Patala Lingam

On a recent visit to Arunachaleswarar Temple I noticed some great photographs on the walls of the Patala Lingam. It was in the cellar of the Lingam, that Ramana performed severe tapas, remaining in samadhi and totally oblivious to the wretchedness of his living conditions amongst scorpions and fireants.

The first photogaph is of the beautiful Pali Thirtam, which is the tank adjacent to Sri Ramana Ashram.

The below shows you the condition of the Patala Lingam during the 1940's before renovation.

And now the Patala Lingam after renovation.

Another photograph on the walls of the Patala Lingam, is a narrative recording the life of Bhagavan Sri Ramana and Tiruvannamalai. For those of you who haven't yet visited Tamil Nadu, I've left part of the Tamil translation, so you can see what the Tamil script looks like.

Below a photograph taken up at the caves on Arunachala, of the young Sri Ramana Maharshi at the age of 21.

Next is a split photograph, the top half being of Ayanakulam Tank (which is the tank that Sri Ramana disrobed when he came to Arunachala) and the bottom half of the photograph is of Pavala Kundru - one of the most beautiful Shakti Temples at Arunachala. It is the place that Parvati was meant to have lived whilst performing tapas at Arunachala. In more recent times, it is the place that Sri Ramana was living, when his Mother arrived at Tiruvannamalai.

The last photograph is of the top half Skandashram and the bottom Virupaksha Caves. Virupaksha Cave has a long history and was often inhabitated by saints and sages, including Sri Ramana Maharshi. But Skandashram is an original and was actually a labour of love constructed by a devotee name Skanda (thus Skandashram) for his Guru, Sri Ramana.

Arunachaleswarar Temple, with its huge 25 acre compound is replete with history - a fascinating and inspirational Temple to visit and spend time, again and again.

Dusk at Samudram

Well as is probably true throughout the world, the metrological office got it wrong again - and instead of lots of rain and thunderstorms, we haven't had a drop of precipitation for the last two days. Now that I am again able to walk, after my enforced cellulitis bedrest, my dogs finally get that which is even more important than a fine dinner - WALKIES. Poor things, they have been so patient and now finally the GOOD LIFE can be resumed.

It used to be possible to take them out to the Lake throughout the day, that is until they reverted to their wolf heritage, and one day unexpectedly went after a baby goat (but the story had a happy ending with baby goat making a full recovery). Since then walkies occur at no-goat timings i.e. not between 10.00 a.m. - 5 a.m. Which is fine for us, so we either go early in the mornings or at dusk - which is much to be preferred. Something rather special in sitting by the side of the Lake, watching dusk fall upon Arunachala.

The first photograph is of Victor, the newest addition to our family of 6 doggies. He was an abused dog, and we were asked to adopt him and give him a new chance of life. And what a life its turned out for him - swimming and playing with all his new doggie family, and lots of good yummie food. He is filling out nicely.

The next photo is of the only girl in the family, Holly, she is about 3 years old and came to us as a waif at our doorstep when she was just 4 weeks old. Most people call her Princess, because she is such a dainty little thing.

The next is mad little Muffin, who is nearly a year old. He too turned up at our doorstep when he was about 6 weeks old. He stayed and stayed, and after about 2 days, thought we would let him in and give him a saucer of milk - and he's never left. A mad, playful little dog that everybody falls in love with. And Muffin knows how to push people's buttons - he turns folk into jello!

The last photo of the series is Caspa (named after Casper the Ghost) because he was completely white for the first 2 months of his life. Caspa is a part of triplet boys who were born at our house 3 years ago last January. Two of the other lads, playing somewhere in the bush, and are named Oscar and Wally.

So they play and swim, and lark around and just enjoy absolutely the very BEST part of their days. Oh! Walkies.

Lots and lots of rain

Rain or the threat thereof will continue right on till this Thursday, when there is a 38% chance of precipitation. Oh well and I was getting so nice and toasty with all the great weather we were having!

