Ramana Ashram Clinic

Today I visited the Ramana Ashram Clinic for the first time. The Clinic which was opened on April 21st April, 2010 is located in Kuranku Thuttam (the Monkey Garden) and is adjacent to one of the Ashram’s main accommodation area. 

Gate from Chengam Road into Kuranku Thuttam

Entrance to Ramana Ashram Clinic

Photograph of Sri Ramana in Reception Area

The Ramana Clinic is a new area of service for the local community and currently serves around 100 patients daily. It is open six days a week and its hours are 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Two Doctors are in attendance at the Clinic and additional staff is comprised of 2 Nursing Sisters, 2 Receptionists and 2 Pharmacists. 

Venkateshwara, manning the Reception Area

Venkateshwara served for years at Ashram Book Store

Patients at the Clinic

Stairs leading up to next floor

Dr. N. Vijayakumar

The Clinic is spotlessly clean, spacious and undoubtedly will become even busier in years ahead. Its heartwarming that Ramana Ashram is not only providing spiritual support and inspiration to visitors and pilgrims, but is now also invested in caring for other areas of our well-being. 

Ladies working at the Clinic

The Clinic's Dispensary

2 Emergency Beds in Clinic

Corridor on upper floor

Large area upstairs for next phase of development

Viewing Accommodation Blocks from Clinic

Power Generator serving the Clinic

Siva Sannidhi Accommodation Facility

To read an earlier posting on Siva Sannidhi, before the construction of the new annexe building, go to this link here.

I have received emails from readers eager to view the completed new annexe at Siva Sannidhi. I made this original posting of the new annexe, at this link here but now construction is complete and the new accommodation annexe which has 39 rooms is now fully operational. 

I am posting the below photographs to give an idea of the rooms and the facility. All rooms have two single cots, tiled floors, mosquito net windows, fan, attached western style bathroom and a small dressing room with sink. Bedding i.e. mattress, top sheet and pillows are standard in all rooms. 

The annexe is very quiet, comfortable, a two minute walk from Ramana Ashram and shops, and most importantly has a magnificent darshan of Arunachala. Accommodation rates are very reasonable and except over Deepam, long stays are allowed. The week of Deepam is always heavily oversubscribed, so the facility has no rooms available at that time. Siva Sannidhi has a dining hall in which food (Andhra Style, medium heat) is served three times a day). 

The manager and workers at Siva Sannidhi are very friendly and helpful and the facility which attracts a pilgrim type visitor does not have a commercial or worldly atmosphere. The new building at Siva Sannidhi is by far and away one of the most pleasant and convenient accommodation facilities located in the Ramana Nagar side of Tiruvannamalai. 

Arunachala Grace represents Siva Sannidhi as booking agent. So for more information or to make a reservation, please use our email contact at the top left side of this page. 

Welcoming Visitors to Shiva Sannidhi

Reception

Welcoming Lord Ganesha

Darshan of Arunachala from Shiva Sannidhi

         Elevator, new building

Standard Room

All windows with mosquito netting

Standard Western Style Bathroom

Some bathrooms have water heaters

Rooms have small dressing area with separate sink

Layout sample of first two floors

Seating area on Second Floor

Open area on Third Floor

Third Floor open area suitable for group meetings

Four rooms on fourth floor roof

Morvi Guest House Compound Project

In an earlier posting I gave an update on construction progress of the new Library inside the main compound of Ramana Ashram. 

Subsequently I recently visited the building project currently being undertaken at the Morvi Guest House Compound on Chengam Road.

Demolition of all buildings inside the compound was affected last year and construction is well underway on this enlarged accommodation facility for Ramana Ashram. 

 

Originally this project was set for completion by April 30^th, 2012, but as can been seen by the photographs (which were taken last week), progress has not been as rapid as expected.

To look at earlier photographs, go to this link here. 

From what I understand once the new Library has been completed inside the main compound of Ramana Ashram, the books of the current library will be relocated to the new facility, and the current building demolished.

The historical central building of the Morvi Guest House is being preserved and will eventually be surrounded by guest rooms divided into three categories: 20 single occupancy rooms; 20 double occupancy rooms and 12 family cottages with living room and bedroom. 

Right outside the Morvi Guest House Compound runs the busy Chengam Road, which rather unexpectedly on the hot Summer’s day, was surprisingly quiet.

Ramana Nagar Post Office

I visited the post office in Ramana Nagar recently to mail some packets of the 2011 Deepam Prasad to various spots around the globe.

It was only while in the post office, and the person next to me remarked on the packages, that I noticed that each of the six covers of prasad where addressed to six different countries: USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Malaysia and Australia. On each of the packages I had boldly written the words "Temple Prasad" which I hoped would ensure a good passage via customs.

