Rukku on Girivalam Pathway 2012

I am reposting the below series of photographs taken on July 15, 2012 while Rukku was walking on the Girivalam Pathway on her way to preside at a function at Adiannamalai Temple, located at the Northwest side of the Hill. 

Just want to show her happy and out and about. 

Now you are fully free. Be Happy. 

Our Rukku

Right Click on all photographs for enlargement: 

The below series of photographs of sweet Rukku, from Arunachaleswarar Temple, was taken last Sunday July 15, 2012 while Rukku was walking on the Girivalam Pathway on her way from the Arunachaleswarar Temple located Southeast of Tiruvannamalai on her way to Adiannamalai Temple, located at the Northwest side of the Hill. 

They say elephants never forget -- well it seems that might be true, and my visits to her at the Big Temple with snacks and treats of cabbages and carrots were rewarded by a very nice series of poses. Specially like the loving eye contact of this last photo.

Parvati Hill

This evening I visited one of my favourite Amman Temples at Tiruvannamalai, the very beautiful Rajarajeshwari Temple on the girivalam pathway. I went to meet one of the Trustees of the Temple to get some details and history of this small but significant Shrine. I will be posting information of the Temple on this Blog in upcoming days and also posting a short descriptive narrative of it in Arunachala Grace News, which will be sent to subscribers at the end of this month.

While at the Temple, I learnt several signficant details but the one that surprised me the most was the fact that there is one area of the 14 km girivalam pathway from which the Deepam light at the top of Arunachala cannot be seen during the Karthika function.

In the below photograph I am standing in front of the gate of the Rajarajeshwari Temple compound looking out at a spur of the Mountain called Parvati Hill.

There is a stretch of about .5 kms, including this Parvati Hill, out of the 14 km girivalam pathway starting at Palani Andar Shrine and ending at Surya Lingam from which Shiva's light during Deepam cannot be seen.

The Trustee told me that it is believed that this short part of the Girivalam pathway is regarded as particularly Amman's and in ways subtley different to the rest of the pradakshina path.

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Monkey Munch

I just love the Bonnet Macaque monkeys that live all around Arunachala and Tiruvannamalai. Of course its easy to be relaxed and mellow about them, when the rascals don't come to my house, ransack rooms or raid the kitchen; as they do in popular spots throughout the area! But luckily I am some distance from their thieving runs.

However, I find it impossible to go around girivalam pathway without purchasing food and snacks to give to both monkeys and dogs. This particular monkey was hanging out on a tree watching me feed hard crunchy bread rolls (a big favourite) to a couple of hungry dogs in the compound of the Temple I was visiting. Once the dogs had departed, the monkey followed me inside the Rajarajeshwari Temple looking for his share of 'goodies'.

The Temple Trustee chased the feisty monkey out into the compound, where finally it was united with its 3 hard earned crusty, crunchy bread buns!

If you want to find out more about these adorable and smart monkeys check out this link Bonnet Macaques.

Such a tidy little 'un.