Tiruvannamalai

Thursday 31/01/2013 - TIRUVANNAMALAI.

Tiruvannamalai is one of the five 'elemental' cities of Shiva. Here the god is worshipped in his fire incarnation Arunachaleswar.
The Arunachaleswar is awash in golden flames and the roasting scent of burning ghee, as benefits the fire incarnation of the Destroyer of the Universe.
Covering some 10 hectares, this vast temple is one of the largest in India.
In the heart of the temple a roaring oven, looking like a wallnut shell spewing fire, is tended by temple Brahmins in front of a lingam.

 In front of the temple complex.

 The temple complex entrance.

 Man "offering" his wish list in the Nandy temple.

The temple elephant.

Temple stalls, selling the goods to offer.

Often they do good business.

 My sadhu friend.

Sri Ramana Ashram,

 
A tranquil ashram drawing devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi, a guru who died in 1950 after nearly 50 years in contemplation. It is a very relaxed place, where visitors are able to meditate or worship the shrine where the guru achieved samadhi (conscious exit from the body).

 

 The meditation hall.

Still with the question "Who am I?". 

In the streets...

The ironing man odfthe "Dry Cleaning" shop. 

Suddenly I discover my laundry given to him this morning, drying in the street.

"Guesthouse for gentlemen".
They look so, isn't it?

Climbing Mt Arunachala (Red Mountain).

800m high dead volcano dominating Tiruvannamalai.  The climb takes 4 hours return.

Ramana Maharshi stayed 17 years in this cave.

(the cave is at the end of the room).

Pilgrims make the climb barefoot.

And he stayed for 7 more years in this cave.

 Which is not always obvious.

 View on the temple complex from higher altitudes.

Summit of Mt Arunachala,
where the soil is black and sticky from ghee
(once a year they put fire on 2000 liter of ghee at this place).

Baba porting water (or ghee?) to the summit.

  Taking the bus from Tiruvannamalai to Bangalore.

(Click here to consult the home page)

Puducherry

Tuesday 29/01/2013 - PUDUCHERRY (also known as Pondicherry).

- Visit of the French quarter,
- Visit of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
- Visit of the Paper factory,
- Visit of the Puducherry Museum,
- Visit of the Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple.
- Visit of Auroville

Statue for the Indian soldiers who gave their lives in Europe during world war I.

The old French town hall, being restored.

Sometimes (read as "often") a not so clean  India.
Even if overall this town looks much better than any other place visited.

Notre Dame des Anges church.

 A French looking café and a French movie theater.

A French "Paris-Brest" with a lovely Italian Capuchino.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

The Paper factory, run by the Sri Aurobindo ashram.

No cameras, no pictures.  But I managed to obtain the authorization!

As often, Indian workers have a lot of fun.

 

The main building of the ashram.

 No comment!

Puducherry Museum.

Unfortunately forbidden to take pictures inside.

An old-fashioned museum about everything and nothing. 

Before Christ, Greco-Roman traders already came to Arikamedu (Puducherry).

They came loaded with wine and olive oil to return with precious spices.

Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple.

The temple elephant arriving at the temple.

The temple elephant, and me.

 Yes, she likes me!

Auroville (Wednesday 30/1).
Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township, inspired by the guru and founder of the Aurobinda ashram, ment to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. One of those ideas anyone with a whiff of New Adge will love.
Two thirds od the 1800 Aurovilians are foreigners, living in 80 rural settlements.

Let's go and see that.

Found a nice bicycle shop with up to date bikes right around the corner. 

Indian bike. 

As I was not that sure, I took right.

In the visitor center.

The shops.

 The "solar kitchen", preparing more than 400 meals dayly.

The Matrimandir, Auroville's spiritual heart.

Looking as out-dated as Disney's Epcot center in Florida.

(Click here to consult the home page)

Trichy

Sunday 27/01/2013 & Monday 28/01/2013 - TRICHY (also known as Tiruchirappalli).

Visit of the Rock Fort Temples.
Visit of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple complex.
Visit of the Lourdes Church.

Rock Fort Temples: Sri Thayumanaswamy and Vinayaka Temple (Sunday 27/1).

Girls selling cotton swabs  in the street, 10 Roupees/200 tips (0.07€),

they said the benefit was for their school equipment.

The Rock Fort Temple.

The red rock, 83m high, is the only relief in the plain as far as one can see around.

 To reach the rock one must walk through a bazaar.

To reach the summit temple, one starts climbing stairs.

One crosses the temple elephant.

To reach the summit temple one walks through artificial caves. 

To reach the summit temple one also takes stairs in the open air.

Near to the summit one takes even more stairs, not always horizontal.

View from the top.

And one meets the two girls again,
they went to the temple after having sold their whole stock!

Sunset over the mountain, the midway temple, and the town.

And finally an eagle flying over my head.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple complex (Monday 28/1) and Lourdes Church.

The huge temple chariot, used to parade with deities in town.

One of the temple entrances.

The temple elephant.

In the streets...

Shop selling fresh made trowels.

Well provided onion shops.

The Lourdes church.

(Click here to consult the home page)