The Pumpkin People

Samudram Lake is empty and will remain so until the monsoon rains, channelled off the Hill, fill the 750 acre reservoir to a level in some places of up to five feet. The ladies in the below photograph are watching their cows graze on the mineral rich grass.


A goat herder, on his way home, is bringing his flock down the side of the lake embankment.

My doggies are playing peacefully, and hopefully will continue to give the goats a very wide berth.

These two ladies are part of the group that I have nicknamed the 'pumpkin people'; a bunch of local villagers who have been awarded short term rights by the local Government to grow vegetables on the Poramboke Land (Government Land) until the rains come.

The pumpkin people have put up several temporary shelters for shade during the daytime while they watch their pumpkin crop.

Below a small pumpkin. I remember a couple of years ago, even though a group of villagers put in a huge amount of work cultivating the Samudram, the crop was not good, so I hope it works out better for them this year - they've all worked so hard.

In the next photograph some of my doggies on a fishing expedition.

Oh goodie, they found some nice little fingerlings.

By this time of year, Samudram Lake is generally dry - as a result of being constantly drained to irrigate adjacent agricultural lands and losing water through evaporation. Sadly many little fishes get cooked in the increasingly shallow water. Quickly the beached fish, dry out in the sun, and become a very tasty snack for dogs and birds alike - and what other animals prowl around the lake once the sun has gone down!

My own doggies always look forward to their regular fishing expedition and help in daily decreasing the large quantity of fingerlings all around the dried out Samudram.

We walk to the back of the empty Samudram Lake, and climb the embankment. In the distance are some beautiful hills which look very inviting.




My doggies and I walk towards Arunachala and home.

Juggernaut DVD

Juggernaut a film by Rob Das, photography by Daan de Boer and funded by the Dutch Film Fund, is available through this site. The film filmed at Arunachala Karthikai Deepam and produced in Holland, is a high international quality DVD (lasting about 50 minutes).

“The Karthikai Deepam chariot festival is one of the most important Hindu festivals of the year. Annually thousands of devotees assemble in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, to take part in the many street ceremonies and to offer sacrifices to Shiva. The film Juggernaut observes these events from close range and so transports the viewer to an unfamiliar world. In a voice-over one of the pilgrims tells us about his life. He is a sadhu, a holy man, travelling from one temple to another, begging his way around the country. Following the death of his wife and daughter he left all his worldly possessions behind and now all he owns are the clothes on his back. But he is at peace with his ascetic existence. His faith, which is not restricted to a single God, is all he needs. He worships Jesus, Allah and Shiva equally, depending on the Temple he visits.

As the film starts the town appears calm. A man is washing himself at a well, a woman is sweeping her porch, the last licks of paint are applied to the colourful chariots. But the crowd quickly grows and before long the main street is a pulsating throng of people. The high point of the festival is when a towering chariot, a temple on wheels, is pulled through the town by hundreds of men and women, using enormous chains.

Using very few words, juggernaut respectfully portrays a town engulfed with religious devotion and dedication and shows the terrific power and energy released by communal rituals like these. It concludes with amazing close-up shots of the preparation of the Deepam Cauldron on the top of Arunachala and at dusk, amidst throngs of chanting devotees, its lighting.”

For ordering information of the Juggernaut DVD please go to this link

This is definitely the best quality DVD video of Karthikai Deepam which is currently available. The footage of the lighting of the cauldron is truly extraordinary - just like being there!

Cow Lakshmi Day

On Friday, the fifth of Ani, in the Year Sarvadhari (June 18th, 1948), the twelfth day of the waxing moon, under the asterism Visakha, the cow Lakshmi attained mukti. This year Cow Lakshmi Aradhana will be celebrated at Sri Ramana Ashram on July 14th and will be, as always a lovely function (there will be photographs posted at that time).

In the meantime here is a short narrative about Cow Lakshmi and her life at Ramana Ashram.

