“The experience of going on the Kathirgama Yatra is unique. Thiruchelvam further spoke about his Padayatra saying, ‘Once you complete this pilgrimage, the ecstasy of your body and mind is incomparable.’
“Kadirgama Yatra is a wonderful experience every time. I would like to share with you a recent experience. Coming to the forest path, let’s call an area the mystical path. The trees are thick that way. Inside, the tree branches are thick and clinging.
If you enter it, you will see single-footed tracks where animals walked. It is difficult to find out which of them is the right path. If you go down the wrong path, that’s it. You have to roam around in the forest. For this reason, the first walkers will break the tree branches and put them on the ground. Seeing that, others will follow, knowing that it is the way. This is how magic works.
Once a family came with us on a pilgrimage. Four people came with us, a grandparent and their grandchild. At some point all four of them got separated from us. They have gone astray on the wrong path. Those who had been walking realized that they were on the wrong track only when they realized that we were missing.
The sound of elephants barking somewhere nearby. Fear gripped them. The children started crying. The grandfather comforted them and said, “Don’t be afraid. That Kadirgamak Kandan will not abandon us. We trusted him. He himself will lead. So everyone should stop being afraid and ask Ganda to protect us and guide us and join us in our gathering.’ Immediately the four blindly prayed to Kandan and started walking.
They started walking fast towards that place when it seemed that someone was sitting at a distance. They were right. There was a man sitting there wearing a thiruneiru and giving charity to Rudraksha.
When they saw him, they were overjoyed. He ran and bowed to him and said, “Sir, we have come on a pilgrimage to Kathirgama. We somehow missed our meeting. Now Manika has to go to Ganga. How to go?” asked the grandfather. Immediately the old man smiled understandingly and showed a way without answering.
Again the old man asked with doubt, “Is that the way to Ganga…” and the old man nodded his head as if “yes”. All four of them said `OK’ and started walking towards that way.
After taking a few steps, the grandfather said, “Poor old man.” We can take him with us,’ he said, looking back in the direction of the old man. But there was no one there. The place where the old man stood was empty.
Grandfather ran to that place and called out ‘Sir…Sir…’ and searched around. But the old man was nowhere to be seen. Only then did they realize a truth. He said that it was Vallikizawan who came and guided him as an old man. They started walking the way he showed.
It was only when we stopped at one place that we went ahead and counted whether all the people who were traveling with us were there that we realized that grandfather was without his family. Immediately some young men set out to look for them. At the same time, grandfather’s family also arrived. When we inquired what had happened, they described the miracle that had taken place.
In this way, everyone will get an unforgettable experience not only in this yatra but also in the yatra where Murugan darshan of Kapilith,” said Thiruchelvam.
The name ‘Kapilithi Murugan’ which he said was new. We asked him without understanding that ‘Kadirgama is saying that Murugan is Kandan’. He smiled and started answering.
“Kapilithi is a forest area near Kadirgamam. Kapilitha is situated on the banks of the Kumbukan River, 30 km north-east of Kathirgamam. Lord Muruga looked for a place to sit in Nishta after finishing Sura Samharam. Katirai threw his work from the mountain. It alighted on a tamarind tree in Capilithia. It is believed that Lord Muruga came there and sat down.
So Kapilitha darshan is very special. That place is a place with very positive vibes. It is believed that everything in life will be successful if you go there. Many of the politicians in Sri Lanka visit Kapilith and worship Kandan before taking office and then go to Kathirgama for darshan. After that they will take office.
When sage Kapila came to visit Muruga, he stayed there. It is also believed that Lord Muruga gave him a vision at that place. It is also said that he passed away in that holy land. It is said that it got its name as “Kapilitha” because it is a place full of thistle trees where sage Kapila came and stayed.
Female elephants living in the southern part of the country are said to be kapilai. A forest where female elephants live in herds is called ‘Kapilitha’. In those forests there are species of highly poisonous spiders called kapilai. That may be the reason for this name.
The reason why I say this is because this jungle journey is not so easy. So only men come to worship in that temple. Women are not allowed. I’ve been a few times. I will take many new friends with me as I go.
We can go in our vehicles till the village called `Kotiyagala’. After that you can travel by jeep or tractor from there. If it is only 30 km and takes 4 hours to reach, think how difficult the route will be.
More than 12 streams have to be crossed on the way. They are streams only in summer. They grow wildly during the rainy season. So this route can be traveled only in summer.
After traveling like that, we will reach the river Kumbukan and after bathing in it, we will have darshan of Lord Muruga. This journey should be started after fasting for 16 days. Avoid meat, eat simple food, maintain celibacy, treat everyone with love and pray to Lord Muruga.
It is a tradition that one can get darshan of Muruga only by observing this fast. If you break the fast, you will be derailed from the journey in some way. Thiruchelvam said, “There have been many incidents where people who went for sports were chased by animals so that they could not go into the forest,” and shared some details.
– Let’s take a walk…
“Why is it praised as Ananda Siddha?”
“Knowing and unknowing…” we usually recite the sharana kosha and say `Samastabaratham’ after completing the pujas.
Samastapadam means seeking forgiveness from God for all the mistakes we may have done knowingly or unknowingly.
“Siddha” here means knowledge. Ananda Siddha means that the Lord is always enlightened and blissful.
Those who conquer Siddha are Siddhas. We call him “Ananda Siddha” because Ayyappan is said to be the leader of all the Siddhas, and because he is eternally blissful.
When the mind is absorbed in bliss, mistakes are invisible to the eye. Since Ayyappa is full of heart and forgives all our mistakes, we worship him as “Ananda Siddha”.
– Sakhithar, Chennai-61