I have seen a child laugh, I have seen friends
cry as they departed at the end of college...

I have seen beautiful butterflies...

.
.
.
.
.
but I have never seen anything like Arunachala.



It is beyond beauty, beyond speech, beyond thought to even describe its presence
in front of my eyes.

Tears well up, the mind melts, the heart is aware.

Friends, in all my life with an infinite experiences...I have had the greatest
of all...

I have seen GOD.

Its name is Arunachala. It exists in the form of a rocky Hill 200kms from
Chennai.

It is the SOURCE, the Alpha and the Omega.

It is the spiritual heart of the universe (Ramana Maharshi)

It is my Arunachala...my darling Arunachala.




Dr.Mithin Aachi is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession. He is a star-gazer, painter, and writer. He is an amalgamation of all kinds of arts and activities. He is a happy go lucky person, who just sees love in everything. From the very tender age, he had an quest to know the truth. He admires and worships Rama Krishna and believes Nannagaru is an avatar of Rama Krishna and worships him in this form. He is a simple person who is an embodiment of love.

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