Inner Journey

As a spiritual seeker, you may like to visit ashrams in India for inspiration,meditation or just rest/retreat.
While I have not toured all the ashrams in this circuit, I can suggest a few which I know very well:
1 Sri Ramansramam, Tiruvannamalai Tamil Nadu ----a small temple town, about 150 kms from Chennai[Madras][Sri Ramana Maharshi lived there at the foot of the hill of Arunachala , from 1922 to 1950.]
2 Sri Ananadashram, Kanhangad, near Kasaragod, Kerala---This is actually close to Mangalore, about 80 kms from Mangalore[.The seat of Swami Ramdas and Mother Mataji Krishnabai-] --a picturesque spot on a small hill.
  3Sri Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, Near Haridwar---about 200 kms from Delhi --with river Ganges flowing in front.
4 Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry--about 150 kms from Chennai-- a sea-port with nice beaches and a lovely light-house.Many rent out cottages facing the sea.[Pondicherry,now called Puducherry, was a French colony and still has some French culture.]

5 There are several other ashrams in Rishikesh,such as Yoga Niketan,Swargashram,Paramarth Niketan for comfortable stay at modest expense.

Note: Many of these ashrams have specifc routines-.Calm and serene atmosphere prevails.You may take part in those activities you like or just sit and meditate---no charge for room and ashram food in most places ---no compulsion whatever.All ashrams will provide vegetarian ,Indian style, food only.

.It is better to avoid gossip/small talk while in the ashram,and maintain silence.They all have a book store,library and cow-shed!. Some discourses / singing hymns[bhajans] and chanting in chorus.There are small shops nearby for your needs.

Many small ashrams,some run by westerners, with modern facilities have cropped up near Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamali.You can explore them.  Please do email me for further details.
In Sai Smaran
N K Srinivasan  

 Thiruvannamalai Temple, with nine gopurams or temple towers...this town is the seat of Bhagavan Ramana's Asramam. 

Here is  a list of major pilgrim centres in Tamil Nadu state of India which a spiritually minded person could visit .All these places have magnificent ,large temples where regular worship with elaborate rituals is conducted.All these temples are more than 1000 years old.
1 Chidambaram 2 Thiruvannamalai 3 Kancheepuram 4 Chennai [Madras] 5 Madurai 6Tiruchy & Sri Rangam 7 Tirunelveli 8 Kanyakumari 9 Tirukoilur  10. Tiruchendur 11 Palani hills 12 Srivilliputtur 13 Kumbakonam 14 Tanjore 15 Rameswaram 16 Tiruvananda puram [Trivandrum,capital of Kerala state]
Note that  1Kancheepuram [about 70 kms from Chennai] has several large temples;also Kumbakonam is a city of temples.
2Foreigners [non-Hindus] are not allowed inside some of the temples.They can enjoy the beauty of outer corridors  of the temple.
3All these temples have tall Gopurams or temple towers.They have halls and pillars with exquisite sculptures.They may have a large water tank closeby.
4 Photos and video cameras are not allowed inside the temples.
4If you are a Hindu,does not matter whether your favourite deity is Shiva or Vishnu or Devi..Visit these temples---you will be surprised to find both Shiva and Vishnu idols worshipped in the same temple too...Avoid narrow sectarian views.!!
5The whole stretch of these towns  from Chennai to Kanyakumari ,the southern tip of peninsular India, , is only about 600 kms.You can hop from one town to another by road in one to two hours.!
6 Besides tropical beauty with palm trees, one finds a peaceful,serene atmosphere in most villages and towns, though modern life style and population pressures are intruding...One gets a tender coconut which gives fresh drink for just Rs 10/= [20 cents] and plenty of bananas of different types.You can also eat other tropical fruits including mangoes,pine apple,oranges ,papaya and grapes at low cost.
7 The main staple food is rice with  lentils [dhal] and milk preparations.You get good yogurt and ice cream everywhere.

