Arunachala

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ARUNACHALA

 

Sri Arunachala is the Lord and master of the Universe.

 

The Arunachala hill is located in the town of Thiru

Annamalai, 100 miles southwest of the city of Madras

in the south of India.

Sri Agasthiar emphatically states that the Arunachala

hill is the concrete form of Sri Arunachala, the

Universal Lord. It's the form of God that even the

naked eyes can perceive.

Arunachala, the hill and Arunachala, the Lord are

non-different. This is foundational spiritual reality

which has been personally experienced and vouchsafed

by all Siddhas.

Arunachala is the spiritual focal point of the

universe.

It is the endless spiritual fount that nourishes all

beings.

It is the spiritual cornucopia that embraces all

spiritual seekers.

It is the spiritual magnet that attracts spiritual

seekers from all corners of the universe.

It is the spiritual panacea for everyone, irrespective

of race, religion or nationality.

It is the biggest Siva lingam in the world.

 

Sri Arunachala is the quintessential jothi lingam.

Wherever you see a jothi (fire), know it to be a part

of Arunachala.

The Jews light the minorah. Christians light candles.

The Zoroastrians light their sacred fire. The Hindus

light their lamp jothi. The Tibetan Buddhists light

their butter lamps. All these worship procedures honor

God. Thus every religion practices jothi worship.

The road to divine grace leads to Arunachala.

To get divine grace, seek Arunachala.

The Arunachala hill is so charged with spiritual

energy that spiritual benefits get magnified manifold

here. Spiritual activities conducted in Arunachala are

thousand times more efficacious when compared to other

places. The place is constantly buzzing with millions

and millions of Siddhas in their subtle form who

bestow countless spiritual blessings on the devotees

engaged in spiritual pursuits in Arunachala. Hence the

importance of visiting Arunachala and engaging oneself

in spiritual activities there. Whether it be

charitable works, service to the poor and the needy,

meditation on the divine name or singing the divine

name, do it in Arunachala and you'll reap untold

spiritual benefits which will contribute to your rapid

advancement on the spiritual path.

Everything in the universe is represented in

Arunachala. Thus circling the Arunachala hill is like

circling the universe. This is why the Siddhas say

that circling the Arunachala hill is the most

effective spiritual practice for all beings.

Circling the Arunachala hill is referred to as

Arunachala giri valam.

Even though circling the Arunachala hill takes just

three and a half-hours but there's no spiritual

activity in the universe which is its equal. Every

human being, irrespective of race, religion or

nationality MUST do it at least once in his or her

lifetime. It doesn't matter if you are ten thousand

miles away. You must make the trip to Arunachala just

to circle the hill. The spiritual benefits of doing so

can NOT be described in words.

Sri Agasthiar says that if you circle the Arunachala

hill but once, you'll destroy the karma of ten million

births. No other spiritual exercise has this kind of

power.

If circling the Arunachala hill once can bestow so

much spiritual good, imagine circling the hill

thousands of times! They who circle the hill thousands

of times are the ones who become Siddhas.

It is absolutely crucial that you circle the

Arunachala hill barefoot. The reason is that the very

land surrounding the hill is a physical manifestation

of Siddha beings and it is a sacrilege to place your

shoes on them. So one must circle the hill barefoot.

There are no exceptions to this rule.

>From time immemorial Sri Agasthiar has been writing

the endless saga of Arunachala. And he is still

working on it. If the superhuman Agasthiar, the Lord

of the Siddhas, has been cataloging the glories of

Arunachala for countless aeons, where is the human

tongue, which can describe the spiritual grandeur of

Arunachala? Such a one doesn't exist. Sri Arunachala

is beyond beyond the gamut of human comprehension and

calculation. How then can one know Sri Arunachala?

Surrender to his Divine Will and he will make himself

comprehensible to you. That's the only way.

