Idukku Pillayar Shrine

The shrine is known as Idukku Pillayar. The name Pillayar is one given to Ganesha (remover of obstacles and Lord of auspiciousness). The Idukku Pillayar Shrine is in the form of a narrow passageway between two columns. Legend has it that successfully crawling through the narrow tunnel from front to back gives liberation, whereas successfully scrambling through from back to front will fulfil ones worldly wish. The Shrine is located near the Kubera Lingam on the outer pradakshina path.

Yogi and Ayn Rand

Yogi Ramsuratkumar speaking to a devotee once said that the writer Ayn Rand had written a book titled Virtue of Selfishness. In it she condemned all Mahans, Jnanis and Gurus and spoke of selfishness being a virtue!

Yogi asked this devotee, Have you read this book of Ayn Rand? The devotee said, No! For the next three hours Yogi spoke about the contents of the book, page by page, how she was wrong and what was the reply for it all. Yogi then said to the devotee, This beggar is very tired. Let me take some rest. And lay down.

Within ten minutes a foreigner knocked at the door. He said to Yogi, I learnt that you are a great saint living in Tiruvannmalai. I desire to discuss Ayn Rands book with you! At once Yogi looked at his devotee and said, Answer! The devotee poured forth all that he had just listened to Yogi! In reply to Ayn Rands accusation that Mahans were also selfish, Yogi said, When Mahans have no self how can they be selfish?

Arunachala Protection

Sri Devi said:

This is always the abode of pious devotees. Those who do evil to others here will, after suffering ills be destroyed. Wicked persons will be completely bereft in the twinkling of an eye, of their powers to do evil here. Do not fall into the burning fire of the anger of the Lord Arunachala who has assumed the form of the Hill of Fire.

Healing Miracles

The Arunachala Mahatmyam relates a story of a lame sage who came to Arunachala hoping to regain his legs. Praying mentally, with crutches in hand and knees worn out, he proceeded to the bank of a river to quench his thirst. Having left his crutches on the bank he began to drink the water. At that time someone came up, threw the crutches into the water and asked angrily, How dare you come to Arunachala with crutches? Why do you need them? and disappeared. The lame man at once regained the use of his legs.

When this story was told to Sri Ramana Maharshi, he himself related the story of Kuppu Iyer. Iyyers legs were useless and he could not walk. One day whilst making his way to some place by moving on his buttocks, an old man suddenly appeared and said, "Get up and walk. Why do you move on your buttocks?" Kuppu Iyer was excited and beside himself. Involuntarily he rose up and walked freely. After going a short distance, he looked behind to see the stranger who made him walk. But he could not find anyone. He narrated the incident to all those who were surprised to see him walk. Often such mysterious happenings occur in Tiruvannamalai!

Redemption

Sri Siva said:
The period that has been formerly allotted to you cannot be changed or taken back . . . Hence even if you are far away, worship this fiery Linga named Arunachala for dispelling all defects.

All sins whether they are mental, verbal or physical perish quickly by visiting Arunachala. This Arunachala is destructive of all the sins of men through circumambulations, prostrations, recollections, worships and eulogies.

[Skanda Purana]

Velliananda Swami

Velliananda Swami, at the age of 79 years, lives in a humble mud house in the village of Kurumarpatti about 25 kms from Arunachala. Swami has lived in the same area since a young man. He rarely travels to Tiruvannamalai, preferring to practice a life of simplicity close to the natural surrounding of his village. As well as his other spiritual attainments, he is also thought to have strong healing and visionary powers, and many people (Indian and Western) visit him for help and inspiration with both spiritual and worldly problems.

Swami rarely visits Tiruvannamalai. He believes in the words of the Skanda Purana which declares that the land within a radius of three yojanas (approximately 30 miles) of Arunachala is the land of Siva (Siva Bhumi). Velliananda Swami has been known to retort that by living in his village he is near enough to experience the spiritual power and energy of Arunachala, without (by being close to the base of Arunachala) stepping on Lord Sivas face!

Assistance to Visitors

We welcome ANY questions regarding Arunachala, whether spiritual, historical or practical. In this respect, if any pilgrims or visitors to Tiruvannamalai would like help in arranging their trip and stay at Arunachala please get in touch with Arunachala Grace for assistance with transportation, accommodation and tours. We can help with direct Hotel bookings, or in arranging rental apartments or houses. Please get in touch by using the E Mail button on the left side of this Blog.

