2... Aum Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

The Divine Gateway –Sri Arunachala Swami Tanmayananda Sarasvati, Sri Ramanashramam, Tiruvannamalai

Arunachala – The Kshetra, Parvata and Ishvara

It is incredible but nonetheless true that in today’s fevered world wrecked by disharmony and unrest, there is still a place which is an oasis of peace and happiness, far from the maddening crowds where the spiritual dimension of all existence in its pristine purity is palpably experienced. What is more, it is not tucked away in the inaccessible snow-clad peaks of Himalayas, but well-connected by road transport from Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, of easy access to all and sundry. Hailed as Dakshina Kailasa from ancient times, Arunachala is perhaps the only place which has the same name for signifying the holy mountain, the town that nestles around its foothills and the presiding deity Lord Shiva as well. It is indeed unique that the kshetra, parvata and Ishvara all answer to the same name Arunachala.

The name of the town translates into Tiruvannamalai in Tamil and has profound spiritual significance. The two nearest major railway junctions are Katpadi (near Vellore) in the north and Vizhuppuram in the south, which are less than 80 kilometres from here. The Chennai airport is not more than 180 kilometres drive down the road and Bengaluru is about 200 kilometres to its west. The Arunachala kshetra is far-famed for its twin spiritual attractions, namely the primordial Hill itself which is scientifically established to be the oldest geological formation in this planet and the colossal man-made temple for the Lord Arunachaleswara, an awe-inspiring architectural wonder, raised around the svayambhu linga [See picture above] stretching back to a millennium or more, testifying to the vision and dedication of the kings of yore. Arunachala had remained a marma kshetra till the end of 19th century, corresponding to the mystery of the Self or the Atma Tattva that it truly represents but the Lord apparently willed otherwise, wishing to cast His net far and wide for the salvation of a spiritually thirsting humanity. His divine plan unveiled in the form of the advent of Sri Ramana Maharshi, which set in motion a spiritual renaissance nonpareil

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that has touched and transformed true seekers from all corners of the world, and whose silent revolution has been ever-growing steadily with its all-inclusive and infinite embrace of compassion and self-knowledge.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi – The Sage of Arunachala

In his entire life after enlightenment at the age of 16 years, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi unremittingly demonstrated in every moment of his daily life, expounded and lived the astonishing idea that the inner Self, not the external universe, was all there was. Incredibly, the mystery of everything could be unravelled by this simple idea. The revolutionary sage revealed how a world, different from the one most people believe they inhabit, actually exists without the slightest taint or touch of suffering. The profound mystical vision of the sublime Upanishads had once again taken a physical embodiment and revealed to a groping humanity the living Truth of its esoteric teachings!

While Adi Shankara played the incredible role of a multi-faceted, spiritual gladiator integrating and weaving in splendour the countless strands of the entire spectrum of Hindu thought, Ramana Maharshi simply remained its uncompromising pole star, with undying fidelity to its quintessential Vedantic essence, in the lineage of Gaudapada, Ashtavakra and Vasishta. In the post-Sankara era, he is regarded widely as the crown jewel of Advaita Vedanta, its ultimate consummation in precept and practice. One modern philosopher remarked that Ramana was among the greatest of Buddhas that ever walked upon the earth.

Sri Ramanasramam

Thus the third powerful spiritual attraction of Arunachala in the last century has been the Ramanashramam, the hermitage of Ramana Maharshi which has evolved over the years on the southern foothills of the Holy Mountain. The Jnana Ganga is perennially flowing there, to drink out of which a galaxy of most eminent saints have paid a visit, like Swami Sivananda, Sadhu Vaswani, Papa Ramdas, Narayana Guru, Anandamayi Ma and so on. Mahatma Gandhi used to prescribe a visit to Ramanashramam to many of his weary associates involved in freedom struggle, for gathering new strength to their soul. Needless to say, Ramanashramam is a powerhouse of spirituality, whose vibrations are to be seen and felt to be believed, even to this day. A few days’ stay there can do wonders to one’s

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soul, so much so that when one leaves, he/she does so with a twinge of leaving one’s own home and when they again inevitably return, it is with the joy and buoyancy of home-coming!

