Agasthiar's Universal Magazine
  Issue 9
  Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram
  Thiru Annamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram


Basic Girivalam Rules

Giri = Hill, Valam = circumambulation. Hence Giri Valam means circling the hill and Arunachala Giri Valam means circling the Arunachala hill.

[Click here for a detailed article on the Siddha way of performing Arunachala Girivalam. Read that first before reading the basic girivalam rules here.]

Perform Arunachala GiriValam with your friends and family.

During the Giri Valam, look at the peak of the Arunachala Hill with every step you take.

The vision of Sri Arunachala from the Agasthiar Ashram is known as Siva Sakthi Aikiya Svaroopa Darisanam.

Arunachala

Meditate on or chant constantly the mantra Arunachala Siva throughout the Giri Valam.

You may sing bhajans or you may talk about totally spiritual topics like the ones discussed in this Website and in Sri Agasthia Vijayam.

Please avoid talk of any other kind at least during GiriValam.

Have some eatables handy so that you may distribute them to the poor and the needy on the way.

Before you begin your girivalam, buy biscuits and the local porai to feed dogs and monkeys on the Girivalam path. Also bananas to offer to cows.

Sathguru Venkataraman used to refer to dogs as Bhairava Vahana Moorthi, the vehicle of Lord Kala Bhairava. Feedings dogs during Arunachala GiriValam is not only part of our duty towards our animal brethren; it is also honoring Lord Kala Bhairava.

How fast or how slow? Sathguru venkataraman used to say: "nirai maadha garbini pol" - walk like a woman in the 9th month of her pregnancy! One should walk that slowly and look at the peak of the Arunachala Hill with every step. That is the Siddha Way of doing Arunachala Girivalam.

Make sure you do not wear footwear of any kind during the Giri Valam. This rule can not be relaxed; everyone must follow it without exception.

Enjoy Arunachala's grace to the fullest measure! We are all His sons and daughters and He's waiting to shower His grace on us. The Giri Valam is the easiest way of getting His limitless grace. For more details, refer to the Arunachala page in this Website.

If you can't be in Arunachala at these special times: (1) Perform maanaseega giri valam (giri valam in the mind) using the Arunachala photographs in the picture gallery or our Arunachala GiriValam video clip. (2) Perform girivalam around other sacred hills like Kailash, Thiruparankundram, Karur Thaan thóndrimalai, Palani, Trichy Hill Fort, Rathnagiri Aiyarmalai, Kundrakudi, Thirukachoor (near Madras), Parvatha Malai, etc.
                       

Thiruparankundram is a very famous place of pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Muruga. It's a few miles from Madurai, one of the largest cities in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India.

Palani is a very famous place of pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Muruga. It's reachable from the cities of Coimbatore and Madurai, two of the largest cities in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India. It's also reachable from many other cities in Tamil Nadu. It's northwest of Madurai and southeast of Coimbatore.

Parvathamalai is located at Thenmahadevamangalam village which is about 20 kms off Polur. Polur is some 35 kms north of Thiru Annamalai (Arunachala). There's a very powerful Lord Shiva temple at the top of the Parvathamalai hill. Devas and spiritual beings from other lokas worship here every night. This is a place visited by numerous Siddhas for Shiva worship. Reaching the hill is somewhat difficult. Hence it is better to start early in the morning and return as early as possible. During the Pournami full moon, this hill attracts a lot of devotees. This is a place vested with a lot of spiritual power.

Thirukachoor is about 2 km from Singaperumal Koil. The Singaperumal Koil railway station is between the Tambaram and Chengalpet railway stations. It's 10 km from Tambaram. To reach Thirukachoor, disembark at Singaperumal Koil and turn right crossing the railway gate.

The Trichy Hill Fort is smack in the centre of Trichy, one of the largest cities in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India.

Rathnagiri Aiyarmalai is near Kulithalai, some 45 km west of Trichy.

Thidiyan Malai is near Madurai. Chaturdasa Gnana Booshana Gnana Guru Dakshinamoorthi.

Kundrakudi is near the town of Karaikudi, some 100 km south of Trichy. It's in betweem Karaikudi and Pillayarpatti. (Pillayarpatti is home to the very potent Karpaga Vinayaka Ganesh temple.)

Karur Thaan thóndrimalai is a few miles from the city of Karur, a business centre in the middle of Tamil Nadu, some 80 km west of Trichy.

Many more...

Om Salutations to Arunachala
Om Salutations to Maha Guru Sri Agasthiar
Om Salutations to the Siddhas of the Agasthiar Lineage


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