Have not been posting regularly on Arunachala Grace mainly due to lots of work at home. Things finally seem to be settling down and hope to give lots of great 'new' information about whats happening at Arunachala and Tiruvannamalai. In this respect I still have photographs of Deepam to post and lots of fascinating material about Pongal and different Temple Festivities such as "Tiruvoodal" associated with the the fourth day of Pongal. Also nice photos of the cow worship performed at the dairy next to my home. The function of East-West Jazz Fusion entitled 'Ramana Rocks' and held at Ramanashram and 'Arunai Rocks' held at the Hotel Arunai Anantha were a HUGE SUCCESS. I have been promised video footage of parts of the performance, so hope to soon post that on the VideoPod on this Blog. Busy Times. So keep checking back. And HAPPY PONGAL TO YOU ALL.
Showing posts with label temple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temple. Show all posts
17 January 2008
24 November 2007
Deepam Day
I am posting this beautiful narrative, (authorship unknown) which describes in stirring, graphic language the events of this day, Deepam:
Deepam Day
"At about 4:30 a.m. this day November 24th, Bharani Deepam, the small main sanctum of the massive Arunachaleswarar Temple, is packed with souls who have been waiting in line all night.
The chief priest has just finished a simple ritual called Bharani Deepam and now ceremoniously waves a huge camphor flame in the direction of nearby Arunachala mountain. Although he is chanting Sanskrit slokas, he cannot be heard amidst the deafening furor of devotion that surrounds him. Finally, he touches the flame he is holding to the wicks of five huge, earthen, ghee-filled pots, representing the sacred elements earth, air, fire, water and ether. As these five flames loom up with red-yellow light, the famous, one-day, South Indian festival of Krittika Deepam officially begins.
All across Tamil Nadu, bonfires are lit on hills and in temples on Krittika Deepam. But nowhere is this festival celebrated like it is at Tiruvannamalai. Here it is unique. It is on this auspicious day that, at dusk (approximately 6:00 p.m. this evening), a sacred fire will be lit on top of the 2,668 foot Arunachala mountain to symbolize the merging of all manifest existence back into the one source of all things.
Preparations for this day begin one month in advance with the local administration, revenue department, police and temple authorities. Since early morning, temple staff and volunteers have been carrying five-gallon containers of ghee and large pots of thick, braided cloth wicks to the top of Arunachala mountain. Once the mountaintop flame has been lit, it must be kept burning for ten days, which requires vast quantities of wick and clarified butter.
As the day wanes into dusk and night begins to darken the sky, pilgrims stand or sit, motionless with anticipation, at the base of Arunachala mountain, preparing to worship God Siva as an infinite pillar of light.
At 6 pm, a roaring fire is ignited in the Temple at the base of Arunachala. This signals the lighting of a similar blaze on the summit. When that flame is seen by the thousands of devotees below, the entire countryside explodes with flashing luminescence. Bonfires, lamps, neon lights and fireworks light the night like day as a surging, thronging, emotionally charged mass of devotees chant, "Arunachala Siva," "Annamalai” and "Annamalai Harohara”.
The Chosen Fishermen
A flame taken from the five earthen pots that were lit just after the early morning temple ceremony of Bharani Deepam is kept burning in the Temple throughout the day as a symbol of the merging of manifestation back into God, the one source of all. This single flame is referred to as the Bharani Deepam. At 10:00 a.m., a group of fishermen are blessed by the temple priest with a small ceremony. At this time, amidst ringing bells and temple music, the priest gives the fishermen a lamp that has been lit from the Bharani Deepam in the Temple. This lamp, also called Bharani Deepam, will be taken by the fishermen to the top of the mountain.
Local fishermen are traditionally given the privilege of carrying the Bharani Deepam up the mountain and lighting the Krittika Deepam in the evening, because, according to a popular myth, Parvati (the wife of Lord Siva) was born in a fishing village. After their consecration ritual, the fishermen take off up the mountain. Their hike up the steep, rugged slopes will take about four hours.
