Explorations. Outwards and Inwards
It’s 5am and we’re walking a mystic land 4700m above sea level. Stars shimmer overhead, pilgrims quietly walk around the holy Mount Kailash. A deep quiet descends. A certain knowing takes root. There’s a feeling to sit and absorb. We sit. The knowing grows. I’ve been here before. This land where the legendary Milarepa walked. … Continue reading Mount Kailash and Milarepa – a Home Coming Pilgrimage
Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream It's been more than four years since I wrote this piece - "What is Brahmacharya?" and that is also a time when I moved to Tiruvannamalai (here's the guide). From June 2021 to today, January 1st, 2026, the topic of inquiry is rather similar. A lot of has happened since that time … Continue reading The Real Meaning of Tantra – From a seekers lens of Advaita and Buddhism
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple is a magical, ancient, and mystical place that feels like stepping into Vedic times from thousands of years ago or hundreds of years in the future! Spread across a 40-acre complex, it features powerful shrines, a massive holy tank, Shivaganga, towering gopurams, elephants parading through the temple and vibrant rituals performed by … Continue reading Chidambaram Spiritual Travelogue: Pilgrimage to a Vedic Time
In the sacred tapestry of Indian spirituality, sometimes the most profound experiences emerge not where we expect them, but where divine grace leads us. My journey began at the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, that grand celebration emerging from the mythological Samudra Manthan, where the cosmic pot of immortal nectar first appeared. Yet, as with many … Continue reading The Kumbh Within: A Journey with Trailanga Swami, the Walking Shiva of Kashi
Balamurgan Swami is a realized saint living in Tiruvannamalai.
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