Fw: [Newsletter] Arunachala; South India for October, 2007

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Arunachala Grace News - October, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidbits

 

October Newsletter This month in celebration of upcoming Navaratri there is information included in this newsletter on the sumptously celebrated festival. And in keeping with this month's theme of the Goddesss and the energy of the Divine Feminine, there is also information and stories about the Parrot (the vahana of Goddess Meenakshi), which in Hinduism is a symbol of love. Colour Change and more Regular readers of Arunachala Grace News will notice this month the colour of the Newsletter is white and not the usual pink. This is in the hope of making it easier to read for those with less than perfect eyesight. Quo Vadis Inauguration On September 15th (the evening of Ganesha Chaturthi), the Quo Vadis Interfaith Dialogue Center, Tiruvannamalai, was inaugurated. The Center's remit is to "offer you the opportunity to explore the dimensions of your faith and build relationships across borders." Sri Ramana Maharshi Anniversary On 1st September, Sri Ramana Maharshi's Tiruvannamalai arrival was celebrated at Ramana Ashram. It was on that same morning in 1896, that Ramana Maharshi (then known as Venkataraman) boarded the train to Tiruvannamalai - a journey that would lead to a Life and Message that was destined to change the lives of a countless number of people.

 

Ramana Maharshi Biography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adi Annamalai Temple

 

The name of this Temple, Adi Annamalai means 'first' or 'ancient' Annamalai (Arunachaleshwarar). Its size is small and it occupies only ½ acre in size – compared with the 25-26 acre size of Arunachaleswarar Temple on the Tiruvannamalai side of the Hill. The legend of Adi Annamalai recounts that Brahma, after His dispute with Vishnu about the fiery column, made a lingam and went to the other side of the Hill to worship Shiva. Thus, this lingam is supposed to be the first, ancient and original lingam of Annamalai and hence the name Adi Annamalai. It is reported that the vision of Arunachala from this Temple is known as Siva Yoga Muka Darshan and the great Siddha Thirumoolar saw this aspect. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi who used to camp at Adi Annamalai for up to 2-3 nights while performing Giri Valam was reported to have said that while at the Temple he heard the celestial recital of 'Sama Veda'. In spite of its illustrious history and position as one of the foremost Temples at Arunachala, the Adi Annamalai Temple was sadly neglected in the 20th Century. The last time Adi Annamalai Temple was renovated was during the years 1903-1918 when work was financed by a group of Chettiar devotees. A subsequent Kumbabhishekam was celebrated in 1967; but the puja was neither proper nor performed in the correct way. Since that time no substantial renovation or maintenance work has occurred at this Temple. A Swami (well known in this area) would meditate at Adi Annamalai Temple from between 1988-1992 for up to 4 hours a day. While at the Temple he couldn't fail but notice the whole of it was in a bad condition; there was only meagre lighting as the entire electrical wiring was in a damaged condition and the Temple was full of bats and had a very bad smell. Even though, the Adi Annamalai Temple falls under the aegis of The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, at that time, it was not properly maintained. As a result of a near electrocution of an innocent visitor, our Swami became inspired to take action. He found out that the necessary electrical work for the Temple would cost Rs.75,000/-, so went about utilising contacts to raise the amount. Within 6 months money was raised and the work of installing new electrical wiring throughout the Temple completed. At the electrical inauguration, The Temple Board Deputy Commissioner coincidentally visited Adi Annamalai and while there spoke to Swami saying, "Swami you should now do the full renovation of this Temple and also arrange the subsequent Maha Kumbabhishekam". Swami was perplexed as he had raised Rs.115,000/- for the electrical work and ceremonies but found that the estimate for a full Temple renovation and lavish Maha Kumbabhishekam would come to 30 Lakhs – and there was only Rs.25,000 remaining from the electrical work collection. However after prayful meditation, Swami became convinced that he had the Grace and Blessings of Sri Ramana Maharshi to undertake the work, so went about raising funds and overseeing all renovation and rebuilding work at Adi Annamalai Temple. Ganesha Puja was performed on January 26th, 1993 and in February 7th, 1994 Temple work officially started. The work to be undertaken: wiring, rebuilding crumbling stucco idols at all Towers, new flooring, roof tiled with brick tiles, rooms renovated including all doors and all palanquins (for procession of idols) to be repaired and painted. The entire work took 2½ years to complete and cost approximately the 30 Lakhs that was originally estimated (i.e. U.S.$75,500). Previously few pilgrims visited Adi Annamalai Temple, however nowadays during Poornima (when about 5 Lakhs visit Tiruvannamalai) about 50,000 pilgrims come to take darshan at Adi Annamalai Temple. The narrative of this unique and extraordinary Temple will be continued in the next issue of Arunachala Grace News (i.e. November, 2007).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rose Ringed Parakeet

