Annamalaiyar Temple – Sri Ramana Ashram
Sri Ramana Ashram, also known as Sri Ramanasramam,
is the ashram which was home to modern sage and Advaita
Vedanta philosopher Ramana
Maharshi from 1922 until his
death in 1950. It is situated at the foot of the Arunachala hill, to the west of Thiruvannamalai, Tamil
Nadu, where thousands of seekers flocked to be in his
presence. His Samadhi shrine continues to attract devotees from all over
the world.
History
Ramana Maharishi was born on December 30, 1879, in a
small village near Madurai in Tamilnadu. Venkataramana had his schooling in his
native village and his high school education in Madurai. When he was in teen he
lost his father. He, along with his mother, moved to his uncle's house in
Madurai.
One day a guest came to his uncle's house from
Arunachala. When Venkataramana heard that the guest was from Arunachala, he
became very enthusiastic to know more details about the place. Venkataramana
was so impressed that he made up his mind to visit it somehow. His firm and
curious mind took him to the holy place. Though he did not have enough money to
meet the travel fare to Arunachala, he left the house, leaving a small note
saying "I have left to see the father. Nobody should worry about me. No
one should try to find me".
He left for Arunachala by train. Since he did not have
enough money for his travel, he had to get down in the middle and then walk a
long distance. He ultimately reached the Arunachaleswara Temple in Thiruvannamalai.
His joy knew no bounds when he saw the holy place. Days rolled by and he became
a sanyasi in the sacred place. His Meditation and prayers were intense.
Questions such as what would happen to the Atman after the death of the body
and is the Atman also subject to death like that of the body, or is it immortal
come to his mind.
Venkataramana offered solutions to people's problem
patiently and relieved them of their sufferings. The number of people visiting
him with difficulties and sorrows grew every day. People who came to visit the
Lord Arunachala shrine came to pay homage to the sanyasi without fail.
Ramana Maharishi was an embodiment of love and
compassion. He was not only sympathetic towards the poor and needy but also
towards those who where in sorrow. He showed care, concern and pity even
towards birds and animals.
Ramana Maharishi led a very simple life. He only pitied
those who were evil. His conviction was that "The wise should not
punish bad people but should correct them through gentle persuasion ".
Ramana's constant teaching to his devotees was that the way to clean the mind
of its impurities was meditation. According to him "The mind becomes
pure by over and over again about the source of evils."
In his last days Ramana Maharishi fell ill. Inspite of a
group of doctors attending him, he did not recover. When people from far and
near flocked to the ashram to have last darshan of Ramana Maharishi, He said to
them "Everyone who is born must die. The body is not the soul.
Therefore nobody needs to feel miserable for the death of the
body". It was April 15 in the year 1950 that has moral body passed
away. His spirit merged with divinity at the same time.
The ashram gradually grew in its present location after
Ramana Maharshi settled near the Samadhi shrine of his mother Alagammai, who
died on May 19, 1922. In the beginning, a single small hut was built there. By
1924 two huts were set up, one opposite the Samadhi and the other to the north.
Amongst its early western visitors were British writer Paul
Brunton in 1931, who is
credited with introducing Ramana
Maharshi to the West through
his books "A Search in Secret India" (1934) and "The Secret
Path". Writer W. Somerset Maugham visited the ashram in 1938, and later used Ramana
Maharshi as the model for the holy man, Shri Ganesha in his novel, The Razor’s Edge (1944). Other visitors included Swami
Sivananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, Alfred
Sorensen (Sunyata) and Wei
Wu Wei.
Arthur Osborne stayed at the Ashram for twenty years, and edited
the Ashram's journal, The
Mountain Path, besides writing several
book on Ramana Maharshi and his teachings. Mouni
Sadhu had spent several
months at the Ashram in 1949. David
Godman came to the ashram
in 1976, and has since written or edited fourteen books on topics related to
Sri Ramana Maharshi. He continues to live near the ashram.
Niranjananda Swami, younger brother of Ramana Maharshi,
who had moved to the ashram along with his mother in 1916, stayed at the ashram
for the rest of his life and handling its management. His son and grandson have
looked after the ashram in turn.
