Parasuram Yatra - Day 3

Hanuman Idol

Many readers have expressed interest in knowing where is Parasuram Kund (PK) and how to get there. PK is in Arunachal Pradesh and one can reach there either by taking a flight to Dibrugarh (Assam) or Tezu (Arunachal Pradesh). Tezu is closer at only 40 kms. One can go to Dibrugarh by road also but that would be taking a very long time. Dibrugarh is also reachable by train from any major station in East or even Delhi. We saw a train going all the way from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari (probably the longest train journey).

There are not many staying facilities available in PK and, whatever is there is also very basic. So, unless you are adventurous, you may skip any plans to stay here. I understand that there are lots of natural & adventure places in and around Tezu and hence, that could be probably a better place to stay.

Our Day 3 followed a similar routine as Day 2. We woke up to the sounds of Veda chanting from an adjoining room whose occupants had woken early, completed their ablutions, cleared the mattresses and started chanting the Vedas in unison. That was a wonderful way to start the day – for them and us too.

Go Puja 

After breakfast of Poha (puffed rice) we proceeded to the beautiful Hanuman temple where we had sankalpam, pujas, havan & Veda chanting. While this was happening the stream of visitors to PK started slowly increasing and we could see higher footfall in the temple. These devotees who had come from far away lands, some for the very first time, were given small gifts like rudraksha mala, bangles (for ladies), pictures of Lord Parasurama & Adi Sankaracharya, Kanchi Seers and some pamphlets describing the glory of PK. All of these were thoughtfully arranged by the organisers and some yatris.

After this, we visited Parasuram Goshala adjacent to the ashram where Parashuram Baba was staying. They have nearly 100+ cows here and many calves. The group, represented by the organisers, performed a Go Puja here. After this, all the cows were fed with bananas by the yatris.

Abhishekam - Adi Shankaracharya

Most of the items & provisions essential for the yatra & puja were carried by us from our respective places as instructed by the organisers. This was because many items are not locally available at PK. Things like flowers, Tulsi, havan items, banana leaves, biodegradable leaf cups for distribution of prasad etc. were allocated to different yatris to carry while some items were dispatched in parcel mode before the yatra began. The flowers were strung into lovely garlands by some of the women yatris. The morning puja concluded with an abhisekham of the freshly painted idol of Adi Shankaracharya with several dravyams including milk, curds, sandalwood water etc. accompanied by a chanting of Vedic mantras.

Catering Team

After the morning programme, a few people who had missed taking a dip at the Kund went for it along with a few who wanted to have a second round. Then we returned to the lodging for lunch which, as usual, was served to the Vaideekas first and then to the rest of the yatris. The food was excellent as always prepared with a lot of attention by the catering team of four cooks who were from Mumbai and Chennai.

In the evening, we had a similar set of activities as in the previous day including chanting of Vedas, Stotrams, Hanuman Chalisa etc. at the Hanuman temple after which we retuned to the lodging for a light dinner and retired for the night.

Thus, ended day 3 of our yatra.

Parasuram Yatra - Day 2 (Significance of Parasuram Kund)

Huge idol of Lord Parasuram

Day 2 of the yatra began early with the two local support staff heating water in a large vessel using firewood. There was a scramble to have bath as only 3 common bathrooms were functional and of these 2 didn’t have latch to the door. One had to keep a brick to prevent the door from opening and hope that no one will push the door hard from outside! There was one bucket and one mug in each bathroom with hardly any provision to keep dry clothes – just a couple of nails on the door. The water in the taps was flowing irregularly, and one had to fill in half a bucket of cold water and give it to the person heating the water outside. He would pour the cold water into the vessel and give half a bucket of hot water in exchange. This had to be carried back to the bathroom and mixed with normal water to have a bath. Luckily, the water in the tap was not too cold and, if one is accustomed to having bath in cold water, it was tolerable. Hot coffee / tea was available from 6 am onwards.

Narayan posing outside temple

We had all finished our morning ablutions including morning prayers by 7.30 am and were ready for the hot breakfast cooked by the catering staff and served in turns by the yatris. The place to eat was in the centre of the building which was exposed to the elements, and it was quite cold & windy at that time. Breakfast was itself very tasty which was wheat Upma with chutney. The other team from Wakro had also arrived on time using a car kept for their transportation and had their breakfast. By 8.30 am we were all ready to proceed to a nearby Hanuman temple where all poojas, havan, chanting etc. was scheduled. The temple was located some 800 meters from our lodging and slightly uphill.

It was decided by the organisers to go together in a procession to the temple. The Vidyarthees & Vaideekas were in the front of the group holding pictures of our Acharyas and some of the pooja materials while the rest of the yatris were behind carrying the rest of the materials required for the events of the next three days including heavy duty rugs / carpets for seating, fruits, flowers etc. All were wearing traditional dress - Panchagajam (9 X 5) for men & Ombodugajam (9 yards) for women, chanting “Hara Hara Sankara, Jaya Jaya Sankara” along the way. The few people on the roads at that time were curiously looking at us. After a short walk of about 15 minutes, we reached the Hanuman Mandir passing the Parasuram Mandir and Lakshmi Narayan Mandir on the way.

Once we reached the Hanuman Mandir, the arrangements were made by a few yatris and the Vaideekas to conduct the poojas. The temple had a small hall in front of the sanctum. The right side of the hall was kept of havan, pooja & abhishekam etc. The left side was kept for the Vidyarthis and yatris to sit and chant and also watch the proceedings. The middle was left open for regular visitors to come and access the temple. The Hanuman inside the temple was very beautiful & attractive. There was also a marble beautiful idol of Adi Shankaracharya which had been transported all the way from Chennai a few years ago under the instructions of HH Sri Jayendra Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Kanchi. This idol was installed here to give a darshan to all locals who arrive here and integrate this state with Bharat Varsh. The idol was repainted by the Vidyarthees in a beautiful way by end of Day 2 and looked stunning.

