Thiruvannamalai

Karthkai Deepam was celebrated last week and the deepam that was lit on that day would be lit for 12 days. So this is the first time I saw the thiruvannamali deepam.
I was actually not really ready to go to thiruvannamali when my friend called me.But later I decided to go.
We took a TN Govt. bus from Koramangala, St. John's Hospital Bustop at 4.30 PM on 12/17. It was via Hosur- Krishnagiri and we reached TVM at 9.30 PM. I had a short and sweet nap in teh bus for an hour or so which helped me. We started for the Giri valam after visiting the temple.We werent fortunate enough to see the deity as it was already the closing time.So I decided to do the Giri Valam with my sandals on.We started at 10 PM.It was cloudy so we werent able to see the moon. The mountain or the hill would have been more beautiful with the moonliht or the sun light falling on it. We had darshan at the various lingams around.To name a few we saw agni lingam,vayu lingam,varuna lingam, yama lingam, kubera lingam, esanya lingam,etc..

We covered approx. 16 Kms which is the path around the mountain. During the last one km there was a peculiar temple where we have to enter bending our body full and the exit was very small that one will not be able to come out without contracting his body. But I did not know that when I enetered so I bent myself and entered and camout sideways i.e.by lying on one hand.
My friend told me the significance of that later.
After walking around the mountain for nearly 15 kms it was to relax our body muscles. But I broke the total purpose of it. Anyway I'll try that next time.
We completed on full round around the mountain (16 Kms) in ablout 3 Hrs.
Then at 2.20 AM (12/20) we went to the Bus Stop to take a bus back to B'lore. The 3 buses which we saw was very crowded and as sw engrs we did not have patience and took an auto to reach the terminus from where the buses would start, hoping to get a seat from there. We got screwed up as the auto driver took us to a differen bus stop and the buses to b'lore would not stat from that terminus aso we paid Rs.55/- for taking us to the terminus and dropping us in the same place back.
Lesson learnt : Patience is the virtue.
We got a seat in the bus at 3.30 AM and reached b'lore at around 8.30 AM.