THE YOGA TRAIL
  • Home
  • Offerings
  • RETREATS
  • Team
  • Blog
  • Contact

Tiruvannamalai, Jan 12-14.

1/16/2013

0 Comments

 
I arrive on a honking local bus from Bangalore, 5hrs, $3. Tiru is a spiritual Mecca: not only it sits at the bottom of Mt Arunachala, which is supposed to be the incarnation of Shiva in the element of Fire, but also it's where Sri Ramana Maharshi, a great sage and guru, lived and founded his Ashram over 50 yrs ago. All the westerners here talk about awareness and supreme consciousness, they all wear long tunics and ample pants, favorite colors are white and orange, and they are all seeking their way to enlightenment, therefore there's a huge offer of spiritual activities, which you can find on all the billboards of the cafes: satsang with various gurus - you may find yours -, spiritual dances and kirtans, Yoga and Ayurveda. I have to admit that this place really confused me a lot!
Ramana Ashram is very tranquil, despite the numerous visitors, there are peacocks and monkeys, and they have pujas in the main temple twice a day, where you can go freely to calm your mind and get uplifted. In the back of the Ashram there's a path going up the mountain to visit the cave where the Guru spent several years in contemplation, there's beautiful energy there and it's perfect  for meditating.
Then there's the main temple in town dedicated to Shiva and Fire, which is one of the biggest in India with its 9 towers. It's surrounded by the messiest, most crowded and noisiest  streets, we rented bicycles for $1/day and ride around: it's remarkable how we could keep our mental and physical health in that chaos. It was also Pongal in India these days, a special holiday to celebrate the harvest, so there was even more people around; for the event the females of each household draw every night on the street in front of their entry gate beautiful colorful geometries similar to mandalas, they use sands of different colors that during the day get ride and stepped on, or even more decorated by the doo doo of the numerous cows walking around; but it seems not to matter at all and every evening they wash it off and draw new beautiful ones : )
We found accommodation in the neighborhood across the street from the ashram where most of the visitors stay. $10/ night, decent room, guesthouse with no name, the lady who manages it has her face yellow of turmeric for some reason... Now try to find it!! : D
Restaurants and cafes. The ones for visitors are spiced down and few times the food was not that tasty, the indian ones are few and not that clean. Anyway I would recommend:
- Dreaming Tree, also guesthouse and Internet point, with breezy rooftop where you can also take a nap. All organic, great chocolate cake
- Shanti Cafe, great for breakfast, high speed wifi, they also run a foundation for local kids.
- Tasty Cafe and German Bakery, both nice and it's easy to meet other visitors there
- Quo Vadis, spiritual cross religion center, with a lot of activities, a pretty garden and very tasty cheap Indian food....
And now ... Mysore: local bus to Bangalore $3, 5hrs+ local bus to Mysore $3, 3hrs.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Categories

    All
    Colombia
    Costa Rica
    India
    Italy
    New York
    Nicaragua
    Panama
    The Netherlands

    Picture
    Pirate's Cove in La Palma, Canary Islands
    Picture
    Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica.
    Picture
    In Varkala,India
    Picture
    Graffiti in Kochi, India
    Picture
    Adorabvle painting in Kochi, India
    Picture
    Typical Meal at the Ayurveda Hospital
    Picture
    Lunch at the Ayurveda Hospital in India
    Picture
    Turmeric Yellow Cow in Mysore, India
    Picture
    Tiruvannamalai, Pongal drawings and cute girl
    Picture
    Picture
    At the bazaar in Mumbai
    Picture
    Acro Yoga with Andy at Playa Miel, Panama
    Picture
    Green friends in Capurgana, Colombia
    Picture
    Beautiful Sapzurro, Colombia
    Picture
    Botero park in Medellin
    Picture
    Yoga with Mila at Finca San Sebastian, Medellin
    Picture
    MILA! at Finca san Sebastian, close to Medellin, Colombia
    Picture
    Mompox, Colombia, before the procession
    Picture
    Mompox, Colombia, ready for the procession
    Picture
    Mompox, Easter chick
    Picture
    Building the mud wall with Krisna, Gambhira Ashram, Santa Marta
    Picture
    Natural Cabana at Gambhira Ashram, Santa Marta
    Picture
    Goranga's chocolate, Gambhira Ashram
    Picture
    Robbert and I painting the dining table, Gambhira Ashram, Santa Marta
    Picture
    The pool we scrubbed at the ashram! Santa Marta, Colombia
    Picture
    Mochilas! Riohacha, Colombia
    Picture
    Ready for a stroll in the desert, Guajira, Colombia
    Picture
    The desert around Cabo, Guajira, Colombia
    Picture
    The beach at Pilon de Cerro, Guajira, Colombia
    Picture
    The gorgeous beach of Palomino, Colombia
    Picture
    Local girls living in Tayrona Natural Park, Colombia
    Picture
    Hiking in Tayrona, Colombia
    Picture
    Cloudy Paradise, Tayrona National park, Colombia
    Picture
    Taganga Bay, Colombia
    Picture
    In the mud of Volcan Totumo, Colombia
    Picture
    Volcan Totumo, Colombia
    Picture
    The slum of LA Boquilla, Cartagena
    Picture
    At Fundacion La Vecina, La Boquilla, Cartagena
    Picture
    Playa Blanca: yes, that crowded!
    Picture
    Picture
    Playa Blanca day trippers: not everything is chic in Cartagena.
    Picture
    Chic door, Cartagena, Colombia
    Picture
    Dancers in Old Cartagena, Colombia
    Picture
    Drawing ladies in Isla Iguana, San Blas, Panama
    Picture
    Rainy Paradise, San Blas, Panama
    Picture
    Street art in Casco Viejo by Rolo de Sedas, Panama City
    Picture
    Kuna woman in Panama City
    Picture
    Cafe Coca Cola, Panama City
    Picture
    On the bus, Panama
    Picture
    Costa Rica - Panama border...fun!
    Picture
    Sunday afternoon in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
    Picture
    Cocles Beach, Costa Rica
    Picture
    Cocles Beach, CR
    Picture
    Aperetivo in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
    Picture
    Glorious Sunset at Playa El Gigante, Nicaragua
    Picture
    In Playa El Gigante, Nica
    Picture
    View at breakfast from Vista de Colores, Little Corn
    Picture
    View out of my cabana at Elsa's, Little Corn Island
    Picture
    Costa Rica highway in the middle of the jungle: SHAME ON THEM!
    Picture
    Kids in Catalanica, Solentiname
    Picture
    Artists in Isla Mancarron,Solentiname
    Picture
    Silvia, Islas Solentiname
    Picture
    Kids in Merida, Ometepe
    Picture
    Merida, Ometepe
    Picture
    Cascada San Ramon, Ometepe
    Picture
    Ojo de Agua, Ometepe
  • Home
  • Offerings
  • RETREATS
  • Team
  • Blog
  • Contact