Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Concluding part)

Day 7 -

On the last day of our yatra to North India, we checked out of the hotel Sunshine and settled our bill with him Rs. 3000 for 4 nights. We also settled our dues with our Vadhyar. This was an overall package including Kashi, Gaya rituals, car 7 boat hire etc. This cost us Rs. 40K. It turns out that our vadhyar is a priest cum Tour operator !!

At the end of the yatra at Kashi, we discarded one set of clothes (used for the ceremonies) as a danam. This included Veshti, Angavastram and nine yards saree. This is the custom and some people do this also at Gaya. This was discarded in our hotel room without knowing whether it will be used or disposed off.

A few months after returning from North India with our precious bottle of Ganga water collected at the Triveni in Prayagraj, we completed the last leg of the trip ie. Rameshwaram. For this, we took a flight to Madurai and went by road to Rameshwaram. There we offered the holy Triveni water to Lord Shiva at Rameshwaram. As we were having darshan of the Lingam, the priest came up to us and we gave him the bottle. He poured the holy water on the Lingam in our presence itself. We gave him a dakshina in gratitude. No other ritual is required to be done. One can offer other poojai. archana etc. as per one's desire.

We retuned to Mumbai via Madurai and did visit all the important temples there before catching our flight. After returning to our residence, we performed Ganga Pooja at our residence. This is a pooja to Holy Ganga doing archana with flowers. One can combine this with other pooja like Shiva pooja etc. This was followed by Samaradhanai meal to three Vadhyars and dakhina, vastram etc. 

This completes the entire description of the Rameshwaram-Kashi-Allahabad-Ayodhya-Gaya-Kashi-Rameshwaram yatra. Doing this yatra needs  determination, love for the rituals, time and grace of out Devas, Rishis & Pitrus. Not everyone has the fortune to be able to do this while still healthy and able. If this blog inspires you to also undertake this yatra, I will feel that my efforts at writing this have been rewarded.

Please write to me for any clarifications / questions.

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 5)

Day 6 - Gaya Shraddha

Gaya Shraddha (also known as Gaya Pind Daan) holds immense religious, spiritual, and cultural significance in Hinduism. Located in Bihar, India, the city of Gaya is considered the holiest destination (Moksha Puri) for performing ancestral rites (Shraddha). According to scriptures such as the Garuda Purana, Vayu Purana, and Mahabharata, performing Shraddha in Gaya frees the souls of ancestors from the cycle of rebirth and helps them attain ultimate liberation (Moksha). Gaya Shraddha also helps us fulfil / repay our debt to our ancestors (each of us are born with debt to Gods, Pitrus, Rishis etc. which are to be repaid in different ways) and to remove / reduce any Pitru dosha that may be affecting us.

While this can be performed by any of the sons / daughters, it is even performed by women for their departed husbands, parents, sons etc.using the help of vadhyars. Some people do Gaya shraddha multiple times (we heard of one person who does this annually) even though doing it once is sufficient.

Vishnupad temple, Gaya

Legend of Gayasura - The demon Gayasura performed intense penance, prompting Lord Vishnu to bless his body with pure sanctity. Anyone touching or offering rites over Gayasura's body would go straight to heaven. Lord Vishnu placed his foot on Gayasura to stabilize him, creating the sacred Vishnupad where part of the rituals are conducted as described below. The Vishnupad Temple at Gaya houses a 40 cm footprint of Lord Vishnu etched in basalt. Offering Pind Daan here is said to bring divine mercy and liberation for ancestors.

Our Day 6 started with morning bath and prayers in our room. We woke early as the day breaks early here (as in Kashi). By 5.30 am it was quite bright. At around 7.30, we moved along with a Vadhyar to the banks of the river Phalguni. There we had a washing of hands and feet from a tap water drawn from river Phalguni which flows under the river bed. Some people make shallow pits on the river banks to draw the water while others, like me, us the water that is pumped out. Legend has it that this river was cursed by Sita. The river flows with water only during monsoon - otherwise the water is below the river bed.

