Parvathamalai Archive of Blog Postings

In response to those requesting information about Parvathamalai, below are a list of my postings of this sacred place. I will enlarge this archive when I make new postings on the Hill.

Parvathamalai, which is located a short distance from Arunachala lies in its sacred powerful influence as stipulated in the Skanda Purana.

Temple on Summit of Parvathalamalai

Parvathamalai Hill and Temple 

[18 October 2014] 

Information about the Hill and Temple located on the summit. Legends and mythology connected with the Hill. 

Thavathiru Veera Vairakiya Moorthy Swamigal and Parvathamalai 

[October 27, 2014] Legend connected with the great saint who lived at Parvathamalai and performed a famous miracle at Tiruvannamalai. 

Arunachala from Summit of Parvathamalai

Parvathamalai—Girivalam, Accommodation, Routes: 

[22 March 2015] 

Details of how to climb Parvathamalai and information about accommodation both at the Hill base and on the summit. 

Parvathamalai Summit: 

[31 March 2015] 

Information about the summit of the Hill including mythology and legends associated with the Hill. 

Parvathamalai Girivalam: 

[21 February, 2017] 

Photographs and History of 25 km Parvathamalai girivalam path. Information about Temples and Accommodation on Girivalam. Hints and suggestions. 

Indian Railways - Tiruvannamalai Station

In connection with my recent posting on Arunachala Grace about the development of Tiruvannamalai Railway Station, I think it might be interesting to give some history on Indian Railways and information on the conversion of Metre Gauge tracks to Broad Gauge at Tiruvannamalai Station and its surrounds. 

The first railway built in India in 1852 covered a distance

of 34kms between Bombay and Thane and the first passenger

train started to run between these two stations, on April 16, 1853.

Indian Railways, a Department of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Railways, operates the Indian rail network which is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world. Each day it transports 17 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of freight. It is also one of the largest employers in the world with a workforce of 1.6 million employees. 

Railways were first introduced to India in 1853. By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives. In 1951 the diverse railway systems were nationalized and became one unit with six zonal divisions, which for administrative purposes, were subsequently divided into seventeen zones. 

One of those zones is Southern Railways, which in its present form, came into existence on 14th April 1951 through the merger of three state railways; Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, South Indian Railway, and Mysore State Railway. 

Southern Railway's present network covers 5,235 kms of track and extends over a large area of India's Southern Peninsula. Headquartered at Chennai, the Southern Railway comprises six divisions; Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Palghat, Trivandrum and Salem, and has a total staff strength of approximately 105,000. 

The work recently undertaken at Tiruvannamalai has been the conversion of Metre Gauge tracks to Broad Gauge and the development of Tiruvannamalai Station and its surrounds. Metre gauge is still found on about 17,000 km of the Indian Rail network. It is said that metre gauge was chosen by Lord Mayo (then Viceroy of India) based on calculations to allow four persons to sit comfortably abreast; it would have been 3'3" except that there was a push (at that time) to move to the metric system and so the gauge became one metre. However, the metric system was not adopted until nearly a century later, so the railway track gauge was the only thing in India that was 'metric' for a long time. 

Another reason for narrow gauge railways is that it was substantially cheaper to build, equip, and operate than standard gauge or broad gauge railways, particularly in difficult terrain. However the problem with narrow gauge railroads is they lack room to grow and their cheap construction is bought at the price of being engineered only for initial traffic demands. While a standard or broad gauge railroad could more easily be upgraded to handle heavier, faster traffic, many narrow gauge railroads are impractical to improve. Speeds and loads cannot increase, so traffic density is significantly limited. An additional reason for the conversion of rail tracks to broad gauge is to ensure stability in the face of the cyclonic winds of Indian weather. 

Incense in India

Of all our senses, the most primal and that which directly affects our brain and mind is our sense of smell. Incense has been and is used in; religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, mood creation, masking bad odours, creating a fragrant aroma and in ancient times, pleasant-smelling perfumes were offered to royalty and saints and diffused over roads on which revered personages travelled.