“The most favoured of all the animal devotees of Bhagavan was the cow Lakshmi. She was brought to the Ashram as a young calf together with her mother in 1926 by one Arunachala Pillai and presented to Sri Bhagavan. A devotee offering to look after the cow and calf, kept them at his place in town for about a year and then one day came to have darshan of Sri Bhagavan and brought them with him on a visit.

The calf seems to have been irresistibly attracted to Sri Bhagavan and to have noted the way to the Ashram because she returned alone next day and from then on came every morning and returned to town only in the evening. Later, when she came to live in the Ashram, she would still come to Ramana, going straight up to him and taking no notice of anyone else, and he would always have bananas or some other delicacy for her. For a long time she would come to the hall daily at lunch-time to accompany him to the dining-hall, and so punctually that if he had been occupied by anything and sat beyond the hour he would look at he clock when she came in and find that it was time.

Ramana Maharshi with Lakshmi

She bore a number of calves, at least three of them on Bhagavan’s Jayanthi (birthday). When a stone cow-house was built in the Ashram it was decided that Lakshmi should be the first to enter it on the day of its inauguration, but when the time came she could not be found; she had gone to lie by Sri Bhagavan and would not budge until he came too, so that he entered first and she behind him.

Not only was she uncommonly devoted to Bhagavan, but the Grace and kindness he showed her was quite exceptional. In later years, there were a number of cows and bulls at the Ashram but no other that formed such an attachment or elicited such Grace. Lakshmi’s descendants are still there.

On June 17th, 1948, Lakshmi fell ill and on the morning of the 18th it seemed that her end was near. At ten o’clock Bhagavan went to her. “Amma (Mother),” he said, “you want me to be near you?” He sat down beside her and took her head on his lap. He gazed into her eyes and placed his hand on her head as though giving her diksha (initiation) and also over her heart. Holding his cheek against hers, he caressed her. Satisfied that her heart was free from all vasanas (latent tendencies), he took leave of her. Lakshmi was conscious up the end; her eyes were calm. At eleven-thirty she left her body, quite peacefully.

Lakshmi statue at her Samadhi

She was buried in the Ashram compound with full funeral rites, beside the graves of a deer, a crow and a dog which Bhagavan had also caused to be buried there. A square stone was placed over her grave surmounted by a likeness of her. On the stone was engraved an epitaph that Bhagavan had written stating that she had attained Mukti (liberation).”

[Abridged from Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge]

Latest on Thiruvannamalai movie

The masala movie Thiruvannamalai, is currently being filmed in other parts of Tamil Nadu. Shooting of the movie will eventually take place in this area. In the meantime, current news on the movie as below. If you are interested in seeing stills from the movie, go to this link here. [I warn you, they don't look so great!]

Speaking about the currently in production movie, Thiruvannamalai, Director Perarasu says:

“Thiruvannamalai will be a commercial entertainer with punch dialogues and mass masala elements. Every man has got problems and for many they are of their own makings. Thiruvannamalai is the story of a confident youth, who fights against evils in society and emerges triumphant. It is not a just an action film but a new attempt too”.

The Director is also handling law and order problems, rowdy activities and the evils of politics. He says, “Since the title is Thiruvannamalai, there are loads of spiritualism in the script as well.” [I like his enthusiasm in this part].

Actor, Arjun plays a cable TV operator, while the heroine Sania Vakil plays an advocate.

Samudram Embankment

Now that Samudram Lake is bone dry, in my evening walk with my doggies decided to walk over to the opposite side and climb up the embankment for a different view of Arunachala.

And here it is. The time is about 6.50 and its getting quickly dark.

The rains won't start up for another 6 weeks, and in the meantime some local villagers are using the rich land to plant pumpkins, which they valiantly defend throughout the day against large numbers of wandering goats and cows.

Below looking from another direction.

The small shrine dedicated to the Divine Mother, is a recent addition.




And in the distance Arunachala.

Shiva as Nataraja

Shiva is often referred to as the Destroyer but since he is often associated with creation that comes out of destruction, he is also a God of Transformation. In addition he has different aspects that appear at different times.