Rama, Sita & Lakshmana had come to Gaya to perform Pind Daan. When Rama & Lakshmana were away bathing in the river Phalguni, Raja Dasharatha's soul appeared in front of Sita and asked for the Pind daan. As rice was not available, she gave balls of sand as Pind. When the brothers returned, Sita told them about this. Rama had some doubt about this and Sita called five witnesses to corroborate her story - Phalguni river, a cow, local brahmin, Tulsi plant and a banyan tree (Akshay Vat). The first 4 witnesses denied the story (out of fear or greed) and only the Banyan tree confirmed it. The 4 who denied were cursed by Sita as follows - the river will only flow below the ground and not be visible, the cow would never be worshipped from the front side, the brahmins would always remain in poverty and remain greedy / unsatisfied, the Tulsi plant would never grow in Gaya. The Akshay Vat was blessed with immortality and Shraddha at Gaya would be incomplete without an offering under the tree and the ancestors will achieve Moksha when this is done.   

The dry river bed of Phalguni river

At the river bank, there was a Rama temple where we did our first set of Pinda danam. We did two rounds of Pinda danam. The first set was 17 in number and offerings were as described in the previous blog (part 1 of this yatra)

In the second set, we had to make 64 pindams. 17 goes to the usual list. 16 additional is offered to our mother who has undertaken so much of sacrifice (both pre & post natal) in our upbringing. The balance pindams are offered to specific individuals (relatives, friends, teachers, gurus, servants, pets etc.) who have obliged and served us / helped us in some form of or the other. It is essential to carry a list of such people (including names, gotras and relationship info.) and say their names etc. before offering the pindam.

The first set of 17 Pindams, which were earlier offered to our Pitrus, were collected in a container and fed to local cows to eat. Bulls do not eat this pindam but the cows eagerly ate it !!

Holy Vishnu Padam

The second set of 64 Pindams, which were earlier offered to mother and other deceased ancestors / Guru etc., were offered at the place where Vishnu Padam rests. It is believed that  Gayasura who gave his body for performing the rituals at Gaya is satisfied on receiving the Pindams.

We then returned to the Vadhyar's house and performed normal Shraddham etc. This included homam, tarpanam etc. This also included lunch for 3 brahmanas and danam like Veshti-Angavastram etc. In Gaya, it seems that even Bramhachaaris (bachelor Brahmins / students) are allowed to become bokhtas. We gave Rs. 100/- to each bhokta.

After this, we went by car to Akshay Vatam which is about 3-4 kms away. There we again did 64 pinda danam as described above. These pindams were then placed at the base of the Akshay Vatam tree. The significance of this is ritual is given above. Then we ritually gave up consumption of one leaf, one vegetable and one fruit of our choice. After this, we are not allowed to eat that particular leaf, vegetable or fruit for the rest of our lives.

After this we left Akshay Vatam. Here, the beggars are unusually aggressive in demanding alms. They physically pull you and try to grab whatever you have in your hand. One has to carry limited cash / coins to this place. All across in Gaya, we will come across people who ask for dakshina / alms. Everyone there expects you to give them something. Once you are seen to be giving, you will be in high demand as everyone will rush towards you like flies go towards honey.

Holy Akshay Vatam

We gave Rs. 300/- to Vadhyar (basically this was a compensation for use of room) and another Rs. 100/- to the vadhyar who came with us to Akshay Vatam. We also gave miscellaneous tips to various people totalling to about Rs. 250/- The overall vadhyar fees was about Rs. 4-5000 which was paid directly by Kashi Vadhyar and collected from us as part of the overall 'package'.

After this, we returned to the Vadhyar's house in Gaya and had Pitru sesham lunch.  We paid Rs. 200/- per person for lunch (3 vadhyars and 2 of us). We had to carry banana leaves from Kashi as it is not available in Gaya.

After this, we returned to Kashi by car and check into hotel Sunshine again. Later, in the evening, we did miscellaneous shopping. For dinner, we had tiffin from the local lady. This time she gave us thick soft dosas with sambhar & chutney. It was delicious as always. Then we had hot milk from a roadside vendor outside our hotel before retiring for the night.

To be concluded...

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 4)

Day 5 -

After having bath and finishing morning prayers at our hotel, we went to the banks of Shivala ghat where a boat had been arranged by the Vadhyar. This was a motorised boat and about 6-7 other couples were also present - mostly old couples. We were the youngest couple in the group.

