Reflections on a Tradition:

Was invited recently to an inaugural and do the opening honors.

What began as a rope cutting ritual, centuries ago,  stands transformed today into a more elegant ribbon-cutting. Records have it that the first historic ribbon-cutting ceremony happened in 1898 to mark the opening of a railroad line in Northern Louisiana. Ever since, the ritual began to mark the beginning of any new activity, be it the launch of a newly built boat or business.

It is also traditional component of wedding ceremonies in some western countries. The bride or her father cuts a ribbon stretched across the door of the family home, symbolizing her new found freedom and leaving her life as a maiden behind. In essence ribbon-cutting has come to symbolize freeing or opening something.
In vaastu sastra and vedic rituals, we have a component called Digbandana – closing bounded space or water filled vessels with sacred threads for insulation of divine vibrations and opening them at the end of sacred chants and japa.

The 12 year cycles:

 We each experience a unique mixture of planetary transits in a lifetime. The planets travel at their own speed, marking cycles of challenge, crisis and growth in our lives. For instance, the majestic Jupiter returns every 12 years.
Kumbhabhishekam, the auspicious ritual bathing at temples is performed every 12 years to synergize the mystic powers of the deity. The Kumbha is bathed with the sanctified holy waters in the sacrificial pot and the pranic powers trickle down a silver wire to enter the deity installed inside the sanctum. The deity, until then only a granite stone image, then transforms into a living representation of the Lord with beatitude, conferring divine blessings on devotees.

The world renowned Kumbhmela returns every 12 years.

NeelKurinji, the purplish wild flower, after which the Blue Mountains of Nilgiris have been named, blossoms gregariously once in 12 years. The tribals, in fact, used it to calculate their age! As we write this post, Kurinji flowers have bloomed in the hillocks of Chickmagaloor, delighting the tourists of Karnataka as well.

(Pics from Celestial Nectar evenings on eve of Kumbhabishekham at Avinashi and Achangulam)

A Tribute to Tradition:

Surprised to see  this  in FB circulation. It was in  response to book lovers being asked to share list of Ten books that influenced them. It has come on a day when translated work of Samparadaya is going into print in one more Indian  language.

1. Bhagwad Gita - 
2. Stumbling into Infinity -by Michael Fischman
3. Conversations with God - by Neale Donald Walsch 
4. Many Masters, Many Lives - by Dr. Brian Weiss
5. Only Love is Real by -Dr. Brian Weiss
6. Sampradaya -A Tribute to Tradition- by Dr.Arun Madhavan 
7. Skipping Christmas - by John Grisham
8. Lean In - by Sheryl Sandberg
9. The Secret - by Rhonda Byrne 
10. Brida - by Paulo Coelho 

A Tribute to Heritage: The inimitable Palakkad!

28August 2014

Our first visit to the Heritage Gramas of Palakkad. It presented us with rare glimpses of village life, frozen in time for centuries. Houses in rows with wooden shutters and metal grills in each lane leading to temples. The State has done well to accord Heritage status already to one of the villages to help conserve their unique culture, tradition and lifestyle; prohibiting in the process major architectural changes or rebuilding. Steeped in Vedic culture, these villages boast of a large number of scholars of the Vedas aside from producing stalwarts in Indian Administrative - Civil services.

We were delighted to receive the vibrant vidyarthis from a Vedic Gurukul at our satsang. When the scheduled tabla player failed to show up, one of the Gurukul students promptly filled the slot and astonished us with his able percussion support!

Theanamudha Divya Satsangs August & September 2014

Music and Food

An international celebrity was recently asked: What comes to your mind when you think of India? Her reply was stunningly brief and truthful: Music and Food! 

Music obviously is a powerful unifying force, bringing people together across boundaries of geography, religion and culture. When such music is spiritually elevating, the impact lasts longer. We were witness to this phenomenon when the Britten Sinfonia, an internationally celebrated ensemble, performed in Bangalore with Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his two talented sons in a concerto. 

Amjad Ali led from the front with Tagore’s “Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tôbe êkla cholo re” and Bapu’s favourite dhun ‘Vaishnav janato’. After a while, the melodious waves of thumris set to Raag Bhairavi and Khamaj swept everyone away.

