Day 0
Ever since I’ve come across the pictures and heard about the Adiyogi, I had a ardent desire to visit and witness the beauty and feel the divinity. That’s when it took years to materialize and frame an agenda and execute it. With a lot of curiosity and excitement, I logged in into the Isha foundation website and chose a shelter during my visit. During the online registration, I received a confirmation email which was expected for the ID proof and required documentation was updated and within 24-48 hours but to my surprise, I received the confirmation in less than 12 hours which multiplied my fervour for the trip. The very next moment, I booked my tickets to Coimbatore prior a month to ensure the journey is safe and reserved. Sabari express was my cart to travel to the fascinated world of holiness. I boarded the train by 12:30 PM carrying some stuff to fill my belly as suggested by one of my friends.
Day 1
I reached the Coimbatore station by 9:30 AM. To my astonishment, there was a delay of 1 hour 30 mins. I was accompanied by a couple of friends. We chose to have breakfast at Hotel Aaryas, located just opposite to the main station. The food was delicious, perhaps it seemed to be. I strongly recommend Pongal, the special dish of Coimbatore which would just melt and satisfy your soul if you’re a foodie. The adventure began and we were damn eager to reach the destination. Since, we were a team of 5, we opted for a service auto to Gandhipuram Bus Stand who charged 100/-. The 14D Bus is the only source of travel to Isha Centre which is 30 km away from the city.
We climbed down the bus prioritising the security and scan the luggage. Then we had to cross the road and enter the main gate which had a huge pattern of a snake being the symbol of Lord Shiva. We enquired for the accommodation. I was dumb stuck seeing the people there, humble and down to earth. We were greeted with the most adorable Namaskara with an overwhelming smile on their face. Since we’ve had our accommodation booked, a wrist band was provided as a mark for the free service in the centre. Shuttle service was available behind the reception for the cottage which was 2 km away.
Shivapadam 4 was the cottage allotted to us. The best part of the Isha Centre is the heavenly place which was extremely neat and tidy. It was an abode of compassion. Without wasting a moment, we rushed to freshen up and boarded the shuttle with an amazing inner satisfaction.
Navigation was clearly mentioned on placards for a better understanding. After a peaceful walk of 10 mins, we had to fuel ourselves to get energetic for the entire day and so we preferred to have milk Prasadam which cost 20/- per glass. It absolutely resembled the sweetness of the environment. Right beside the Prasadam counter, there was a huge hall with a sacred water body known as ‘Suryakund’ which was a place to shower for male.
Suryakund, a sacred water body especially for men, has been energised with powerfully consecrated Rasalingas.
A dip in the vibrant holy water balances the prana or life and energies the body, greatly enhances spiritual receptivity and has an uplifting effect on one’s physical and mental well-being.
The Suryakund also serves as a preparatory tool to enhance one’s receptivity to the energies of the Dhyanlinga.
Similarly, there is a Chandrakund, a sacred water body especially for female.
Since it was Dhyanlinga Consecration Day, we walked through the small bridge to reach Dhyanlinga. The moment we stepped into a big size tomb; we sensed a kind of positivity which was felt in the air around. A delightful 2 hours of meditation with impeccable chants in different languages like Hindi, Arabic was sung by the skilled singers. It was a blissful moment to witness the devotional Arthi to the celestial Linga. Right after the meditation, we danced our hearts out with the tunes of the drum beats.
Now it was the evening time to witness the never before moment and the clock struck 7:20 and the awestruck light show began ‘ADIYOGI’. The narration of how Lord Shiva struggled to attain peace, meditation, focus and etc was quite inspiring. A 20-minute light show seemed to be a moment to be lived. Moving forward, we headed to have dinner near the reception which is served free. As quoted earlier, the best food always satisfies the soul.
After the pleasing dinner, we walked on to the deserted road which was filled with tranquillity. Half the way, we boarded a shuttle to the cottage and headed to our respective beds with some incredible memories of the day.
Day 2
The cool breeze and vibe around, encouraged us to wake up early to visit the Adiyogi statue. We decided to wake up by 4 AM, clean up in an hour, check out from the cottage and board the first shuttle of the day by 6:15 AM and reach the most enchanting statue. That was the real moment for which I had been waiting for years. It was a pure bliss to realize the aesthetic beauty of Lord Shiva. It was an astounding experience to visit the statue during the sunrise as there would be less crowd and it was an appropriate time for a photo shoot.
We didn’t miss the golden opportunity to be a part of the puja at the statue and further we headed for a brunch as it was allotted in batches. The food was delicious and it had a huge amount carbs, fiber and proteins which was much required for our health. As per the agenda, we had been to Lingabhairavi temple which is adjacent to the Dhyanlinga. Post 11:00 AM, we could make a visit to the food stalls, cloth stores which increased our curiosity. We spent around an hour in shopping and finally boarded our bus to Coimbatore Railway Station.
Idine Chettinad Virundhu was our right option for lunch. The fish fry was too expensive; however, the other cuisines were worth its cost. Post lunch, we boarded our respective trains and headed back to our basics with a trolley of experience, learning and spirituality.
Important points to be remembered-
1. Shuttle is available every 5 mins.
2. Camera is allowed only at the Adiyogi statue.
3. Preferable to leave the luggage at the cottage rather moving around the luggage counters.
4. An appropriate dress code needs to be followed, avoid shorts and sleeveless.
5. Carry water bottles to hydrate yourself as there’s a lot to walk.
Also read: rachakonda fort
Conclusion - A must visit place to experience and identify your self-esteem and inner peace.