Boat used to go across various ghats for pinda danam

We were to do the Panch Theertha Shraadham also known as Panchaghatta Shradhham on this day.The process entails visiting 5 holy spots in Ganga - Assi ghat, Dashashwamedha Ghat, Adi Keshav Ghat located where Varuna & Ganga rivers meet, Panchganga Ghat where 5 holy rivers viz Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana and Dhutpapa are believed to spiritually meet and Manikarnika Ghat where Shiva gives moksha to departing souls.

We went in the motorised boat inside the river Ganga and performed Pinda danam (17 pindams) at each of the ghats mentioned above. The cooking of the rice, the preparation of the pindams and the danam rituals were all conducted within the boat. A vadhyar accompanied us to help in the process. The ladies were busy preparing pindams and the menfolk with the rituals. This was done at each 5 different holy spots within the river. So, rice cooking and pindam preparation and danam were done 5 times within a span of about 3 hours. That was quite a task especially for the ladies who had to cook in a rocking boat on makeshift stoves.

We were supposed to have ritual bath at each holy spot but, as the water was deep, we were content in taking mugs of water and pouring it over ourselves in the boat itself. So, we were wet most of the time during the boat ride.

Bindu Madhavar

At one ghat called 'Assi Ganga' we disembarked and had a darshan of Lord Vishnu at the Bindu Madhavar temple. This entailed a climb of nearly 100 steps to reach the small but very vibrant temple. The main deity is a large Shaligram which gives out powerful vibrations. This is a must visit temple during any visit to Kashi.

After we finished all 5 pinda danams, we returned to the Shivala ghat and performed Ganga pooja there. This was a brief 10 minute affair wherein we offered flowers etc. to the holy river Ganga.

After this, we went to Vadhyar's house and performed Dam-pati pooja of Kashi Vishweshwar and Annapoorna. A local brahmin couple was invited and the deities were invoked into them and a full pooja was done including gifting them with Veshti- Angavastram and 9 Yards Saree.

Later, we had lunch at a local mami's house (Lalitha mami). This was excellent home made food served with love. The meal, served on a banana leaf, consisted of rice, sambhar, kootu, vegetables, curd pachadi, rasam, buttermilk etc. The atmosphere was almost like we were having a traditional meal at home.

After lunch, we left for Gaya by car. The route to Gaya is excellent - it is a tolled four lane highway. Just before reaching Gaya, we went to Bodh Gaya and had darshan at the famous Buddha temple there. It is an excellent must visit place. Keep sufficient time for this place - at least 3 hours.

After reaching Gaya, we went to a local Vadhyar's place who was referred to us by our Vadhyar in Kashi. He has a 2 storied building with about 10-12 rooms in each floor with common toilets. The rooms are compact and have hardly any furnishing. As it was very warm and the rooms had little ventilation, our bedsheets (which we had carried) came handy here as we slept on the floor. We didn't use the bed in view of the heat, although we got thick mattress and pillows from the vadhyar.

At night we had light tiffin & fruits that we had carried from Kashi. Power supply is a big problem in Gaya. Frequent cuts and fluctuating voltage. Please make sure you carry a torch if you are visiting Gaya.

To be continued...

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 3)

Day 3 -

Janaki Ghat Temple, Ayodhya

The distance from Prayagraj to Faizabad is about 160 kms. It took us nearly 5 hours to reach with a couple of breaks in between. The drive was peaceful with farm lands on both side and a few small villages / towns in between. We were told that there aren't many good lodgings at Ayodhya and hence, we stayed at the twin city of Faizabad which is about 12 kms away.. We stayed at Hotel Shane Awadh in Faizabad for the night of Day 2. It was a decent hotel but there were simply too many mosquitoes. I purchased 'Hit' from a general store and had a decent night sleep without any further disturbance from the mosquitoes.

Bade Hanuman Mandir, Ayodhya

In the evening, after Sandhya prayers, we went by cycle rickshaw to a place called chowk and had a nice Marwadi thali that night. Later I realised that this was probably a mistake as we had done tarpanam etc. in the morning and normally one is not allowed to have a full meal on that night.

We visited Ayodhya on morning of Day 3, had a dip in Sarayu river, visited various local temples including Ram Janmabhoomi. Ayodhya is a beautiful and holy city. We could see temples everywhere and lots of bhajans and other pious activities going on. Overall, it is clean and definitely a must visit piligrim spot for everyone. Unfortunately, we could only see the Ram Lalla makeshift temple from a distance as there was heavy security all around. We decided to come back another time after the temple would get constructed and spend 3-4 days here at Ayodhya.