If you plan to come for girivalam (Hill circumbulation) this week remember to bring your umbrella!

Sri Nannagaru Visit

Sri Nannagaru will be arriving at his Ashram at Arunachala on Saturday, March 15, and will be staying for 11 days. While here he will be available to devotees and visitors several times a day. Sri Nannagaru Ashram is located off the Chengam Road, about one kilometre west of Ramana Ashram, in an area called Rajiv Gandhi Nagar.

Sri Nannagaru visits Arunachala about four times a year and stays for between 7-12 days each visit. As he is in fact my own Guru, without a doubt I will post lots of photos and news in the upcoming days.

Swamiji was born on September 23, 1934 and made his first visit to Arunachala in 1957 to visit Ramana Ashram and the samadhi of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Sri Nannagaru returned to his native place, Jinnuru, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, and continued with his duties as an agriculturalist, husband and father. Without turning his back on his duties, going on pilgrim, or engaging in any sort of extreme sadhana, Sri Nannagaru attained realisation within a short time of his 1957 visit. He says that the occasion of his realisation occurred during a later short visit to Arunachala and happened through the Grace of Arunachala, Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Although Sri Nannagaru's own teachings are based on Self Enquiry, he guides devotees in whatever path is personally most suited to them.

The below photograph is the view of Arunachala from the gates of Sri Nannagaru Ashram.

Ancedote from

“Sadhana for Taming the Mind”

By Sadguru Sri Nannagaru

“Once, moved by the prayers of a devotee, the Gods came and asked him for any boon he wished. The devotee replied;

“I have not prayed for wealth or gifts,”
The Gods persisted, “We will give you wealth,”
“I cannot hoard or protect it,” he answered.
“We will give you the boon of knowing the future and give you the power to know other peoples’ minds,”
The devotee replied, “Why should I bother myself with the minds of others?”
The Gods said, “We will give you the power to cure diseases.”
“The power of God’s name alone is enough to cure,” answered the devotee.

The Gods realised that the man would not accept any boon and without his knowledge, they gave the boon that on whosoever the shadow of this man fell, that person would have all desires fulfilled.

If you realize and own the vastness and depth of your heart, great benefit will accrue to the world.”

Bose Compound

On the way home from Rangammal Hospital decided to stop off at Kafe Ram and get a take away rice lunch. Here is the auto rickshaw with very nice driver Gandhiban. Kafe Ram belongs to the Bose Compound, which itself has a very interesting history. One of the most fascinating aspects is that the still living owner of the huge nearly 7 acre Compound which is less than a minute from Ramana Ashram, is that Maya Ramakrishna used to walk on Arunachala Hill with Sri Ramana Maharshi when she was a young 14 year old girl. She has lots of interesting memories of that time.

The view from Kafe Ram is absolutely amazing. In front is a recently built Shakti Temple and in the background a wonderful view of Arunachala.

In the small restaurant, lots of photographs of Saints and Gods and some interesting signs and quotes.

The below quotation from Aldous Huxley says:

"The World is an illusion but it is an illusion we must take seriously, because it is real as far as it goes and in those aspects of the reality which we are capable of apprehending, our business is to wake up. We have to find ways in which to detect the whole of reality in the one illusory part which our self-centered consciousness permits us to see. We must not live thoughtlessly, taking our illusions for the complete reality, but at the same time we must not live too thoughtfully, in the sense of trying to escape from the dream state. We must continually be on our watch for ways in which we may enlarge our consciousness. We must not attempt to live outside the world, which is given us, but we must somehow learn how to transform it and transfigure it. Too much 'Wisdom' is as bad as too little wisdom and there must be no magic tricks. We must learn to come to reality without the enchanter's wand and his book of the words. One must find a way of being in this world while not being in it. A way of living in time without being completely swallowed up in time."



Really interesting roof and bric-a-brac at the small, rustic restaurant.

