Thiruvoodal Festival 2021: Arunachala Circumambulation: Chinnakadai Street

 

The Lord during this holy festival of Thiruvoodal, continues his circumambulation of Arunachala ever moving closer to Arunachaleswarar Temple and his Goddess, Parvati. The photos below are of the Lord stopping on Chinnakadai Street to give darshan to devotees gathered at the Kamakshi Temple, Durgaiamman Temple, Shirdi Sai Baba Mandapam and the Hanuman Temple. To learn about the unique Thiruvoodal Festival go to this link here. 

 

Shirdi Sai Baba Mandapam

 

 

Vairakal Murugan Temple, Arunachala Spur

There is a very nice Murugan Shrine situated on top of a spur of Arunachala Hill. The Vairakal Murugan Temple is known to locals in the area and is becoming increasingly popular with visiting devotees during Poornima and festivals. Currently several times a year evening functions with singing are conducted at the Shrine, which is brightly lit up for these occasions. So much so that from my house I can easily see the lights on those evenings coming from the Arunachala Hill spur. Lights on the Hill are put up for the night of Mahadeepam, Chitra Poornima and Panguini Utthirham. The Temple is expecting devotees to come for puja and watch the lighting of the Arunachala Mahadeepam from the Hillock. 

Around one year back, the Murugan statue which had been on the top of the Hillock for over 30 years was damaged. When this became known, many local villagers gave donations to pay for the creation of a new statue of Lord Murugan and to help finance the construction of a larger Shrine. Until the Shrine is complete, the new statue of Lord Murugan will remain in an adjacent shed (see below photographs). Kumara Swami who lives on the Hillock, is maintaining the performance of regular puja for both the Murugan Statue and Shiva Lingam. Special pujas are being performed on Tuesdays, Fridays and Poornimas. A beautiful function on the evening of December 12, 2016, the night of Mahadeepam is planned. 

To assist in bringing material up to the top of the Hillock, the excellent Shantimali Trust helped the Shrine finance the creation of a pathway for construction vehicles, the digging of a water borewell and is currently also active in supporting the development of the Lord Murugan Shrine. 

There was no thought other than creating a Shrine to house the new Murugan Statue, however a devotee felt a strong impulse to give money for the creation of Shiva Lingam to be housed in a cave situated in a rocky cluster at the top of the Hillock. It is planned that after the Lord Murugan Shrine is complete, a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva will be created inside a nearby cave in which devotees will be allowed to meditate. 

Circle shows location of Vairakal Murugan Temple. Arunachala background

The photograph above indicates how to get on the pathway leading to top of spur. The pathway to top of Hillock is located at back of Cow Sheds

Arunachala darshan from the location of the Vairakal Murugan Temple on Hillock

Easy walk up Hillock to the Murugan Shrine

Way to the top

Murugan Shrine at top of Hillock

Stone known as Anjaneya Rock, next to the Shrine

Villagers believe that the spirit of Lord Anjaneya resides at the top of the Hillock in the form of this guardian rock

This is the old Murugan Shrine which is being replaced by a larger Shrine that is nearly complete

Larger Vairakal Murugan Temple nearly complete

As construction is underway completing the Shrine, statue of Murugan is being kept in adjacent white shed. Puja is being regularly performed.

Lingam has been specially created. Will be later moved to its new home

Cave located in rock cluster on top of Hillock

There had been no intention to create a Shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva on the top of the Hillock. However when a person visited the Shrine and unexpectedly gave a large donation for the creation of a Shiva Lingam, it was decided that after completion of the Murugan Shrine, a Shrine will be created for Lord Shiva and located in a cave situated in a rock cluster (above photograph) at the top of the Hillock.

Shrine for Lord Murugan with adjacent shed housing new statue. Lingam in front of Shrine

On top of Hillock

Kumara Swami has been living at top of Hillock for the past year, conducting regular pujas to the new Lord Murugan statue and Shiva Lingam

One view from the Hillock overs the 750 acre Samudram Eri (lake) which fills with water during the Monsoon season

View from top of Hillock

Beautiful views and darshan from top of Hillock

Mookupodi Swamigal Location

Many readers eager to contact Mookupodi Swami, have contacted Arunachala Grace asking where they can find him and take darshan. This posting is to help you locate Swamigal. 

He is usually at the Navagraha Shrine in the early mornings, and if he goes to other places, he will generally return there. The Shrine is located near the well-known Unnamulai Amman Temple about 3 kms on the Girivalam Roadway after it forks off from the NH66.

Unnamulai Temple, Arunachala Girivalam Roadway

Navagraha Shrine

A BLESSED AND AUSPICIOUS 2015 FROM ARUNACHALA

Early morning set out in the drizzle with my doggies on our daily walk. To begin with Arunachala was almost totally obscured by mists. As we progressed further on our walk the mist lessened and we were able to clearly discern the shape of the Hill. 

By the time we got home, normal service was resumed and we were able to enjoy a truly magnificent darshan from the roof of our house. 

WISHING ALL FRIENDS OF ARUNACHALA 

A MOST BLESSED AND JOY-FILLED 2015 

Sri Nannagaru a previous Arunachala Visit

Words from the Guru 

Bhagavan said, ‘You have intelligence and devotion. It is these that have brought you here. They will reform you and improve you. Your intelligence, devotion and ardent desire will enable you to attain peace. Devotion establishes contact with God. If you have that contact always, all sins will be washed away. Forget about the false ‘I’, devotion to God itself will reveal to you the Truth.’ 

