HOPE

I remember playing with my mother

Laughing in the garden holding a feather

I felt life was enjoying

But as I grew up it became annoying

 

The memories which I still hold in the heart

They got carried away by the time’s cart

Play some and carefree, I was

Is growing up as an elder the cause?

 

All I see now

Is talks of anger

In front of God I bow

I have hopes that I can fill love

But how?

 

As a child life was a wonder

I realised sorrow is just a blunder

Don’t we sometimes see the sky thunder?

 

I don’t blame anyone though

I try to row

The boat of life

Along the river of hopes with belief

 

 

CHIDAMBARAM

NATARAJA ALAYAM

This sacred place is 250 km from Madras. It is believed that it is one of the five elements (fire, earth, water, air, sky) .It is the sky. This is the "AKASHA LINGAM" Anantha kshetram, Advitheeya kshetram. Chidambaram is the BHOOLOKA KAILASAM for SHAIVAS.

CHIDAMBARA RAHASYAM

NATARAJA SHIVA is in the MANTRA roopam. The YANTRA roopam of Shiva is covered with Golden Bilva ( Bell fruit tree) leaves garland. This temple is said to be having the Golden Goopuram ( dome) .


HEART OF THE WORLD

When you compare this world with a human , then it is believed that , CHIDAMBARAM is the heart. CHIDAMBARAM= CHITH + AMBARAM. where CHITH means knowledge and AMBARAM means sky. So we can say that this place is everlasting and eternal like the sky. When ever you visit this place, take some time to meditate on your heart.

MYSTIC DANCE OF NATARAJA..SPEACIALITY

This Place has one more speciality, the NATARAJA here dances to the mystic name of GOD that is to the 'OM' tune with ecstasy. It is said that Lord Shiva has been dancing from the origin of this world in this sacred place with overflowing joy, for the people who meditate upon him. As it is the HEART of the world.


DESCRIPTION OF HOLY PLACES OF SHIVA

Consider the world as the Corporeal form of the diety ( GOD), then Thiruvaroor is the Jeeva Kendra (cause of existence) , Kalahasti is the Navel, Tiruvannamalai is the Manipuraka Chakram, Kalathi is the Vishuddi Chakram , kasha is the Agnaya Chakram and Chidambaram is the Anahatha chakram.


MY EXPERIENCE

When I went to this place , my mother was telling me about this place and the Chidambara Rahasyam. I was very curious to see what it was. Everyone say that it cannot be seen by ordinary people like us. Finally that minute arrived, We had the darshan and harathi of NATARAJA and then it was the time for the Darshan of Nataraja after the removal of the veil or cutain.Then they asked us all to look at the Bilva patra which covers the YANTRAM. I tried hard, jumped and finally looked at it successfully. Then I listened to the next step which should be followed. They said, the rahasyam is
 nothing but, finding LORD SHIVA present in that place, when the veil gets removed for some fraction of seconds.

MYSTERY UNSOLVED

So I felt that, this miracle of realisation of self can happen only if the delusions get cleared and one is able to meditate on heart peacefully. That is what the removal of veil for sometime depicts, it means that we need to remove the veil on our heart, that is the point of attaining salvation. It is believed that, to get salvation, we should be born in Thiruvaroor or die in Kashi or think of Thiruvannamailai or have darshan of CHIDABARAM GOD. This place is a must watch in our lifetime, because it adds to our curiosity and makes us think of God and the mystery at-least for some time. Finally we realise that going deep into our heart is the important work we should do while we keep visiting all the Holy places of INDIA. There is no place in this world which can beat INDIA in its purity and heritage. I feel this experience will remain in my memories even for the coming life times .

ARUNACHALAM

RAMANA MAHARSHI ASHARMAM/THIRUVANNAMALAI

It is a peaceful and serene place. I can never forget the beauty of nature , landscape of this ashram.

