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I went to India this year just after Divali festival, Deepam festival started just few days after. It is 20 days festival with many events, mostly meetings with beloved Gods.
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Decorating of gods before their journey to city streets is prepared in overcrovded hall, the Silver Ratha is one of most important Deepam rituals. You can see small video from here
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Priest is giving prasadam to pilgrims before the Silver Ratha starts.
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local Sadhu woman greets comming Gods so enthusiastically that even local girls watch her curiously.
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Mother Goddess holds a parrot in her right hand. This parrot symbolise a soul of one devoted sage, which can stay with Mother in this form forever.
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Teh day of big chatiots - Maha Ratha - is another very important event in Deepam festival. Small video can be played from here
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A snapshot from a street in Maha Ratha day, processions start before dawn and last for nearly 24 hours.
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View of decoration of biggest temple complex in South India from shoulder of Arunachala hill on Maha Ratha day.
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Teh Deepam festival is a time for a big cattle fair, where is possible to buy any needs for agriculture. Happy villagers are on the picture.
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The Full Moon night is culmination of the Deepam festival. This day begin by cooking a giving food to five thousands of millions pilgrims. Small video is possible to play from here from Full Moon day an night.
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It is possible to meet Siva, God of gods in human form.
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The holy fire is started on the top of Arunachala on Sunset and Full Moonrise. All people gather on roofs or other places with view of Arunachala and with chanting of mantras they salute to the God Siva in the form of column of fire.
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This holy fire burn for 11 nights. The sixth day I climbed the Hill to watch this happening. You can play small video from here
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The barrel is filled with hundrets litres of purified butter - ghee. The fire burns for nearly 24 hours, then is cleaned and filled for next day. Each pilgrim brings some ghee as salutation to God of gods.
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There is communist party also in India, but despite of poverty are their ideas fortunately strange to voters.
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There are pilgrims on the route around the Hill practically all the time. You can see pilgrims to temple city close to Tiruvannamalai. All pilgrims visiting ths city wear a red robe.
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There was a Bethlem and Christmass tree in one my favorite restaurant on the Christmass time. Religious tollerance is reality here in India and any holy day of any religion is good for celebration.
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Also christian New Year can be reason for colorfull decorationon the streets.
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Another Full Moon is comming an this is the time for celebration of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi birthday. You can see decorated statue Sri Ramana from the New Hall in Sri Ramanasramam.
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Birthday of Sri Ramana are celebrated on many places associated with this extraordinary sage. Here is a picture from my favorite Athithi Asramam, where I often stay.
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You can meet Gods very often in Tiruvannamalai, favorite God Krisna with his beloved Radha are decorated and prepared for journey through the city streets. Prasadam - blessed food is always distributed, and Krisna always gives sweets.
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Pongal is here, harvest very coloured festival.
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This festival is time for worshiping of Goddes as symbol of fertility and cows as symbol of abundance.
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Sugar cane is symbol of Pogal as well as tree is symbol of our Christmass.
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For colorfull paintings is need of plenty colors, so this time are good article for business.
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I was riding my bike I've bought last year also this stay. I went over 3000 km and sometimes I've got puncture. There is servis in Keelvanakampadi village on the picture.
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A burka of muslims is not obstacle in friendliness between different religions. India honours traditions of all religions and religional toleration is base for all social relationships.
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My favorite fortuneteller parrot in work.
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A strange mutation of this cow is very powerfull tool for blessing.
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A fire from camphor burns opposite any temple and other idol on the road around the Hill
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There is possible to quarry a honey from rock near to Gingee city. Those beekeepers sell honey also in Tiruvannamalai, one liter 200 Rupies, i.e. 4 USD.
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I'm paying for banquet for Sadhus - Holy men in Athithi Asramam on my father birthday, so I can wish him luck and healt and send him some good karma from India faraway.
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Lemons replace bilva fruit holding by Goddess of happiness Lakshmi. In this rituals preist touch your body by lemon and chant some mantras. At the end they throw lemon on the ground and you squelch it with all troubles inside. It is so easy.
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I climbed the Hill just after Full Moon and only one dog was my companion there. I spent there all beautiful tropical night there and I've seen beautiful sunset when the Hill was throwing triangual shadow as pyramide. Then I've seen Full Moonrise, and morning sunririse changed Moon into pale disk on blue sky.
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My last visit of the Hill before my departure took me into Virupaksh cave, where Sri Ramana spent 17 years. There is pleasant shady garden in front of entrance.
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This is last picture from this pilgrimage - waterlemon seller in front of Arunachala Hill.
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