Radha at Arunachala

As part of a series of holy people and sadhakas at Arunachala, here is a post of a lady named Radha. She originates from Bangalore where she was successfully working in a Computer Organisation but, on deciding to give up the world some years ago, she moved to Arunachala. Her husband became one of her devotees and she set up a small enclave just off the pradakshina road on the Northwest side of the Hill where she lived with several of her sannyasins. She has now moved to another location near her original place.

She is generally available to pilgrims in the season (late September-March) at which time she gives daily satsang lasting between 1-2 hours outside the Sri Kannappa Temple. She seems to attract mainly Western devotees.

Recently land was purchased on the south edge of Lake Samudra and work has already started on building a perimeter fence. Quickly planned will be the construction of five cottages for devotees and a large prayer/meditation hall. At this time no special facility on the land is being made for Radha Ma, who is taking an active interest in the development of the site and goes regularly to check progress.

An Indian Swing

Took this picture this afternoon from my rooftop. Every second Saturday of the month, maintenance is performed on the Citys electricity system. So that means no electricity for most of the day; and no fans! So to cool down, some local kids tied up an old sari (sling style) to the branches of a tree at the side of an old, abandoned well and took turns to have a swing.

The sling hammock is the method used by most Indian ladies with small babies. From my experience there are very few families that buy children-specific items, like cribs or cots. No, most everything in this country is multi-functional. So when a sari gets too old then it is time to make a sling hammock for the baby, perfect!

[Arunachala is the green background of this picture]

Full Moon Pradakshina

If you want to walk around Arunachala, quietly and peacefully then don't come during Full Moon (Poornima). Each month the crowds get larger and more boisterously enthusiastic. There is a tremendous vitality and passion in the mainly Tamil crowds that come to Arunachala to circumambulate the Hill. The experience is stirring yet fun; not at all the sedate walk around the Mountain 'like a Queen in her last month of pregnancy' so often advocated by saints and sages. If you want peace and silence then come on an ordinary day and set out at 3 a.m. and that's as close as you will get to experiencing a traditional, historic giripradakshina.

All around the perimeter of the 14 km walk are Temples, Shrines, Tirthams, Sadhus, Beggars, Roadside Wallahs (sellers), Entertainers, Artists, Fortune Tellers and so on. For now here are some photographs to give you the flavour of Full Moon Pradakshina at Arunachala.

Sadhu sitting in front of shrine. Probably not as idyllic as it looks; must be noisy, and doubtless there is a bad smell and mosquitoes from the standing water!

This silver Gandhi impersonator has been a favourite here for many years. Stands motionless for hours and always with a big crowd watching. Just hope he makes more than his bus fare home!

Nataki meets Bhavani

This is an extraordinary story that will have to be told in many parts. But to begin with I'll tell you how Nataki (an old lady) met Bhavani (a beautiful child) and how their lives have joined.

Bhavani was born on January 24th, 2003 in a small village about 27 kilometres from Tiruvannamalai. Her family are of a good Hindu Tamil caste and are pious devotees of the Devi; even to the extent of participating in fire-walking ceremonies that still take place in Tamil Shrines and Temples dedicated to the Divine Mother.

The day after her birth, Bhavani's Mother (accompanied by a close relative) travelled to Tiruvannamalai to plead with Nataki to arrange for someone to take the child. There was the fear, as already there were three girls in the family, that a near relative might finish off the child with poison.

For someone living outside the harsh, survival realities of the ordinary Indian, it is difficult to conceive that a girl child could be so targeted. The reality is money. In India a girl has to marry and move from the protection of her father's home to that of her husband's. But in order to get a husband, the bride's family has to pay dowry. And where is a simple, ordinary man, living a day-to-day existence, going to get a minimum of Two Lakhs (Rs.200,000/-, i.e. approx U.S.$5,000/-) for his daughter's dowry?

It's tragic but there is a reason why in India having a girl child is regarded as, 'watering another man's garden'. The reason is the girl's family have to actually pay (i.e. dowry) for her to go and live in another man's home (i.e. with the husband and his family).

Nataki, who was born a high caste Brahmin, had remained unmarried throughout her life so as to dedicate her life to God. She had lived permanently at Arunachala since her move in 1950 and had selflessly dedicated her life to the poor, deprived and most disadvantaged in the community.

In 2003, Nataki nearing 70 years of age, had a small room at Ramana Ashram, was serving both in the Mother's Samadhi at the Ashram and also attending to patients at the Ramana dispensary.

