Kumbhabhishekam event at Sri Ramana Ashram, August 2013

Tomorrow, August 23rd, 2013 at 7.00 a.m. Vigneshwara Puja will be performed marking the beginning of official functions at Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram leading to Mahakumbhabhishekam and Deeparadhanai of Sri Matrubhuteswara and Sri Ramana mahalingams on August 25. 

The three day function marks completion of the renovation to the shrines and repair to the Gopuram and Vimana above the Matrubhuteswara and Sri Ramana Shrines. 

For the official schedule of functions, please check out this earlier link. 

The foundation of the Matrubhuteswara Shrine, in commemoration of Sri Ramana’s Mother, was laid by him in September 1939. The construction of that Shrine then proceeded under his supervision in accordance with agama rules and was completed in 1949.

August 20, Arunachala Poornima

These photographs were taken earlier today of pilgrims visiting the Arunachaleswarar Temple and others performing giripradakshina of Arunachala. The crowds start light in the daytime and builds up exponentially as the day progresses into the evening. Right now I can hear the distant hum of traffic on nearby Perumbakkam Road, which is used as a diversion road during Full Moons and Festivals. 

Even just ten years ago no barriers were necessary at the Temple to control crowds lining up for Darshan at the Shiva Sannidhi. Its very different nowadays. 

Devotees waiting for darshan at Arunachaleswarar Temple

Line of Devotees around the side of the Siva Sannidhi

Chengham Road in front of Seshadri Ashram

Crowd building up

At the beginning of girivalam roadway at the Chengham turnoff

2013 Mahakumbhabhishekam Sriramanasharam

A Mahakumbhabhishekam at Sri Ramanashram is scheduled between August 23rd, 2013 and August 25, 2013. 

The below programme lists the full schedule over the three day function. 

Right click to view enlargements

Mosquito Repellent Advice Tamil Nadu

This is a an updated version of an earlier narrative: 

I have received a number of emails with queries from first time visitors to Tiruvannamalai (generally from overseas) asking for mosquito repellent advice. On browsing the internet, found a plethora of information about natural mosquito repellents, so thought it would be helpful to make a posting about how to protect yourself from pesky mosquitoes. 

Nowadays all good hotels and apartments and most ashrams in Tamil Nadu will have quality mosquito screens on windows. However visitors often feel that they want additional protection with mosquito nets – generally facilities will NOT allow visitors to put up nets if it entails putting nails into the walls. So please assume that if you bring a mosquito net, it will be usually impossible to use at most facilities. However all facilities nowadays, if not having air conditioning, do have high speed fans – which is very effective in keeping mosquitoes away at night. 

Natural mosquito repellents come in many forms. There are oils for your skin, plants to keep around, and even things you can eat. You can change your environment to make it less attractive to mosquitoes and you can even use foods to change your body’s chemistry. 

A mosquito preventive that is quite common in Tamil Nadu is burning mosquito coils and increasingly more prevalent nowadays; electric mosquito repellent liquids that disperse through the air whenever the plug-in is switched on. 

However both mosquito coils and electric plug-in mosquito repellents although very effective (especially in the case of the latter) are DEET-based. According to various studies DEET damages brain cells, causes behavioural changes, and can have harmful interactions with some medications. It was found that up to fifteen percent of DEET is absorbed through the skin directly into the bloodstream. The toxic effects of Diethyl-meta-toluaminde includes: reproductive disturbances, genetic material mutations, and central nervous system disorders. 

Nepeta Cataria: Catnip Plant

So to keep healthy and also mosquito-free, below is a list of natural preventives that are both effective and safe. One cheap and easy mosquito preventive tip is to wear light clothing. Another is eat lots of garlic (mosquitoes hate garlic) either in your food or in the form of garlic capsules from your health food store. Another remedy straight from the kitchen is White Vinegar (two parts vinegar to one part plain water). This remedy is particularly effective if you plan on spending time outside (especially in the evenings). Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray skin and clothing before going out. As well as mosquitoes the solution also repels gnats, horse flies and ticks. For a good smell add a few drops of fragrant oil (e.g. lavender, citronella) to the bottle. 

