Relocation of Swami Nityananda primary Ashram

I have not been posting information on Swami Nityananda over the last several years. However due to recent news which will make a difference to some people in the Tiruvannamalai area, am posting the following information which appeared in local newspapers this week: 

"Swami Nityananda announced here on Tuesday (September 9, 2014) that he's moving out of his 20-acre ashram in Bidadi, on the outskirts of Bangalore and settling down in his Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, facility about 204 km away from here. 

On Tuesday morning, Nityananda told his devotees that not just him, the entire team of Nityananda Dhyanapeetham will shift to Tiruvannamalai. 

Nityananda said he would finish his current commitments in a few days, as it would require a few days to make preparations for setting up residence at Tiruvannamalai. "It is not just me who will be moving but the entire team, including accounts, publications, IT and others. The whole team will operate from Tiruvannamalai," he said. 

"Whenever legally required I will come back to Bangalore to attend proceedings. I also wanted to rest after all that has happened and I think Tiruvannamalai is the best place for that. But I will continue to do all the spiritual activities from there," he said." 

Nithyananda Scandal

There is currently a large amount of information available online about the ongoing Nithyananda situation which is having substantial consequences at his campuses and ashrams throughout India.

Yesterday on my way to Adiannamalai, I passed the Tiruvannamalai Nithyananda Ashram and noticed film crews hanging around near the entrance gate. There was also a very large security personnel present guarding the ashram from agitation and unrest from locals.

The first I learnt of this affair was during yesterday morning's rickshaw drive on the girivalam roadway. And I sort of agree with my rickshaw driver who on our way passed the Ashram, commented: 'Well that's him finished in Tiruvannamalai.'

Below is the beginning of one of the more interesting articles currently available online:-


"Bangalore/Chennai March 3: The video flicks showing a saffron-clad man with flowing, dark manes spread-eagled on a bed canoodling with women is bad karma for the swamiji alleged to be the 33-year-old Paramahamsa Nithyananda.

In his sprawling 25-acre ashram, 35 kilometres south-west of Bangalore in Kalluguppahalli in Bidadi Taluk of Ramanagara district, off Mysore Road, Nityananda's press coordinator Nitya Sachidananda does not see hedonism and spirituality militate against each other. At the Nityananda Dhyanapeetam, Indian ascetism has been clearly, cleverly and conveniently redefined.

"The Swamiji has permitted his disciples at Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam to pursue both hedonism and spiritualism because he believes they should live intensely," the 45-year-old Sachidananda, who claims to have lived and worked as a scientist in the United States, told Deccan Herald.

Sachidananda, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, met Nityananda in Chicago in 2003 when the self-proclaimed Swamiji established his order at the age of 26. He was instantly taken in by what he described as Nityananda's "quantum spirituality", a concept which Sachidananda thinks he understood and grasped well, but could not shed much light on. The "truth" and "enlightenment" Sachidananda experienced were passed on to him by Nithyananda whose educational attainments are as obscure as his origins in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu."

To continue reading this article click on to this link here.

Quick Update

The below is a photograph of Parvati Hill (a spur on the West side of Arunachala). Nithyananda Ashram is located at this spot on the Girivalam Roadway. I stopped by this morning on my way home from Rajarajeshwari Temple, to check out what was going on.

Lots of posters and notification of programs. Below information about a Sannyas Training Programme.

While at the ashram, there was a medical camp underway, and a number of local folk were waiting for their turn with the doctor. Nearby there was a spiritual talk in Tamil in progress that was being conducted by a visiting pundit.

I'm too sure what the building programme is at this 3-acre ashram, however will post updates as they happen.

Birthstar Celebrations

To view a pictorial report of the 32nd Birthstar celebrations of Swami Nithyananda during his visit to Tiruvannamalai on December 21st, please check the following links.

The first link is of photographs of the Temple Visit early in the morning of the 21st December here.

The next cover the progress of the Ratha Yatra through the centre of Tiruvannamalai continuing around the Girivalam Roadway to Swami Nithyananda's Ashram near Adi Annamalai. For this series of pictures go here.

The last series of photographs include the speech and evening function at Swami's ashram on the Girivalam Pathway, for that series go to this link here.

Swami Nithyananda Birth Star Celebrations

Swami Nithyananda will be visiting Tiruvannamalai on December 21, 2008 -- to participate in celebrations of his 32nd Birth Star.

The public celebrations include a procession at 9.00 a.m. originating at the Arunachaleswara Temple. The procession will be carrying statues of the God and Goddess, Anandeswara and Anandeswari on a chariot which will end at Nithyanandapuri -- Swami's Ashram located near Adi Annamalai on the Girivalam Roadway.