While it is true that one can circle the Arunachala

hill in three and half-hours, the Siddhas take a lot

longer. Sathguru Venkataraman's teacher took him on

pilgrimages to Arunachala many times. This was part of

the Siddha's training procedure. During these

spiritual excursions, he and his teacher would take

one month to circle the Arunachala hill once. Why so

long, one might ask. The correct procedure for

circling the Arunachala hill is to take one step, look

at the peak of the hill, take the next step and repeat

the procedure. Each time you look at the peak, you get

a different vision (darisanam) of Arunachala and each

vision bestows a unique spiritual benefit on you.

Sathguru Venkataraman's teacher would describe each

vision of Arunachala and meaning behind it to his

sincere student. Such is the education of a Siddha.

There are infinity of Arunachala visions. It's of

course no surprise that the infinite Lord sports an

infinity of forms. But the spiritual aspirant should

realize the vast infinity that's Sri Arunachala and

try to see as many of the visions that Arunachala

grants us. The more visions we see, the more rapid our

spiritual progress. But this must not be done with a

calculating attitude; rather it should be done with an

attitude of loving surrender to the Divine Will. We

have made a few of these Arunachala visions available

in the Photo Gallery section of this Website.

 

Sri Arunachala readily accepts those devotees who are

willing to dissolve their individual egos in His

Universality. But how can one do this? The Siddhas say

that constant meditation on the Siddha Guru Veda

Sooktha Maha Mantra is the ideal way to protect

oneself from the snare of the ego. This maha (great)

mantra is as follows:

Nothing is mine

Everything is yours

O Lord of Grace! Arunachala!

Those who meditate on this great mantra constantly

will get the guidance of a Sathguru and will get to

see, know and merge with Arunachala.

 

Selfless Service at Arunachala

 

Which is the punya boomi (holy land) that multiplies

the effects of good deeds a thousand fold?

Which is the punya boomi where millions and millions

of Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis are present in their

concrete or subtle forms?

Where’s the largest Siva Lingam in the world located?

Which is the punya boomi where every cubic inch of

space is filled with thousands and thousands of Siva

Lingams in their concrete, subtle and Jothi forms?

The answer to all these questions is Arunachala, also

known as Thiru Annamalai, 100 miles southwest of

Madras. The town of Arunachala is built around the

Arunachala Hill. This Arunachala Hill is like no

other; it’s the largest Siva Lingam in the world. It’s

the sthoola (concrete) form of Siva. It’s the

brahmanda svaroopa (universal form) of the Universal

Lord. It’s the quintessential Jothi Lingam. It’s a

divine form that must be worshipped with bakthi

(love).

 

Arunachala, The Pinnacle of Spirituality

Arunachala the Hill and Arunachala the Lord are

non-different. They are one and the same. The

Arunachala Hill is that form of the Lord that is

visible to our naked eyes. But every cubic inch of

space in and around Arunachala is made up of thousands

and thousands of Siva Lingams in their concrete,

subtle and Jothi forms. What we see is the world’s

largest Siva Lingam; what we don’t see are the

countless sookshma (subtle) Lingams and Jothi Lingams.

But these are visible to the Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis

who flock to this place in millions. They are the ones

who truly understand the spiritual splendour and

uniqueness of this divya kshetra. Millions and

millions of Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis are ever present

in Arunachala in their concrete or subtle forms. Why?

Because Arunachala, the great spiritual magnet has

drawn them there. Sri Arunachala draws all spiritual

seekers from everywhere unto Himself. He’s the eternal

refuge of all spiritual seekers. There’s no other

place like Arunachala for the spiritually minded.

These Siddhas, Yogis, Rishis and other great souls

constantly replenish the spiritual sakthi (potency) of

this place thus maintaining it as the spiritual power

center of the universe. This punya boomi has been home

to great Siddhas like Arunagiri, Gugai and Guru

Namasivaya, Seshadri and Ramana Maharishi. These great

souls have deposited their punya sakthi in this place

for our spiritual upliftment. In fact, the millions

and millions of Siddhas who are ever present here have

been commanded by Sri Arunachala to work for the

spiritual upliftment of all of humankind.

