To those who have contacted me recently using the ‘contact me’ facility at the left top of this page, I can only respond to you personally if you include your email address.
In this respect in reply to a nice email from a Malaysian Arunachala devotee (who gave no return address) requesting information on girivalam, I am heretofore answering some of the questions raised in that email. If more particular recommendations or suggestions are required regarding accommodation please get in touch using the ‘contact me’ at the top of the page:-
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The practice of pradakshina consists in making a circuit on foot of a sacred place, a temple, a statue or of some person who is the object of reverence. The circuit is always clockwise, starting from the east towards the south, so that what is thus venerated is always on one’s right hand. People sometimes take a vow to carry out pradakshina of Arunachala or Arunachaleswarar Temple for forty-eight consecutive days, with a view to obtaining certain blessings or else in thankfulness to God.
Specific instructions for Arunachala girivalam are outlined in the Skanda Purana thus:-
38. The learned devotee should put on a clean dress after bath. He should apply sacred ash over his body and adorn himself with Rudraksha beads. Remembering Siva he should take steps slowly.
39-40. He should think about the likelihood of collision with thousands of Devas, invisible Siddhas and other of gaseous forms as well as Manus who walk ahead. He must think about the consequent rush and obstruction to the path. He should be a true devotee and go ahead slowly putting down his step along the path.
41. Or the devotee should circumambulate along with other devotees chanting the names of Siva, singing excellent songs and dancing like Siva.
42. Or he should, with his mind not dwelling on anything else, listen respectfully to my greatness and circumambulate slowly feeling the thrill of the bliss.
43. He must offer different kinds of charitable gifts. He must perform meritorious deeds. He should render assistance to suppliants. He should be pious and merciful in a manner he things best. Thus he should move round.
[Chapter 9, Verses 35-43 inc. Skanda Purana]
The length of the outer girivalam roadway is 14 kms and ideally circumbulation starts in the east at Arunachaleswarar Temple. However nowadays with large crowds thronging the girivalam pathway during full moon, its probably more suitable to start from the place you are at, whether it’s a Temple, Ashram or Hotel with the only essential being (for proper girivalam) is that you should complete the full 14 kms, thus ending up at the original starting place.
Its essential to pay attention to the realities of our time and for this reason I often suggest to first time visitors performing girivalam to have a pair of slippers in their bag in the case of pain or difficulties. Its particularly important for overweight people, diabetics and/or elderly people to protect their feet. Please be gentle with yourself and understand there are NO regulations against wearing shoes on girivalam. Be assured you will not be the only person with shoes performing pradakshina. This is the age of tarred roads, gravel chips and juggernaut lorries hurtling along at 60 kph, so for devotees unused to walking in difficult conditions its best to take it easy.
The importance of Girivalam is not to mortify the body, but to slow the mind. In this respect I would suggest that the most essential aspect of girivalam is DON’T TALK to your companions whilst walking or when stopping at Temples etc.
Another reality in this age of Kali is to be aware that as well as many wonderful Arunachala devotees travelling the Girivalam and visiting Shrines and Temples (including Arunachaleswarar Temple), there will also be a number of male and female expert thieves and pickpockets. Pay attention to your belongings and if its necessary for you to carry large sums of money and/or documents, please make sure to keep such items secreted in hidden pouches or compartments.
A quiet, leisurely walk of the Hillround will take approximately 4-5 hours. But many prefer to go slower and stop at Temples, Tanks and Lingams. My own most enjoyable girivalam took nearly 14 hours to perform, stopping at Temples, and for quiet sitting and also twice at hotels for meals.
When Sri Ramana Maharshi used to perform Girivalam with his devotees it would sometimes take his group up to three days to walk the 14 kms; sleeping at various Temples and often stopping for bhajans, to cook food and rest.
During the 24 hours of Full Moon, the Arunachaleswarar Temple Sannidhis remain open. At each entrance to the Temple visitors will be checked at metal detectors and have their bags examined, so remember to leave your shoes at designated booths located at numerous spots outside the various Temple Gates. No matter one’s condition, the wearing of shoes are not allowed inside the Temple Compound. However, one may wear socks. So to visitors who need to be gentle with their feet, it is advisable to keep a clean pair of socks in one’s bag and after passing into the compound to put them on.
There are many Hotels, Choultries, Ashrams and Rooms available for visiting pilgrims. If one wishes to stay near the Temple, the two largest and most comfortable Lodges are the Trishul Hotel (vegetarians should be aware that the Trishul Hotel restaurant also serves non vegetarian food) and the Ramakrishna Hotel. In the Ramana Nagar area (which is about 2 kms West of the Temple there are a number of Ashrams such as Ramana Ashram, Seshadri Ashram, Andhra Ashram, Siva Sannidhi etc., that offer accommodation to pilgrims – visitors need to make reservations in advance at all of these places.