Although used in a multitude of cultures throughout the world, some of the oldest references to the use of incense appear in the Atharva Veda, indicating that the use of incense (Hindi=agarbatti) in India dates back to over 3500 years ago.

When used in Hindu rituals, incense purifies the atmosphere like havan fire working through the power of fragrance as in flowers. For Temple worship, incense is not only an offering but serves to purify the atmosphere and calm the mind of Temple visitors enhancing their spiritual awareness. Deities within Hinduism have specific aromas associated with them; Tulsi for Krishna, Kewra for Shiva and Jasmine or Sandalwood for Lakshmi.

According to Ayurveda, an individual's qualities are harmonized when the inherent qualities of various medicinal herbs and flowers are introduced. Herbal ingredients may be prepared as natural incense and used to prevent infections, purify atmosphere and energize prana.

Indian incense-making involves a wide variety of ingredients. In accordance with Ayurvedic principles, all the ingredients that go into incense-making are categorized into five classes: Ether (fruits e.g. Star Anise), Water (stems and branches e.g. Sandalwood), Earth (roots e.g. Turmeric), Fire (flowers e.g. Clove) and Air (leaves e.g. Patchouli).

In Ayurveda astrology it is believed aromas can strengthen planetary energies: Sun: Sage and Camphor, Moon: Jasmine and Sandalwood, Mars: Musk and Camphor, Mercury: Sandalwood and Basil, Jupiter: Lotus and Frankincense, Venus: Nag Champa and Plumeria, Saturn: Cedar and Myrrh, Rahu: Sandalwood and Myrrh and Ketu: Sage and Camphor

A Very Short History

Arunachala is in the Eastern Ghats of the North Arcot District. Its about fifty miles inland from the Bay of Bengal and rises into a peak some 2,268 feet above sea level, forming a conspicuous object in the landscape for miles around. Arunachala has many other names: Arunagiri, Sonagiri, Sonasaila and Sudarsanagiri are some. Sometimes it is referred to as Jothirlingam or Tejo Lingam, which means lingam of fire. Lingam being the formless (nishkala) emblem of Siva.

The Hill is referred to in the Puranas as the oldest hill on earth, and is regarded as the heart of the earth owing to its sanctity. The Deccan plateau, particularly the Eastern Ghats, has been thought to be the oldest land of the earth.

A geologist has stated about this Hill:

“Arunachala should have been thrown up by the earth under the stress of some violent volcanic eruption in the dim ages before even the coal-bearing strata were formed. This rocky mass of granite may be dated back to the earliest epoch of the history of our planet’s crust, that epoch which long preceded the vast sedimentary formations in which fossil records of plants and animals have been preserved. It existed long before the gigantic saurians of the pre-historic world moved their ungainly forms through the primeval forest that covered our early earth. It was contemporaneous with the formation of the very crust of earth itself. Arunachala was almost as hoary and as ancient as our planetary home itself.”

Even though Arunachala, is regarded as the physical embodiment of consciousness, of Shiva, and of the Divine Principle itself, it has always been explicitly associated with the androgyne (ardharnisharva) siva-sakti representation of the Divine. That aspect of the divine locked in union, with no distinction between consciousness and its contents, and no world.

As can be evidenced by the still remaining practice of fire worship and fire walking (here and here) at Shakti Temples (including Unnamalai Temple, Tiruvannamalai), of animal sacrifice in many Temples dedicated to the Goddess and the relics of a multitude of sacred groves, there have been occasions in the history of the Hill, that the primary worship in these parts were primeval veneration and Animism.







Arunachala has constantly been attracting saints, teachers, gurus and pilgrims to itself since time immemorial. As far as our own recorded history goes, it is said that the great Adi Shankaracharya himself visited Arunachala. Which is most fitting since it is believed that Sri Adi Shankara was an exponent of self-investigation or self-attentiveness (atma-vichara) which is often translated into English as ‘self-enquiry’. Atma-vichara denotes the practice of examining, inspecting or scrutinising the essential consciousness of ‘I am’.

