Snug

Arunachala might be an extraordinary spiritual catalyst for some but just about everybody one speaks to (at Tiruvannamalai) is aware that there is something special about the place. That there is a quality of peace here that one doesn't feel anywhere else. But as well as that acknowledgement of peace who knows what else is going on deep within the consciousness? Martin Gray believes that,

'... power places exercise, among their various energetic functions, the ability to assist people in the awakening and stimulation of spiritual consciousness. They are places where a 'wake-up call' to deep spiritual and ecological awareness might most clearly be heard.'

The energy is immensely powerful but very subtle and continues permeating on deeper and deeper levels. It is not the electrifying energetic shakti one experiencing when meeting a powerful Saint; its more like falling into a bed of soft cotton wool. It hugs and it holds, but softly, non-invasively, gently. It contains and gathers up and feels like some gigantic spiritual girdle. All held in snugly!

Information

The Tamil Nadu Chief Information Commisioner spoke about the 'Right to Information Act' at a meeting held in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai District this week:

"The Public cannot be denied information about the Government's development programmes."

He continued with saying that the Media should spread awareness about the Information Act to enable members of the community to understand that they have a right of information. The Information Act also requires that all submitted requests to heads of various Government Departments have to be attended to within a stipulated time of 30 days.

Reforestation

Species Selection and Planting Techniques for Arunachala Greening.

I am including an interesting extract from a narrative Govinda Bowley wrote for our Arunachala Grace News, October issue. As the Founder of the Mountain of Medicine and the newly appointed Secretary of the Arunchala Reforestation Society, Govinda is well-informed about the current greening situation on Arunachala.

'The earliest efforts made toward greening Arunachala had included some exotic species, as well as others that while native to India, would not naturally be found in this locality. It is my feeling that even leaving aside the various arguments regarding alien species, the simple point is that the forests of this area are so species rich, so interesting and so beautiful, that there is no impulse to look outside such a treasure trove when reforesting the Holy Mountain. I also believe that from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, the survival rate of local species will on the whole be better, though this is of course not always the case.

There is a common perception regarding the 'forests' of Mount Arunachala: that there are no such thing as 'forests' and the slopes of the Hill are basically barren, rocks with a few thorn bushes here and there, and only wild lemon grass covering what little soil there is. This couldn't be further from the truth. While it is true that there is almost nowhere a closed canopy of old forest, pockets of stunted remnant vegetation survive all over the Hill, and most promisingly, there is also a natural regeneration taking place everywhere. It is by observing closely these remnant pockets and the fresh re-growth that we can best learn what will be the most appropriate species to plant. It is also valuable to visit nearby forests that remain somewhat pristine, in order to garner more information regarding appropriate species. These visits are also very rewarding for the project staff, giving them the experience of being in true forest and a feeling for where we are heading in our work.'

[Govinda Bowley]
Arunachala Grace News, October Issue
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Indian Rules

Rules Of The Road:

Indian Style

I seem to have been mentioning Tiruvannamalai roads a lot with postings on the rotation of tyres on trucks, our new town Traffic Signals, electric scooters and the sad plight of working animals being made to tackle the frightening traffic congestion of downtown.

As small as Tiruvannamalai is, believe me it gets dangerous on the roads. So read these Rules of the Road and realise what may seem satirical is actually quite literal on the roads of South India.If I find out who wrote them I will let you know; but it wasn't me!

Travelling on Indian Roads is an almost hallucinatory potion of sound, spectacle and experience. It is frequently heart-rending, sometimes hilarious, mostly exhilarating, always unforgettable and, when you are on the roads, extremely dangerous.

Most Indian road users observe a version of the Highway Code based on a Sanskrit text. These 12 rules of the Indian road are published for the first time in English AND PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A SATIRE NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!:

ARTICLE I: The assumption of immortality is required of all road users.

ARTICLE II: Indian traffic, like Indian society, is structured on a strict caste system. The following precedence must be accorded at all times. In descending order, give way to:

Cows, elephants, heavy trucks, buses, official cars, camels, light trucks, buffalo, jeeps, ox-carts, private cars, motorcycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, pigs, pedal rickshaws, goats, bicycles (goods-carrying), handcarts, bicycles (passenger-carrying), dogs, pedestrians.

