Photographs 2014 Mahashivaratri Big Temple

The below photographs are a short pictorial record of part of the 2014 Mahashivaratri Festival as observed at Arunachaleswarar Temple. As tradition dictates, in the daytime of Mahashivaratri (this year February 27) ladies created beautiful kolams (also known as rangolis) on the floors of the Temple Compound which depicted scenes from the history and mythology of Lord Shiva. 

Outside Unnamulai Shrine, Big Temple

I assumed that the pictures were created in coloured kolam powder, but learnt yesterday that all the kolams at the Temple were made using rock crystal salt. Found the fact surprising as always assumed that salt is regarded as inauspicious during Festivals. But this doubt was easily brushed away by the assurances of several ladies (connected with the kolams) that its just fine to use rock salt as it makes the pictures nice and shiny. Oh! well that's alright then!

Five Face Siva Kolam, Big Temple

Later on around 6 p.m. of the 2014 Mahashivaratri celebrations, the gates to the Temple tank were opened to allow devotees to place and light their deepam clay pots around the perimeter of the tank. The tank gates stayed open till about 9 p.m. But it wasn't just around the Temple Tank that one could observe the small deepam lights, as little ghee deepam pots were twinkling everywhere throughout the Temple compound.

Brahma Teertham, 2014 Mahashivaratri, Big Temple

Line waiting to enter Third Prakaram through Kili Gopuram

The Temple was packed with devotees. I arrived with friends at about eight in the evening. The devotional programmes were already underway in the open air auditorium in front of which a long and densely packed line of devotees waited in turn to climb up the stairway of the Kili Gopuram (parrot tower) and thus enter the Third Prakaram with its Annamalaiyar and Unnamulaiamman Shrines. Very tasty rice dishes were available for purchase near the auditorium and with the easy availability of drinking water, one felt very comfortable and well taken care of. 

Crowd milling around the Fourth Prakaram, Big Temple

Finally we made it into the Third Prakaram, and I was eager to view the special Lingam at the Mahila Maram Sacred Trees located at the side of the Siva Sannidhi. Four round pillars and statues of Dakshinamurthi stand close the Linga and I was disappointed that the pedestal base of the Lingam was not filled with water (as occurs during the Vasantha Utasavam Festival). As I had heard that when the Lingam pedestal is filled with water, it appears that the Lingam is floating. 

Lingam under the the sacred trees

Four Kala Pujas (see my earlier posting at this link here) would occur inside the Shiva Sannidhi during the night of Mahashivaratri. My friends and I didn't even attempt to secure access to any of the pujas. However we did walk around the First Prakaram to view the Lingodbhavamurti which is (as all Shiva Temples) located at the back of the Lord Shiva Shrine room. The puja was scheduled for midnight, and it was only 8.45 p.m. when we walked around, but already all spots facing the Lingodbhavamurti had been taken by devotees  happy to sit and wait for the commencement of the special abhishekam  scheduled to start 2 1/4 hours later.

After circumambulating the First Prakaram, we walked to the Unnamulaiamman Shrine, which was also peopled by large crowds of devotees. Many devotees were lighting ghee deepams close to the Navagraham (nine celestial bodies) Shrine. 

Near Navagraham Shrine, Unnamulaiamman Temple

2014 Mahashivaratri, Lord Shiva and Goddess with Ganesha and Murugan

During Mahashivaratri the marriage of Lord Siva is also celebrated. Below is an extract from the Vamana Purana describing the Lord in a procession with his ganas and retinue proceeding to the site of the marriage. 

“Lord Vishnu, Brahma, the deities and the Ganas were pleased to hear about Shiva's marriage. Lord Shiva went to his abode Kailash Mountain to make preparations for the marriage ceremony. 

Lord Shiva's marriage procession proceeded towards Himalaya Mountain. His appearance was quite terrifying with a tiger skin around his waist and Gorochan Tilak on his forehead. He had a garland of skulls around his neck. Snakes were coiling all around his body. His mount Vrishabh (ox) was walking in a majestic way. The marriage procession comprised of the deities, Yakshas, demons and his Ganas. Lord Vishnu had Goddess Lakshmi by his side and was mounted on Garud (eagle) while Lord Brahma was mounted on Hans (swan) . . ."

[Vamana Purana] 

Lord Siva in marriage procession

Lord Siva and Goddess Meenakshi Kolam at big Temple

If I am able to secure photographs of the Lingodbhavamurti puja, will post later on so please check back. 

2014 Arunachala Mahashivaratri

For those wishing to attend the Mahashivaratri Function at Arunachaleswarar Temple this year, the Temple will be open throughout the night. Crowds will be big so unless you have arranged permission to attend the pujas being conducted inside the Siva Sannidhi, best to be satisfied enjoying being inside the Temple Compound, viewing the exquisite rangolis on the floors, lighting a Deepam jyothi on the steps of the Temple tank and enjoying the excellent devotional dancing and singing at the Temple auditorium. 

Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai 

Mahashivaratri Festival Celebration 

Invitation Thursday February 27th, 2014.  

Below is a copy of the Temple Invitation, listing the full programme with a short English translation.

Details of the programmes in the Temple Auditorium on the evening of Thursday 27th February, 2014 and early morning of Friday 28th February, 2014. 