 

Spiritual Upliftment at Arunachala

Caught in the web of Maya (the grand delusion of the

material world), the spiritual progress of humankind

is blocked by a pleasure seeking attitude which leads

to vices like dishonesty, corruption, immorality,

selfishness, miserliness, jealousy, enmity,

covetousness and others. But the Siddhas are aware of

our sorry state and they have prescribed a solution by

which we can become free from the grip of Maya and

make spiritual progress. What’s this solution?

Charitable deeds and selfless service performed under

the guidance of a Sathguru. This is the only way to

relieve ourselves from the vices of Kali Yuga. The

punya sakthi generated from these good deeds

obliterates the karma of many lifetimes and thus leads

us to higher spiritual planes. This is the only

permanent remedy for the ills of Kali Yuga.

But how can we reach this state of sublime

spirituality? Only by absolute surrender to the

Sathguru, the embodiment of all knowledge. How can one

get a Sathguru? Simple, say the Siddhas. Perform

Arunachala giri valam. Circle the Arunachala Hill as

many times as you can. This spiritual exercise will

lead you to your Sathguru. Why? Because Arunachala

giri valam is the foremost of all spiritual exercises,

say the Siddhas. As you go around the hill, look at

the peak of the hill with every step. Each of these

visions (darisanam) will be a bit different from the

previous one. Each of these visions can destroy

significant portions of our bad karma. Thus the more

darisanams that we see, the more karma we get rid off.

This is the reason that the Siddhas say that we must

do Arunachala giri valam whenever possible.

 

The Power of Charitable Deeds

If Arunachala is the foremost divya kshetra (place of

pilgrimage) in the world, if a Sathguru is an absolute

requirement on the spiritual path and if good deeds

must be performed for one’s spiritual upliftment,

imagine the positive effects of performing these good

deeds under the guidance of a Sathguru at Arunachala!

It’s the most potent spiritual combination there is!

While good deeds performed anywhere result in punya

sakthi, those done in Arunachala have their effects

multiplied a thousandfold. This is because everything

that we do in Arunachala is witnessed by the numerous

concrete and subtle Siva Lingams that fill every cubic

inch of this kshetra (holy land). Thus every good deed

is blessed a thousand times and thus the effects of

every good act are magnified a thousandfold if

performed in Arunachala.

The Universal Lord accepts the service that we render

to the poor and the needy, the old and the infirm, the

blind and the handicapped as pooja (worship) offered

unto Him. But it’s only those who realize that even

this service is possible only through the Lord’s grace

who are accepted as true devotees by God. Such true

devotees are the Siddhas, Yogis, Rishis, Nayanmars and

Alvars. They worshipped God with true love and they

want us all to do the same too. And the way to do this

is through selfless service.

 

Timing!

Are there special times when we should engage in these

services? Every day is a good day for serving and

worshipping Sri Arunachala, but the Pournami full moon

days and the Karthigai Deepam day are particularly

important, say the Siddhas. The Pournami day marks the

apex of spirituality in each month and the Karthigai

Deepam day commemorates the appearance of the Lord as

a jothi sthambam, an infinite pillar of light at

Arunachala. Thus these days are particularly

significant. While we must perform giri valam and good

deeds every day at Arunachala, the Pournami days and

the Karthigai Deepam day are particularly important.

 

The Spiritual Magnet

The Siddhas have long told us that Arunachala is the

spiritual magnet who draws all spiritual seekers unto

Himself.

For those who are spiritually inclined, there's no

destination quite like Arunachala.

Arunachala is the ultimate spiritual refuge for

sincere souls that hunger for spirituality. He's the

only One who can satisfy the spiritual hunger that

burns within seekers and aspirants. He's the One that

our spirit craves unbeknownst to ourselves. He's the

ultimate resting-place for all souls.

He's our Lord, Master, friend, protector, provider and

eternal well wisher. He's the source of all grace and

mercy.

There's no equal to this Master of Masters, Lord of

Lords. He is the One and the Only One!

He is the One from whom all words recoil in shame for

not being able to describe His infinite grace.

