Time for Tiruvannamalai - 11/4/17
Hello! It’s Erin once again, and
I’m here to tell you all about our first day in Tiruvannamalai! Home to the
renowned Annamailar Temple and Annamalai hills, this picturesque town will be
our home for the next 3 days while we get to see the various landmarks and
interact with people. It’s rather out of the way, and getting there this
morning proved to be quite the drive. Our group of 24 somehow managed to cram
onto a tiny bus and drive 4 ½ hours
on Tamil Nadu’s bumpy roads. I don’t think my squished shoulders have fully
recovered, but our Disney sing-alongs definitely helped the time go by. I also really
enjoyed having time to look out the window and see the vast diversity in the
Indian countryside. I was definitely not expecting to see mountains with their
tops in the clouds!
Once we got to Tiruvannamalai, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed over to Quo Vadis, an interfaith Lutheran organization that will be coordinating our excursions this week. The director, JP, welcomed us with bindis and sweets, and he explained a little bit about the special nature of the town. Because it’s centered at the base of a holy mountain, Tiruvannamalai is apparently known for its “good vibrations,” and over 500,000 people flock here every full moon to walk around the mountain. JP also said that this holy place supposedly “answers all your questions,” so hopefully it can give us some guidance on our short visit!
After lunch and a much-needed nap, we got to be part of something pretty special. JP invited us to the baptism of one of the congregants’ twins, and it was quite the celebration! It also happened to be an “eco-service,” so the entire worship took place outside. Quite different from the traditional churches we have toured so far, it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many trees and mountains. We even got to participate by planting seeds in the ground and acting out the story of the rainbow in front of 100 other people! I felt so honored to be part of such a special day for someone, and at the same time I was not surprised. Ever since coming to India I have encountered nothing but warmth and hospitality. The people here are so generous and kind, and after today I cannot wait for what the rest of this week has in store.
Once we got to Tiruvannamalai, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed over to Quo Vadis, an interfaith Lutheran organization that will be coordinating our excursions this week. The director, JP, welcomed us with bindis and sweets, and he explained a little bit about the special nature of the town. Because it’s centered at the base of a holy mountain, Tiruvannamalai is apparently known for its “good vibrations,” and over 500,000 people flock here every full moon to walk around the mountain. JP also said that this holy place supposedly “answers all your questions,” so hopefully it can give us some guidance on our short visit!
After lunch and a much-needed nap, we got to be part of something pretty special. JP invited us to the baptism of one of the congregants’ twins, and it was quite the celebration! It also happened to be an “eco-service,” so the entire worship took place outside. Quite different from the traditional churches we have toured so far, it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many trees and mountains. We even got to participate by planting seeds in the ground and acting out the story of the rainbow in front of 100 other people! I felt so honored to be part of such a special day for someone, and at the same time I was not surprised. Ever since coming to India I have encountered nothing but warmth and hospitality. The people here are so generous and kind, and after today I cannot wait for what the rest of this week has in store.
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