Enroute to the first destination, Tiruvannamalai, the group stops for tea in the early hours of the morning. To their blissful surprise, at the tea shop they have the darshan of Paramahamsa Nithyananda through the television program that is played frequently in Tamil Nadu….As Paramahamsa had said when they departed, ‘I am with you on the tour!’
The group has its first glimpse of Arunachala
The group excited and enjoying their journey towards Tiruvannamalai, the birthplace of Paramahamsa and Nithya Yoga
The participants are welcomed in a traditional way, with flower garlands at the exclusive ‘Sparsa’ hotel in Tiruvannamalai
The group relaxes over a cup of tea on arriving at the hotel
A few shots of the beautiful hotel in the midst of Arunachala
The group visits Yogi RamSuratkumar Ashram in Tiruvannamalai
A Swami from the Ramakrishna Order, who spent time with Paramahamsa in the Ramakrishna Mutt, speaks with brahmachari of the Nithyananda Order
The group visits the famous Ramanashram. Ramana Maharishi the enlightened master was one of Paramahamsa’s greatest childhood inspirations.
The group climbs the steep ascent of stairs toward the rock where Paramahamsa had his first spiritual experience at age 12
Brahmachari places Paramahamsa’s photograph on the energy center
The group in the presence of Arunachala
The participants visit a devotee’s home in Tiruvannamalai for lunch. They are received on arrival and have their feet washed and eisha gandaha (kum kum and sandal paste) smeared on their feet in the traditional way of respect….athiti devo bhava (Guest is God).
The group is served lunch in the typical South Indian way – seated on the floor and served food on a plantain (banana) leaf.
Brahmachari and participants honor the devotee hosts with Nithyanandam bracelets and calendars
In the evening, the participants do the girivalam (the circambulation of Arunachala). Enroute, they experience ‘iddiku Pillayar’ - crawling through this crevice is a natural massage to rejuvenate the nerves and to remove any kind of catch in the muscles.