Parasuram Baba

We had a quick visit to Parasuram Ashram to meet the 100+ year old yogi cum administrator of the Parasuram Kshetra. People call him Parasuram Baba. He was sitting cross legged in his small ashram next to his small temple. He spoke to us and gave a nice insight into his philosophy which was about love being the thing that is instrumental in the running of the Universe. He advised that we should love & be affectionate towards everything and everyone around us. We took some ash as prasad from the fire burning inside the room in front of the deity. It was truly a special moment meeting him here.

Back at the Hanuman temple, there was a 2-hour session starting with Sankalpam, chanting of Vedas (Veda gosham reverberating in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh & purifying the atmosphere all around), poojas and havan. Many of the yatris also took Snanam sankalpam and proceeded to Parasuram Kund (PK) for a holy dip. Many of our readers do not know the significance of PK & the holy dip here. Hence a little bit of story is required to appreciate the effort taken for this yatra. So here goes.

Parasuram (one of the Avatars of Vishnu) was the youngest of 5 sons of Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. Once, when returning from a nearby river, Renuka got enamoured by a few Gandharvas whom she saw bathing there and had harboured impure thoughts. The sage came to know of this by His yogic powers and asked His sons to kill her. While the four elder sons refused, Parasuram immediately obeyed His fathers command and beheaded His mother with His axe. His father cursed the four elder brothers and granted Parasuram any boon of His choice.

Parasuram chose that His mother is restored to life and the curse on His brothers is nullified. Sage Jamadagni fulfilled these wishes and granted immortality to Parasuram. The sin of killing His mother remained with Parasuram in the form of constant bleeding from His axe. He tried to expiate the Sin by offering penance, visiting Holy shrines, Prayers etc. but the bleeding continued. Finally, when He came to Lohit riverbank at this place (now called Parasuram Kund) on Makar Sankranti and when he had a dip at a small pond, the axe stopped bleeding. This place got renowned, and people have been visiting this place during Makar Sankranti in the belief that a dip here removes all sins committed by them knowingly or unknowingly.

Enroute to the Parasuram Kund

We had to walk nearly 700 meters (the route was slightly uphill and then downhill) to reach the holy Kund. Thankfully, as it was 11^th January, the crowds were not much, and the path was also well laid out with steps etc. The Kund itself is at a slightly higher level than the river and is quite small. At a time, no more than 6-7 people can take a dip here. Men and women take dips simultaneously. There aren’t much good arrangements to store one’s belongings or change. So, one must depend on friends to take care of bags etc. while one goes to the Kund and returns after the dip. The water was slightly cold and not very clean. I couldn’t find out how the Kund water gets filled / replenished especially as it is about 15 meters above the river level. The path to the riverbank was barricaded. We took turns to have a quick dip at the holy Kund and then decided to walk back in the wet clothes (some yatris did change into dry clothes nearby). I just dried myself with a towel and then wore a dry shirt to cover the upper body.

Parasuram Kund with Lohit River in background

On the way back, we saw a Shiva temple and a Parvati temple near the path which we had missed seeing on the way to the Kund. The morning puja session was completed by this time and most of the yatris had returned back to the lodging. We too walked back and finished midday prayers and had our lunch after the Vaideekas were served first. It was nearly 2.30 pm when we had lunch – a very appetising fare of payasam, rice, sambhar, rasam, buttermilk, kootu, dry vegetables, pappad & pickles.

After some rest in the lodging, we did our evening prayers by 4.30 pm as the Sun sets around this time. The strong breeze that welcomed us the previous evening had taken a break from around 9 am onwards. So, one could walk around the lodging or sit outside the rooms. Around 5.30 pm, we once again walked to the Hanuman temple where we had two hours of chanting. Different groups did different kinds of chanting – the Vaideekas chanted Vedas, some yatris chanted Sahasranama etc. At this time, although the strong breeze had stopped, there was a continuous flow of cold wind from the mountains (like it comes from an air conditioner). At around 7.30 pm, the chanting was concluded with an aarti and distribution of prasadam.

We then came back to the lodging and had our dinner (Payasam, Kichadi & Curd Rice) after the Vaideekas were served. By the time we had finished our dinner it was nearly 9 pm and the strong breeze had started intensifying. It was time to call it a day and take much needed rest. Through the night we could hear the breeze rattling the windows, doors and roof. Luckily everything was secure and we had no cause for worry.

That was the end of Day 2 of our yatra.

Parasuram Kund Yatra - Day 1

Day 1

For the past few years, a small group of about 50 yatris instructed by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram (HH), have been going to Parasuram Kund (PK) during Makara Sankranti (which typically falls in the middle of January) and performing poojas, Veda chanting, havan etc. there. The objective of this yatra is to establish and spread Sanatana Dharma and integrate the local people with our mainstream Bharat in one of the holy Kshetras of our land. The timing of this yatra coincides with a very holy time when an Annual four day Mela is held at this place, and when more than a lakh devotees from across Northeast India and Nepal come to have a holy dip at the PK.

Waiting at Delhi Airport

This year, a friend and I joined the group which comprises mainly people from Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The tour was organised by a couple from Chennai along with a priest from Navi Mumbai who have been entrusted this task by HH. This blog gives brief details of the yatra for future yatris and others keen to know about this place.

We left Mumbai along with 3 other yatris in the early hours of 10^th January to Delhi where we had to change aircraft to fly to Dibrugarh in Assam. Delhi was very cold at about 8 degrees Celsius which was much lower than Mumbai’s 19 degrees. We had to change terminals at Delhi which exposed us to the bitter cold weather. In a way, it was like acclimatising ourselves for the weather at our destination. Our next flight to Dibrugarh got delayed and we reached by around 2.45 pm. From here, we were picked up by a car arranged by the tour organisers who had also kindly kept packed satvik lunch & water bottles for us. We ate it on the way by stopping at a roadside. We passed through lots of tea gardens and finally arrived at a small town called Doom Dooma, which was a place where other yatris from other cities, who had arrived earlier in the day, were assembled. This drive of 68 kms was covered in about 2.5 hours including the lunch break.

