Parvathamalai – a stupendous spiritual odyssey!!

Parvathamalai, steeped in history with a rich tapestry of lush green mountains, dense forests along with varied herbs. One has to literally climb seven hills to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva in Parvathamalai.

Parvathamalai is about 35 KM from Thiruvanamalai located via the Polur – Thenmathimangalam – Kadaladi route. Perched at the top of the hill at an altitude of 4500 ft, there is a temple believed to be built by Siddhars for Lord Shiva.

You’ll experience the spiritual enlightenment of Lord Shiva under full moon light! In folklore, Parvathamalai is believed to be a fragment of Sanjeevani Mountain carried by Lord Hanuman on his way to Lanka. It’s an absolute haven for trekkers where hiking experiences are fulfilled, and spiritual goals are met! Mostly, pilgrims trek on full moon days and it would be crowded.

We started from Chennai with a group of eight of our friends around 1 pm by car. By the time we reached Thiruvanamalai, it was almost dark. We planned to stay overnight at a nearby hotel and decided to start the trek in the early hours of the morning.

There are two routes to reach the base. One from Kadaladi village and the other from Thenmathimangalam village. We can reach the Ashram at the foothills of the mountain by vehicle via the Kadaladi route. However, we chose Thenmathimangalam route, where you need to climb up 1100 steps from the base.

Parvathamalai Trek:

Begin your exploration from the base with the blessings at Sapthamuni Temple. We started around 5 AM and walked slowly in clusters of two to four. Carry a torchlight, as we spot lots of big centipedes on our way.

The trek consists of three major phases. The first phase of climbing the stairs includes 1200 steps and the second phase consists of uneven rough terrain with huge rock boulders. And, the third phase would be crossing the Kadaparai Pathai (crow bar). There’s no way to turn back. 🙁 Brave yourself and climb up the hill using the iron rods as railings to set your foot firmly on the etched rock. That was the moment I felt that I should’ve stayed at home. After that, we had to cross the iron bridge placed between two rocks.

Thank God, you don’t need to take this route while down the hill. We reached the cliff around 9 AM and spent half an hour there. Also, six hills, like Kadaladi, Kanakachi odai Malai, Methaga Malai, Kadaparai Malai, Kumari Nettu Malai and Puttru Malai will be covered in this trek.           

All through the trek, there were people chanting, “Har Har Mahadev”, “Om Nama Shivaya”.

On reaching Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, we could offer pooja on our own as there were no priests available. Take the blessings of Sri Bramarambika and rest a while. The view from the cliff is so amazing, with a notch of divine enlightenment!

As devotees who hike late in the evening on a full moon day, they will sleep in the temple. It was so disheartening to see all sorts of plastic thrashes thrown everywhere. Please ensure you keep the holy places clean and carry back your thrash!

How long does it take to trek Parvathamalai?

The trek took us a total of 7 hours. 4 hours up-the-hill and 3 hours down-the-hill.

Can ladies climb Parvathamalai?

Of course. There are no restrictions for ladies to climb Parvathamalai.

How difficult is Parvathamalai?

Seriously, Parvathamalai trek is not for the faint heart!! For me, this was quite a challenging and a difficult trek compared to my previous hiking experiences with the Lohagad Fort and the Edakkal caves. I had to stop frequently to catch my breath.

There were places where I couldn’t climb more than 4 steps and had to rest. At some point, my legs were trembling to walk. The view after the arduous hiking was so great and pleasant. Perhaps, inevitably, this trek would be the best exploration of the heart and soul!!

So, prepare yourself to walk atleast 10 K steps every day and build your stamina level before you begin the trek.

What should we carry for trekking?

1) A good pair of trekking shoes and comfortable clothing are the most requisite of any trekking!

The soles of my shoes were torn before I could reach the hill. I walked a few kilometers with socks and had to throw away those socks as well while climbing down the rock boulders in the uneven terrain. Walking barefoot all the way down to 1200 steps in the hot sun was so exhausting.

I felt so happy to meet a lady in a maroon salwar who gave her sandals for me to walk until we reached the Ashram. What an overwhelming experience! She visits Parvathamalai every year to take the blessings of Lord Shiva.

2) Carry a bottle of water sipper, glucose, and any other refreshments in any lightweight backpack. There were occasional stalls selling water bottles, glucose, ragi porridges. Also, lunch will be provided in the ashram on full moon day and on any special days. We had tomato rice for lunch. Please beware of monkeys.

3) Torchlight is a must if hiking in the early hours or late at night.

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With luv,