Saturday, December 16, 2006

Visiting Ramanashramam for Jayanthi '07

The great news is that I shall be visiting the Ramanashramam during the Jan 4th 2007 Bhagavan Jayanthi and shall come back loaded with photographs and movies of the celebrations.

There is also a very serious plan to impose my presence on the Holy Town during Bhagavan's samadhi in mid April, Mahapuja (Mothers samadhi) in mid-may, Advent Day Sept 1st, and the Deepam in Nov-Dec (Bhagavan willing, of course). A sort of spiritual grand-slam!

If you wish me to say any prayers for you while I am there, please leave as a comment here, before Dec 29th, 2006 as that is when i depart for Tiruvannamalai.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Movie Clips of Sri Ramanashramam

Presented here are some movie clips (MOV format) of Ramanashramam, Virupaksha cave and Tiruvannamalai. Each is about 10 MB each, and may be viewed using Quicktime.

There are no copyrights to these files, feel free to use them in any way you wish - to copy, distribute, mirror, etc, them. No permission or credit required.

Ashram Old Hall
Ashram Samadhi Hall
Ashram Samadhi Hall - Prayers
Ashram Samadhi Hall - 360 degree view
Virupaksha Cave
Tiruvannamalai view taken from near Skandashram
Ashram entrance - 360 view

The media files have now moved to: Movies site and Music site.

Arunachala Akshara Mana Maalai (32 MB - mp3)

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Visiting Sri Ramanashramam

This blog contains some details and photographs of my recent trip to the Sri Ramanashramam (Jan 26, 2006 to Feb 10, 2006). These photographs can in no way substitute for an actual trip to the ashram, they are more to refresh the memory of those of us who have been there already, or who for whatever reasons cannot travel to the ashram.

May Bhagavan's grace always inundate you.




The entrance of the Sri Ramanashramam, in Tiruvannamalai. The ashram is about 4-5 hours (by bus) from Chennai.



A view of the Arunachala hill from the ashram. The picture is taken from the doorway of the Bhagavan's mother's samadhi hall. Arunachala is revered since ancient times as Lord Siva manifest in the form of a sacred mountain. Please see The Power of Arunachala to learn more.

The following pictures were taken in the Mother's Samadhi Hall. This houses a statue of Bhagavan, with the heart cave sutra above.





This picture is of the heart-cave sutra engraved in stone over the statue of Bhagavan. sutra text,
gif (48k)

heart cave sutra

The following pictures are of the room where Bhagavan spent his last weeks/months, when it was difficult for him to walk much.

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A close-up taken through the window showing the bed where Bhagavan lay, and attained Mahanirvana.

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The following pictures are of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's samadhi hall. This hall is where many ceremonies and pujas are conducted daily. Notice the back-lit photographs behind the samadhi.



You may see devotees doing the pradakshina (walking around a revered person/object keeping it to one's right).



A close-up of the statue of Bhagavan at the samadhi, the foundation stone was laid by Indira Gandhi in 1970.



These pictures show the back wall of the samadhi hall on which beautiful back-lit photographs are hanging. These photographs cannot capture the mood of that portion of the hall.





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This picture shows the samadhi hall from the statue side.

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The following pictures are of the Old Hall where Bhagavan gave darshan. The wooden fence was put by ashram management to keep devotees from getting to close to Bhagavan. Bhagavan joked that the fence was to keep him inside.



The Old Hall is where people may be seen meditating from the early hours of the day till 8:30 pm, with a 2-hour break between 12:30 and 2:30pm.



The following photographs are of the Virupaksha Cave where Bhagavan meditated from 1899 to 1916 (from the age of 20 to 37).



These pictures are of the walls of the room built outside the actual cave. I have taken a broad sweep of the cave and this room in
mov format
(mov 10 MB). I have not photographed the interior of the cave due to a meditator inside.





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The following pictures are of the Skandashramam where Bhagavan spent the years from 1915 to 1922 (until the age of 43).









This is a picture of the room in which Bhagavan's mothers attained Nirvana. Bhagavan sat with her for many hours, her head on his lap, his hand on her head or heart preparing her for nirvana.



Some more photographs may be viewed at this site . I shall upload all the photographs in a short while. I have no server space on which to upload the movie pictures of the Ashram exterior, Old Hall, Skandashram and Virupaksha Cave (10 MB each). If you can host them somewhere, please let me know, i can mail them to you.

I was unable to take pictures of the Dining Hall - but then this is a place that should be experienced personally. Photographs cannot do justice to the environment - they would only spoil the fun.

(If you are unable to see some pictures, that means that geocities' hourly limit has been exceeded. Let me know, i would have to upload these pictures separately)



There are no copyrights on these photographs. Please feel free to use them without permission.

Other links:
Ramana Maharshi
Girivalam
Climbing Mt Arunachala
Biography of Sri Bhagavan

Virupaksha Cave movie
(mov 10 MB)

aruNAchala akshara maNa mAlai
(mp3 - 32 MB)


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I thank beloved Bhagavan Ramana for the great blessing, of being His devotee in this life.