Chez Sai Baba
I was in Tiruvannamalai for one night and absolutely loving it.
The people were friendly, the surrounding countryside pretty and almost rubbish free. I had a room with a terrace overlooking the sacred mountain and magnificent Hindu temple.
Woke up at dawn and did some yoga, climbed the mountain and visited the caves where Sri Ramana Maharishi meditated for 20 years. Lovely lovely lovely.
Could have stayed there for a looooooong time.
But then I heard that Sai Baba was going to be leaving his Puttaparthi ashram for Chennai in the next day or so and since I have absolutely no desire to return to Chennai, but wanted to see the legend in the flesh, I decided to board a 5 hour bus and 3 hour train for Puttaparthi yesterday. Got in really late, really tired and had the same problem sleeping as elsewhere. It seems that hoteliers (granted I use the term loosely) haven't noticed the mosquito plague that prevents a decent night's sleep. A simple mossie net works wonders. Since that's wishful thinking I usually have to sleep with the fan on, which I really don't like doing at the best of times, to try and intercept the mosquito flight patterns. Still, despite the fan and the mossie spray, not much sleep.
Then up at 5am this morning to join in the fun at Sai Baba's ashram.
I'm afraid that all the pushing and shoving while sleep deprived didn't go down too well. It started with a circumnambulation around the sizeable and 100% kitsch ashram. Sounds simple, but with the masses and masses of people it's a highly organised and fairly unpleasant experience.
Since I didn't manage to eat dinner last night, I was starving. I had to endure a bit more push-&-shove to get some meal tickets and then got crammed into a massive hall for Darshan.
The hall is like a fantasy gone wrong -- it drips with gold paint, red chinese lanterns, chandeliers and tinsel. I couldn't make this up if I tried.
But wait, it gets better. After quite a long wait wedged uncomforatbly between the saris on the cold hard floor, a parade of guys waving flags entered followed by a marching band. Yes, a marching band!
I'm afraid the whole thing just came across as a circus.
Then Sai Baba made his entrance in a car. The crowd went wild.
I think you'd have to be VERY dedicated to feel any hint of spirituality in that mob.
Then there were some speeches and prize givings and when I got sufficiently achey in the rear end and generally fed up, I left.
It's Pongal, a big celebration marking the change in direction of the sun and the start of a new year. Maybe the ashram is a little more manageable at other times, but I have my doubts.
Sai Ram!
The people were friendly, the surrounding countryside pretty and almost rubbish free. I had a room with a terrace overlooking the sacred mountain and magnificent Hindu temple.
Woke up at dawn and did some yoga, climbed the mountain and visited the caves where Sri Ramana Maharishi meditated for 20 years. Lovely lovely lovely.
Could have stayed there for a looooooong time.
But then I heard that Sai Baba was going to be leaving his Puttaparthi ashram for Chennai in the next day or so and since I have absolutely no desire to return to Chennai, but wanted to see the legend in the flesh, I decided to board a 5 hour bus and 3 hour train for Puttaparthi yesterday. Got in really late, really tired and had the same problem sleeping as elsewhere. It seems that hoteliers (granted I use the term loosely) haven't noticed the mosquito plague that prevents a decent night's sleep. A simple mossie net works wonders. Since that's wishful thinking I usually have to sleep with the fan on, which I really don't like doing at the best of times, to try and intercept the mosquito flight patterns. Still, despite the fan and the mossie spray, not much sleep.
Then up at 5am this morning to join in the fun at Sai Baba's ashram.
I'm afraid that all the pushing and shoving while sleep deprived didn't go down too well. It started with a circumnambulation around the sizeable and 100% kitsch ashram. Sounds simple, but with the masses and masses of people it's a highly organised and fairly unpleasant experience.
Since I didn't manage to eat dinner last night, I was starving. I had to endure a bit more push-&-shove to get some meal tickets and then got crammed into a massive hall for Darshan.
The hall is like a fantasy gone wrong -- it drips with gold paint, red chinese lanterns, chandeliers and tinsel. I couldn't make this up if I tried.
But wait, it gets better. After quite a long wait wedged uncomforatbly between the saris on the cold hard floor, a parade of guys waving flags entered followed by a marching band. Yes, a marching band!
I'm afraid the whole thing just came across as a circus.
Then Sai Baba made his entrance in a car. The crowd went wild.
I think you'd have to be VERY dedicated to feel any hint of spirituality in that mob.
Then there were some speeches and prize givings and when I got sufficiently achey in the rear end and generally fed up, I left.
It's Pongal, a big celebration marking the change in direction of the sun and the start of a new year. Maybe the ashram is a little more manageable at other times, but I have my doubts.
Sai Ram!
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