Hi Folks,

This time we had the opportunity of going to Tiruvannamalai by way of our yearly Tour! Let me share my experiences with you.

Wherever I wish to go, generally I try to find out the details of that place well before our visit. I know that it is a place where Ramana Maharshi went into Samadhi. Ramana Ashram is the well-noted place there. So I have browsed on Internet looking for Ramana Ashram details. When I have asked Goggle, saying Ramana Ashram, it has given me more than 50sites. So I have learned about Arunachala Hills, the importance of Giri Pradakhina & also about Ramana Maharshi. As I have told you many times I have read lot of books on spirituality but some how I did not read any thing about Ramana maharshi & his preachings till then. So I have tried to learn as much as I can about Arunachalam through various web sites. Then I have located the address of Ramana Maharshis Ashram at Tiruvannamalai & their mail id too. So I have sent them a mail requesting them to give me the shortest root to Tiruvannamali.

Very promptly I have received a reply from the President of the Ashram, that it is better to catch a buss to Tiruvannamalai from Chennai instead of by train as we have planned originally. He is nice enough to offer accommodation too for three days!


So we have reached Chennai on 11th & located the Kodambedu bus station from where we can get direct buses to Tiruvannamalai. So on 12th morning we have gone to Kodambedu bus stand. You know for the last few years we are talking so much about AP getting High Tech, but I tell you our experience and the development in Kodambedu bus station! The Bus station was very clean. They were not permitting Autos inside the bus station. No coolies either! You were provided with trolleys like airport to carry baggage! The bus station was very spacious & real High Tech bus station. I have liked it very much.

Then we caught the Bus to Tiruvannamali. The travel time was four hours. The roads were good. So it was very comfortable journey. After reaching Tiruvannamali, even though initially we thought of staying at the Ramana ashram, but later thought better stay at a hotel, so we need not be restrained by Ashram discipline. There were good hotels. So we have stayed at Hotel Trishul.

Now let me tell you the story of Arunachala hills. When Devatalu--Danavulu completed the Amruta manthanam, Devatalu became proud of themselves, thinking that they did a great job, &they are the most powerful Devatalu. So Lord Shiva appeared in a Kanti Pun jam (eternal light or Devine light) before them. Then the Indra sent all his people to find out about that light! But no one was able to reach that eternal light! Then Lord Vishnu went to find out the starting point of that light & Brahma went up to find out the ending point of that light. But both of them were not able to find out the starting & ending points of that light. Then Parvati Devi came out of the light & disclosed that the light was nothing but Lord Shiva. Then Lord Vishnu, Brahma & all other Devatalu prayed lord Shiva that being powerful Devatalu we were not able to know you, how can a common man can find out about Paramatma? Hence make it possible for every one to have the Darshana of you.

Lord Shiva was happy with the prayers & told them that he would be appearing as Agniparvatha in Kruta yugam, Manikya parvatham in Treta Yugam, Swarna Parvatham in Dwapara yugam, & Marakatha Parvatham in KaliYugam. & appeared in the form of Arunachala Hills. So today the Arunachala hills appears like Marakatha Parvatham.

I have read on the web that Ramana Maharshi used to encourage people to do Giri Pradakshina, & even Mrs. M.S.Subba Lakshmi; whom I admire most did the Giri pradashina many times. So even before we went to Tiruvannamalai I have decided to do Giri Pradakshina. The reason given on the web for doing giri pradakshina was that there are so many herbs on the Arunachala Hills, & when we do Giri Pradakshina, the power of those herbs will be transmitted to us & health wise it is very good for us. It is 15km Pradakshina.

My life ambition at this point was to do Pradakshina to mount Kailash! My husband Ram was saying that it was not possible for me to do that Pradakshina because it was 58km way, & we were to walk daily 16 to 18km for 3 days. So what I thought was if I prove him by walking 15km in a day while doing Arunachala giri pradaksina, I could also do Mount Kailash Pradakshina. What I thought was when daily I was walking 7to8km in my morning walking I could easily walk 15km. I had forgotten that I walk daily with walking shoes on. When we did Pradakshina to Aruna chala hills, we were to think that we are doing Pradakshina to Lord Shiva. When we think like that we cannot wear footwear! I had forgotten about this.