During my first experience of Arunachala in 1994, I recall how the area was rustic and charmingly undeveloped. At that time it was necessary to go into the town of Tiruvannamalai from Ramana Nagar even to make an STD telephone call. Also at that time there were no supermarkets, Kashmir Fancy Shops or modern shops in the area around the major Ashrams. Without an introduction or a stroke of good luck, it was virtually impossible to even find suitable rental accommodation.

During that first experience of Arunachala I stayed at the then undeveloped Sri Seshadri Ashram which only had a limited number of accommodation rooms. The time was full moon, but the girivalam roadway only had a sparse number of pilgrims occupied in performing girivalam.

It seemed so strange that in a country such as India, where pilgrimage is a national delight, that Arunachala, written about since antiquity and renowned by poets, saints and sages since the beginning of time, could only attract a small number of pilgrims even during the time of Poornima (full moon). And then I realised that the relative obscurity was Arunachala's wish, and that at the right time, the greatest secret in the world -- the Glory of Arunachala -- would manifest itself.

So many years later, and after much change, here I was in the Ramana Nagar Post Office with Arunachala Deepam Prasad (Prasad taken from the very cauldron that burned on the hill during the 2011 Festival) packaged and addressed to six different places in the world. And at that moment I realised that the Hill's relative obscurity was over and that Arunachala was reaching out in its glorious expression to all corners of the world.







Many years ago a devotee of the then Shankaracharya Sri Chandrasekhara of Kanchipuram, who is the Sage mentioned in Paul Brunton's book, "In Search of Secret India," told me that the Shankaracharya had remarked that Arunachala would become the busiest and most famous spiritual site in all of India. And that the crowds that would visit would be unimaginable in size.






This year a TV series started in Andhra Pradesh based on the life of Sri Ramana Maharshi and his experiences at Arunachala. As a result of that ongoing series, a huge influx of Andhra devotees are coming to Arunachala to perform girivalam and visit the Arunachaleswarar Temple. And so it goes . . .






During monthly Poornima over 100,000 pilgrims visit to perform girivalam of Arunachala. And this is just the beginning.







The world's greatest secret i.e. the Glory of Arunachala has been exposed and from now on the crowds and interest in this great spiritual lodestone will only increase.







The streets around the Ramana Nagar post office, still seem sleepy and part of a bygone age. But what will be able to resist the expansion of the great heart and glory of the Hill?

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?”

Happy Birthday Guruji

Today, September 23rd, is the birthday of my Guruji, Sri Nannagaru. I had a programme to go into Ramana Nagar to confirm a Deepam room reservation at a local lodge, Arunachala Ramana Home. Thereafter I planned to visit my Guruji’s Ashram to take prasad and bow outside the room of my spiritual teacher (who is currently in his native place at Andhra Pradesh).

Sri Nannagaru in Previous Darshan

However following the old adage that, 'Man proposes and God Disposes', after finishing the work on the room reservation I went up on the roof of the Lodge with a friend to have tea in the open air restaurant. Below are photographs taken from the roof of this now fully developed area of Ramana Nagar, with views of the multi faith dialogue facility of Quo Vadis, rooftops of adjacent buildings, a multitude of phone towers evidencing the technological development of the area, BUT most importantly enjoying from the rooftop the glorious darshan of Arunachala.

It was mid-day, the skies azure blue, and the Hill shimmered in the light of a clear hot sun. Quite lovely.

Arunachala Mid-day, Friday September 23

With Arunachala as inspiration, I proceeded to celebrate the birthday of my Guruji by telling my overseas friend some stories and teachings of Sri Nannagaru. In a word, a perfect day. Thanks and Happy Birthday Swamiji

Road from Lodge leading to Chengam Road

Adjacent Outlying Buildings From Lodge Rooftop

Quo Vadis Facility

The Ubiquitous Telephone Towers

Sri Nannagaru was once asked in an interview what it was he saw when he looked deeply into the eyes of those sitting in front of him.

Sri Nannagaru replied that, “I am seeing myself in those people. I am seeing myself in those people, and then Grace will work.”

In the same interview he then proceeded to give advice on skilful living, recommending that it was essential for us to use to the maximum the individual gifts God had given us; whether that gift was that of a good intellect, a facility for writing or oratory etc., -- in our endeavour to realise the Self.

Swamiji also advised that for spiritual advancement it is essential to think only positive thoughts and associate only with good, positive thinking people as such relationships help to promote self-confidence (confidence in the Self) which is an essential component to Self Realisation.