 Please visit my other website too: Sages and saints of India

1 Avoid visiting South India/Tamil Nadu in very hot summer months--March,April,May and June.The best period is from October to Feb of every year.
2 You are moving into tropical zone.Chennai is 13 degrees North in latitude from the Equator. Expect hot and humid conditions, especially along the coastal areas.You sweat a lot!.
3 Wear light clothing, with only chappals or sandals for your feet---no shoes.Wear a thin hat if required.
4 Monsoon rains in September to November can be irksome and interrupt your travels a bit....but nothing serious ---you may even enjoy getting drenched in cool showers!.
5 Plenty of budget hotels and starred ones [ 1 or 2  stars only]are available in all these towns.Tariffs range from Rs 400 [$10] to Rs 2000 [$50] per day.You can prefer State run Tourism Board hotels...ask for them or stay in ashrams.

6 Learn to enjoy local vegetarian food easily available....somewhat spicy,not too hot...Non-veg[meat] food is available ,but may not be hygienic and better to avoid in hot areas where meat gets  putrid easily.

7 Drink plenty of soft drinks/water since you sweat a lot...Hygenic ,'well sealed ' natural  drink in any place is 'tender coconut'.!
8 Travel in India has become easier--due to ubiquitous ATM's [automatic teller machines],mobile phones,better taxi services,more airlines, online reservations for trains, bottled water,-------Wherever you go, you will find Computer cafes with internet connectivity...you can check emails,browse web for about Rs 10/- per hour.

9 But road traffic is full of jams----chaotic and polluted in cities.Avoid night travel in roads,especially private buses.The drivers drive in a rash manner.Start early so that you dont get into traffic jams...especially for airports.

10 In some places ,you will face mosquitoes at night;use  repellant which is a liquid,heated by a small heater and attached to electrical outlet,readily available.
11 Keep an umbrella always ready.Slight drizzle even out of rainy season.

12 It is better to take bath twice a day.

13 Avoid food from road-side stalls or cafeterias except for hot coffee or tea.

14 Do not use unauthorized travel guides...Always approach tour operators or state run tourist  bureaus for guidance or getting a tour guide.

15 There are many astrologers,numerologists and sooth-sayers...most of them are bogus or have very little training.If you wish to consult an astrologer [for seriousness or fun]check with local persons for a good one.Dont take their predictions too seriously!.Agastya system of astrology with a set of palm-leaf ,is indeed a system which is exploited by many with only a small set of leaves and hence unreliable.

16 There are bonafide,genuine  charities and voluntary NGO's [non-governmental organizations] you can check...make payments always to trust accounts by cheques---not to individuals and  do not pay by cash.

17 If any sexual harrassment, report to the Police commissioner or Assistant Commissioner in the city...do not go to a police station where they may foul up the case.

18 Always carry a small pouch of medicines,especially for fever, loose bowels,headache,muscle cramps.. Though you may find medical shops every corner,that may not carry the brands you are used to...most American brands or equivalents are available,sometimes witha different name...check the active ingredients...ask the pharmacist.

19 Always carry a small notebook to wrtie something or record your impressions also a digital camera. Visit local bookstalls.Buy handicraft items,curios and souvenirs in regular shops...Many vendors sell cheap stuff which may break easily.

20 Respect the local culture...Many aspects you cannot understand and some may be repugnant...Don't be judgemental, just observe , note down and pass on.

Meenakshi Temple Madurai

  Rameswaram temple corridor

      Sri Ranganatha Temple-- SriRangam

 These two temples are magnificent,with tall temple towers or gopurams. Further Sri Rangam temple,near Trichy is the largest temple complex in the world with functioning temple while Angwar Wat in Cambodia while large is a non-functioning temple.Sri Rangam temple occupies 156 acres and has seven concentric walls with corridors ,totaling 6 miles length.It is in a small island surrounded by waters of the river Cauvery.

Karnataka Temple towns--I mention a few places of great interest in Karnataka you may consider ---all at a distance within 300 kms from Bangalore: Udipi,Kollur,Shringeri,Belur,Mysore,Srirangapatnam.

While many temples are dedicated to Shiva and Vshnu,there are a few important ones for Goddess Shakti or parvati.The notable one is at Shringeri for saradha..the Saradha peetam of Shankara Mutt and the Mookambika near Udipi.

The most famous temple in the state  is Lord Krishna's temple in Udipi,about 40 km from Mangalore,the seat of Madhwacharaya..There are 8 mathas following the footsteps of Madhawa in this small temple town.Another famous temple is that of Manjunatha, a Shiva temple at Dharmasthala ,run by a local Jain family.Free feeding for all devotees every day in a prominent feature of Dharmasthala temple.

