Daily life in Tiruvannamalai

[Guest guest]

I want to write to answer questions about how we find 'daily life' in

Tiruvannamalai.

 

So far this has been easy for us. We have received much grace, and so

have a nice quiet place to live, in a small village about 2 K outside

of Tiru with a wonderful darshan of Arunachala.

 

In terms of meals, the house has two gas burners, and a small

refrigerator. We are able to get all the fresh fruit and vegetables we

need from the market area. Right now we eat breakfast and often the

evening meal in our house, and may have lunch (or sometimes the

evening meal) out at either Ramanasramam or at a restaurant. Near

Ramanasramam are several restaurants that cater to Westerners. Some

have a more Indian type of food than others. For the more adventurous,

there are a number of places that are really for locals, serving

typical South-Indian food.

 

Water is something where care needs to be taken. The ground or tap

water may not be drinkable by westerners, due to bacterial, etc. where

we have not yet developed immunities. For visitors, either buy bottled

water or fill the bottles with good filtered water from Ramanasramam.

We have a big bottle of good water we can buy in town. For the long

term we are thinking of putting a UV filter in the water line coming

into the house. We have well water here, but need to treat it before

we can drink.

 

We have electricity. It seems to crash a few hours most days. We have

cell phones. Calls to the US are easily made and inexpensive. We are

still working on getting Internet access from the house, so go to

Internet cafes. Some of these offer wifi and broadband, most have

modem connection and computers for our use. The computers will

generally take USB 'memory sticks' so files can be uploaded and

downloaded and transferred to our computers at home.

 

We have a bathroom with a Western toilet, and a shower with a very

small hot water heater.

 

We do find other Westerners here. Most are just temporary visitors,

some are relatively long-term visitors (who maybe stay up to six

months, and come each year), and a few are long-term residents. Most

seem drawn by Ramana.

 

To get to town, we have made arrangements with a rickshaw driver. We

pay a flat rate per week and call his cell phone when we need to go

somewhere.

 

We walk a lot, like up to Skandanasram, or from our house to

Arunachala. From our house it is maybe 15 minutes to the inner path.

We get to the path about 1 K from the main access point, on the SW

side of the mountain. This side of the mountain has a forest at the

base. We will get to know this forest, and the nooks and craneys of

this side of Arunachala, and find good places to meditate.

 

There are many here who will try to take advantage of Westerners,

including perhaps some 'gurus' who come during the busy season to

offer satsang, etc. I put quotes around guru, since I have heard

questions about many of these. We understand that there are gurus who

teach from great spiritual depth, and they may not be as readily

available to the general public. Right now we are not looking for a

guru. We have Nome as Guru, and Arunachala.

 

My day starts maybe 5 AM. I will go up on the roof with a cup a tea

and meditate (self-inquiry) with Arunachala as long as I have good

focus. Then I will sit in the quiet with Arunachala and watch the day

begin around me, with the people, birds, etc. After breakfast maybe we

will read aloud from 'Song of Ribhu' and maybe go to Ramanasramam, or

into town for errands. After lunch we come back into the house for a

few hours. Again there may be spiritual reading and quiet meditation.

In the evenings right now I have been making vegetarian dinners - some

kind of rice dish, and some kind of dish from vegetables available

now. After dinner we may read again from 'Song of Ribhu' and listen to

a satsang from Nome. To bed maybe 9 or 9:30.

 

The weather this time of year is comfortable. The last few days it has

rained, often during the night. Typical range from 70 F to 90 F. It

has been cool enough the last few nights that we needed a blanket.

This is, we hear, not usual.

 

Also I will try to post some pictures from Deepam - of the may people

making pradakshina 'round Arunachala, of the people climbing

Arunachala bringing ghee for the lamp (the lamp is about 10 M wide and

is lit for 10 days - so much ghee is needed), the lamp when first lit,

of houses where small ghee lamps are lit after the Deepam flame

starts, and of fireworks in the street set off the night of Deepam.