Ram Temple, Ayodhya

We then returned to Kashi a drive of about 210 kms which we covered in about 5 hours. By the time we reached Kashi, it was evening. We went around some local temples in the evening. The first was the famous Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple temple. Then, we went to a Shakti Peeth called the Shree Durga Mata Mandir - a beautiful red temple which stands out as unique.,We then went to a nearby Chozhi Devi temple known here as the Kaudi Mata temple. She is considered as a sister of Shiva Bhagavan. Many South Indian pilgrims believe that Kashi yatra is incomplete without visiting this temple.  

Inside Bade Hanuman Mandir

Later, we checked in again into the hotel Sunshine and met our Vadhyar here who briefed us about next day rituals. That evening, we had tiffin from the local lady at Kashi which comprised Upma, chutney and buttermilk. It was excellent as usual and very filling. We had a good sleep that night as we were very tired after all the wanderings during the day. 

Banks of Sarayu River, Ayodhya

Day 4 -

Walk in the Kashi ghats

Day 4 started with morning bath and regular Sandhya prayers at the hotel room. After this, the vadhyar came and guided us in doing the snanam Sankalpam. We then went for a plunge bath in river Ganga at Shivala ghat which was less than 100 meters from our hotel. Post the bath, we went to Vadhyar's house which was very close to the ghat. Here we changed into fresh dry clothes and performed full fledged Shradhham including homam, tarpanam, pinda danam (17 pindams), lunch for 3 brahmanas, danam of Veshti-Angavastram and dakshina etc. to them.

Later, we partook in the Pitru Sesham which concluded around 3 pm. This was all arranged by the vadhyar and we didn't have any preparatory work to be done. All we did was be present and repeated the mantras & did the rituals as guided by our vadhyar.

Banks of Sarayu River, Ayodhya

In the evening, we took a stroll along the ghats. The weather was cool as it was late March. It was pleasant and after walking some distance, we took a boat to Dashaswamedh Ghat where the Ganga Aarti is held each evening. It is a elaborate ritual witnessed by a huge crowd both at the banks and along the banks on boats. The boat view is better. We stayed in the boat by which we went and returned via the same boat after the Aarti.

That night we virtually fasted as we had performed Shraddham in the morning. Also, the late lunch was very heavy and we didn't feel like eating that night.

To be continued....

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 2)

A few days after we returned to Mumbai from Rameshwaram, which was the first leg of this yatra, we proceeded to Kashi. We performed rituals / ceremonies at Prayagraj, Kashi and Gaya - Prayag is supposed to be Vishnu mukh (face), Kashi is Vishnu nabhi (navel) and Gaya is Vishnu Padam (feet) - if you plot the 3 locations on a map, you can see this)

Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya visit is described below.

Day 1 -

At one ghat in Kashi

We landed in Kashi and were escorted to our hotel by a car arranged by our vadhyar. The vadhyar has an arrangement with a hotel which is very near his house. It is a budget hotel meant exclusively for yatris and people who come to do rituals. The hotel name was Sunshine and is located at Shivala Ghat. The room tariff was Rs. 500/- for ordinary room, Rs. 750/- for deluxe room and Rs. 1500/- for deluxe AC room. We stayed in non-AC deluxe room. The rooms were simple, compact and decent. People who are used to luxury travel and fancy hotels may not like this place.

In the evening, we visited local temples in Kashi - Kashi Vishwanath, Annapoorna, Vishalakshi, Kala Bhairav. The temples are open through the day except for a brief Siesta time in the afternoon. A good time to go would be around 4 pm as the crowds will not be much. You are not allowed to carry cell phones, electronic items etc. inside Kashi Vishwanath temple. Luckily for us, we had good darshan in all the temples without much waiting.

In the evening we had our dinner in the form of snacks / tiffin which our vadhyar had arranged from a nearby Lady's house. It costed Rs. 70/- per person and comprised of idlis with sambar & chutney. It was delicious and quantity sufficient.

Day 2 -

Boat full of yatris at Triveni

The next morning after bath & prayers, we checked out of Hotel Sunshine and proceeded by car to Prayagraj. We went directly to a local Vadhyar's house - Shiva Mutt (contact provided by Kashi Vadhyar). This house has stay facilities also for people who want to stay overnight. The rooms are average and compact with no furnishing.

