.
At last, Lord Arunachala made me write this. November 02.2009 was full moon Girivalam Day and this is my 12 or 13th Girivalam ( I don't remember exactly)
The day started brightly and three of us started from Bangalore by car at about 12 noon. We started after lunch to avoid eating anything on the way. We reached Girivalam circuit road at about 4.10 P.M.
We parked the car by the side of the road, bought karpuram from a wayside store, lit it, prayed to Lord Arunachala and started to walk. Hereafter, the reference will be on ‘ I ‘ and not “WE” since this is my personal experience and not my group’s. Inspite of my previous girivalams, I consider this as one of my best for various reasons and the reader will understand as I go along. I want to write this experience frankly and without any shame or guilt.
Wanting to feel the Earth
I find it difficult to walk with barefeet and therefore, I walked with rubber slippers. Many times I felt guilty since I found almost 99 per cent of the people doing girivalam, do it with barefeet. Then, I remembered reading somewhere Ramana Maharishi had advised a devotee that he can walk with shoes and there is no wrong. This inspired me and I felt less guilty.
However, in future I am going to make efforts to walk barefeet not because it is sinful to walk in shoes or slippers but to be one with nature and also to be more simple. I feel this will connect me better with my lord... I am sure Lord Arunachala will guide me in this.
Normally when we walk in a group, especially with friends, it invariably happens that thoughts and talks wander towards unwanted areas not concerned with the purpose of girivalam. I, too, am guilty of this and therefore decided this time that I will break away from the group and do the entire stretch to the extent possible solely. I succeeded in this to a great extent.
Tiruvannamalai is becoming too commercialized
I have observed a few things in Tiruvannamalai over the last one year which, in my opinion, is not healthy. It is going in the wrong direction. It is getting commercialized and that is the wrong direction. Many new ashrams, temples, dhyana peetas, so on and so forth are coming along that way.
And one more important thing I have been observing is that more than 50 per cent of the people doing girivalam are either busy talking on the cell phones (either business or personal) or chit-chatting as if they are in an amusement park.
If one has to have a very peaceful and beneficial girivalam, I personally feel one should avoid full moon days and do it on any other day when you don’t find vendors, crowds etc. Please do not misunderstand me. It is only a personal opinion and readers are advised to exercise their own free will.
Now coming back to my girivalam experience, I started with a strong prayer to Lord Arunachala to lead me the way he wants ALL is HIS.
A Miracle Happened At Naar Annamalai
After praying at the Ganesha temple and lighting camphor I started my walk and my first encounter was Nirudhi Lingam. I had Nandhi Mukha darsinam and proceeded further. Next I stopped at Naar Annamalai. I have to mention about the beauty of this lingam. About 5 years back, I had a personal issue and prayed here with great devotion and took a vow that if my problem is solved I will come and visit again. It will be difficult to understand, but what was impossible was completed in just three days. I prayed on Sunday and result was available on Wednesday. A true miracle indeed. To fulfull my vow, I again visited next Sunday. I completed my prayer at this temple and proceeded.
Next I stopped at Varuna Lingam, Kubera lingam, Eshanya Lingam, Indira Lingam, Yama Lingam.
As I passed Ramana Maharishi Ashram I said a silent prayer.
All along my only thought was Lord Arunachala and I silently meditated on him by reciting the most powerful mantra OM NAMAH SHIVAYA again and again.
I look forward to my next visit Girivalam on 01.12.2009 being Karthika deepam.
I completed my girivalam at 8.15 p.m, a time of about 4 hours from start time and reached Bangalore by 12.30 A.M the next day early morning.
May all of you be blessed by Lord Arunachala
Girivalam Experiences
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Ulaganathan P: My wife's first Girivalam: Part 11
.
When my daughter and I returned from Girivalam, my wife wanted to go on one. She hadn't accompanied me on earlier pilgrimages to Tiruvannamalai because there was always a nagging doubt in her mind that she didn't have the strength to undertake such a gruelling trip and being the lovely, traditional South Indian wife that she is, she wanted to remain at home to light the Karthigai lamps during the three days of the festival - the day of Karthigai deepam, the day before and the day after.
Preparations at home
In Tamil Nadu, lighting lamps for Karthigai Deepam is a big ritual that women really look forward to and treasure. A day or two before the festival, my wife would climb up on to the high shelf and remove tiny earthen lamps that she had used in previous years, and wash and dry them thoroughly in the sun. In the evening, she would draw kolam in front of our house, near the gate and at the main door. 'Kolam' is an intricate artistic design of lines and dots made with rice flour - the rice flour being an offering to ants who are considered an important part of God's universe.
The day before Karthigai, my wife would fill all the earthern lamps with sesame oil or ghee and light them at dusk. She would place the lamps at strategic points on the beautiful kolam she had drawn. It would add to the sanctity of the festival. For me, watching the lights lining the outer walls of our home was irresistable, something I had cherished since I was a child in my village. Even though I loved watching the lamps being lit at home, I always wanted to be in Tiruvannamalai to see the big Karthigai Deepam being lit.
Three-fold purpose of Karthigai Deepam
As you can see, all our festivals have both a domestic and social context to them. If lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai is a social event, lighting our houses is a part of the domestic dharma. I would say that we have an individual obligation to ourself to light the lamp within our own self. Our ultimate goal is the lighting of the inner jyoti, for which the Annamalai Deepam is an ideal and the domestic lamps are aids.
This time, my wife wanted to come with me on girivalam probably because our little daughter had already been. She made alternate arrangements for lighting the deepam at home and was ready to go.
We start on her first Girivalam
My wife asked her sister, who is more gutsy and daring than her, to accompany us to Tiruvannamalai. We rented a car from Chennai and got the necessary permits for the car to enter the town of Tiruvannamalai on Karthigai Deepam day. After parking it near the Railway Station, we started the girivalam in the afternoon itself. It was very hot. We carried sufficient quantity of bottled water and my wife purchased glucose packets in case she is overcome by exhaustion on the way.
In front of the eastern gopuram, there was a confluence of people where many started their girivalam after burning the camphor. After throwing our share of camphor into the already burning camphor, we moved on. The crowd was already heavy and it was difficult to wade through the sea of humanity in front of us. We stopped at Ramana Ashram. After doing pradakshina of the two samadhis of the mother and Ramana, we resumed our Girivalam.
The Girivalam went off reasonably well for her. She tread the path, chatting with her sister and without pausing at any of the famous lingams en route. It was difficult for me to accompany them. I often found myself ahead of them and had to wait at some point for them to join me. As it was going to be dusk, when the deepam would be lit on hills, we hastened our pace to reach the point near the Esanya Lingam, the last lingam in the girivalam path, where we had decided we would like to witness the lighting of the deepam.
Bathing in the Lake
A huge crowd had lined up along the banks of a small lake separating us from the town and the Arunai Hills, in eager anticipation of the deepam being lit. The lake was brimming with fresh water from the recent rains. Suddenly, I could not resist the temptation to have a dip in the lake before witnessing the deepam. Brushing aside protests from my wife, who is particular about maintaining decorum in public places, I jumped into the lake and had a hearty dip. I dried myself with the only dhoti I was wearing and smeared on my fore-head, the holy-ashes(bhasma), I borrowed from some stranger nearby.
With the wet dhoti covering my loins, I was ready for the darshan of the Annamalai Deepam. I felt very light at heart, pleased to be with the bare minimum of clothes on. My joy felt no bounds, when I witnessed the deepam, in this state of simplicity. It is a paradox that I practised vairagya and austerity, when I was accompanying my wife, my life partner. The Karthigai deepam was lit. I was so happy that I wanted to remain with Arunachala Siva. I didn't want to leave Tiruvannamalai but we had to get in the car and go back to Chennai
My wife has accompanied me on several girivalams since then. But this first Girivalam of hers is the one I cherish the most.
When my daughter and I returned from Girivalam, my wife wanted to go on one. She hadn't accompanied me on earlier pilgrimages to Tiruvannamalai because there was always a nagging doubt in her mind that she didn't have the strength to undertake such a gruelling trip and being the lovely, traditional South Indian wife that she is, she wanted to remain at home to light the Karthigai lamps during the three days of the festival - the day of Karthigai deepam, the day before and the day after.
Preparations at home
In Tamil Nadu, lighting lamps for Karthigai Deepam is a big ritual that women really look forward to and treasure. A day or two before the festival, my wife would climb up on to the high shelf and remove tiny earthen lamps that she had used in previous years, and wash and dry them thoroughly in the sun. In the evening, she would draw kolam in front of our house, near the gate and at the main door. 'Kolam' is an intricate artistic design of lines and dots made with rice flour - the rice flour being an offering to ants who are considered an important part of God's universe.
The day before Karthigai, my wife would fill all the earthern lamps with sesame oil or ghee and light them at dusk. She would place the lamps at strategic points on the beautiful kolam she had drawn. It would add to the sanctity of the festival. For me, watching the lights lining the outer walls of our home was irresistable, something I had cherished since I was a child in my village. Even though I loved watching the lamps being lit at home, I always wanted to be in Tiruvannamalai to see the big Karthigai Deepam being lit.
Three-fold purpose of Karthigai Deepam
As you can see, all our festivals have both a domestic and social context to them. If lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai is a social event, lighting our houses is a part of the domestic dharma. I would say that we have an individual obligation to ourself to light the lamp within our own self. Our ultimate goal is the lighting of the inner jyoti, for which the Annamalai Deepam is an ideal and the domestic lamps are aids.
This time, my wife wanted to come with me on girivalam probably because our little daughter had already been. She made alternate arrangements for lighting the deepam at home and was ready to go.
We start on her first Girivalam
My wife asked her sister, who is more gutsy and daring than her, to accompany us to Tiruvannamalai. We rented a car from Chennai and got the necessary permits for the car to enter the town of Tiruvannamalai on Karthigai Deepam day. After parking it near the Railway Station, we started the girivalam in the afternoon itself. It was very hot. We carried sufficient quantity of bottled water and my wife purchased glucose packets in case she is overcome by exhaustion on the way.
In front of the eastern gopuram, there was a confluence of people where many started their girivalam after burning the camphor. After throwing our share of camphor into the already burning camphor, we moved on. The crowd was already heavy and it was difficult to wade through the sea of humanity in front of us. We stopped at Ramana Ashram. After doing pradakshina of the two samadhis of the mother and Ramana, we resumed our Girivalam.
The Girivalam went off reasonably well for her. She tread the path, chatting with her sister and without pausing at any of the famous lingams en route. It was difficult for me to accompany them. I often found myself ahead of them and had to wait at some point for them to join me. As it was going to be dusk, when the deepam would be lit on hills, we hastened our pace to reach the point near the Esanya Lingam, the last lingam in the girivalam path, where we had decided we would like to witness the lighting of the deepam.
Bathing in the Lake
A huge crowd had lined up along the banks of a small lake separating us from the town and the Arunai Hills, in eager anticipation of the deepam being lit. The lake was brimming with fresh water from the recent rains. Suddenly, I could not resist the temptation to have a dip in the lake before witnessing the deepam. Brushing aside protests from my wife, who is particular about maintaining decorum in public places, I jumped into the lake and had a hearty dip. I dried myself with the only dhoti I was wearing and smeared on my fore-head, the holy-ashes(bhasma), I borrowed from some stranger nearby.
With the wet dhoti covering my loins, I was ready for the darshan of the Annamalai Deepam. I felt very light at heart, pleased to be with the bare minimum of clothes on. My joy felt no bounds, when I witnessed the deepam, in this state of simplicity. It is a paradox that I practised vairagya and austerity, when I was accompanying my wife, my life partner. The Karthigai deepam was lit. I was so happy that I wanted to remain with Arunachala Siva. I didn't want to leave Tiruvannamalai but we had to get in the car and go back to Chennai
My wife has accompanied me on several girivalams since then. But this first Girivalam of hers is the one I cherish the most.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ulaganathan P: When I took my daughter to meet Arunachala - Part 10
.
When my daughter was very small, she wanted to accompany me to Tiruvannamalai. She had no idea how arduous Girivalam was but with child-like innocence assured me that she would be able to walk. I was delighted and told her that I would pick her up from school early the next day.
Arunachala being the Universal Father, had other ideas. He didn't want her to miss classes. So he let her leave school only at the regular time and we had to hurry to catch our bus. When we arrived in Tiruvannamalai, I realized there was plenty of time for Karthigai Deepam to be lit. I got the child dosas to eat which she relished. As a father, it was so heartening for me to watch her eat.
There was an unusually large crowd near the temple when the Jyoti was to be lit and we couldn't move. I was worried for the child. I took her on my shoulders. The fire-works started from the vicinity of the temple and the deepam was lit on top of the hill. In the midst of the jostling crowd, my daughter witnessed the 'Annamalai Deepam' accompanied by the chanting of 'annamalyarukku arohara' by all around. It was gratifying for me to have shown her the Universal Father that Lord Arunachaleswarar is. I could see that she enjoyed every moment of it.
On the girivalam path, she was walking with great heart. She never complained of any pain or discomfort. I remembered the saying of Ramana that little children could do girivalam much more easily than adults. In the last leg of the journey, when I was taking her to the temple of 'Bootha Narayana', where one is supposed to end the girivalam, she said--" Appa! my feet are aching". I felt sorry for the child and took her in an auto-rickshaw to the railway station. There was still a lot of time for the train to start, so the lights had not yet been turned on. Even so, we boarded the train. Tired as she was, she feel asleep immediately. I remained awake watching over my child. It felt like Lord Arunachala was watching over me, like I was watching over my child.
When my daughter was very small, she wanted to accompany me to Tiruvannamalai. She had no idea how arduous Girivalam was but with child-like innocence assured me that she would be able to walk. I was delighted and told her that I would pick her up from school early the next day.
Arunachala being the Universal Father, had other ideas. He didn't want her to miss classes. So he let her leave school only at the regular time and we had to hurry to catch our bus. When we arrived in Tiruvannamalai, I realized there was plenty of time for Karthigai Deepam to be lit. I got the child dosas to eat which she relished. As a father, it was so heartening for me to watch her eat.
There was an unusually large crowd near the temple when the Jyoti was to be lit and we couldn't move. I was worried for the child. I took her on my shoulders. The fire-works started from the vicinity of the temple and the deepam was lit on top of the hill. In the midst of the jostling crowd, my daughter witnessed the 'Annamalai Deepam' accompanied by the chanting of 'annamalyarukku arohara' by all around. It was gratifying for me to have shown her the Universal Father that Lord Arunachaleswarar is. I could see that she enjoyed every moment of it.
On the girivalam path, she was walking with great heart. She never complained of any pain or discomfort. I remembered the saying of Ramana that little children could do girivalam much more easily than adults. In the last leg of the journey, when I was taking her to the temple of 'Bootha Narayana', where one is supposed to end the girivalam, she said--" Appa! my feet are aching". I felt sorry for the child and took her in an auto-rickshaw to the railway station. There was still a lot of time for the train to start, so the lights had not yet been turned on. Even so, we boarded the train. Tired as she was, she feel asleep immediately. I remained awake watching over my child. It felt like Lord Arunachala was watching over me, like I was watching over my child.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ulaganathan P: Merger of Siva & Shakti in Karthigai Deepam - Part 9
.
We received this email from Ulaganathan P.
Namaste,
You will recall that in my post --
http://arunachala-girivalam.blogspot.com/2009/10/karthigai-deepam-beaconing-light.html -- I had said that Sakti merges with Siva in Karthigai Deepam. I compared the top of the hill to the Ajna Chakra. This was something I experienced. I did not consult any source to write it. Today, when I was browsing the site: www.davidgodman.org/asaints/powerofa1.shtml I was stunned to see that Ramana Maharishi has infact explained the very same experience - the phenomenon of the merger of Siva-Shakti in Arunachala.