 

Not two,

richard

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. Feel blessed by reading this. best wishes: Richard Clarke <richard wrote: I want to write to answer questions about how we find 'daily life' inTiruvannamalai.So far this has been easy for us. We have received much grace, and sohave a nice quiet place to live, in a small village about 2 K outsideof Tiru with a wonderful darshan of Arunachala. In terms of meals, the house has two gas burners, and a smallrefrigerator. We are able

to get all the fresh fruit and vegetables weneed from the market area. Right now we eat breakfast and often theevening meal in our house, and may have lunch (or sometimes theevening meal) out at either Ramanasramam or at a restaurant. NearRamanasramam are several restaurants that cater to Westerners. Somehave a more Indian type of food than others. For the more adventurous,there are a number of places that are really for locals, servingtypical South-Indian food. Water is something where care needs to be taken. The ground or tapwater may not be drinkable by westerners, due to bacterial, etc. wherewe have not yet developed immunities. For visitors, either buy bottledwater or fill the bottles with good filtered water from Ramanasramam.We have a big bottle of good water we can buy in town. For the longterm we are thinking of putting a UV filter in the water line cominginto the house. We have well water here, but need

to treat it beforewe can drink. We have electricity. It seems to crash a few hours most days. We havecell phones. Calls to the US are easily made and inexpensive. We arestill working on getting Internet access from the house, so go toInternet cafes. Some of these offer wifi and broadband, most havemodem connection and computers for our use. The computers willgenerally take USB 'memory sticks' so files can be uploaded anddownloaded and transferred to our computers at home. We have a bathroom with a Western toilet, and a shower with a verysmall hot water heater. We do find other Westerners here. Most are just temporary visitors,some are relatively long-term visitors (who maybe stay up to sixmonths, and come each year), and a few are long-term residents. Mostseem drawn by Ramana. To get to town, we have made arrangements with a rickshaw driver. Wepay a flat rate per week and call his cell phone

when we need to gosomewhere. We walk a lot, like up to Skandanasram, or from our house toArunachala. From our house it is maybe 15 minutes to the inner path.We get to the path about 1 K from the main access point, on the SWside of the mountain. This side of the mountain has a forest at thebase. We will get to know this forest, and the nooks and craneys ofthis side of Arunachala, and find good places to meditate. There are many here who will try to take advantage of Westerners,including perhaps some 'gurus' who come during the busy season tooffer satsang, etc. I put quotes around guru, since I have heardquestions about many of these. We understand that there are gurus whoteach from great spiritual depth, and they may not be as readilyavailable to the general public. Right now we are not looking for aguru. We have Nome as Guru, and Arunachala. My day starts maybe 5 AM. I will go up on the roof with a cup

a teaand meditate (self-inquiry) with Arunachala as long as I have goodfocus. Then I will sit in the quiet with Arunachala and watch the daybegin around me, with the people, birds, etc. After breakfast maybe wewill read aloud from 'Song of Ribhu' and maybe go to Ramanasramam, orinto town for errands. After lunch we come back into the house for afew hours. Again there may be spiritual reading and quiet meditation.In the evenings right now I have been making vegetarian dinners - somekind of rice dish, and some kind of dish from vegetables availablenow. After dinner we may read again from 'Song of Ribhu' and listen toa satsang from Nome. To bed maybe 9 or 9:30. The weather this time of year is comfortable. The last few days it hasrained, often during the night. Typical range from 70 F to 90 F. Ithas been cool enough the last few nights that we needed a blanket.This is, we hear, not usual. Also I will try to

post some pictures from Deepam - of the may peoplemaking pradakshina 'round Arunachala, of the people climbingArunachala bringing ghee for the lamp (the lamp is about 10 M wide andis lit for 10 days - so much ghee is needed), the lamp when first lit,of houses where small ghee lamps are lit after the Deepam flamestarts, and of fireworks in the street set off the night of Deepam. Not two,richard

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