Being my childhood inspiration, Tagore’s 'Ekla cholo re' is evergreen: “If they answer not to thy call, walk alone; if they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, open thy mind and speak out alone. When you face storms of troubles, Darkness overpowers the truth, when the world bows to the fear, be the fire that lights up the darkened world while burning itself.”

The musicians’ tribute to founding fathers of our freedom couldn't have been better conveyed.

On tour with Sri Sri

12th August 2014

Sri Sri was visiting the legendary temple town of Bhavani after a long gap. We landed in the town few hours earlier to get ready for the big event to follow.  A crew working on Enviro- awareness and Tree planting asked us to partake in their film shoot.  Singing to lyrics set to peppy music and in a scenic setting, provided a good starter.

A very large congregation at the majestic Platinum Mahal was in for a lively treat of bhajans, meditation and a thought provoking Q & A with Sri Sri. One of the questions was on the topic of pitru dosh. (It is nothing but the karmic debt of the ancestors which the person having Pitru Dosh is supposed to pay. To appreciate this theory, we must remember that in most of the cases a person born in a family line is none other than one of his own ancestors)

 Here was the pithy response from Gurudev that had the audience in splits. “You can’t say that you will selectively inherit only their wealth!”

Unconditional love!

Here was a touching moment when two kid brothers climbed upon the stage with their grand father to hand out roses before the satsang began.

A touching moment of unconditional love from the  third generation of AOL satsangees!

13th August 2014
Several thousand assembled to witness a mega yagna conducted by the talented alumni of our Gurukul at the BVB grounds, Erode.

14th August 2014
Warm welcome from the Salem family at the foothills of Yercaud. Commenced the first Art of Silence retreat here.  Exuberance of both Independence Day and Janmashtami was palpable.

A rare visual treat!

29th July, 2014

A visual treat it was, coming at the end of the July tour. As we began our early morning yoga with a group on a terrace , we heard the call of a majestic peacock landing on another terrace some feet away. It soon displayed its plumage in all its brilliance and splendor swirling around 360 degrees. Our session lasted some 90 minutes and all the while the colorful pheasant kept dancing as though it was performing its own asanas! Once our session and peace chants got over, it flew away!

The visual delight got us all super charged for the satsang later in the evening.

Deep silence and realm of joy:

27th July 2014:

Sri Villiputhur Temple is an ancient heritage, over 2000-years old. It is the birthplace of two of the most important Saints - Periyazhvar and Sri Andal. Significantly the temple tower is used in the State Government's official seal. Many priests from this rural belt who migrated to Siam several centuries back are part of the coronation rituals of the Thai Royalty.

The annual CAR festival to mark Sri Andal’s birth celebration attracts numerous pilgrims, Vedic scholars and celebrated artists. They take an active part in the cultural fest spread over ten nights. The moments of meditation during the Celestial Nectar evening took the jam-packed audience into a state of deep silence and realm of joy.

Moments of beatitude at Bhavani

25th July 2014

Sangameshwar temple in Bhavani, dedicated to Lord Shiva has been built at the confluence of three rivers viz. Cauvery, Bhavani and Amirtha. It is one of the important tourism spots in the State of TN. Of the three rivers, River Amirtha flows as Antharvahini, akin to river Saraswati at Triveni Sangam, Allahabad. It is therefore hailed as Dakshin Triveni Sangam. The Aashada month marks notable rituals and events. We were blessed to render sacred chants and bhajans in the precincts of the temple. 

A rasika overwhelmed by our bhajan on the theme of vettrilai malai - betel leaf garland for Hanumanji, adorned us with one creating tender affectionate moments.

Art of Silence program at the scenic Western Ghats

The scenic Western Ghats is a bio diversity hot spot of India; its eco-system hailed almost equivalent to Himalayas. Some areas receive as much as 350 inches of rain every year. Being a great source of water and oxygen, the evergreen forests are flushed with abundant flora and fauna with some 140 mammal species, 510 bird species, 260 reptile species, and 180 amphibian species.

An Art of Silence program here with those engaged in academia is etched in our memories.