With little money, no thought for her own comfort or whether she would even be allowed to live at Ramana Ashram with a tiny new-born child, Nataki unhesitatingly took the child from the distraught Mother and from that day has raised the child as her own. She did in fact have to leave her Ashram room and take accommodation outside for herself and the child.

Bhavani is now 3 years and 5 months old, and as you can see from the photograph a shining, lovely, happy girl.

Lord Muneshwara

This Temple is dedicated to the God Muneshwara, who in these parts is regarded as a Family Deity. This particular shrine is located on the North Side of Arunachala near Adi Annamalai Village and its forecourt plays an important part in village rituals during such festivals as Pongal (harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu).

Outside the small Temple a watchman holds two horses with a small dog sitting quietly near his feet. The watchman, who is the driver of the horses, symbolises the protection and support of the Lord Muneshwara.

King Cobra?

I've been checking out this particular snake shrine for the last 12 years and still haven't seen anything either going in or coming out of the mound. There is supposed to be a big cobra living inside and every so often you see broken egg shells scattered on the sand and other so-called evidence of it's existence!

But even if a snake had once been living in the mound, with the continual disturbance of large pilgrimage crowds, the snake has long gone!

Arunachala Sannyasin

Probably something quickly noticed by the first time visitor to Arunachala, is the number of sadhus and sannyasins that are everywhere. On the pradakshina path, up the Mountain, in the Temple, at the Ashrams; and long may they come too! It's such a blessing to have these wonderful symbols of surrender and dedication to the Divine Principle here with us at Arunachala. They live a hard life and often get abused for the privilege of living it, long may they reign!

Sri Venkateshwara Temple

Photograph of the Sri Venkateshwara Temple which is currently under construction. Before building work started, the earth in the area was raised approximately 20 feet, to add to the elevation and also to give the structure a good perspective from the pradakshina road. This photograph was in fact taken from the outer pradakshina path.

Kamadhenu (from Kama = desire, wish + dhenu, milch cow):

According to Hindu mythology, Devata Kamadhenu is a Divine Cow believed to be the mother of all cows. She can grant any wish of the true seeker and hence is termed the cow of plenty.

If you look closely at the photograph, you will notice that Devata Kamadhenu is bathing the Lingam underneath with milk from her udder.

This shrine is located in the front of the Sri Venkateshwara Temple which is currently under construction.

Palakothu tank and Annamalai Swami

This is a photograph of the Palakothu Tank where many sadhus lived during Ramanas time. In those days there used to be a colony of varying types of residential structures which housed such personnages as Muruganar, Lakshmana Sharma, Paul Brunton and Annamalai Swami.

Annamalai Swami was born Sella Perumal in 1906 in a small village in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. In 1928, when he was 22 years old, he travelled to Tiruvannamalai to meet Ramana Maharshi who, at that time, lived at the base of Arunachala. He became the Maharshi's personal attendant and was given the name Annamalai Swami (Annamalai is another name for Arunachala) with duties to oversee the ongoing construction at the ashram.

It is believed that in 1938, ten years after his arrival in Tiruvannamalai, Swami Annamalai realized the Self. Five or six years later, sometime in the mid-1940s, Bhagavan instructed him to leave the Ashram and engage in intense sadhana.

Following his departure from Sri Ramanasramam, Annamalai took up an austere life in his own hut in Palakottu. He would occasionally meet the Maharshi on his walks, but never again in the fifty years that followed did he re-enter Sri Ramanasramam. A few years later he built the Sri Annamalai Swami Ashram and lived there until his death on November 9, 1995.

If you look at the picture on the top of this entry you will see at the end of the Palakothu tank a white wall, this wall is one of the perimeter boundaries of Annamalai Swamis own Ashram. A couple of years ago the Trust overseeing the Ashram donated its land and all buildings thereupon to the adjacent Ramana Ashram. So perhaps one could say that Annamalai Swami did in fact finally rejoin his Master at Ramana Ashram!

Unique Sanctity of Arunachala

"Arunachala is truly the holy place. Of all holy places It is the most sacred! Know that It is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva Himself! It is His heart-abode, a secret Kshetra. In that place the Lord ever abides as the Hill of Light named Arunachala."

Ramana Maharshi

The Indian Peacock

Auto Rickshaw

In Tiruvannamalai a common mode of transportation is the auto rickshaw. Unfortunately unlike larger cities, here rickshaw drivers are not compelled to operate meters in their vehicles. With the increased popularity of finance companies and more easily available bank loans, cars and two wheelers are much more prevalent. However for out-of-station visitors, the auto rickshaw is an essential prerequisite for getting around in Tiruvannamalai.