So we had started our Arunachala Giri pradakshina on 13th early hours by about 5.30am. Without footwear!
The weather was good. Being early morning there was cool breeze coming from the hills. It was quiet pleasant. I was very much confident that I could walk 15km without any problem. Initially I was able to walk without much problem. The root was fully Tar road, with full of small fine stones. So by the time I have finished half of the distance, my foot became quiet painful because of the stones. So I had started concentrating my mind on Ohm Namah shivaya. I was trying to synchronize my walk with the Ohm Namhashivayah along with my breath! By the time I have completed 2/3s of the distance it had become impossible for me to walk! Surprisingly my husband was walking without much problem. He had advised me to wash my feet before continuing the pradakshina. So I did the same. But after wards it had become worse! But my will power was so strong I did not stop walking. The last 1/2Km was really tough. Each step was making me feel as if that was the worst physical pain ever I have under gone! Any way we had completed the Pradakshina at last. It took 4 & 1/2 hours for us to complete the 15km Pradakshina.I was sure if we were wearing foot wear then may be within 3 or 31/2 hours we could have completed it.

One thing I had observed while walking round the hills was, from wherever we see the Hills I used to feel as if I was at the center place of the hills. I really felt frustrated feeling that it was not possible for me to cross the hill & go to the other side of the hill but suddenly we were on the other side of the hills! It was thrilling experience!

I was very happy that I was able to complete it. After that my husband was saying You were walking slowly & steadily without taking any rest. So at a same pace if you walk, walking 15km may not be that difficult for you. I told him, Slow & steady wins the race!


Then we have walked down to the hotel where we were staying, had our lunch & went to sleep! Surprisingly by the time we got up from our sleep we did not have any pain in our feet, so again we went to Arunachaleswar temple & to all other temples in Tiruvannamalai. There were more than 16temples in Tiruannamalai! We had completed all the temples, because for next day we were planning to climb the Hills even though my husband doubted my ability to climb the hills because of the 15km walk on that day!

On 3rd day of our stay i.e. on 14th June, as planned we were ready to climb the hills. On the previous day evening when we had visited the Ramana Maharshi Ashram we were told that if we climb the hills from the Ashram side the distance was less, even though the hills were steep. So we have decided to climb from the Ashram side. So we went to Ramana Ashram. They have guided us to the foot of hills. There were no steps. Only Rocky path! We were not wearing footwear because the hills were sacred, so we were not supposed to wear footwear.

We have started climbing the hills. The climb was very steep; suddenly one person has come to us from now where. He was looking like a villager. He had accompanied us for some time, and then suddenly he had given me a long stick by way of support while climbing the hills. It really helped me. The hills were at a height of 3000ft. Because there were no steps, & stony path, the climbing had become tougher. But the person who was coming with us was very much encouraging. We used to ask him as to how much distance we were to climb yet? He used to tell hardly few mints more! So with a feeling of accomplishment we used to climb further. At last we were on top of the hills. I felt because that villager was with us we were able to climb the hills other wise we would have came back from the middle of our trecking.

From there we could see the complete Arunachala temple. It was very beautiful! Then we climbed to Skanda Ashram, where Swami Ramana Maharshi stayed in silence for seven years! We went inside the Ashram. There was a room where Ramana Maharshi used to sit in silence for those seven years. In that room one pujari was singing beautifully Ramana stotram. We were permitted to sit in that room. I was thrilled thinking how lucky I am because I am sitting in the same room where Ramana maharshi sat in silence! I went into Dhyanam for some time. Then we have offered flowers to Ramana Maharshis photo & the pujari came with us & showed us the whole ashram. Then we were ready to leave the Ashram. But the pujari offered us breakfast. We were surprised. When so many visitors come over there daily, I was sure he could not offer food to all the visitors. But once some one offers food we cannot refuse, that too in a sacred place like that. But we know that he had brought that food for himself from Ramana Ashram, & if we eat that he would not have food for himself. So respecting his wish, we had taken one idly each thinking that, that was the Prasadam offered by Ramana Maharshi himself. We were happy & he was happy.

On the hills there was one more Temple called Virupaksha temple. That was also the temple of Lord Shiva. On every year in the month of Kartheeka, when the star Kruthika falls, they light a Jyoti, which is called Kruthika deepam. The belief is that if we see that Jyoti, we will not have rebirth. That is kept for ten days in Kartheeka masam. Many devotees offer cow ghee for that Jyoti

We had started our coming down the hills. Generally what many people do is, they climb the hills from Ramana Ashram side, see the skanda Ashram, Virupaksh temple, & climb down from the other side. Because the other way is distance wise longer, but it is a pathway. Not stony way. But as our foot were not in good condition because of the Giri pradakshina, we though walking again on the rough path was not easy for us. So we had climbed down from the Ramana Ashram side. It took us 1, hour to climb the hills, & 1.15mints to coming down. Even though we have climbed down the hills, we were on cloud 9 because we had accomplished what we have planned!

So our Tiruvannamalai, Arunachala Trip was completed with great feeling of achieving the impossible! Of course many people do this, it was not that difficult. But as we doubted our own abilities, we felt great!
So with happy feelings we have left for Chennai to catch our train to back home!

Hope you too have enjoyed our trip!