Skanda Purana

Sri Nandi said:

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.

Sri Seshadri Ashram

This is the front gate of Sri Seshadri Ashram where lies the samadhi of this great saint. When on January 4, 1929, Sri Seshadri Swamigal died of fever in his own small room near the Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai was engulfed in sorrow.

After preparation his body was brought out in procession which is said to have been so splendid that the entire stock of camphor in the shops of Tiruvannamalai was exhausted and all incoming buses were full and over crowded.

The streets were jammed with devotees and the night seemed like bright day as it was so brilliantly illuminated by the burning camphor. The air was filled with group-singing, devotional songs and the music of instrument players. It was at Agni Tirtham that Sri Ramana Maharshi joined the procession. Further on a samadhi was constructed and Sri Swamigals body interred. That samadhi tomb is now enshrined within the grounds of Sri Seshadri Ashram on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai.

For further information on the life of this great soul please check:

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

Mercedes D'Acosta

Mercedes D'Acosta was very much part of the 30s and 40s Hollywood set and mixed with the rich and famous from all over the world; Dietrech, Garbo, Stravinsky. However, in her own right she was also a mystic and spiritual seeker who wanted to see all the popular teachers of the time. In this respect she decided to travel to India to meet in particular Sri Ramana Maharshi.

On her very first meeting with the sage, she was able to have this long and extraordinary conversation with him:

' . . . Tell me, whom shall I follow, what shall I follow? I have been trying to find this out for years by seeking in religions, in philosophies, in teachers and teachings.' Again there was a silence. After a few minutes, which seemed to me a long time, he spoke.

You are not telling the truth. You are just using words, just talking. You know perfectly well whom to follow. Why do you need me to confirm it?

'You mean I should follow my inner self?' I asked.

I don't know anything about your inner self. You should follow the Self. There is nothing or no one else to follow.

I asked again, 'What about religions, teachers, gurus?'

If they can help in the quest of the Self. But can they help? Can religion, which teaches you to look outside yourself, which promises a heaven and a reward outside yourself, can this help you? It is only by diving deep into the Spiritual Heart that one can find the Self.

He placed his right hand on my right breast and continued,

Here lies the Heart, the Dynamic, Spiritual Heart. It is called Hridaya and is located on the right side of the chest and is clearly visible to the inner eye of an adept on the Spiritual Path. Through meditation you can learn to find the Self in the cave of this Heart.

I find this record of Mercedes D'Acosta's meeting with the Maharshi particularly fascinating because Ramana seems so wonderfully accessible. Often in books and literature about saints much is edited to maintain an image. So, how refreshing to see from this passage such a unique and appealing side of Sri Ramana. To see how intensely he was involved with his devotees and that he didn't differentiate between the male and female form, to him it was all one.

His response was guaranteed when he met with a true devotee of the Divine Principle and was not predicated on social mores or expectations of other devotees. He did what he did in the way he did it! It was always just about God, not convention, just wish there were lots more examples available of this aspect of Ramana Maharshi.

[Here Lies the Heart]

Ardhanareshwara

Another special characteristic of Arunachala is that it is believed to be a place where womens tapas will easily bear fruit. The reason for this conviction is that Arunachala is the place that the Goddess Parvati performed the tapas that resulted in her attaining a place as the left half of the Lord. This manifestation of the Divine with the right half being Shiva and the left, Parvati, bears the name Ardhanareshwara (ardha=half, nare=lady).

An idol for Ardhanareshwara is found in the Arunachaleswara Temple and on Deepam evening is taken along in procession with the other Deity murtis.

Feet on Arunachala

On top of the summit of Arunachala there is a large flat stone with enormous rock-cut feet on it. It is approximately five feet from this spot that the huge cauldron is placed every year during the Karthigai festival. The feet are supposed to represent the feet of Arunachala. When you go to the top of the Hill, there you find the feet: because in Arunachala, the Supreme, there is neither top nor bottom, there are no parts, there is just wholeness. Also because what is highest in principle is lowest in manifestation; the first is last and the last first.