As you said, if I remain a child to Arunachala Siva, I will have direct experience of Him, not just text book knowledge. I have pasted the relevant portion of the post in the above site:-
"Seeing this, the devotee at last said, 'Chidambaram is even greater than Arunachala, because among the panchabuta lingams [the lingams representing the five elements] Chidambaram is the space-lingam while Arunachala is only the fire-lingam.(6) Since the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, finally have to merge in space, space is the principal element.'
Hearing this, Sri Bhagavan smiled and said, 'All the five elements come into existence only when Sakti seemingly forsakes her identify with Lord Siva, the Supreme Self (Paramatman). Since the five elements are thus only the creations of Sakti, she is superior to all of them. Therefore, more important than the place where the elements merge, is the place where Sakti herself merges. Because Sakti is dancing in Chidambaram, Lord Siva has to dance before her and thereby make her become motionless. But in Arunachala Lord Siva remains ever motionless (achala), and hence Sakti automatically and effortlessly merges in him through great love. Therefore, Arunachala shines as the foremost and most powerful kshetra, because here Sakti, who has seemingly created all this manifold appearance, herself merges into the Lord. So for those mature aspirants who seek to put an end to the false appearance of duality, the most powerful help is to be found only in Arunachala-kshetra.'
with regards
ulaganathan p
We received this email from Ulaganathan P.
Namaste,
You will recall that in my post --
http://arunachala-girivalam.blogspot.com/2009/10/karthigai-deepam-beaconing-light.html -- I had said that Sakti merges with Siva in Karthigai Deepam. I compared the top of the hill to the Ajna Chakra. This was something I experienced. I did not consult any source to write it. Today, when I was browsing the site: www.davidgodman.org/asaints/powerofa1.shtml I was stunned to see that Ramana Maharishi has infact explained the very same experience - the phenomenon of the merger of Siva-Shakti in Arunachala.
As you said, if I remain a child to Arunachala Siva, I will have direct experience of Him, not just text book knowledge. I have pasted the relevant portion of the post in the above site:-
"Seeing this, the devotee at last said, 'Chidambaram is even greater than Arunachala, because among the panchabuta lingams [the lingams representing the five elements] Chidambaram is the space-lingam while Arunachala is only the fire-lingam.(6) Since the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, finally have to merge in space, space is the principal element.'
Hearing this, Sri Bhagavan smiled and said, 'All the five elements come into existence only when Sakti seemingly forsakes her identify with Lord Siva, the Supreme Self (Paramatman). Since the five elements are thus only the creations of Sakti, she is superior to all of them. Therefore, more important than the place where the elements merge, is the place where Sakti herself merges. Because Sakti is dancing in Chidambaram, Lord Siva has to dance before her and thereby make her become motionless. But in Arunachala Lord Siva remains ever motionless (achala), and hence Sakti automatically and effortlessly merges in him through great love. Therefore, Arunachala shines as the foremost and most powerful kshetra, because here Sakti, who has seemingly created all this manifold appearance, herself merges into the Lord. So for those mature aspirants who seek to put an end to the false appearance of duality, the most powerful help is to be found only in Arunachala-kshetra.'
with regards
ulaganathan p
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ulaganathan P: How Arunachala played with me - Part 8
.
For almost two decades now, Arunachala Siva has allowed me to witness Karthigai Deepam every year and to do Girivalam many times during the year. For that, I am eternally grateful to him.
There was a time when I used to travel by public bus from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai for Karthigai Deepam. Many special buses would run and almost all the buses would run full. For me, girivalam started when I boarded the bus in Chennai. It didn't matter that I had to stand for the entire 187 kms to Tiruvannamalai. On Karthigai Purnima Day, all the public buses would be stopped a distance away from the town and I would have to walk an extra few kilometres before doing the actual girivalam. This, too, I didn't mind because I was so excited I was going to meet my Father.
It would be late in the afternoon by the time I reached the temple - just enough time for me to watch people making preparations for the deepam and doing girivalam. There would be people stuffing themselves at road-side eateries and petty hotels. Others would be taking up vantage positions along the Girivalam route. As I would look up at the Arunachala mountain, I would see multitudes of people climbing the mountain to reach the spot where the holy lamp is to be lit and from below the hills, they would seem like tiny ants walking up in line.
Stop climbing the mountain
Throughout the ages, saints and sages have told us not to climb the Arunachala mountain, but year after year, I would see people climbing the holy mountain. Often, I would hear of untoward incidents happening to them but they just keep on going. I wonder, what would it take for the authorities to stop them from climbing the mountain in the first place? Can they not stop them before they climb the mountain, like they stop the buses before they enter the city limits. It is as simple as that. Yet the authorities will do -- not a thing!!!
Be that as it may, as dusk approaches, I would see people filling the gaps in the temple-town. In no time, it would be full. In my opinion, those who can witness the Deepam from inside the temple are the most fortunate. For this, advanced tickets have to be purchased and passes issued. The early birds will occupy the streets around the temple's outer walls, excepting the eastern street, where the view of the mountain is blocked by the temple.
I always love to see the jyoti from the north western corner of the temple, although never once have I witnessed the deepam being lit from the same spot. Arunachala Siva has always given me a different darshan every year depending on where I was on the grivalam path.
Arunachala was anxiously waiting for me
There was one time when there was no direct bus to Tiruvannamalai available and I had to change buses and take a circuitous route. By the time I arrived, the deepam had already been lit and it seemed to me that Lord Annamalayar was anxiously waiting for me. He was looking to see if I had arrived. That sight is still enchanting for me because the Lord, my father, was as anxious to see me, as I was to see him. It felt like the flames were waving at me when he saw me. Even from the distance, the deepam appeared more sublime and caring.
I thought, blessed are the villagers who live near the mountain. They get to witness the deepam for the whole ten days when it remains lit. Still more blessed are they who can see the holy hills of Arunachala from their backyards. The most blessed are those who have Arunachala and the jyoti embedded in their hearts. I always go around the hill pining for His grace to descend on me and to make me worthy of even a minuscule of His love and mercy.
Why Arunachala delayed my return home
On another occasion, I was waiting in the bus-stand for a bus to take me back to Chennai. I didn't know that I had to go to the far-end of the town where the buses were set to leave that day. I waited at the wrong bus-stand, running in vain after every bus that came to the stand. Late in the night, some one guided me to the right spot. But, by that time I got there, most of the pilgrims had left and the authorities had stopped plying buses from that point. I had to return to the regular bus-stand. It is funny that I never felt despair or disappointment or anger during the long wait into the night. Arunachala was with me the whole time. That is when I realized God is always with me.
When I looked up at the sky, the bright full- moon had completed its girivalam around the sacred mountain and when I looked at the jyoti, I felt like He was smiling back at me. That is when I realized that it is for this sight that Arunachala had delayed my return to Chennai. The moment I realized the real reason for the delay a bus came to take me home.
Arunachala kept a seat for me on the bus
The following year, I prayed that I would find a bus quickly. Outside the town-limits, there were huge crowds trying to board the buses. But as I reached my bus stop, there was a bus about to leave. I boarded it with ease and looked for a vacant seat. All the seats were occupied but suddenly I spotted one unoccupied seat. Although many were anxiously looking for seats, I was able to occupy mine in an unhurried manner because Arunachala was keeping it for me. The bus left immediately and as I turned around to look at Him one last time, it felt like he winked at me.
For almost two decades now, Arunachala Siva has allowed me to witness Karthigai Deepam every year and to do Girivalam many times during the year. For that, I am eternally grateful to him.
There was a time when I used to travel by public bus from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai for Karthigai Deepam. Many special buses would run and almost all the buses would run full. For me, girivalam started when I boarded the bus in Chennai. It didn't matter that I had to stand for the entire 187 kms to Tiruvannamalai. On Karthigai Purnima Day, all the public buses would be stopped a distance away from the town and I would have to walk an extra few kilometres before doing the actual girivalam. This, too, I didn't mind because I was so excited I was going to meet my Father.
It would be late in the afternoon by the time I reached the temple - just enough time for me to watch people making preparations for the deepam and doing girivalam. There would be people stuffing themselves at road-side eateries and petty hotels. Others would be taking up vantage positions along the Girivalam route. As I would look up at the Arunachala mountain, I would see multitudes of people climbing the mountain to reach the spot where the holy lamp is to be lit and from below the hills, they would seem like tiny ants walking up in line.
Stop climbing the mountain
Throughout the ages, saints and sages have told us not to climb the Arunachala mountain, but year after year, I would see people climbing the holy mountain. Often, I would hear of untoward incidents happening to them but they just keep on going. I wonder, what would it take for the authorities to stop them from climbing the mountain in the first place? Can they not stop them before they climb the mountain, like they stop the buses before they enter the city limits. It is as simple as that. Yet the authorities will do -- not a thing!!!
Be that as it may, as dusk approaches, I would see people filling the gaps in the temple-town. In no time, it would be full. In my opinion, those who can witness the Deepam from inside the temple are the most fortunate. For this, advanced tickets have to be purchased and passes issued. The early birds will occupy the streets around the temple's outer walls, excepting the eastern street, where the view of the mountain is blocked by the temple.
I always love to see the jyoti from the north western corner of the temple, although never once have I witnessed the deepam being lit from the same spot. Arunachala Siva has always given me a different darshan every year depending on where I was on the grivalam path.
Arunachala was anxiously waiting for me
There was one time when there was no direct bus to Tiruvannamalai available and I had to change buses and take a circuitous route. By the time I arrived, the deepam had already been lit and it seemed to me that Lord Annamalayar was anxiously waiting for me. He was looking to see if I had arrived. That sight is still enchanting for me because the Lord, my father, was as anxious to see me, as I was to see him. It felt like the flames were waving at me when he saw me. Even from the distance, the deepam appeared more sublime and caring.
I thought, blessed are the villagers who live near the mountain. They get to witness the deepam for the whole ten days when it remains lit. Still more blessed are they who can see the holy hills of Arunachala from their backyards. The most blessed are those who have Arunachala and the jyoti embedded in their hearts. I always go around the hill pining for His grace to descend on me and to make me worthy of even a minuscule of His love and mercy.
Why Arunachala delayed my return home
On another occasion, I was waiting in the bus-stand for a bus to take me back to Chennai. I didn't know that I had to go to the far-end of the town where the buses were set to leave that day. I waited at the wrong bus-stand, running in vain after every bus that came to the stand. Late in the night, some one guided me to the right spot. But, by that time I got there, most of the pilgrims had left and the authorities had stopped plying buses from that point. I had to return to the regular bus-stand. It is funny that I never felt despair or disappointment or anger during the long wait into the night. Arunachala was with me the whole time. That is when I realized God is always with me.
When I looked up at the sky, the bright full- moon had completed its girivalam around the sacred mountain and when I looked at the jyoti, I felt like He was smiling back at me. That is when I realized that it is for this sight that Arunachala had delayed my return to Chennai. The moment I realized the real reason for the delay a bus came to take me home.
Arunachala kept a seat for me on the bus
The following year, I prayed that I would find a bus quickly. Outside the town-limits, there were huge crowds trying to board the buses. But as I reached my bus stop, there was a bus about to leave. I boarded it with ease and looked for a vacant seat. All the seats were occupied but suddenly I spotted one unoccupied seat. Although many were anxiously looking for seats, I was able to occupy mine in an unhurried manner because Arunachala was keeping it for me. The bus left immediately and as I turned around to look at Him one last time, it felt like he winked at me.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
L.K.: Girivalam on a full-moon day - Part 6
.
"How many girivalams do the people in Tiruvannamalai do?" I wondered.
Westerners said they do girivalam thrice a week. Devout Indians I met said they do girivalam everyday. Other Indians said they do girivalam every Monday and still others said they do girivalam on Pournami, Pradosham and Karthigai Deepam days. Some others don't do girivalam at all. They live in Tiruvannamalai but don't do girivalam. "So, it is all kinds of people that get to live near Arunachala." I thought
My second Girivalam
Mindful of my own limited time in Tiruvannamalai, I prayed to Arunachala Siva to let me do more girivalam. He let me rest for a few days and then do my second girivalam, totally on foot. This time there were only a handful of people with me and we completed the Girivalam in 3 hours and 45 minutes. It was very quiet, very serene. Nothing major happened, except that I realized I loved doing Girivalam.
Full-moon day was two days away. I prayed once again to be allowed to do my first Pournami Girivalam. Gracious as Arunachala was, he let me, and made it an amazing Indian experience to remember.
Tiruvannamalai on a full-moon day
Tiruvannamalai is usually a sleepy town, where everyone knows everyone else, but 24 hours before the full-moon day, it was transformed into a crowded, busy, and noiser town. There was fun and festivity (and business) in the air, that wasn't there before. Shop owners started stocking up on goods, workers on the Girivalam path talked about how they would get home because all traffic would be stopped by evening, and the police were out in full force. All the hotels and ashrams around town began to fill up and people often stopped me on the way to ask if I knew of places to stay.
I prepared for the big day by taking a lot of rest. I had completed two full girivalams on foot, and another girivalam on the inner path where I had walked two-thirds of the way on difficult terrain. In total, I must have walked about 40-45 kms. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for my first pournami girivalam.
From early in the morning on pournami day, I could hear the buzz of people talking and shuffle of people walking. The Dakshinamoorthy temple, where I used to start my girivalams, had a long line of people waiting to light a lamp and have darshanam of the Lord. I had seen such a long line only on Thursdays. Thursday being the day of the Guru.
.
"How many girivalams do the people in Tiruvannamalai do?" I wondered.
Westerners said they do girivalam thrice a week. Devout Indians I met said they do girivalam everyday. Other Indians said they do girivalam every Monday and still others said they do girivalam on Pournami, Pradosham and Karthigai Deepam days. Some others don't do girivalam at all. They live in Tiruvannamalai but don't do girivalam. "So, it is all kinds of people that get to live near Arunachala." I thought
My second Girivalam
Mindful of my own limited time in Tiruvannamalai, I prayed to Arunachala Siva to let me do more girivalam. He let me rest for a few days and then do my second girivalam, totally on foot. This time there were only a handful of people with me and we completed the Girivalam in 3 hours and 45 minutes. It was very quiet, very serene. Nothing major happened, except that I realized I loved doing Girivalam.
Full-moon day was two days away. I prayed once again to be allowed to do my first Pournami Girivalam. Gracious as Arunachala was, he let me, and made it an amazing Indian experience to remember.
Tiruvannamalai on a full-moon day
Tiruvannamalai is usually a sleepy town, where everyone knows everyone else, but 24 hours before the full-moon day, it was transformed into a crowded, busy, and noiser town. There was fun and festivity (and business) in the air, that wasn't there before. Shop owners started stocking up on goods, workers on the Girivalam path talked about how they would get home because all traffic would be stopped by evening, and the police were out in full force. All the hotels and ashrams around town began to fill up and people often stopped me on the way to ask if I knew of places to stay.
I prepared for the big day by taking a lot of rest. I had completed two full girivalams on foot, and another girivalam on the inner path where I had walked two-thirds of the way on difficult terrain. In total, I must have walked about 40-45 kms. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for my first pournami girivalam.
From early in the morning on pournami day, I could hear the buzz of people talking and shuffle of people walking. The Dakshinamoorthy temple, where I used to start my girivalams, had a long line of people waiting to light a lamp and have darshanam of the Lord. I had seen such a long line only on Thursdays. Thursday being the day of the Guru.
.
.
My third Girivalam
Bowing to Lord Dakshinamoorthy, I began my third Girivalam. All the temples on the way were open and brightly lit. Some had devotional music playing on loud speakers. People started setting up road side stalls selling everything from deep-fried Indian food, to children's toys, to cool drinks. Overnight a lot of bill boards had come up announcing everything from new gurus to new condos to new movies.