In one of his Ashtakas, Sri Sankara calls Arunachala ‘Meru’ and says that Siddha Purushas are found here and also on the Himalayas. Shaktas regard this hill as Sri Chakra, a diagram of forty-three triangles. Some consider that the form of the hill resembles the first half of the Sri Chakra which is called Meruprastana, the emblem of the Cosmos.

Sri Ramana Maharshi’s (of more recent history) greatest legacy has been his emphasis of the practice of self-investigation and self-attentiveness to ‘Who Am I?’ A practice of attentive examination of the basic consciousness of our own being, which we always experience as ‘I am’.

A contemporary of Sri Ramana Maharshi was the great Sri Seshadri Swamigal. Seshadri who arrived at Arunachala six years earlier than Ramana, was an exponent of Sri Vidya and a tapaswi of a very high order. One result of the mantras and sadhana he practiced from his earliest years was the development of various siddhis and psychic powers.

Throughout his life and teachings Sri Seshadri continuously emphasised the glory of Arunachala:

‘This is Siva Lingam. It is enough to worship this. One can become spiritually enlightened and attain liberation’.

Nowadays many saints, holy people and spiritual teachers who regard themselves as being of the lineage of Sri Ramana Maharshi in so far as they have accepted Bhagavan as their Guru or their Guru's Guru, have thus adopted the practice of Self Enquiry as a pivotal part of their spiritual teachings. Such holy people, now deceased, include H.W.L. Poonja (Papaji) Robert Adams, and the still living Sri Nannagaru, and Laksmana Swamy and Sri Saradamma.

Some ten years ago a great change came about in these parts. Previously Arunachala seemed to be the country’s best kept spiritual secret. How was it possible that in a country where pilgrimage is a national past time, and Arunachala’s glory has been lauded in the Puranas and texts of antiquity and expounded by such great saints as Arunagirinatha, Guhai Namasivaya, Guru Namasivaya and Isanya Desikar – should still remain such a comparative secret? There was a time, not long distant, that even on full moon, the numbers of pilgrims performing girivalam around Arunachala could be numbered in the hundreds. And now the numbers are the hundreds of thousands and ever increasing.

And as to the future, read below a fascinating narrative recorded by Sri Ramana Maharshi in [Day by Day with Bhagavan Pages 116-117]:

“In those days these Rajas used to fortify their hills and live there. See Ginjee for instance. The Ginjee fort was built on three hills. They are all in ruins. Padaiveedu nearby in this District was once a great city. Hampi was a great city and the capital of an Empire. It is said that the town was built on the model of a Sri Chakra and that there has been some slight mistake somewhere, and that is why, though the Empire flourished well for a time, it did not endure but failed.

There is a rumour that a prophecy made by Vidyaranya, earlier a Dewan of Hampi Empire and later a Shankaracharya, has declared that when again a descendant of that Empire or a successor of his in the Mutt builds a city on the model of Sri Chakra, a great Empire will again flourish with that city as capital.

Some people have even thought that the present Shankaracharya (note: the now deceased Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati) might be the person for such destiny. Our Naina used to feel that as this town is by nature itself built on Sri Chakra model, by the Gods themselves, if only we could build houses all round the Hill and make a city of it, this will become the capital of a big Empire. He used to be always thinking and speaking of swaraj (note: self-governance or home rule i.e. from the British) dreaming and planning for it and saying what he would do when swaraj is attained. People say there was a town in the old, old days somewhere here to the South of the Hill. Who knows that will happen hereafter? Did we imagine that all these houses now here were going to be built?”

Arunachala Deepam Origins and History

To read more about the traditions and mythology of Deepam as is celebrated at Arunachala, please visit the following earlier postings on Arunachala Grace.


http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/arunachala-deepam-festival.html

http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/bharani-deepam-2008.html



Festival of Light

Part 1
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/11/karthigai-deepam-south-india.html


Part 2
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/deepam-festival-part-two.html


Part 3
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/deepam-festival-part-three.html


Part 4
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/festival-of-light.html

Navaratri Pujas

To keep track of the wonderful daily pujas undertaken at Ramana Ashram throughout the whole of Navaratri Festival, check out the official Ashram site at this link, where they have photographs and videos of each day's puja.