How can our soul reach this ultimate of

resting-places? Simple. Just do giri valam. Giri =

hill, Valam = circumambulation. Thus giri valam means

circling the hill and Arunachala giri valam means

circling the Arunachala hill. Arunachala giri valam is

the easiest way to reach the peak of spirituality.

The Siddhas tell us that the Pournami full moon day

marks the apex of spirituality in each month. Thus

performing Arunachala giri valam during Pournami

thithi is spiritually very very effective.

 

Arunachala, The Spiritual Alchemist

So what has Arunachala done for us lately? Well, He

has shown us proof that the word of the Siddhas is

true. What did the Siddhas tell us? They told us that

Arunachala is the spiritual magnet who draws all

spiritual seekers unto Himself. Arunachala gives us

empirical evidence of this every month.

How? By drawing thousands and thousands of seekers

unto Himself every month on the Pournami full moon

day, exactly as the Siddhas have been telling us. An

estimated half a million people (500,000) perform giri

valam on the night of the Pournami day each month in

Arunachala. This has been reported in the local press.

Why, we can visit Arunachala on Pournami days and see

for ourselves.

Arunachala has thus changed the minds of men and women

right under our noses! He has transformed the material

minded human into a spirutal seeker. Of all the

endeavors in this world, is there anything more

difficult than this? Is there anything more difficult

than converting the hunger for material riches into a

hunger for the Lord's grace? Is there anything more

difficult than transforming the materialist into a

spiritual aspirant? Is there anything more difficult

than converting the cold hard rock of materialism into

the gold that's spirituality? There isn't. And

Arunachala is the master of this spiritual alchemy.

And this spiritual alchemy, that of converting our

materialism into spirituality, is indeed the greatest

of all His miracles.

 

 

Giri Vala Yoga, The Most Effective Spiritual Practice

To the human eye, the Arunachala Hill appears to be

around 3000 feet high. But to the Siddhas, it

stretches out to infinity. Thus we can not even begin

to comprehened the spiritual preeminence of

Arunachala. The Siddhas say that even Soorya (sun) and

Chandra (moon) circle Arunachala without going

directly overhead. While there are many deities who

are touched by Soorya during His Baskara sparsa pooja,

Arunachala is the only deity whom Soorya

circumambulates!

To even think of Arunachala, let alone perform giri

valam, one must have lots of good karma in his or her

spiritual bank account, say the Siddhas. To know the

proper Siddha procedure for performing giri valam, one

must have the Sathguru's grace. The Sathguru is the

key to unlocking the spiritual treasure chest that's

Arunachala.

The Siddhas say that any one who visits Arunachala

must perform giri valam. Why? Because this is the

proper procedure for worshipping Arunachala. Even

Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra did it. When the Lord

appeared as an infinite jothi sthambam (pillar of

light), no one, including Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra

could comprehend Him. Only after they performed giri

valam could They see Him. So if giri valam is the

proper procedure for the Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra

Trinity, is it not the proper procedure for us?

Every deity including the Trimoorthi trinity have

performed Arunachala giri valam. It's a spiritual

exercise that every one of us must do, irrespective of

race, religion or nationality. It's the one panacea

for all ills spiritual and material. It's the easiest

way towards spiritual upliftment. It's the simplest

yet most effective spiritual practice known to man.

It's yoga of the highest order. Giri vala yoga is the

easiest and most effective yogic practice. There are

no complicated postures to learn. If you can walk, you

can do girivalam. Even if you can't walk, if you can

move, you can do giri valam. Nay, you must do giri

valam. And what if you can't even move? No problem.

Just ask some kind soul to carry you on the giri valam

route! Yearn to do Arunachala giri valam and all the

right things will happen; the Siddhas will find a way

to accomodate the sincere longing of a pure heart.

 

The Grantor of All Desires

Arunachala giri valam is the easiest way to get

whatever you want. Do you want to become the richest

human on the face of the earth? Do you want to become

the greatest scientist the world has ever known? Do

you want to be an emperor the likes of whom the world

hasn't seen? Do you want to become a Siddha? A saint?