Most men were walking bare-chested, in South Indian vesti, rudraksha malas and vibuti smeared all over them. Some women were decked out in all their finery. Heavy Canjeevaram saris, gold and glass bangles upto the elbow, and gold necklesses down their neck. Distracting as all these would have been to me prior to coming to Tiruvannamalai, I was amazed at how I could now keep my awareness on Arunachala Siva as I walked.
As I turned the corner, a temple that I used to love going to, was serving large quantities of sambar rice on banana leaves and a really large crowd was milling around eating and trying to get more. "O Arunachala," I told myself and walked on. I was told later that this temple was trying to get ahead of all the other temples by offering the first annadanam of the day.
Charity is big business in Tiruvannamalai
Several ashrams had opened their large gates and for the first time, I could see inside. One had a number of shiva lingas in its backyard. I wondered what that was about. May be they ship them out to temples around the world from here. May be.
There was one ashram that looked more like it was a nursery. They had b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. plants and herbs in pots in the driveway. A man at another ashram was very respectfully inviting all the sadhus to come in and eat.
There was yet another ashram that had put up its entire ashram schedule, its guru's travel itinerary and all its charitable projects up on several h.u.g.e. billboards along the road that it obstructed my view of Arunachala. They were literally in my face.
Did I mention, charity is big business in Tiruvannamalai. Be naive and you will get ripped off big time. Many years ago, a sage told me that we are karmically responsible for how our donations are really used. If our support, knowingly or unknowingly, causes distress to others, like Mother Earth, the environment and other living beings - the consequences to us can be devastating.
Ouch! I prayed to Arunachala to forgive me for the donations I may have given carelessly in the past and to guide me in the future.
Further up the girivalam path, the Agasthiar Ashram gates had not yet opened but as I passed it I bowed to Saint Agasthiar for the wisdom he has shared with the world.
There were more people on the road than there normally would have been. It wasn't crowded to bother me but at the same time, there were enough people to make the Grivalam comfortable and fun.
I stopped and rested at all the ashta lingas, the nandis and finished the Girivalam in 3.5 hours. What amazed me on this pournami Girivalam was that I was completely still inside, totally one with Arunachala. I took-in all the action around me, observed them, but was not perturbed by them. Arunachala Siva had made it an experience for me to remember.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ulaganathan P: Karthigai Deepam -- a beaconing light: Part 7
.
I am not sure if I have any thing special to say every time I blog here. But, I enjoy this opportunity to remember the name of Arunachala every time I write. As I do girivalam I feel humble and as I remember Him also I feel small. Over many years, I have attempted many sadhanas for my spiritual development. But now, for me, there is no better sadhana than remembering the name of Annamalai. As Ramana Maharishi has said, the mere thought of Annamalai will give us mukti.
On Kartigai Deepam day, when you look up at the Arunachala mountain for a glimpse of the Lord in the form of jyoti, that is when sadhana begins. The fire within us is kindled. Man became distinguished from animals when he stopped crawling on four feet and learned to walk upright. The upright position is the quintessence of human development. And that is the significance of witnessing the deepam on top of the hill.
Karthigai Deepam is preceded on the previous day with 'Bharani Deepam', when the whole temple and the path up the hill is decorated with lamps. To my mind, this signifies the preparatory austerities and sadhana, before the final enlightenment takes place. In the parlance of a yogi, if the karthigai deepam could signify the meeting of sakti with siva at the Ajna chakra, the 'Bharani deepam' symbolizes the raising of the kundalini through various intervening chakras. Bharani deepam brings to devotees earthly happiness and the karthigai deepam brings to devotees, the commencement of the spiritual journey. I feel, Annamalayar takes care of all our needs, mundane and spiritual, when we totally and unconditionally surrender to Him and accept all that befalls us as His gift. The Bharani merges in Karthigai, as Sakti merges with Sivam at Ajna chakra. Once we partake in the grace of Karthigai, the earthly desires wither away.
In my childhood, long before I had heard about Arunachala, our humble village homes, would be lit with tiny earthen pots filled with oil. On three days, Karthigai poornima and a day preceding and following it, we would light up our homes. At night, the boys would light bundles of hay at one end and swing them around their body. Late in the night, they would make a heap of hay and burn it. It is called 'Chokkapanai'. It was all light... light every where. It was much later that I realized that the prime source of the light was Annamalai.
And it is here that I come year after year for purification and enlightenment.
I am not sure if I have any thing special to say every time I blog here. But, I enjoy this opportunity to remember the name of Arunachala every time I write. As I do girivalam I feel humble and as I remember Him also I feel small. Over many years, I have attempted many sadhanas for my spiritual development. But now, for me, there is no better sadhana than remembering the name of Annamalai. As Ramana Maharishi has said, the mere thought of Annamalai will give us mukti.
On Kartigai Deepam day, when you look up at the Arunachala mountain for a glimpse of the Lord in the form of jyoti, that is when sadhana begins. The fire within us is kindled. Man became distinguished from animals when he stopped crawling on four feet and learned to walk upright. The upright position is the quintessence of human development. And that is the significance of witnessing the deepam on top of the hill.
Karthigai Deepam is preceded on the previous day with 'Bharani Deepam', when the whole temple and the path up the hill is decorated with lamps. To my mind, this signifies the preparatory austerities and sadhana, before the final enlightenment takes place. In the parlance of a yogi, if the karthigai deepam could signify the meeting of sakti with siva at the Ajna chakra, the 'Bharani deepam' symbolizes the raising of the kundalini through various intervening chakras. Bharani deepam brings to devotees earthly happiness and the karthigai deepam brings to devotees, the commencement of the spiritual journey. I feel, Annamalayar takes care of all our needs, mundane and spiritual, when we totally and unconditionally surrender to Him and accept all that befalls us as His gift. The Bharani merges in Karthigai, as Sakti merges with Sivam at Ajna chakra. Once we partake in the grace of Karthigai, the earthly desires wither away.
In my childhood, long before I had heard about Arunachala, our humble village homes, would be lit with tiny earthen pots filled with oil. On three days, Karthigai poornima and a day preceding and following it, we would light up our homes. At night, the boys would light bundles of hay at one end and swing them around their body. Late in the night, they would make a heap of hay and burn it. It is called 'Chokkapanai'. It was all light... light every where. It was much later that I realized that the prime source of the light was Annamalai.
And it is here that I come year after year for purification and enlightenment.
Monday, October 5, 2009
L.K. Girivalam on the outer path: Part 5
.
A few days later, I got a chance to go on Girivalam again. About twenty of us, all newcomers to Tiruvannamalai, asked our landlord to be our guide and he, graciously agreed. Now, this is an astute business man, who has completed major projects in the Tiruvannamalai area, but at heart, was totally devoted to Arunachala Siva. You could feel his love for Siva when he spoke. Unfortunately for me, he spoke no English and I, not a word of whatever Indian languages he spoke. But there was the language of the heart and he made our group’s first Girivalam on the main Girivalam path, an experience to remember.
We started the Girivalam at the Dakshinamurthy Temple, near Ramana Ashram. The mantra for the walk, he told us, was: "Arunachala Siva, Arunachala Siva, Arunachala Siva, Arunachala.” If we kept our minds on this mantra, he promised us, we would be able to complete the Girivalam, otherwise not.
Lord Dakshinamurthy
After darshan of Lord Dakshinamurthy, we stopped by the Ramana Ashram and bowed to both Ramana and Arunachala from the gate. We then crossed over to the left side of the road, so that the millions of Siddhas who circumambulate the mountain, could do so unhindered.
After walking for almost an hour, avoiding reckless drivers, we reached the first cluster of temples. By the time we got to these temples, there was little or no traffic. The area had also become more rural and we had an unhindered view of the Arunachala mountain. Our landlord regaled the group with stories from the scriptures and connected the stories to real life incidents. He had everyone in rapt attention, even though I couldn’t understand a word of what he spoke. I held on to the wonderful tone of his voice and his love for Lord Siva.
Over the next 4.5 hours, we passed by all the ashta lingas, the nandis, a spot where we could call out to Arunachala and our voice reverberated around the mountain and returned to us. We sat and meditated at Ramana bridge, a spot where Ramana Maharishi is supposed to have done tapas. In the beautiful morning air, under clear skies, that was best meditation I had in Tiruvannamalai.
Sri Agasthiar Ashram
We, then, passed by the beautiful Agasthiar Ashram, bowed to Saint Agasthiar for the knowledge he has given us and as we rounded the corner, passed by the last of the lingas, eshanya lingam. We had darshan at the Durga Temple nearby and as we rounded one more corner, we met up with the city again. In no time, we were at the main Arunachaleswar temple and then back at the Dakshinamurthy temple where we had started the Girivalam.
After walking the difficult inner path, walking on the main Girivalam path, seemed so easy. I still got tired and had to rest periodically, but this time, I thoroughly enjoyed the Girivalam.
My mind was on the mantra the whole time and in the 4.5 hours it took us to circumambulate the mountain, there was a major shift in my consciousness. I could feel that my life had changed forever. There were major insights into life's questions. It is not that the answers just popped into my mind. It was more like the answers were always there, but the veil that covered it, was destroyed. Happiness, gratitude and a real yearning for self-realization bubbled up inside me and I couldn't wait to go on my next girivalam.
A few days later, I got a chance to go on Girivalam again. About twenty of us, all newcomers to Tiruvannamalai, asked our landlord to be our guide and he, graciously agreed. Now, this is an astute business man, who has completed major projects in the Tiruvannamalai area, but at heart, was totally devoted to Arunachala Siva. You could feel his love for Siva when he spoke. Unfortunately for me, he spoke no English and I, not a word of whatever Indian languages he spoke. But there was the language of the heart and he made our group’s first Girivalam on the main Girivalam path, an experience to remember.
We started the Girivalam at the Dakshinamurthy Temple, near Ramana Ashram. The mantra for the walk, he told us, was: "Arunachala Siva, Arunachala Siva, Arunachala Siva, Arunachala.” If we kept our minds on this mantra, he promised us, we would be able to complete the Girivalam, otherwise not.
Lord Dakshinamurthy
After darshan of Lord Dakshinamurthy, we stopped by the Ramana Ashram and bowed to both Ramana and Arunachala from the gate. We then crossed over to the left side of the road, so that the millions of Siddhas who circumambulate the mountain, could do so unhindered.
After walking for almost an hour, avoiding reckless drivers, we reached the first cluster of temples. By the time we got to these temples, there was little or no traffic. The area had also become more rural and we had an unhindered view of the Arunachala mountain. Our landlord regaled the group with stories from the scriptures and connected the stories to real life incidents. He had everyone in rapt attention, even though I couldn’t understand a word of what he spoke. I held on to the wonderful tone of his voice and his love for Lord Siva.
Over the next 4.5 hours, we passed by all the ashta lingas, the nandis, a spot where we could call out to Arunachala and our voice reverberated around the mountain and returned to us. We sat and meditated at Ramana bridge, a spot where Ramana Maharishi is supposed to have done tapas. In the beautiful morning air, under clear skies, that was best meditation I had in Tiruvannamalai.
Sri Agasthiar Ashram
We, then, passed by the beautiful Agasthiar Ashram, bowed to Saint Agasthiar for the knowledge he has given us and as we rounded the corner, passed by the last of the lingas, eshanya lingam. We had darshan at the Durga Temple nearby and as we rounded one more corner, we met up with the city again. In no time, we were at the main Arunachaleswar temple and then back at the Dakshinamurthy temple where we had started the Girivalam.
After walking the difficult inner path, walking on the main Girivalam path, seemed so easy. I still got tired and had to rest periodically, but this time, I thoroughly enjoyed the Girivalam.
My mind was on the mantra the whole time and in the 4.5 hours it took us to circumambulate the mountain, there was a major shift in my consciousness. I could feel that my life had changed forever. There were major insights into life's questions. It is not that the answers just popped into my mind. It was more like the answers were always there, but the veil that covered it, was destroyed. Happiness, gratitude and a real yearning for self-realization bubbled up inside me and I couldn't wait to go on my next girivalam.
Ulaganathan P.: Annamalai within myself: Part 6
.
There is a legend associated with Lord Arunachala. Lord Siva once appeared as a towering column of fire in this spot in Tiruvannamalai. Intrigued Brahma went upward to trace the top of the column of fire while Lord Vishnu delved deep down to trace the feet. Neither succeeded. Where these two gods failed, an ordinary devotee succeeded.
A devotee steeped in the love of God was able to capture Him in his heart. Saint Manickavasagar wrote," I caught hold of you in my heart and you have become my captive. Now, tell me where can you go, after becoming my captive?"
Another saint-poet, Sundaramurthy Nayanar laments the foolish acts of Vishnu and Brahma trying to fathom the unfathomable, instead of finding Him within their own Heart.
I, too, tried to know Him intellectually when I was young and almost became an agnostic. Over a period of time, I learnt that God is beyond intellectual cognition. I am now convinced that it is through bhakti bhava alone that we can become aware of His presence.
Every girivalam is a milestone in my spiritual journey to see the vast Annamalai within myself. The path is steeped in sweat from my body and the tears from my eyes longing for the vision of my eternal Father. The glimpse of light within and the vibration of godly presence without, can be experienced only as you lose body consciousness. It is when I sit down at Esanya lingam, the last of the eight lingams on the girivalm path, exhausted after a grueling pradakshina and look up at the burning jyoti on top of the hill, that is when I feel the vibration of Annamalai within myself.
There is a legend associated with Lord Arunachala. Lord Siva once appeared as a towering column of fire in this spot in Tiruvannamalai. Intrigued Brahma went upward to trace the top of the column of fire while Lord Vishnu delved deep down to trace the feet. Neither succeeded. Where these two gods failed, an ordinary devotee succeeded.
A devotee steeped in the love of God was able to capture Him in his heart. Saint Manickavasagar wrote," I caught hold of you in my heart and you have become my captive. Now, tell me where can you go, after becoming my captive?"
Another saint-poet, Sundaramurthy Nayanar laments the foolish acts of Vishnu and Brahma trying to fathom the unfathomable, instead of finding Him within their own Heart.
I, too, tried to know Him intellectually when I was young and almost became an agnostic. Over a period of time, I learnt that God is beyond intellectual cognition. I am now convinced that it is through bhakti bhava alone that we can become aware of His presence.
Every girivalam is a milestone in my spiritual journey to see the vast Annamalai within myself. The path is steeped in sweat from my body and the tears from my eyes longing for the vision of my eternal Father. The glimpse of light within and the vibration of godly presence without, can be experienced only as you lose body consciousness. It is when I sit down at Esanya lingam, the last of the eight lingams on the girivalm path, exhausted after a grueling pradakshina and look up at the burning jyoti on top of the hill, that is when I feel the vibration of Annamalai within myself.
Ulaganathan P.: Annamalai yarukku Arohara! : Part 5
.
It is believed that on the Karthigai Deepam day, all the devas, ganas, spirits and others worship Lord Arunachala by doing grivalam. It is real for sure. As you go round the holy hill, take a look around yourself. An unending line of humanity files past the girivalam route and up above the sky, the bright and the full moon is serenely going round the hill, in its heavenly path, embracing Lord Arunachala with its cool rays of moon light. Even in the moon-light, the holy hill remains dark, silhouetted against the bright sky line. The Sun-god has already commenced His journey, to be visible to human eyes, at the dawn. The Agni already is lit on top of the hill. The very hill looks like a burnished golden mound. There are occasions when the lighting of the deepam is visited with rains, but never once disrupting the lighting of the deepam. You will certainly feel that every element on this universe take girivalam and pray Arunachala.
