HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - Part 79

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HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - WHY DO WE FOLLOW THOSE? GIRI VALAM Girivalam (also called Giri Valam or Giri-Dakshina) spiritual festival observed on every full moon day at Tiruvannamalai for sacred Mountain Annamalai. In tamil language, "Giri" means mountain and "Valam" means circumambulation. People with spiritual seeking choose to walk around the mountain and worship Aruanachala temple of Tiruvannamalai on pournami day called Girivalam. It is the circumambulation of the GURU - walking around the Mountain and is usually done barefoot.

The custom of Giri Valam, Giri Pradakshina, or Pradakshina Giki-Dakshina, has been in use since times immemorial. For the Enlightened Indian holy man Bhagavan Shri Ramana Maharshi, the Sage of Arunachala, this was a regular and enjoyable thing. He used to say that the red sores caused by the sharp pebbles on the soles, while doing Giri Valam on barefoot, will be the rubies for the crown of the Lord. The word Pradakshina itself has profound meaning. · PRA - Expels sins

· DA - Grants ones wishes

· KSHI - Destroys karma

· NA - Liberation /Self Realization/Death of the Ego. The word Giri Valam translates thus: · GIRI - Hill

· VALAM - Circumambulation

The mountain in this Annamalai sthala is full of unequalled greatness. In Krita Yuga, the Lord stood in the form of Fire, hence it became the Fire Mountain . In tretha Yuga, it was a Mountain of precious gems (rathna). In dvapara Yuga it stood in the form of Bronze and now in Kaliyuga it has become a stone hill. This is the substance of Arunachala Purana. The holy Annamalai Hill is the manifestation of Lord Shiva who arose as the column of fire to crush the ego of Brahma and Vishnu and later stood still as the Hill of Arunachala for the world to worship. The significance of Annamalai Hill and the circumambulation of the Hill was narrated to Parvati by Sage Gautama what He had learnt from Lord Shiva. Of The the word Pradakshina (circumambulation ), 'Pra' would mean rooting out sins, 'da' would mean granting desires, 'kshi' would mean to destroy the fruits of karma and 'na' would mean to bestow liberation. But the greatness of Annamalai is such that Lord Shiva Himself circumambulates the Hill in the company of Rishis, Ganas and Devas at the time of the sacred Uttarayana for the world's benefit. Sage Gautma narrates that a feet that bleeds on account of going around Annamalai, it is wiped with the Mandara flowers from Devandra's head. The feet of a person injured during the Pradakshina is soothed with the kumkum or the vermilion which is smeared on the body of Lakshmi. While Shiva abides as Annamalai on earth, the celestial beings and saints circumambulate it.It is said by Shiva that the Devas circumambulate the Hill everyday and the sun and other celestial bodies have said to have attained their lordship as a result of circumambulating it. The Devas and the Rishis with the view of attaining liberation in the avoidance of future births have assumed the forms of trees in the proximity of the Lord. Giri Valam should be undertaken after having a bath, on bare foot, with a pure and meditative mind. It is better to do it alone or at least the group should be small. It is better to observe silence or silent chanting of Arunachala. Girivalam is connected to the hill Annamalai , considered as a deity and god Shiva temple called Arunachaleswarar an Tamil ancient massive shrine found at the bottom of the Tiruvannamalai hill. This Arunachaleswarar temple named after "The mountain of fire" . The god who lives there also called by the same name. In sanskrit "Arunam" stands for fire with red colour, "asalam" can be read as "malai" or hill. In fact the mountain is red in color, stand high for 2668 feet with 16 KM in diameter (approximately). During the Girivalam(Giri valam) circling, people visit eight siva lingams located around the Arunachala mountain. Each lingam represent one direction, if you watch closely Tiruvannamalai town itself structured around this lingams in octagonal dimension. Each lingam has its own name Indra Lingam, Agni Lingam, Yama Lingam, Niruthi Lingam, Varuna Lingam, Vayu Lingam, Kubera Lingam and Esanya Lingam. Indian spiritual history has it that even today a number of siddhars are living on the hill. During the fullmoon Maha Girivalam (Giri Valam) or Deepam festival day of Karthigai month It siddhars movement would be there and the whole atmosphere would be filled with perfumes of herbal plants. This will provide peace of mind and good health to body. It is a proven fact that Tiruvannamalai girivalam pulls 100,000 of devotees to circumambulate the Arunachala mountain and obtain seeken wish comes true by praying to siva Annamalai.The giri valam circumambulation path has been well maintained with rows of sodium lights around the hill.People can walk round the clock 24 hours a day without any fear or getting lost.. To improve the devotees experience, Tiruvannamalai town government has