And now to behind the scenes and a visit to the restaurant's small little kitchen.

And lots of chapati making!

Arun, Maya Ramakrishna's son, once told me that his mother visited Sri Sathya Sai Baba and during an interview, Sri Sathya Sai Baba started talking to her about her walking excursions with Sri Ramana Maharshi on Arunachala Hill. Now, that lady must have some amazing karma!

Arunachala Animals

Its no secret to readers of Arunachala Grace, that I am a BIG animal lover. I have 6 amazing dogs and have absolutely no objections to increasing the family. I have written many posts regarding animals and in particular have brought attention to the wretched and abusive life suffered by the Temple Elephant, and also have written in detail about the excellent work of the Arunachala Animal Shelter. These are early days and so much can and will be done to improve Animal Welfare here at Tiruvannamalai. In future there will be many postings in this respect. We have also started up a Blog dedicated to the local bird life at Tiruvannamalai, you can check it at this link.

Baby the Monkey

The below sequence of photographs are very sad but we definitely hope that this little monkey named Baby, has a happy future in front of her. Sadly she was taken from her mother by some cretins who tied a rope around her and kept her for a short time as a plaything. The little monkey was attacked by dogs and the cretins who stole her from her mother abandoned Baby on the side of the road. A passerby got in touch with the Animal Shelter and now for the last 10 days, Baby has been a resident at the Shelter.

The wounds are bad, but Baby is on strong pain medication and antibiotics, and it has been decided to give her the chance to heal herself without too much surgical intervention. We have two excellent Vets at the Animal Shelter and she is receiving lots of love and excellent medical attention.

In these photographs she is in the arms of the Animal Shelter's Vet, Dr. Rajasekaran.

One important part of the work Arunachala Grace Network is that of animal welfare in the area. So much needs to be done, but remember individuals also play an important part.

If you see an animal in distress, or know of an animal being mistreated or abused please get in touch with:

Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter

Chengam Road, (next to Govt. Arts College)

Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu 606 603

Telephone Number +91- (0)4175-310817

Its not necessary to get into conflict, just make that telephone call and let the Animal Rescue do the rest. And while you are at it, why not visit the Animal Shelter and see the incredible work they are doing in alleviating the distress and suffering of many wonderful animals.



The Animal Shelter is currently developing their own website, once it is up and running we will provide a link and invite animal lovers and kind hearted souls to keep up-to-date with all the great animal service that is beginning at Arunachala. I will give regular reports on Baby's progress, so keep checking back.

House Gecko

My home is frequented by lots of friendly inhouse guests. The below sequence of photographs are of some geckos who have decided one of my windows is the absolutely best place for them to set up their nursery.

They have been incredibly smart in selecting a safe spot for their nest and child rearing duties. Behind the closed window shutter of the below photograph is the gecko nest.

I keep the shutter closed so as to not disturb the gecko family - but quickly open it to photograph the gecko nest which is sandwiched with the shutter on one side and mosquito wire mesh on the other. Very smart!

This is the view from outside the window - and you can see the wire mosquito screen protecting the nest from predators - and there are plenty of them around. There is a nest of young rats in the garden, lots of Indian squirrels and the occasional python that comes to visit from the nearby Samudram Lake.

In the below photograph you can see how the clever gecko parents get in and out from their nest. They slip out through a small gap between the door and the metal security gate which is open when I am at home. I have noticed that one of the parents often is guarding the opening and protecting the nest from unwelcome visitors.

And proof of just how interested the local predators are in the gecko youngsters is this view of some serious wood chewing by either the rats or squirrels trying to bore their way into the nest.


Good job geckos!

Don Bosco Siharam

Last week some friends and I drove to the North side of Arunachala to visit Devanandayal Village. In the distance we could see a very handsome building and we wondered if it was some kind of school or college. Well, fate intervened and we were soon to find that this interesting campus is in fact the Don Bosco Siharam Institute (Salesian Institute for the Holistic Advancement of the Rural and the Marginalized)

The below photograph is of Father Edwin Vasanthan who very kindly showed us around the Don Bosco facility.