Once I was fortunate to be inside the temple premises where the pujas preceding the lighting of the deepam were being performed. There was intermittent downpour at that time, which caused considerable commotion among the devotees. The presiding priest who was conducting the puja pacified them saying that this is an occasion when all devtas and panchabootas pay their obeisance to Lord Arunachala and that there was never an occasion in the past when the lighting of deepam was disrupted due to inclement weather. As the time for lighting of the deepam was approaching, the weather became quiet and the rains took a break. Then the concluding arti was performed, followed by the bursting of crackers and then the jyoti on the mala appeared from out of the cloud. It was 'Annamalaiyarukku Arogara" all over the places. Our feet moved on in the pradakshina path.
It is believed that on the Karthigai Deepam day, all the devas, ganas, spirits and others worship Lord Arunachala by doing grivalam. It is real for sure. As you go round the holy hill, take a look around yourself. An unending line of humanity files past the girivalam route and up above the sky, the bright and the full moon is serenely going round the hill, in its heavenly path, embracing Lord Arunachala with its cool rays of moon light. Even in the moon-light, the holy hill remains dark, silhouetted against the bright sky line. The Sun-god has already commenced His journey, to be visible to human eyes, at the dawn. The Agni already is lit on top of the hill. The very hill looks like a burnished golden mound. There are occasions when the lighting of the deepam is visited with rains, but never once disrupting the lighting of the deepam. You will certainly feel that every element on this universe take girivalam and pray Arunachala.
Once I was fortunate to be inside the temple premises where the pujas preceding the lighting of the deepam were being performed. There was intermittent downpour at that time, which caused considerable commotion among the devotees. The presiding priest who was conducting the puja pacified them saying that this is an occasion when all devtas and panchabootas pay their obeisance to Lord Arunachala and that there was never an occasion in the past when the lighting of deepam was disrupted due to inclement weather. As the time for lighting of the deepam was approaching, the weather became quiet and the rains took a break. Then the concluding arti was performed, followed by the bursting of crackers and then the jyoti on the mala appeared from out of the cloud. It was 'Annamalaiyarukku Arogara" all over the places. Our feet moved on in the pradakshina path.
LK: Girivalam on the inner path: Part 4
I was excited about my first girivalam. The people at Ramana Ashram had arranged for me to go with two guests and a staff member who does girivalam everyday.
The four of us set off to circle the sacred Arunachala Mountain on a hot Indian summer day at 3.30 p.m.. The sun was blazing down mercilessly upon us. It couldn’t have been hotter. I should have had my head examined right there because I am from a cold climate where MINUS double digit degree temperatures are the norm, this was my first exposure to India’s pollution, or the noise or the lorries belching out smoke and stirring up dust. Besides, my only claim to exercise was an occasional 4k walk on a treadmill in the controlled environs of a gym. I should have taken all of these into consideration before I started the walk, but I was way too excited to bother.
We must have walked 45 minutes, when I tired out and sat down. I prayed, “Arunachala, I want to do the Girivalam. Please give me the strength.” Moments later, I found the energy to walk again. The others in the group wanted to take the inner Pradakshina route. I had read only good things about it on a friend’s blog, but the group was worried I wouldn’t be able to get an auto back to the Ashram, if I wanted to. I assured them that I would be okay.
A dog joined us
As we entered the gated inner path, I noticed there was a dog waiting expectantly for us. He wagged his tail and joined us on our girivalam. He stopped when we stopped and walked, when we did. I found it interesting that he walked neither ahead of us nor behind us. He walked with us.
He was a cute dog, with large expressive eyes. There was so much love coming from him that I finally asked him, “Who are you?”. He simply wagged his tail and went off on a path to the side. For sure, he was someone very special to Arunachala Siva.
He went behind a building and looked at us from there. All four of us felt he was beckoning us and we followed him. It was a good thing that we went because there was shady spot were we could rest and it was the last of the concrete benches we could find for the next hour.
The Inner Path is hard
The inner path is hard to walk. Don’t let any one tell you otherwise. It is only 7.5 kms but it takes the same time to walk as the outer Pradakshina road which is 14 kms. Unlike the outer Pradakshina road, there are no trees to provide shade. Besides, the sun beat down mercilessly upon us and the terrain became more rugged with every step we took.
My legs had long become very stiff from walking and I found it difficult to find large rocks to sit on without having to bend my knees. There were only thorny bushes and I couldn’t squat like Indian villagers do. I was beginning to feel marble-sized blisters developing on the underside of my feet. No, I was not barefeet. I was wearing good American shoes.
My group was very patient with me. “Keep your mind on Siva, and you will be okay,” they said repeatedly. The only thing that occupied my mind, right that moment, was how difficult the terrain was, how much my legs hurt and how tired I was. I had long stopped looking up at the peak of the Arunachala mountain with every step I took. The only practical thing to do was to see where I put my foot next, lest I twisted my ankle or fell in a ditch.
In desperation, I looked up at Arunachala Siva and asked “why do you make everything so difficult for us? We have to fast on Mondays, stay up nights on Siva Ratri, and now this?” Just when I thought that, we found the road again. It was three hours since we had left Ramana ashram. I could see many tea stalls on the other side of the road and wanted to buy the dog some water and biscuits for accompanying us through the rough terrain.
Water and biscuits for the dog
“Would he cross the road and come with us?” I wondered. Just when I thought that, the dog crossed the road ahead of us and went straight to a tea-stall I would have gone into. The shop owner looked bright, cheerful and happy. We got the dog a drink and some cookies, which he ate, gladly, but I could see his mind was on something else. For whatever reason, he wanted to accompany us on our girivalam.
At this stage, there were four kilometers more to walk and I was very tired. The others in the group persuaded me to take an auto rickshaw back to the ashram. I was proud of what I had accomplished. I had walked two-thirds of the way on my very first girivalam. So I bid them adieu. When my auto passed them, I saw the dog was still following them but they were totally oblivious of the animal.
Already planning my next girivalam
Back at Ramana ashram, the manager was worried if I had withstood my first girivalam. He came and sat with me while I had dinner. I couldn’t but help notice how caring and loving he and others at Ramana Ashram were. For sure, Ramana's light shone through them.
I went to sleep, after a late night shower. I woke up around midnight, refreshed and already planning my next girivalam.
I was worried about the dog that had accompanied us earlier in the evening. Did he get back home safely, did he take the inner path? It would have been dark for him by then and there were nocturnal wild animals to think of. If he took the outer Pradakshina route back, then there were streets to cross and cars and buses to think of. Did someone feed him dinner? I worried myself sick until I could worry no more. I asked Arunachala to take care of him and fell soundly asleep.
These dogs do Girivalam regularly
Next morning, I asked the three people I walked with, what became of the dog and they didn’t know. They hadn't noticed that the dog was still following them.
Luckily, I met an American who now lives in Tiruvannamalai. I told him that a dog had accompanied us on girivalam and he said that there were a couple of dogs that do Girivalam with him regularly. In fact, they were with him just that morning. Relieved, I logged on to his blog to see if we were talking about the same dog, and we were. The dog that had accompanied us the previous evening was safe and had walked with my friend the next morning.
I thanked Arunachala for that and asked for blessings to do more giri pradakshina. He blessed me because over the next few days, he let me do three Girivalam, totally by foot.
The four of us set off to circle the sacred Arunachala Mountain on a hot Indian summer day at 3.30 p.m.. The sun was blazing down mercilessly upon us. It couldn’t have been hotter. I should have had my head examined right there because I am from a cold climate where MINUS double digit degree temperatures are the norm, this was my first exposure to India’s pollution, or the noise or the lorries belching out smoke and stirring up dust. Besides, my only claim to exercise was an occasional 4k walk on a treadmill in the controlled environs of a gym. I should have taken all of these into consideration before I started the walk, but I was way too excited to bother.
We must have walked 45 minutes, when I tired out and sat down. I prayed, “Arunachala, I want to do the Girivalam. Please give me the strength.” Moments later, I found the energy to walk again. The others in the group wanted to take the inner Pradakshina route. I had read only good things about it on a friend’s blog, but the group was worried I wouldn’t be able to get an auto back to the Ashram, if I wanted to. I assured them that I would be okay.
A dog joined us
As we entered the gated inner path, I noticed there was a dog waiting expectantly for us. He wagged his tail and joined us on our girivalam. He stopped when we stopped and walked, when we did. I found it interesting that he walked neither ahead of us nor behind us. He walked with us.
He was a cute dog, with large expressive eyes. There was so much love coming from him that I finally asked him, “Who are you?”. He simply wagged his tail and went off on a path to the side. For sure, he was someone very special to Arunachala Siva.
He went behind a building and looked at us from there. All four of us felt he was beckoning us and we followed him. It was a good thing that we went because there was shady spot were we could rest and it was the last of the concrete benches we could find for the next hour.
The Inner Path is hard
The inner path is hard to walk. Don’t let any one tell you otherwise. It is only 7.5 kms but it takes the same time to walk as the outer Pradakshina road which is 14 kms. Unlike the outer Pradakshina road, there are no trees to provide shade. Besides, the sun beat down mercilessly upon us and the terrain became more rugged with every step we took.
My legs had long become very stiff from walking and I found it difficult to find large rocks to sit on without having to bend my knees. There were only thorny bushes and I couldn’t squat like Indian villagers do. I was beginning to feel marble-sized blisters developing on the underside of my feet. No, I was not barefeet. I was wearing good American shoes.
My group was very patient with me. “Keep your mind on Siva, and you will be okay,” they said repeatedly. The only thing that occupied my mind, right that moment, was how difficult the terrain was, how much my legs hurt and how tired I was. I had long stopped looking up at the peak of the Arunachala mountain with every step I took. The only practical thing to do was to see where I put my foot next, lest I twisted my ankle or fell in a ditch.
In desperation, I looked up at Arunachala Siva and asked “why do you make everything so difficult for us? We have to fast on Mondays, stay up nights on Siva Ratri, and now this?” Just when I thought that, we found the road again. It was three hours since we had left Ramana ashram. I could see many tea stalls on the other side of the road and wanted to buy the dog some water and biscuits for accompanying us through the rough terrain.
Water and biscuits for the dog
“Would he cross the road and come with us?” I wondered. Just when I thought that, the dog crossed the road ahead of us and went straight to a tea-stall I would have gone into. The shop owner looked bright, cheerful and happy. We got the dog a drink and some cookies, which he ate, gladly, but I could see his mind was on something else. For whatever reason, he wanted to accompany us on our girivalam.
At this stage, there were four kilometers more to walk and I was very tired. The others in the group persuaded me to take an auto rickshaw back to the ashram. I was proud of what I had accomplished. I had walked two-thirds of the way on my very first girivalam. So I bid them adieu. When my auto passed them, I saw the dog was still following them but they were totally oblivious of the animal.
Already planning my next girivalam
Back at Ramana ashram, the manager was worried if I had withstood my first girivalam. He came and sat with me while I had dinner. I couldn’t but help notice how caring and loving he and others at Ramana Ashram were. For sure, Ramana's light shone through them.
I went to sleep, after a late night shower. I woke up around midnight, refreshed and already planning my next girivalam.
I was worried about the dog that had accompanied us earlier in the evening. Did he get back home safely, did he take the inner path? It would have been dark for him by then and there were nocturnal wild animals to think of. If he took the outer Pradakshina route back, then there were streets to cross and cars and buses to think of. Did someone feed him dinner? I worried myself sick until I could worry no more. I asked Arunachala to take care of him and fell soundly asleep.
These dogs do Girivalam regularly
Next morning, I asked the three people I walked with, what became of the dog and they didn’t know. They hadn't noticed that the dog was still following them.
Luckily, I met an American who now lives in Tiruvannamalai. I told him that a dog had accompanied us on girivalam and he said that there were a couple of dogs that do Girivalam with him regularly. In fact, they were with him just that morning. Relieved, I logged on to his blog to see if we were talking about the same dog, and we were. The dog that had accompanied us the previous evening was safe and had walked with my friend the next morning.
I thanked Arunachala for that and asked for blessings to do more giri pradakshina. He blessed me because over the next few days, he let me do three Girivalam, totally by foot.
Pictures of the dogs that do Girivalam
The beige coloured dog on the left is the one that accompanied us on our girivalam. I got these pictures off Richard's blog at http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/2009/07/page/5 .
Notice how he is waiting for him to finish taking photographs. This sweet little dog did the same thing with us!!!
For those who have emailed me asking for more information about the inner path, please log on to http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/walking-arunachalas-inner-path-from-our-house/.
Richard and Carol, are fans of the inner path. I am not, atleast not as yet.
.
Friday, October 2, 2009
L.K.: Stepping into Ramana Ashram - Part 3
.
As the driver turned around and said, "That is Arunachala Siva", tears came to my eyes. The mountain was, indeed, like the pictures I had seen on the internet but He was so much more. He was powerful. He was strong. He was peaceful. He grounded me in an instant, and took me in his loving embrace, the moment I set eyes on Him.
As we got closer to the mountain, the driver asked, "Shall I drive you around the mountain?
"Yes," I said. "Go on the Girivalam road. I want to see if I can walk it tomorrow"
There was a silence and the driver said hesitatingly, "Madam, it is 14 kms long. You are from a cold country. It is a long way for you to walk in the hot sun. Why don't I drive you around the mountain, everyday, if you like. I will take you to all the ashta lingas and all the temples and ashrams on the route, you can have darshanam of Lord Siva from the car."
"I want to do Girivalam by foot," I answered.
"Then, go early in the morning or late at night and sit down as often as possible, on the way," he advised. "We do Girivalam barefeet, but you please do with shoes," he advised. "Ramana Maharishi has said you can do it with shoes."
I noticed the girivalam route was well paved for the most part. I was told Rajnikant, a famous Tamil film star, had made a large donation to have the entire route paved and that he too, does girivalam every full-moon day, by car. He would be mobbed if he walked any of it.
Ramana Ashram
After driving around the mountain, pointing out important landmarks, the driver dropped me off at Ramana Ashram.
As I stepped out of the car, I noticed the parking lot was serene and beautiful. It had an out-of-this-earth feeling about it. Beyond the parking lot, I could see many freshly painted buildings against the backdrop of the Arunachala mountain. It was all so surreal.
"Ramana Maharishi walked here?" I asked myself in disbelief.
As I walked up the steps near his samadhi, I saw a couple of dogs sleeping blissfully. There was a family of monkeys playing by the side. When I looked up, there was a peacock calling out loudly from the roof and then, very majestically spread out its wings. Further up, the ashram cook was feeding corn to another peacock. There was a monkey shaking the stainless steel plate off an electric poll, until someone came along and shooed it away. This being a hot Indian summer afternoon, there were only a few people sitting around meditating or looking up at the mountain.
At this point, I knew very little about Ramana or the ashram. But I noticed that all the animals seemed to live so peacefully together. None of them trespassed into the other's territory, or snatched the other's food, or even, disturbed the other. They all had a place in Arunachala's world and they knew it. It was so obvious to me that the animals were an important part of the ashram, too. Infact, they are the main show.
I went into the Samadhi of the Mother and then, of Ramana Maharishi himself. At first, I felt nothing. His shrine was made of beautiful white marble and was clean, but here too, there were animals. There were cats that came in through a special opening in the window. If they found people sitting in their places, they would meow loudly until the person got up or atleast shared the window ledge with them. But I felt nothing. Coming out of the samadhi shrine, it was near the parking lot again that I found a lot of energy. It felt like Ramana was there, as tall as the trees.
"What is that all about?" I wondered.
Poor Feeding At Ramana Ashram
Days later, I found out that the poor feeding takes place in the parking lot of Ramana Ashram. Even when Ramana was alive, he had given instructions to the kitchen staff, to feed the poor first, before ringing the gong to call the rest of the Ashram to meals. I was told, to this day, the last of the poor in line is served, before the gong is rung. The poor are served the same food as the rest of the Ashram. No different.
