Just like Tiruvannamalai and Sathuragiri, Parvathamalai in Tamilnadu is another beautiful, spiritual refuge where one can get a few quiet moments to oneself to contemplate all about life. Only that is, if one doesn't get distracted by the plastic bottles, trash and various other litter that generously dots the hill.
Situated about 30 km from Tiruvannamalai, Parvathamalai is roughly 3500 - 4200 feet in height and is a magnificent mountain that raises her head tall in the entire region. The view from the top is mind-blowing - on one side, she looks at Arunachala and on another, the entire Javvadu hill range stretches out as green as grass on all sides. What a sight to behold for the brave aspirant who can climb up conquering his/her fear. That's right - the climb up Parvathamalai is an arduous task.
First, there are about 1100 man-made steps, then there are rough cut rocks made into steps supported by installed iron rods. These support structures were sponsored and installed by a group of devotees who formed a trust (called the "Triplicane Sri Paruvathamalai Adiyargal Thiruppani Sangam") themselves to raise funds and carry out the work. No amount of gratitude will be enough to thank them. The rock steps then slowly give way to bigger, more rough paths which finally lead to what you can easily call the most dangerous thing you might do in your life - you need to climb up an almost vertical boulder with just sparsely placed iron rods to pull yourself up. At one point, you will reach a particular ledge where you need to literally cling to the rock face while looking below into a deep spasm or look ahead into the beautiful lands and hills stretching out in front of you. If you don't shake with fear, you are definitely bound to shake with hysteria-induced laughter if you are a first-timer.
Once you reach the hilltop, the wind welcomes you in all his glory - ha, so much wind, so much wind that you might even be tempted to let yourself get carried away. Until I felt the winds of Parvathamalai, I never realized that I have been missing the wind dearly. He has been such an integral part of my life, having grown up next to a seashore - and I miss him so severely in the polluted urban space I live in right now. Once your heart settles - from all that fear, beauty, awe and the sheer magnificence and amazement that you have made it to the top, the little temple where Shiva and Bramharambigai reside await you.
Unlike other temples where there are priests performing poojas for you, the Parvathamalai temple is special - anyone can express their devotion and do alankarams, abhishekams or any poojais to the deities themselves. You are welcome to sit and meditate as well. It is a belief that there are many siddhars and great sages have lived on this hill, and many in fact still visit it in their sookshma sharira.
I don't know about the siddhars but my very gross human mind is disturbed at the sights I saw on my way up and down Parvathamalai last week. If you have read my post about Sathuragiri, you will know why. Earlier, the case with Tiruvannamalai inner path was also the same. Fortunately, there's a ban on inner girivalam now - Arunachala is spared of human apathy. All of us are so consumed with our own lives, our own little worries and our own built-up little fantasies that one empty plastic bottle becomes such a burden that it needs to be thrown away - irrespective of whether you are in the midst of a city market or the most sacred of places you believe in. And, please, let's not even get into why use disposable plastic bottle in the first place - that argument is for another day.
Having done the climb, and carried my own (plastic) bottle, I can tell that it will weigh very heavily on you the moment the last drop of water leaves it. Let's be real. For a person for whom the next step itself is an effort (as is such climbs or girivalam, whether it is Sathuragiri, Tiruvannamalai or why even Kailash), carrying one extra load is just not logical. For the average person with awareness, the eyes search for a trash bin - perhaps for the next 100 steps. Don't find one? Utter a small prayer (maybe) and throw that bottle down wherever. No, I did not do that, am talking about how the mentality of the others who have done the act might have worked. And then there are the monkeys who are ever ready to snatch the bottles from you, carry them deep into the mountains - as the poor things are looking for water all the time. Net result? Trash all over - plastic water bottles, "Tata Glucose cans", plastic water satchets, candy wrappers, biscuit wrappers...and in some odd cases, even some left behind underwear!!
So, what can one do? What would you do? Remember you are already spent - obviously (maybe) you can attempt to churn the ocean and try to clean up on your way down. I did do it when I went on the inner girivalam and felt such a sense of love from Arunachala. So, if you are called to do it, please please do it. But not the average person - they wouldn't spare a glance at the bottles when they are coming down either (when it might be easier to carry an extra load). And don't tell me - let's ban the sale of water bottles. There are utterly poor village families who are relying on selling water, biscuits and other things at the foothills. There is no water or source of water on top of the hill - they depend entirely on rainwater which is extremely sparse in summer. Can't ban the sale of water bottles (till we find another sustainable, workable solution to package water in). How about banning people from going at all to the hills, unless they carry their own reusable water bottles OR swear in blood that they will bring back their trash (and others')? Fantastic - that would be the ideal solution.
But its not an ideal world. Not yet.
In the meantime, we can't sit and crib behind our computers either. For you see, armchair activism can be very compelling. Or human memory can be very weak - you feel so aghast at something one moment but a few moments later when your life calls you, you will forget the very thing that moved you in the first place. But if one gets an inspiration or a calling that seems to be from above, one can't ignore. Nope.
Here's giving birth to "Swacha Malai". A small effort at cleaning the hills, especially those that are battered by human ignorance and apathy. Let the trashers continue trashing till they learn better but let not the cleaners stop working.