  The temple of Chamundi ,the Shakti temple , atop a small hill in  Mysore attracts thousands ofdevotees.

There are a few Jain temples remaining yet---the temple at Halebid,Moodbidri nearmangalore among others..They have intricate detailed work on the walls.These are preserved by Archaelogical Society of India.The jain temples, a cluster of 18 temples in Moodbidri, 40 km from Mangalore,,with tribhuvanatilaka Chudamani Basadi,the main temple is a major attraction for devout jains.it is called  "Jain Kashi",like varanasi for Hindus.In 17th century, a jain family ruled these aprts with Moodbidri as capital.

 Ekambareeswara Temple [Kanchipuram]

                                                                                                    Rajagopal Temple-Mannargudi

Srivilli-puthur near Madurai--a beautiful tower with curvy sides

Sri Varadaraaja temple-Kanchipuram

                                                                            A rock-cut temple of Goddess in Mahabalipuram near Chennai

 The following places of pilgrimages are in the list of most devout Hindus.You can plan a few major ones for short [2week] trips:
Starting from down south in the peninsula, we have: Kanyakumari,->Rameswaram,->Tiruvananadapuram ->Madurai, Srivilliputhur,->Sri Rangam->Tanjore->Chidambaram,->Kancheepuram[mamallapuram],and-> [Chennai];

You may not follow the same sequence.

 Brihadeeswara Temple ,called Big temple , Tanjore

                       Chidambaram -- Nataraja Temple

         Srikalahasti temple

  THIRUVARUR ---SHIVA TEMPLE NEAR Kumbakonam---famous for Rath [car] festival in the South

 the North:
Puri in Orissa, near Cuttack/Bhubaneswar .
Benaras [Varanasi], Mathura/Brindhaban, Gaya,Haridwar,Rishikesh,Bhadri in Uttar kashi,upper Himalayas.
In the west: Pushkar, Mount Abu, Nashik, Shirdi, Pandharpur.
This list is only those  places easily reachable with airlinks.Amarnath and other places are restricted to a few months due to heavy snows.
Travel is most convenient by air to nearby cities;from there take taxies or tourist buses.Often conducted tours are available.

 Temple in Puri for Lord Jagannath [Lord of the Universe]The word 'Juggernaut' is derived from the giant car or rath that rolls down the streets .

                                                                                      Lingaraj temple--Bhubaneshwar,Orissa

 Rath Yathra---Puri-- a painting by James Fergusson

 Rath Yathra in June every year when three wooden cars with three deities are taken in the main street.

                            Golden temple of the Sikhs in Amritsar ...the holiest shrine for Siikhs built around 1589 to 1601.The Holy book of Adi-Granth is worshipped ,brought from Akal Takht,an adjoining building.The pool or Amritsar reflects the Golden glow of the Shrine.

[Amritsar is nearly 450 kms from Delhi,about 250 kms form Chandigarh in the state of Punjab,close to Pakistan border.

I have written about Shirdi in another page.Here I wish to give you some details about this sacred spot on Earth,hallowed by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and numerous other sages and saints.The most important feature of this town is the sacred hill ,called ARUNACHALA..In simple language, it means Aruna -sun and Achala --mountain,immobile.it is also called Thiruvannamalai.

         There is a large temple  dedicated to Shiva ,called Arunachala Eswara or Annamalaiyar  at the foot hill of this mountain.It is the temple that attracted Ramana as a young boy from his home town near Madurai.

     The mountain is sacred and there is a festival in which a huge oil lamp is lit on the top of the mountain called Deepam , actually, a big fire from a Cauldron.This festival attracts  thousands of tourists at that time.Going round the hill on foot is considered a religious practice,called 'Giri-Valam', especially on full-moon days.

     Sri Ramanasaramam is in the foot hill.One can climb  from the back door of the Asram  up the hill and visit places where Ramana stayed and meditated for nearly 22 years--the Skandashramam and the Virupaksha Cave.Both are holy places now for Ramana devotees.

     Thiruvannamalai is about 150 kms from Chennai {Madras,old name] and about 5 miles drive from Bangalore.Trains run from Chennai, but no convenient or direct train from Bangalore .Chennai and Bangalore have airports for international flights--connecting to the rest of the world.   