I made several attempts to watch the feeding at 11.00 a.m. everyday. I said attempts because I would arrive at 10.45 a.m., see the the men and women standing patiently, obediently and expectantly in two neat lines, with each of them with atleast two big stainless steel utensils - one for rice and one for sambar, a lentil soup with dhal and vegetables, but when the time came for them to wheel-out the food, I would be called away for what seemed like just a few minutes and when I returned, the feeding would be over. It was so fast. It seemed so magical that two long lines would be served so fast and then cleaned up.
This happened a few times before I realized that Ramana did not want me to watch the poor being fed. They are sacred souls. They, too, need their privacy.
.
As the driver turned around and said, "That is Arunachala Siva", tears came to my eyes. The mountain was, indeed, like the pictures I had seen on the internet but He was so much more. He was powerful. He was strong. He was peaceful. He grounded me in an instant, and took me in his loving embrace, the moment I set eyes on Him.
As we got closer to the mountain, the driver asked, "Shall I drive you around the mountain?
"Yes," I said. "Go on the Girivalam road. I want to see if I can walk it tomorrow"
There was a silence and the driver said hesitatingly, "Madam, it is 14 kms long. You are from a cold country. It is a long way for you to walk in the hot sun. Why don't I drive you around the mountain, everyday, if you like. I will take you to all the ashta lingas and all the temples and ashrams on the route, you can have darshanam of Lord Siva from the car."
"I want to do Girivalam by foot," I answered.
"Then, go early in the morning or late at night and sit down as often as possible, on the way," he advised. "We do Girivalam barefeet, but you please do with shoes," he advised. "Ramana Maharishi has said you can do it with shoes."
I noticed the girivalam route was well paved for the most part. I was told Rajnikant, a famous Tamil film star, had made a large donation to have the entire route paved and that he too, does girivalam every full-moon day, by car. He would be mobbed if he walked any of it.
Ramana Ashram
After driving around the mountain, pointing out important landmarks, the driver dropped me off at Ramana Ashram.
As I stepped out of the car, I noticed the parking lot was serene and beautiful. It had an out-of-this-earth feeling about it. Beyond the parking lot, I could see many freshly painted buildings against the backdrop of the Arunachala mountain. It was all so surreal.
"Ramana Maharishi walked here?" I asked myself in disbelief.
As I walked up the steps near his samadhi, I saw a couple of dogs sleeping blissfully. There was a family of monkeys playing by the side. When I looked up, there was a peacock calling out loudly from the roof and then, very majestically spread out its wings. Further up, the ashram cook was feeding corn to another peacock. There was a monkey shaking the stainless steel plate off an electric poll, until someone came along and shooed it away. This being a hot Indian summer afternoon, there were only a few people sitting around meditating or looking up at the mountain.
At this point, I knew very little about Ramana or the ashram. But I noticed that all the animals seemed to live so peacefully together. None of them trespassed into the other's territory, or snatched the other's food, or even, disturbed the other. They all had a place in Arunachala's world and they knew it. It was so obvious to me that the animals were an important part of the ashram, too. Infact, they are the main show.
I went into the Samadhi of the Mother and then, of Ramana Maharishi himself. At first, I felt nothing. His shrine was made of beautiful white marble and was clean, but here too, there were animals. There were cats that came in through a special opening in the window. If they found people sitting in their places, they would meow loudly until the person got up or atleast shared the window ledge with them. But I felt nothing. Coming out of the samadhi shrine, it was near the parking lot again that I found a lot of energy. It felt like Ramana was there, as tall as the trees.
"What is that all about?" I wondered.
Poor Feeding At Ramana Ashram
Days later, I found out that the poor feeding takes place in the parking lot of Ramana Ashram. Even when Ramana was alive, he had given instructions to the kitchen staff, to feed the poor first, before ringing the gong to call the rest of the Ashram to meals. I was told, to this day, the last of the poor in line is served, before the gong is rung. The poor are served the same food as the rest of the Ashram. No different.
I made several attempts to watch the feeding at 11.00 a.m. everyday. I said attempts because I would arrive at 10.45 a.m., see the the men and women standing patiently, obediently and expectantly in two neat lines, with each of them with atleast two big stainless steel utensils - one for rice and one for sambar, a lentil soup with dhal and vegetables, but when the time came for them to wheel-out the food, I would be called away for what seemed like just a few minutes and when I returned, the feeding would be over. It was so fast. It seemed so magical that two long lines would be served so fast and then cleaned up.
This happened a few times before I realized that Ramana did not want me to watch the poor being fed. They are sacred souls. They, too, need their privacy.
.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Ulaganathan P: .The right attitude towards Arunachala Siva : Part 4
.
Every time I drive up to Tiruvannamalai, the dark and green hills of Arunachala greet me long before I even reach the town. I feel a sense of awe at how beautiful and how powerful He is. When I am there, I am always conscious of His presence no matter what I am doing or where I am in town. It happens so naturally. I feel so loved, humble and small.
Those who know the story of Ramana Maharishi may recall what he did upon reaching Tiruvannamalai, a town he had never visited before. He got a barber to tonsure his head, paid him some money and then threw away whatever little coins he had with him into the temple pond.
He prayed to Lord Annamalai with folded hands -- "Father!I have come to you. It is for you to take care of me". As if bestowing his benediction, it rained on his shaved head. Ramana never left Annamalai thereafter. It was complete surrender on his part. He spent all his life in the lap of Annamalai.
Once, when the urchava murti- the idol meant for procession-- was passing by the Ashram, he partook of the arti, saying in Tamil-- 'appavukku pillai adakkam', which means that this child of God subsists within Him and lives under His grace'. This bhava of a child before the father remained a feature of His relations with Lord Annamalai. He did not profess any separate will of his own other than the divine will. He never felt any grief nor any mundane happiness.
The life of Ramana gives us the clue as to the right attitude in life and the kind of relations we should have with Lord Siva.
May Annamalaiyar give us the good sense to cultivate the same attitude in our lives.
.
Every time I drive up to Tiruvannamalai, the dark and green hills of Arunachala greet me long before I even reach the town. I feel a sense of awe at how beautiful and how powerful He is. When I am there, I am always conscious of His presence no matter what I am doing or where I am in town. It happens so naturally. I feel so loved, humble and small.
Those who know the story of Ramana Maharishi may recall what he did upon reaching Tiruvannamalai, a town he had never visited before. He got a barber to tonsure his head, paid him some money and then threw away whatever little coins he had with him into the temple pond.
He prayed to Lord Annamalai with folded hands -- "Father!I have come to you. It is for you to take care of me". As if bestowing his benediction, it rained on his shaved head. Ramana never left Annamalai thereafter. It was complete surrender on his part. He spent all his life in the lap of Annamalai.
Once, when the urchava murti- the idol meant for procession-- was passing by the Ashram, he partook of the arti, saying in Tamil-- 'appavukku pillai adakkam', which means that this child of God subsists within Him and lives under His grace'. This bhava of a child before the father remained a feature of His relations with Lord Annamalai. He did not profess any separate will of his own other than the divine will. He never felt any grief nor any mundane happiness.
The life of Ramana gives us the clue as to the right attitude in life and the kind of relations we should have with Lord Siva.
May Annamalaiyar give us the good sense to cultivate the same attitude in our lives.
.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy: The call from Arunachala: Part 1
.
Om Ganeshaya Namaha
Think of those holy feet that remove all obstacles;
think of that which amplifies the results of good deeds, manifold;
That which is the abode of all source of Punyam (good deeds);
Think of Lord Ganesha, the brother of Lord Subramanya.
- Dhigambara Sanyasi
While they say you need good karma to go on pilgrimage or even to be in the company of holy men, Tiruvannamalai is different. If you are devoted to Lord Siva, Arunachala will pull you to himself and bestow His blessings. He will draw you to him like a magnet, repeatedly. Devotees who have visited Tiruvannamalai and who have done Girivalam, will attest to this. Of that I am sure.
For quite some time, I kept thinking 'when is Lord Siva going to call me'? I vented myself through postings on the Agnilingam group, a Yahoo group that helped me sustain my devotion to Lord Siva and increased my interest in visiting several places sacred to Lord Siva. Finally, exhausted, I surrendered. I thought 'if He thinks fit, He will call me.”
It is when I surrendered that I got to the call to go on Girivalam. It came in the form of an email saying "Girivalam starts Sunday at 12 noon." I wanted to go on Girivalam, to have darshan of the Ashta Lingas and Pancha Bootha Nandis, to have the darshan of the Abodes of Ramana Maharishi, Sheshadri Swami and then to seek the blessings of Lord Siva and Goddess Uma (my eternal mother and father). I felt I was greedy for wanting so much but knew in my heart that I had Lord Siva’s blessings. I had got the call.
I gathered details on darshan spots through the website http://www.agasthiar.org/arunafr.htm
I drew the outline of the Mountain from http://www.agasthiar.org/AUMzine/0009-gv.htm
as well.
I was prepared but my mind was in turmoil. Should I go on Saturday evening or Sunday morning? Should I go on Girivalam early in the morning before it gets hot or late in the evening? Should I fast or should I eat a little? Should I checkout the internet one more time or not? I had so many questions. I could not sleep on Thursday night until I surrendered. I said, “O Lord, you take care of me.” After that, I don't know when I fell asleep, but I slept soundly.
On Friday, I took my camera, vibuthi, cell-phone, some 50 rupees in change, and set off for The Abode.
.
Om Ganeshaya Namaha
Think of those holy feet that remove all obstacles;
think of that which amplifies the results of good deeds, manifold;
That which is the abode of all source of Punyam (good deeds);
Think of Lord Ganesha, the brother of Lord Subramanya.
- Dhigambara Sanyasi
While they say you need good karma to go on pilgrimage or even to be in the company of holy men, Tiruvannamalai is different. If you are devoted to Lord Siva, Arunachala will pull you to himself and bestow His blessings. He will draw you to him like a magnet, repeatedly. Devotees who have visited Tiruvannamalai and who have done Girivalam, will attest to this. Of that I am sure.
For quite some time, I kept thinking 'when is Lord Siva going to call me'? I vented myself through postings on the Agnilingam group, a Yahoo group that helped me sustain my devotion to Lord Siva and increased my interest in visiting several places sacred to Lord Siva. Finally, exhausted, I surrendered. I thought 'if He thinks fit, He will call me.”
It is when I surrendered that I got to the call to go on Girivalam. It came in the form of an email saying "Girivalam starts Sunday at 12 noon." I wanted to go on Girivalam, to have darshan of the Ashta Lingas and Pancha Bootha Nandis, to have the darshan of the Abodes of Ramana Maharishi, Sheshadri Swami and then to seek the blessings of Lord Siva and Goddess Uma (my eternal mother and father). I felt I was greedy for wanting so much but knew in my heart that I had Lord Siva’s blessings. I had got the call.
I gathered details on darshan spots through the website http://www.agasthiar.org/arunafr.htm
I drew the outline of the Mountain from http://www.agasthiar.org/AUMzine/0009-gv.htm
as well.
I was prepared but my mind was in turmoil. Should I go on Saturday evening or Sunday morning? Should I go on Girivalam early in the morning before it gets hot or late in the evening? Should I fast or should I eat a little? Should I checkout the internet one more time or not? I had so many questions. I could not sleep on Thursday night until I surrendered. I said, “O Lord, you take care of me.” After that, I don't know when I fell asleep, but I slept soundly.
On Friday, I took my camera, vibuthi, cell-phone, some 50 rupees in change, and set off for The Abode.
.
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy: Lesson in Surrender: Part 2
.
From before I started on the pilgrimage till after I finished Girivalam, I felt the power of Arunachala pulling me. I wanted to get to Tiruvannamalai sooner than later. Most of the time, I was in bliss repeating the mantra – Arunachala Shiva. But there were times when my mind was in real turmoil. Those were times when I was not surrendered to His will and was trying to arrange things my way.
At the bus station, I got on a bus to Tiruvannamalai. The bus started after a long delay. I kept thinking about the sacred Hill. Many hours later, all of a sudden, I saw a peak, "Ha! have I reached?" I thought. But no.
The bus had reached Ginji, a fort near Tiruvannamalai. I asked a boy near me 'how long more to Tiruvannamalai?' He said '45 minutes'.
Arunachala's magnetic pull
My mind started racing again when the bus took a turn and straight ahead I saw the peak. A person asked his Guru, "How will I know if I have attained enlightenment?"
The Guru replied 'will you question 'how will I know if the Sun has risen?'
Similarly, without a doubt, I knew I was looking at Arunachala and a voice inside me said “That is right, here I am. See, how I pulled you here?'.
Arunachala, indeed, pulled me to him like a magnet. With eyes wide open, I kept looking at the mountain in wonder. My mind was becoming lighter and lighter. There was total silence, not a thought. Even the bus engine's sound resembled worship.
It stopped near a statue. I got down and started walking towards the Mountain, when I realized I had to take a different route to the temple.
When I spotted the temple Gopuram, I hastened my walk and went in via the East tower. I left my footwear outside. It is only while coming out that I felt the real heat of the sun. I thought, “let "me" start Girivalam after sipping a sugar cane juice.”
Just as I thought that, the strap of my shoulder bag gave way. It dawned me immediately. Did I think "let me start"? No, "O Lord Arunachala, please let me start!"
Everything is HE
Just when I surrendered, I got an idea that the strap can be pierced with the iron clamp which hangs there with the bag. I was good to go. Here was the amazing lesson I learned.
The Great God Arunachala Shiva takes care of everything for me. It is all His deeds. Everything. All I need to do is remain silent, repeat the mantra and witness them. That is all. Nothing happens by ourselves. EVERYTHING IS HE. He showed me this very clearly. And the Girivalam had only begun. "How many more lessons was He going to teach me?"
I was standing in the shade of a small cart as it was terribly hot and my feet couldn't stand it. I distributed coins to the Sadhus and removed my shirt. With a great sense of pleasure, I smeared the Vibuthi all over myself. It was a blissful moment.
Start of Girivalam
I entered the East Gopuram to start the Girivalam. I took photos of the temple pond inside the Prakaram and had darshan of Ganesha and Brahma Lingam. The lingam looks like the head of Brahma on all four sides.
Then I proceeded towards the South Gopuram darshan of the Mount. This darshan is called as 'The Eka Munikal Koombu Mukha Darshan. It reminds us of promises we may have made and of our commitments.
I arrived at the Indra Lingam, which is the first of Ashta Lingams. It is beautiful and was installed and worshipped by Indra Himself. While coming out, there was another lingam on the left and Hanuman to the right. I worshipped them both and continued on my Girivalam.
The ground was very hot as I am not used to walking bare foot. This was a real test. My legs started moving fast. But I didn’t want to walk fast. How could I, when Sri Ramana Maharishi has said that one should perform girivalam like a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy and a can of oil on her head. Again, I surrendered to the Lord saying 'Please show me the way.'
Lesson in 'want' and 'need'
The next second, I saw a small pool of stagnant water. This is the miracle of Arunachala. If you have a question or a doubt, He will answer immediately. There is a great difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’. 'Want' is optional while 'need' is essential. Lord Arunachala fulfills the 'need', that too immediately!
I learned an important lesson in the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’ while stepping in the pool of water. Later, on the Girivalam route I found straw soaked in water, marvellous! I kept on and said 'Dear Arunachala, I don't think I will be able to do Girivalam myself. So, please help'.
I had a good darshan of Karpaga Ganesha, the Lord who bestows everything like the holy tree Karpaga in Indra Loka. While on the way to Agnilingam, I found Kamakshi Amman & Ekambareshwara temples and a Subramanya temple where Sage Arunagirinathar sang Thiruppugazh, his famous verse in praise of Lord Muruga.
Further on, I found Agni Vinayagar, and Agni Theertham and hundreds of darshans of Arunachala Mountain. The Agasthiar ashram website says we will need a satguru to understand them.
