Former TN BJP chief Annamalai embarks on spiritual journey to Mahavatar Babaji Cave

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai, who recently stepped down as the party's state unit chief before the AIADMK and BJP's alliance for the upcoming elections, is said to be headed to a sacred Himalayan spiritual journey for a few days.

Annamalai, an ex-IPS officer, will be visiting Mahavatar Babaji Cave located in Uttarakhand's Dwarahat area, in the lap of the Himalayas.

Visited by thousands from all parts of the world, Mahavatar Babaji's Cave is the origin of Kriya yoga and where Yoga Guru Lahiri Mahasaya got Kriya Yoga teachings directly from Mahavatar Baba.

This is the most sacred pilgrimage place for Kriya Yogis across the world. The cave is on Pandukholi mountain beyond the hamlet of Kukuchina (25 km from Dwarahat).

The climb to the cave takes about one hour for the average person.

Devotees come here to meditate and to pay their respect to the great guru.

Superstar Rajinikanth is a frequent visitor to the Mahavatar Babaji caves, and is understood to have taken many spiritual journeys to the sacred site over the years.

Mahavatar Baba was first mentioned by Paramahansa Yogananda in his book Autobiography of a Yogi (1946). Mahavatar Baba, in 1861, met Lahiri Mahasaya, who was posted to Ranikhet in his work as an accountant for the British government. One day while walking in the hills of Dunagiri above Ranikhet, he heard a voice calling his name. Following the voice up the mountain, he met a "Tall, divinely radiant sadhu." He was amazed to find that the sadhu knew his name. This sadhu was Mahavatar Babaji.

Mahavatar Babaji told Lahiri Mahasaya that he was his guru from the past, then initiated him into Kriya Yoga and instructed Lahiri to initiate others. Lahiri wanted to remain with Mahavatar Babaji, who told him instead that he must return to the world to teach Kriya Yoga and that "Kriya Yoga sadhana would spread through the people of the world through his (Lahiri's) presence in the world.

Babaji's cave in Kukuchina is the spot where he gave Kriya initiation to Lahiri Mahasaya.