Ramana Ashram
A beautiful arch at the main gate welcomes all the
visitors to the Ramanashram. There is a big courtyard with plenty of old trees
and one among them is said to be around 450 years old. Next to attract the
attention of the visitor to the Ramanashram is the two imposing tower built in
temple and it is in Dravidian style. One of the towers is built over the tomb
of Ramana’s mother and the other over the new hall.
The New Hall:
On entering the New Hall, the objects that first
attract the visitor’s attention are a life-sized statue of Sri Maharshi and a
large yogasana, or couch, beautifully carved from a single stone and polished
to look like black marble. This hall was specially built to accommodate the
increasing number of devotees for whom the Old Hall, described below, was found
to be too small. But Sri Maharshi used the New Hall and the couch for only the
few months leading up to his Mahanirvana. Open Daily 5am-12:30pm/2-9pm.
Mathrubhuteswara Temple:
The door in the western wall of the New Hall leads
directly ahead into the Mathrubhuteswara Shrine. This imposing shrine was
constructed under the personal supervision of Vaidyanatha Sthapati, a famous
temple sculptor and architect. The Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) contains a
sacred Siva Linga and a Sri Chakra Meru sanctified by Sri Maharishi’s own
touch. A special worship known as the Sri Chakra Puja is conducted here on all
Fridays, full moon days and the first day of all twelve solar months. On the
outer walls of the Garbha Griha are the sculpted images of Dakshinamurti,
Lingodbhava Murti, Vishnu and Lakshmi. At the southwest and northwest corners
one finds two diminutive shrines dedicated to the gods Ganesa and Subrahmanya,
respectively.
There is a similar shrine to Chandikeswara on the
northern side. The Nava Grahas (nine planets) find their place in the northeast
corner. The pillars supporting the roof contain several images of gods and
goddesses. A small Nandi or bull is placed on a high pedestal facing the
entrance to the Garbha Griha. The entire shrine is built of superior
granite. Open Daily 5:30am-12:30pm/3:30-8pm
Sri Maharishi’s Samadhi:
Saint Ramana Maharishi’s Samadhi has a tomb on which
there is a raised mandapam. A vimana is mounted on top of this mandapam that is
supported by four huge pillars. These granite pillars are exquisitely carved
and superbly polished. A beautiful lotus is carved out of white marble is
placed in the centre point of this mandapam. Over this marble lotus a
Shivalingam is perched. This Samadhi also has a large meditation hall for
devotees to sit in meditation. The old hall comes next where Ramana Maharishi
spent his last years before attaining nirvana.
This hall is quite sought after by devotees who sit here
for penance continuously for many hours. There is a large garden to the north
of this hall. A free dispensary is located on the west side which offers
medical facility for the poor and the needy. A path on the east leads to the
kitchen and the dining hall. This path also leads to the skandasramam that is
located in the north Arunachala hill.
This huge dining hall is convenient enough to serve 1000
devotees at a time. Mostly on the Ramana Maharishi’s birth day this hall is
utilized along with the big kitchen to cook food for the visitors. From this
dining hall one can reach the Veda Paadasalai meant to teach small boys the
chanting of Vedas and its meanings. Open Daily 5am-12:30pm/2-9pm.
The Old Hall:
Passing through the door of the Samadhi Hall on the
north side the visitor comes to the Old Hall. This and the Nirvana Room, to be
described shortly, are regarded as spots particularly sanctified by the Maharishi’s
presence. In this hall thousands of devotees had his darshan (seeing a holy
person or an image). It was on the couch in this hall that he spent almost all
his time until about a year before his passing. It was here that devotees
experienced year after year the potent peace that emanated from his presence.
To this day the Old Hall remains a favorite place for meditation of visitors
and inmates alike.
To the north of this hall is a large open area with some
shade trees. This space is flanked by a flower garden and a dispensary on the
west, a large dining and kitchen block on the east and the path which leads to
Skandasramam on the Arunachala Hill to the north. Open from 4am-12:30pm/2-9pm.
