More on Ramana Maharshi Ashram and Photos from Thiruvanamalai

I am spending my days thoughtfully and restfully here. Savoring the silent atmosphere of Arunachala Mountain and the Ramana Maharshi Ashram. Each day I walk about a mile up the mountain on a pleasant path that leads to two places where Ramana spent over 20 years of his life in silent meditation.

Panorama view of Thiruvanamalai from part way up Arunachala Mountain

The path up to his meditation places is made of stone. Many people traverse the mile plus path barefoot (not me)

There are many monkeys along the way. Although cute on their own, they can be nasty in a group and I carry a stick with me when I go up.

Stone sculptors have impromptu shops all the way up to the Skanda Ashram and Virupaksha Cave. Mostly they are selling handmade works of Hindu Gods and various holy subjects. They are very low key and respect the silence of the atmosphere. Many have been there for 25 years or more following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers who taught the skill.

I purchased this "Laptop Ganesh" for my son's office for about $5. It is a new take on ancient Ganesh who was the scribe for the great Vedic epic -the Mahabharata.  He is often depicted writing the epic with a piece of his tusk that he broke off and large book so it is natural that he would appreciate the word processing programs of today. LOL.  

As the destination of the mile long trail you come to a simple building called Skanda Ashram where Ramana Maharshi spent 7 years in meditation. His mother gained enlightenment here through his touch and it is a wonderful silent place to meditate. 

Going further you reach Virupaksha Cave where Ramana Maharshi spent 14 years in silence. The cave was formerly used by another sage named Virupaksha over 500 years ago. A simple building has been built around the entrance to the cave. It would have been just an open cave and pristine at the time Ramana lived there. Another wonderful place to savor silent meditation.

No photos were allowed inside the cave. You can see the stone above the roof of the building-that is the actual cave.

Each evening I go to the ashram main hall for chanting. The chanting is done in Tamil language.  Tamil is new to me but I am catching on and may do some serious study so that I can navigate around South India a bit better in the future.

A night ago I spotted this dog peacefully sleeping in the main hall on someone's meditation cushion while chanting was going on. The person got up to walk around and the dog seized the opportunity. No one ousted him from the seat. It was a sweet sight.

Finally here is a photo from my daily walk up the mountain of Arunachaleshwar Temple. The second biggest temple in India right here in Thiruvanamalai.