ARTICLE III: All wheeled vehicles shall be driven in accordance with the maxim: To slow is to falter, to brake is to fail, to stop is defeat. This is the Indian drivers' mantra.

ARTICLE IV: Use of horn (also known as the sonic fender or aural amulet):

Cars (IV, 1, a-c):
Short blasts (urgent) indicate supremacy, i.e. in clearing dogs, rickshaws and pedestrians from path.

Long blasts (desperate) denote supplication, i.e. to oncoming truck: "I am going too fast to stop, so unless you slow down we shall both die". In extreme cases this may be accompanied by flashing of headlights (frantic).

Single blast (casual) means: "I have seen someone out of India's 1 billion whom I recognise". "There is a bird in the road (which at this speed could go through my windscreen)." or "I have not blown my horn for several minutes."

Trucks and buses (IV, 2, a):
All horn signals have the same meaning, viz: "I have an all-up weight of approximately 12.5 tons and have no intention of stopping, even if I could." This signal may be emphasised by the use of headlamps.

ARTICLE IV: Remains subject to the provision of Order of Precedence in Article II above.

ARTICLE V: All manoeuvers, use of horn and evasive action shall be left until the last possible moment.

ARTICLE VI: In the absence of seat belts (which there is), car occupants shall wear garlands of marigolds. These should be kept fastened at all times.

ARTICLE VII: Rights of way: Traffic entering a road from the left has priority. So has traffic from the right, and also traffic in the middle

Lane discipline (VII, 1): All Indian traffic at all times and irrespective of direction of travel shall occupy the centre of the road.

ARTICLE VIII: Roundabouts: India has no roundabouts. Apparent traffic islands in the middle of crossroads have no traffic management function. Any other impression should be ignored.

ARTICLE IX: Overtaking is mandatory. Every moving vehicle is required to overtake every other moving vehicle, irrespective of whether it has just overtaken you. Overtaking should only be undertaken in suitable conditions, such as in the face of oncoming traffic, on blind bends, at junctions and in the middle of villages/city centres. Not more than two inches should be allowed between your vehicle and the one you are passing,and one inch in the case of bicycles or pedestrians.

ARTICLE X: Nirvana may be obtained through the head-on crash.

ARTICLE XI: Reversing: No longer applicable since no vehicle in India uses reverse gear.

Asta Lingams

Moopanar Swami came to Arunachala from Tiruveneli around 1968 and became very well known throughout the Arunachala area. He was a devout, spiritual man who placed great emphasis on spiritual service. When he arrived at Arunachala, things were rather different to the present time and what particularly distressed Moopanar Swami was the dreadful, neglected condition of the Asta Lingams (8 Lingams) that surrounded Arunachala. Moopanar Swami used to spend a lot of time meditating and praying at the big Temple and he eventually came to believe that his mission directly imposed by Arunachaleswarar was to renovate the Asta Lingams.

He was convinced that the restoration of the Lingam Shrines was essential to the revitalisation of specific fields of energy and influence surrounding the Hill. Through a combination of various social reasons, over the last few centuries Temples and Shrines throughout India had fallen into disuse and decay. This certainly occurred at Tiruvannamalai where the situation had become so bad that The Asta Lingams were even taken over by squatters and homesteaders. It is said that Moopanar Swami would even resort to driving the squatters off the Lingam premises with a stick!

The Hill which is octagonal in shape is surrounded by a total of 8 Lingam Temples (Asta Lingams). Each of these Temples are located at the four cardinal and four inter-cardinal points. This was also believed by the ancients who originally constructed the Lingams at their 8 cardinal and inter-cardinal points to represent, characterise and vitalise certain aspects and qualities of life, namely:

East, Indra Lingam, Sun
South East, Agni Lingam, Fire
South, Yama Lingam, Death
South West, Niruthi Lingam, Growth
West, Varuna Lingam, Rain
Northwest, Vayu Lingam, Air
North, Kubera Lingam, Wealth
North East, Easanya Lingam, Peace

Restoration of the actual Asta Lingams is now complete; although development of land attached to the Lingams still continues. Many people believe that the revitalisation of the Lingams is in some way responsible to the sudden revival of interest in Arunachala. It certainly is a fascinating coincidence!

