Evening Walk

Well, its evening and most of the goats that graze around Samudram throughout the day, will have returned home -- so, the 'kids' (my doggies) and I can go for a nice evening walk. The doggies know each thorn of every acacia bush of the area - so absolutely no worry about them getting lost. So the six of them and I, head out. Its always a grand adventure. During the rainy season this whole area is several feet under water and at that time, you can find freshwater crabs, shrimps and fish. During the hot summer months the water reservoir is slowly drained of its water supply, and what was a submerged area, suddenly becomes the haunt of rabbits, foxes and mongoose. My doggies are very well fed and quite plumpy, and not keenly tuned hunters.

But they love the adventure of it and are aware of the scents of interesting game and occasionally we may even 'bump' into a fox or mongoose which gives the doggies a bit of a workout, but no danger of them catching anything.

Most evenings, its just a sedate and leisurely walkabout.

The next photograph is of Victor, our German Shepherd who we adopted from the Animal Shelter where he was living after being confiscated from abusive owners. He is filling out nicely. Happy Victor, has now learnt all about 'walkies' and swimming and has in fact turned out to be the biggest fan of the evening walk.




In countries near the equator sunrise and sunset throughout the year varies by only about half-an-hour, so there are none of those short winter, long summer days of the West. So, now that the goats have left, and my 'kids' can't get into too much mischief, we stroll and enjoy the gathering dusk and beautiful Arunachala.

Absolutely the BEST time of the day!

The Weather

Just put a nice weather widget for Tiruvannamalai at the bottom left column of this page which gives the current and upcoming long range weather for this area. So, if you plan on visiting soon, check out the weather first.

Tiruvanamalai and Salem Districts Mining

Farmers and environmentalists are fighting an iron-ore mining project at Kanchamalai in Salem. Farmers with their families converged on the District Forest Office at Salem yesterday (Tuesday, June 17th, 2008) to file individual applications, seeking details of the proposed project to mine iron-ore from the pristine surroundings of the Kanchamalai hills by a joint venture company floated by Tamil Nadu Industrial Minerals Corporation Ltd (TIMCO) and the private steel major Jindals.

The magnetite ore to be mined is to be used for manufacturing iron ingots at the Mecheri plant of the South India Iron and Steel Co Ltd (SISCOL), a Lakshmi Mills-TN government JV taken over by the Jindals.

The applications contained five questions pertinent to the project and the Forest Department’s response to the forest clearance petitions filed by the company, besides the department’s EPA (Environmental Impact Assessment) documents.

The ravages of iron ore mining

According to official sources, TIMCO and SISCOL joint venture wants 1,000 acres of mineral-rich hills in two places in Tamil Nadu. While 638 acres is sought at Kanchamalai, revered for the indigenous medical practitioners and rich herbs, 330 acres has been asked for at Tiruvannamalai District (Vediappanmalai/Kauthimalai). Around 90,000 trees at Kanchamalai and 200,000 trees in Tiruvannamalai District will be felled if the project is cleared by the Forest Department.

Indicating that the Forest department has given its green signal for the project (which it rejected earlier), officials said, “Things are no more in our hands but with the Supreme Court, which sent a Committee on May 29th and 20th to Kanchamalai to make a report.”

'Thiruvannamalai' Movie

Today at Kumbakonam work started on a movie directed by Perarasu and entitled ‘Thiruvannamalai”.

The director says, 'there are no sentimental scenes in the movie. It is an out and out commercial venture, but quite different'.

The story has the famous Tamil movie actor Arjun playing a local television cable operator who has a troubled relationship with politicians. The narration delves into the animosity with corrupt politicians and follows the hero's struggling path to victory. The heroine of the movie is the debutante Sania and the music composer is Deva.

It was earlier reported that in the movie the hero, Arun, would be displaying Shiva-like qualities. That may be so, but the poster of the actor is quite alarming! We wait for further developments and news of when filming will occur locally at Tiruvannamalai.

Walking Home

Walking back after early morning darshan at Sri Nannagaru Ashram, decided to take a shortcut through the fields to get back to my place. Passed by brick makers who have set up in an area that will eventually be developed into housing plots. Brick makers are never popular because of the smoke and smell of the burning brick kilns. In the below photograph a big brick kiln (under white wraps) is waiting for the time that it will be fired up.

The below photograph is of the remains of a brick kiln which has already been fired up. The fired bricks are being gradually transported by lorry to nearby building sites.