Below is a list of efficient mosquito natural repellents. Generally 3-5 drops of the various oil should be added to about a teaspoon of a base oil such as jojoba oil, sweet almond or coconut oil and placed on the exposed skin:- 

Lemongrass Oil 
Lavender Oil Lemon 
Eucalyptus Oil 
Neem Oil or Neem Seed Oil 
Organic Soy Oil 
Black Pepper Oil 
Blue Cypress Oil 
Peppermint Oil 
Basil Oil 
Geranium Oil 
Clove Oil 

Thyme Oil 

A favourite natural mosquito repellent is the essential oil of the Nepeta Cataria (Catnip plant). This perennial herb is a member of the mint family and has many useful medicinal and household applications. One of which is being a very effective, natural mosquito repellent, which has been found to be ten times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes. 

There are many preparations from naturally occurring sources that have been used as a repellent to certain insects. Some of these act as insecticides while others are only repellents. Check this link for a comprehensive list.

To view an excellent website which goes into detail about the various oils and gives information about how to make your own natural mosquito repellent. Go to this link here: 

Moorvi Compound Completed

This week I visited the Moorvi Compound, which is opposite the main Ramana Ashram. The development of the Compound is now fully complete. The remodelling has entailed the demolition of all the old one-storey accommodation and its replacement by new multi-storey accommodation. In addition the old Ramana Ashram Centenary Library has now been remodelled into a multi-room facility. 

To look at photographs at the beginning of the remodelling, go to these links here and here. In addition to see photographs of the Old Library Building, check out this link here. 

The last part of this remodelling programme has been the renovation of the original building in this compound, the Moorvi Choultry. The renovated Moorvi Building is very similar to the old building, but has been fully restored and modernised. 

As many trees as possible of the old Compound have been retained, and already many new bamboo shoots and other plants are making the Moorvi Compound a very comfortable, green retreat. It looks lovely. A very nice job.

Moorvi Choultry

Another view of the Moorvi Choultry

Back of Moorvi Choultry

Spacious Compound with lots of accommodation

Multi-Storey accommodation Facility

Trees left whenever possible during construction process

Building at end, the Old Library

Spacious and restful Compound

Bamboo shots planted at perimeter of Compound

Many of the original trees still remaining in Compound

Original Well still remaining in Compound

Shakti Fire Walking 2013

Yesterday, August 9th, 2013 the Vallaikappu (Bangle) ceremony took place in the Vallaikappu Mandapam, Fifth Prakaram of Arunachaleswarar Temple. Later that day around 11.30 p.m. preparations began in front of the Unnamalai Amman Temple for the Fire Walking ceremony. At that time logs were set alight and allowed to burn up. At about 1.00 a.m. this morning Saturday August 10th, 2013, embers from the burnt logs were spread out on the compound floor in front of the Amman Temple. 

I have attended (as a visitor NOT participant) the Fire Walking ceremony at the Big Temple three times in the past, and had no plans to visit Arunachaleswarar Temple this year to view the ceremony. Thankfully I was snug and safe at home, because we had a fierce storm in these parts all through yesterday evening and early morning today. I am amazed that the organisers were able to keep the logs alight long enough for them to burn down to embers as I expected that due to the storm that the fire walking function would have to be cancelled. 

Worship of Divine Mother

The Parvathi Amman Utsavam Festival which has lasted for 10 days completes its cycle today August 9, 2013 on this day known as Poornam Natchatram. The Vallaikappu (Bangle) ceremony took place this afternoon in the Vallaikappu Mandapam in the Fifth Prakaram of Arunachaleswarar Temple. Later on the Fire Walking ceremony will commence in front of the Amman Temple. To view a schedule of the programme, check my earlier posting at this link here. 