established many road side stores as well as strict vigilant Police patrol around the mountain. Anga Pradakshna : The custom of circling the hill by the unique way of rolling with the entire bidy has been in vogue for a very long time. This way of circumbulation with the entire bidy is alled Anga Pradakshna. Peopale who observe this ritual will roll a coconut and stand where it has stopped, bow to the hill and continue with their circumbulation. The firm belief is that barren couples will be blessed with offspring if they go around the hill with devotion in their heart. And it is Deemed to be specially sacred to go round the mountain in the month ippasi, Karthigai, And Margazhi. It is certain that such devotees will be blessed with divine grace. In other parts of the year , the first day of Chitirai, on the the Sivaratri Day in the month of Masi, on the monthly karigai days, on Full Moon Days, it is equally holy to go around the hill. Legends declare that those who make a circuit of this hill on Sunday after a holy bath and making gifts will attain liberation. It is customary to poetically describe it as securing Sivahood after piercing through the Sun's Cosmos. Similarly a circuit on Mondays with Wet clothes will Secure the State of Siva after reigning over the seven worlds like Devendra. Tuesday Circuits confer freedom from poverty and the cause of Births and deaths that follow eternally like a chain.. Circling the hill on Wednesday will make scholars proficient in four Vedas, six Sastras and Sixty four Arts, They are propelled towars Mukti - liberation. Thursdays are equally effective in elevating one to a staus equal to Devas and praised by sages. Fridays elevate one t the Vishnu Padha. i.e. grace of Vishnu. Those who go round in the dawn on Saturday will secure the grace of Navagrahas. The first day of Chitirai, the three months commencing from iyappasiconfers special boons on those who circumambulate. As Devas and sages also circumambulate this hill in invisible form, mortals should avoid carriages, blankets, umberlla, Sandal, betel etc. while going round. Their heart should be entirely filled only with thoughts of Arunachaleswara. While coming round, any noise sounded in Palani Andavar Sannadhi will echo. Even lame devotees undergo this penance.. The Arunachala Purana describes that when a lame devotee was cirumambulating with the aid of wooden sturt, Lord Siva appeared before him and blessed him with legs. On the way round, near the Chengam route on the left is the Vair Kannu. Here stones suitable for making images are found. The work relating to Valluvar kottam at Madras was carried on only here. Milestones have been fixed all along the route around the hill. They are 700 years old, and they carry insciptons of 13 th century ad. in Tamil. They have a great historical importance. A monthly ritual, a token of devotion working a stage in spiritual developments. The illumination of the entire disc of moon, is a monthly feature devotees drawn from different parts of the land visit the temple and phallic symbol placed in the sanctum sanctorum, and the mother Goddess 'UMA' and dextrally move in a circle in large numbers keeping the hill as the centre covering in a complete round a distance of nearly fifteen kilometers. Viewing the vicissitudes of the vesture by which the nature covers the vertical monument. Observing on all sides from the ground floor to the heavenly peak the changing moods of the hill. Worshipping all along the way the hundred and odd lingams the masculine means of majesty, the phallic symbols used extensively in the cult of worship of 'Siva' and erected at regular intervals the procreative force (lingam). Having a sense of detachment Felling their oneness with the nature as they are On joyous journey as Go round the world, the universe, the constellations, all of which are his myth and manifestations. Seeking spiritual union with the savior of all and for sometime the aspirants of higher aims are away from the harassing material world. Devotees Glow in Health and return home refreshed This monthly malaivalam, circuiting the sublime hill gives devotees spiritual power and relief from tension allays their suffering and alleviate their pain, calms their agitations and composes their feelings comforts them to a state to rest and joy offers an additional brightness of cheerfulness. This circumbulation issues a vital glow to the devotees who gain marvelous strength. All these one has to personally acquire and enjoy. The devotees return home refreshed and rejuvenated and refined regaining their lost hope and vigor with their psychic energy of primitive impulses converted into socially acceptable channels of endeavor. One who thinks Arunachalam and desire to go around by water covering 15km the Arunachala hill and forwarding one foot will get equal benefit of Yagam and for second foot he will achieve the benefit of Raja suya Yagam and with clear mind of third foot will achieve Aswameda Yagam and who continues further will get beneficial of all Yagams. Siddhas and devotees from various part of the World walk around on all days. In the full moon day of every month, lakhs of devotees go around the hill regularly.