The Institute which was opened on the 24th May, 2007 now offers courses in Computer Application, Hardware Training and in Catering. Below some photographs of an IT class.

Most of the students are recruited from remote villages of outlying Districts and are housed at the Institute's boarding facilities located on their 7 acre campus.

Below the dining room and kitchen which has seriously sized pots to cater for the large number of students.




The Salesians of Don Bosco are a Catholic organisation and as well as the IT Institute at Tiruvannamalai also have primary and secondary schools (with boarding facilities) for orphaned and semi-orphaned students in Tamil Nadu and other South India States, a college and some technical schools.

To find out more about Don Bosco Siharam, please check out this month's Arunachala Grace News which will be sent out to inboxes tomorrow. If you wish to become a free subscriber to the monthly Arunachala Newsletter, please fill out the facility at the left hand column of this page.

Mahashivaratri 2008

Mahashivaratri always falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna (February-March), and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. (Mahashivaratri this year, 2008 falls on Thursday 6th March). On this day devotees sing Shiva bhajans, recite verses from scriptures, offer prayers in the morning and evening, and some observe fasting throughout the day. People visit Shiva Temples and in the case of Arunachala, premier Shiva site of South India, circumbulation of Arunachala Hill is observed by earnest spiritual pilgrims.

To learn more about the history and legends surrounding this festival, please read a previous posting on Mahashivaratri at this link.

Daily Routine

As mentioned in an early post, I am off to Rangammal Hospital each morning to have my bad foot (stricken with cellulitis), examined and dressed. Today was Day 5 of the programme, and although the whole thing is beginning to get tedious - no choice but to hang in there. At least the Hospital is friendly and the staff well trained, cheerful and very courteous.

In the below photograph is Staff Nurse Mary who generally administers my injections and changes the dressing on my foot. She has been working with Slyvia Wright (the founder of Rangammal Hospital) for 25 years, making Mary one of the longest serving employees of the Hospital. As a special treat for her long service, Slyvia took Mary on a one-month trip to the U.K. last year. Now thats a nice reward!

After getting my dressing changed I head for the hospital canteen, where I have morning tea and tiffin, like idli, pongal or vadai. No messing around at this hospital with such pretend Hospital food like jello! Bring on those chillies!

After a nice hot tea and tiffin, I generally head over to the Hospital quiet space, which is a very lovely chapel, which welcomes people of all religions.

I leave the chapel and head towards the parking lot and pass the courtyard which is fringed with private wards. And in the middle of the courtyard, is a beautiful statue of Lady Mary.

To my right is the statue of Lady Mary and to my left is the doorway to Hospital Admissions, on top of which is a well known photograph of Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Rangammal Hospital, a very peaceful spot, where the emnity and tensions of the 'world' seem far, far away.

Newsletter March, 2008

This month's Arunachala Grace News will be sent out direct to subscribers email addresses within the next few days. The reason for the delay is an interesting one, and that is after years of suggesting that visitors get even small wounds on their feet treated, I myself have succumbed to the very unpleasant 'cellulitis' which is an inflammation of the connective tissue underlying the skin, usually caused by a bacterial infection. So a good opportunity to remind visitors to India, watch your feet!

If you wish to receive a copy of this month's Arunachala Grace News, there is a subscribe facility at the lefthand margin of this page. This month's free Newsletter has narratives about the Lord Venkateshwara Temple, the Ribhu Gita and Mahashivaratri. The local bird and herb discussed in this month's issue are respectively the beautiful Blue-Tailed Bee Eater and Ginger.

As well as the usual section 'Arunachala Tidbits' and 'Inspiration and Poems,' the short story is entitled 'Lesson from a Snake,' with the moral being, 'People prize goodness most of all.'