Ladies at Vallaikappu Mandapam, ArunachaleswararTemple

Ladies worshipping Amman at Mandapam

Amman at Vallaikappu Mandapam

Voice of Sri Ramana Maharshi

Many photographs and several videos were taken of Ramana Maharshi during his lifetime but there is no known recording of his voice. I’ve sometimes wondered what his voice would sound like and have noticed that even in narratives of devotees, the timbre and quality of his voice is rarely mentioned. In this regard, the following passage recounted by K.R.K. Murthi, perhaps explains the intentional absence of a recording of the voice of Ramana Maharshi:- 

‘With a view to recording Bhagavan’s voice, some devotees referred to the sound recording machines. Seeing that Bhagavan was favourably disposed towards them, they wanted to pursue the matter further and fix a date for recording the voice. At that moment Bhagavan said, “My real voice is silence. How can you record the same?”’ 

[From:Face to Face with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Page 324]

Adi Pooram Fire Walking Schedule

Tomorrow, Friday August 9, 2013 around 4.00 p.m. marks the beginning of the Amman Worship by the Ladies at Arunachaleswarar Temple and later that night Fire Walking at Arunachaleswarar Temple in front of the Unnamulai Shrine.

For a full pictorial report of a previous Adi Pooram and Fire Walking at Arunachaleswarar Temple please go to this link here. The report includes the 2009 worship of Amman in Vallaikappu, her worship by the Ladies and preparations by devotees for fire-walking and also photographs of the fire ritual itself.

Fire walking is still a regular event in Tiruvannamalai and other South Indian towns. Usually wood or charcoal is burnt and the smouldering embers laid out onto the ground. Commonly the ceremony is held under the auspices of a Temple, and in the case of Arunachaleswarar Temple the occurrence takes place once year at the time of Adi Pooram. This year the Fire Walking ceremony will take place around 1.00 a.m. early morning of August 10, 2013, in front of the Unnamulaiamman Shrine at Arunachaleswarar Temple, which will be specially kept open for the function.

Many hundreds of devotees will turn up for the ceremony, but the fire walking itself will only be undertaken by devotees of the Divine Mother who have been observing a special sadhana over the previous 30 days (including a fast) in order to prepare themselves for the ‘test of devotion’. Those who participate are ordinary householders and largely non-Brahmins. In some cases devotees are given a mantra to recite during their fire walk.

Preparing Fire for later Fire Walking Ceremony, Unnamulai Shrine

In all Temples, where the fire-walking ceremony is practised, it is a Goddess that is worshipped. In the case of the Arunachaleswarar Temple, it is the Goddess Unnamulai that is duly placated. The actual ceremony will occur on the paved courtyard in front of the Unnamulai Amman Shrine, inside the compound of the Big Temple.

A Tamil legend narrates the story that in Singavaram there is a Temple dedicated to Sri Ranganadha. Here a king named Kandhan, after suffering a defeat, performed a fire walking ceremony in worship of Draupadi (from the Mahabharata). Draupadi, pleased with the worship, appeared before the king and promised that whoever should worship her as he had done would remain unscathed and also obtain whatever they prayed for. From that day onwards the fire-walking festival is observed with great enthusiasm in Tamil Nadu.

Proposed schedule of Adi Pooram and Fire Walking at Arunachaleswarar Temple

Friday August 9, 2013

5.00 a.m. Amman Abhishekam

6.00 a.m. Alangaram

8.00 a.m. Amman from Sannadhi to Vallaikappu Mandapam

4.00 p.m. Amman in Vallaikappu and the worship of Amman by ladies

4.00 p.m. Abhishekam

6.00 p.m. Valaikappu

8.00 p.m. Amman goes around the Temple and returns to Vallaikappu Mandapam

Large Crowds will begin to build up. TEMPLE REMAINS OPEN.

11.00 p.m. Preparations for Fire Walking Ceremony.

Saturday August 10, 2013 Midnight

1.00 a.m. Adi Pooram Fire Walking