Meditation at Vellingiri Hill

The Kailash of the south, Vellingiri hill is about an hour drive from Coimbatore Railway station. The seven hill range emanates the lasting reverbrance that these peaks have absorbed from the innumerable sages and seers who walked these hills. This Mountain is known as the Seven Hills because if you climb, there are seven undulations which make you feel like you are going up seven hills. The last peak is totally wind-blown – nothing grows there except grass.

Those who wish visit the hill need to begin at Poondi, a small village and 2 km away from the Isha Yoga Center. Buses start plying between 6 A.M. to 9 P.M. at every hour from Coimbatore. But if you are going in a group then our strong recommendation would be to book a cab. The hills have rich spiritual values. It is told that, Lord Shiva came to South India and while returning back, he rested for a while on the 7th hill. Now you know why it is called “Kailash of South”. Many Yogis and people from Yoga Center ascend the hills daily to meditate. There is a Lord Siva temple at the bottom of the hill. You have to pass the temple to begin to ascend. The hill is considered to be sacred so people will request to remove the shoes and walk without footwear. However you can wear it after passing the temple if you want, but it is not advisable. During Shivarathri function, the shops are available around the hills. Rest of the year, There are no shops. It is better to take all necessary things before you start off.

I started at 4.30 in the morning with a group from Isha Yoga Center. There is no electricity available. We used torch light. There are seven hills. The first hill has steps, so it was bit easy to ascend. It took almost an hour to cross the first hill. At the end of the first hill, there is a small temple. The Second hill does not have steps. We have to walk on a footpath bare foot. It is the longest hill of all. The path is uneven and little dangerous during the night. After you cross the second hill, the path is relatively smooth and easy till the 6th hill, except in some places we need to ascend and descend. We have to be more careful during the rain, the path becomes very slippery. Since many people do not wear footwear, few fell down at some places. One needs to be cautious while passing through 5th hill. I reached the sixth hill around 10am. People who ascended before told us to remove the shoes and backpacks since the wind current was too strong and path is more slippery.

The climate of the7th hill is entirely different than the other hills. The moment you step on to this hill, you will feel the chillness of the wind. The path here is more slippery than other hills. After scaling half the distance, the strong and fast cold wind engulfed us making further progress difficult. There was not any visibility beyond 10 feet of the hill. I was progressing almost blindly. The other other problem was leeches in the path. There are ample of then on the path and on the grasses which made the walk even more difficult. Many Yogis along with I was travelling slipped and got hurt. It took more than an hour to travel to the top of the 7th hill. There were two big rocks at the top of the hill under which Panchalingas are kept in a 6 feet carved cave. I worshipped and sat in the place for 10 minutes. Many people sat and meditated around the rocks. There is another rock near where Sadhguru used to meditate. Because of the strong wind, we were unable to go there. After meditating for half hour the time came to descend. We came back to a place where I kept my bags. Took rest for another half hour over there began descending. It took as long as 6 hours to reach the foothill. I must confess that descending was as difficult as ascending. At the foothill you will find cabs and auto for transportation. Best time to travel here is around May. If you are travelling in winter season, frequent rains and wind makes it very difficult to move ahead. And best time to begin ascending is at 4 in the morning because that way you can come back before 4 in the evening. During the summer season, it better to start in night to beat the rising temperature. It was my first time to that hill and it was unforgettable experience especially the experience on the 7th hill was awesome. The freshness & spirituality of the place will make you to visit again and again.

About the Author : I am working as a software engineer working in the reputed MNC in Chennai. I am passionate about traveling and trekking in hills. When ever I get time, I used to visit different places with my friends. My favorite sport is badminton and I play everyday with my friends.