Silk Dyeing

The setting up of a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Arni, Tiruvannamalai District has now been completed. The plant, which will treat effluents from dyeing units of Arni Silk Weavers Co-operative Societies, will use reverse osmosis technology. Eventually private dyers will also be able to use the facilities of the CETP.

Arni is famous for its silk-weaving community and the bulk of India's silk apparels are produced in this area. The town is also well known for its rice business and there are around 200 modern rice mills in the town. Arni is in fact the number one in revenue earning in the Tiruvannamalai District.

CETP which adopts a zero percent discharge method is capable of dyeing 200 kgs of yarn every day using 5,000 litres of water. Out of this 2,000 litres will be evaporated with the help of solar panels and the rest reused in the dyeing process.

The construction of CETP will only marginally reduce the amount of effluents that will be let into the irrigation tank. Solid residue of the treatment plant are to be placed in a cement tank constructed above surface level. Once the tank is full (after about 2 years) the collected solid wastes will be buried in a secured landfill.

Here is a sample of a very beautiful Arni silk sari costing Rs.13,400/- (US$ 300). Considering Tamil Nadu per capita income is Rs.16,000/-, the sari price is colossal. But most Indian ladies will own at least one and maybe even two or three high quality silk saris in their lifetime. Talk about getting your priorities right!

The ladies like to dress up in India. If you go to any airport in this country and wait for incoming flights you will notice that the Indian ladies with their beautiful saris, fresh flowers and ubiquitous gold chains and bangles look like a million dollars. Ironically when International passengers disembark it is the visitors with their casual grunge of sneakers, worn in jeans, t-shirts and back packs that look like the needy ones in the equation. Such curious irony!

Wood Apple (2)

Thanks to Divya for sending news of a link with information about the Elephant Apple mentioned in this Blog, September 17. The following information comes from a compilation by Prof KN Rao and includes a good photograph of the fruit:

"Also called elephant apple and monkey fruit, wood apple is vilampazham. It used to go by the botanical name Feronia elephantum but today it has a new botanical name: Limonia acidissima.

After the rains, the trunk and branches give off a gum called 'Feronia gum' which counteracts diarrhoea, dysentery and diabetes.

Now to the question: Why elephant apple? In fact, the older botanical name indicates the elephant connection in that the specific name is 'elephantum'. Undoubtedly, elephants are fond of the fruit. For an animal that wholly survives on plant parts, including the bark of several trees, it is not a surprise that elephants are especially attracted to this fruit.

There is more to it than the mere fondness which the elephants have for this fruit. The rural folk believe that the digestive track of the animal has a peculiar capacity for digesting the inner contents of the fruit without in any manner affecting the fruit's woody rind. So, as the animal defecates, the fruit comes out looking as if it is whole."

Nithyananda

I was reading Jody's:

http://www.guruphiliac.blogspot.com report on Swami Nithyananda and found it fascinating because Swami is, one could say, a local lad. His family still live in an Indian old fashioned style home a short distance from the Big Temple. I recently also had a very interesting chat with my auto rickshaw driver about Nityananda's brother. You can never hide anything from your rickshaw driver! In France they say 'A woman only tells the truth to her priest and her hairdresser'. Well in India replace 'priest and hairdresser' with 'rickshaw driver'.

Anyhow it's really fascinating seeing how Westerners react to Indians. Definitely if you've got liquid brown eyes, an effulgent glowing skin and extreme good looks there is no way a budding Guru is not going to become popular with Western devotees.

A visiting Indian sadhaka talking to a group of Westerners said: 'You come to India, look at our Swamis and think they are very great and you are very small. What you don't understand is Indians have vasanas too, they are just different, so you don't recognise or identify them.' Profound and true words.

