Pondicherry and Tiruvannamalai

Two days ago I moved, by the 1:30 pm lux ac bus (100 rps) from Tiruvannamalai to Pondicherry. I go for a 10 day tour around Tamil Nadu. Then I will return back to Tiruvannamalai for Shivarati on the 19 of Feb (20 Feb at 00:15)  I will fly to Bangkok. The last couple of weeks were great with parties on Martina's rooftop, music and bajans.

 

*

 

Mooji satsangs finished on the first of February with in the evening dancing on Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rhythms. If there is a session near were you live go there it is lot of fun.  The satsangs with Mooji lasted   about two weeks and to my suprise I went there nearly everyday partly listening party meditating.

 

*

Deeksha with mother Meera took place on the 19 and 20 of January. Mother Meera is Indian, but she lives in Germany there she attracts daily more then 200 people for here deeksha's. On here first day here in Tiruvannamalai more then 500 people turned up mostly western but also some Indians. They moves here from the small hall to the big (wedding) hall, because were standing outside. The second day was also a success. To stand in line for Deeksha is very nice, i just enjoy here presence like all the other people.     

 

*

 

Some Yogi's say the best time to sleep is between 10 pm and 2 am and the best time to meditate is from 2 am till 6 am. When I found out that meditation room in Ramana's ashram opens up 2 am, I thought maybe I should try that. 2 Am did now work out but a couple of times I went there on 3 am till 7 am wauw very good to meditate then is very, very easy. But the most time I went there at 5am also very good till 7 am, this was a good time to begin the day before Mooji satang.

 

*

 

Once a week there was no satsang with Mooji and then I went to Skandra ashram to sit. This is the ashram were Ramana used to stay. It is a bit uphill on Arunachala and looks over the big Shiva temple in Tiruvannamalai.

 

*

 

Arvinds corner after breakfast in my favorite Dabba (see picture some articles before) I went to Arvind 's corner for the best Dabba coffee, talking, reading the newspaper etc.. not the most quite place but still good for the morning. 

 

*

 

On the first of February is was time for the full moon Pradakshina, circulating the Arunachala a walk of about 14 km. More then 200.000 people walk around the mountain on full moon they come from allover India. This time I walked with Simon and a group of Israeli girls.

 

*

 

Ronies garden  there was this year Mooji's birthday party with Jamaican music. On the 4 February there was also an art exhibition with some nice pieces of art. The artist live near Ramana ashram and they are western and non western. 

 

*

 

two days ago I moved from Tiruvannamalai to Pondichery. I stay in the Garden guesthouse this is part of the Sri aurobindo ashram. For dinner I went to the Promenade hotel to treat me on a buffet. The food in Tiru is not that good. The Buffet in the Promenade was very nice. They had some good dished with fish, some cottage cheese curries, salad with very good dressings, brocolli with cherry tomatoes mmmmm . There was also Cambodian style chicken, but somehow I decided not to eat meat apart from the fish. The desert yummy..flan..kheer some cakes , fruits etc... and then the last part French blue cheese from Franc wauw...yummie. The buffet is maybe expensive 280 rps but the quality is great much, much  better then Satanga were I eat the next day. In The Promenade I took more then 4 plates of yummy food. 

 

*

 

Yesterdays breakfast was in the dining hall of the ashram. I went to Coffee.com for late lunch and a very good cappuchino.  The energy house 35, Chitty street is very good for vegetable, fruit, herbal, and flower juices. A good place to start my day esp. now because I have a cold. 

 

*

 

Today's breakfast with Croissants and coffee yummy this afternoon I go to Chittabaram.

    

 

Links:

Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rythems 

Mooji's Satsangs

Mother Meera

Ramana's ashram

The Promenade hotel

Aurobindo ashram

--
From Amsterdam to India by bus and train