In the Temple, all is quiet after the fishermen leave. By 5:00 in the evening, the area surrounding the Temple flagpole, as well as the adjoining terrace, will be packed. Pilgrims observe the dramatic arrival of five exquisitely decorated palanquins, carrying the Gods Vinayaka, Subramanya, Siva, Amba and Chandikeshwara.
Within about 30 minutes, five palanquins have arrived in all their spiritual pageantry. Now, we wait for the climax, the coming of Ardhanarishvara (Lord Siva as half man, half woman). This will occur immediately after the Krittika Deepam is lit. Everyone wants to be able to see the mountaintop. All eyes are looking up.
Finally, the appointed moment arrives. Against the backdrop of a sunset sky, crowned with the rising star of Kartika, thundering firecrackers, ringing Temple bells and a frenzy of rhythmic chanting merge to create a cacophony of chaotic splendour. Camphor is lit in a cauldron by the Temple flag pole, signaling priests on top of the mountain to light their flame. The timing is perfectly synchronized. The air is charged as the overpowering sight of light, signifying Siva in the form of Jyoti (divine light), merges with Parvati to become Siva/Sakti. Now, finally, Ardhanarishvara is brought out of the Temple with great ceremonial fanfare. This is the only day of the year that this particular Deity is ever moved. It is most auspicious.
The sight of the Krittika Deepam is magical. It brings an inexplicable joy. People are ecstatic, mesmerized by the light. After nightfall, we see groups of people lighting lamps in the streets. Every house, every shop, every temple, not only in Tiruvannamalai but in all surrounding villages and towns, is bedecked with beautifully flickering lamps.
Throughout the day, street merchants have been performing annadana (free distribution of food). For this one day, the entire town has merged as one family of unforgettable warmth, amity and cordiality. Even amidst the discomfort of the crowded streets, life runs smoothly and everyone gets along harmoniously.
Cauldron/Fishermen
During the 10 days that the flame burns on Arunachala after Krittika Deepam, it consumes a ton of ghee and 1,000 feet of thick, cotton wick. The fishermen who have been chosen to light the Deepam hike up the mountain every day to restock the cauldron and keep the flame alive. They consider their task a sacred privilege.
A month after the celebration has ended they perform fire-walking to absolve themselves of any sins they have accrued by setting foot on the mountain while carrying the Deepam. They also arrange for special pujas (worship ceremonies), abhishekam (water ceremonies) and homas (fire ceremonies) to be performed in their names.
The fishermen who have been chosen to light the Krittika Deepam are all gathered together inside a side shrine adjacent to the main Temple. They have just been blessed by the Temple priest who now lights the ghee lamp they will carry up Arunachala mountain. To the thundering of drums, they all suddenly rise together to stride quickly out into the main temple courtyard where hundreds of pilgrims are waiting for them. They make their way out of the Temple into the street heading for the trail that leads up the mountain.
The main devotee fisherman, who is carrying the ghee lamp, is moving very quickly. At first, a few of his colleagues stumble behind him with a cluster of pilgrims clumsily striving to keep up. As the progression proceeds, more pilgrims join the march. Soon, there are hundreds. Then there are thousands.
Pilgrims scramble, most shoeless, along the snake-like trail, snatching blessings at various shrines along the way. Storm clouds are gathering rapidly around the mountain's summit. Now we are meeting devotees coming down. There is only one trail and we tangle in a human traffic jam. Miraculously, the fishermen thread their way through this obstacle as if it is not there.
Temple
The chief priest has just finished a simple ritual called Bharani Deepam and now ceremoniously waves a huge camphor flame in the direction of nearby Arunachala mountain. Although he is chanting Sanskrit slokas, he cannot be heard amidst the deafening furor of devotion that surrounds him. Finally, he touches the flame he is holding to the wicks of five huge, earthen, ghee-filled pots, representing the sacred elements earth, air, fire, water and ether. As these five flames loom up with red-yellow light, the famous, one-day, South Indian festival of Krittika Deepam officially begins.