Labourers at brick kilns work very hard because they get paid by the brick. Generally a family, or group work together to produce the bricks. First the red clay is made into the right consistency.

And then with the use of moulds, is pressed into brick shapes and laid out to dry.

The moulds have identifying initials of the brick merchant, so each brick can be identified as to where it was made.

I leave the brick making venture and turn back onto Perumbakkam Road, where I notice an earth mover and truck parked by the side of the road. As there is so much construction activity at Tiruvannamalai, there is a lot of sand quarrying going on, generally by stealth late at night.




After I pass the lorries, I see the quarry located on a hill spur of Arunachala. I recently heard that the quarry has been given notice by the State Pollution Control Board that they have to close within a year. In this respect will post fuller information in this upcoming Arunachala Grace Newsletter which will be sent direct to email inboxes at the end of the month. (For your free subscription please go to the facility at the left hand margin of this page).

The cute kids below belong to a family that work at the quarry. Their hut is located opposite the quarry and when not at school, the kids are always hanging around eager to have a quick chat with folk passing by.

Nearby a neighbour is making a new cow house with lots of sturdy bamboo for their two cows.

And then after all the noise and confusion of the trucks, brick kilns and quarry, nearby a farmer has planted marigolds in his field.

Electrical Problems?

If you are experiencing computer difficulties - it could be due to an electrical crossed line!

You think?!?!

Chavin De Huantar

A regular reader of Arunachala Grace, S. Damodharan sent us the following information which will be of interest to all Arunachala devotees.

"In his book of reminiscences Sadhu Arunachala (Major Chadwick) mentions that Bhagwan was so sure that the Holy hill had its other end at the exact opposite spot on the earth and in fact asked for an Atlas brought to verify the lattitude and longitude at the other end. The exact spot was in the sea to the West of Peru and apparently there was no hill. The matter was dropped there. After the demise of Shree Bhagwan the Sadhu learns that there was a secret spot in Andes where somekind of spiritual worship was done. No mention of the exact place and there was no follow up.

Recently, while viewing the Holy hill in Google Earth by a sudden inspiration I checked the opposite point of the Hill. (The Hill is 79' 03" degrees East and 12' 13" North) Though the exact opposite point lies west of Peru in the Sea as described in the book, I came across another spot close by called "Chavin de Huantar" which is also a hill located at 77' 13" West and 9' 33" South, a difference of 2 to 3 degrees on either side.But the real interesting information is a look at the hill of Chavin de huantar.

I attach the Wikipedia image of the hill. See for yourself and come to your own conclusions. I shall be glad if interested people can through more light."

[S. Damodharan]

Place your LIFE

"Place your LIFE
at the feet of the Lord of the Universe
who accomplishes everything.
Remain all the time steadfast in the heart,
in the Transcendental Absolute.
God knows the past, present and future.
He will determine the future for you
and accomplish the work.
What is to be done will be done
at the proper time. Don’t worry.
Abide in the heart and surrender your acts
to the divine."

[Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi]

Sri Nannagaru Visit

Yesterday, 16th June, Sri Nannagaru arrived at his Ashram, Sri Nannagaru Ashram, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Tiruvannamalai for a ten-day visit. While here he will be available to devotees and pilgrims. Early morning is a favourite time for some of Swami's devotees, and he generally gives a long darshan in the early mornings around 6 a.m.

I hadn't visited Sri Nannagaru Ashram since Swamiji's last visit, so the new structure covering the roof came as a very nice surprise - definitely feel nervous about bamboo roofs since my own flew off during gale force winds a couple of months ago!

Very nice job too, and also much more comfortable in times of rain and inclement weather.

The below photographs is of Sri Nannagaru with a photograph of his Guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi, in the background.



After a long time sitting, Swami wandered about the roof looking at Arunachala.

To find out more about this Advaitic Master, please check out his website at this link. I have also made many earlier postings on Swamiji, which you can access through the new 'search box' at the top left hand column of this page.

More information on Swami's visit to come.

Sri Matrubhuteswarar Mahapuja

Today I visited Ramana Ashram to attend part of the celebratory Sri Matrubhuteswarar Mahapuja, commemorating the mukti (Liberation) of Sri Bhagavan’s mother Alagamma. It was observed at the Ashram today, Thursday, May 29th and according to the Hindu Calendar corresponds with Vaishaka Bahula Navami. Special abhishekam and puja to Sri Matrubhuteswara Lingam over the Mother’s Samadhi was performed. On the evening of the previous day, a Classical Carnatic style Ramana Music by Dr. Ambika and Dr. Sarada was performed.