There, we first did sankalpam for Veni Danam. Veni danam is a sacred Hindu ritual where a married woman offers a small portion of her braided hair to the holy waters at the Triveni sangam area. This is done accompanied by the husband to pray for the health & longevity of the spouse and the prosperity of the family. The hair represents her vanity & offering it symbolises shedding of ego. 

After the sankalpam, we gave betel leaves, coconut, blouse piece etc. to one Sumangali (you can give to more Sumangalis if you come across them). Vadhyar dakshina Rs. 1000/- Then we went by car to river banks, and proceeded to Triveni Sangam by boat accompanied by a boy sent by the Vadhyar (paid Rs. 180 for boat plus tips). At Triveni Sangam, we were attended to by a local Panda (priest) who made us do another sankalpam and then we had to do Veni (Hair) danam. Dakshina to Panda was Rs. 40 plus another Rs. 30 for 'annadanam'.

All this was done on a stationary boat for which we had to pay Rs. 10/- per person for the use. I had to comb and braid my wife's hair and snip off a bit which was offered at the Sangam. The barber also cut my hair and gave me a shave. Barber was paid Rs. 30/-

After Veni Danam

We dissolved the Veni (Hair) and also the Bindu Madhav & Veni Madhav sand heaps, which we had collected at Rameshwaram, at the Triveni sangam. Later, we had a holy dip at the Sangam (where Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati meet). The water was only upto the waist and we got off from the boat midstream for this bath. Then, we collected holy Sangam water to be later offered to Shiva lingam at Rameshwaram. Tips to the boy who accompanied us Rs. 100/-

We then returned to the Vadhyar's house and did tarpanam and pinda danam for Pitrus (17 pindams). The Vadhyar who facilitated this was very good person who has retired from corporate life and is doing this work. One could give him dakshina as per ones desire. There was another vadhyar (his assistant) who helped us do the tarpanam and one could give additional dakshina (optional) to him too.

Our boatman

This was then followed by a change of clothes into dry clothes and then lunch. Lunch was about Rs. 75/- per head. It was a South Indian style lunch - delicious and cooked by a couple who operate out of the Vadhyar's residence on a commercial basis.

Then we visited a few local temples. First was Veni Madhawar (Vishnu & Lakshmi temple). It is regarded as the presiding deity of Prayagraj and a holy dip at Triveni is not complete without a visit to this temple. The other temple we visited was of Shri Bade Hanuman also known as Lete Hanuman (Sleeping Hanuman where 20 foot long reclining Hanuman holding Ram & Lakshman in His right hand). Legend has it that Hanuman ji rested here after the Lanka war. This idol, whose origin is unknown, was recovered from the river bed at Prayagraj several centuries ago when the waters had receded.

After this we were free to return to Kashi. However we went to Ayodhya as it was nearby. This was in 2014 and Ram Lalla at Ayodhya was still housed in a temporary makeshift shelter.

To be continued....

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 1)

This was posted on Facebook in 2014 and am reposting it here as it is easy to retreive, edit & share.

Rameshwaram Temple

My wife & I had visited Rameshwaram- Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya and completed the rituals related to our departed parents in 2014. Among Hindus, there is a belief that at least once, in our lifetime, we must perform the rituals for our departed parents and other ancestors at Kashi & Gaya. This will give immense satisfaction and relief to our pitrus (ancestors) to whom we owe so much...

This note is an attempt to capture the various procedures involved so as to be a guide for people who also plan to do this. Please note that I am not a scholar and my knowledge is limited to what I was told by my Vadhyar (Priest). For expert guidance, please consult your family Vadhyar. There are many people who have written about the rituals in far more detail and one can access this by googling for this info.

We started off with a visit to Rameshwaram.

As per the prevailing practice, based on guidance of Mahaperiyavaa Sage of Kanchi, one has to visit Rameshwaram-Kashi-Rameshwaram which is considered equivalent to circumblating our holy land of Bharat Varsha. We flew to Madurai and then took a road trip to reach Rameshwaram. Here we stayed at the Kashi Mutt which is very near the West Dwar. The rooms were average and compact. In my previous stay, I had stayed at Sringeri Mutt which is near the East Dwar and is much better. The only hitch is that vehicles are not allowed inside the perimeter and hence access to the Sringeri Mutt is by walk or battery operated Rickshaw which is not regular in service. The Kashi Mutt room (Non-AC) cost us Rs. 450/- for a day's stay.