 

The Rose Ringed Parakeet, also known as the Ringnecked Parakeet, is a gregarious tropical parakeet species. It is has a long pointed tail and is a smaller edition of the Alexandrine Parakeet. The Rose Ringed Parakeet is noisy and flocks about cultivation in lightly-wooded countryside. It is one of the most familiar of Indian birds, as much at home in the countryside as within villages and towns. This non-migrating species is one of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in 'disturbed habitats', and in that way has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. The bird, commonplace all around the Arunachala area, can often be found banded in large flocks. Its call is a loud, sharp, screaming 'keeak, keeak, keeak' uttered both at rest and while flying. Its flight is swift and direct, with rapid wing beats. The Rose Ringed Parakeet's nesting season, which varies locally, is chiefly February to April. Its nest is generally a natural hollow in a tree-trunk, or one excavated by the birds themselves. Holes in rock scraps and walls of buildings, ruined or in occupation, often within noisy towns are freely utilized. This bird lays 4-6, pure white, roundish oval shaped eggs. Both sexes share all domestic duties. The domestic population of this bird is decreasing drastically due to trapping for the pet trade.

 

Rose Ringed Parakeet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango

 

The Mango (Mangifera Indica) indigenous to India and common throughout Tiruvannamalai District has been cultivated (in this country) for over 4000 years. India produces almost half of the world's total mango crops. The Mango tree is a large evergreen with a heavy, dome-shaped crown. Fruit, which takes from three to six months to ripen, is a drupe and hangs from the tree on long stems. The Mango is well-known for its medicinal properties both in unripe and ripe states. The unripe fruit is acidic, astringent and antiscorbutic and the fruits' skin is astringent and a tonic stimulant. The bark of the mango tree is also astringent and has a marked action on mucous membranes. Unripe green mangoes are beneficial in toning up the liver and in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders. In this respect it is effective in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, piles, morning sickness, chronic dyspepsia, indigestion, constipation and bilious disorders. The green mango increases the elasticity of blood vessels and helps in the formation of new blood cells. It aids the absorption of food and prevents bleeding tendencies and increases resistance against tuberculosis, anemia, cholera and dysentery. The ripe mango is antiscorbutic, diuretic, laxative, invigorating, fattening and astringent. It tones up heart muscles, improves complexion and stimulates appetite. The fruit is beneficial in the treatment of night blindness, prevents the development of refractive errors, dryness of the eyes, and softening of the cornea of the eye. The mango is a valuable source of vitamin C, B1, B2, A and niacin. (The concentration of vitamins in the fruit depends on environmental conditions and the fruits' maturity). The ripe fruit also contains tartaric acid, malic acid and traces of citric acid.

 

Mango Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Answer

 

Only one thing can transform, and that is going beyond the mind, going beyond thinking, and coming to a space where the sky is absolutely without clouds. And then no question arises, and no answer is needed. People think that Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Zarathustra, or Lao Tzu have found the answer. They are wrong. They have lost both – the question and the answer. They have found a silence, undisturbed either by questions or by answers . . . Mind is very cunning. It will use traditions, it will use religions, it will use philosophies – just to survive. It will give you all kinds of questions but any question raised by the mind is as futile as any answer found by the mind. Mind is an exercise in utter futility. Only very few people in the world have been able to find the truth that the mind is our only problem. If we can go beyond mind into silence, into utter and profound silence - undisturbed by anything, not even a ripple of thought – then we have found it . . . not the answer, but something existential, a transformation, a mutation, a revolution in ourselves which destroys all questions and all answers, and leaves us in utter serenity, in a tremendous beatitude. Meditation is nothing but annihilation of the mind. Meditation is not the training of the mind - meditation is simply cessation of the mind . . . Be a witness to the mind. In your witnessing, the beyond will open its doors.[Dalai Lama]

 

Dalai Lama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navaratri

 

The upcoming Navaratri festival will occur between 12th October to its culmination on 21st October with Vijaya Dashami. The festival, which is sumptuously celebrated throughout Shakti Temples at Tiruvannamalai is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme Goddess. During the first 3 days the Goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called Durga in order to destroy our impurities, vices and defects. In the Skanda Purana this legend is enacted in a story which relates how the demon Mahishasura was lured to his destruction by the Goddess. Over the second 3 days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth. The final 3 days is spent in worshipping the Goddess of Wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have success in life, it is believed necessary to focus on these aspects of the Divine Feminine during the festival's nine nights of worship.

