After winning the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup final, the Indian players returned back to their hometowns, as did Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar. And soon after they reached their state, they were seen performing a sacred ritual called Girivalam. The spinners were seen having white tilaks on their foreheads and walking barefoot on the road with a few other people.
Watch the video here:
But what is Girivalam?
In simple words, Girivalam is a circumambulation of around 14 kilometers around the Arunachala Hill. It normally takes 3-5 hours to complete at a steady to slow walking pace.
Literally, the word "Girivalam" means "Giri" and "Pradakshina" in Sanskrit, which means walking around the mountain. It is a sacred Hindu practice in Tiruvannamalai around the foothills of Arunachala.
It is normally done dedicating it to Lord Shiva, specifically in the form of an infinite pillar of fire. The journey starts from Arunachaleshwarar Temple, with devotees normally walking barefoot. The walk is done mostly in silence of chanting.
Across the route, there are eight primary shrines, each associated with a cardinal or inter-cardinal direction and believed to offer specific blessings. These include:
- Indra Lingam (East): For health and wealth.
- Agni Lingam (South East): For relief from diseases and life's challenges.
- Yama Lingam (South): For longevity and financial stability.
- Niruthi Lingam (South West): For relief from difficulties and fear.
- Varuna Lingam (West): For social status and healing from illness.
- Vayu Lingam (North West): For mental peace and respiratory health.
- Kubera Lingam (North): For prosperity and wealth.
- Esanya Lingam (North East): For inner peace and success.
Notably, the central government of India approached the Supreme Court, requesting that the Tamil Nadu government regulate the Girivalam pathway under the provisions of the proposed Tamil Nadu Heritage Conservation Act.
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Varun Chakravarthy was dethroned from top position of ICC T20I bowlers rank
Varun Chakravarthy has been so far the top bowler in the ICC T20I Men's ranks. However, he was not economical enough to retain the spot. In the 2026 T20 World Cup, he ended with 14 scalps in his bag. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who topped the list of bowlers with most wickets, has the same count but a better economy and average.
Varun played 9 matches to get 14 wickets with an average of 20.50 and an economy of 9.25, With that, he has been demoted to the second rank, as Afghanistan's Rashid Khan got promoted to the top position of the ICC ranking.
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