I am terribly deprived of sleep. Since Monday 8 am till now (Wed 8 pm), I have slept only for 7 hours in 4 instalments!
We reached Pampa at 2 am today. The crowd was moderate. The climb wasn't very tiring: the fact that it was night helped.
We reached the foot of the sacred 18 steps at 4.30 am. We had to stand in the queue here (nadapandal) for a little over one hour, which is nothing by Sabarimala standards.
The queue was largely orderly and no one was pushing his way ahead. The odd man who showed some impatience was firmly brought in line by fellow pilgrims or the policemen.
Good crowd management by the police also helped; there were intervening gaps created at regular intervals in the long barricaded queue, so that the pilgrims could be better controlled. The ''police swamis'' are extremely courteous and helpful.
We climbed the holy 18 steps around 5.45 am. After the hurried a-few-seconds-long darshan, we checked into Sabari guest house at 6.45 am. We arranged for abhishekam, prasadam; freshened up, had breakfast and went for another round of darshan.
We started back at 10.30 am and were at Pampa by 12.45 pm. Coming down the hill is at times harder than climbing up, and we felt more tired, probably also because of the heat.
The approach road to Sabarimala and facilities there have vastly improved. There are bright reflectors along the road divider, and barricades around the sharp hair-pin bends. Along the path up the hill, there are cardiac centres, supply of free medicated drinking water and free oxygen parlour.
But nothing has made the climb easier. The steep inclined uneven path at many places is paved with sharp stones. And it's this that makes the pilgrimage unique and challenging.
The hard way is a great leveller too: every pilgrim irrespective of who he is, takes the same path. There are no separate queues for the privileged.
Climbing along with us was a pilgirim on crutches. The sight was as much moving as humbling.
No comments:
Post a Comment