Guide To Piligrims

The preliminaries to the pilgrimage and the pilgrimage itself are still more expressive of the Soul’s journey to unite with the Supreme.

The most important of the preliminaries is the preparation of what is called the “Irumudi”, a cotton bag in two compartments, one in front and the other behind, which is carried on the head, throughout the pilgrimage, like the Cross which Jesus carried for his crucifixion. The pilgrimage is complete only when the front part is emptied. Just as the Spirit gained victory over matter on the Cross, so the Irumudi symbolically proves the victory of Spirit over matter,

The front part of the Irumudi contains a coconut which has been filled with pure cow’s ghee inserted through the third or soft eye and then securely corked and sealed. It also contains offerings to the Lord. The rear part contains the personal requirements, food and other essentials of the pilgrim. These two parts are first separately tied and then tied together to form two separate bundles under one knot.