ENGLISH

Ramana Maharshi and his New Doctrine, destined to those who are dedicated to the work of building the New Civilization

Ramana Maharshi = Very respected hinduist Guru, whose ashrama receives visits of many devotees and students of the spiritual sciences. (RAMANA'S Biography)

New Doctrine = Work of two disciples of the Maharshi, in which they unify the hinduist and buddhist doctrines, for helping in the building of a New Civilization, when we are living the decay of this era of iniquities. (NEW DOCTRINES).

Here is a precious matter published by Richard Clarke, an American Disciple of Bhagavan, who moved from California to Tiruvannamalai, where he develops a wonderful work, divulging the teachings of the Guru and the costumes of that society.

Karthigai Deepam is the longest and most extensive Tiruvannamalai festival. This is the time of year when the most people visit Tiruvannamalai. Deepam has eleven main days, from the raising of the festival flag at the Big Temple to the lighting of the Deepam torch on the top of Arunachala at the rising of the Karthigai full moon, about 6:00 in the evening, nine days later. There are also two special days before the raising of the flag, and after the flame is lit, four more special days (or ten, if you count the days after the lighting of the mountain top flame and the subsequent nights on which the torch continues to be lit). These days include the Giri Pradakshina by Sri Chandrashekara on the day after the full moon, then two evenings of Theppam (“Holy Boating”).

Seven days after the raising of the temple flag is the day of the big chariots, Maha Radhas. The procession starts with Ganesh in the morning, Murugan about midday, then Siva and Parvati (in the guise of the Temple rulers, Annamalai and Unnamalai) towards evening.

Karthigai Deepam is the oldest festival of South India, and is the most elaborate and the most important. Karthigai Deepam falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai when the star Krithigai is on the ascendant and usually occurs on a full moon day. This festival is also called as “the Festival of Lights”. Ancient Tamil works, written 2500 years ago, talk about this festival, so its roots are ancient.

Deepam is centered in Tiruvannamalai, next to the holy mountain, Arunachala, which is the focal point of the festival.

As a part of Deepam, the temple gods from the big temple, Arunachaleswarar Temple, are put into chariots and paraded through the streets of Tiruvannamalai. This post shows the chariots and gods from the first day of Deepam, 2009, Sunday, November 22. Deepam will culminate with the lighting of the lamp on the Arunachala peak in ten more days.

Three major elements of the Deepam festival are the daily parades of the gods, walking pradakshina (or girivalam in Tamil) – circumambulation of Arunachala, and the lighting of the Deepam torch. They are preparing for 20 Lakhs of people to visit this year (two million). This in a city with a population just over 100,000. I have heard it said that for a Tamil, visiting Tiruvannamalai during Deepam is like a Moslem visiting Mecca, something that should be done in one’s lifetime.

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We are freely linked to the Ashraman of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, in Tiruvannamalai, South India. KNOW MORE