If you want to understand more about Guru Dynamics I recommend the brilliant book 'Holy Madness' by Georg Feurestein in which he investigates the relationship between Guru and Disciple and the reasons for our belief in the Guru system. Also continue reading Blogs like Guruphiliac that give insights and news about Gurus and the Guru system; a very good source of information!

House Title

Thousands took part in a Tiruvannamalai District rally demanding house pattas (Title). The rally began near the Anna Arch on the Vellore Road and the participants walked for three kms up to the Collectorate where they staged a demonstration.

They submitted individual applications for Land Title and House Title. Local politicians and representatives of the Farmers Association, Agricultural Labourers Association, and the All India Democratic Womens Association were among those who took part in the rally.

The demonstrators also sought restoration of Panchami lands (depressed classes land) to the Dalits and Title for those who lived in Poromboke Land (Government land no-one can lay claim thereto).

Mysticism

Pilgrimage may also be defined as exterior mysticism, while mysticism is internal pilgrimage.

[Martin Gray]

Minister's Visit

This week Minister MK Stalin (son of our current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) visited Arunachala. During his visit, which was highly anticipated by his supporters, he laid the foundation stone for the Rs.29 crore underground drainage scheme at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School. This new drainage system is also a part of the Urban Renewal of Tiruvannamalai City.

It was announced at an earlier meeting that underground drainage schemes would be extended to three other Municipalities in the District.

In addition to the above, information was also given regarding a scheme to impart computer education to rural people. The scheme has already been implemented in seven villages with the installation of 175 computers at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore.

Renovation

This Tank on the southside of Arunachala has been drained of water and is currently being cleaned and deepened under the Urban Renewal Plan of Tiruvannamalai City.

This Tank on the southside of Arunachala has been drained of water and is currently being cleaned and deepened under the Urban Renewal Plan of Tiruvannamalai City:

Scope of the project: The repair and renovation of Water Bodies.

'The number of water bodies considered to be holy, apart from having been useful to maintain the water table in the town till some years back, are now being completely polluted with mixing of sullage and sewage, besides being misused. In many of the tanks, major portion is encroached and water containment has become very much limited, which has resulted in constant depletion of ground water, apart from polluting the air, land and ground water. The soil erosion in the hills has resulted in silting and damage of the drainage network system, and in many of the roads, the drains are filled with silt and are completely choked.

The situation warrants a major intervention in order to improve the physical and natural environment of the town. A correction in development in the form of Urban Renewal is a basic requisite to enhance the living conditions of the people and to provide a conducive atmosphere for worship and pilgrimage.'

Reforestation

Great photo taken from Chengam Road southside of the Hill. One can see the growth of lots of trees on Arunachala planted as part of the reforestation programme. A very heartening sight for the Hill to be looking so green even before the rainy season starts!

Traffic Signals

Photograph of a new, alien visitor to Tiruvannamalai, traffic lights. We got our first set last year and unfortunately the Municipality have decided to get up-to-date and instal a few more. So here it is our new resident!

Arunachala in the background and traffic lights in the foreground. Fortunately we don't have to tolerate this new addition to Tiruvannamalai living all day long, as the total of 3 sets of traffic signals in Town are only turned on between 6-9 p.m. And we don't have traffic meters (yet) either!

Cement Pour

Many ladies do construction work and contractors like hiring them because they can pay them less and control them more easily. The average lady construction labourer gets around Rs.60/- for a full day's work. Which is dreadful considering a litre of milk costs Rs.14/-, low quality rice Rs.20/- per kilo and a cheap pair of cheap rubber flip-flop sandals Rs.30/-. Unfortunately this kind of work also leads to serious health problems with back and internal organs.

This is a cement pour on the roof of a house under construction off the Perumbakkam Road, south of Arunachala. A small cement mixer, rotating at the back of the picture, is being fed by lines of ladies carrying stone, sand and cement in metal basins balanced on their heads.

The lady in the photograph seems to be swanning along effortlessly in her sari and tight blouse; don't buy into the facade, this is back breaking, soul crunching work. As always the young guys are the supervisers (in this instance watching the cement mixer) while the ladies are left to do the grunt work!

Charged Energy

The charged energy field in the general area of a power place has an invigorating effect upon the energy field of a human being and promotes a balanced, vital, and unobstructed flow of the body's own subtle energies.