Our lodging place at PK

There was an army camp at Doom Dooma which had a large hall where all the other Yatris were assembled. Some of them were chanting Vedas, some were listening to this while others were doing their evening prayers. There was a group of about 10 Veda students also present along with their young Guru who had come all the way from a Sikkim Patasala to be part of this yatra. We also quickly got freshened up, finished our evening prayers, had a cup of tepid tea & biscuits served with love by the army folks and then boarded the bus for the journey to Parasuram Kund.

Parasuram Kund is located in Arunachal Pradesh across the border from Assam, and some 130 kms from Doom Dooma. We left by 5.45 pm in two busses. It was pitch dark outside as the Sun sets early here. In an hour, we reached the border where it took about 10 minutes to verify the paperwork and then we were on our way. As it was dark outside, we couldn’t enjoy the view of the beautiful state of Arunachal Pradesh. It was about 9.45 when we finally reached the holy Parasuram Kund. It was cold here and the strong winds made it even more cold. The place where we were scheduled to stay for next 5 nights was a small single storey barely furnished building which had about 10 compact rooms, 5 of these rooms had an attached washroom while others had to share 4 common washrooms and 4 common bathrooms. We unloaded our bags from the busses and carried them into this nondescript building.

Our room for 5 adults

We were allotted rooms by the organisers – the ladies were 6 in a room with attached washroom, the Vaidikas (5 in number) were given a room with attached washroom, the rest of us menfolk (including cooks) were 5 in a room. The Vidyarthis from Sikkim and one yatri couple were given accommodation at a nearby town called Wakro. The rooms had 2 cots and 3 thin spare mattresses with a bedsheet, hard thin pillow & blanket for each of us. After laying the mattress, the remaining space was just enough to keep the luggage. The rooms were bare otherwise with a single socket for charging phones. The strong winds ensured that the rooms were muddy / dusty with fine sand from the nearby riverbed of Lohit River.

The catering staff had arrived earlier and had kept the dinner ready – hot upma I think it was, which was very tasty and we ravenously consumed it. We had it in the steel plates we had carried with us and after a quick dinner, we retired for the night. The journey was so tiring that we quickly slipped into deep sleep and didn’t mind the hard pillows or the cramped space. One common thought that went through my mind as well as my friend’s mind was how are we going to spend 5 nights in this cramped space.

Thus ended Day 1 of our yatra.

Tirumala & Nearby Temples

Tirupati Airport

In June, 2025 we made our pilgrimage to Tirumala and took the opportunity to visit some nearby temples, some of them for the very first time. This blog describes this yatra and provides information that might be useful if the reader wishes to also go to these holy places like us.

Day 1

On Day 1 of our yatra, we took a noon flight to Tirupati from Mumbai which had a halt at Hyderabad. As it was a late flight, we could finish our morning prayers & puja comfortably before leaving for the airport. During our brief halt at Hyderabad airport, we visited a restaurant called Café Niloufer where we could get very good vegetarian fare. They cooked in front of us in a very hygienic way and the food was very tasty.

When we reached Tirupati it was nearly 5 p.m. We had arranged a Innova car for our stay which was waiting for us. We got in and, as advised by our driver Babu, we proceeded directly to Padmavati temple at Tiruchanur which was on the way. We had to leave our mobile phones in the car. The dress code here is not as strict as in Tirumala. Being evening time, the crowds were less but we still decided to take the special entrance ticket (Rs. 200 per person) to save on time. The location of the counter was a bit of a walk but the darshan was over in less than 15 minutes. It was very satisfying to start the trip with the darshan of His consort.

Later, we went to a restaurant outside the main entrance (called Anand Bhavan, I think) where we had good Bhajji & coffee. From here, we got back into the vehicle (after contacting the driver through the phone of the restaurant cashier). From here, we proceeded to a Guest House called Vijayashree Guest House which is located in the main town. We were given a unit / flat on the 2^nd floor which had 3 bedrooms with attached bath), a sitting room and a common bathroom. The cost was Rs. 2000 per bedroom. As we needed only two bedrooms, one was kept locked. The rooms were very nice and clean and the AC was working fine and we didn’t see / feel any mosquitoes.

After freshening up and doing my evening prayers, we left for ISKCON temple which was very close by. After darshan, we had our dinner at their restaurant called Govindas – the food was only average. Later, we went back and retired for the night as we were tired and had an early morning program the next day.

Day 2

We woke up early and were ready by 5 a.m. after finishing morning prayers etc. The driver came a little late and by 5.20 a.m., we were proceeding towards Tirumala. At Alipiri check point, we had to get out of the car along with bags if any and proceed by foot through the check point where all devotees are frisked to prevent carrying prohibited items up the holy hill. Likewise, each vehicle too is checked thoroughly. As it was early, this process got completed in about 10 minutes. After this, the drive uphill was smooth. It took us about 40 minutes to reach the top of Tirumala. Our driver took us to the spot where the break darshan ticket queue was – there were already about 150 people in the queue at that time. The air was pleasant, and a cool breeze was flowing. The ticket counter opened at 7 a.m. which meant a wait time of nearly 2 hours. People who came later may have waited for a longer duration. Every day 1000 tickets are issued for the break darshan and each person desirous of darshan has to personally come along with a photocopy of id document. The process is smooth – each devotee who is issued the ticket has the id verified along and photographed. The ticket costs Rs. 10,500/- per person which includes a donation towards the Corpus of Rs. 10,000/-. Payment can be made through UPI or credit cards. There is no dress code for this queue.

After getting the tickets, we went to Varaha Swami temple for darshan. We first had a short visit to the Pushkarini pond where we washed out feet & hands and sprinkled some water on our heads as a form of symbolic bath. There was a long queue at the Varaha Swami temple which got further delayed as there was a break for mid-day Naivedyam or offering of food to the deity. We got our darshan after about 50 minutes.