That evening we had a darshan of the Lord Shiva at the Rameshwaram temple and had dinner at a Gujarati restaurant located within close proximity to the temple. The food was decent. The next morning after bath & prayers we went to Dhanushkoti by 4 wheel drive jeep hired locally (arranged by the main Vadhyar) accompanied by a vadhyar. Danushkoti is the southern tip of India and is a barren strip of land / beach. It used to be a thriving town once which got completely destroyed by a catastrophic tropical cyclone in 1964. Now, there are only dilapidated structures which gives an impression of a ghost town.

Danuskoti Beach

At the beach, where the Sun was shining bright and there was virtually no shade / shelter, I did Sankalpam and Tarpanam for my ancestors under the guidance of the vadhyar. This is done wearing the traditional Panchakajam dhoti (men) and Ombodugajam (nine yards) saree (Women). For people who are old or otherwise unable to make this trip, this ritual is done at Agni Theertham at Rameshwaram. The vadhyar who helped us complete the rituals did a good job of explaining the significance and meaning of the different rituals.

This was followed by preparing three heaps of sand in a Lingam format - one was called as Sethu Madhavar (SM), one was Bindu Madhwar (BM) and one was Veni Madhawar (VM). All three are representative of important deities (all Narayana) at Rameshwaram, Kashi and Allahabad. SM is one of the 22 theerthams inside Rameshwaram temple. BM is a temple at Kashi and VM is a temple at Allahabad. We worshipped all three lingams at Danushkoti with flowers etc. and then had a ritual bath at the sacred theertham (waters) of Danushkoti. The water was very clear, unlike any of the beaches near cities like Mumbai. The water was flowing / moving gently and it was cool. It was a welcome relief from the heat of the mid day Sun. Later, we took the VM and BM heaps in two plastic bags. SM was immersed (visarjanam) in the water at Danushkoti.

The world famous corridors of Rameshwaram Temple

We then returned to Rameshwaram. We entered the majestic temple at Rameshwaram which is world famous for its splendour and grandeur. This temple has one of the 12 Jyotir Lingas and also has the longest temple corridor in India. The corridors are lined with intricately carved pillars which are a shining example of Dravidian architecture. Here, we had a bath in all the 22 theerthams (holy wells which are believed to have been created by Lord Rama to get the water to purify Himself after killing Ravana) inside the temple. The bath was simple - we walked towards a well, following our guide. He would make us stand near the well and he would draw a bucket of water from the well and pour it on our heads. Then we would proceed to the next well. All across the temple, one can see people trooping from well to well and it looks like a massive movement of people criss crossing each other. 

We then proceeded to the Vadhyar's premises, located very near the temple, for the Shradham ceremony - complete with 5 vadhyars, homam, pinda danam etc. All these were done with wet clothes (wet from the bath inside the temple). The style of wearing the dhoti & saree continues to be panchagajam and ombodugajam respectively.

17 Pindams are made and offered to Pitrus. One each for parents, grand parents, great grand parents and one for unknown relatives (Karunya vargam). One each for maternal parents, grand parents and great grand parents. Four Pindams for friends / relatives / Guru etc. who have helped us and who haven't received Pindam from their descendants.

After this, we changed and went back to the temple for a quick darshan of the Lord in the Rameshwaram.

The Vadhyar had arranged for lunch for all the Vadhyars (Bhoktas) and also us at a nearby place - excellent stuff. Cooked and served on a plantain leaf by a one man army who was a Brahmin. We then left Rameshwaram in our car with our precious plastic bags of BM & VM.

We returned to Madurai and had darshan of Lord Narayana at Azhgar temple and Lord Murugan at Pazha Madur Cholai in the evening. We stayed at Hotel Supreme (decent) and in the evening also had darshan of Meenakshi and also Sundarar (Shiva) at the famous Meenakshi temple. The next morning we went to Thiruparankundram temple of Lord Muruga and returned by afternoon flight to Mumbai.

The entire cost of the proceedings at Rameshwaram including lunch, jeep etc. costed Rs. 5000/- paid to the Vadhyar who had arranged everything. This excludes the cost of reaching Rameshwaram from our home city and back. Those days, we were not so regular in taking photos and hence the limited pics in this blog.

To be continued...