Kailash Of The South (Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India) Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

A huge boulder slopes on another
lying on the top of the tor,
and in the cave-like abode formed,
reigns supreme the self-developing ‘Linga’.
With an awesome, high, tower-like rock
standing nearby as the kingly tower,
overlooking at the Siruvani river below
on the peak of the seventh hill,
shrouded often by passing mists,
the vast mountainous terrain
offers a fascinating sight!
11

My God! Still we are in wonder,
how at sixty, we reached
the serene retreat of Lord Siva!
A colossus earthquake in times of yore
had caused these seven hills one over the other.
This Kailash of the South lures the pilgrims
who climb over a flight of stone-steps,
using a torch in the dead of night,
and a bamboo stick to keep the aged steady.
What a boycott of reptiles and animals wild
in that month of Chitra-fullmoon(May) !
It was sweaty to traipse upwards,
but our will to be on top of the hills pulled us up. 24

When we were ascending over the fourth hill,
the stars seemed nearer and nearer.
A bath in the chill-stream flowing down the sixth hill,
relieved our pain and refreshed us to go up.
A slip in your trek on the narrow track
would push you down to the deep of the earth.
When the mid-day heat boils your feet,
you can walk over the sward along the sides.
Pony, dolly, rover-car or winch is not there;
Your bare-foot walk would break your hip.
When you step on small sharp stones,
you would scream in pain.
Ascent and Descent are arduous in these hills! 37

When we slumped down to the base of the hills,
after 23 hours as hungry and weary travellers,
the priest there queried us how we were?
“We won’t try again even if you assured a crore”,
we yelled and fell to the ground.
The priest sprayed spring water on our faces
and said aloud to console us:
“The four famous Saivite Saints
dared not climb up this Vellingiri.
But you have succeeded! ”
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I’m sure! The Lord has guarded us against hunger
and brought us back home safe;
of course with bulging legs and broken joints.
O you boys! You might have overtaken us
and completed the trip in 5.5 hours.
It may be your sixth or sixtieth trip.
But God’s favour is ‘No’ to you as most of you
drowned in liquor and flew over the hills. 55
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