As the destroyer, he appears as a naked ascetic accompanied by demons, encircled with serpents and necklaces of skulls. Sometimes He wanders into crematoriums, body smeared with ash and dances in the light of funeral pyres, reminding all about the transitory nature of material things. Other times Shiva is seen as the god of meditation and asceticism and depicted sitting cross-legged with his eyes half-closed. When the creative force of Shiva is depicted, he is represented as the Linga.

Another common form is that of Shiva Nataraja, The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king). It is believed that the energy from this dance of bliss (Ananda Tandavam) sustains the cosmos, and when Shiva is finished with this dance, the Universe will end and a new one will begin. The dance is said to symbolize the five divine acts (pancha krityas) of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of grace.

During the Tamil month of Ani (June - July) Lord Siva performs the dance of ecstasy in the form of Nataraj at Chidambaram Temple. Chidambaram is one of five holiest Shiva Temples representing one of the five natural elements - space. The other four temples are: Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara (water), Kanchi Ekambareswara (earth), Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar (fire) and Kalahasti Nathar (wind).

The Chidambaram Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva in His form of the Cosmic Dancer, Nataraja, is spread over forty acres in the heart of the city. It is an ancient, historic Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva Nataraja and Lord Govindaraja Perumal, one of the few Temples where both the Saivite and Vaishnavite deities are enshrined in one place.

One of the special features of the Temple is the bejeweled image of Nataraja. It depicts Shiva as the Lord of the dance Bharatanatyam and is one of the few Temples where Shiva is represented by an idol rather than a Lingam.

The gestures of the dance represent Shiva’s five activities, creation (symbolised by the drum), protection (by the “fear not” hand gesture), destruction (by the fire), embodiment (by the foot planted on the ground), and release (by the foot held aloft).

Nataraja dances within the Universe of illusion. The locks of his hair stand out in many strands as he whirls around in a dancing frenzy. Shiva’s unkempt hair, a symbol of a rejection of society, shows him to be an ascetic. His locks are decked with crescent moon, a skull, and are interspersed with the sacred river Ganges that flows in his hair as Shiva as Nataraja, agreed to break the violent power of the sacred Ganga’s fall to earth by catching her in his tangled hair. The fiery ring surrounding Shiva, prahabhamandala, represents the Universe with all its illusion, suffering and pain. The outer edge is fire, the inner edge the waters of the oceans.

Nataraja, the King of Dance, has four arms. The upper right hand holds the drum from which creation issues forth. The drum represents the rhythmic sound to which Nataraja dances and ceaselessly recreates the Universe. The front right hand is in the abhaya-mudra (fear not gesture), the front left hand is across the chest in the gahahasta (elephant trunk) pose, with the wrist limp and the fingers pointed downward toward the uplifted foot in assurance that Shiva’s grace is the refuge for everyone, the way to liberation.

The back left hand carries agni (fire) in a vessel or in his hand. The flames represent the destructive energy with which Nataraja dances at the end of each age, cleansing sins and removing illusion. The right leg, representing obscuring grace, stands upon Apasmara, whom he has killed; in this role he is called Natesa. Apasmara, the dwarf demon, represents a soul temporarily earth-bound by its own sloth, confusion and forgetfulness. The uplifted left leg is revealing grace, which releases the mature soul from bondage. The circle of fire represents the cosmos and especially consciousness.

The cobra around Nataraja’s waist is kundalini shakti, the soul-impelling cosmic power resident within all. Snakes are also used to symbolise reincarnation as their natural process of molting and shedding their skin is symbolic of the human soul’s transmigration from one life to another.