All across Tamil Nadu, bonfires are lit on hills and in temples on Krittika Deepam. But nowhere is this festival celebrated like it is at Tiruvannamalai. Here it is unique. It is on this auspicious day that, at dusk (approximately 6:00 p.m. this evening), a sacred fire will be lit on top of the 2,668 foot Arunachala mountain to symbolize the merging of all manifest existence back into the one source of all things.
Preparations for this day begin one month in advance with the local administration, revenue department, police and temple authorities. Since early morning, temple staff and volunteers have been carrying five-gallon containers of ghee and large pots of thick, braided cloth wicks to the top of Arunachala mountain. Once the mountaintop flame has been lit, it must be kept burning for ten days, which requires vast quantities of wick and clarified butter.
As the day wanes into dusk and night begins to darken the sky, pilgrims stand or sit, motionless with anticipation, at the base of Arunachala mountain, preparing to worship God Siva as an infinite pillar of light.
At 6 pm, a roaring fire is ignited in the Temple at the base of Arunachala. This signals the lighting of a similar blaze on the summit. When that flame is seen by the thousands of devotees below, the entire countryside explodes with flashing luminescence. Bonfires, lamps, neon lights and fireworks light the night like day as a surging, thronging, emotionally charged mass of devotees chant, "Arunachala Siva," "Annamalai” and "Annamalai Harohara”.
The Chosen Fishermen
A flame taken from the five earthen pots that were lit just after the early morning temple ceremony of Bharani Deepam is kept burning in the Temple throughout the day as a symbol of the merging of manifestation back into God, the one source of all. This single flame is referred to as the Bharani Deepam. At 10:00 a.m., a group of fishermen are blessed by the temple priest with a small ceremony. At this time, amidst ringing bells and temple music, the priest gives the fishermen a lamp that has been lit from the Bharani Deepam in the Temple. This lamp, also called Bharani Deepam, will be taken by the fishermen to the top of the mountain.
Local fishermen are traditionally given the privilege of carrying the Bharani Deepam up the mountain and lighting the Krittika Deepam in the evening, because, according to a popular myth, Parvati (the wife of Lord Siva) was born in a fishing village. After their consecration ritual, the fishermen take off up the mountain. Their hike up the steep, rugged slopes will take about four hours.
In the Temple, all is quiet after the fishermen leave. By 5:00 in the evening, the area surrounding the Temple flagpole, as well as the adjoining terrace, will be packed. Pilgrims observe the dramatic arrival of five exquisitely decorated palanquins, carrying the Gods Vinayaka, Subramanya, Siva, Amba and Chandikeshwara.
Within about 30 minutes, five palanquins have arrived in all their spiritual pageantry. Now, we wait for the climax, the coming of Ardhanarishvara (Lord Siva as half man, half woman). This will occur immediately after the Krittika Deepam is lit. Everyone wants to be able to see the mountaintop. All eyes are looking up.
Finally, the appointed moment arrives. Against the backdrop of a sunset sky, crowned with the rising star of Kartika, thundering firecrackers, ringing Temple bells and a frenzy of rhythmic chanting merge to create a cacophony of chaotic splendour. Camphor is lit in a cauldron by the Temple flag pole, signaling priests on top of the mountain to light their flame. The timing is perfectly synchronized. The air is charged as the overpowering sight of light, signifying Siva in the form of Jyoti (divine light), merges with Parvati to become Siva/Sakti. Now, finally, Ardhanarishvara is brought out of the Temple with great ceremonial fanfare. This is the only day of the year that this particular Deity is ever moved. It is most auspicious.