.
From before I started on the pilgrimage till after I finished Girivalam, I felt the power of Arunachala pulling me. I wanted to get to Tiruvannamalai sooner than later. Most of the time, I was in bliss repeating the mantra – Arunachala Shiva. But there were times when my mind was in real turmoil. Those were times when I was not surrendered to His will and was trying to arrange things my way.
At the bus station, I got on a bus to Tiruvannamalai. The bus started after a long delay. I kept thinking about the sacred Hill. Many hours later, all of a sudden, I saw a peak, "Ha! have I reached?" I thought. But no.
The bus had reached Ginji, a fort near Tiruvannamalai. I asked a boy near me 'how long more to Tiruvannamalai?' He said '45 minutes'.
Arunachala's magnetic pull
My mind started racing again when the bus took a turn and straight ahead I saw the peak. A person asked his Guru, "How will I know if I have attained enlightenment?"
The Guru replied 'will you question 'how will I know if the Sun has risen?'
Similarly, without a doubt, I knew I was looking at Arunachala and a voice inside me said “That is right, here I am. See, how I pulled you here?'.
Arunachala, indeed, pulled me to him like a magnet. With eyes wide open, I kept looking at the mountain in wonder. My mind was becoming lighter and lighter. There was total silence, not a thought. Even the bus engine's sound resembled worship.
It stopped near a statue. I got down and started walking towards the Mountain, when I realized I had to take a different route to the temple.
When I spotted the temple Gopuram, I hastened my walk and went in via the East tower. I left my footwear outside. It is only while coming out that I felt the real heat of the sun. I thought, “let "me" start Girivalam after sipping a sugar cane juice.”
Just as I thought that, the strap of my shoulder bag gave way. It dawned me immediately. Did I think "let me start"? No, "O Lord Arunachala, please let me start!"
Everything is HE
Just when I surrendered, I got an idea that the strap can be pierced with the iron clamp which hangs there with the bag. I was good to go. Here was the amazing lesson I learned.
The Great God Arunachala Shiva takes care of everything for me. It is all His deeds. Everything. All I need to do is remain silent, repeat the mantra and witness them. That is all. Nothing happens by ourselves. EVERYTHING IS HE. He showed me this very clearly. And the Girivalam had only begun. "How many more lessons was He going to teach me?"
I was standing in the shade of a small cart as it was terribly hot and my feet couldn't stand it. I distributed coins to the Sadhus and removed my shirt. With a great sense of pleasure, I smeared the Vibuthi all over myself. It was a blissful moment.
Start of Girivalam
I entered the East Gopuram to start the Girivalam. I took photos of the temple pond inside the Prakaram and had darshan of Ganesha and Brahma Lingam. The lingam looks like the head of Brahma on all four sides.
Then I proceeded towards the South Gopuram darshan of the Mount. This darshan is called as 'The Eka Munikal Koombu Mukha Darshan. It reminds us of promises we may have made and of our commitments.
I arrived at the Indra Lingam, which is the first of Ashta Lingams. It is beautiful and was installed and worshipped by Indra Himself. While coming out, there was another lingam on the left and Hanuman to the right. I worshipped them both and continued on my Girivalam.
The ground was very hot as I am not used to walking bare foot. This was a real test. My legs started moving fast. But I didn’t want to walk fast. How could I, when Sri Ramana Maharishi has said that one should perform girivalam like a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy and a can of oil on her head. Again, I surrendered to the Lord saying 'Please show me the way.'
Lesson in 'want' and 'need'
The next second, I saw a small pool of stagnant water. This is the miracle of Arunachala. If you have a question or a doubt, He will answer immediately. There is a great difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’. 'Want' is optional while 'need' is essential. Lord Arunachala fulfills the 'need', that too immediately!
I learned an important lesson in the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’ while stepping in the pool of water. Later, on the Girivalam route I found straw soaked in water, marvellous! I kept on and said 'Dear Arunachala, I don't think I will be able to do Girivalam myself. So, please help'.
I had a good darshan of Karpaga Ganesha, the Lord who bestows everything like the holy tree Karpaga in Indra Loka. While on the way to Agnilingam, I found Kamakshi Amman & Ekambareshwara temples and a Subramanya temple where Sage Arunagirinathar sang Thiruppugazh, his famous verse in praise of Lord Muruga.
Further on, I found Agni Vinayagar, and Agni Theertham and hundreds of darshans of Arunachala Mountain. The Agasthiar ashram website says we will need a satguru to understand them.
.
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy: The animals taught me a lesson: Part 3
.
I arrived at the Agni Lingam, the second of the Ashta Lingas. I felt an urge to have darshan of this Lingam. One has to take a right turn from the main Girivalam route towards this. It is in the middle of a residential place as well.
A sanyasi was seated there on the road. He said 'Namah Sivaya' on seeing me. I realized that he wanted to give me something and I went near him. He gave me a five-faced rudraksha bead (Pancha Mukha Rudraksha) and asked me if I needed a Mala too. I said ok and paid him Rs.50 and went ahead to have darshan of Agnilingam. Agni Lingam Devata, too, was adorned with Nagabarana (garland of snake).
Pain in my feet
I resumed on the girivalam route and I realized that there was a pain in my feet. I had pricked it while stepping on the tar road and it was relaxing to walk on wet soil.
I saw many foreigners roaming on scooters and bicycles. They stay either in Ramana Asramam or Yogi Ram Surat Kumar's. The shrine of Sheshadri Swamigal was locked as it was in the afternoon. The darshan of Arunachala Hill from Sheshadri Swamigal Shrine is Tejo Muka Darshan (the face with a divine glow). This is for those who do not have a clear mind, who have difficulty in decision making, those who want to prosper in their business, or are having trouble in making good friends.
While I came out of this shrine, two Bhairava (dogs) came at me. There upon a lady shouted 'Johny, come here'. But they didn't listen to her and approached me closer. I told her 'please call him' for which she said 'you just go, it won't harm you' and called them again. The bhairavas departed half-heartedly. I kind of knew the reason why they came at me. But I carried on.
A bull which was tied up, got up looking at me and was trying to come near me. I was relieved that it was tied up, but noted that another animal wanted to lunge at me.
Ramana Ashram
At Ramana Ashram, I was welcomed by the melody of peacocks. I went in and prostrated in front of Sage Ramana's Samadhi. An inexplainable peace surrounded me. There was a hall where he lived with His photographs. I went in and found many foreigners seated so beautifully, either in Padmasana (the lotus pose) or Sukasana with their spine erect, in meditation. I, too, meditated there for a while and came out. I saw people looking skywards, with camera. I then realized that it was the peacock in a tree. But then someone signalled to me 'see here' and I was taken aback with what I saw. A beautiful peacock, spread out its wing and was posing for us. I took photos of both of them.
I read on the internet that on the day when Sage Ramana Maharishi left for his heavenly abode, the peacocks kept on lou-louing and stopped abruptly when he left his body. They kept a great silence after that!
The darshan of the Arunachala mountain from the Ashram is Eru Pancha Mukha Darshan. It is for all those who have committed sin out of circumstances. It helps them not to get in to the same trap again.
Yogi Ram Surat Kumar
I went to Yogi Ram Surat Kumar's ashram and meditated there. They have kept an idol of him and the hall is surrounded by pictures of great sages from India and elsewhere. A placard displayed the text 'the time and money spent on this beggar never goes waste' and 'my Father alone is there, no one else, never'.
I went on to Singa Theertha (Singa - Lion) and Mrutyunjaya (the conqueror of death) Linga. Had darshan of the Mountain. It is said that you should have darshan of the Arunachala mountain with every step you take on the Girivalam route. There is a place where Sage Brunghi did tapas (penance).
I came near Prithvi (Earth) Nandi and another Bhairava came in front, the uniqueness being, he left everyone else and came near me. He even tried to cross the road (like we all do, look at the left, and then the right etc). I was trying to take a photo of Nandi deva standing right opposite to him. I stopped taking a photo when I saw the Bhairava and kept on walking. A short while later I took a photo with the help of a zoom lens.
The animals taught me a lesson
Then I came to the Yama Lingam, the third of the Ashta Lingas. After that I came to Aishwaryeshwara Shrine. A very beautiful Lord. His hands are placed like that of Goddess Lakshmi, pouring out wealth. The trident slanted on the shoulders, beautifully. I went on and found a lady asking me to tie a rope in the tree nearby. I just gave her a few coins and proceeded further, only to see a big monkey coming towards me, roaring slightly.
I lifted both my hands sidewards to show him I had nothing to eat, but he wouldn't stop. I told that lady that he thinks I have something to eat. The lady picked up a few pebbles and threw it at him. The monkey went away. Now, I was beholden to her to buy the rope and tie it to the tree.
I then realized that whenever I tried to take a photograph, the animals would come near me, as though to prevent me from taking a photo. Arunachala was telling me "I will call those whom I want here and will give darshan to them. Who are you to take photographs and present it?"
Mystery Brahmin
Next on the Girivalam route is a Ganesha Temple on the left side of the road. There were a few sadhus present. I distributed a few coins to them and saw an old man standing on the left side of the road. He wore a dhoti like that of the Shakti Upasaka and a sacred thread worn by Brahmins. He was looking elsewhere. I wondered if I should walk over to him and give him a few coins or go on my way. But the fear of animals coming at me forced me to walk on. I had slowed down considerably because of the pain in my feet. When I turned around, I saw the old man coming my way. When he reached me, I asked 'Swami, are you on girivalam?'
He said 'mmm'.
Relieved, I joined him. His walk was slow but continuous. He wore an old pair of sandals, as well. I thought 'usually those who are on girivalam don't wear anything on their feet'. We didn't speak anything and kept walking. Though we saw a few bhairavas and monkeys, they didn't come near him or me. Some sadhus saluted him which he returned by the same gesture, sometimes by blessing.
Another Nandi Shrine. Probably Appu Nandi (appu - water, elephant). It is surrounded by iron rods resembling spear. A few benches were there where sadhus were seen seated. He slowed down and so did I. He told me 'you proceed' by waving his hand, like that of a command, but slowly.
I agreed and went ahead, but thought 'it would be nice if he comes along, let me see' and turned around. He was not there. I turned around completely and looked again. Even if he had gone behind the Nandi shrine, he would be visible. He could not have crossed the road so swiftly as he was old and walked very slowly. But where did he go? I kept looking back but he was not to be seen again.
Enroute, I saw Niruthi Lingam, the fourth Ashta Lingam, Surya Lingam, Varuna Lingam (the fifth) and had darshan. Adi Annamalai (the foremost Arunachaleswara temple) temple had to be visited with a slight deviation. But I could not go because my feet hurt. I carried on walking with a heavy heart because my friend had told me that one gets whatever he prays for in Adi Annamalai. I had to resign myself to thinking 'He knows what I need and why should I ask him?'.
.
Walking Girivalam like a 9-month pregnant woman
Did I tell you my feet really hurt? I was really walking like a 9 months pregnant woman and I felt happy about it. Otherwise, if there is no pain, my mind may force me to walk faster.
I saw Manicka Vachakar temple enroute but I found a group of monkeys proceeding towards that temple before me. I thought I shall not disturb them and proceeded onwards reciting 'Namah Shivaya vaazhga, naathan thaazh vaazhga etc (Glory to Shiva, Prostrations to Shiva and His Holy Feet). I had darshan of the Mountain through the horns of all the Nandis I saw.
The darshan of Arunachala from Vayu Lingam (the sixth of ashta dikh Lingas) is called Kanda Neeru Mukha Darshan. I walked slowly towards a shop and took a lemon based drink. It was very refreshing to sit for a while.
.
I arrived at the Agni Lingam, the second of the Ashta Lingas. I felt an urge to have darshan of this Lingam. One has to take a right turn from the main Girivalam route towards this. It is in the middle of a residential place as well.
A sanyasi was seated there on the road. He said 'Namah Sivaya' on seeing me. I realized that he wanted to give me something and I went near him. He gave me a five-faced rudraksha bead (Pancha Mukha Rudraksha) and asked me if I needed a Mala too. I said ok and paid him Rs.50 and went ahead to have darshan of Agnilingam. Agni Lingam Devata, too, was adorned with Nagabarana (garland of snake).
Pain in my feet
I resumed on the girivalam route and I realized that there was a pain in my feet. I had pricked it while stepping on the tar road and it was relaxing to walk on wet soil.
I saw many foreigners roaming on scooters and bicycles. They stay either in Ramana Asramam or Yogi Ram Surat Kumar's. The shrine of Sheshadri Swamigal was locked as it was in the afternoon. The darshan of Arunachala Hill from Sheshadri Swamigal Shrine is Tejo Muka Darshan (the face with a divine glow). This is for those who do not have a clear mind, who have difficulty in decision making, those who want to prosper in their business, or are having trouble in making good friends.
While I came out of this shrine, two Bhairava (dogs) came at me. There upon a lady shouted 'Johny, come here'. But they didn't listen to her and approached me closer. I told her 'please call him' for which she said 'you just go, it won't harm you' and called them again. The bhairavas departed half-heartedly. I kind of knew the reason why they came at me. But I carried on.
A bull which was tied up, got up looking at me and was trying to come near me. I was relieved that it was tied up, but noted that another animal wanted to lunge at me.
Ramana Ashram
At Ramana Ashram, I was welcomed by the melody of peacocks. I went in and prostrated in front of Sage Ramana's Samadhi. An inexplainable peace surrounded me. There was a hall where he lived with His photographs. I went in and found many foreigners seated so beautifully, either in Padmasana (the lotus pose) or Sukasana with their spine erect, in meditation. I, too, meditated there for a while and came out. I saw people looking skywards, with camera. I then realized that it was the peacock in a tree. But then someone signalled to me 'see here' and I was taken aback with what I saw. A beautiful peacock, spread out its wing and was posing for us. I took photos of both of them.
I read on the internet that on the day when Sage Ramana Maharishi left for his heavenly abode, the peacocks kept on lou-louing and stopped abruptly when he left his body. They kept a great silence after that!
The darshan of the Arunachala mountain from the Ashram is Eru Pancha Mukha Darshan. It is for all those who have committed sin out of circumstances. It helps them not to get in to the same trap again.
Yogi Ram Surat Kumar
I went to Yogi Ram Surat Kumar's ashram and meditated there. They have kept an idol of him and the hall is surrounded by pictures of great sages from India and elsewhere. A placard displayed the text 'the time and money spent on this beggar never goes waste' and 'my Father alone is there, no one else, never'.
I went on to Singa Theertha (Singa - Lion) and Mrutyunjaya (the conqueror of death) Linga. Had darshan of the Mountain. It is said that you should have darshan of the Arunachala mountain with every step you take on the Girivalam route. There is a place where Sage Brunghi did tapas (penance).
I came near Prithvi (Earth) Nandi and another Bhairava came in front, the uniqueness being, he left everyone else and came near me. He even tried to cross the road (like we all do, look at the left, and then the right etc). I was trying to take a photo of Nandi deva standing right opposite to him. I stopped taking a photo when I saw the Bhairava and kept on walking. A short while later I took a photo with the help of a zoom lens.
The animals taught me a lesson
Then I came to the Yama Lingam, the third of the Ashta Lingas. After that I came to Aishwaryeshwara Shrine. A very beautiful Lord. His hands are placed like that of Goddess Lakshmi, pouring out wealth. The trident slanted on the shoulders, beautifully. I went on and found a lady asking me to tie a rope in the tree nearby. I just gave her a few coins and proceeded further, only to see a big monkey coming towards me, roaring slightly.
I lifted both my hands sidewards to show him I had nothing to eat, but he wouldn't stop. I told that lady that he thinks I have something to eat. The lady picked up a few pebbles and threw it at him. The monkey went away. Now, I was beholden to her to buy the rope and tie it to the tree.