The Dining Hall:
The dining hall and its new extension can accommodate
nearly 800 people and the kitchen is large enough to cook, on special occasions
like the Jayanti (Sri Maharishi’s birthday), meals for as many as two or three
thousand people. The place where Sri Maharshi used to sit for his meals in the
dining hall is indicated by a large photograph of him that rests on a marble
platform. Passing through the old dining hall and out the door on the north
side we enter the new dining hall, which was built in recent years to
accommodate the ever-increasing number of pilgrims. To the east of the kitchen
and separated from it by a passage is a storeroom for provisions. Another
passage separates the store room from the room for men situated to the south of
it. This passage leads to the Veda Patashala or the boarding school where young
boys are taught to chant the Vedas and further on to the Gosala in which the
Ashram cows are kept. Further east are placed the bathrooms.
The Nirvana Room:
The small Nirvana Room situated to the east of the New
Hall and north of the office is the room in which Sri Maharshi spent his last
days and is thus a spot viewed with special reverence. It is kept as it was in
his time. To the south of this sacred spot and facing the Mother’s Temple is
the shrine erected over the Samadhi of Sri Niranjanananda Swami, the Maharishi’s
younger brother and the Sarvadhikari or manager of the Ashram as long as he
lived. A fine grove of coconut trees flanks this mantapam and the Nirvana Room
and stretches to the east. There is a nice library with plenty of books written
on Saint Maharishi’s teachings and that has immense spiritual values.
Guest Rooms:
Since Sri Maharishi’s Mahanirvana many new guest rooms
have been constructed in and around the Ashram. Additional guest rooms and
cottages have been built to the west of the Pali Thirtham (tank), which during
the early days constituted part of Palakuttu, a forested area where the
Maharshi often walked. All the guest rooms are clean with simple beds,
bathroom, overhead fan and screened windows and doors. To preserve the quiet
and intimate experience of a visit to Sri Ramanasramam, the administration
decided to halt new construction of guest rooms within the Ashram borders.
Instead ashram has built guest facilities outside of its premises within
walking distance.
Dispensary:
Free medical aid for the ashram inmates and local
people.
Book Store:
Available are Sri Ramana literature, including original
works, biographies, commentaries and reminiscences, in various languages. Also
photographs, souvenirs, audio-tapes, videos, CDs and The Mountain
Path, the quarterly journal published by Sri Ramanasramam and circulated
worldwide. Open Daily: 8am-11am/2pm-6pm.
Sri Ramana Library:
This library, located in the Ashram compound, has an
extensive collection of books on spiritual matters in various languages. It is
opened from 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the morning and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the
afternoon. Visitors are welcome to browse; membership is required to borrow
books.
Skandasramam:
This lovely tree-shaded hermitage on the Hill
overlooking the Big Temple is where Bhagavan lived from 1916 to 1922;
Virupaksha Cave has the shape of the sacred “Om”
and contains the Samadhi of Sage Virupaksha. Bhagavan Sri Ramana lived here
from 1899 to 1916. Both caves are historical sites preserved and maintained by
Sri Ramanasramam for the benefit of visitors. Daily: 8am-4:00pm
Ashram Timings & Daily Rituals
At 6.30 A.M. – Vedic chanting begins at Samadhi
hall and followed by milk fed to Ramana.
At 7.00 A.M. - The serving of breakfast
At 8.00 A.M. - Vedas are chanted in front of the
Ramana’s Shrine
At 8.30 A.M. - Followed by pooja at Bhagavans tomb
and his mother’s tomb
At 11.30 A.M. – Lunch
At 4.00 P.M. – Milk and tea are served to the
visitors
At 4.30 P.M. – Visitors read Tamil and English
religious books at Ramana’s Samadhi
At 5.00 P.M. – Veda chanting at Maharishi’s shrine
At 5.30 P.M. – Pooja performed at Maharishi and his
mother’s shrine
At 6.45 P.M. - Reading Prayana from Monday to
Saturday
At 7.30 P.M. – Concludes with the dinner
Every Friday, full moon day and the first day of each
Tamil month, Shri Chakra pooja is performed at Mathrubhuteswara shrine.
Special Events
Bhagavan’s Jayanti: (Dec-Jan) The Maharishi’s birthday, celebrated by
a great family gathering of devotees, elaborate pujas and special biksha, all
in homage to Bhagavan, as during his lifetime.
Pongal: (Jan
13th-15th) Harvest festival followed by Maattu Pongal, the festival of cows.