If you have been in a similar situation, and didn't know how to contribute, perhaps you want to join hands with me and sponsor and give employment to a local person to undertake a regular clean up. If so, get in touch with me please - 98860 followed by 68649 is the number.
Situated about 30 km from Tiruvannamalai, Parvathamalai is roughly 3500 - 4200 feet in height and is a magnificent mountain that raises her head tall in the entire region. The view from the top is mind-blowing - on one side, she looks at Arunachala and on another, the entire Javvadu hill range stretches out as green as grass on all sides. What a sight to behold for the brave aspirant who can climb up conquering his/her fear. That's right - the climb up Parvathamalai is an arduous task.
First, there are about 1100 man-made steps, then there are rough cut rocks made into steps supported by installed iron rods. These support structures were sponsored and installed by a group of devotees who formed a trust (called the "Triplicane Sri Paruvathamalai Adiyargal Thiruppani Sangam") themselves to raise funds and carry out the work. No amount of gratitude will be enough to thank them. The rock steps then slowly give way to bigger, more rough paths which finally lead to what you can easily call the most dangerous thing you might do in your life - you need to climb up an almost vertical boulder with just sparsely placed iron rods to pull yourself up. At one point, you will reach a particular ledge where you need to literally cling to the rock face while looking below into a deep spasm or look ahead into the beautiful lands and hills stretching out in front of you. If you don't shake with fear, you are definitely bound to shake with hysteria-induced laughter if you are a first-timer.
Once you reach the hilltop, the wind welcomes you in all his glory - ha, so much wind, so much wind that you might even be tempted to let yourself get carried away. Until I felt the winds of Parvathamalai, I never realized that I have been missing the wind dearly. He has been such an integral part of my life, having grown up next to a seashore - and I miss him so severely in the polluted urban space I live in right now. Once your heart settles - from all that fear, beauty, awe and the sheer magnificence and amazement that you have made it to the top, the little temple where Shiva and Bramharambigai reside await you.
Unlike other temples where there are priests performing poojas for you, the Parvathamalai temple is special - anyone can express their devotion and do alankarams, abhishekams or any poojais to the deities themselves. You are welcome to sit and meditate as well. It is a belief that there are many siddhars and great sages have lived on this hill, and many in fact still visit it in their sookshma sharira.
I don't know about the siddhars but my very gross human mind is disturbed at the sights I saw on my way up and down Parvathamalai last week. If you have read my post about Sathuragiri, you will know why. Earlier, the case with Tiruvannamalai inner path was also the same. Fortunately, there's a ban on inner girivalam now - Arunachala is spared of human apathy. All of us are so consumed with our own lives, our own little worries and our own built-up little fantasies that one empty plastic bottle becomes such a burden that it needs to be thrown away - irrespective of whether you are in the midst of a city market or the most sacred of places you believe in. And, please, let's not even get into why use disposable plastic bottle in the first place - that argument is for another day.
Having done the climb, and carried my own (plastic) bottle, I can tell that it will weigh very heavily on you the moment the last drop of water leaves it. Let's be real. For a person for whom the next step itself is an effort (as is such climbs or girivalam, whether it is Sathuragiri, Tiruvannamalai or why even Kailash), carrying one extra load is just not logical. For the average person with awareness, the eyes search for a trash bin - perhaps for the next 100 steps. Don't find one? Utter a small prayer (maybe) and throw that bottle down wherever. No, I did not do that, am talking about how the mentality of the others who have done the act might have worked. And then there are the monkeys who are ever ready to snatch the bottles from you, carry them deep into the mountains - as the poor things are looking for water all the time. Net result? Trash all over - plastic water bottles, "Tata Glucose cans", plastic water satchets, candy wrappers, biscuit wrappers...and in some odd cases, even some left behind underwear!!
So, what can one do? What would you do? Remember you are already spent - obviously (maybe) you can attempt to churn the ocean and try to clean up on your way down. I did do it when I went on the inner girivalam and felt such a sense of love from Arunachala. So, if you are called to do it, please please do it. But not the average person - they wouldn't spare a glance at the bottles when they are coming down either (when it might be easier to carry an extra load). And don't tell me - let's ban the sale of water bottles. There are utterly poor village families who are relying on selling water, biscuits and other things at the foothills. There is no water or source of water on top of the hill - they depend entirely on rainwater which is extremely sparse in summer. Can't ban the sale of water bottles (till we find another sustainable, workable solution to package water in). How about banning people from going at all to the hills, unless they carry their own reusable water bottles OR swear in blood that they will bring back their trash (and others')? Fantastic - that would be the ideal solution.
But its not an ideal world. Not yet.
In the meantime, we can't sit and crib behind our computers either. For you see, armchair activism can be very compelling. Or human memory can be very weak - you feel so aghast at something one moment but a few moments later when your life calls you, you will forget the very thing that moved you in the first place. But if one gets an inspiration or a calling that seems to be from above, one can't ignore. Nope.
Here's giving birth to "Swacha Malai". A small effort at cleaning the hills, especially those that are battered by human ignorance and apathy. Let the trashers continue trashing till they learn better but let not the cleaners stop working.
If you have been in a similar situation, and didn't know how to contribute, perhaps you want to join hands with me and sponsor and give employment to a local person to undertake a regular clean up. If so, get in touch with me please - 98860 followed by 68649 is the number.
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