A devotee? All of these and more can be achieved

through Arunachala giri valam. Whatever you want,

you'll find in Him. Whatever you desire, whether it be

material or spiritual, can be gotten through

Arunachala giri valam. Lord Arunachala is the grantor

of all desires. Even divinities reach their exalted

state only through His blessings. Arunachala is also

the grantor of that sublime, indescribable state of

pure, unalloyed bakthi (divine love) in which one

merges with Him forever.

As we have mentioned elsewhere in this issue, every

cubic inch of the space surrounding Arunachala is

filled with millions and millions of sookshma (subtle)

jothi lingams. Miliions and millions of Siddhas are

forever present in this punya boomi (holy land). This

sacred land is like no other. It's the spiritual

refuge for every one of us.

 

An Infinity of Visions

With every step on the giri valam route, we should

look at the peak of the Arunachala Hill. Each of these

visions is known as a Arunachala Muka Darshan. There

are an infinity of these Arunachala visions. The

leader of the Siddha community, Maha Guru Sri

Agasthiar, has been cataloging these visions for our

sake from time immemorial. Sri Nandeesvara has been

describing these visions and Sri Agasthiar has been

cataloging them. And the endless saga continues! It's

with this background knowledge that one should

approach the limitless ocean of revelation that's

Arunachala giri valam. To think that one can become an

expert at Arunachala giri valam in a few years is

sheer lunacy!

Sri Agasthiar has codified a substantial chunk of this

spiritual knowledge in the form of 1008 volumes for

His Siddha disciples. Each of these volumes is made up

of 108 books with 1008 chapters each. He has cataloged

100,008 introductory giri valam procedures for His

junior Siddha disciples. There are many more for more

advanced Siddhas! There are different sets of giri

valam procedures for humans, Siddhas, Devas, deities

and so on.

This knowledge was revealed to the Sathguru, Guru

Mangala Gandharva Venkataraman by his divine teacher

Sri Idiyaapa Eesa Siddha over the course of many

years. What we present in this article is not even a

millionth part of this knowledge, because according to

Sri Agasthiar, the human mind can not even grasp that

much. The rest must be learnt directly from the

Sathguru.

 

A Glimpse into Beginners' Giri Valam

Here's a rough sketch of the Arunachala giri valam

route. Though it's not to scale and it's not exact, it

can be of help to those of you who are new to

Arunachala giri valam. The shaded area is the

Arunachala Hill and the thick black line is the giri

valam route. The green dots are some of the important

landmarks on the giri valam route. These and a few

others are described in the text that follows.

 

 

 

Enter the Arunachala temple through the East gopuram

(tower), landmark 1 in our giri valam map.

Make your way to the Brahma Lingam shrine within the

temple.

This shrine is the starting point for your first giri

valam. Worship the Lord and make your way to the south

gopuram.

The South gopuram of the Arunachala temple is landmark

2 in the giri valam map. Look at the Arunachala Hill

from the south gopuram. This vision is known as Eka

Munikkal Koombu Muka Darshan. This is the vision that

reminds one of forgotten promises. If you don't stay

true to your word, whether inadvertently or not, bad

karma is the result. This vision reminds you of things

that you may have to do to keep up your word.

Visit the Indra Lingam shrine, landmark 3 in our giri

valam map. This is the first of the eight Ashta Dik

Lingams on the giri valam route.

The next stop is the Karpaga Vinayaka Ganesh temple,

landmark 4 in our giri valam map. Worship Lord Ganesh

and continue on the giri valam route.

Agni Lingam shrine, landmark 5 in our giri valam map.

This is the second of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams on

the giri valam route. Just within this segment of the

giri valam, there are hundreds of important Arunachala

darshans. These should be learnt directly from the

Sathguru.

Indra Theertham sacred pond and Indra Mandapam.

Seshadri Ashram, landmark 6 in our giri valam map. The

vision from here is Théjó Muka Darshan. This vision

makes the indecisive decisive; it gives clarity of

thinking to those who are muddled. It helps those who

are not successful in business or in making friends.