I then realized that whenever I tried to take a photograph, the animals would come near me, as though to prevent me from taking a photo. Arunachala was telling me "I will call those whom I want here and will give darshan to them. Who are you to take photographs and present it?"
Mystery Brahmin
Next on the Girivalam route is a Ganesha Temple on the left side of the road. There were a few sadhus present. I distributed a few coins to them and saw an old man standing on the left side of the road. He wore a dhoti like that of the Shakti Upasaka and a sacred thread worn by Brahmins. He was looking elsewhere. I wondered if I should walk over to him and give him a few coins or go on my way. But the fear of animals coming at me forced me to walk on. I had slowed down considerably because of the pain in my feet. When I turned around, I saw the old man coming my way. When he reached me, I asked 'Swami, are you on girivalam?'
He said 'mmm'.
Relieved, I joined him. His walk was slow but continuous. He wore an old pair of sandals, as well. I thought 'usually those who are on girivalam don't wear anything on their feet'. We didn't speak anything and kept walking. Though we saw a few bhairavas and monkeys, they didn't come near him or me. Some sadhus saluted him which he returned by the same gesture, sometimes by blessing.
Another Nandi Shrine. Probably Appu Nandi (appu - water, elephant). It is surrounded by iron rods resembling spear. A few benches were there where sadhus were seen seated. He slowed down and so did I. He told me 'you proceed' by waving his hand, like that of a command, but slowly.
I agreed and went ahead, but thought 'it would be nice if he comes along, let me see' and turned around. He was not there. I turned around completely and looked again. Even if he had gone behind the Nandi shrine, he would be visible. He could not have crossed the road so swiftly as he was old and walked very slowly. But where did he go? I kept looking back but he was not to be seen again.
Enroute, I saw Niruthi Lingam, the fourth Ashta Lingam, Surya Lingam, Varuna Lingam (the fifth) and had darshan. Adi Annamalai (the foremost Arunachaleswara temple) temple had to be visited with a slight deviation. But I could not go because my feet hurt. I carried on walking with a heavy heart because my friend had told me that one gets whatever he prays for in Adi Annamalai. I had to resign myself to thinking 'He knows what I need and why should I ask him?'.
.
Walking Girivalam like a 9-month pregnant woman
Did I tell you my feet really hurt? I was really walking like a 9 months pregnant woman and I felt happy about it. Otherwise, if there is no pain, my mind may force me to walk faster.
I saw Manicka Vachakar temple enroute but I found a group of monkeys proceeding towards that temple before me. I thought I shall not disturb them and proceeded onwards reciting 'Namah Shivaya vaazhga, naathan thaazh vaazhga etc (Glory to Shiva, Prostrations to Shiva and His Holy Feet). I had darshan of the Mountain through the horns of all the Nandis I saw.
The darshan of Arunachala from Vayu Lingam (the sixth of ashta dikh Lingas) is called Kanda Neeru Mukha Darshan. I walked slowly towards a shop and took a lemon based drink. It was very refreshing to sit for a while.
.
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy: Arunachala pulled me to him and gave me darshan: Part 4
.
In front of Sri Loba Matha Agasthiyar Ashram, I prayed to Sage Agasthiyar. The darshan of the mountain from here is called Shiva-Shakti Aikya Swaroopa Darshan (the union of Shiva Shakti). 'Give me energy', I prayed
There were tiles placed on the sidewalk. I couldn't place my feet on them because of the pain in my feet. I could only place them on the plain surface where the corners of four tiles met. You may be wondering as to why so much of feet-purana, but I learnt a big lesson, nay, I was taught one. I will tell that later.
Idduku Pillaiyar Shrine
Kubera Lingam is the seventh of Ashta Lingams. This was worshipped by Goddess Mahalakshmi herself.
On the way, I saw Idduku Pillaiyar shrine. At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to pass through it. But I somehow managed to do it. The blessing of coming out of the tiny gap in this shrine is that it eradicates millions of births of a soul. From there, the darshan is Pancha Mukha Darshan (a very important one). There was a board in front of an ashram, to sit on a particular spot. I just sat there and looked at the mountain. An inexpressible joy and peace overwhelmed me.
It started raining. I recalled that in the afternoon when it was very hot, I had prayed for rain. Arunachala Siva had fulfilled that wish, too.
The only prayer on my mind now was 'give me energy, give me your darshan, help me complete this girivalam'. I turned right and found that the city started up again. There was a cremation ground before it and the darshan from there was called Kona Linga Mukha Darshan, which literally means linga which looks slanting.
I missed the Eshana Linga as I could not locate it. So I walked straight. Enroute, I saw Durga temple, Murugan temple (Lord Subramanya) and I had darshan of Bootha Narayana. He is worshipped for safe-keeping of the merits of Girivalam. I read this too from the Agasthiyar website.
I crossed the South Gopuram and entered via the East Gopuram of the Main Temple. I felt a very different kind of feeling inside. I started to cry. Was it because of the pain in my feet or was it that He had called me to give darshan? I realized instantly that it was because I was going to have darshan of the Lord. I didn't want to be seen crying in public. So I asked Him to help me stop crying. He helped me immediately!
The Divine Mother's shrine
I went to Ambaal (Mother)'s shrine first. Once inside, I started sobbing uncontrollably. In my mind, I screamed out to her, 'O my Mother.' There She was...with a Abaya Hastha (the hand showing a protection). The priest made me sit right down in front of her in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
I felt what is called a thought-less state. The pain, the time it took to complete the girivalam, tiredness, bhakti... everything disappeared. Such was that state...! The priest asked me, “Do you want Archanai to be done?' I gladly gave the names. "Make me your devotee, O Mother, and let there be wellness in the whole world."
The Great God Arunachala
I came out silently and went to the Swami's Shrine'. There He was, Arunachala, the Great God, the One who pulled me to him to give me darshan. I was so tired from the Girivalam that He was dancing in all my thoughts now. I could not see anything but Him. I sat down before him totally still and totally present.
After a while, the priest asked us all to get up. I wasn't able to get up, only move forward to sit before my Father, just like I sat in front of my Divine Mother. Totally Still. But His play wasn't over. The Priest asked everyone to move again while I alone was left still sitting in front of Mahadev. As if he said 'you thought of getting special darshan entrance ticket', here you have it, just sit down in front of me for a while!
After a while, I got up and I circumbulated the shrine silently. On the top left of Shri Nataraja shrine, these words were written:
if we just see,
the curved eyebrows, a mischievous smile in those red little lips,
the spread-out matted lock and milky white vibuthi (sacred-ash)
on that body which is like coral, the holy foot which is raised
what is more needed in this human birth?
See, how He played with me? Otherwise, with one coffee and two slices of bread around 6.30 in the morning, a sugar-cane juice, a cool drink and a lemon soda, would I have been able to cover 14 kilometers and have such a marvelous darshan?
The time the girivalam started - 1.40 PM
The time it was completed and when I entered East Gopuram - 7.50 PM
When I came out after this magnificent experience - 9.00 PM
I wish to thank you for reading this with so much patience.
I also want to sincerely thank the owner of this blog, who encouraged me to write this in English, even though I have only a limited knowledge of the language.
Those who want to go for Girivalam can look at http://www.Agasthiar.Org/arunafr.htm
and take a note of the places marked there for darshan. Particularly, about the darshan at every place is described very well here.
The photographs are here: http://www.agasthiar.org/arunapics/index.htm
The ones I took are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ramdaus/JuDibF?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXevYOMopWNyQE&feat=directlink
My ultimate lesson
Oh, I said I learnt a lesson while walking, didn't I? Here it is:
If only we have in our minds,
the one whose forehead is smeared with Vibuthi
the one whose red-matted lock contains water (Ganga)
the one with the raised leg,
will there be anything else we would want from all the three worlds?
Om Namah Shivaya!
.
In front of Sri Loba Matha Agasthiyar Ashram, I prayed to Sage Agasthiyar. The darshan of the mountain from here is called Shiva-Shakti Aikya Swaroopa Darshan (the union of Shiva Shakti). 'Give me energy', I prayed
There were tiles placed on the sidewalk. I couldn't place my feet on them because of the pain in my feet. I could only place them on the plain surface where the corners of four tiles met. You may be wondering as to why so much of feet-purana, but I learnt a big lesson, nay, I was taught one. I will tell that later.
Idduku Pillaiyar Shrine
Kubera Lingam is the seventh of Ashta Lingams. This was worshipped by Goddess Mahalakshmi herself.
On the way, I saw Idduku Pillaiyar shrine. At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to pass through it. But I somehow managed to do it. The blessing of coming out of the tiny gap in this shrine is that it eradicates millions of births of a soul. From there, the darshan is Pancha Mukha Darshan (a very important one). There was a board in front of an ashram, to sit on a particular spot. I just sat there and looked at the mountain. An inexpressible joy and peace overwhelmed me.
It started raining. I recalled that in the afternoon when it was very hot, I had prayed for rain. Arunachala Siva had fulfilled that wish, too.
The only prayer on my mind now was 'give me energy, give me your darshan, help me complete this girivalam'. I turned right and found that the city started up again. There was a cremation ground before it and the darshan from there was called Kona Linga Mukha Darshan, which literally means linga which looks slanting.
I missed the Eshana Linga as I could not locate it. So I walked straight. Enroute, I saw Durga temple, Murugan temple (Lord Subramanya) and I had darshan of Bootha Narayana. He is worshipped for safe-keeping of the merits of Girivalam. I read this too from the Agasthiyar website.
I crossed the South Gopuram and entered via the East Gopuram of the Main Temple. I felt a very different kind of feeling inside. I started to cry. Was it because of the pain in my feet or was it that He had called me to give darshan? I realized instantly that it was because I was going to have darshan of the Lord. I didn't want to be seen crying in public. So I asked Him to help me stop crying. He helped me immediately!
The Divine Mother's shrine
I went to Ambaal (Mother)'s shrine first. Once inside, I started sobbing uncontrollably. In my mind, I screamed out to her, 'O my Mother.' There She was...with a Abaya Hastha (the hand showing a protection). The priest made me sit right down in front of her in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
I felt what is called a thought-less state. The pain, the time it took to complete the girivalam, tiredness, bhakti... everything disappeared. Such was that state...! The priest asked me, “Do you want Archanai to be done?' I gladly gave the names. "Make me your devotee, O Mother, and let there be wellness in the whole world."
The Great God Arunachala
I came out silently and went to the Swami's Shrine'. There He was, Arunachala, the Great God, the One who pulled me to him to give me darshan. I was so tired from the Girivalam that He was dancing in all my thoughts now. I could not see anything but Him. I sat down before him totally still and totally present.
After a while, the priest asked us all to get up. I wasn't able to get up, only move forward to sit before my Father, just like I sat in front of my Divine Mother. Totally Still. But His play wasn't over. The Priest asked everyone to move again while I alone was left still sitting in front of Mahadev. As if he said 'you thought of getting special darshan entrance ticket', here you have it, just sit down in front of me for a while!
After a while, I got up and I circumbulated the shrine silently. On the top left of Shri Nataraja shrine, these words were written:
if we just see,
the curved eyebrows, a mischievous smile in those red little lips,
the spread-out matted lock and milky white vibuthi (sacred-ash)
on that body which is like coral, the holy foot which is raised
what is more needed in this human birth?
See, how He played with me? Otherwise, with one coffee and two slices of bread around 6.30 in the morning, a sugar-cane juice, a cool drink and a lemon soda, would I have been able to cover 14 kilometers and have such a marvelous darshan?
The time the girivalam started - 1.40 PM
The time it was completed and when I entered East Gopuram - 7.50 PM
When I came out after this magnificent experience - 9.00 PM
I wish to thank you for reading this with so much patience.
I also want to sincerely thank the owner of this blog, who encouraged me to write this in English, even though I have only a limited knowledge of the language.
Those who want to go for Girivalam can look at http://www.Agasthiar.Org/arunafr.htm
and take a note of the places marked there for darshan. Particularly, about the darshan at every place is described very well here.
The photographs are here: http://www.agasthiar.org/arunapics/index.htm
The ones I took are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ramdaus/JuDibF?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXevYOMopWNyQE&feat=directlink
My ultimate lesson
Oh, I said I learnt a lesson while walking, didn't I? Here it is:
If only we have in our minds,
the one whose forehead is smeared with Vibuthi
the one whose red-matted lock contains water (Ganga)
the one with the raised leg,
will there be anything else we would want from all the three worlds?
Om Namah Shivaya!
.
.
FOR EASY READING
.
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy's Girivalam experiences are in four parts. We have posted them upwards in decending order. So, if you scroll up four posts, you will be able to read them easily in sequence . We hope we are making sense!!!
.
FOR EASY READING
.
Ramesh Krishnamoorthy's Girivalam experiences are in four parts. We have posted them upwards in decending order. So, if you scroll up four posts, you will be able to read them easily in sequence . We hope we are making sense!!!
.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Ulaganathan P. -- Pancha Mukha Darshanam of Arunachala: Part 3
.
'Pancha Mukha Darshanam' is a spot where the five faces of Arunachala Siva are revealed to us. It is on the girivalam route where the girivalam path joins the town again. At this spot, you will see many people facing the hill and meditating.
Lord Vishnu can be seen in a reclining posture in Sri Rangam and in Thiruvananthapuram. In Tiruvannamalai, we can see Lord Arunachala in a reclining posture. When we look at the four hill tops amidst the vast expanse of hills silhouetted against the clear sky, it is so easy to see that Lord Siva is in Yoga Nidra.
What is the difference between our nidra and the yoga nidra of the Lord? In Yoga Nidra, the Lord remains in total awareness even though there is no movement. The Lord is not in deep slumber like us, covered in the darkness of ignorance. God is Light. Ignorance and darkness are an anathema to the very name of God. That is why we associate Him with the light of ‘Karthigai Deepam’. He is but a witness to all that happens around us. He is aware of the good and the bad. He neither approves nor disproves our actions now. He witnesses now without judging us. Judgment He reserves for the future.
We talked about Pancha Mukha Darshanam. After counting the four hill tops, I used to wonder where is the fifth mukham or face of Lord Siva. Now my doubt is answered. In Rudra mahamantram, Lord Siva is said to be having five faces. They are 1) tatpurusham 2) agoram 3) satyajotham 4) vamadevam and 5) eesanam. The one which faces the east is tatpurusham; that facing west is satyajotham; the north is vamadevam; and the east agoram. All these four faces refer to the four Vedas. That is why the four hills of Arunachala are revered as the four Vedas. But, where is fifth face—eesanam?
It is that face which is visible in the form of Jyoti. Eesanam is nothing but the ‘deepam’ that is lit atop the hill during the festival of Karthigai. We have the darshan of the four faces of Lord Siva in the form of the four hill tops and the fifth face in the form of the ‘deepam’. Kanchi Paramacharya has explained this pancha mukha tatwam of Lord Siva in the September 16-30, 2009 issue of Kumudam Bhakti.
It is bliss to meditate upon the pancha mukham tatwam of Arunachala. It is blessed still to witness- nay merge with- Arunachala, during girivalam.
.
'Pancha Mukha Darshanam' is a spot where the five faces of Arunachala Siva are revealed to us. It is on the girivalam route where the girivalam path joins the town again. At this spot, you will see many people facing the hill and meditating.
Lord Vishnu can be seen in a reclining posture in Sri Rangam and in Thiruvananthapuram. In Tiruvannamalai, we can see Lord Arunachala in a reclining posture. When we look at the four hill tops amidst the vast expanse of hills silhouetted against the clear sky, it is so easy to see that Lord Siva is in Yoga Nidra.