We then went by foot to our car which was parked nearby. Then we came down to Tirupati and had our brunch at Adyar Anand Bhavan. It was 11 a.m. at that time. The food at this restaurant was good but service was slow and poor. After brunch, we proceeded towards Sri Kalahasthi temple which is situated about 42 kms away. It took us about an hour to reach here and, although it was afternoon 1 p.m., there was a large crowd here at this time. We decided to take special darshan (Rs. 200 per person) to save time as it was very warm at this time. Mobile phones are not allowed inside and there is a safe deposit counter near the entrance where one can keep the mobile. There is no dress code for this temple but it is better to be dressed in traditional dress as we found out later.

The quick darshan queue was quick and we joined the regular queue near the entrance to the Sanctum. We had a superb darshan of the Vayu Lingam (there is a breeze flowing continuously in the sanctum which can be seen from the flickering lamps) which was mostly uncovered without many flowers / ornaments. It is quite a tall Lingam which is unique. There are Sthala Puranas (stories related to this Kshetra) which are available on Google, and I will not write about it in this blog. Here we found out that by paying a small tip to the attendants here one is allowed to enter the sanctum – all other devotees are allowed to view the Lingam from the door only. However to go inside the sanctum, one has to wear traditional dress like Dhoti / Saree.

After this, we came out and had darshan of Gnana Prasunambika Devi (another name for Parvati) who has a separate shrine within the temple. Then we had darshan of Ganeshji, the Vimana of the temple (there is a opening from which one can see the Gopuram – considered auspicious), and Dakshinamoorthy before exiting the temple. Doing pooja for Rahu – Ketu is considered very beneficial at this temple but due to paucity of time and the fact that we were not in traditional dress, we skipped this.

Gudimallam

We then came out and as it was warm, we had fresh coconut water to cool ourselves. Then we drove down towards a unique Shiva temple in Gudimallam. This temple is about 26 kms from Tirupati. This is a small temple complex with neatly manicured lawns surrounding it. The tall Lingam called Parasurameswara has a phallic shape and is believed to have been built in the 1^st / 2^nd Century BC – one of the oldest surviving Shiva Lingas. The Lingam is nearly 5 feet tall – the front portion has an image of Shiva in a hunter pose with a battle axe (Parasu) and wearing many bracelets & an elaborate necklace standing on a dwarf Yaksha. There is a small opening in the Graba graham through which water comes in mysteriously once a year and covers the Lingam. It is believed that this is Ganga who comes to do Abhishekam of the Lingam. There are smaller shrines of Surya, Karthikeya with consorts and Anandavalli in the temple.

We purchased some crispy thin vadas outside the main temple and found it to be very tasty. Then we proceeded back to Tirupati to our hotel where we took rest for some time. After finishing our evening prayers, we went to Kapila Theertham temple which was nearby. This was my first ever visit to this only Shiva temple maintained by Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD).

Kapilatheertham

We started by first visiting the Nama Alwar temple located near the entrance. This is a Vaishnava temple dedicated to the Saint Nammalwar. We were lucky to receive piping hot prasadam from the priest there who gave special attention to us. We then proceeded to spend some time at the Pushkarini (temple tank) which is very picturesque. It is believed that Kapila Muni had a vision of Siva & Parvati here after they were pleased with his penance performed here. The Lingam here is Swayambhu. The temple is constructed adjoining the Tirumala Hills which present a rocky face from where one can witness waterfalls during monsoon. The water flowing from the mountain gets accumulated in the Pushkarini which is considered very holy. Luckily there were few visitors at this time which meant we could have a leisurely darshan of Nandi, Lord Shiva and Parvati Devi. We also had darshan of Ganesha, Subramani and Krishna accompanied by Rukmini and Satyabhama. After this, on our way out, we visited the Hanuman temple. I strongly recommend every visitor to Tirupati to compulsorily make time to visit this lovely temple.

As it was late evening, we decided to have a light dinner at a restaurant called Orbit. The food and service were excellent. We walked back to our room and retired for the day.

Day 3

Pushkarini

We woke up early and finished our morning prayers before proceeding to Tirumala by 6 a.m. Our break darshan was scheduled for 7.30 a.m. and we were at the gate by that time. All devotees are expected to wear traditional dress only for entry into Balaji temple. Men can wear dhoti with Angavastram or Pyjama Kurtas and ladies are allowed to wear Saree or Chudidhars. As this is a special darshan, we did not have to wait long in the waiting halls – only about 45 minutes or so. During this time, we were served piping hot sambhar rice prasadam which was very tasty. The queue movement was orderly. Within an hour or so, we were inside the temple. The darshan was fantastic as we were allowed to go very close to the Deity (about 12 feet away) and, as it was a Thursday, there was minimal alankaram or decoration on Him. His eyes were uncovered and we relished those moments of seeing our Venkateshwara from such proximity. They also gave us a Shadari (keeping the headpiece that symbolises the feet of Balaji) on our heads and also gave us plantains as prasadam. There was no pushing or shoving and we felt very comfortable to have such a peaceful & blissful darshan.

After this we came out, purchased the famous laddoos from the counters and then reached the area where our car was parked. Then we drove down with our minds filled with the unique divine darshan. After reaching down, we went to the restaurant Orbit for brunch. It was crowded but we got a free table and had a hearty breakfast.

Narayanavanam

From here, we proceeded to a place called Narayanavanam which is about 40 kms away from Tirupati. This is a temple managed by TTD and is the place where the holy matrimony of Lord Venkateshwara and Padmavathi Ammavaru took place. As per legends, Narayanavanam used to be the capital of the King Akasaraja who ruled over this region and Sri Padmavathi was his daughter. This temple was constructed in 1541 A.D.

It was past noon when we arrived here and, fortunately, the temple was open. There were hardly any devotees at this time and we could have a leisurely darshan. It is one of the few temples where one can see Venkateshwara Swamy with Padmavati and Mahalakshmi in a single temple complex. The presiding deity looks very similar to the deity in Tirumala and is said to have been consecrated by Bhrigu Maharishi. The deity is also known as Konetiraya Swamy as the deity was preserved in the large temple tank called Koneru during Muslim invasion. 

