1 July 2006

Sri Seshadri Ashram


This is the front gate of Sri Seshadri Ashram where lies the samadhi of this great saint. When on January 4, 1929, Sri Seshadri Swamigal died of fever in his own small room near the Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai was engulfed in sorrow.

After preparation his body was brought out in procession which is said to have been so splendid that the entire stock of camphor in the shops of Tiruvannamalai was exhausted and all incoming buses were full and over crowded.

The streets were jammed with devotees and the night seemed like bright day as it was so brilliantly illuminated by the burning camphor. The air was filled with group-singing, devotional songs and the music of instrument players. It was at Agni Tirtham that Sri Ramana Maharshi joined the procession. Further on a samadhi was constructed and Sri Swamigals body interred. That samadhi tomb is now enshrined within the grounds of Sri Seshadri Ashram on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai.

For further information on the life of this great soul please check:
http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/seshadri.html

3 comments:

Divyakka said...

That is really incredible – your narration really brings that day alive.

Meenakshi Ammal said...

Seshadri Swami is very special to me. When I arrived at Arunachala it was His Grace that enveloped me and brought me to his Ashram, where I spent the first 10 days of my Arunachala Life.

The thing to remember is, while Sri Seshadri was alive, he was a contemporary and equal to Ramana Maharshi. Seshadri was called Big Brother and Ramana, Little Brother - by all the locals.

Ramana has become HUGE only after he died. But for some reason the same thing didn't happen with Seshadri Swami.

I also identify Seshadri Swami alot with Shirdi Sai Baba. In fact there is a statue of Shirdi Sai Baba at the back of the Sri Seshadri Samadhi at the Ashram.

Anonymous said...

YES SWAMI WAS A BLESSED SOUL, MAY HE BLESS US ALL. ARUNACHALA SHIVA RUDRA SHIVA ARUNACHALA HAROHARA