Sri Vidya Havan: (Jan-Feb) A full-day homa (fire worship) to
rededicate the Meru-Chakra of Mother’s Shrine.
Mahasivarathri: (Feb-Mar)
This ‘Night of Siva’, Lord Siva manifested as Arunachala on earth for the
benefit of all humankind. Observed by an all-night vigil, pujas, and recitation
of mantras and circumambulation of the Hill
Bhagavan’s Aradhana: (April-May) The anniversary of Sri Bhagavan’s Mahanirvana with
special Abhishekam and puja.
Mahapuja: (May-June)
Observance of Bhagavan’s mother’s Mahasamadhi.
Advent: (Sept 1st) Annual celebration of Sri
Bhagavan’s arrival at Arunachala on this day in 1896.
Navarathri: (Oct) Nine-day festival in adoration of Holy
Mother. Each day the beautifully decorated deity depicts a different aspect of
the Divine Mother, culminating with a procession around the Ashram on
Vijayadasami, the tenth day, marking the victory of light over darkness.
Karthikai Deepam: (Nov-Dec)
This spectacular ten-day festival, witnessed by hundreds of thousands, is the
glory of Arunachala. The gigantic temple chariots are led in procession through
the town streets. At sunset on the final day, the beacon atop Arunachala is lit
and is visible for miles around, burning for 7 days or more.
Sri Chakra Puja: This powerful Devi puja is performed in the
Mother’s Shrine at 6pm-8:30 each Friday evening, as well as on full moon days
and the first day of each month, according to the Tamil calendar.
Details & Procedures
Purpose of visit and the availability of accommodation
is the main criteria for Ashram accommodation.
Ashram accommodation is exclusively for fellow devotees
of Sri Bhagavan. Visitors coming for general purpose/visits for temple,
giripradakshina/full moon walk and pilgrimages should plan alternate
accommodation.
Fellow devotees are advised to choose days avoiding in
and around full moon/festival days for their visits.
Fellow devotees who have read about Sri Bhagavan and His
teachings after a few visits if they intend to stay in Ashram for their
meditation/personal sadhana are welcome. On an average three (3) days/nights
stay is permitted.
Accommodation will be provided to single/couple/family
(maximum: five (5) members) as per above regulations.
Request for revisits shall be made after a gap of at
least four to six months.
Request over telephone or on arrival basis or request in
shorter notice will not be considered. Request for few hours/one day/overnight
stay will not be entertained. Visits by large group are not encouraged.
There are no charges for ashram accommodation/food. It
is also not extended on rental/commercial basis. Ashram food is restricted to
room guests/inmates.
No visitor has a right to accommodations, especially a
particular accommodation. The allotment of accommodations is entirely at the
discretion of the management.
Visitors wishing to see places on and around the hill
associated with the life of the Maharshi should ask in the office for guidance.
They should also, especially if new to India, be cautious in dealings with
outside vendors and contractors.
Accommodation
Visitors wishing to stay at Sri Ramanasramam should send
an email to stay@gururamana.org one month in advance to check on the
availability of accommodation. Emails are instantly acknowledged. Please check
your spam folder also for the auto reply from the ashram to make sure that your
email request was properly received by the ashram. Some email providers
routinely put them in spam folder. You can also request accommodation by
writing a letter about six weeks in advance to The President,
Sri Ramanasramam, Thiruvannamalai – 606 603, Tamil Nadu .
There are rooms to suit individuals, couples and
families. Each room is furnished and most rooms have attached bathrooms. Hot
water for bathing is available during winter. South Indian-style vegetarian
food is served in the Ashram dining hall: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea/milk,
and dinner. Filtered drinking water is available. Medical attention can be
arranged when required.
Contact
Sri V.S.Ramanan, President
Sri Ramanasramam P.O.
Sri Bhagavan Ramana ashram
Thiruvannamalai - 606 603, India
Phone: +91 – 4175 – 237200
Mobile: +91 - 9244937292
Connectivity
The town of Thiruvannamalai is located about 120 miles
away from Chennai. It is exactly in the south west direction to Chennai. One
can reach Ramana Maharishi ashram that lies mere two miles from the Thiruvannamalai
railway station lying between Villupuram and Katpadi in the South India. Ramana
Ashram can be easily reached via bus and private cabs.