It is enough if you have great devotion to God. Devotion purifies the mind and the purified mind turns inward. When this happens, the mind merges in the Heart. The result is that you experience Truth. It is peace, bliss; it is being. The moment this is realised one becomes free. The key to this is going beyond the mind. It is the mind alone that torments and which has to be conquered. 

Sri Nannagaru

When one has God as the centre of his life he does not feel any sorrow. When there is a liking for something, we do not feel any hardship in doing a job. He who takes the sorrows of daily life in a joyful attitude is the real sadhaka. Only a sadhaka attains the goal or siddhi - siddhi means the knowledge of what already exists. One who is not a sadhaka can never become a siddha. 

The fruits of one’s action are to be given to the society, it is real worship. He that cannot love his neighbor cannot hope to love God.True belief and abidance in the Self is surrender. Surrender is the beauty of the Self. If one loves the God within, one purifies the intellect. If you are devoted to God, God gives you the boon of liberation, as well as mundane success. If one acts with a purified mind, abiding in the Self, the reward is God’s grace. 

The below video was made over three years ago and follows Sri Nannagaru during a car circumambulation of Arunachala. As is his custom he stopped at some Temples and Shrines, including Kubera Lingam, at which place he gave a discourse in Telegu. Later in the video Guruji is seen visiting Ramana Ashram. 

Sri Nannagaru at Arunachala

Sri Nannagaru is scheduled to visit Arunachala between August 22 and September 2, 2014. Approximately 2,000 devotees are expected to follow him from Andhra Pradesh to Tiruvannamalai. As of yet a definite programme has not been announced regarding darshan and discourses. 

Sri Nannanagaru has been in poor health for several years and for this reason did not visit Arunachala for the 2013 Deepam. As the journey from his native place is very strenuous it is not known when Sri Nannagaru will again attempt the trip to Tiruvannamalai. For this reason for those eager to take his darshan, it is advisable to take full advantage of the Guruji's upcoming visit to Arunachala. 

To learn more about the teachings of Sri Nannagaru please visit his Website at this link here and Blog at this link here. 

Sri Nannagaru Visits Arunachala

Sri Nannagaru is currently at residence at his ashram at Tiruvannamalai which is located at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, approximately a kilometre west of Ramana Ashram, just off Chengam Road. While at his ashram he has been giving regular darshan and the below photographs were taken this morning. Sri Nannagaru will remain at Tiruvannamalai until June 18. To learn more about Sri Nannagaru you can visit his website at this link here.

Right-click on all photographs to enlarge

To watch and listen to Sri Nannagaru answering the question posed in a previous interview:

"It appears essential to meet a guru and stay with that guru. Who is the guru? What is the guru's role? How to recognise a true guru?"

Please go to this link here

where he starts his reply, "It is better to see enlightened souls. You will get inspiration from them . . . "

Mother Meera at Tiruvannamalai

Mother Meera was born on December 26, 1960 in the village of Chandepalle in Southern India. The state of samadhi soon became constant for Her. Under the auspices of Her uncle, she lived for some time in Pondicherry. She now lives at Thalheim, a village in Germany. It is said of her: "Darshan is Her silent bestowal of Grace and Light through Her gaze and touch. Mother gives darshan in silence. It is Her gift to humanity".

On November 13th of this year, Mother Meera will give darshan at Tiruvannamalai,with venue to be announced. From the 16th – 18th November Mother Meera will be at Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh.

Sri Nannagaru Visit

Yesterday, 16th June, Sri Nannagaru arrived at his Ashram, Sri Nannagaru Ashram, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Tiruvannamalai for a ten-day visit. While here he will be available to devotees and pilgrims. Early morning is a favourite time for some of Swami's devotees, and he generally gives a long darshan in the early mornings around 6 a.m.

I hadn't visited Sri Nannagaru Ashram since Swamiji's last visit, so the new structure covering the roof came as a very nice surprise - definitely feel nervous about bamboo roofs since my own flew off during gale force winds a couple of months ago!

Very nice job too, and also much more comfortable in times of rain and inclement weather.

The below photographs is of Sri Nannagaru with a photograph of his Guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi, in the background.



After a long time sitting, Swami wandered about the roof looking at Arunachala.

To find out more about this Advaitic Master, please check out his website at this link. I have also made many earlier postings on Swamiji, which you can access through the new 'search box' at the top left hand column of this page.

More information on Swami's visit to come.

Mother Meera to visit Tiruvannamalai

Mother Meera will visit South-India beginning 2008 and give Darshans between 13th January to 21st February at her Ashram in Madanapalle. She will be in Tiruvannamalai on January 10th for one Darshan, which is expected to be held at Meenakshi Kalyana Mandapam starting 6 p.m.

Mother Meera's Visit

Mother Meera will visit Tiruvannamalai and give Darshan on August 16th, 6 p.m., at the venue of Meenakshi Kalyana Mandapam. Reservations for this event are not required. All are welcome. Darshan is in silence. Devotees and visitors are requested to come to the Mandapam in time. There are additional Darshans in South India in Madanapalle.