Ramana Ashram, landmark 7 in our giri valam map. Éru

Pancha Muka Darshan, the vision that redeems.

Expiatory darshan for those who may have sinned

because of the pressure of circumstances. Protects

them from sinning again.

Near Ramana Ashram is another little ashram. The

vision from here is Dhida Muka Darshan. The Lord

advised the Universal Mother to see this darshan

during Her giri valam! This is the vision that gives

one a resolute, purposeful approach to life. The

wavering mind becomes purposeful as a result of this

darshan.

Nandi Mandapam on top of a huge rock. The vision from

here is Bringi Muni Mayaana Darshan.

Next we come across the huge Prithvi Nandi deity, the

first of the Pancha Bootha Nandi deities on the giri

valam route. The vision from here is Prithvi Bangaaru

Muka Darshan. This is a very important darshan. Offer

deepam and incense to Arunachala from here and

prostrate yourselves in front of Him. This vision

offers relief from poverty. It blesses one with wealth

and gold.

Yama Lingam shrine, landmark 8 in our giri valam map.

This is the third of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams on

the giri valam route.

Appu Nandi deity in a small mandapam, the second of

the Pancha Bootha Nandi deities on the giri valam

route. Look at the peak of the hill through the horns

of the Nandi deity. This vision is known as Mitra

Chaaru darshan. This is the vision that reunites those

who are estranged or separated; it's the vision that

retrieves that which you may have lost, whether it be

land, money or anything else.

Nirutthi Lingam shrine, landmark 9 in our giri valam

map. This is the fourth of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams

on the giri valam route.

Siva Raja Singa theertham pond. On the banks of this

pond is a Nandi deity. Look at the peak of the hill

through the horns of this deity. This is the place to

make spiritual resolutions. This is the place to give

up bad habits. The angel Siva Raja Singa, who guards

this spot, is the witness for the resolutions you make

here and the bad habits you give up here. Once given

up, we dare not succumb to these habits again. Siva

Raja Singa will remind us of our holy promise to

Arunachala. But if we still break our resolve, we'll

have to face the wrath of this most powerful angel.

Because of these stipulations, many figure that it's

best to not make a resolution. But this is no

solution. Spiritual upliftment is the result of making

resolutions and sticking to them. To visit Arunachala

and not make spiritual resolutions is to have wasted a

unique opportunity. Make positive resolutions, stick

to them and march on the path of spiritual upliftment.

 

As we continue on the giri valam route, we see dense

shrubbery on our right. This shrubbery is so dense

that it obscures Arunachala from our sight. The

Siddhas refer to this shrubbery as Kaama Kaadu, the

forest of desire. Once we "enter" the forest of

desire, we can't see Arunachala any more. This is the

symbolism behind this dense shrubbery. This is the

place to give up improper desires. If you have

succumbed to lustful desires, this is the place to ask

for forgiveness. This is the place to expiate the bad

karma resulting from lust and the evil wrought by it.

This is also the place to expiate those sins resulting

from not caring properly for the yagnopaveetha sacred

thread. How? By doing anga pradakshinam upto Théyu

Nandi. The details should be learnt from the Sathguru.

 

Théyu Nandi deity, the third of the Pancha Bootha

Nandi deities on the giri valam route. Look at the

peak of the hill through the horns of this deity. This

vision is known as the Chathur Muka Darshan. Lord

Brahma saw this darshan during His giri valam. It's

the vision that makes one proficient in the Veda

scriptures and well versed in other forms of

knowledge. Those who see this darshan will also get

Lord Brahma's grace.

Next is the important Gayatri Darshan. Those who see

this darshan will get the grace of Mothers Gayatri,

Savitri and Sarasvathi.

As we proceed further we see the Sakthi Siva Darshan.

This is the vision which offered solace to King Nala

and his wife Damayanti. This vision reunites estranged

couples and kids who have been separated from their

parents. It promotes unity and harmony in family life.

 

Soorya Lingam shrine, landmark 10 in our giri valam

map.