Nagalapuram

From here we proceeded to a place called Nagalapuram which was about 27 kms away. This place is famous for the Vedanarayana temple which was built by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadeva Raya and dedicated to the Matsya (Fish) avatara of Vishnu who killed the demon called Somakudu and retrieved the Vedas from him. The temple is majestic with multiple large doorways / Gopurams. The sanctum has Maha Vishnu in Matsya form with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. He is seen holding the Sudarshan chakra ready for deployment. As the temple was under renovation we couldn’t see it completely. We were given nice pulihora rice as prasadam and it was very tasty. We also drank cool water from a tap nearby which was soothing in the hot weather. This place is very scenic and quite a favourite among trekkers and picnickers during the cool months of November to February.

Nagalapuram

After this, we went to a place called Surutapalli which is only 11 kms away and is famous for the Sri Pallikondeshwara Swamy temple which has Shiva in a reclining posture. Legend has it that the pradosha puja (conducted during dusk time of the 13^th day of both lunar cycles) of Shiva originated from this place. Unfortunately, when we reached, the temple was closed for the afternoon and we could not have the darshan. Yatris should cover this temple first as the other temples are open during afternoon also.

From here we returned to our hotel in Tirupati and took some rest. In the evening, we visited a very beautiful temple within Tirupati which not frequented by most devotees who come here. It is the Kothandaraman temple in the heart of the town which is maintained and managed by TTD. The main deities of the temple are Sita, Rama & Lakshmana. It also has a separate shrine for Lord Anjaneya. It is believed that on His way back from Lanka, after defeating Ravana, Lord Rama rested here for awhile. Jambavan had built the temple here after Rama left for Ayodhya. In the sanctum, Sita stand to the right of Rama who is holding the Kothanda bow and arrows in His hand. Lakshmana stands to His left. There is no Hanuman within the sanctum – locals believe that this is because the temple was built by Jambavan. This temple is a serene and wonderful oasis situated as if secluded from the rush of the millions of devotees who throng Tirupati. A must visit for all lovers of Lord Rama.

Nagalapuram

When we were there, we saw a trio who were playing music and singing songs for the Lord. Their offering was simple, soothing and soulful and they performed only for the pleasure of the deities. It was very satisfying to hear them in the evening time in a place which was nearly empty and yet they sang with full heart and devotion.

After this, we visited the Kanchi Mutt which was located close by. Both the pontiffs of the Mutt, HH Sri Vijayendra Saraswati and HH Sri Satya Chandrasekarendra Saraswati, were observing Chaturmasya vratam at Tirupati. We carried fruits and had to wait in a small queue for their darshan. We got an opportunity to have a brief conversation with HH who made enquiries about us and blessed us. They also gave us a few books about Maha Periyava and Adi Shankaracharya which was a huge shower of grace upon us.

The Chandramouleshwar puja by HH was scheduled for 8.30 p.m. As we were tired after a hectic day and had an early morning flight to catch, we decided to skip attending the puja. We proceeded to have a light dinner at a restaurant called Jalpan which was very decent. Then we came back to our hotel to pack our bags before going to bed.

Day 4

We had an early morning flight back to Mumbai. We came back to Mumbai with a treasure of memories to think from time to time and relish.

U.P. Theerth Yatra - Day 6 (Last day)

Hanuman ji

There are so many places of interest in and around Chitrakoot that we felt we should have planned for one more night here. Due to paucity of time, we could not visit important landmarks such as Atri-Anusuya Ashram where Ram & Sita met them, the Gupt Godavari caves, Bharat Khoop (Well), Lakshman Bharat meeting place etc. The river Mandakini which flows in this district is said to be Ganga Herself who came here on the request of Anusuya. We also missed doing the popular parikrama / circumambulation of the Kamadgiri hill - a distance of about 5 kms which has various important spots connected to the Ramayana.

In the morning of our last day, we had a heavy breakfast at the restaurant attached to our hotel. It was a buffet spread (pure vegetarian fare only) and, surprisingly, their idlis were very well made as was the Poha. We then checked out and left for Hanuman Dhara which was 6 kms away. Located on the top of a hill, this place is called Hanuman Dhara because of a gentle stream which flows over the statue of Lord Hanuman The statue of Bajrang Bali (another name for Lord Hanuman) has been built of red stone marble. It is placed on a small cave which oversees devotees entering the temple.

Legend has it that Lord Hanuman, after setting fire to Lanka, returned to this spot. He was fuming with anger and could not control his anger. Bhagavan Rama told him to come to holy Chitrakoot to cool down. Lord Hanuman then took a bath under the stream of water which flowed from above which helped him to overcome his anger and become cool again.

One must climb about 800 steps to reach this temple. Alternatively, there is also a ropeway service available which takes about 12 minutes to reach the top. The return fare for this is Rs. 160 per person. We chose to take this to save time. Little did we realise that there was a 45-minute wait in the queue to get in. After reaching the top, the temple is accessed through a flight of stairs. At the top, one can have lovely views of the entire countryside landscape. Above this temple, there is also a small structure inside the temple named Sita Rasoi (kitchen). Most visitors also go here but we didn’t go as we were told that there isn’t much to see here.

We could immediately get seats in the ropeway for the return journey down. After this, we left Chitrakoot and proceeded towards Lucknow. Nothing much to be said about the return journey except that we didn’t find any good place for lunch on the way. Luckily for us the heavy breakfast helped quell any hunger pangs. The roads were not great till we neared Lucknow. At one roadside Thela / shop, we stopped for some tea. It was excellent as were his Samosas which were prepared hot & fresh.

Once we neared Lucknow the roads became wide we entered a four lane toll road. The going became smooth. We reached the airport nearly 5 hours before departure and spent our time browsing through the shops there. I did my evening prayers in the prayer room and we also had something to eat at the lounge which was small and terribly crowded. The return flight was uneventful and we reached back safely home around midnight of Day 6.