Food will be offered to all at that ashram at 1.00 p.m.

At the same venue at 6.00 p.m. Swami Nithyananda will give a discourse in Tamil which is anticipated to last 1 1/2 hours.

Swami Nithyananda Birthstar

As is his custom, each year Swami Nithyananda visits his birthplace Tiruvannamalai at the time of his Birth Star, which this year fell on January 2nd.

He travelled with two busloads of devotees to Tiruvannamalai and after evening worship and celebrations at Arunachaleswarar Temple, Swami Nithyananda took his devotees around Arunachala showing them places of significance where he spent his childhood days and had several spiritual experiences. For more photographs of his visit go here.

Excavation

I stopped by this evening at the site of the controversial land grab at Pavala Kunru, a small hillock spur of Arunachala. I took lots of photographs, which I hope to post over the next few days, but for the meantime a few to get started. The below photograph is of the rock on which Paramahamsa Nithyananda reports to have experienced his realisation while still a young boy. This is the site which is the centre piece of the envisaged 3 acre ashram infrastructure that some hope to develop but which is currently causing alot of local controversy.

The below is taken from the 3 acre site and shows part of the adjacent unspoilt Hill.

The last photograph is of part of the current exacuvation of the proposed 3 acre ashram site.

Apart from the overriding spiritual and aesthetic senstivities of the opponents of the proposed ashram at Pavala Kunru, Arunachala, there is also the serious consideration of soil erosion and mud slides during monsoon because of the disruption of boulders and rooted trees. Some years back, before the current Arunachala reforestation programmes, parts of southwest Tiruvannamalai was endangered by falling rocks from the Hill resulting from soil degradation.

Land Grab

I suspect that nowadays even Sri Ramana Maharshi's devotees wouldn't be allowed to construct Skandashram on Arunachala Hill. So its not really surprising that a certain controversy is currently underway at Tiruvannamalai regarding the development of new Swami Nithyananda facilities in the township of Tiruvannamalai. I reproduce below the following narrative which appeared in New India Press this day:

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Godman’s attempt to grab land foiled
Friday August 31 2007 11:03 IST

By A.D. Balasubramaniyan

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Bangalore-based Godman Nithyanandha Swamigal’s attempt to grab vast tracts of land on the hill slopes of Tiruvannamalai was foiled by the public here on Wednesday.

According to sources, huge earth movers had suddenly appeared from nowhere and started removing boulders on the hill slopes for the construction of an ashram for Nithyanandha Swamigal.

The small hillock, where these fraudulent activities were being carried out, actually belonged to the State Revenue Department. Local residents tried to prevent the work.

Meanwhile, CPM cadres stepped in and informed the police, who in turn, informed the revenue department. CPM cadres joined local residents in their agitation against the land grabbers.

The workmen of the Godman initially defended their actions saying that they had patta for that land. Revenue officials, who reached the spot shortly after the agitation, negated their claim and stalled the work.

Rayar Krishnamurthy, a devotee of Nithyanandha Swamigal, who carried out the works, gave a letter to Revenue Department officials stating that he was constructing an ashram for Dhiyana Peetam of Nithyanandha and would not engage in such activities any more.

Police then seized the earth movers. The Godman’s workmen had also felled many trees, planted three years ago under an afforestation drive.

The CPM demanded that the police book a case against them and remove another ashram, set up by Nithayanandha on the hill slopes."

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Its certainly interesting times. I will continue with updates on this situation as it unfolds.

Newsletter Information

Due to computer problems, I have been unable to make up-to-date postings on this blog, but hopefully these difficulties will be resolved over the next few days, at which time I hope to recontinue with regular Blog postings.

The September issue of Arunachala Grace Newsletter is due to be sent out this week, so if you are not yet a free subscriber to the monthly Newsletter, please become so by clicking on the subscriber facility at the left hand margin of this Blog.

This month's Newsletter contains Arunachala tid-bits, the second part of information on the beautiful Rajarajeshwari Temple, information of developing resources at Swami Nithyananda's Arunachala Ashram, information on Lord Ganesha; his upcoming Chaturthi and a link to information about the sad ecological results of his grand festival. As usual in the Newsletter we give information about a plant locally produced in this area, this month we focus on the homely 'garlic' with news about its medicinal properties and also Sri Ramana Maharshi's talk on the history of garlic. The Arunachala animal focussed this month is the quaint and quirky white crested water hen.

As well as the above, there is also the usual narratives, inspirational quotes and poems.