Varuna Lingam shrine, landmark 11 in our giri valam

map. This is the fifth of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams

on the giri valam route.

Unnamulai Mandapam and Unnamulai Theertham pond.

Mother Unnamulai is Lord Arunachala's consort. She

performed years of severe penance at this spot to be

united with Arunachala. Remember the Mother's penance

when you reach this spot. The vision from Unnamulai

mandapam is known as Somaskanda Drashan.

Adi Annamalai temple, landmark 12 in our giri valam

map. The vision of Arunachala from this temple is

known as Siva Yoga Muka Darshan. The great Siddha

Thirumoolar saw this darshan. Those who want to get

Thirumoolar's grace must get this darshan during their

giri valam. This is very important for them.

Manivaasaga Theertham pond. Sing Thiruvaasagam songs

from this spot. Next is the Manivaasaga Mandapam. The

darshan from this spot is known as Lavanya Suka Muni

Darshan. This is the vision that makes one beautiful.

However ugly one may be, this vision will make them

beautiful some how or the other, may be through

cosmetic surgery too! Those who are disfigured will

get some of their original looks back through the help

of doctors.

Vaayu Lingam shrine, landmark 13 in our giri valam

map. This is the sixth of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams

on the giri valam route. The vision from here is known

as Kanda Neeru Muka Darshan. It's the vision that

offers relief from all physical problems related to

wind.

Next on the route is a Nandi. The vision through the

horns of this deity is known as Janma Saabalya Muka

Darshan. This vision offers salvation from curses

received in many many births.

Abaya Mandapam, landmark 14 in our giri valam map. The

vision from here is the Dasa Muka Darshan. It's a

darshan that offers relief from many problems. The

demon Ravana got redemption from his sins through this

darshan.

Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram, landmark 15

in our giri valam map. This is the ashram which is

being established by the Sathguru, Guru Mangala

Gandharva Venkataraman, the 1001-st teacher in the

Agasthiar divine teacher lineage. The vision from here

is the Siva Sakthi Aikiya Svaroopa Darshan, the vision

of Siva and Sakthi in perfect alignment. This is a

great panoramic view of Arunachala! Those who just

can't seem to get married will get married as a result

of this vision. This vision reunites estranged couples

and promotes harmony in family life. It's the vision

for begetting children who will grow up to be Siddhas

and saintly beings.

The majestic Adhikaara Nandi shrine, landmark 16 in

our giri valam map.

Kubera Lingam shrine, landmark 17 in our giri valam

map. This is the seventh of the eight Ashta Dik

Lingams on the giri valam route. This is a deity

worshipped by Mother Lakshmi Herself and thus a very

important stop on the giri valam route.

Idukku Pillaiaar Ganesh shrine, landmark 18 in our

giri valam map. The shrine which can remove the karma

of millions of births.

The very important Pancha Muka Darshan. This vision

blesses the devotee with career advancement.

Next we pass by the cemetery area. The vision from

here is the important Kóna Linga Muka Darshan. This is

the vision for renunciants who want nothing but the

Lord, whose sole refuge is the Lord's lotus feet, who

are pure of heart and who have no desires except the

Lord. These souls must see this darshan. It'll do them

much good. (By the way, let it be known that the ochre

colored robes are meant only for true renunciants.

It's a great sin to wear the ochre robes without

having renounced everything.)

Eesaanya Lingam shrine, landmark 19 in our giri valam

map. This is the eighth of the eight Ashta Dik Lingams

on the giri valam route.

Mother Durga temple, landmark 20 in our giri valam

map. The vision of Arunachala from here is known as

the Maaya Kuzhi Vadu Darshan. If you see this darshan

along with the Pournami full moon, the maaya arising

out of a million desires, the maaya of an agitated

mind that hankers over a million things will go away.

Lustful feelings will subside in their intensity.

Improper sexual desires will decrease. Those who have

led a life of sin should seek expiation at this spot.

They should forego their sinful life and lead a good

life marked by lots of charitable deeds; they should

feed and clothe the poor, offer free medical and

educational help to them.

