Arunachala has his ways of revealing. Revealing what? Well, revealing can only be for a person, the 'I' thought. There is no revealing for the ever-present, the omnipresent SELF, Arunachala. But stories, we have to tell. Praises, we need to sing. Let's embark on one. On a beautiful warm afternoon, random explorations via Google maps … Continue reading Malaysian Swamini Premanandeshwari: 17 Years in Tiruvannamalai
It is not often that you come across a person of miraculous abilities. But in Tiruvannamalai, the land of Shiva, miracles are everywhere. Rather, life itself is a miracle. It is then not about the place, but rather this feeling within or just this awareness, which makes everything one. There are no two, there is … Continue reading Mouna Swami of Tiruvannamalai: The Sage Who Never Lies Down!
On a Monday morning, I'm about to start day's work and YouTube's autoplay starts playing this ethereal tune from the great Paramhansa Yogananda. Tears well up in comic unity and the divinity everywhere! Here, put on the speakers, turn it on and close your eyes: https://www.youtube.com/embed/6i_GM-l3VxI About Esraj and Lyrics for the Chant Now, what's … Continue reading Paramhansa Yogananda Playing the Esraj – “Who is in my temple?”
Silence is the most eloquent language and the most powerful transmission happens in mouna. But till our instrument gets tuned to the frequency of silence, words can provide beautiful satsangha (company of the truth). Experiences of devotees and seekers on the path prove to be of immense value and support. The thought for this post … Continue reading Spiritual Books for Nourishing the Inner Journey
Headlines are to impress. And I'm sure this one does. When one thinks of Mount Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi's name occurs simultaneously. They're both the same, the same guru tatva (essence), the same absolute reality. All these efforts to describe the indescribable are like meditations to reach a point where there is no meditator. And perhaps … Continue reading Ayya Swami of Arunachala: 18 Years on a Mountain Top Without Food
This story will sound like one from yesteryears. 12 years in a cave on the banks of Narmada. This is the story of a man who has found truth by his own experiments, probably the only way in which one can find peace. Following a master or any set practice and having a guru is … Continue reading 12 Years in a Cave: A Sadhu’s Tapasya on the Banks of River Narmada
I’ve been to Rishikesh before. Few times in this lifetime and there’s a strong aabhaas (impression) that surely in other time frames too. We spent good time in retreat in Hrishikesh (as it is written traditionally) at turn of the year, 2022. The moment one thinks of the place, the divine river Ganga comes to … Continue reading Meeting Hrishikesh, Lord of the Senses
"Writings from Arunachala" is a collection of stories, reflections, illustrations and photographs by devotees of the sacred mountain Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai (read Tiruvannamalai Travel Guide). The mountain is considered to be the physical manifestation of Lord Shiva and popular sages like Sri Ramana Maharshi have meditated on the mountain for decades since time immemorial! This … Continue reading Writings from Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai
Tiruvannamalai is considered to be the spiritual heart centre of the world by Ramana Maharshi and devotees of Shiva. This is a modern day travel guide to this ancient temple town.
I've written a bunch of short stories over the past few years. Some are in print and some are on the internet somewhere. In these new uncertain times, I'm taking the opportunity to experiment with a new format and try out an audio story. In this podcast, I read out the story of Krishnabai.
