Sabarimala

All of this talk and thought about Meditation, and doing a quick write-up on the CDs i sent to Karen has made me recall many things about my time in India. The CDs come into play because one of them is mostly devotional songs for Lord Ayyappa – the patron saint of Sabarimala.

The historical/traditional story of Lord Ayyappa will come later (soon) as will the story of my pilgrimage there.  For now i will just say that it is a holy site and a pilgrimage destination for Hindus from all over the world.

On the Way to Sabarimala - August 24, 2007

 

It is in Northern Kerala in a mountainous/heavily forested region.  There are purification rituals that you undergo as far as 45 days before making your pilgrimage (no meat, booze, smokes, sex, impure thoughts, and so forth).  You have a special pooja ceremony with a specific priest in the morning before you leave for your trip.

Depending on which of the two paths up the mountain you choose, you may (as i did) bathe in the holy river Pamba before making your ascent.

Cracker in the Pamba - August 24, 2007

 

You climb this mountain barefoot.

There are many, many other pilgrims with you on the trip.  There would be anyway, but the site is only open to pilgrims a few specific times each year.

I am bringing this up because i do feel that it is time for me to begin writing and sharing more openly about my time in India and in the Mid East.  I think that the story of the pilgrimage to Sabarimala may be a good place to begin.

Cows in the road - Way Home - August 25, 2007

 

Also – there was a terrible accident there last night and over 100 people died in a stampede.

The cause and details are a little sketchy right now and probably the “true story” will never be known.

It seems that vehicles were probably involved (there are not supposed to be any vehicles in the area) as well as incredibly poor infrastructure and planning for a site that gets predictably huge crowds at specific times every year.

While the whole incident is tragic and i am sending out good thoughts for all involved, i also do not yet know if any of my people we there at the time.

I have sent some mails out to my partners, employees, and friends and have not yet had any replies.

One of the reports states that only 5 Keralites were killed, though there are 8 unidentified bodies.

I do not think my guys were there at this time, but this is a special time of year cosmologically to be at Sabarimala.

A few of my guys - Red Bananas, Pettah, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India - 11/21/07

 

Anyway, some carefully crafted invective about organized religion, greed, poor leadership, poor government, and poor planning are sure to follow, but for now i just want to send out good thoughts and reflect on the unknown and the transitory nature of existence.

If ever we needed another reminder to make each moment count and to live each day to the fullest and to follow our dreams – to do what we love – this is a good one.

Over 100 people died on a holy pilgrimage to an ancient and sacred site where they hoped to share their faith and get closer to the spirit of God.

 

 


2 thoughts on “Sabarimala”

  1. Awesome pics! Did you have a sadnaha-practice while you were there?
    Keep it up. You’re inspiring me to scan my India/Nepal photos and blog up the details.

    • A) my guys checked-in and everyone is OK. I am still sad for those most effected, but i am glad that none of my people were killed.
      2) i have never done any formal or organized sadnaha. That term has a lot of meanings, but i don’t think i have formally pursued any of them. I have sought peace and truth and meaning and to feel and contact that within which is the same as everything else – but i have not really sought to end the cycle of death and re-birth, or anything like that. I do frequently struggle with attachments, to material things, people, ideas, time – and that has been in the front of my brain since i first read about Buddhism when i was 11. The connection between attachment and suffering has been clear to me for many moons. What to do about it is still elusive…
      Thirdly) Whatever medium you chose (blogs are quite convenient and easy) i do hope you will share pics and stories!! I waited a long time before i started mine because i was afraid to give my words away for free (did anyone say attachment?) but a few things changed my mind. Free copyrighting advances helped a lot. Check out Creative Commons – there is a link to my copyright at the bottom of the sidebar on the right…

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