The sight of the Krittika Deepam is magical. It brings an inexplicable joy. People are ecstatic, mesmerized by the light. After nightfall, we see groups of people lighting lamps in the streets. Every house, every shop, every temple, not only in Tiruvannamalai but in all surrounding villages and towns, is bedecked with beautifully flickering lamps.
Throughout the day, street merchants have been performing annadana (free distribution of food). For this one day, the entire town has merged as one family of unforgettable warmth, amity and cordiality. Even amidst the discomfort of the crowded streets, life runs smoothly and everyone gets along harmoniously.
Cauldron/Fishermen
During the 10 days that the flame burns on Arunachala after Krittika Deepam, it consumes a ton of ghee and 1,000 feet of thick, cotton wick. The fishermen who have been chosen to light the Deepam hike up the mountain every day to restock the cauldron and keep the flame alive. They consider their task a sacred privilege.
A month after the celebration has ended they perform fire-walking to absolve themselves of any sins they have accrued by setting foot on the mountain while carrying the Deepam. They also arrange for special pujas (worship ceremonies), abhishekam (water ceremonies) and homas (fire ceremonies) to be performed in their names.
The fishermen who have been chosen to light the Krittika Deepam are all gathered together inside a side shrine adjacent to the main Temple. They have just been blessed by the Temple priest who now lights the ghee lamp they will carry up Arunachala mountain. To the thundering of drums, they all suddenly rise together to stride quickly out into the main temple courtyard where hundreds of pilgrims are waiting for them. They make their way out of the Temple into the street heading for the trail that leads up the mountain.
The main devotee fisherman, who is carrying the ghee lamp, is moving very quickly. At first, a few of his colleagues stumble behind him with a cluster of pilgrims clumsily striving to keep up. As the progression proceeds, more pilgrims join the march. Soon, there are hundreds. Then there are thousands.
Pilgrims scramble, most shoeless, along the snake-like trail, snatching blessings at various shrines along the way. Storm clouds are gathering rapidly around the mountain's summit. Now we are meeting devotees coming down. There is only one trail and we tangle in a human traffic jam. Miraculously, the fishermen thread their way through this obstacle as if it is not there.
Temple
As the temple fire is lit at 6 pm, the moment is overwhelming. Thousands of pilgrims are chanting "Aum Namasivaya." Suddenly a fire is jumping skyward from the top of Arunachala, "Siva and Parvati are one." "
19 November 2007
Deepam Legend
The first night of the lighting of the Deepam Flame, 2007, will be November 24th. In this respect, there are two famous myths from the Puranas that describe the history behind the famous yearly Deepam on the top of Arunachala. The first is about Brahma and Vishnu's dispute over the column of light and the other is of the boon given by Shiva for Parvati's penace in atonement for killing the demon Mahisasura, a devotee of Shiva.
It is customary to celebrate Deepam in all Shiva Shrines at the same time that Deepam is celebrated at Arunachala, however the legend for these Siva Shrines is different to that of Arunachala. This other legend goes thus:
The Ghee Lamp, Rat and King:
While Lord Shiva was seated in Mount Kailas with Devi Uma, a ghee lamp was in the process of extinction. A rat nearby approached it to drink the ghee and in that act the wick was pushed out a little, enabling the flame to brighten. This pious act though unintentional, resulted in the rat securing a human birth with huge wealth and the rank of a King.
With that prosperous boon the rat was born on earth as Mabali. Mabali, while reigning in all glory, one day wanted to worship Siva and went to a Siva shrine with all his royal paraphernalia. While in the Temple, a drop from a ghee lamp fell upon Mabali. The King got sores from that one drop and his malady continued for a long time.
It was then Lord Siva proclaimed, "King, thou art very arrogant. Hence you got this trouble through me. From this day on if you light Shiva shrines with ghee, you will be rid of your sores and live happily." Highly delighted on hearing these words the King from that day commenced lighting Shiva Temples and dark places with ghee (clarified butter) lamps. Lord Shiva looking at the king's piety, gave him liberation in the month of Kartigai on star Kartigai during poorva Paksha.