The holy Ashram Today

In terms of amenities, the present-day Ashram is a far cry from its early beginnings in the 1930’s when it was just a motley group of a few thatched sheds. The ashram has now been thoroughly modernised with water-treatment plants to provide the safest drinking water, solar panels and geysers for hot water, a computerised office, a fabulous book stall where DVD and cassettes are available, and also translations of Bhagavan’s works and teachings in many foreign languages. A visit to the Archives Building is a bit of a mind-blowing experience and can transport us to the days of Bhagavan’s earthly sojourn. Specialist professionals have observed that it is one of the most advanced archival centres in India. Personnel from the Nityananda Ashram in Ganeshpuri (Maharashtra), Chinmaya Mission, Aurobindo Ashram and others have been deputed to collect information regarding the design and modus operandi of the Archives Centre, for developing similar facilities in their own foundations. The ashram provides excellent accommodation with modern amenities including delightful homely South Indian food. Also there is rich vegetation and greenery with exotic flowers too, adding aesthetic elegance to the spiritual ambience, enhanced by richly plumed peacocks strolling all over. The heart of the Ashram is the huge Samadhi Hall where Bhagavan’s mortal remains have been entombed which radiates the silent power of the sage to this day with undiminishing vigour. Matrubhuteshwara sannidhi is located southwards adjacent to it, and blessed with Srichakra pratishtha by Bhagavan’s own hands. It is the samadhi of Bhagavan’s mother, who was liberated by His Grace at the time of her passing away in the 1920’s. [Sri Bhagavan Samadhi Hall] To the right of Bhagavan’s samadhi, is the famous Old Hall where He held court for more than 25 years and taught mostly in silence to all his devotees and seekers, as the human embodiment of Lord Dakshinamurti. Even now this Meditation Hall is vibrant with the eternal presence of Sri Ramana Maharshi, providing answers in silent communion and flooding their hearts with solace and Grace. [Old Meditation Hall]

A short distance away is the dining hall and kitchen where devotees are fed in hundreds with clock-work precision everyday three times besides evening tea. A vibrant

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Veda Patashala and a huge cattle farm are ornaments to the ashram. There are so many other important ashramas which are also star attractions like the Seshadri Swami Ashrama, Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram, in addition to Skandashram, Guhai Namasivaya Ashram, Virupaksha cave etc. upon the Hill where Sri Ramana Maharshi spent many years before coming down to the present location.

Special events

The Jayanti and Aradhana celebrations that usually fall in December- and April- ends are mega events, when thousands of devotees from far and wide participate and partake of Maharshi’s Grace abundantly. A number of other special events are also celebrated round the year, including the monthly punarvasu star, which is the janma- nakshatra of Bhagavan. The Administration is unobtrusive, self-effacingly efficient and incredibly dedicated in its courtesy to the devotees and guests. On every full moon day at Arunachala, lakhs of devotees circumambulate the holy Hill barefooted, chanting Om Namashivaya and other hymns. It takes about four hours to cover the parikrama distance of nearly 14 kilometres. Chitra Pournami and Kartigai Deepam attract the maximum number of devotees in the year, sometimes over 2 million.

A spiritual haven for the true seeker

Among the pancha bhuta kshetras dedicated to Lord Shiva, Arunachala represents the agni element, where the Great Lord appeared as an infinite column of fiery light to quell the pride of Brahma and Vishnu, the gods of creation and sustenance. Sages have sung of Arunachala as the physical embodiment of jnanagni which destroys the darkness of avidya once for all and bestows moksha to jivakotis. Countless legends abound in this temple and the holy town. In the recent years, like Pondichery, Tiruvannamalai also has become a cosmopolitan town with international flavour resulting in the inevitably associated commercial and cultural degradations, congestions, competitions and pettiness. But towering above everything which can pull down one’s mind, stands the mighty peak of Arunachala which ever beckons the true seeker to its fold and bosom forever. For Bhagavan Ramana declared emphatically that for those who have surrendered to Arunachala, wherever they may go in the world they have to return here, for the gateway to liberation is only Arunachala for the chosen blessed souls!

Aum Sri Ramanarpanamastu

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