#45YearsOfRajinism: Rajinikanth's Sabarimala trips and his lightning speed

Shivpprasadh, a senior in the Tamil theatre industry, who has known Rajinikanth from the days before he became the phenomenon that he is today, recollects their experiences...
I had the unique opportunity of travelling with Rajinikanth prior and post his marriage to Sabari Hills for decades together under Maha Guruswamy MN Nambiar on his annual 10-day pilgrimage.We would chart four buses on the traditional 48km Yerimeyli route and return by the 21km Vandiperiyar route.
In this particular group of Ayyappa devotees, everyone is always treated alike and every devotee has to carry their own belongings apart from their Irumudi. Rajini sir never brought with him any person to assist him in any way and would be like an unassuming common man amongst us.
While trekking on the 48km route, our guru Nambiar used to make us halt at Azhudha river base thaavalam at 6pm after coming from Yerimeyli and after a rest, he would lead us at 2am so that we could travel the maximum in darkness. Normally, all the swamies would reach Pamba base thaavalam only by around 5pm or 6pm, but Rajinikanth would be so fast that he would reach the place by 10am itself! The weather would play a spoilsport during our tedious journey and we would trek with plastic sheets over our heads. But even then, Rajini sir’s walking speed will be the same although we had to cross slippery surfaces of varied nature.
During one particular year, while myself, Rajinikanth, Bollywood director S Ramanathan and other swamies were dancing in the middle of the road at Yerimeyli as customary Peytaie Thullal, S Ramanathan tripped and fractured his arm, which emotionally affected Rajinikanth very much.In another year, when my toes were bruised, Rajini sir lent me his shoulder for the entire 8km stretch so as to enable me to reach the Sannidhanam from Pamba base without the least pain although I had slowed down his fast climb by one-tenth of his lightning-fast speed.
While my uncle, RS Manohar, was acting with Rajini Sir in films like Billa and Thee, it was Rajini sir who took the privilege of dropping RSM in his house in his self-driven car whenever they both finished their shoot simultaneously. He does not have any ego or false prestige.