BOOK STORE AT THE ENTRANCE

Book store has many books related to Shree Ramana Maharshi and his teachings ..which inspire us to take the spiritual path

THE HILL TOP OF TIRUVANNAMALAI

Sri Ramanashramam is at the foot of the Annamalai hill


HISTORY OF ARUNACHALAM

You can destroy the ego of those who meditate upon you , in the heart . O ARUNACHALA.. ..
said by SHREE BAGAWAN

PERFECT PLACE TO MEDITATE

The view of the ashram alone will pull us like a magnet towards it. I felt the nature talking to me in its own language, with the cool breeze in the morning, the peacocks dancing to the music of the wind. I was just delighted and I wish I visit this place again

Chanting A-RU-NA-CHA-LA

The sacred name consists of 5 syllables as depicted in the title. A-RU-NA-CHA-LA. it is worthy od constant remembrance and repeated chanting. the ego or the I thought of the person who thinks of this name disappears completely.


GREATNESS

All the sins of those who worship Arunachala disappear without trace. this hill grants liberation to its devotees. As said by Saint Thiru Jnana Sambandha

ASHRAM

this place is also giving shelter to many Peacocks I was delighted to see so many white and green peacocks dancing and relishing their time freely in this place.

VIEW OF ASHRAM

this is the Samadhi of SREE BAGWAN . here people sit and meditate on the thought of "I" .His main teaching was only to meditate upon the I thought until the thought disappears and finally we realise that we are one

 

SREERANGAM- BHULOOKA VAIKUNTAM

SREERANGAM

This place has been in India from Thretha yuga, it is spreaded over 156 acres of land , between the kaveries, in Tamil nadu. Its the ancient and beautiful place of India which has its own glow and importance which is unbeatable. may be some times we fail to chant and remember our God everyday, but there is no vaishnava who doesnot pass a day without thinking and chanting of Sree Ranganatha. People who want to visit this place, should first visit kaveri nadi and take a dip in the river kaveri. It is said that river KAVERI is purer and powerful than river GANGA.

ITS HISTORY

This is a self existent place. where SREE RANGANATHA incarnated on his own. After Rama won the battle over Ramanasura and killed him, he gifted everyone something or the other. Similarly he gifted Vibhishana, his beloved deity's statue ..the statue of his "KULA DAIVA" "ARCHAMURTHY.

ESTABLISHED IN TAMILNADU

When Vibhishana was on his way to LANKA, few rishis, who were moved and overjoyed by the glory of that statue of SREE RANGANATHA, said to Vibhishana that it was getting late and the BRAMOTHSAVA should be done immediately in the shubh muhurtham. This way, the statue was consecrated in Tamilnadu. With this, Vibhishana felt bad, as he couldn't take that with him to Lanka. So Swamy soothed him, by saying that, he will always look towards Lanka from this place and that he can come every night to this place and worship him.

RE ESTABLISHED

With time, this temple was deteriorated because of many invasions of Mohammads. Taking notice of this bad condition of the temple, the CHOLA KING, re-established it and renovated it. Now we can see a much strong monument having the same glory. I wonder how could they construct such strong monuments when there was no great technology or no construction companies like now, when now, people are unable to reach that level of designing ability. Hats off to the structure, monument, design and each and every brick of this monument which adds un-measurable glory to INDIA.

VEMANAM ON THE GOPURAM

As the SWAMY here is VEDA SWAROOPI, the name of the GOPURAM is, VEDA PRANAVAM. In krutha yoga BRAHMA in SATYA LOKA did penance for 1000 years for SREE MAHA VISHNU, NARAYANA graced him and sent GARUTHMANTHUDU with VEMANAM along with the statue of SREE RANGANATHA. Then after some years, ISHVAKUDU , did penance for BRAHMA and asked him to place this Divine Vimana which has the grace of SREE MAHA VISHNUVU in BHOOLOKA.

