You may wonder what the greatness is of doing Pradakshina or Girivalam (circumambulating the Arunachala hill). Pradakshina is already described at length in the Arunachala Purana. Ramana Maharshi also spoke beneficially about it as have many more enlightened beings.
Pradakshina performed in clockwise manner and slow pace can be done in a number of ways:
- in mouna (silence)
- dhyana (meditation like awareness practice while walking)
- japa (repetition of a divine name or guru mantra)
- bhajan (singing about a form of Existence like a god or ones guru)
thereby being absorbed all the time in the thought of Existence deepens ones connection to the cosmic energy or the Guru. Through these means we may lift our consciousness to higher levels as known about Amba who went around the hill and after darshan of the holy beacon (during Kartikhai festival) became fully absorbed in Shiva. Even Shiva himself was suppose to have been on pradakshina a few days after the festival of the holy beacon. Of course we hear that siddhas like Arunagiri Yogeshwara and others without form continuously are present on the hill and during full moon nights walk with us around Arunachala.
What a wonderful way to go on a walk every full moon day with thousands of other devotees circumambulating the hill on the outer path or anytime experiencing the inner path around the hill.
Have you done pradakshina yet? What was your experience? Please share with all.
Photograph courtesy Nithyananda Travel & Tours – kalpavata@gmail.com