Most of my photographs were taken after the occasion, when the crowds of devotees had decreased. To view the official Ramana Ashram photographs of both the musical evening and the puja, go to this link. To watch an official video of the puja, click here.

After a very delicious prasad lunch at the Ashram, I had a nice stroll of the beautifully maintained Ashram grounds. Of particular interest was a visit to the well (outside the samadhi hall) to see how the fishy inhabitants are doing.

In the below photograph, at the left is the Ashram kitchen where they cook all the delicious Ashram food, and to the right is a dormitory for longterm male sadhakas. At the background you can just see the tip of Arunachala peeping out from behind the trees.



In the next two photographs separate pictures of two different peacocks.

And then a walk around some more of the Ashram grounds.

The below yellow house, is the place Sri Ramana Maharshi attained mahanirvana in the evening of April 14th, 1950. You can peep in through the glass door of the mahanirvana house and see various artifacts used by Bhagavan during his life.

New Videos Posted

Thought it would be a good idea to update the vodpod at the bottom left hand margin of this page. So, have deleted the old videos and in their place now have:

1) Angel by Enya - which is very beautiful, soothing, inspirational song by a Celtic singer. The lyrics of the song are in a scroll immediately over the Video Pod.

2) Ramana Maharshi Rare Video - is the second video on the Vodpod. It has footage of Sri Ramana that I have never seen before. Probably one of the nicest video compilations I have seen of Bhagavan.

3) Chariots of Fire - The beautiful, inspirational theme song of a very old movie called Chariots of Fire which is about courage and dedication to one's beliefs. ''But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and be not weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." The composer of the music is a Greek man, and in this clipping he is the person playing the electronic piano in a wonderful Grecian setting.

4) India My Love - A music clip of the song "India My Love" by Shantam Arjun, with images of Arunachala. Its definitely one of the nicest musical videos I have seen of Arunachala - except for the part with the bullock!

Newsletter, June -- 2008

Yesterday, Arunachala Grace News for June, 2008 was sent out direct to subscribers' email inboxes. This month there is an extract from the Arunachala Mahatmyam, talking about the nature and glory of the Hill, Arunachala Tidbits full of local news and information about whats happening in the area, a short story about God's Will, poems and inspirational quotes. This month, information is given about the Drongo, a commonly found bird of this area and the properties and uses of the Papaya (which curiously enough is not indigenous and was actually brought in from Mexico). To become a free subscriber to the Newsletter please use the subscribe facility at the left margin of this page, and you will be sent a copy of the current issue.

Eucalyptus Cultivation

I have recently made several postings on the Eucalyptus Tree and its cultivation in the Tiruvannamalai District. There is no doubt that the Eucalyptus is a fantastic tree with a host of ayurvedic properties and benefits – but perhaps it would have been better to have left the tree in its native Australia and Tasmania. Already there are several Eucalyptus plantations around Samudram Lake, (south of the Hill) which is probably not a good decision considering severe water shortages often experienced in this area.

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"The recent move of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to reintroduce large-scale cultivation of Eucalyptus trees in the State invites stiff resistance from environmentalists on the ground it would create ecological imbalance.

Experts have raised concern over the extensive cultivation of this species. “Monoculture of Eucalyptus cannot be recommended. If the intention of the Forest Department is to increase forest cover in the State, it should plant indigenous species of trees and herbs and maintain the bio-diversity of the region,” said a representative of the Tree Foundation. In a study on ‘Eucalyptus in India,’ it was pointed out that extensive cultivation of Eucalyptus was introduced in the country in the 1960’s. Since then some of the States took advantage of the centrally sponsored scheme and raised Eucalyptus plantations by felling even moist deciduous forests.

The Forest Department wants to increase the forest cover in Tamil Nadu from the present 23,023 sq km (21.25%) to 33%. To achieve this target, it will have to promote social forestry on at least 20% of the total 75 Lakh hectares owned by them. “This project is to be carried out on privately owned land and trees will be grown like any other cash crop. Earlier the mass cultivation, was carried out on land possessed by the Government and hence there was an uproar against it,” said a representative of World Wide Fund for Nature.

Others believe that growing Eucalyptus in ‘vulnerable zones’ like arid areas, will destroy the hydrological balance of the region. The tree is water intensive and reduces water available for other species, effectively out-competing them. Particularly vulnerable are arid areas with annual rates of precipitation that correspond to the lower range of eucalyptus demand at about 700 mm.