 

Navaratri and Durga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Land Information

 

Up to 5 years ago it was possible to buy prime agricultural land (with a good water source) within a couple of kilometres of the Hill for under 2 Lakhs an acre. The main reason for this undervaluing of land was due to the fact that 'Tiruvannamalai' is classified as a 'backward area'. In this respect even now official Land Registry prices of both urban and agricultural land is priced very low. Over the last years due to a variety of factors, land prices are experiencing a continuous and steep vertical rise. Land which cost Rs.100,000 an acre just five years ago is now selling around 15 Lakhs plus nowadays. (A Lakh is a 100,000). Reasons for price rise: 1) Professional out-of-town brokers and speculators artificially inflating land prices. 2) Certain groups of financiers, such as Jains and Chettiars, buying land for investment purposes. 3) The District Collectorate moving to this area and thereby making Tiruvannamalai the District Headquarters. 4) Development and promotion of the area for tourist purposes by the Tiruvannamalai Municipality. 5) Increasing fame of Arunachala and the huge increase of new high income residents. 6) The attraction of New Age Gurus developing Ashrams at Tiruvannamalai. For the above reasons good land (with water supply) located within 3 kilometres of the base of Arunachala is priced at between 15 to 30 Lakhs an acre. Urban land for the purpose of individual house units costs anywhere from Rs.200-Rs.600 a square foot. If the above prices are already too steep for some wishing to relocate to Tiruvannamalai, then one has to travel up to 12 kilometres from the base of Arunachala to start finding available land at pre-boom prices and where it is still possible to find tracts of agricultural land at under 3 Lakhs an acre. Land prices will NOT be going down in price and one doubts that land prices will plateau and stabilise for at least another 2-3 years. Prices will continue to go up and stay up. To all readers of Arunachala Grace News who remember with nostalgia the cheapness of prime land at Arunachala, be assured bargain basement days are over and you now have to pay SERIOUS money for what you want. A possibility for those who wish to start up Centres or Farms, and want to remain close to the Hill, is to LEASE land. For foreigners Lease Deed is an easy, legal and secure method to be able to utilise land for anywhere between 12 - 50 years without having the huge outlay of purchase or the complications of setting up a Trust. If you need help or assistance in finding out more about real estate (sales or lease) in this area, you are welcome to get in touch with: arunachalameenakshi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arunachala Grace Network

 

Aum! Let us listen with our ears to that which is auspicious, adorable one. Let us perceive with our eyes what is holy and auspicious. With strong, stable body and limbs, may we seek the Divine Grace and accept the noble order of all our life. *************************

Arunachala Grace Newsletter www.arunachalasamudra.org www.arunachalagrace.blogspot.com contact: arunachalana We are including a facility on this newsletter for readers who do not yet have their own subscription. [Please remember to adjust your 'spam' recognition to facilitate acceptance of the Newsletter]: Click Here to Subscribe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love

 

Love itself speaks through every pore of your body, You need not open your mouth, There is no word for Love. What you can speak about And what you can experience is not Love. All thought and speech is philosophy, not Love. For everything else you need to work. There are sadhanas and paths and ways, But there is no path to Love. There is no Centre which will teach you Love. Bones will melt in true Love, Let alone mind and ego. Nothing is in True Love. So long for only your own Self and you will Be That. Taking time is just postponement And interest in something else. Love is the spontaneous Indweller of your Heart. [sri HWL Poonja]

 

Official Website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspirational Words

 

Some of your hurts you have cured And the sharpest you still have survived But what torments of grief you endured For evils which never arrived Emerson I, Lord, went wandering like a strayed sheep, seeking Thee with anxious reasoning without, whilst Thou wast within me. I went round the streets and squares of the city seeking thee; and I found thee not, because in vain I sought without for him who was within myself. St. Augustine Whatever we leave to God, God does; and blesses us; The work we choose should be our own, God lets alone. Henry David Thoreau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Parrot

 