An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a tin/iron body resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for two or three in the rear. Autos are generally fitted with a motorcycle version of a two-stroke engine with a handlebar for control (again like motorcycles) instead of a steering wheel, effectively making them a three-wheeler motorcycle carrying passengers on the rear seat.

For pollution control, some local governments in India are pushing for four-stroke engines instead of the current two-stroke versions. Typical mileage for an Indian-made autorickshaw is around 35 kilometres per litre of petrol.

Safety is a major concern regarding auto rickshaws. Their flimsy chassis make them dangerous to passengers even in accidents that are far from severe. They are also not well-equipped to protect their passengers from rain, air pollution or extremes of temperature. Auto rickshaws are extremely light vehicles considering their capacity.

They have a top-speed of around 50 km/h (about 31 mph) and a cruising speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph). The triangular form of the auto makes maneuvering easy, with the front single wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space.

Paravidya Upanishad

We hold the copyright of two books hitherto unpublished, based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. In this respect in May, 2006, Ramana Ashram brought out the first book, The Paravidya Upanishad (The Supreme Science as Taught by Sri Ramana) written by Lakshmana Sharma "Who", an original devotee of Ramana Maharshi. The book comprising over 700 slokas expounds and explains the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Much of the preparatory work in bringing this work to the public was done by a Mr. Sunder Hattangadi, a U.S. resident. Hopefully the second book by Lakshmana Sharma entitled Vedanta Saram of which we also have the copyright, will soon appear in publication.

Swami Ramdas at Arunachala

Either at the end of 1922 (soon after Sri Ramana Maharshi permanently moved to the base of Arunachala) or the beginning of 1923, Swami Ramdas of Kanhangad arrived at Tiruvannamalai and had a brief meeting with the young Sri Ramana Maharshi. The meeting powerfully affected Swami Ramdas and immediately after it, he moved into an unoccupied cave on the Southside of Arunachala. It was in this cave he lived for nearly a month in deep meditation.

... He was actually rolling in a sea of indescribable happiness ... Once during the day, when he was lost in the madness of meditation he came out of the cave and found a man standing a little way from the mouth of the cave. Unconsciously, he ran up to him and locked him up in a fast embrace. This action on the part of Ramdas thoroughly frightened the friend who thought that it was a madman who was behaving in this manner and so was afraid of harm from him. It was true, he was mad ... At times, he would feel driven to clasp in his arms the very trees and plants growing in the vicinity of the cave ... Thus passed his days in that cave. It was altogether a simple and happy life that he led in that mountain retreat.

[Excerpt taken from In Quest of God autobiography by Swami Ramdas] For more information about Swami Ramdas please check link at: http://www.anandashram.org

Delicious Jackfruit

Jackfruit is not well known in Western counties. The fruit grows on tall, massive trees with each fruit dangling from its own umbilical-like cord off the trees trunk. The jackfruit is believed indigenous to the rain forests of the Western Ghats of India. It spread early on to other parts of India, Southeast Asia, the East Indies and ultimately the Philippines. It is often planted in central and eastern Africa and is fairly popular in Brazil and Surinam.

Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, reaching 80 pounds in weight and up to 36 inches long and 20 inches in diameter. The exterior of the compound fruit is green or yellow when ripe. The interior consists of large edible bulbs of yellow, banana-flavoured flesh that encloses a smooth, oval, light-brown seed.

The seed, about an inch long and half-an-inch wide, is white and crisp within. There may be 100 or up to 500 seeds in a single fruit, which are viable for no more than three or four days. When fully ripe, the unopened jackfruit (which strongly resembles a sea anemone) emits a strong disagreeable odour, resembling that of decayed onions, while the pulp of the opened fruit smells of pineapple and banana

To get at the inner encased fruit one needs to carefully smear oil over hands and knife as a protection from the fruits sticky, white latex. Once the fruit has been unsheathed from its casing it will remain fresh for only several hours.

Both fruit and seed are used in curries and other food preparations; probably the most famous being in the making of jack fruit chips, a salted fried dish eaten in much the same way as potato chips.

Paul Brunton House

This picture shows the living room and kitchen of the original Paul Brunton house. Paul Brunton was probably one of the first high profile Westerners who came to Arunachala and Sri Ramana Maharshi. In Brunton's book, In Search of Secret India which is regarded as a spiritual classic, he recounts his travels and travails in India in his search for a Spiritual Master.

