Stories of Transformation
The Indian culture has always been endowed with many traditions and activities that promote a spiritual lifestyle. From pradakshanas made near mother Tulasi every morning, to taking up pilgrimages for a Spiritual retreat. One such practice is to engage in circumambulation (Girivalam) of the Thiruvannamalai. On every Full-Moon Day around 5 Lakh, devotees gather at Thiruvannamalai temple for both, the Darshan of Lord Arunachala and also for Girivalam. As a tradition and belief, devotees go around the temple, which is located underneath the hill of Thiruvannamalai. Devotees take Darshan of Lord Arunachala and Lord Unnamulai Amman inside the temple and start circumambulating the entire hill, with the starting point from the temple. They have to cover a distance of “14 km”, to finish the circumambulation.
A need for serving the devotees who come around the big hill temple was identified. As a result, a “Paadha Seva” program was planned for the devotees and was formulated. This Seva activity is a unique one that is performed by our organization in the state of Tamil Nadu. It aims to relieve the pain of lakhs of devotees who circumambulate the hill temple of Lord Arunachala located in Thiruvannamalai, a district in the state of Tamil Nadu.
With the Divine Blessings, the Seva began in the year 2017 with great zeal and enthusiasm to serve all the devotees irrespective of any differences. Many devotees are served with care and attention. The main motive of the Seva is to give frequent breaks to the devotees who are usually old and feel fatigued on the way.
Seva is the highest devotion for many. It differs for each devotee. Some Seva activities are more of giving up the position and surrendering to any nature of Seva. Such surrender is definitely observed in the Sevadals who engage in massaging the legs with oil and targeting the pressure points, for relieving and preparing them to walk again.
It takes a special emotion of Love for Swami to be the mediator between God and Devotee, to express care and affection with a heart of brotherhood. Padha Seva has become an integral part of many devotees every month and for Sevadals, it definitely is a soul-lifting experience. The Sevadals may seldom get the chance to visit the sanctum-sanctorum, but with this selfless Seva, they already have moved much closer to the Lord, by serving the Lord Himself Swami in all the devotees.
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