Is the core of the worshiping pilgrimage indian usually do
in Tiruvanamalai.
I had seen pictures from friends of these caves where Sri Ramana Maharshi had meditated
and got enlightened… and this amazing moon rising between mountain ranges!
Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) is widely acknowledged as
one of the outstanding Indian gurus of modern times. He was born as Venkataraman Iyer,
in Tiruchuli, Tamil
Nadu (South India). At the age of sixteen, Venkataraman lost his sense
of individual
selfhood, an awakening which he later recognised as enlightenment. A few weeks thereafter he
traveled to the holy mountain Arunachala, at Tiruvannamalai,
where he remained for the rest of his life.
His first years were spent in solitude, but his stillness
and his appearance as a sanyassin soon attracted devotees. In later years, he
responded to questions, but always insisted that silence was the purest
teaching. His verbal teachings flowed from his own understanding of Reality. In
later years, a community grew up around him, where he was available twenty-four
hours a day to visitors. Though worshipped by thousands, he never allowed
anyone to treat him as special, or receive private gifts. He treated all with
equal respect. Since the 1930s, his teachings have also been popularised in the
west.
Venkataraman was renamed Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by one
of his earliest followers, Ganapati Muni. This was the name he became known by
to the world. In response to questions on self-liberation and the classic texts
on Yoga and Vedanta, Ramana recommended self-enquiry as
the principal way to awaken to the "I-I", realizing the Self and attaining liberation. He also
recommended Bhakti,
and gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices. 
Quite an experience to walk with thousands of people, all
ages, all castes, classes… getting overcome by old men and women, so used to
walk barefoot…
Chanting my mantra for 14 kilometers.. well actually only 10
as some time before the end, Julia, an american yoga and art teacher from NY
joined me and … stopped my meditative and silent walk ( what a talkative young
woman!).
I did not mind though as I thought I could do with some
company.
Daniela who had joined me last minute on this trip, had stayed
with Apu, the young chap guiding us around.
And they seemed to have a good time together, which did not
include spiritual sadhana!
In the morning, the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi had taken
me by its amazing peaceful and calming energy, from the peacocks in the trees
and roofs to wide open meditation halls, small succession of temples…
And this nice wooden at the end of its garden opened to this
track cutting through the last bits of the town, outskirts leading to THE
mountain, to Arunachala. You need to take your shoes off not to be eyeballed by
the locals and hike your way up to the caves…
But we decided to go a bit too late… ending up in burned
feet!
And caves as a sauna.
4 days taken care of by speedy Gonzales, Apu, master of
hopping and playing with a scooter, taking us from friend to friend, for food,
visits… just a bit more reluctant to enter the temples…
And Gosh... is he missing something…
like those sanyasis...
Tiruvanamalai deserves its sacred fame… and its meditative
walk!
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