EXPERIENCE , FUNNY LOCKS- BELIEF

The story of this locks is quite funny, people believe that if anyone locks a lock here, then there won't be theft in their house. Some others believe that their daughter will get married soon by following this belief. I must say, we had lunch in the temple itself. We ate delicious pulihora, chakkarapongali etc.. for a very meagre price,  just 10 rupees per plate. The temple is quite big and the sculptures, diyas, photos place, the temple interiors, its maintenance. Everything is worth watching and worth experiencing. I am feeling blessed to even write about it.

REASON FOR NUCLEAR FAMILIES

Nowadays people are opting nuclear families. There are various reasons for it. But I would like to stress upon a single reason which is the root cause for rest of them. A girl is looked after very carefully and nourished with outmost love in her maternal house. But after marriage she has to gel with every one belonging to her in-law's house, who are complete strangers to her, like her sister- in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law. she already gets tensed because once she is married, she has to vacate to a new place, things would be new, in short, her life would be new. In such a phase of her life, if her new family members are not by her side, it would be the worst part. This way her trouble starts. Firstly the sisters-in-law should note that even they are women and they will have to face equal trouble, hence should be friendly and make life comfortable for her. The mother-in-law and father-in-law belong to older generation so they may be having differences of opinion in culture etc.. So when they unknowingly hurt her, the sisters-in-law should take the responsibility of making peace among them and not adding fire to the issues. If everyone takes equal responsibility and adjusts a bit leaving ego issues and other delicate issues behind and adopt the new person, then the children won't miss the happiness associated with joint families. They will know their culture and importance of family. Similarly, even the daughter in law should take responsibility and adjust to the maximum.

 

ORIGIN OF KANAKADARASTHAVAM-AKSHAYA THRITHIYA

In this vaishakamasam , Thadiya, during the period of Shree Shankaracharya, he went to ask for alms. on the way he reached a Brahmin's house. As he started calling the owner of the house for alms, A lady came out. she was moved by the glow she saw in that boy's face. he was so charming and radiating divine light. when he asked her for alms, she came back to consciousness and was deeply thinking as to what to give to this Brahmin boy. She at once went into her home and brought a amla fruit (emblica). As she couldn't find anything else to give to that boy. it was a dry amla fruit. The boy was ,moved by the poor condition of this Brahmin lady., and also by the way she strived to give something for him to eat. He suddenly stated chanting a mantra standing in front of her house. To her surprise she found golden amla fruits falling down from the sky. she found golden amlas rain inside her house.. And this chanting is nothing but , SHREE KANAKADARASTHAVAM.Chanting this mantra would bring us wealth , health, liberation , concentration and anything we want. This powerful  mantra was thus, chanted for the first time on thadiya day and hence, this day became this auspicious. This is the main reason why we celebrate akshaya thrithiya

 

NON VEG VERSUS VEGETARIAN FOOD

Many say, eating non veg is same as eating vegetarian food, as we are harming the plants equally while plucking them . But this is wrong. Plants don't produce blood, they don,t cry out loud, Atleast they cant respond to what ever we are doing. While, animals are almost like us, its just that they don't have mind and intellect like us. When we seriously brood over this matter, we will find that, we are not actually killing plants, We are just feeding on the fruits, the vegetables or a part of what they produce, .. Even if we don't pluck them out, the fruits, leaves would fall by their own onto the earth and get wasted. They are just like our nails. If we don't cut them they will have to fall down by their own someday. More over, if we eat animals, we tend to develop they animal nature in us, like no concern towards fellow being, ego, anger, etc..Scientifically also, if we compare vegetarian with non vegetarian, we will see that the non veg food contains such kind of ingredients which in the long run would harm our digestive system in someway, Even our sages have consumed this raw plant food and could maintain their balance. When we observe our history we will find that, our early men ate raw animal food, and so they were uncivilized, slowly from them, we have emerged, a better person ,a better intellectual. So I feel vegetarian food should be preferred, its  sufficient and cultivates peace and serenity in our personality .