In Memory of V. Sundaram Ramana

V. Sundaram Ramana

V. Sundaram Ramanan, the president of Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai, passed away on Tuesday, July 21. He was 86 years old.

Mr. Ramanan, who took over the president’s post in 1994, was one of the longest serving presidents of Sri Ramanasramam. He held the postion for nearly 26 years until he handed over management of the Ashram to his son Venkat Ramanan on June 17 of this year.

Dr. Venkat Ramanan was a medical practitioner in the U.S. before he returned to Tiruvannamalai to take over as president of the Ashram. He was the grand nephew of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and spent years of his childhood with his siblings, at the feet of Sri Ramana Maharshi. He brought out the book titled Who Am I, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi, 1879-1950, in March 2020, which provides unique glimpses into life with Sri Ramana Maharshi.

V. Sundaram Ramanan passed away due to age-related conditions and his last rites were performed in the asramam in Tiruvannamalai with devotees reciting Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Aksharamanamalai.

2017 Navaratri Tiruvannamalai Festival Pictorial Report Links

Below are listed the photo galleries of the 2017 Navaratri Tiruvannamalai Pictorial Report. Click the link at each section to view that particular gallery.

2017 Kolu Display at Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram

2017 Kolu Display at a Tiruvanamalai Home

2017 Navaratri Alangarams Days 1, 2, 3

2017 Navaratri Alangarams Days 5, 6

2017 Navaratri Alangarams Days 7, 8, 9

2014 Navratri at Ramana Ashram

Every year Ramana Ashram celebrates the Navratri Festival with its beautiful types of alangarams of the Goddess. The photographs on this posting are of Sesha Sayanam on the sixth day of the Navratri Festival as celebrated at Ramana Ashram. A video of the puja was posted at this link here.

Devotees watching the puja inside the Shrine at Ramana Ashram

Each evening between 6.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. (IST) a live webcast of the Navaratri Celebrations as observed at Ramana Ashram are being posted at this link here. Such live video coverage of the Festival will continue until Vijayadasami on October 3rd, 2014.

Young boys studying at the Ashram Veda Patasala

To view earlier photographs of the Festival as celebrated at Ramana Ashram, you can visit their official website at this link here.

Sesha Sayanam, 6th Day of Navratri Festival

Ramana Ashram Radio Channel

Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai have launched their own radio channel to play songs, sacred chants, commentaries and readings from the works of Sri Ramana Maharshi and other saints glorifying Arunachala. 

In the words of Ramana Ashram: 

“Voice of Arunachala” is an Internet radio station broadcast from Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, India. Sri Ramana Maharshi has written a verse meaning “This is Arunachala, Ocean of Compassion, one thought of whom bestows liberation. 

Arunachala Mahatmyam states that “Arunachala Hill is the center of the Earth and the Heart of Lord Siva. We hope to bring the atmosphere of the ashram within the earshot of listeners anywhere in the world. Listeners are welcome to send suggestions for the improvement of the program." 

To find out more about the availability of the radio channel, please visit the ashram at their link here. 

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. 

Ramana Hymns Chanting

To those who like chanting the Ramana Hymns in Tamil (as occurs in the evenings in the Ramana Ashram Samadhi Hall here at Tiruvannamalai) please check Arunachala Samudra website at this link here to chant in Tamil the below Ramana Hymns. 

Chanting at Ramana Maharshi Ashram

Tamil transliteration and the English meaning is given for each hymn: Arunachala Akshara Mani Malai, Arunachala Padikam, Arunachala Navamanimalai, Arunachala Ashtakam and Arunachala Pacharatna. 

Ladies side at Samadhi Hall, Ramana Ashram

In the same section on Arunachala Samudra at this link here there is a beautiful audio of the 108 names of Shiva with transliteration and English meaning for simultaneous chanting.

2013 Arunachala Navaratri Functions

This year renovation work is being undertaken at the famous Durga Amman Temple at Arunachala, so there will be limited Navaratri celebrations at that Shakti Temple. For the most elaborate and beautiful pujas at Tiruvannamalai over the 2013 Navaratri festivities, its best to visit Arunachaleswarar Temple, where special pujas are conducted in their Mandapam. 

Navaratri Rishabha Vahanam -- 5th Day

 

Another spot to visit over this Festival is Ramana Ashram, which always puts on very beautiful puja functions for each day of Navaratri. 