    Thiruvannamalai is a growing town,the population increasing rapidly in the last decade---more traffic and more noise.

    The main places to visit and stay in this small town are the following:

   1 Seshadri Swamigal's ashram /samadhi next to SriRamansramam, on the Chengam Road.

  2 Sri Ramsuratkumar's ashram/samadhi ,about a kilometer from Sri Ramansramam.

  3 A Shirdi Sai templehas been built recently in the Girirvalam road.

There are numerous  smaller temples you can find .

Places to stay: Sri Ramansaramam,Seshadri Swamigal asram,Ramsuratkumar's ashram, many others and small modern hotels/lodges.... {Rs 200 to Rs 500 per day] [For ashrams, reserve rooms in  advance.]

  Jain Temple at Halebid [180 Km from Bangalore]

There are quite a few exquisite Jain temples.The most famous ones are in Mount Abu region near Ahmedabad in Rajasthan....A few in Karnatka state ,near Mangalore. Most have intricate marble carvings.They were built in th eperiod 11th to 13th century.

  Dilwara temple--Mount Abu  --Rajasthan

Haridwar is a well-known pilgrim centre ,devoted to Lord Vishnu...the Ganges river enters the plains and metaphorically, it is at the feet of Lord Vishnu--Hari-ke-paedi.The town,where thousands take dip in Holy Ganga and also offer oblations, is also a land of Shiva worship...The famous Goddess temple,Mansadevi , a manifestation of  Parvathi Devi, is on the top of a small hill in the Haridwar town.

 Rishikesh, the valley of Rishis , is my favourite spot,at the place where the River Ganga, enters from the gorges in Uttar Kashi with considerable speed.There are numerous ashrams on both sides of the wide river, with two suspension bridges across the river, Lakshman Jhula and Ram  Jhula , at two nearby spots.

  The most famous ashram is Swami Sivananda's  "Divine Life Society", with Swamiji's kutir fronting the river near Ram Jhula. The other famous ,well establishend ashrams are:  Swargashram,Yoga Niketan,Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's ashram,Paramarth Ashram;There are many  newer ones.There are plenty of yoga teachers to teach hatha yoga and various forms of meditation--short and long courses...There are many small shops and restaurants which you find crowding the lanes fronting the river.The best time to visit Rishkesh  is September to Feb ....Avoid the summer heat from March to June.

 The great festival ,daily ritual , is the Arati or waving of lamp after chanting for Ganaga-maji,daily at sunset time in front of Paramarth Ashram...You can watch and take part,in leaving a small oil lamp to float on the river.The peaceful atmosphere,the cool breeze laden with herbal flavours is something to expereince...There is no other spot in India equalling the Rishikesh in serenity and purity of air....hope it reamins so ,with the increasing influx of tourists, construction and shops..

Varanasi ,the holy city of the Hindus,a seat of learning and philosophy;the bathing ghats along the River Ganges or the Ganga is a place of quietness,serenity and eternal peace...many prefer to spend their last days in this city..famous for silk sarees,with sizable muslim popualtion too;the city ,with meandering lanes and ubiquitous cows,---a rich place with lot of temples...Major temples are that of Vishvanatha [Shiva],Annapurni[mother goddess offering food] and Madan-mohana or Bindu-madhava[Lord Krishna].-can be reached from Delhi or Kolkotha by flight or by trains.It has the famousBanaras Hindu Univerisity[BHU].There are numeorus ashrams, yoga centres and sanskrit schools.

 Mathura and Vrindhavan--two holy places near Delhi--the places where Lord krishna was born and played ---are dear to all vaishnava devotees.They can be reached from Delhi by road in about 2 hours or by train.They are in the same road from Delhi to Agra,where Taj Mahal is located.So, touriists going to Agra to see Taj can make a short stop-over at Mathura/Vrindhavan.At Mathura, besides the place of birth of Lord Krishna, many temples are found ,including a large ISKCON temple.