When Brunton moved out of Ramana Ashram he took a house at Palakothu, an adjacent colony. His small house was subsequently bought and renovated by a German lady, Helga, who permanently resides at Arunachala. She is now in her 70s and her home still contains Paul Brunton's original rooms. For more information about Paul Brunton see link:

Deepam Cauldron

Five earthen-pot lighted lamps, representing the five elements, provide the flame for the single Bharani Deepam which fisherman carry to the top of the mountain for use as the source-light for the Krittikai Deepam.

The Deepam cauldron is made of copper with three rings on either side for poles to support its weight when carried up the hill. This unique privilege is given to fishermen (as Parvati, the consort of Siva was born in a fishing village). The fishermen take turns to heave the cauldron up the mountain. And it is one of them that lights the Deepam cauldron, which is packed with ghee and clothes to act as the burning wick.

Perpetuity

Sri Siva said:

Let this perpetual and immobile Fiery Form of mine, famous as Arunadri, be present here forever. (27)

Even at the close of the Yugas the great oceans shall not submerge it, the winds shall not shake it and the fires shall not burn it. (28)

Skanda Purana
I.iii(U).16.27-28

Sri Seshadri Room

This is a photograph of a tape shop, but at another time this room was used for something quite different! It used to be Seshadri Swamigals room for forty years when he lived near the Temple. The size of the original 4' x 6' room was later enlarged for commercial purposes.

Talking with Thiagaraja Gurukkal Elavarasu Pattam (family head and a senior priest at Arunachaleswarar Temple) I asked why the room had not been transformed into a shrine for Sri Seshadri Swami, Thiagaraja Pattam replied that he had a large family to take care of, and anyhow no-one had come forward to bear the expense of making a shrine of the residence.

On further talks with Thiagaraja Pattam I learnt that his own father (who also used to be a priest at the Big Temple, Arunachaleswarar) told him stories about the time Sri Seshadri Swamigal used to live in the room. It seems sadhus and pilgrims would come to visit him and a not infrequent visitor happened to be Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Sri Seshadri Swamigal lived in this room for 40 years and it was here that he died on January 4, 1929. For a more detailed biography of this great saint please link to:

http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/seshadri.html

More information on this room and Sri Swamigals life in it will appear on later blogs.

My Secret Saint

I know a small story connected with this Shrine, but probably the Shrine has even a greater history than I can imagine.

It has always been a desire of mine to connect with a Secret Saint. For some reason I have had this fancy for a long time and recall how thrilled I was reading the story of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna meeting the disguised avadhuta in the Calcutta Temple.

The story goes that Ramakrishna and some accompanying devotees stood watching a wild, filthy unkempt beggar eating food left-overs from soiled banana leaves with a pack of mangy Temple dogs. Ramakrishna told his group that the seeming beggar was in fact an avadhuta and a great soul and he had adopted the disguise to hide his stature and thereby ensure his privacy.

Arunachala has always had the reputation of attracting rishis, saints, sadhus, devotees and pilgrims. And it is part of the Hills lore that at any one time there are at least several rishis (in disguise) present at this holy place. From my own experience I believe it is best to be careful how you speak to even the most seemingly innocuous of people whilst at Arunachala. Who knows who it is?

Anyhow, for over a year a naked sadhu used to live curled up in this little shrine (picture above). His only protection from the cold and mosquitoes was his lungi (cotton wraparound sheet worn around the waist) which he unfurled at nights and used as a cover. Mostly his cover fell off and left him naked and exposed to the elements; hot sun, driving rain or cold winds. He spent days and nights lying with his head and chest curled tight inside the shrine and his waist and legs poking out resting on the platform.

And thus it went, day after day with him remaining almost completely motionless. Sometimes other sadhus would come and place food nearby and somehow the food mysteriously seemed to disappear. But the timing of the recluse was perfect and it was as if he was invisible in the way he was able to leave his shrine and suddenly reappear.

Curiously for most of one full year he was left alone, even though his residence i.e. the shrine, is located on the outer pradakshina road at its busiest near the arterial NH-66 road to Bangalore.

In my mind and heart I adopted him as my Secret Saint and tried to be scrupulous not to disturb him. I would even walk on the other side of the road, as far from his shrine as possible, so not to worry or disturb his meditation with uncontrolled thoughts.

But all of a sudden pilgrims started to notice my Secret Saint and started to stop at the shrine to offer fruits, money and ask for blessings. Once it started, it remorselessly gathered pace, and slowly one could feel a certain frentic excitement and energy around the shrine.

And then all of a sudden; he was gone and never returned, my Secret Saint!

(Avadhuta: he who has shed everything: a radical type of renouncer who often engages in unconventional behavior)