Basic Girivalam Rules
Giri = Hill, Valam = circumambulation.
Hence Giri Valam means circling the hill and
Arunachala Giri Valam means circling the Arunachala hill.
Perform Arunachala Giri Valam with your friends and family.
Stop by the Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram en route
and partake of Sri Agasthiar's Arunachala prasaadam which is
served in the Ashram on the night of Pournami Giri Valam.
The vision of Sri Arunachala from the Ashram is known as Siva Sakthi Aikiya Svaroopa Darisanam.
During the Giri Valam, look at the peak of the Arunachala Hill with every step you take.
Meditate constantly on 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 Giri Valam.
Have some eatables handy so that you may distribute them to the poor and the needy on the way.
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.
(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.
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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.
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.
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| Om Salutations to Arunachala |
| Om Salutations to Sri Agasthiar |
| Om Salutations to the Maha Guru |
| Om Salutations to the Agasthiar Lineage |
| Om Salutations to the Siddhas |
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