In this posting I am including information on Navaratri Rishabha Vahanam, which is the fifth day of celebrations at that Ashram. To view photographs of the puja go to this link here, and a video at this link here. 

Pictures from Ramana Ashram 25 August 2013 Mahakumbhabhishekam

The below are photographs I took yesterday at the Mahakumbhabhishekam Function at Ramana Ashram, August 25, 2013. I arrived at the Ashram after the Mahakumbhabhishekam had just completed on the roof of the Ashram, and the crowds on the roof were beginning to file down. And be replaced by other pilgrims wanting to go onto the roof to pranam at the Kumbhas of the Gopuram and two Vimanas. 

There seemed to be so much going on simultaneously. Puja to the various Gods in the Mother Shrine had already been completed. The outside temporary dining area was just about to be prepared with leaves and tumblers for the first lunch sitting. Young workers were carrying out large pots of food to various outside eating areas. Artisans were completing the flower work to enshrine the Sri Ramana Mahaharshi Mahalingam. 

Large crowds were waiting outside the old and new dining-halls in order to make the first sitting in those places. Some other devotees were trying to squeeze into the already congested Samadhi Hall and Mother Shrine, in order to watch the Maha Abhishekams. Even though there was quite a crush, most remained patient and good natured throughout what was a very beautiful and well organised 3-day function at Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram. 

Sri Ganesha Mother Shrine

Lingodbhavamurti outside Mother Shrine

Goddess Durga outside Mother Shrine

Flower artisans crafting flower arrangements for Sri Ramana Shrine

Ready to lay leaves and tumblers inside temporary dining structure

Young workers beginning to carry out heavy food pots

Crowds coming down from roof and milling around

Kumbhabhishekam is a Hindu Temple ritual that is believed to homogenize, synergize and unite the mystic powers of the deity. Kumbha means the Head and denotes the Shikhara or Crown of the Temple (usually in the Gopuram) and Abhishekam is ritual bathing, (hence the term Kumbha + Abhishekam). 

During this elaborate event, homams conducted according to the agamas, are performed by priests in the Yagasala outside the Temple over the preceding days. These homams infuse divinity and spiritual power into kalasas (sanctified pots) filled with consecrated water. 

Divine Power is transferred back to the deities by performing an abhishekam (salutary bathing) to the Vigrahas and Vimanas (pinnacles) on the roof with the sanctified holy waters from the kalasas accompanied by Vedic chanting and special rites. On that day at the designated auspicious time the Kumbha is bathed with the charged and sanctified holy waters contained in the sacrificial pots. 

Kumbhas on top of the Ramana Ashram Gopuram

Young priest trying to escape from the burning hot roof

After completion of the Function, devotees climb the scaffolding

Kumbha on top of Mother Shrine Vimana

Climbing down from Ramana Maharshi Vimana

Kumbha on top of Sri Ramana Maharshi Vimana

Devotees waiting for lunch, first sitting in New Dining Hall

Crowds milling around at front of Ramana Ashram

Maha Deeparadhanai, Sri Ramana Maharshi Samadhi

Maha Deeparadhanai

Maha Deeparadhanai at Matrubhuteswara Shrine

A serene looking little girl at Ashram Function

A little 'un playing in the trees at back of Ashram

Mahakumbhabhishekam -- Ramana Ashram -- August 25, 2013

For two days (August 23rd and 24th) Homams were performed in the specially constructed Yagasala outside the Shrines at Ramana Ashram in order to infuse divinity and spiritual power into sanctified pots (kalasas) filled with consecrated water. 

Today during the Mahabhishekham programme Divine Power was transferred back by performing a salutary bathing (abhishekam) to the Gopuram and two Vimanas on the roof with the sanctified waters from the Kalasas. This ritual was performed while being accompanied by Vedic chanting and special rites. 

After the consecration on the roof of the Ashram, worship was then performed inside the Sanctum Sanctorums of the Ramana Maharshi Samadhi and Mother Shrine (Matrubhuteswara Shrine), in which further powers/energy were transferred to the Shrines. 

Left to Right: Gopuram, Mother Vimana, Sri Ramana Vimana

Left Mother Vimana, right Sri Ramana Vimana

Vimana over Matrubhuteswara (Mother) Shrine

Vimana over Sri Ramana Maharshi Shrine

Devotees watching Maha Abhishekam, Sri Ramana Shrine

Pouring the sanctified water over Mahalingam

[Thanks to Sethu, an officially accredited photographer for these remarkable photographs].