“O my Lord, They hand holding the sacred drum has made and ordered the heavens and earth and other worlds and innumerable souls. Thy lifted hand protects both the conscious and unconscious order of they creation. All these worlds are transformed by They hand bearing fire. Thy sacred foot, planted on the ground, gives an abode to the tired soul struggling in the toils of causality. It is Thy lifted foot that grants eternal bliss to those that approach Thee. These Five-Actions are indeed Thy Handiwork.” [Chidambara Mummani Kovai]

Shirdi Sai Baba Site

I recently made the posting, 'Travelling to Shirdi Sai Baba,' which is about visiting the development of a Shirdi Sai Baba Shrine, here at Arunachala near Adi Annamalai. In this respect Ramani has kindly got in touch with the link of this excellent Sai Baba website

She also says: "Please visit the site now. You will find that the box has been opened and you can have darshan of the full murthy. You will also notice that construction of the Sai Mandir has started and will be completed in 9 months with Sai's grace."

Sapota Milk Shakes

In response to a comment made by a reader regarding the earlier post Yummy Sapota:

"that this fruit is also known as "Chikoo" in northern India. Chikoo Milk Shake, and Chikoo ice-cream are very famous in the country."

Sapota (Chikoo) Milk Shake

I herein include a wonderful recipe for Sapota Milk Shake. To check it out go to this link here

To visit the excellent 'Indian and International Vegetarian Recipes' that includes the above, go to La Gourmet Chef

Sites near Virupaksha Cave

With kind permission from Richard Clarke, I am here reproducing part of a blog posting of his entitled 'Arunachala – New Access to Ramana Sites Below Virupaksha Cave.'

“A group of local Tiruvannamalai people have organized themselves and are doing wonderful work to clean up, repair and open up an area on Arunachala that is near to the popular Sri Ramana Maharshi sites of Virupaksha Cave and Skandanasram.

They have organized as a part of “Global Watch Trust.” You can see more about this organization at http://www.globalwatchtrust.com This site is not yet updated to include this project.

In this area, this project is cleaning trash, clearing brush, repairing and improving paths, planting, and building benches and meditation areas. It improves access to Guhai Namashivaya Shrine and an ancient Ganesh shrine, and provides a way to reach three hillside caves that are said by local villagers to have been frequented by Sri Ramana. The Trust has been given permission to do this work by The Forest Authority, Arunachaleshwar Temple and Sri Ramanasramam.

The Approach
To get to this area, start like you are going to Virupaksha Cave. Below shows where this ‘road’ meets the street, at the northeast corner of Arunachaleshwar Temple.

Walk up the road until you see, to the left, this street. Notice the blue Global Watch Trust sign on the wall.”

Continue walking following the path, and slowly making your way up to Guhai Namashivaya Shrine

Below are Carol (Clarke) and Saravan, outside Guhai Namashiva Shrine. This shrine is an important locale in the history of Sri Ramana Maharshi. This is where he provided answers to questions on slips of paper that became the second of his small books, “Who am I?” This is probably the best known of Ramana’s works.

More information can be found about Guhai Namashivaya at http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/guhainamasivaya.html

After Guhai Namashiva Shrine, directly up the hill is the path to the caves. When finished, this area will have a nice stone path in the middle, surrounded by flowers and planting on both sides. There will be benches to sit and meditate and to enjoy this place.

On the path, we pass by a small cave, big enough for perhaps two or three people to sit in.

Old Ganesh Shrine
The next feature is an old Ganesh shrine, with this water tank. This shrine has been vandalized and the Ganesh idol taken. The Global Watch Trust plans to replace this idol.

Another small cave near the Ganesh Shrine. This cave is big enough for a person to lie down and sleep, but not big enough to stand up.

Up the hill to the best of the caves
Climbing further up the path we will get to the crown jewel (I think) of this area.
I would recommend good shoes or sandals and strong legs for the next part of the journey. The path is a bit steep in a couple of places.
The path continues up the hill . . . Some of this path is a ‘fire road’ up the hill.

In the Cave
In the cave, an oil lamp has been lighted

I think this cave is a special place. The people who live on the hill below here say that Ramana stayed in this cave, I guess during what are generally known as the ‘Virupaksha days.’

We have been here just two times and already it is one of our favorite places on Arunachala.