U.P. Theerth Yatra - Day 5 (Part 2)

Ganga Aarti at Janaki Kund

The district of Chitrakoot, located on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is a very holy place due to its  connection with Ramayana. It is here that Bharata met Rama and tried to persuade Him to return to Ayodhya. It is here that Rama performed the last rites of his dead father Dasharatha and later spent 12 years during His exile. Many sages of that time, including Atri and Sharabhanga, had their ashrams here. It was here that the delightful interaction happened between Anusuya (wife of Sage Atri) and Sita where they discussed Stree Dharma and the details of Sita-Rama wedding.

Our hotel called “River Side Resort” was decent and located very near some of the holy spots of Chitrakoot. We reached around 4 p.m. and after some rest, a bath and evening prayers, we had some excellent tea at the restaurant. We hired  a local Electric Ricksha to take us around as they would be familiar with the places of interest and the best way to go around. He first took us to a place called Ram Darshan which is like a museum depicting various episodes from the Ramayana besides having a small shrine. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Chitrakoot. Unfortunately, this place got closed just as we reached there. We didn’t mind as we were keen to see historical & religious spots and not museums.

Our next halt was Spatikh Shila (Crystal Rock).  This is located on the banks of the Mandakini River which passes through Chitrakoot. This site is named after the crystalline rok formations found here. It is believed that Ram, Sita and Lakshmana came here during their stay at Chitrakoot and there is a rock which bears their foot prints. There are also several small shrines near this.

At Janaki Kund

We then went to Janaki Kund. Janki is another name for Sita Mata and this place has been named after her. It is believed to be the place where Sita Devi would bathe during her stay here. There are two temples located just behind the kund, namely, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and Shree Raghuvir Temple. In a small temple located here, you come across the footprints of Sita. The water of the Janki Kund is clear and transparent, and some pilgrims could be seen taking a dip in it. The silence in the surroundings makes it serene. It is especially a great place for those that are looking for some moments of peace and calm. There is a dense forest which lies across the river. We also saw the Ganga Aarti being performed at dusk by a group of young students from a nearby veda patshala.

Kamad Giri Temple

Our next halt was the famous Kamad Giri temple located on a hill which was a drive of about 4 kms from our hotel. It is believed that Bhagavan Ram fulfils all the desires of His devotees who visit this place. Pilgrims often perform a circumambulation of the hill (about 5 kms) to receive blessings. Many holy places lie along the religious route. The principal deity of Chitrakoot is Lord Kamtanath – another name for Shri Ram. According to one legend, Lord Brahma performed here His first yagna before beginning His work of creation. This is also  the place where Lord Rama and Goddess Sita spend twelve years of their exile. Due to lack of time, we only visited the main temple which could be reached after climbing a flight of about 30 steps. Here, we could see the idols of the entire Ram family. The place was crowded but not too much. We could have our darshan within 10 minutes of arriving here.

We then went to Ram Ghat which is located on the banks of Mandakini River and is among the most visited religious destinations in Uttar Pradesh. It is a beautifully developed area with ghats (bathing steps) on both sides of the river. There are lots of shops around and in the evening when we visited, we could witness the Ganga Aarti. This was a beautiful sight with many well-lit boats full of pilgrims witnessing the aarti from the river along with a large crowd witnessing it in the ghat area. The whole atmosphere was divine, and one can easily spend half a day here enjoying the ambience. It is believed that Bhagavan Rama, Devi Sita and Lakshman gave darshan to the contemporary Saint Goswami Tulsidas here. There are several shrines here and we visited a couple of them.

After this, we returned to our hotel. We then had dinner at the restaurant along with our driver. He was happy that we did treat him as one of us and relished the excellent meal while telling us about his personal life. After this, we were absolutely ready to catch up on our precious sleep which we did in our room which was perfect – right temperature & no mosquitoes.

Thus ended a long Day 5 of our Theerth Yatra.

U.P. Theerth Yatra - Day 5 (Part 1)

Snanam at Prayagraj Triveni Ghat

We had read & heard from many sources that Prayagraj gets choked with traffic due to the Maha Kumbh rush. Hence, we thought that if we left early in the morning, we might not encounter this problem. So, at 2 a.m. sharp we checked out of our hotel and left for Prayagraj from Varanasi – approx. 130 kms away. The previous day, I had met a driver at Dasaswamedh ghat who had been to Prayagraj 3 times in the past fortnight.  He advised me that we should proceed to a car park called Jhusi parking from where we can easily go to the Triveni Sangham using a two-wheeler.

Accordingly, we set that as our destination on Google Maps and proceeded. Along the way, we encountered huge traffic on the main Grand Trunk Road. So, our driver decided to go from the service road below which runs parallel to the GT Road. Soon, this road also got choked due to excessive rush of vehicles. The main problem was caused by drivers going to the opposite road (incoming traffic) to avoid the rush, which caused blocks as the incoming vehicles could not proceed.

Somehow, our driver expertly managed to find gaps and took us close to Prayagraj by 5.15 a.m. which was fantastic and much better than what we had anticipated. One of his driver friends had already reached a particular parking place and sent him the location. Our driver decided to go to the same place so that the two of them could also go for a dip together. As we came close to that car park, we suddenly found ourselves stuck in traffic which seemed to be non-moving. This is because people parked their vehicles in the middle of the highway haphazardly leading to the virtual standstill situation. We were about 7 kms away from Prayagraj.

One two-wheeler guy came to our car and offered to drop us at Jhusi ghat for Rs. 500. Without thinking, we hurriedly took our bag and climbed on the bike and were on our way. In the beginning, the roads were risky as we were riding alongside a deep ditch on one side and parked cars on the side of the road. There were hardly 3-4 feet of muddy road on which we were going. Any error on part of the driver or a loss of balance could have sent us down the ditch and caused multiple injuries. Luckily nothing of that sort happened, and after a short while we came to normal roads alongside some fields. There was no traffic here and we went at brisk pace in the cold pre-dawn winter morning. I was holding our bag in one hand and was holding the bike seat with the other hand. Lalitha, who was behind was clinging on to my shoulder and desperately managing with the little seat space that she got.