Studies have revealed that in arid areas, the consequent suppression of other plant life, coupled with a high water demand, reduces soil moisture, preventing the recharge of groundwater and can reduce local water tables. This is exacerbated by a high transpiration rate indicative of the inefficient use of water. Being nutrient intensive, it creates deficits for other plant life, a process that is exacerbated by the low returns in leaf litter to the soil. It does not contribute to the long-term fertility of the soil, as other species might, resulting in an overall nutrient impoverishment of the soil.

Eucalyptus is toxic, due to allelopathic properties which inhibit the growth of other plants due to bimolecules released by it. The plant also is detrimental to soil micro and macro fauna."

[With thanks to G.G. Jens]

Water Sustainability

Extract from Report on Rain Fed areas by Planning Commission, New Delhi

“About 12 per cent of India suffers from the threat of desertification in the arid northwest and in a broad semi-arid zone from the Punjab in the northwest to Tamil Nadu in the south. There is an estimated 1.7 million km2 of arid land in India and Pakistan.”

With the huge increase of private borewells being sunk in Tiruvannamalai, the below extract from 'Report on Rain Fed areas by Planning Commission, New Delhi,' is very relevant and definitely something that needs to be considered by local Government.

“The most important aspect of groundwater is that it is a common property resource, the means of access to which is privately owned. We generally access groundwater through private wells and tubewells. But withdrawal of water from our source can adversely affect the water in our neighbour’s water source. Depending on the hydrogeology of the watershed, the question “who is my neighbour?” gets answered. If the watershed is in an alluvial tract, for example, my deep draw of water can affect a farmer even hundreds of metres away. Thus, how farmers decide to collectively manage the groundwater resources of the village could have a deep bearing on how long groundwater survives. It could actually determine the entire efficacy of the watershed programme. Indeed, one could go as far as to say that sustainable and equitable management of groundwater could be the key area of rural governance in the 21st century

The unique aspect of the situation is that water below my land is not "mine". Groundwater is a non-stationary, "fugitive" resource that merges into water under another's land in a fluid sort of way. By lowering the depth of his tubewell, my neighbour can squeeze all water out of my well. Without proper collective arrangements for groundwater use, there tends to be an infinite regress of competitive extraction, with farmers outbidding each other in depths of drilling. Competitive extraction of groundwater leads to disastrous outcomes, the worst of which are observable in coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, for example. Here, saline ingress of sea-water poses a virtually irreversible environmental hazard for farmers who have engaged in competitive pumping of groundwater.”

Palm Leaf People

And to start off the proceedings here is Ganesha made from a dried Palm Leaf.

The below sequence of photographs are of what the artist calls the 'Palm Leaf People'. Each of the iconic figures of Indian life (Tabla Player, Sadhu, Lord Krishna etc) are made from dried palmyra leaf. The artist, Christian, has had art exhibitions of both paintings and artifacts in many cities in India and overseas.

The above is a macrame owl, who looked so great in Christian's garden that I took a photograph of it.

If you are interested in finding out more about these 'Palm Leaf People', to either purchase or commission your own 'Person', please get in touch with Arunachala Grace at the email address at the top left column of this page.

Happy Buddha Poornima

Dear Arunachala Friends:

Sorry for the long absence in postings but life has been hectic and unpredictable the last couple of months. It all began with a snake bite which I received while taking my doggies out on Samudram Erie for their nightly walk and led to me receiving Hospital outpatient treatment for over a month. Once that started getting better, I had the rather unfortunate event occur of my bamboo roof being completely blown off my roof during evening gale force winds. Winds that have been so fierce and violent that in some areas, even electric posts have been uprooted. Unfortunately my nice, expensive new bamboo roof on its way off was responsible for a fair amount of damage to the structure of the roof. Oh well!Lets get that bad karma out of the way in one go!

Within the next few days I hope to be back posting regularly. And also plan on sending out the monthly newsletter for June, albeit it may be a few days late.

One good thing is that I have spent the last few 'quite' weeks thinking about Arunachala Grace and the possibilities of new areas that would be interesting to explore on certain aspects of the Hill. So look forward to sharing results of my research with you all.

In the meantime may you all receive Love and Light this Blessed Buddha Poornima (Wesak) time. Back soon. Yours, Meenakshi Ammal