 Vrindavan---Lord Krishna's tempe on the bank of River Jamuna

A new Goden temple for the Goddess NARAYANI  ,the divine form of Lord Vishnu and Durga, sometime called "Vishnu Durga" ....Durga with four hands ,two of which carry mace and conch like Lord Vishnu , and also the manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi ,the divine consort of Lord Vishnu, the bestower of Prosperity [a prosperity Goddess] has been built at Sripuram, about 15 km from Vellore in Tamil Nadu.The temple with gold plating over gopuram,all sides and the pillars, is exquisite and grand to look at. It is attracting thousands of vistors every day.The temple is surrounded by a large garden, a parikrama or corridor to go around the temple of length 2 Km....The temple was completed in 2007.

   This golden temple in 100 acre campus is built by the founder of Narayani Peedam , Shakti Amma, a 33 year old male sadhu who had built several religious and social institutions for promoting Mother Goddess worship.The cost of the temple is estimated to be Rs 600 crores or approx $120 million.

 Several claims are made by Sakthi Amma and his followers about the divine powers and visions experienced by  him--- a  new religious leader in Tamil Nadu.He follows the traditional path of temple worship, with chanting ,yagas and pujas.He is the latest sensation after Ammachi [Mata Amritananda Mayi of Kerala ]and the miracle-monger , the controversial Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi and some self-styled gurus...These leaders have not spent much for temple building ,but Sakthi Amma does now.Sakthi Amma claims himself to be the latest incarnation  or manifestation in the mould of Lord Krishna who promised to appear in each yuga to restore peace and prosperity.!In many respects, Sakthi Amma seems to be following the pattern set by his forerunner Bangaru Adigalar of Adhi Parasakthi peetam at Melmaruvathur Tamil Nadu.With so many 'avatar purushas' floating around, Tamil Nadu must register great spiritual progress indeed.!

A booklet from Narayani Peedom says that just like a mother gives a sugar-coated pill to a child, the golden temple with its attraction serves as sugar coating to get devotees to spiritualize thier lives.! -- a nice way of thinking.

This temple has become the latest tourist attraction in Tamil Nadu.Vellore is already famous for Christian Mission College and Hospital [CMC} started by Ida Scudder,an  American missionary some 80 years ago. Vellore is a hot ,dry place ,but the Narayani temple is built around small hills with verdant woods.

 The temple can be reached from Chennai [180 km] or from Bangalore [230 kms] by road or train--about  3hours drive from Chennai or Bangalore.

It is a moot point whether one should spend Rs 600 crores for a temple [using 1.5 tonne of gold] in poverty striken India where more than  30%  of the population live below the poverty line and do not get one nutritious meal a day and where there are already hundreds of magnificent large temples which need repair,renovation and maintenance. There is always need for more schools,hospitals,old-age homes , hospices for physically and mentalyy challenged and so on. A small compensation is that the Narayani Peedam is doing some local development,helping the poor and has built a super-specialty hospital nearby.

There are always thousands of devotees who are attracted to such ventures in 'religious revival'  in Hindu context and who fill the hundis [coffers,donation boxes] of such peedams and temples and who combine pilgrimage with vacation.As for myself, I would prefer small, austere temples which have been hallowed by the feet of great saints and sages of the past.

Some dry philosophers argue: Why pilgrimage when the Lord or God is everywhere?

Pilgrim centres are sacred places where great saints and sages lived and walked.The place is sactified with holy thoughts which a devout can feel.It is palpable.You may find great living saints now also,often in obscurity..Puri in the east coast near Bhubaneshwar is hallowed with the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.Varanasi has been the home of many saints and sages.

.I agree that most pilgrim centres in India are very dirty,filled with garbage, wandering cows,buffalos and pigs;and dens  of prostitution/brothels....yet one would find some solace for the troubled mind and peaceful atmosphere in many places.The huge temples ,ornate halls,water tanks and temple towers keep your mind with lofty thoughts...Imagine the energy and the artistry the great builders and their princes [Rajas] exhibited those days, often more than a thousand years  ago in India..Most kings use to build a new city with a large temple after a great military victory or 'digvijay' in those days.

 Once I had a conversation with a Christian priest sitting next to me in a plane.He was returning from Varanasi after attending a seminar of his Christian group.I asked him of the impression he had of Varanasi.

..He replied: " There is a sense of peace there...Time seems to stand still".

May be ,when you are very advanced in spirituality, you may prefer to stay in one place---like Shirdi Baba or Ramana...but that is not the case for many of us!Pilgrimages help to consolodate our faith and generate  peace of mind.Some may become introspective after pilgrimage..