After about 25 minutes of riding (maybe 7 / 8 kms), our bike guy dropped us at a point and said that the ghat is only 150 meters from there. We took his number and asked him to drop us back after we returned to the same spot from the Triveni dip. We then started walking along with hundreds of other pilgrims, none of whom had any idea of the directions. After walking some distance, one more biker came up to us and offered to drop us to the correct spot which he claimed was another 4-5 kms away. As we did not know where to proceed, we thought it is better to go along with him. He drove for about 15 minutes and dropped us at the Maha Kumbh mela area.

Here, we could see tens of thousands of pilgrims walking around and huge, massive tents / camps all over. There was no clear signages to indicate the way. Everyone we asked for directions gave us different answers. There were bhajans and holy songs blaring out of loudspeakers which made it difficult to hear ourselves. We were searching for the area from where boats were available. Some told us boats have been stopped since the stampede, some told us boats will be available only from 8 am onwards and some told us that for boats, we have to go some other place. We found a tea seller where we had tea (it was around 6.30 am) and asked her for directions.

Based on the tea seller’s directions, we proceeded by walking along with the huge crowds. After some time, we came to Bridge number 1 (makeshift bridge made by the administration to allow people to walk to the Triveni Sangham area). Here we were told that the first few bridges were only for people to return from the Sangham. So we walked all the way to Bridge number 12 and crossed over on foot to the other side. From here we had to walk a long distance (about 2 kms) to reach the main bathing area. On the way, we had some boiled corn from a vendor.

Once we reached the main bathing area, we found it completely packed. There were many temporary shelters for women to change clothes, but these were crowded and had huge queues. There was hardly any place to stand. We hurriedly did our sankalpam at one place and then took turns to go for our dip. There were light poles which were marked by numbers. So, Lalitha waited near one pole whose number was memorized by me to return to the same place. One group had spread a plastic sheet on the ground, and we placed our bags on it. I went through the crowd to reach the bathing area, which was also crowded and quite dirty with all kinds of trash, pooja articles, clothes etc. discarded there. At the outer edge of the bathing area, there were many boats which were not plying and looked more like a security / safety arrangement.

I had the customary 3 dips wearing my traditional Veshti & angavastram. I also collected some water in a bottle to take back and distribute to people who couldn’t make it to the Maha Kumbh. Then I came out and found Lalitha waiting at the place where I had left her. While she went for her dip, I quickly changed my clothes. By this time, it was nearly 7.45 a.m., and the Sun had risen & shining brightly. Lalitha decided not to change her clothes as the changing places were crowded and dirty.

After our Snanam

We then crossed over to the other side using Bridge number 2. It was very warm by now and we were feeling tired and were desperate to reach our car. Our driver sent us his location using Google Maps. As we came out, we saw a biker and asked him for a drop back. He quoted a huge price but as we had no options we agreed. We told him the name of the parking place and also described the place to him. After driving some distance, and enquiring with local people, we found that there were two parking lots with the same name. To drop us near our car park, he demanded extra charges. We agreed and he took us through inner roads and then through crowded & dusty main roads. Finally, he dropped us at a place and said he cannot proceed further as return will not be possible for him.

I called our driver and sent our location to him. He requested us to take another auto / bike to reach him as roads were blocked and it would take him a long time to come. So, we took another bike and rode the last 3.5 kms on the bike to reach our parking area. When we finally located our car at around 10.30 am and boarded it, we heaved a sigh of relief.

We immediately left for Chitrakoot which was 125 kms away. Here too some main roads were barricaded and our driver found inner roads to get past them. Along the way, we stopped at a roadside Dhaba to have lunch. The place looked dirty with flies and garbage, but we had no choice. We had a simple lunch of Roti, Daal and rice. The roads were not very good due to which we reached Chitrakoot only by around 4 p.m.

More about Chitrakoot in my next blog.

U.P. Theerth Yatra - Day 4

Kashi Vishwanath Mandir 

Our Day 4 was reserved exclusively to go to few select temples within Varanasi. We began by visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple in the morning. Thanks to a contact, we luckily got 2 special entry passes called 'Protocol Entry'. The timing for our entry was between 8 & 9 a.m. So, we woke leisurely around 6 a.m., finished our morning routines including prayers. As this hotel had a good place (in the terrace) for drying clothes, we also washed a few clothes - mainly the towels used for the dips in the previous two locations.

As it was Sankatahara Chaturthi on this day, we were observing a fast till Sunset. So, we proceeded from the hotel around 7.15 a.m. and went towards the Godowalia Chowk area in a cycle rickshaw - a distance of about 1.5 k.m. Like in Ayodhya, we only carried our entry ticket and our wallet as electronic items are not allowed inside the temple. At the chowk, we had tea at a roadside vendor. Then we started walking towards gate 4 which is the entry point for Protocol ticket holders. This distance was only about 500 meters. As there were unprecedented crowds, it took us a long time to reach. 

The road was flooded with pilgrims walking in both directions. On one side of the road, there was a huge queue of people waiting in the line for hours for a few seconds of darshan. There were all kinds of people on the road - many vendors selling their wares, many beggars seeking alms using different techniques to gain sympathy. We could also see several dead bodies being transferred to cremation grounds - most of these were of people who died elsewhere but were brought to Kashi for the last rites. The crowds were so huge that we feared that we could get lost here or there could be some kind of stampede. I understand that on that day alone, there were more than a million pilgrims at Kashi - most of them either on their way to or back from Prayagraj. 

When we reached the entry point, we found a huge number of people trying to gate crash - some were claiming they were old, some handicapped etc. Each had some reason to plead with the guards to let them through. Somehow, we reached the front by squeezing through the rush and showed our ticket printout as well as Aadhar card to the security guys who allowed us entry. After entry, we decided to leave our footwear near the barricade so that we could collect it on our way back.