Working on the Mountain - Global Watch Trust

Community Development
The first part of this project was a vision from Saravan as to what could be done in this area, with encouragement from the founder of Global Watch Trust, Sathya. Together they put together a plan and a team to clean up and enhance this part of the Arunachala hill to properly respect the sacred heritage that is here.

An important part of the process has been involving the villagers who live on this part of the hill. This started with a ceremony and a ‘gifting.’ School notebooks were gifted to the children in an evening ceremony that included the local villagers. The purpose of this was to educate the villagers on the importance of this area so they might not use it as a trash dump, and to enlist their help in the work to clean up the hill.

As work started, local officials came to the group. Each interaction was similar, starting with “What are you doing?” and “No, you cannot do this.” After some discussion, permission was granted. First were officials from Arunachaleshwar Temple, then the Forest Authority, then Sri Ramanasramam.

The Crew
One big part of the effort was done with a crew consisting of local volunteers and the Global Watch Trust team, shown below. Together they worked to do the major cleanup of the hillside.

So much cleaning and clearing to do
For many years this area has been used for trash. The first thing needed was to clean up the trash.

Brush has overgrown the paths and area around the Banyan tree. All this needs to be cut away, and cuttings disposed of.

Results of the Team’s work
The path is repaired.
Here is a part of the path shown above that needed repair. Now it is easy and pleasant walking.

Global Watch Trust has funded the effort that you see in these pages out of their own funds. Those funds have run out, and for work to continue donations are needed. Evan small donations are a big help. Rs 1000 ($25 or 15 Euros) pays for one day’s work on the project. 40 days work have been done so far, and so much has been accomplished.

If you wish to help, donations can be made through the Global Watch Trust web site. Go to http://www.globalwatchtrust.com/ and click the ‘donate’ button. Credit Cards and PayPal are accepted. Also they ask, until their site is updated, that you also send an email to ceo@levicent.com and let them know that this donation is to be used for the Arunachala Hill project. "

Arunachala Grace News

The July issue of Arunachala Grace News will be sent direct to subscribers' email inboxes within the next couple of days. This month's issue has articles on various ecological programmes currently underway in the area, the usual round-up of Arunachala news, narratives and quotes about the upcoming Guru Poornima, the Indian Pond Heron as the featured bird and Cassia Auriculata as this month's shrub including its ayurvedic and medicinal properties. The short story featured in the upcoming issue, is a very amusing Nasruddin anecdote entitled, 'Humble'.

If you are not yet a subscriber to this FREE Newsletter, please go to the relevant sign up facility at the left hand column of this page.

India Water Portal

There is a new link under 'link friends' to the Blog of the India Water Portal. This is an excellent site with great information about the myriad issues of water, and will be of interest not just to Indians but to all conservation minded people.

Have in fact just been reading the India Water Portal Blog, and saw this interesting article - which is definitely the kind of faucet I need in this house.

Water-Saver Faucet with Measured Out-Flow Arrangement-Saves 60% Water

Fresh water to-day has become a precious commodity world wide. Water-saving, better utilization of water and avoiding wastage is becoming a universal concern. This New faucet, avoids inadvertent wastage during the usage of water for legitimate purpose such as washing of hands.

It is user friendly, Hygienic, Economical, Eliminates leaking taps, Made of recyclable material, and helps in the optimum use of water.

One of the basic problems with the commonly used screw-type faucet is that once the faucet is open to wet the hands, while the soap is being applied fresh water is continuously flowing down the drain without serving any purpose. As the time taken for applying soap constitutes more than 60% of the time in a normal hand washing cycle it can be easily understood that a large quantity of water is going to waste inadvertently. Apart from this screw-type faucet can continuously waste water if they are left open due to carelessness etc.

To continue reading this article, go to this link here.

Tiruvannamalai Development

Found an interesting narrative (reproduced below) from the book 'Day by Day with Bhagavan,' in which Sri Ramana talks about various rumours and prophecies about Arunachala. The quote is particularly interesting in that it shows a relaxed, and almost encouraging attitude by Bhagavan regarding the future development of the area, so hopefully that may allay the concerns of some devotees about the rapid expansion of Tiruvannamalai.

