2016 Thai Poosam Theerthavari

The 2016 Thai Poosam Theerthavari was performed at the Agni Theertham just off NH66 (Chengham Road). The Theertham is connected to but located some distance from, the Agni Lingam. The Agni Lingam is one of the famed Asta Lingams of Tiruvannamalai.

The Gods at Agni Theertham

Theerthavari at Agni Theertham

Theerthavari performed by Big Temple priests

Exiting the Agni Theertham

Moorvi Compound Completed

This week I visited the Moorvi Compound, which is opposite the main Ramana Ashram. The development of the Compound is now fully complete. The remodelling has entailed the demolition of all the old one-storey accommodation and its replacement by new multi-storey accommodation. In addition the old Ramana Ashram Centenary Library has now been remodelled into a multi-room facility. 

To look at photographs at the beginning of the remodelling, go to these links here and here. In addition to see photographs of the Old Library Building, check out this link here. 

The last part of this remodelling programme has been the renovation of the original building in this compound, the Moorvi Choultry. The renovated Moorvi Building is very similar to the old building, but has been fully restored and modernised. 

As many trees as possible of the old Compound have been retained, and already many new bamboo shoots and other plants are making the Moorvi Compound a very comfortable, green retreat. It looks lovely. A very nice job.

Moorvi Choultry

Another view of the Moorvi Choultry

Back of Moorvi Choultry

Spacious Compound with lots of accommodation

Multi-Storey accommodation Facility

Trees left whenever possible during construction process

Building at end, the Old Library

Spacious and restful Compound

Bamboo shots planted at perimeter of Compound

Many of the original trees still remaining in Compound

Original Well still remaining in Compound

Before and After

This is the local grocery store I would visit a couple of times a week to purchase rice and fresh vegetables. I would generally also have a nice chat with the family comprising: husband, wife, son and daughter who owned the shop and lived in a small attached house. The brown door on the right is the entrance to their home.

And peeping out of the door is the wife and mother of the family.

In the below photograph I've gone inside the door and am standing in a corridor which is also sort of their living room. Many a time I've sat in a chair next to the TV having a very nice cup of tea while chatting with this charming family. I've travelled a bit in my time and I believe that nobody does courtesy and graciousness as well as a traditional Indian family.

In the next photograph is the son (who is studying Computers at a local college) and the daughter (who is doing a College correspondence course). Both the kids help out at the store and are as sweet and courteous as their parents.

And here is the lovely daughter in the midst of her small garden at the back of the house. The flowers are called kannakambaram, which are sometimes known as 'paper flowers' because they feel like paper, have no scent and last a long time after picking, so are very favoured by ladies as hair garlands.

The next photograph is of the Dad of the family, also standing in the flower garden.

And in the below photograph, is Dad wearing white and standing at the right looking forlornly at the destruction of their home and life. They lived at this same place for 30 years. Unfortunately the land is owned by the Government which has decided to widen the Chengham Road running infront of their home. As well as a Tiruvannamalai arterial road, Chengham road is also part of the Girivalam roadway.

I find it very difficult to understand why anyone should want to widen Chengham Road which is notorious, dangerous and the site of constant road accidents which often prove fatal. From my observation the only value of widening the road will be that trucks will be able to overtake buses at 50 mph instead of at only 30 mph. With of course hand on horn throughout the maneouvre!

Their home, their house and at the back their little garden.

As well as their home, several other shops and small restaurants also got demolished in this road widening at this particular location, and the only thing left to show for 30 years plus . . . is lots of rubble.

I have heard that the road widening process might even require 15 feet of the Ramana Ashram parking lot. I certainly hope thats not true because if so, it will mean many, beautiful, mature trees will be chopped down - so a truck will be able to overtake a bus at 50 mph instead of 30 mph! Watch out pedestrians we are going to have a race circuit in town!

Modernization

Last year we also experienced a period of 'wrecking' as bull-dozers and men razed to the ground all illegal encroachments from roads and pathways throughout the township. Now that Tiruvannamalai is undergoing extensive modernization one expects much of the same will be a recurring theme. This week the main Chengham Road was the current area to be overhauled. In the below photograph one of the very many bulldozers assigned to the task.

Below is a lovely local dog belonging to a sadhu who has his berth outside one of the walls of Ramana Ashram. The dog is very curious as to what all the activity and noise is about.

To the left is part of an ancient shrine and to the right recent stores (which have been emptied out by the owners) that are waiting to be demolished by a wrecking crew. The shrine stays and the shops go.

Its really not as bad as it seems as it is amazing how quickly the area recovers. The pink area at the front of this shrine used to be a small restaurant with a very nice bamboo roof protruding onto the sidepath with lots of tables and chairs for customers. I have no doubt that within a few weeks, when the coast is clear, things will be cleared up, the bamboo roof will be back up and the restaurant will be in busy again.

Sadly the trees won't recover as quickly. Supposedly for the reason of street widening lots of beautiful, old trees were either cut down completely or trimmed back. Well I suppose that's what urbanisation is all about!

The pink house below with the bamboo shell used to be home for a family of 4 (at the back) and their place of business i.e., a tea shop at the front. Sadly most of the house is regarded as an encroachment and is slated for demolition. This evening I was talking to a local resident about this and she is very concerned that people who had been living in homes for sometimes up to 30 years should all of a sudden be out on the street. Another way of looking at this could be that alot of folk had a free place to live for years, in which they didn't have to pay rent or rates.

The boys in the below photograph are probably on their way home from the nearby Arts College. They don't seem too concerned with the wreckage all around.

Below a photograph of more houses regarded as encroachments (illegally built on Government land) and slated for demolition. As I was passing by some men were bringing out statues from a house which used to be the home and workplace for a sculptor of religious icons. It was nice passing by, checking out what he was working on.

A farmer going past on his bicycle checking out some of the trees that have been felled.

A huge amount of rubble, bricks, plaster, and other bits and pieces are laying strewn around the sides of the road. Just hope its all over quickly and peacefully.

In the below photograph, right on the side of the road is one of the busiest and most popular Temples in the Ramana Nagar area i.e., the Kali Temple. From what I've heard the Temple has already started construction at a new site and will move shortly, thereupon the current Temple will be demolished in order for the highway to be widened.

I took these pictures a couple of days ago and from what I've heard the wreckage was even more dire today. Certainly not interested in going in town until the worst of it is over. On the bright side, this is India, home of the extended family, so most of the people affected by the demolitions will have lots of local relatives to turn too.