Navaratri
Navaratri is celebrated in the lunar month of Ashvina (September-October). Hindus observe the Festival in a wide variety of ways, depending on their region, local history and family influences. Some see it as a way to commune with their own feminine divinity. A widespread practice honours the Goddess in every woman by inviting young girls to the family's home, feeding them and offering new clothes. During the Festival, women also perform tapas and selfless acts. Families in Tamil Nadu traditionally prepare in their homes a kolu, an exhibition of small dolls, figurines and small artifacts on a stepped, decorated shelf. At least one murti of Shakti must be present, as well as wooden figurines of a boy and a girl together to invoke auspicious marriages.

The Navaratri festival or 'nine day festival' becomes 'ten days festival' with the addition of the last day, Vijaya-dasami (day of victory) its culmination. This year the dates of the Festival are September 30th to October 9th. On all these ten days, Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) is worshipped. According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a demon. The demon's father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahisha Asura (the demon Mahisha) was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (Mahisha means "buffalo"). Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasura was given the boon that he could not be defeated by man or god. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds which met its end when he fought and lost against the Goddess Durga.

In South India the Goddess is worshipped in three forms. During the first three nights, Durga is revered, then Lakshmi on the fourth, fifth and sixth nights, and finally Saraswati until the ninth night. Durga ("invincible" in Sanskrit) is the epitome of strength, courage and ferocity. Her devotees approach Her, sometimes with difficult penances, for those qualities and for the protection she Bestows.

A more gentle worship is observed for Lakshmi also called Annapurna "Giver of food," Lakshmi is the Goddess of abundance, wealth and comfort. She is the ever-giving mother, worshipped for well being and prosperity. A traditional way of invoking Her is chanting the Sri Suktam. In Her honour, food is prepared and offered to neighbours and all who visit, thus strengthening community ties. On the full moon night following Navaratri, it is believed Lakshmi Herself visits each home and replenishes family wealth.

The last three days of Navaratri, exalt Saraswati, the form of Shakti personifying wisdom, arts and beauty. Her name literally means "flowing one", a reference to thoughts, words, music and the Saraswati River. Mystically Saraswati is believed to be the keeper of the powerful Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted during the festival to invoke Her supreme blessings. Devotees meditate for days on this mantra alone, as it is considered the door to divine wisdom.

Temple Architecture

Historical details about Tiruvannamalai and the Arunachaleswarar temple are available to us through stone inscriptions on the prakaram walls and copper plates. These inscriptions refer to a period of about thousand years starting from 750 A.D. The earliest archaeological findings from these stone inscriptions point to the fact that the greatness of Arunachala was known to Kings from the spiritual works Thevaram and Thiruvasagam and that Tiruvannamalai was historically and spiritually famous even from those ancient times.

We have clues that the Temple was small during the visit of Appar, Manikavasagar, Sambandar and others. Kings who read about the great glory of Arunachaleswarar from the Thevaram and Thiruvasagam began to expand the temple and beautify it.

Look forward to posting more photographs of the Temple soon - especially Periyar Nandi (Big Nandi Bull) as requested by reader Grasshopper.

Animal Shelter Update

At the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary there are seven staff members and a part-time cook (lots of doggie meals to make!). In the below photograph, the two Animal Shelter vets, both with post graduate degrees from the renowned Chennai (Madras) Veterinary College. Dr. Pushpalata (the lady) focuses primarily on clinic duties and Dr. Rajasekaran’s main focus is the ABC Sterlization Programme.

This is a before photograph of a little monkey named Baby, currently resident at the Shelter. You can read more about him at this link.

And now below the wonderful 'after' photographs of Baby. He is sitting with a friend (another injured monkey brought into the Shelter by a member of the public). Baby is in the foreground and see how all those terrible wound have healed -- his new friend is sitting in the back with a very loving hand on Baby's arm.

There is even a third young monkey resident in the 'monkey cage' at the Animal Shelter. So lots of playtime!