... Power places assist the body in healing itself by stimulating the release of energy blocks and strengthening the internal energy flow.

[Martin Gray]

Research Centre

This is Dr. Manickam, Tiruvannamalai's Ayurvedic and Herbal Practitioner. I met with him a couple of days ago to gather information on some of the various local herbs he is working with for our next issue of Arunachala Grace News (subscription on left hand panel of this Blog). For news of his life and the Oliscevadi leaves (Palm Leaf Writings) he is holding in the above photograph please check out the June 23 posting on this Blog.

About four years ago Dr Manickam started up the 6 acre Ramana Herbal Plantation near Soarandhai Village located 12 kilometres from Arunachala. As well as growing most of the herbs he uses in his traditional herbal Ayurvedic treatments he has also established the Arunachala Research Centre for the purpose of developing herbal medicines for specific ailments.

Currently Dr Manickam is working on herbal ayurvedic treatments for: malaria, hepatitis, epilepsy, endro-colitis, jaundice, longtime fevers and ailments connected with immune system deficiency.

As mentioned above, this month's Newsletter will be carrying a report on Dr. Manickam's work. We will also be using our website www.arunachalasamudra.org to give in-depth reports about his work and its progress. The website is currently being redesigned but we expect to have a specific section of the site dedicated to Dr. Manickam's herbal work on-site within a couple of months.

Taos

In the early 1980's I was fortunate to spend a considerable amount of time at Taos, New Mexico. This was before the area started to become fashionable with airport, casino and creeping urbanisation. My house was about 20 miles north of the town and situated upon a Mesa on top of Arroyo Hondo. At the back was the Rio Grande River and at the front thousands of acres of open land and the Taos Mountains!

On the outskirts of Taos is the Taos Pueblo and one Christmas Day I went there to attend a Festival enacted by tribe members dressed in elaborate animal masks and costumes. The sky was violet, the air crisp and waiting for snow and the earth and adobe houses built upon it all shone with a translucent ochre light.

That Festival is open to non-tribals but there are other esoteric ceremonies performed that are concealed and secret. Behind the Pueblo nestled in the Taos Mountains is the sacred Blue Lake and oral tradition holds that the Taos tribe was created out of its sacred waters.

The Lake which is of historic importance and essential to Taos culture is the location for ceremonies which few non-tribals have ever witnessed. One writer compares the rituals of one particular 3-day ceremony to those witnessed in India conducted by Hindus and wondered if there was some anthropological link between the Pueblo Indians and the Hindus of India.

Whether or not that sort of link exists can only be conjecture, but for me Taos, with its mountains and mesas and profound sacredness is the only other spot other than Arunachala that I could truly say, 'satisfied my heart'. Even the dirt in both places looks the same!

zero

...You must be simple. You must be utterly naked in your consciousness. When you have reduced yourself to nothing; when your self has disappeared, when you have become nothing, then you are yourself God. The man who is nothing knows God, for God is nothing. Nothing is everything. Because I am nothing, I own everything.

[Yogaswami]

Taiwanese Shoe Company

Growth Link, a subsidiary of Feng-Tay, a Taiwanese shoe manufacturing Company who produce Nike shoes, propose setting up a Special Economic Zone and shoe manufacturing unit at Cheyyar, Tiruvannamalai district at an investment of 300 crores Rupees (66 million USD). The Company explained its reasons for choosing Cheyyar, Tamil Nadu as: geographical location, nearby port facilities and a proactive State Government.

An area of 275 acres have been allocated for the Special Economic Zone and once developed the Company will provide employment initially to 5,000 increasing to 15,000 people in due course.

Growth Link's production is anticipated to start by the beginning of 2008. Nearly 200,000 pieces of footwear are expected to be produced per month increasing to a million pieces (per month) within the next five years.

You can get a headache trying to keep track of all the outsourcing. An American Company outsources to a Taiwanese Company who then outsources to an Indian Company; now is there anywhere we can go from here? Its kind of scary to think Indian labour is so cheap that Taiwanese Companies are outsourcing here!