Sphinx at Arunachala

There are many religious and historical monuments at Arunachala but perhaps one of the most enigmatic are these wayside sphinxes that appear around the pradakshina road. Each sphinx stands next to a water tank (tirtham).

The sphinxes appear to have the head of a lion but, according to scholar Stella Kramrich, in fact are composed of three faces: the face of man, the face of the lion representing the Sun or Supreme Spirit, and the face of the dragon who, as the Destroyer of the Universe, stands for Transcendental Wisdom. Stella Kramrich further suggests that all three are superimposed on, and hence overwhelm the just discernible Deaths head underlying them.

Speculating further on the history and meaning of the sphinxes, M. Bose writes in her book, The Hill of Fire:

. . . Today, these enigmatic sphinxes are used as mere shrines at which pilgrims, after taking a bath in the tank, make their offerings to Arunachala. But did they have a more important function in the past? For their symbology suggest that in long-forgotten rites they may have been gateways to the Sun, places of initiation where the neophytes, after being cleansed of sin and animal nature, received the highest knowledge that led to immortality in the Sun.

Fire Walking

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. The ceremony is usually held under the auspices of a Temple, and in the case of Arunachaleswarar temple held once a year.

Those who participate are ordinary householders and are largely non-Brahmins. In some cases the devotees are give a mantra to recite and may fast for some days before the ritual. 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 Unnamaulai that is duly placated. The actually ceremony occurs on the paved courtyard in front of the Temple of Unnamulai, inside the compound of the Big Temple, on the full moon day of the month of Adi (mid-July to mid-August). At that time a fire of burning embers is spread out after midnight for people to walk upon.

There is a Tamil story that in a place in Singavaram, there is a temple 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.

Movie Actor and Arunachala

Its not just Ashrams and Saints who are responsible for bringing crowds to Arunachala. In this respect, a major factor in the last 10 years in popularising Arunachala amongst Tamils is the advocacy of one of South India's favourite movie actors, Rajni Kant. His support and dialogue about the efficacy and power of Arunachala and giripradakshina, has influenced many who would otherwise have had no knowledge or information about this sacred site.

Rajni Kant has been responsible in improving the infrastructure at Arunachala and personally funded the installation of lights on the girivalam path, in this way ensuring devotees are able to safely do circumambulation throughout the night.

Skanda Purana

Sri Siva said:
Though in fact fiery, my lacklustre appearance as a hill on this spot is an effect of grace and loving solicitude for the maintenance of the world. Here I always abide as the great one (Siddha). Remember that in the interior of My Heart is transcendental glory, with all the enjoyments of the world also. This glorious Arunachala is that of which the mere sight suffices to remove all demerits which divide up Being into egos and finite worlds.

From The Skanda Purana

Arunachala the Centre

Among the many holy places in India representing different modes of spirituality, Arunachala stands out as the centre of the most direct path guided by the silent influence of the Hill as Guru. It is the centre and the path where physical contact is not necessary. The silent teaching acts and speaks direct to the heart.

Virupaksha

The famous saint Virupaksha lived in a cave on the South slope of Arunachala. The cave is said to be in the shape of OM and some people report to have even heard the sound of OM whilst meditating. The saint's tomb is there and bears his name. Ramana Maharshi lived in Virupaksha Cave before moving to Skandashram cave a little further up the Hill.

The Secret of Arunachala

". . . I began to understand what had long before been said to me about the attractive power of Arunachala and his Mountain. If Ramana was indeed great, how much more so must be this Arunachala which drew Ramana to himself, how much more so the mystery of Arunachala? In the end then Ramana would only be one of those, no doubt the greatest of those belonging to our time, who in the course of ages have quenched their thirst at this fountain which never ceases to flow, and in the shelter of the Mountain have discovered in the depth of their own heart the living mystery of Arunachala."

By Swami Abhishiktananda

Sri Chakra

Although Arunachala is the pre-eminent Saiva Kshetra there are various other names designating this sthala. Interestingly Vaishnavas call Arunachala, Sudarsana Giri. Shaktas say the Hill resembles Sri Chakra, the emblem of the Cosmos with its substratum; and regard Arunachala as Sri Chakra itself.