“In those days these Rajas used to fortify their hills and live there. See Ginjee for instance. The Ginjee fort was built on three hills. They are all in ruins. Padaiveedu nearby in this District was once a great city. Hampi was a great city and the capital of an Empire. It is said that the town was built on the model of a Sri Chakra and that there has been some slight mistake somewhere, and that is why, though the Empire flourished well for a time, it did not endure but failed.

There is a rumour that a prophecy made by Vidyaranya, earlier a Dewan of Hampi Empire and later a Shankaracharya, has declared that when again a descendant of that Empire or a successor of his in the Mutt builds a city on the model of Sri Chakra, a great Empire will again flourish with that city as capital.

Some people have even thought that the present Shankaracharya (note: the now deceased Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati) might be the person for such destiny. Our Naina used to feel that as this town is by nature itself built on Sri Chakra model, by the Gods themselves, if only we could build houses all round the Hill and make a city of it, this will become the capital of a big Empire. He used to be always thinking and speaking of swaraj (note: self-governance or home rule i.e. from the British) dreaming and planning for it and saying what he would do when swaraj is attained. People say there was a town in the old, old days somewhere here to the South of the Hill. Who knows that will happen hereafter? Did we imagine that all these houses now here were going to be built?”

[Day by Day with Bhagavan
Pages 116-117]

Monkey Business

Some weeks ago it was reported in State newspapers that politicians are beginning to turn a very serious gaze on the subject of monkeys and the possibility of developing certain programmes to send straying monkey groups back into the wilderness. When I hear these sorts of things, it makes me very nervous, because remembering the horrific dog round-ups of yesteryear, one wonders exactly how such monkey programmes would be conducted and monitored.

Apparently the Forest Minister for Tamil Nadu recently announced to the Assembly that residents of urban areas in the State, 'need not worry as his Department was working on a plan to ensure the animals didn’t get too close to people and homes.'

Langur Monkey

As an example, he cited Tiruvannamalai District, saying that hordes of monkeys constantly make their way into neighbouring towns and settlements. He believes the situation is being created by the 'superstitious belief of people who worship the monkey as Hanuman, offering it food and thereby encouraging the monkeys to leave their forests and head for nearby towns.'

Opposition DMK leader Pannerselvam interrupted the speech, saying: “Monkeys are our ancestors and we worship them only to ensure no harm is done to them.”

Bonnet Macaque Monkey

Good for him and glad that the monkeys are getting some kind of support in the Assembly. As for Tiruvannamalai there are two resident species common to the town and area, the Bonnet Macaque Monkey and the Langur (Hanuman) Monkey. The Langur is very shy and mostly seen on the east side of Arunachala Hill and the Bonnet Macaque is an absolute rascal and definitely not shy or retiring. I have already made lots of postings about my little friend the Macaque – what a naughty one!

Yummy Sapota

Recently found out that Papaya is not indigenous to India and is an import from Mexico, but was even more surprised to learn that lovely, delicious Sapota is also not native to this country and hails from Central America. The Sapota tree is commonly cultivated throughout Thiruvannamalai District and can often be seen in gardens and compounds. I even planted some sapota seeds a few weeks ago, and eventually hope to have my own fully grown fruit-bearing trees – yummy!

The tree grows to 60 ft and yields large quantities of fruit twice a year. The Sapota has a high latex content and does not ripen until picked. The fruit is about the size of a potato, greenish-brown in colour, and rough-skinned, the seeds are black and resemble beans, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed. Inside, the pulp is sweet, tasty and soft and been compared to caramel.

As well as fruit, the tree produces strong, long-lasting timber which is often used for cabinet making. Its sap, which becomes solid when boiled, provides a type of non-elastic rubber used for making shoe soles. It is also used as chewing gum (chicle) and in fact Chicle gum was even known to the Aztecs.