Pachiamman Temple

These wonderful, strange, gigantic (2 to 3.5m high) statues of painted stucco, represent Warrior Devas. They sit in rows on either side of the path (inside the Compound) leading to the Pachiamman Temple.

Much more about this amazing Temple in later posts.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The first spiritual teaching Sri Sathya Sai Baba is reputed to have given to the world was at the age of 14 years when he left his home and took a seat on a great boulder outside his Puttaparthi village. It was at that boulder (which would later mark one of the boundaries of his vast desert Ashram), that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai sang:

Manasa Bhajorey Guru Charanam
Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam
Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai
Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Nama Shivaya,
Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah Om
Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva,
Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiv Om
Omkaram Baba, Omkaram Baba,
Omkaram Baba Om Namo Baba

O mind, worship the Lotus Feet of your God and Supreme Teacher that will take you safely across the ocean of life and death. Victory to our Lord and supreme Teacher, Sai Nath!

Mind, also chant and worship; the Divine name of Lord Shiva and Arunachala mountain (which is no different to Shiva) and Baba whose form is OM.

In this bhajan Bhagavan exhorts devotees to worship the feet of the spiritual perceptor and explains that there is no difference between the Pranava Om (which pervades the Universe), Arunachala and the Lord. Bowing to one is as bowing to all.

Since that early age of 14 years and his first teaching, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has often encouraged, suggested and even ordered devotees to come to Arunachala. As well as his love of this Holy Place, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often guides people (as did Ramana Maharshi) in the method of Self Enquiry.

Kannappa Nayanar Temple

There is a Temple built at the foot of Arunachala, off the pradakshina route, on a rock dedicated to Sri Kannappar. Kannappar who was one of the sixty-three Nayanars (Tamil Poet-Saints) whose lives are recorded in the Periya Puranam (Lives of the Saints). The actual story of Kannappa Nayanar is supposed to have taken place at a Hill Temple in Sri Kalahasti, near Tirupathi.

The story goes that there was a forest place called Uduppur. It was an isolated area populated by fierce villagers. Nagan and Tatthai had a great desire for a child but as they were old had to go to a shrine of Lord Murugan to receive his blessings before they were able to conceive. A son was soon born to them who they named Thinnan (meaning strong), because he was so powerful and heavy that even his father could hardly hold him up.

When the boy reached 16 years of age, he took over the position of leader of the hunters. During a pig hunt, Thinnan and some companions had to go deep into the forest. It was there that the youth saw the hill of Lord Siva. Kindled by an unexplainable emotion he went towards the hill.

The culmination of austerities he did in previous births came to him and he proceeded towards the Lord. He saw Him and drank through his eyes the wonderful sight; It flowed over his heart; He lost all control and ran towards the Lingam to embrace and kiss the Diety.

Thinnan started performing service by bringing water from the river in his mouth and bathing the image of the Lord by emptying the water he carried in his mouth onto the Lingam. He would chew meat to ascertain its suitability before offering the choicest bits to his deity.

When he left for hunting, a sage came who was shocked at the sight of strewn bones and flesh in front of the Lord. After prostrating many times the sage cleaned the altar and performed his own puja before returning to his hermitage.

This continued for many days. To explain the love of his huntsman devotee, God appeared to the sage and told him, 'Don't think he is a scoundrel. His form is full of my love, his mind thinks of me only and his deeds are delightful for me. The water he spits on me is more sacred than Ganga, the flowers he offers taking from his head are holier than that are offered by Devas. It is all because of His love. You can see the excellence of his devotion tomorrow, if you hide and watch'.

It was the seventh day of Thinnans worship. When he arrived at the Lingam he was shocked to see that one eye of the Diety was bleeding. While worrying about his inability to find a solution, he remembered an old saying flesh for flesh. So, immediately Thinnan plucked out one of his own eyes with a sharp arrow and placed it onto the bleeding eye of the Lords. Thinnan jumped up and down in excitement when the bleeding from the Dietys eye stopped.

But as it stopped in the right eye, it started from the left. After a moment Thinnan told himself, 'I know the medicine. I have one more eye. That should cure this'. But when he was about to pluck out his remaining eye, he realised the difficulty of placing the eye in position once he took out his remaining eye. So he held his foot on the Dietys eye as a mark, and raised the arrow to take his remaining eye out.

The Lord Himself was not able to bear this great action, and appeared and holding the devotee's hands to stop him from plucking the remaining eye, called out:

'Oh halt Kann Appa, Kann Appa Since you gave your own eyes for me, you will be called Kannappan (the person who gave eyes to the Lord) hereafter.' And with that contact the devotee's sight was fully restored and the Lord pleased with his devotion granted him eternal bliss.

Although a hunter and meat-eater, Kannappar had such great devotion to Siva that he offered him his eyes. And in Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 164, Sri Bhagavan gives the meaning of this story.

164
Kannappa, ripe in love, scooped out
And in the Lord's face planted his eyes.
But till he plucked and planted them
He too retained a trace of price
In those bright, beautiful orbs of his.
Attachment to the body dies
Hard, very hard indeed.

165
Why did the three-eyed Lord ordain
That Kanappa should pluck and plant
Those eyes of which he was so proud?
It was to save him from the death,
The deadly folly of deeming he
Was flesh inert. Such is the might
Of Siva.

Glistening Like An Iridescent Gem

When The Parties Over!

This year the first night of the lighting of the Deepam flame will be December 3rd.

The Arunachala Deepam remains burning until dawn. Every evening for about 8-10 days, the Hill Cauldron is relit at dusk and fed ghee and offerings throughout the night.

Once the festival is over the Cauldron is brought down the Hill and remains in storage at the Arunachaleswarar Temple UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR!

Arunachaleswarar Temple

The Arunachaleswarar Temple, faces east and is situated at the base of Arunachala. It is unique on account of its stately towers, high rampart walls, broad quadrangles, spacious gateways, large mantapams and fine tanks. With the hill as background, from a distance. the Temple looks very much like a fort.

Arunachaleswarar Temple has four Towers on each side of it’s high stone walls.

Eastern Tower - Rajagopuram (highest at 217 feet)
Southern Tower - Thirumanjangopuram
Western Tower - Peygopuram
Northern Tower - Ammaniamma Gopuram

The temple occupies an area of approximately 25 acres. The walls on the East and West measure 700 feet each. Arunachaleswarar Temple is one of the biggest and grandest temples in South India

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