What is the difference between our nidra and the yoga nidra of the Lord? In Yoga Nidra, the Lord remains in total awareness even though there is no movement. The Lord is not in deep slumber like us, covered in the darkness of ignorance. God is Light. Ignorance and darkness are an anathema to the very name of God. That is why we associate Him with the light of ‘Karthigai Deepam’. He is but a witness to all that happens around us. He is aware of the good and the bad. He neither approves nor disproves our actions now. He witnesses now without judging us. Judgment He reserves for the future.
We talked about Pancha Mukha Darshanam. After counting the four hill tops, I used to wonder where is the fifth mukham or face of Lord Siva. Now my doubt is answered. In Rudra mahamantram, Lord Siva is said to be having five faces. They are 1) tatpurusham 2) agoram 3) satyajotham 4) vamadevam and 5) eesanam. The one which faces the east is tatpurusham; that facing west is satyajotham; the north is vamadevam; and the east agoram. All these four faces refer to the four Vedas. That is why the four hills of Arunachala are revered as the four Vedas. But, where is fifth face—eesanam?
It is that face which is visible in the form of Jyoti. Eesanam is nothing but the ‘deepam’ that is lit atop the hill during the festival of Karthigai. We have the darshan of the four faces of Lord Siva in the form of the four hill tops and the fifth face in the form of the ‘deepam’. Kanchi Paramacharya has explained this pancha mukha tatwam of Lord Siva in the September 16-30, 2009 issue of Kumudam Bhakti.
It is bliss to meditate upon the pancha mukham tatwam of Arunachala. It is blessed still to witness- nay merge with- Arunachala, during girivalam.
.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Karthikeyan -- If you want money, go to Tirupati. If you want to know what is life, go on Girivalam
.
Dear All,
Yes, it is correct if you pray to Lord Siva on full moon day, you will see changes in our life. It will give you a good, peaceful mind. Until three years ago, I went so many times to Tiruvanamalai girivalam, I got good changes in my life. Now I am in Singapore, working as engineer. So all try to pray the Lord Siva in Tiruvanamalai.
I started my first girivalam around 2002. Initially, I got some trouble (in Tamil they says sothanai. It means problems). After 3 months, I got turning point in my life so I decided to go continuosly. During that period I felt very happy and also good things started to happen in my life.
Initially, walking condition very bad but it gave me good experience. Now they improve a lot. So there is no problem for walking conditions i.e. if you can walk continuosly for more than 4 hours.
Between 2002-2005, may be I missed 6 to 8 full-moon girivalams because of my college examinations.
If you want money, go to Tirupati.
If u want to know what is the life, go on girivalam
I will always prefer girivalam. You can get good things in your life with some difficulties, but it will stay permanently with you.
Lord Siva greater, so you please go to girivalam.
Now I am in Singapore so I am missing girivalam.
I want to share one more thing. I always finish my girivalam within full moon period (for e.g. full moon day start around 8.30 p.m. and end 4.30 a.m., I will start after 8.30 p.m. and finish before 4.30 a.m.)
Thanks to you, you gave me chance to tell about the girivalam.
.
Dear All,
Yes, it is correct if you pray to Lord Siva on full moon day, you will see changes in our life. It will give you a good, peaceful mind. Until three years ago, I went so many times to Tiruvanamalai girivalam, I got good changes in my life. Now I am in Singapore, working as engineer. So all try to pray the Lord Siva in Tiruvanamalai.
I started my first girivalam around 2002. Initially, I got some trouble (in Tamil they says sothanai. It means problems). After 3 months, I got turning point in my life so I decided to go continuosly. During that period I felt very happy and also good things started to happen in my life.
Initially, walking condition very bad but it gave me good experience. Now they improve a lot. So there is no problem for walking conditions i.e. if you can walk continuosly for more than 4 hours.
Between 2002-2005, may be I missed 6 to 8 full-moon girivalams because of my college examinations.
If you want money, go to Tirupati.
If u want to know what is the life, go on girivalam
I will always prefer girivalam. You can get good things in your life with some difficulties, but it will stay permanently with you.
Lord Siva greater, so you please go to girivalam.
Now I am in Singapore so I am missing girivalam.
I want to share one more thing. I always finish my girivalam within full moon period (for e.g. full moon day start around 8.30 p.m. and end 4.30 a.m., I will start after 8.30 p.m. and finish before 4.30 a.m.)
Thanks to you, you gave me chance to tell about the girivalam.
.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Ulaganathan P -- Girivalam requires a pious heart: Part 2
.
The picture of Arunachalam posted here is so idyllic but deceptive. Of late, a lot many people throng the holy place and many do so without any sense of awe and piety in their heart, which they must have as they do grivalam. The filth and squalor all round the route of girivalam is abominable. It is dotted with so many eateries as if it is a picnic doing a girivalam. In the name of Anna dhanam, many distribute the so called prasadam and the left over is strewn all over the path. This is what happens when religious event is observed in a mass scale and I am not a snob to suggest that the general public should be discouraged to participate in girivalam.
On the other hand, I feel such mass observance should be encouraged for that alone will uplift ; but we must take it very seriously. All those who do girivalam must prepare themselves before hand before undertaking the same. They must fast and break it only completing the girivalam and sighting the deepam atop the hill. They must observe utmost silence while doing the parikram or keep chanting silently or in groups the mantras or hymns in praise of the God. They must realise that girivalam is not an empty excercise but a spiritual sadhana which takes you nearer to God.
Many of my girivalam trips did not leave me spiritually elevated and I used to feel sorry for the callousness of the adminsitration and the hollowness of the people who do not seem to have the right attitude to girivalam. Despite all our shortcomings, God in his heaven is smiling and the deepam is witness to all the happenings.
.
The picture of Arunachalam posted here is so idyllic but deceptive. Of late, a lot many people throng the holy place and many do so without any sense of awe and piety in their heart, which they must have as they do grivalam. The filth and squalor all round the route of girivalam is abominable. It is dotted with so many eateries as if it is a picnic doing a girivalam. In the name of Anna dhanam, many distribute the so called prasadam and the left over is strewn all over the path. This is what happens when religious event is observed in a mass scale and I am not a snob to suggest that the general public should be discouraged to participate in girivalam.
On the other hand, I feel such mass observance should be encouraged for that alone will uplift ; but we must take it very seriously. All those who do girivalam must prepare themselves before hand before undertaking the same. They must fast and break it only completing the girivalam and sighting the deepam atop the hill. They must observe utmost silence while doing the parikram or keep chanting silently or in groups the mantras or hymns in praise of the God. They must realise that girivalam is not an empty excercise but a spiritual sadhana which takes you nearer to God.
Many of my girivalam trips did not leave me spiritually elevated and I used to feel sorry for the callousness of the adminsitration and the hollowness of the people who do not seem to have the right attitude to girivalam. Despite all our shortcomings, God in his heaven is smiling and the deepam is witness to all the happenings.
.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
L.K.: Our first glimpse of Arunachala - Part 2
.
Earlier this year, I had an inner prompting to start japam of the mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya'. I knew it was a powerful mantra but I was not quite prepared for how powerful it really was or for the blessings it would shower. The blessings came not in the form I was expecting but in forms more valuable. I am still in a daze.
Tiruvannamalai is a four-hour drive from Chennai. Once out of the city centre, we passed many mango groves, and rice and sugarcane fields. There were tamarind trees on either side of the road and banana and plantain trees in all the village houses we passed. The drive was beautiful and as we neared Tiruvannamalai many hills began to appear on the skyline.
"Is that Arunachala?," I kept asking the driver excitedly.
"Not yet, not yet, madam" he would say. "Let me drive, you go to sleep, I will tell you when we get there"
A short while later, I opened my eyes and there was no mistaking. There was Arunachala Siva. My eyes fell on the mountain at the same time the driver turned around and said "That is Arunachala Siva."
.
Earlier this year, I had an inner prompting to start japam of the mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya'. I knew it was a powerful mantra but I was not quite prepared for how powerful it really was or for the blessings it would shower. The blessings came not in the form I was expecting but in forms more valuable. I am still in a daze.
Tiruvannamalai is a four-hour drive from Chennai. Once out of the city centre, we passed many mango groves, and rice and sugarcane fields. There were tamarind trees on either side of the road and banana and plantain trees in all the village houses we passed. The drive was beautiful and as we neared Tiruvannamalai many hills began to appear on the skyline.
"Is that Arunachala?," I kept asking the driver excitedly.
"Not yet, not yet, madam" he would say. "Let me drive, you go to sleep, I will tell you when we get there"
A short while later, I opened my eyes and there was no mistaking. There was Arunachala Siva. My eyes fell on the mountain at the same time the driver turned around and said "That is Arunachala Siva."
.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Ulaganathan P - Experiences of Karthigai Deepam: Part 1
.
When I was in college, I read the celebrated book of Paul Brunton. This introduced me to the two great sages of our time - the revered late Kanchi Sankaracharya and Ramana Maharishi. This book further evoked in me a great interest on Annamalai. But, I could never visit Annamalai for a long time.
It was some time in 1993, when I was at Villupuram on the eve of the Karthigai Deepam, I felt a desire to visit the place. My first stop in the town was Ramana Ashram. There were huge crowds all over town and even the Ashram was milling with a mass of village-folks. That day, I did not do the girivalam as I was not mentally prepared for it. But that day was special to me, for on that day only I witnessed the deepam being lit atop the hill, exactly at 6 p.m. I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe, at sighting the deepam.
I came back in 1994. This time, after having the darshan of Annamalaiyar in the form of the deepam, atop the hill, I did the girivalam. It was a scintilating experience. It is believed that on the karthigai deepam, Lord Arunachala is said to be in the hill. The Lord is no longer in the temple. That the hill is verily the Lord on the day can be easily felt by all. In the twilight of the day, as the light is lit, the entire 'mala' appear to be sheathed in fire with the subtle line of light visible to the spiritually discerning eyes. As we do the parikarama round the 'mala', Arunachala reveals Himself in different forms to us. You need to maintain a holy communion with Him throughout parikrama so as to internalise the experience. I used to chant the hymns of Devaram and Thiruvasagam, that I know.
I have made it a point never to miss the deepam - girivalam except on a few occasions when there was a bereavement in the family and I was far away from my place, on account of my transfer. I consider Arunachala, as virtually my father and this visit is to my father's place. This annual pilgrimage rejuvanates me. I did not have the good fortune to see Ramana Maharishi,in the mortal frame, for he attained samadhi before I was born. I always take pride to say that Ramana Maharishi was born in my neighbouring village. I had the darshan of the Kanchi seer around the time I visited Tiruvannamalai. That was during his last days. To me, Swamiji was spiritual grace personified.
I have done girivalam several times now. No two experiences have been the same. On one occasion, I could not make it to Tiruvannamalai in time and I had to be content with the vision of light far away from the town. In another year, I was pained to see all the tanks - thirthams - dry. I prayed to Arunachala that they must be filled the next year. The Lord answered my prayer. The tanks were brimming with the theertham the following year. I had a dip in the last thirtham, en-route, brushing aside the protest from my wife.
I vividly recall a rare experience. As I saw the deepam being lit, in the midst of the chanting of arohara, I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears rolled down my cheeks. I could distinctly see a flash of light coming from the hill and touching me, a clear sign of benediction from Annamalai appan.
I had a desire once to participate in the puja conducted inside the temple, which culminates in the arti accompanied by the bursting of crackers which act as a signal to the temple authorities atop the hill to light the deepam. I had made a prior arrangement for obtaining a pass to go inside the precincts of the temple. Unfortunately, I reached the place where I was to collect the pass late. Disappointed I was looking up at the holy hill. Then I saw a villager approaching me particularly. He offered me the tickets for entry into the temple stating that he had purchased it for himself and that he did not require it now. I cried at the grace of Lord.
There are many more incidents associated with my visits to Annamalai. Each one is unique in itself and I pray Annamalaiyappan to keep me forever under his fold.
.
When I was in college, I read the celebrated book of Paul Brunton. This introduced me to the two great sages of our time - the revered late Kanchi Sankaracharya and Ramana Maharishi. This book further evoked in me a great interest on Annamalai. But, I could never visit Annamalai for a long time.
It was some time in 1993, when I was at Villupuram on the eve of the Karthigai Deepam, I felt a desire to visit the place. My first stop in the town was Ramana Ashram. There were huge crowds all over town and even the Ashram was milling with a mass of village-folks. That day, I did not do the girivalam as I was not mentally prepared for it. But that day was special to me, for on that day only I witnessed the deepam being lit atop the hill, exactly at 6 p.m. I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe, at sighting the deepam.
I came back in 1994. This time, after having the darshan of Annamalaiyar in the form of the deepam, atop the hill, I did the girivalam. It was a scintilating experience. It is believed that on the karthigai deepam, Lord Arunachala is said to be in the hill. The Lord is no longer in the temple. That the hill is verily the Lord on the day can be easily felt by all. In the twilight of the day, as the light is lit, the entire 'mala' appear to be sheathed in fire with the subtle line of light visible to the spiritually discerning eyes. As we do the parikarama round the 'mala', Arunachala reveals Himself in different forms to us. You need to maintain a holy communion with Him throughout parikrama so as to internalise the experience. I used to chant the hymns of Devaram and Thiruvasagam, that I know.
I have made it a point never to miss the deepam - girivalam except on a few occasions when there was a bereavement in the family and I was far away from my place, on account of my transfer. I consider Arunachala, as virtually my father and this visit is to my father's place. This annual pilgrimage rejuvanates me. I did not have the good fortune to see Ramana Maharishi,in the mortal frame, for he attained samadhi before I was born. I always take pride to say that Ramana Maharishi was born in my neighbouring village. I had the darshan of the Kanchi seer around the time I visited Tiruvannamalai. That was during his last days. To me, Swamiji was spiritual grace personified.
I have done girivalam several times now. No two experiences have been the same. On one occasion, I could not make it to Tiruvannamalai in time and I had to be content with the vision of light far away from the town. In another year, I was pained to see all the tanks - thirthams - dry. I prayed to Arunachala that they must be filled the next year. The Lord answered my prayer. The tanks were brimming with the theertham the following year. I had a dip in the last thirtham, en-route, brushing aside the protest from my wife.
I vividly recall a rare experience. As I saw the deepam being lit, in the midst of the chanting of arohara, I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears rolled down my cheeks. I could distinctly see a flash of light coming from the hill and touching me, a clear sign of benediction from Annamalai appan.
I had a desire once to participate in the puja conducted inside the temple, which culminates in the arti accompanied by the bursting of crackers which act as a signal to the temple authorities atop the hill to light the deepam. I had made a prior arrangement for obtaining a pass to go inside the precincts of the temple. Unfortunately, I reached the place where I was to collect the pass late. Disappointed I was looking up at the holy hill. Then I saw a villager approaching me particularly. He offered me the tickets for entry into the temple stating that he had purchased it for himself and that he did not require it now. I cried at the grace of Lord.
There are many more incidents associated with my visits to Annamalai. Each one is unique in itself and I pray Annamalaiyappan to keep me forever under his fold.
.
Monday, August 31, 2009
L.K.: Arunachala - Part 1
.
Earlier this month, Lord Siva allowed us to do our first Girivalam - our first pradakshina around the sacred Arunachala mountain in Tiruvannamalai, India. As though that wasn't blessings enough, he allowed us to do it twice more within the following week.
We have started this blog in gratitude to Arunachala Siva. Please join us in sharing your Girivalam experiences and insights. We will post ours in a few days.
.
Earlier this month, Lord Siva allowed us to do our first Girivalam - our first pradakshina around the sacred Arunachala mountain in Tiruvannamalai, India. As though that wasn't blessings enough, he allowed us to do it twice more within the following week.
We have started this blog in gratitude to Arunachala Siva. Please join us in sharing your Girivalam experiences and insights. We will post ours in a few days.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