Every angular sight of this holy hill - also known as Annamalai in the divine parameters of the upper worlds-offers various types of Godly visions of the mountain on your every footsteps and each such angular vision carries behind it thousand fold munificence and divine beneficence of the almighty all the 72000 cores of human physiology - are divinely activated and blissfully stream lined when you perform Girivalam here. the spiritual splendor of this holy mountain is enjoyed by physical circumambulation, under the divine guidelines of Sathguru who reveals its divine splendor .

The Siddhas tell going around the hill once destroys the karma of ten million births. That means nothing is as effective as MALAI VALAM. And siddhas like Sathguru Maharishi Venkatramana preaches devotees to walk around hill at least once in their life. Tiruvannamalai History Tiruvannamalai City Under Hoysala Kingdom Tiruvannamalai is an ancient city exists since 8th Century. Ellappa Nayanar the Sixteenth century Tamil scholar, recorded extensively about Tiruvannamalai town in his Arunachala Puranam tamil literature work. There is an Sansksrit literature work called Arunachala Mahatmyam written in same period. But there is known controversey among Sanskirit and Tamil scholoars, in claiming which literature is written first about tiruvannamalai history. Unlike Sanskirt version, ancient Tamil scholoar Ellappa Nayanar's has extensively recorded about the Tiruvannamalai City architecture and the legendary stories about King Vallalan the Hoysala empire. The king has contributed in spreading the benefit of Girivalam

and Arunachala temple. Which Subsequently helped the expansion of Tiruvannamalai town. King Vallala was ruling entire south india from Deccan Plateu with Dwarasamdura as capital. Now called Halebid lay to the north-west of Mysore . We can still see the richness of Hoysala art, architecture and its unique style distinguished by a high density of details and embellishments, among the remains of city Halebid. Till then history of Tiruvannamalai can be sporadically tracked among Chozha, Pandiya Tamil literature work ranging period from 6th century to 8th century. The eldest script would be 6th century tamil script written on Madurai Meenakshi Temple wall, referring grandfather of Madurai meeta Sundara pandiyan (Who liberated Madurai from Kaalee ruler) Kulesekara Pandiyan II. In the script, Tiruvannamalai and has been mentioned as Thiruvanangum Malai as part of Madurai kingdom, . As we know the enormous details of Tiruvannamalai History began appearing only after Ellappa Nayinar's Arunachala Puranam. King Vallalan Founder of Tiruvannamalai Town King Vallalan's devotion and piety are celebrated in chapter seven of the Arunachala Purananam, written in sixteenth century by Ellapa Nayinar. The work is based on the Arunachala Mahatmyam, written several centuries before in Sansksrit, but the chapter dealing with King Vallalan and his exploits in Tiruvannamalaai can only be found in the Tamil version. To find out why he is so revered in Tiruvannamalali, and indeed, why he was in Tirvannamalai at all, it is necessary to go back a few years and give an account of his family history. Tiruvanamalai History in Arunachala Puranam King Vallala succeeded his father Narasimha later expanded his territory upto Tiruvannamalai by taking over his father brother's kingdom on 31st January ,1292. He was thirty years old when he crowned as king. Later he lost most of his ruling territory to Delhi Sultan Ala-u-din Khaliji shrinked to south and kept the Tiruvannamalai as one of his capital. Since then the Grace of Arunachala spread all over india and Tiruvannamalai become main spot for spiritual Pilgrims. There are Eight Lingas,Eight Nandis more than 350 tanks and many mandapas around the hill..The Eight Lingums are Indra Lingam (East)This is the first lingam while the hill circumambulation, worshipping thislingam yields healthy and wealthy life.Agni Lingam (South East)This is the second lingam, It placed near The Lotus tank, This is the onlylingam

placed on right side of the circumambulation path, all other lingamsare placed on left side, It occupies the South East direction, worshippinghere retrieves us from all diseases and to face challenges of life.Yema Lingam (South)This is the third lingam, and next to Agni lingam and 3 kilometer away fromthe Rajagopuram, and it occupies the South direction, it also has a holytank called "Simma Theertha", it is believed that, worship of this solveseconomical problems.Niruthi Lingam (South