Virtues of Pradakshina by Sri Ramana Maharshi
"What is there superior to pradakshina? That alone is sufficient. Even if you sit and do japa, the mind will wander, but if you do pradakshina that mind will remain one-pointed even though the limbs and the body are moving. Doing japa or meditation with a one-pointed mind, while moving about, without having any thought other than the japa, is known as absorption while moving (sanchara samadhi). That is why in the olden days pilgrimage on foot, without using any other conveyance, had so much importance.
Giripradakshina is unique. As there are many types of herbs on the hill, the breeze that blows over them is good for the body. Even today there are many siddhas and great souls on the hill. They too go around the hill, but we cannot see them. Because of this, when we do pradakshina we should keep to the left of the road. If we do this, we do pradakshina without causing any inconvenience to them. We also get the merit of walking round these great souls, thereby receiving their blessings. As we do pradakshina, the body becomes healthy and the mind attains the peace of the Self. Because of all these things, pradakshina is an extraordinary sadhana."
[Ramana Maharshi]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To get more specific guidance regarding the more rarely walked inner path go to this link here. And to this link here for more information on the more commonly walked outer pradakshina pathway.
Its essential to pay attention to the realities of our time and for this reason I often suggest to first time visitors performing girivalam to have a pair of slippers in their bag in the case of pain or difficulties. Its particularly important for overweight people, diabetics and/or elderly people to protect their feet. Please be gentle with yourself and understand there are NO regulations against wearing shoes on girivalam. Be assured you will not be the only person with shoes performing pradakshina. This is the age of tarred roads, gravel chips and juggernaut lorries hurtling along at 60 kph, so for devotees unused to walking in difficult conditions its best to take it easy.
The importance of Girivalam is not to mortify the body, but to slow the mind. In this respect I would suggest that the most essential aspect of girivalam is DON’T TALK to your companions whilst walking or when stopping at Temples etc.
Another reality in this age of Kali is to be aware that as well as many wonderful Arunachala devotees travelling the Girivalam and visiting Shrines and Temples (including Arunachaleswarar Temple), there will also be a number of male and female expert thieves and pickpockets. Pay attention to your belongings and if its necessary for you to carry large sums of money and/or documents, please make sure to keep such items secreted in hidden pouches or compartments.
A quiet, leisurely walk of the Hillround will take approximately 4-5 hours. But many prefer to go slower and stop at Temples, Tanks and Lingams. My own most enjoyable girivalam took nearly 14 hours to perform, stopping at Temples, and for quiet sitting and also twice at hotels for meals.
When Sri Ramana Maharshi used to perform Girivalam with his devotees it would sometimes take his group up to three days to walk the 14 kms; sleeping at various Temples and often stopping for bhajans, to cook food and rest.
During the 24 hours of Full Moon, the Arunachaleswarar Temple Sannidhis remain open. At each entrance to the Temple visitors will be checked at metal detectors and have their bags examined, so remember to leave your shoes at designated booths located at numerous spots outside the various Temple Gates. No matter one’s condition, the wearing of shoes are not allowed inside the Temple Compound. However, one may wear socks. So to visitors who need to be gentle with their feet, it is advisable to keep a clean pair of socks in one’s bag and after passing into the compound to put them on.
There are many Hotels, Choultries, Ashrams and Rooms available for visiting pilgrims. If one wishes to stay near the Temple, the two largest and most comfortable Lodges are the Trishul Hotel (vegetarians should be aware that the Trishul Hotel restaurant also serves non vegetarian food) and the Ramakrishna Hotel. In the Ramana Nagar area (which is about 2 kms West of the Temple there are a number of Ashrams such as Ramana Ashram, Seshadri Ashram, Andhra Ashram, Siva Sannidhi etc., that offer accommodation to pilgrims – visitors need to make reservations in advance at all of these places.
Virtues of Pradakshina by Sri Ramana Maharshi
"What is there superior to pradakshina? That alone is sufficient. Even if you sit and do japa, the mind will wander, but if you do pradakshina that mind will remain one-pointed even though the limbs and the body are moving. Doing japa or meditation with a one-pointed mind, while moving about, without having any thought other than the japa, is known as absorption while moving (sanchara samadhi). That is why in the olden days pilgrimage on foot, without using any other conveyance, had so much importance.
Giripradakshina is unique. As there are many types of herbs on the hill, the breeze that blows over them is good for the body. Even today there are many siddhas and great souls on the hill. They too go around the hill, but we cannot see them. Because of this, when we do pradakshina we should keep to the left of the road. If we do this, we do pradakshina without causing any inconvenience to them. We also get the merit of walking round these great souls, thereby receiving their blessings. As we do pradakshina, the body becomes healthy and the mind attains the peace of the Self. Because of all these things, pradakshina is an extraordinary sadhana."
[Ramana Maharshi]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To get more specific guidance regarding the more rarely walked inner path go to this link here. And to this link here for more information on the more commonly walked outer pradakshina pathway.