Pavazha Kundru Muruga temple, landmark 21 in our giri

valam map. The darshan of the Lord here is equivalent

to the darshan of the Lord of the Palani Hills.

Bootha Narayana shrine, landmark 22 in our giri valam

map. The vision from this spot is known as Pasupathi

darshan, meaning that the pasus (individual souls)

must reach the pathi (God) through giri valam by the

grace of a Sathguru. This is the spot where the

beginners' giri valam is deemed complete, provided you

fed the poor and the needy during your giri valam.

Offer the results of your giri valam to Lord Bootha

Narayana for safe keeping.

Visit the Irattai Pillaiaar Ganesh shrine, landmark 23

in our giri valam map.

Enter the Arunachala temple again through the East

gopuram. Make your way to the South gopuram and from

there to the West and North gopurams, landmarks 26 and

25 respectively in our giri valam map. Worship all the

deities in the temple including Nandeesvara and the

Muruga deities known as Kambatthu Ilaiyanaar and

Gopuratthu Ilaiyanaar. Offer your respects at Sri

Durvaasa Rishi's sanctum. Surrender to the Lord and

the Universal Mother in their main sancta and request

Their grace. Ask to be Their devotee eternally.

Mentally offer your respects to Maha Guru Agasthiar,

the revealer of this knowledge and His divine teacher

lineage.

Make sure you follow the basic giri valam rules during

your giri valam. Feed the poor and the needy during

giri valam. Talk about God alone during giri valam. Be

totally spiritual during giri valam.

Share this precious knowledge with one and all. It's

not enough that you do giri valam; make sure you

involve others in giri valam too because that's what

Maha Guru Agasthiar wants every one of us to do.

Remember that what the Sathguru has revealed in this

article is only a glimpse into the first of 100,008

introductory giri valam procedures! In other words,

this is only a glimpse into the beginner's giri valam

procedure. Just think of how much more there is to

learn! Seek out the Sathguru who can reveal more and

more of this knowledge to you. As we said before, the

Sathguru is the key who unlocks the treasure chest

that's Arunachala.

Be eternally grateful to Sri Agasthiar and His divine

teacher lineage, the revealers of this knowledge. Om.

 

 

Basic Girivalam Rules

Giri = Hill, Valam = circumambulation. Hence Giri

Valam means circling the hill and Arunachala Giri

Valam means circling the Arunachala hill.

Perform Arunachala Giri Valam with your friends and

family. Stop by the Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar

Ashram en route and partake of Sri Agasthiar's

Arunachala prasaadam which is served in the Ashram on

the night of Pournami Giri Valam.

The vision of Sri Arunachala from the Ashram is known

as Siva Sakthi Aikiya Svaroopa Darisanam.

During the Giri Valam, look at the peak of the

Arunachala Hill with every step you take.

Meditate constantly on the mantra Arunachala Siva

throughout the Giri Valam.

You may sing bhajans or you may talk about totally

spiritual topics like the ones discussed in this

Website and in Sri Agasthia Vijayam. Please avoid talk

of any other kind at least during Giri Valam.

Have some eatables handy so that you may distribute

them to the poor and the needy on the way.

Make sure you do not wear footwear of any kind during

the Giri Valam. This rule can not be relaxed; everyone

must follow it without exception.

Enjoy Arunachala's grace to the fullest measure! We

are all His sons and daughters and He's waiting to

shower His grace on us. The Giri Valam is the easiest

way of getting His limitless grace. For more details,

refer to the Arunachala page in this Website.

If you can't be in Arunachala at these special times:

(1) Perform maanaseega giri valam (giri valam in the

mind) using the Arunachala photographs in the picture

gallery. (2) Perform girivalam around other sacred

hills like Kailaasa, Thiruparankundram, Karoor Thaan

thóndrimalai, Palani, Trichy Hill Fort, Rathnagiri

Ayyarmalai, Kundrakudi, Thirukachoor (near Madras),

Parvatha Malai, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

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