Full circle
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2007
1
16
17
Trip End
Oct 23, 2007
Gudur,
India
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
I am back in the USA. It was an amazing trip to say the least. It has been said to me that you end the same place you began and in my case it seemed so true. My flight out of Channai connected to New Delhi and from New Delhi I took a bus to the International airport. The trip flashed before my eyes like a dream and the stench of Delhi with the smell of cow dung, sewage and the dusty unclean air brought me right back to the beginning of the trip and the initial shock of arrival. I found it interesting that my connecting flight from Channai to Delhi was # 108 (for those who don't know 108 is auspicious in Hinduism). I was sad leaving India. I felt like I was leaving home sweet home. India is a paradox and life as well is a paradox it is just that everything is magnified and really pronounced in India. Someone told me before I left that whatever you weaknesses are India with bring them out so you can see them clearly and thus was the case for me. I would now like to go back in time even though it is now and finish the days I missed journal because they were a vital part of my trip.
October 10th: The day before I left Ramanashram was really interesting. My last time of the Internet before I went to the Navaratri retreat I was sitting next to an American sanyasi (renunciate/monk). I decided to ask him about circulating Arunachula and the proper way that one should approach this ritual. He happened to have been living in India for the 30 years and was a devotee to Ananadamayi Ma and had spent much time with her.
Arunachulaeswara 1
He told me that she laid the cornerstone for Ramana Maharshi's MahaSamadhi temple. He said that it was said that she was the only one in all of India who could do it. Ananadamayi Ma was a saint who has now Left the body who was an incarnation of Divine Mother. Her name means "The Blissful Mother" and you can by her photo she was exactly that. Anyway, This Sanyasi told me that a lot of people make pilgrimages here (Arunachula) and circuambulate the sacred hill and never visit the holy temple Arunachuleswara. When Ramana Maharshi first came here he stayed at this temple and meditated for a long time before ascending the hill where he made his permanent residence. The Sanyasi said that one should pay respects to the Deity of the temple before doing circuambulation of Arunachula. He said many people didn't know but thats what Ramana would say. I don't know but it seemed to make sense to me at the time. Off to the temple I would go. In the morning I would do circuambulation, or so I thought. I figured I needed eat and Ramana temple served food promptly at 7:30pm. I couldn't miss my last good meal at the temple so I had to act fast. Arunachulaeswara temple opened at 6:00pm. I jumped on a auto-rickshaw and headed for the temple. When I arrived it was chaotic and people were everywhere. The energy of the temple was incredible. There are four main towers of the temple and the main temple facing Arunachula is a Shiva and Parvati temple and also represents the "pole of fire" which is Arunachula. My goal was to get darshan of Parvati and Shiva and get out.
Arunachulaeswara on the way to top of Arunachula
I walked up to the main entrance and immediately a pujari grabbed me and bypassed the 20 rupee entrance fee. He took me past a long meandering line, that would of taken for ever, and took me straight to the Shiva deity. I was amazed and not sure what to think, actually I didn't think much at all. I just followed him. When I got to Shiva I bowed and remembered what the Sanyasi had told me about seeing the deity as being a real flesh and blood God and honoring it as such. I bowed my head and he asked my name. Then he did a puja just for me in front of Shiva. Then we went straight to Parvati and the same thing occurred. Afterward he took me to the side and put a garland of flowers on me and gave me prasad. It was awesome. Of course I was expected to donate some rupees which at first I was reluctant but then realized the immense blessing that had just happened so I put 100 rupees on the tray. and left. I got to Ramanshram in plenty of time for dinner and everything was perfect. October 11th: I had to leave this day for the town of Gudur from which there I would catch a taxi to Penisulia where Karunamayi's Ashram is. Since I really wanted to circuambulate Arunachula and had to catch a taxi by 10a.m. I had to get up early. In fact after talking with an American Ramana Maharshi devotee who been coming o the ashram for 30 years. I had decided to climb the sacred hill. After all I heard that Shiva's feet were at the top. The devotee of Ramana that I'd talked too said that I could just spin around clockwise at the top and consider it my circuambulation.
Boulders at top
It sounded good to me. I woke up at 4:30a.m and off I was. It was dark but luckily I had a pin light. I started the trek. As I walked up the sacred path up the mountain in the dark I heard strange sounds all around me. It is said many sacred entities live on this hill along with some sadhu's (holy men). I also heard monkeys screeching and monkeying around in the trees. By the time I got to the main area where I really needed to follow white arrows on the rocks and climb it was starting to become slightly light. I could see the town and temple below with all the lights. It was nice. I stared hiking up the mountain and I climbed and climbed. It was really tiring but after a long climb I made it. It was foggy at the top and I couldn't see below. I found a tent at the top where I later heard a Sadhu used to live. I think the tent was constructed for the yearly ceremony of putting a big Bonn fire on the top in honor of Shiva. I could see the black soot all over the huge rock at the very tip of the mountain. It was very peaceful at the top and so silent. I saw hundreds of dragonflies zooming around too. I sat down and set up my puja (worship) kit with photos of Ramana, Amma, Neem Karoli and Karunamayi. Then I chanted the Thousand names of Lalita (Devi/Divine Mother and this was particularly auspicious because it was the first day of Navaratri which is the ten day celebration of the divine Mother). After I finished 45 minutes later I did arathi (waving of camphor) by emptying and whole packet of camphor on the rock and setting it a fire.
Cliff on Mountain
I then stood up and spun in a circle three times saying "Om Parashaktiyia Namaha" which is an mantra saluting the divine primordial shakthi (energy, typically of the divine mother). On the last turn I jumped back because of what I saw. It was a deformed monkey eating the prasad I'd offered to my Guru's. It actually started to run at me so I grabbed more food and through it down the side of the mountain and he ran after it. I know these monkey's could be rabid and definitely can kick some ass so I was a little intimidated. I took it as a sign and started the descent at a rather quick pace, and with rock in my hand just in case. when descending the mountain I got off course and ended up three kilometers away from where I started. I was exhausted and my legs were like jello. I caught a auto-rickshaw to Ramanashram took my shower packed my stuff and caught my taxi in perfect time. What was interesting is that when the cab driver started our destination he went counterclockwise around the mountain to about just the same spot I'd descended and then he turned around and drove clockwise backtracking. I figured this counted as my circuambutaion I had failed to complete maybe. Who knows? I was headed for Tirupati a sacred pilgrimage site and supposedly one of the most incredible temple for Vishnu (Preserver of the Universe) in India. I heard that Tirupati was the turning point in one's life for whatever that means. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to make it too the Temple and had to catch a train but at least I touched the ground there. Good enough for me for now. I made it to Gudur safe and a cab driver immediately approached me asking if I was going to Karunamayi's ashram. I said yes and off I was. Little did I know what was in store for me next. Until my next blog........Jai Ma! 