West)This is the fourth lingam, while we see the peak of the holy hillArunachala, it views accompanying of two parts of mountain and shows 'Sivan'and 'Sakthi' together. It placed in south west of Arunachala. It also hasa holy tank nearby, called "Sani Theertha", worshipping here relieves usfrom our difficulties.Varuna Lingam (West)This temple placed West of the hill Arunachala, this is the fifth lingam. Itis 8 kilometers away from the Rajagopuram. One of the holy tank called"Varuna theertha" is here. Workship of this temple retrieves from crucialdiseases and promotes ones social status.Vayu Lingam ( North West )The whole world is made up of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky. no livingcreature can survive without Air. While reaching this temple we feel thepleasantness of spring and get peace of mind. it is placed in Northwestdirection. Worshipping here is of confers boon on ladies and children.Kubera Lingam : (North)This is the seventh lingam. Almost

all of the devotees , who comes forcircumambulation, worship here by soaring coins and currencies on thislingam. Worship of this lingam grants economical growth, and promotes peaceof mind. It is placed in North direction.Esanya Lingam (North East)This is the eighth and last lingam. Here gets peace of mind ability toconcentrate mind on God works out his way to heaven. KARTIKAI FESTIVAL (Karthigai Deepam) As an annual festival feature, when the moon shows its whole disc illuminated in the month of Karthigai the celebration becomes a week long temple function. A big brass vessel especially designed in the form of a lamp is lifted to the peak of the hill; it is filled with tins and tins of ghee and pots and pots of butter; and an enormously thick wick made of loosely twisted woven fibers (clothes) is immersed into the vessel and one end of the wick is drawn out to the apex and is ignited with burning camphor and the thick wick fully soaked in ghee acting by capillary attraction conveys the ghee the main illuminant to the flame around 6 pm when the sunlit full moon disc emerges from the east and comes on to the horizon. The luminous glow of the lamp atop the hill opens the

eyes of millions of people to something divine and auspicious and ardent devotees and others see in the burning light lord of the world and remain visibly, moved with their mouths uttering "Om Arunachaleshwaraya Namaha", Here man lights the largest wick of the largest lamp once a year and the world goes into rapture sings his songs of grace.

Deepam - The Symbol of Lord Arunachala

History has is that the practice came into existence following a dispute between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma over who was the superior of the two after the some hindrance to their attempts to gauge their strength, the two prayed to Lord Siva for his Grace.

Their test was to find the top and the bottom of a blazing mount which was actually Siva. Lord Siva blessed lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma and said that he would appear as a Jothi (flame) on top of the hill. It is to perpetuate this event that the flame is lit on top of the holy hill during the month of Karthigai (November - December).

This festival begins in the Uthiradam (Star) day in Karthigai and winds up with the Bharani Deepam lit in the early hours of the tenth day. The Deepam is lit at dusk, coinciding with a Full Moon. The Deepam can be seen even from a distance of 45 Km. Real image of lord Arunachala is viewed in the appearance of "Agni". This is celebrated every year as the remembrance of one of the image of lord Arunachala as fire. During the holy day, more than 10,00,000 devotees get this heavenly worship of Lord. Girivalam Circumambulation Tips 1.. Normally people start just before dawn or after sunfall. As Tiruvannamalai is rocky place day time may not be suitable because of hot sun and dry humidity weather.

2.. As per custom full day fasting is required before you circle the mountain. People eat only after completing the walk around mountain. 3.. Walking around the hill is kind of walking meditation where you supposed concentrate your steps and chanting your preferred mantra. You hear many different slogans and chanting like arunachala arunachala, annamalaikku arohara, siva siva, muruga muruga, ramanana, Krishna Krishna yogi ramsuratkumara, yesuvey yesuvey, jesus Christ and buddham saranam kachaami etc. As per my guru Yogi ramsuratkumar, which ever mantra you like to chant which ever god you like to pray , whomever you want to

follow as a guru doesn’t matter. What count is remembering god and being spiritual.

4.. Good to keep a bottle of distilled water with you and first aid medicine like glucose in case your body experience the low sugar because of fasting. You see people serving free water, milk and juices throughout the girivalam path, you can try if you want!!! ...but remember you don’t break the fasting until you finish mountain circling.

5.. Keep ample of 1 rupees and 50 paise coins so you can ration to anyone who is in need. By doing this you are actually helping your karma to curb it’s previous sins (local saying)

6.. Please note 14 km of walking around the arunachala mountain must be done with bare foot and no shoe wearing. Occasionally you will be pinched by small pebble on the path or others may step on your toe giving you refreshment and acupuncture effect, you find enjoy walking. On karthikai month ( November) you see enormous crowd more than a million dashing, it is better in crowd and walk carefully. 7. The most remarkable thing you notice during the girivalam is people who is walking along with you. People from Europe/America/asia and Africa will be walking along for some mysterious reason and seeking. The reason they choose to walk with you on this specific day, because both of your karma has some kind of contact, that connection pulled both of you to cross again. Nice isn’t, but thats what spiritual seekers says. So be gentle in case someone step on your toe while walking...

 

dil se,

Bharath.Krishna

Doha, Qatar

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