It is for the reason the Lord appeared before the King in the form of Light, that Deepam Darsan is celebrated in all Siva Shrines on this same day every year.
18 November 2007
Favourite Arunachala Activites
In our recent poll asking readers, "What do you enjoy most at Arunachala", 48% answered performing girivalam around the Hill was their favourite event when visiting the area. 35% (of readers) answered their preferred activity was spending time at Ramana Ashram, 33% replied they enjoyed visiting Arunachaleswarar Temple as their major activity, while nearly 22% choose to climb or walk upon the Hill as their primary activity.
[readers were allowed to vote for more than one activity]
6 September 2007
Controversial Site
Below is a series of photgraphs I took earlier this week at the three acre controversial building site on Arunachala Hill at Pavala Kunru hillock. The current status of the site is that all work has been halted pending a Court ruling.
Many homes (admittedly most of which were also illegally built some years back) are in jeopardy due to the ashram construction work. There are many houses like the yellow one at the right of the bottom photograph whose occupants have been put into life threatening situations due to possible mud or rock slides.
The Gopurams in the distance in the next photograph are of the Arunachaleswarar Temple at the base of Arunachala.
The last photograph of this sequence is of Pavala Kunru Temple situated at the top of Pavala Kunru hillock, a spur of Arunachala.
16 March 2007
Sri Seshadri Swamigal
Seshadri Swamigal lived January 22, 1870 to January 4, 1929 and spent the last 40 years of his life wandering the streets of Tiruvannamlai. Seshadri Swamigal and Ramana Maharshi (Ramana arrived at Arunachala six years later than Seshadri) were contemporaries. It was Seshadri who found Ramana in the Patala Linga at Arunachala Temple, protecting him from urchins and bringing him to the notice of the world.
Locals used to call Sri Seshadri, Mother Parvathi and Sri Ramana, Skanda (Lord Subramanya). Sometimes Sri Seshadri Swamigal, the older by ten years would be called 'elder Seshadri' (anna) and Sri Ramana 'younger Seshadri' (thambi). One time a devotee told Sri Ramana that everyone called Seshadri a mad man. Ramana smilingly replied that there were three mad men in Arunachala. One was Seshadri, the second was Arunachaleswarar and the third was himself. Sri Ramana said of Swamji, 'Sri Seshadri does not allow people to come near him. Here all are coming'.
Throughout his life and teachings Sri Seshadri continuously emphasised the glory of Arunachala talking often about the unique aspects of Arunachala kshetra:
'This is the place where Swamy and Ambal invite all and confer liberation', and 'Lord Krishna leaving aside his sudarshana chakra (wheel) is playing on his flute. On hearing it Lord Siva who is inside the mountain comes out and dances'. And,'This is Siva Lingam. It is enough to worship this. One can become spiritually enlightened and attain liberation'.
Ilustrating the similarity of the Arunachaleswarar Temple to Arunachala Hill, Sri Seshadri said to those wasting their time discussing worldly affairs and neglecting God: 'He spreads his shop in the morning. Closes it at night. He does not see Lord Arunachaleswara. What is the use? Visit the temple. Visit the temple. Visit the temple'.
He was ever emphasising the inestimable value of giripradakshina instructing:'One should pray to Lord Arunachaleswara all the time. In particular perambulation of the hills should be done on Tuesdays. Deep devotion will arise'.
Sri Seshadri Swamigal's samadhi tomb is enshrined within the grounds of Sri Seshadri Ashram on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai. Although Sri Seshadri Swamigal has shed his mortal coil, He is ever present helping, blessing and guiding his devotees to everlasting bliss. His own search brought him to Arunachala and it is to the sacred Hill that Swamigal tells all to look to, to fulfil life's highest goal. Visit this link to read a short, excellent biography of this great saint.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)