Below one of the resident Shelter dogs, checking out all the noise and commotion coming from the 'monkey cage'.

The Shelter comprises two main buildings. One houses a sterile operating theatre, a modern clinic examination/treatment room, a small isolation ward, a small dispensary, a reception verandah, and a large retaining cage. The other building has three large retaining cages -- and a fully equipped kitchen.

A painting on the outside wall of the Animal Sanctuary, shows Mahatma Gandhi with his famous humantarian words: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

In utilising an ABC and Anti-Rabies Programme, the Animal Shelter aims to control population and eliminate rabies. Homeless street dogs are captured, brought in, sterlized, given anti-rabies injections and allowed to remain at the Shelter for up to six days to recuperate and are then returned to their original territory. Since the opening of the Centre well over a 1,000 dogs have been sterlized and given anti-rabies injections.

In addition to ABC sterlization programmes for homeless dogs, many locals bring in dogs (both street dogs and pets) to the Shelter’s Clinic for veterinary attention. As well as dogs, all small animals (and sometimes farm animals in emergency situations) are provided with care and assistance. The Arunachala Sanctuary is open seven days a week and provides emergency services 24 hours a day.

The Shelter also provides hospital facilities especially in the case of animals who need isolation or have to be kept in retaining areas. For animals that cannot survive on their own, the Shelter offers them sanctuary for the rest of their lives. Dying animals are given intensive loving care at the Shelter; including IV’s, pain killers, antibiotics and lots of good food.

The grounds of the Shelter are now grass-covered and filled with plants and saplings. Around the grounds are coconut leaf huts for dogs to hide during those hot summer days. Lots of space and room for puppy and doggie games and fun.

Below is a photograph of Leslie Robinson, co-founder of the Animal Shelter. A lover of animals who hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. He worked as an Actuary in the States until he met his guru, Swami Muktananda in 1975. The meeting was to totally change his life and Leslie travelled with Swami Muktananda and spent ten years in Swami’s ashrams in the States and India. Leslie is currently living at Tiruvannamalai.

And here is Gina Suritsch, co-founder of the Shelter. Gina was born in Vienna, Austria. In the late 70's Gina relocated to Findhorn, Scotland where she lived for five years. After several years in Italy living at Ananda Community, Gina started visiting India in 1985. She now spends much of her time at Tiruvannamalai.

If you are not yet a subscriber to the monthly Arunachala Grace News, please check out the facility at the left margin of this site. This month we are featuring information on Wesak, the upcoming Buddha Festival, Arunachala Tidbits, a short narrative on a very unusual Bear, narratives on the Indian Treepie (common in Tiruvannamalai District), and Erythrina Indica and its properties (Indian Coral Tree). As well as some features about the mythology of Arunachala -- Arunachala Grace News will also have a narrative on the history of the Animal Shelter and why Leslie Robinson and his friends felt compelled to create the Sanctuary. Arunachala Grace News, May 2008, issue will be sent out direct to subscribers email inboxes within the next few days -- remember to sign up for your free subscription.

Festival of Lights

Karthigai Deepam — the festival of lights celebrated throughout Tamil Nadu during the month of Karthigai (November-December), is the oldest festival celebrated in the State. Also, unlike many other Hindu festivals, Karthigai is basically a Tamil festival and is virtually unknown in most other parts of the country.

One of the earliest references to the festival is found in the Ahananuru, a book of poems, which dates back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C. to 300 A.D.). The Ahananuru clearly states that Karthigai is celebrated on the full moon day (pournami) of the Tamil month of Karthigai. It was one of the most important festivals (peruvizha) of the ancient Tamils. Avaiyyar, the renowned poetess of those times, refers to the festival in her songs.

Inscriptions in Tamil temples also refer to the festival. A mid-sixteenth Century inscription at the Arulalaperumal temple in Kancheepuram, refers to the festival as Thiru Karthigai Thirunal. Karthigai is essentially a festival of lamps. The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious symbol. It is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. While the lighted lamp is important for all Hindu rituals and festivals, it is indispensable for Karthigai.

[By S.Suresh]