After we entered, we walked in through the gates only to find that there was a huge queue of protocol ticket holders. We joined the line and waited patiently for about 30 minutes in the slow-moving line. After some distance, we found that there was a secure place to keep slippers and mobile phones. As we walked in towards the temple, we could see the old structure that had been converted into the mosque - there were clear signs of the pre-existing temples. The pillars, the archways, the doors etc. are all clearly pointing to the old temple. Along the way, we could have a darshan of the Vyas ka Tekhana which has been permitted from 2024. We also had darshan of the original huge Nandi of Kashi temple which is facing this underground temple.

Annapurna Devi

After we entered the main temple premises, we could see multiple queues coming from different directions. To reach Kashi Vishwanath temple, there must  be at least 5-6 queues which originate from different points and winds its way through different gullies before finally converging at this place. As the Kashi Vishwanath sanctum has 4 doorways, the different lines are directed towards different doors where people are allowed to have darshan from a distance of about 10 feet for maybe 4-5 seconds. People who bring with them garlands, water, flowers, Bael leaves, milk etc. pour / fling it towards the Lingam and are then quickly ushered out by the security personnel. Due to the multiple queues, there are many barricades around the sanctum area, and one cannot even do a proper circumambulation here. We too had the brief 5 second darshan of the Jyotirling whose one glimpse is sufficient to remove all ailments of the body & mind.

Visalakshi temple

From here, we wanted to go to the nearby Annapoorna temple but were told that if you go there, you cannot come back the same way. As our slippers were kept near the place from where we entered, we decided to go back to the same place. When we came out, we realised that it was not possible to go near the barricade area as entry to that area was restricted. After pleading with the security guy, he allowed me to go & collect the slippers. When I went there, I found that all footwears were heaped into several heaps. It seemed impossible to trace and locate our footwear as there were literally a few hundred slippers in each bunch. By sheer luck, I could locate both our footwears and come out.

Visalakshi Devi

Then, we started walking around the temple area through the huge crowd to reach Annapoorna temple. After some distance, we entered the gully area that would lead us. We kept asking for directions from the locals to reach Annapoorna temple. When we neared it, we found the gully blocked with barricades. We were asked to go around another way. After some more walking, we came to another barricade which prevented us from going further. We were feeling helpless as we desperately wanted to have the darshan of Annapoorna Devi.

We then decided to first have darshan of Visalakshi Devi. When we reached this temple, we found an unusually long queue waiting for darshan. We joined the line, and after about 20 minutes, we got darshan of Visalakshi Devi. The main deity is a small idol who stands immediately behind a larger idol of the Devi. This temple is visited mostly by South Indians. After this darshan, we made one more attempt to have darshan of Annapoorna Devi. So, we went back through the gully to reach the barricade. Here, I showed our protocol pass and assured the policeman that we only wanted to visit Devi temple, and we were not trying to join the queue of devotees going towards Vishwanath temple. By divine grace, he seemed convinced and let us through.

Dundhi Ganapathy

On the way, we had a good darshan of Dundhi Ganapathy which was one of the deities we wanted to have darshan of. As we were going towards the Devi temple, a local shop keeper came and told us he can get us quick darshan. We went with him along with another couple. He sold us a saree each to be given as an offering to Annapoorna Devi. He then took a service charge for escorting us to the temple. As we entered the temple, we realised that maybe we did not need his help and that he was just taking advantage of our confusion. We went into the temple and found it surprisingly almost empty. In contrast with the thousands of devotees lined up for darshan of Kashi Vishwanath, hardly any were coming to this temple. It was partly due to the barricading of the gullies leading to this temple and partly due to the eagerness of the devotees to go first for darshan of the Jyotirling. We had a good satisfying darshan of the Devi and were allowed to go inside the sanctum by paying Rs. 100 each.

Rare Ekadashi Idol

After this, we came out and slowly walked towards Kaal Bhairav temple which was another 2 k.m.s away. On the way, we purchased some bananas as we were famished and tired. It was hot and sunny by this time. We took an auto to reach the Kaal Bhairav temple. When we arrived, we found that there was a very long queue to go to the temple. Everyone who visits Kashi tries to visit Kaal Bhairav who is the guardian deity of this holy town. As it was midday and, as we were tired, we decided to go back to our hotel and come back in the late evening. We took an auto to go towards the nearest ghat and, from here we took a ferry to go to Shivala ghat which is a short walk away from our hotel. It was an open uncovered ferry where we got really baked in the heat during the 30 minutes it took us to reach our destination.

Bindu Madhav

After we came to our hotel, I did my midday prayers and took some rest. In the early part of the evening, I walked 15 minutes to reach Dasashwamedh ghat (one of the holiest ghats of Kashi) and did my sankalpam and had a good snanam in holy Ganga. As per Kashi Khand of Skanda Puranam, having a snanam at Dasaswamedh ghat is 10 times more beneficial than having it at Prayagraj. After this, I walked back to the hotel and did my evening prayers. Later, we took a ricksha to reach Godowalia and then walked to the other side of the barricade and took another ricksha to reach Kaal Bhairav temple. The queue was less than the morning but it was still very long. So, we decided to walk about 750 meters to the Bindu Madhav temple. This temple was also virtually empty. We had a leisurely darshan of the Bindu Ganapathy, the Bindu Madhav and also the rare Ekadashi idol.

After this, we walked back to the Kaal Bhairav temple. We purchased some garlands & other offerings from a nearby shop and joined the queue at that point itself. We had cut into the queue and were feeling guilty but, due to paucity of time, we went ahead. After being in the queue for about 20 minutes, we entered the temple and had a good darshan of Kaal Bhairav. We also got new holy wrist bands tied to our wrists – this is something very sacred and it is believed that Kaal Bhairav offers His protection to all who wear this.

After this, we took a ricksha to go towards Godowalia chowk. After reaching there, we went to a restaurant and had a simple dinner (our breakfast) of Rotis, Daal and Jeera Aloo. We then returned to our hotel to catch a short sleep as we had planned to leave for Prayagraj at 2 a.m. the next day. Thus ended the long & satisfying Day 4 of our yatra.