Timing:

6.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Devaram poems with music 

7.05 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. Kalaratna Bharatnatyam Dance Group (Chennai) 

8.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. Sri Krishna Kalamandhir (Vellore) Bharatnatyam Dance Group 

9.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. Sri Nithi Bharatnatyam Dance Group (Tiruvannamalai) 

10.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. Banaka Bharatnatyam Dance Group (Bangalore) 

11.00 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. Saxophone music of devotional songs by Sivanandan Group (Chennai) 

Mahashivaratri Night Puja Programme 

1st Kala Puja 8.30 p.m. February 27 

2nd Kala Puja 11.00 p.m. February 27 

3rd Kala Puja 2.00 a.m. February 28 

4th Kala Puja 4.00 a.m. February 28 

Night of Mahashivaratri February 27-28 at 12 midnight 

Commencement of the Sri Lingodbhavamurti (at back of Siva Sannidhi) Special Abhishekam 

Mahashivaratri Retreat February 22 to March 8, 2014

Torsten Brugge and Padma Woolf have been bringing pilgrim groups from Europe to Tiruvannamalai over the course of the last 10 years. For each of their visits, the venue for their Retreat is Sri Nannagaru Ashram where they stay from between 9-14 days. The Brugge—Woolf Retreat is the only Retreat that I know of held at Sri Nannagaru Ashram, that Swamiji has personally blessed. 

In 2014 the dates of their Retreat Programme are scheduled for February 22nd – March 8th, 2014. And for the first time during their regular Arunachala Pilgrimage, their group will be at Arunachala during the sacred time of Mahashivaratri (February 28, 2014). As always the venue for their Retreat will be the peace-filled Sri Nannagaru Ashram. 

As well as their usual programme of satsang, guided meditations, talks and meetings, there will also be a special programme during the 24 hour Mahashivaratri Festival which will include an escorted group giripradakshina of Arunachala late in the evening of February 28, arriving at Arunachaleswarar Temple before midnight, in time to attend the myriad functions of Mahashivaratri. 

Early in the day of Mahashivaratri devotees will be creating colourful kolams

Beautiful Kolams depicting aspects of Lord Shiva

Devotees light lamps around Temple Tank on night of Mahashivaratri

To find out more about the splendid Mahashivaratri Festival, both its history and celebration at Arunachaleswarar Temple, please go to this link here. Arunachaleswarar Temple is open throughout the night of Mahashivaratri, during which several pujas are performed; the Kala Puja is celebrated inside the Siva Sannidhi and the Lingodbhavamurti puja is performed at the back of the Siva Sannidhi. 

Lingodbhavamurti Puja, behind Shiva Sannidhi

Throughout the evening of February 28 and into the morning of March 1, a cultural programme highlighting the best of Tamil dance and song, will be held in the open auditorium on the Temple grounds.

Music programme at an earlier Mahashivaratri Function

Large crowds gather at Arunachaleswarar Temple for the cultural programme

Traditional Tamil dancing and singing represented at the Cultural Programme

Over the coming months I will be posting photographs, narratives and reports from participants of the Brugge—Woolf 2012 Arunachala Retreat. However for more information about the upcoming Retreat please go to their website at this link here.

“Torsten and Padma offer self-enquiry in the tradition of Sri Ramana Maharshi and in the lineage of Sri Poonjaji, Gangaji and Eli Jaxon-Bear. The focus of the retreat will be to make Sri Ramana Maharshi’s profound self-enquiry and the silent power of Arunachala accessible to participants. Torsten and Padma offer daily Satsang-meetings on the roof-terrace of Sri Nannagaru Ashram. The group will also visit different abodes of Sri Ramana Maharshi on the mountain for silent meditation.

Padma Woolf and Torsten Brugge

In their dialogues with participants Torsten and Padma support spiritual seekers through traditional as well as modern approaches of self-enquiry to awaken to the inner freedom of our true nature and ground ourselves in that. To that end they also make their experience in Enneagram-work, Buddhist meditation, transpersonal psychology and other approaches available. 

The main transmission, however, consists in the message of Sri Ramana Maharshi: ‘We already are the formless, silent Awareness before, during and after all transient appearances. When we rediscover that, our limited sense of I dissolves and the natural bliss of our true nature shines forth.’” 

To watch a video of Torsten and Padma’s response to the question, “Many western seekers come to India looking for enlightenment as if it is an experience. What is enlightenment? Go to this video link here.

Shiva - The Mystic Night 

We conceive God as glory, as creativity and as austerity. Vishnu is glory and magnificence, Brahma is creativity force, and Shiva is austerity and renunciation. You might have heard it said that God is the embodiment of six attributes of which renunciation is one. You will be wondering how God can renounce things. He is not a Sannyasin. He is not an ascetic like a Vairagin or a Sadhu. What is He going to renounce? How do you conceive Shiva as an austere Yogin or a renunciate? What does He renounce? The all-pervading Almighty, what has He to give or abandon? Here is the secret of what renunciation is! It is not renunciation of anything, because there is nothing outside Him; renunciation does not mean abandonment of object. If that had been the definition of renunciation, that cannot apply to God. God does not renounce or abandon any object, because all objects are a part of His Cosmic Body. Then how do you represent God as an embodiment of Vairagya (dispassion)? 

Lord Shiva and his Goddess

Bhagavan, who is endowed with 'Bhaga' or glories of a sixfold nature, is also embodiment of Vairagya. Do you identify Him with a Sannyasin, possessing nothing? No, never. God is the possessor of all things. Then, how can you call Him a renunciate, a Sannyasin or a Vairagin? The secret behind the concept or the consciousness of Vairagya, renunciation is here, in the identification of this attribute with God. It is only when we interpret things in terms of God that things become clear. Otherwise, we get confused. We cannot know what goodness is, we cannot know what evil is, we cannot know what virtue is, unless we refer all these values of life to the concept of God in His Perfection. The only standard of reference for us in all matters of life's values, is the existence of God. So, the concept of renunciation, which has been very much misused, also gets rectified, clarified and purified when it is understood with reference to the existence of God whose special manifestation, in this context, is known as Lord Shiva. 

To continue reading this narrative go to this link here: