Kaathu Kutthal

As I was going around Arunchala in an autorickshaw, I stopped to check out this function being held at the Muneshwara Temple near Adi Annamalai on the Northside of Arunachala. Outside the Temple I noticed another small shrine which seemed to be well maintained.

Here on the left side is the entrance to the Temple and on the right side, the temporary shamian erected for the function.

The folk celebrating over a very nicely prepared lunch kindly invited me to stay and eat meals with them. However, not wanting to intrude in what seemed to be truly a family affair, I declined.

The function being celebrated was the Kaathu Kutthal; the ear piercing ceremony. Below this nice three year old child has already had a tonsure (i.e. hair shaved off) and now looks like a little egg as his head has been smeared with cooling sandalpaste. He looks relieved and happy, sadly he has yet to suffer through the ear piercing ceremony which still awaits. Definitely a day to remember!

Bus Region

A new State Transport Corporation (STC) region at Tiruvannamalai has recently been inaugurated. As well as buses operating on old routes, many additional services have now started to such places such as; Madurai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Thanjavur and Karaikudi.

Begging for Food

At Arunachala there are many opportunities for sadhus and sannyasins to eat at various Shrines and Ashrams, throughout the day. During Poornima (Full Moon) many Temples and Shrines offer free food not only to sadhus but also to the huge number of visiting pilgrims. Its fascinating to know that Saints too sometimes have to skillfully organise themselves to ensure God remembers to feed them each day.

In this respect Ramana Maharshi once described how they used to go about begging in the streets for food and bring it up the Hill. Each day when leaving their cave, they would blow on their conches as an announcement to the people in town that Bhagavan's party was coming on their begging mission. The group would blast on a conch two more times on their way to Town so by the time they entered, residents would be ready with food as the group marched along singing Siva songs, collecting food offerings. The food gathered was ample for all (including monkeys and dogs) at the cave with Bhagavan.

Ramana Maharshi's famous poem 'Marital Garland of Letters' at link:

http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/ramanahymns1.html was specially composed for use by the begging party. Bhagavan once humorously remarked, 'Martial Garland of letters' fed us for many years.

[Extract from Day by Day with Bhagavan]

Arunai College

Recently, CyberMedia's BioSpectrum released its Top Biotech Colleges listing of India. In these listings Tamil Nadu contributed 10 Institutions. CyberMedia said:

"Biotech is an emerging technology area where India can play a leadership role like IT. About 5000 engineers graduating annually from 200 Biotech Colleges in India is grossly inadequate to prepare manpower for this high growth high potential opportunity that lies ahead."

The ranking parameters was done based on measurable and quantifiable data pertaining to faculty; infrastructure (library, lab equipment, lab consumables and dedicated PC per student); placement track record and industry academia interaction.

The four ranking parameters were composed of several sub-meters. For faculty the sub-parameters included faculty per student, faculty qualification and experience, technical publications in national and international journals and patents filed and granted nationally and internationally. Industry interaction scores were arrived at based on track record of products developed, sponsored projects from industry and governments and royalty inflows. Placement scores were based on number of companies visiting for placement, jobs offered during placement, percentage of students placed and starting salary.

A short list of 38 Top Public and 30 Top Private Biotech was ascertained using four identified parameters with assigned pre-specified weights; Faculty (32), Infrastructure (32), Placement (18) and Industry Interaction (18).

As relates to Tiruvannamalai, Arunai Engineering College, was designed among the Top 10 Private Biotech Schools, 2006 by infrastructure.

February Newsletter

If you wish to subscribe to the free monthly Arunachala Grace News sent directly to your inbox, please go to the left hand column under the 'email banner' and right-click on 'Newsletter, click subscribe'.

This month we have an article on the Shantimalai Trust, information on Arunachala Internet Resources, a short story by Apeetha Arunagiri, [Co-ordinator of AKSP; Arunachala Kadu Siva Plantation], statistics of Tiruvannamalai District, a short story entitled 'The Frog Prince', extracts from the Skanda Purana about the value of Arunachala Service and not crossing the summit of the Hill. As usual we have given indepth information about the properties of local herbs of the area, this month we talk about Cynodon Dactylon. In addition we have part 2 of the satirical 'Building Works' in this month's Arunachala Grace News which also features a collection of poems.

Animal Hospital

The Animal Care Centre on the Chengam Road named 'Karuna Society for Animals and Nature' is now officially open and is daily performing sterlisation operations on local female dogs. The facility is located in Ramana Nagar and close to Ramana Ashram, an area frequented by foreign pilgrims; so very convenient for a visit to check out the excellent work at this facility. The organisation is the Tiruvannamalai Brank of the Karuna Society, Puttaparthi started by Clementien Paus. For more information about Karuna Society, please check out:

http://www.karunasociety.org/

At the top of this photograph is the reception and operating room areas of this Tiruvannamalai facility.

Below is the operating theatre and the gent at the right (in the yellow shirt) of the photograph is Srinivasan who works at the Karuna Society at Puttaparthi but has been working as locum for the last week at Tiruvannamalai until the organisation's veterinary doctor arrives from Holland. The man on the left is Venkateshan and is a permanent employee at the Animal Centre.

Below, some nice puppies waiting for adoption. The organisation does not plan on acting as an adoption agency for puppies; but in the case of emergencies is always prepared to help out. In the past week already 7 dogs have been adopted by local residents in the area.

Many saints have well known connections with animals. At the reception centre of the facility there are pictures of Sri Sathya Sai Baba with his elephant Sai Gita, Yogi Ramsuratkumar with a dog, Sri Ramana Maharshi with Lakshmi the Cow, and a now deceased local female saint of this area who was known to love animals.

The organisation has already done sterling work in stopping the cruel street killings of stray dogs by people hired by the Muncipality and paid per 'kill'. Now that sad chapter is over, the organisation hopes that by performing sterlisation operations the stray and street dog population will be humanely maintained at an acceptable number.

Arunachala Herbs

It has been reported that:

'The herbs growing on the hill sides are supposed to possess the power to satisfy hunger, slake thirst, cure diseases, bring the dead back to life and turn base metals into gold. However a search for these herbs by people with base motives will be futile and they can be espied only by the most devoted. Devotees walking round the hill are benefited by the breeze wafting over the herbs.'

Arunachala Hill abounds in medicinal plants and herbs and practitioners of traditional Indian medicine roam about its slopes in search of leaves.

Often animals possess intuitive knowledge about local herbs and their use. In this respect it is fascinating to watch the behaviour and habits of monkeys. One may often see groups of them, particularly during the evening, gathered round munching away at the leaves and seeds of specific plants. The elders of the monkey family often coax the youngsters of the group, sometimes by pulling and pinching, into consuming the leaves.

Each month in our newsletter, Arunachala Grace News, we write a report on an ayurvedic herb or shrub found on Arunachala. In the next issue of the Newsletter we will be featuring; Cynodon Dactylon (Tamil name: Arugampul).

Cynodon Dactylon is a hardy perennial grass which flowers throughout the year, grows abundantly all over Arunachala and has remarkable healing properties.

To subscribe to the free monthly Arunachala Grace News please go to the subscribe facility under the email banner on the left hand column of this Blog.

Arunachala Shiva

"One day I was walking on Arunachala with the Maharshi when he stopped and picked up a small stone from the path and held it out to me saying:

'Someone from abroad has written asking for a stone from the most sacred part of the Hill. He does not know that the whole Hill is sacred. It is Siva Himself. Just as we identify ourselves with a body, so Siva has chosen to identify Himself with the Hill. Arunachala is pure Awareness in the form of a hill. It is out of compassion to those who seek Him that He has chosen to reveal Himself in the form of a hill visible to the eye. The seeker will obtain guidance and solace by staying near this Hill.'"

[Dr. T.N Krishnaswamy - Ramana photographer]

It is reported that Ramana would answer robustly when a devotee failed to understand the nature of Arunachala. Reportedly he would say something to the effect: 'When I speak of Arunachala you keep thinking I am talking figuratively. No, I am speaking literally; Arunachala is the actual manifestation of Shiva.'

Pradakshina

'Pradakshina (the Hindu rite of going round the object of worship) is All is within me. The true significance of the act of going round Arunachala is said to be as effective as a circuit round the world. That means that the whole world is condensed into this Hill.

The circuit round the Temple of Arunachala is equally good; and self-circuit (i.e. turning round and round) is as good as the last. So all are contained in the Self.

Says the Ribhu Gita: I remain fixed, whereas innumerable universes becoming concepts within my mind, rotate within me. This meditation is the highest circuit (pradakshina).'

[Talk 212; Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi]

Water Shortage

As the storage level of the Sathanur reservoir, built across the river Then Pennaiyar, is low, 45,000 acres of land in Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram Districts, fed by the right and the left bank canals of the reservoir, will not get water for irrigation this year. In this respect it has been decided to release water to only 89 irrigation tanks connected to the right and left bank canals.

The District Administration has decided to recommend to the Government to open the sluices of the dam on February 15 and release 200 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water for 24 days.

Currently there is 3,351 million cubic feet (mcft) water in the dam against its capacity of 6,821 mcft. So, after deducting water required for basic operations and drinking needs, only 849.94 mcft will be available for irrigation, which would be only enough to fill 49 irrigation tanks fed by the right bank canals and the 40 tanks fed by the left bank canals.

With Mooji

Mooji's Arunachala satsangs, originally scheduled for 10 a.m., January 10th to 14th, will now continue until the end of this month on each day EXCEPT FOR 27th January. All are welcome. Mooji is a direct disciple of Sri Harilal Poonja, the renowned advaita master, or Papaji, as his followers call him. The venue for Mooji's satsangs remains the same:

Sri ARUNACHALA IWAY

(near SivaSakti Amma Asramam)289,

ROA Colony, Ramana Nagar,

Tiruvannamalai

phone: +91 (0)4175-238591

http://www.mooji.org/

Walking Home

This morning had an appointment at the Rangammal Hospital Athiyandal Village and instead of going home by autorickshaw decided instead to walk. As I had my camera with me took some snaps of everyday things here at Tiruvannamalai that normally one would hardly notice. But for people not familiar with this area, and those who have never visited India, I think that these photographs will be very interesting.

The street in front of the hospital is a country lane that northwards connects with the NH66 to Bangalore and southwards to the Arunachala Samudra reservoir lake. On the side of the roads are the usual shrines, altars and small Temples you will see all over India. Here is a small anthill that someone has started to maintain and worship.

On the other side of the lane and just a few yards away, a small shrine dedicated to the Divine Mother. Whereas in North India, the aspects of Durga and Kali are revered, here in Tamil Nadu and at Tiruvannamalai, a Mother Deity loved and venerated is Karumariamman.

Approximately 70% of the population of Tiruvannamalai District is Hindu that means the remaining 30% is comprised of predominantly Muslim and Christian and a scattering of other faiths. There are many Mosques and Churches all through the area. This particular church in the below photograph, is very small and probably started to service the many Christians that either work at the Hospital or are visiting it.

Below, these ladies in their lovely salmon coloured saris are connected with the Shantimalai Trust and are on their way to attend a meeting of this organisaton. The Shanthimalai Research & Development Trust has done more than any other single organisation in helping the financial development of the people of this area. I expect to be posting alot of information about the extraordinary man who started this Trust, a Mr. Hugo Maier from Switzerland and of the diverse and excellent work the Trust engages in that helps so much in the upliftment of many people in this community.

So I turned off the country land and took a shortcut through some fields. Fields which sadly are currently being sold as small plots for development. So in a few years this particular area will doubtedlessly be a hodge-podge of all sorts of buildings; both residental and business. Right now its lovely just wandering through and being able to enjoy such a magnificent view of Arunachala.

Now I've cut through the field and I am walking by the side of the NH66. The Highway is shared by great lumbering trucks on their way to Bangalore and beyond and also local and more traditional forms of transport; like this ox and cart. You can see the ox's horns have been painted in the colours of the Indian Flag.



In previous posts I often talk about 'encroachments'. This word is used to describe the unauthorised and illegal construction of buildings on Poramboke land. Land is usually considered to be Patta; which means one's own personal land, or Poramboke; which means it belongs to the Government.

Two ladies who live in the encroachment settlement are sitting on the edge of the Highway having a nice chat. They are continuing a tradition from Indian village life; sitting and talking outside their home. In this case it doesn't seem to make too much difference that just a few feet away buses, trucks and vans are hurtling along on a busy Highway.

I'm on the last part of my journey and again taking another shortcut through some agricultural fields and from this vantage point can see in the foreground a sea of growing rice with Arunachala, the silent Sentinel, in the background.

Nearly home and a well deserved cup of tea!

Parvathamalai Hill

"The Siddhas have spoken volumes about Pancha Nathana Nataraja. They say that this deity is such a rarity in the Universe that even the Devas would give anything just for the chance of worshipping him. They say that on the Nataraja Abisheka days which occur in certain Tamil months (Chitra, Aani, Aavani, Purattaasi, Margazhi and Maasi), the Devas perform their worship to this deity in subtle form. This kind of worship is similar to the sookshma worship done by the Devas at the peak of the Arunachala Hill and on the Parvathamalai Hill."






Parvathamalai is part of the Javadhi hills and located 25 km north of Tiruvannamalai. You can get there by taking a car or bus from Tiruvannamalai to Kadaladi, from where you can undertake the trek. Alternatively you can go Thenmadhimangalam village (which is about 20 kms from Polur), which provides another route to the top. Although less bumpy the Thenmadhimangalam route is longer.

Works relating to a Rs.8,000,000/- (U.S.$181,200) tourism infrastructure development for Parvathamalai hill in Tiruvannamalai District has now been completed.

This upgrade includes: providing Black topping to Parvathamali Road, construction of a waiting shed at Pachiamman Temple, Parvathamalai, formation of foot-path with hand rails from Pachaiamman Temple to Veerapathiran Temple, construction of restroom complex for men and women, formation of foot-path with hand rails from Veerapathiran Temple to Parvathamalai Hill, providing steps at Parvathamalai Temple pathway, providing water supply to the top of the Hill Mandapam and providing electric poles with lights on pathway.

It is becoming increasingly popular for pilgrims and tourists to trek up the Parvathamalai Hill on a full moon day/night.

The arduous walk can take up to a total of 10 hours, starting through the hill forest and finishing up with a final sharp ascent of about 3,000 feet to reach the Hill top.

Nandi facing the Lingam at
doorway of inner shrine.

As well as some other structures, there is also a very powerful Shiva temple at the top of Parvathamalai Hill, and it is believed that Devas, Siddhas and spiritual beings from other worlds worship on the top of the Hill every night. The above is a photograph of the entrance to the Temple.

Shiva Lingam at Parvathamalai Temple

ontop of Hill

AKSP Website

A good friend of Arunachala and someone very central in the Reforestation work of the Hill, is Apeetha Arunagiri. She has recently redesigned and enlarged her excellent website. Do please visit www.aksp.org for some fascinating in-depth information about social ecology, indigenous knowledge, primary healthcare, community participation and ongoing reforestation work being undertaken by the Arunachala Kadu Siva Plantation (AKSP) Organsation she is Co-Ordinating.

The Arunachala Kadu Siva Plantation has taken responsibility for 600 hectares of denuded Reserve Forest on the lower slopes of the mountain. The thrust of the project is social ecology. Fourteen rural persons are engaged in water conservation strategies, bunding and check dams, seed collection, nursery work and plantation, maintenance and protection of saplings on the slopes.

The primary objective of the Greening of Arunachala is the rejuvenation of our artesian system. However the Arunachala Kadu Siva Plantation has a wider social ecological import:

To undertake responsibility for solutions to civic needs
To participate in the making of decisions about these solutions
To utilize and regenerate indigenous knowledge
To follow through the work beyond the call of duty and communicate about its meaning on every opportunity with members of their own villages and in the wider community.

www.aksp.org

Arunachala Hill

Arunachala is a combination of two Sanksrit words Aruna and Achala. Aruna means 'red' and 'Achala' means immovable. The Hill is also referred to as 'Red Mount', 'Hill of the Holy Beacon' and 'Hill of the Holy Fire'. The word Arunachala also refers to 'Aruna' as 'force' (sakti) and 'Siva' as 'that which cannot be moved'. The Hill therefore represents Sakti resting in consciousness. Aruna sometimes refers to 'free from bondage' and 'Achala', 'motionless, steady'. The Tamil name is Annamalai, which is also a combination of two words 'Anna' and 'Malai'. Anna means 'atttained' and 'Malai', 'Hill'.

The Hill of Arunachala is situated at the Eastern Ghats of the North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu, South India. The isolated Hill, 50 miles inland from the Bay of Bengal, rises 2300 feet above sea level and forms a conspicuous object in the landscape for miles around. It is known by many other names that are generally alternates for Lord Shiva including; Arunagiri, Sonagiri, Sonasaila and Annamalai. And it is to the last name, Annamalai, that the prefix Tiru (which means extreme auspiciousness) has been added, thus giving the town Tiruvannamalai its name.

From the remote past this area has been looked upon as profoundly sacred and many myths and stories exist about its origin and history. As well as the Hill the Arunachaleswarar Temple located at Arunachala’s eastern foot shares in much of the wealth of folklore and legend of this sacred site.

This whole area of the Eastern Ghats which is part of the Deccan plateau, is considered to be one of the most ancient lands on earth and is in fact much older than the Himalayas. In ancient Hindu scriptures, Arunachala is actually referred to as the oldest Hill on earth.

"Arunachala is a light. It shines whether or not you believe in it. It is the light of the Self, and the light of the Self will continue to shine on you whether you believe it or not. Arunachala is greater than all other religious places. There are other holy, powerful places in the world, but none have the power of Arunachala . . . There is a huge amount of shakti, or spiritual energy, here."[By Annamalai Swami]

Birthstar

Swami Nithyananda visited Tiruvannamalai on January 12, 2007 to attend his birthstar celebrations organised by his devotees. In the daytime he officiated at the inauguration of work starting on the construction of his Ashram here at Tiruvannamalai and also visited the Arunachaleswara Temple.

In the evening at 5 p.m. he gave a talk at a hall in Tiruvannamalai which was followed by a cultural programme.

While in Tiruvannamalai he also visited the school he attended as a student in his youth.

Local Schemes

Micro Credit

It was recently announced that the Postal Department would be shortly introducing a 'Micro Credit' scheme for the benefit of Women Self-Help Groups in the Tiruvannamalai District.

Under the 'Micro Credit' members of the Women Self Help Groups are required to open savings accounts in their nearest post office and, after maintaining an account for three to six months, will then be eligible to apply for loan assistance from the scheme. The scheme is to be formally launched during this upcoming February.

A NABARD-assisted computer-training programme scheme for postal employees was also recently inaugurated on Friday. All 255 Post Offices attached to 10 divisions in the Chennai region have been fully computerised, with the last phase of computerisation in 54 Post Offices being completed this year.

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Free Gas Stoves

It is anticipated that 300,000 free cooking gas connections will be given before the end of March. Free gas stove tops and connections will be given initially to 1,000 families.

The Government has not laid any conditions regarding the eligibity of candidates for the free stove and gas connection, stressing that anyone without an exisiting gas connection could apply for the scheme.

The only criteria, whilst selecting beneficiaries, is that that applicants should have a two-foot high platform or shelf so that the stove can be placed above the cylinder and in the case of huts, the hay roof should not be set at a precarious low height. High quality ISO certified suraksha connection tubing would also be used throughout the scheme.

Temple Town

The town of Tiruvannamalai has an axial and visual line with the Arunachala Temple in the centre. Traditionally, streets abutting the Temple housed the people who were engaged in Puja and other associated Temple activities. The next round of streets around the Temple were for the movement of the Temple Chariots. These streets also housed Mutts (Ashrams) belonging to various communities which were used for accommodating pilgrims visiting the Temple from various places. Buildings in these streets with vernacular architecture had traditional values. In the space in front of the Temple, small vendors used to sell things meant for offerings to God. These streets around the Temple had low intensity commercial activities. Other residences were found in the next round of Streets followed by big market area.

When Tiruvannamalai started to grow, the concept of the Temple town was not preserved and developments have taken place haphazardly leading to a mess.

Streets abutting the Temple have been encroached upon by hawkers, petty shops and vehicle parking and the space in front of the Temple has also been occupied by temporary and permanent encroachers and vehicle parking.

Here are two permanent structures used as enclosures for two of the smaller chariots; a chariot is stationed in front of the structure.

The Chariot Streets (meaning the streets around the perimeter of the Arunachaleswarar Temple): i.e. Car Street, Thiruvoodal Street, Pe Gopuram Street and Big Street are proliferated with commercial establishments and wholesale traders near to the Temple.

The situation has become much worse now that pedal bicycles and oxen cart are being rapidly replaced by noxious and noisy motorbikes, scooters and Tempo Vans.

School Syllabus

It was recently announced that a decision on introducing a standardized School syllabus throughout Tamil Nadu would be taken after the Muthukumaran Committee report was complete. The main agenda of current education meetings is to explore ways to improve the prospects of State students in higher secondary examinations at the exam levels of 'SSLC' and 'Plus Two' and to motivate teachers (with a record of low pass percentage) to improve their teaching results.

It was further announced that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has agreed to assist schools to purchase furniture, construct compound walls and develop the necessary infrastructure. In order to facilitate the admission of students into premier Institutes, it was agreed that local training Institutes would hereafter shift their focus on preparing students for such exams as the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE).

Water Supply

Sathanur Dam in Tiruvannamalai District was constructed in 1958 and is about 30 kms from the town of Tiruvannamalai and it one of the main sources of freshwater in the District.

It is positioned across the Thenpennai River in Chengam Taluk among Chennakesava Hills and has a capacity of 7321 million cubic feet (Full level 119 feet).

It is famous as a tourist spot and also as the venue for many Indian movie shoots. Its actually a lovely drive from Tiruvannamalai as it takes one through many rustic villages and agricultural lands.