Meenakshi Vahana In Hindu mythology a vahana or vehicle (sometimes called a mount) is an animal closely associated with a particular deity. Similarities can be found in the religious associations of Hindu vehicle animals to animal totems and familiars in non-Hindu belief systems. Sacred animals who become the vahanas of various Hindu gods, symbolize and complement the energy or character of the deity and come to be integral to the iconography of that God and are thereafter always depicted with them. Each God or Goddess is in charge of a particular energy they control. These vehicles actually symbolize the various energies that exist in the Universe as well as in human beings. In the case of the Goddess Meenakshi, the Green Parrot vahana she is always associated with is a symbol of love. The Goddess has a particular association with Arunachala in that she was the Deity Sri Ramana Maharshi worshipped as a young lad while living at Madurai. Parrot (and others) at Adi Annamalai With careful attention to detail during renovation of Adi Annamalai Temple, the little openings at the top of the compound walls surrounding the Temple were preserved so they could continue to remain as nesting places for: parrots, doves, pigeons, sparrows, owls and bats. If you enter the compound of Adi Annamalai during bird nesting season, you will often be met with clouds of parrots and doves going on flypast. Parrot at Big Temple The parrot, the bird associated with the Divine Mother, has a curious connection with Arunachaleswara Temple where a ornately painted mortar image of a parrot (Kili) can be seen in a niche in the Kili Gopuram tower at the Temple. The story involves Arunagirinatha, a famous saint of Tiruvannamalai, who legend has it happily spent the last years of his life in the form of a parrot resident at the Temple.

 

Arunagirinatha as a Parrot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bull Delightful

 

Once upon a time, in Northern India, in a city called Takkasila, an Enlightenment Being was born as a calf. Since he was well bred for strength, he was bought by a high class rich man who became very fond of the gentle animal, and called him 'Delightful'. When Delightful grew up into a big fine strong bull, he thought, "I am a big grown up bull and there is no other bull who can pull as heavy a load as I can. Therefore, I would like to use my strength to give something in return to my master." So he said to the man, "Sir, please find some wealthy merchant and challenge him by saying that your bull can pull one hundred heavily loaded bullock carts." Following his advice, the high class rich man went to such a merchant and struck up a conversation. After a while, he brought up the idea of who had the strongest bull in the city. The man said, "Sir, I have a bull who can pull one-hundred heavily loaded bullock carts." The merchant replied, "This I don't believe and I am willing to bet a thousand gold coins that your bull cannot pull a hundred loaded bullock carts." So the bet was made and they agreed on a date and time for the challenge. The merchant attached together one-hundred big bullock carts. He filled them with sand and gravel to make them very heavy. The high class rich man fed the finest rice to the bull called Delightful. He bathed him and decorated him and hung a beautiful garland of flowers around his neck. Then he harnessed him to the first cart and climbed up onto it. Being so high class, he could not resist the urge to make himself seem very important. So he cracked a whip in the air, and yelled at the faithful bull, "Pull, you dumb animal! I command you to pull, you big dummy!" The bull called Delightful thought, "This challenge was my idea! I have never done anything bad to my master, and yet he insults me with such hard and harsh words!" So he remained in his place and refused to pull the carts. The merchant laughed and demanded his winnings from the bet. The rich man had to pay him the one-thousand gold coins. He returned home and sat down, saddened by his lost bet, and embarrassed by the blow to his pride. The bull called Delightful grazed peacefully on his way home. When he arrived, he saw his master sadly lying on his side. He asked. "Sir, why are you lying there like that? Are you sleeping? You look sad." The man said, "I lost a thousand gold coins because of you. With such a loss, how could I sleep?" The bull replied, "Sir, you called me 'dummy'. You even cracked a whip in the air over my head. In all my life, did I ever break anything, step on anything, make a mess in the wrong place, or behave like a 'dummy' in any way?" The man answered, "No, my pet." The bull called Delightful said, "Then sir, why did you call me 'dumb animal', and insult me even in the presence of others? The fault is yours. I have done nothing wrong. But since I feel sorry for you, go again to the merchant and make the same bet for two-thousand gold coins. And remember to use only the respectful words I deserve so well." Then the high class rich man went back to the merchant and made the bet for two-thousand gold coins. The merchant thought it would be easy money. When all was ready, the rich man touched Delightful's forehead with a lotus blossom, having given up the whip. Thinking of him as fondly as if he were his own child, he said. "My son, please do me the honor of pulling these one-hundred bullock carts." Lo and behold, the wonderful bull pulled with all his might and dragged the heavy carts, until the last one stood in the place of the first. The merchant, with his mouth hanging open in disbelief, had to pay the two-thousand gold coins. The onlookers were so impressed that they honoured the bull called Delightful with gifts. But even more important to the high class rich man than his winnings, was his valuable lesson in humility and respect. The moral is: Harsh words bring no reward. Respectful words bring honour to all.