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| Peacock and crow keeping the milk cows company in the afternoon below my room in the guest house. Notice the conch shells on their halters, to bring blessings. |
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
The milk cows on my day of departure
Monday, February 13, 2017
The view from the top, where the Ghee is burned each year.
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| The trail is mostly boulders all the way up. No trail. I hired a guide, Ashok, a young artist to show me the way. |
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| We arrived just as the sun was setting. |
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| View from thew top of Arunachala Hill |
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Ramana's cave retreat- On the way to the top
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| The ancient banyan tre outside Ramana Maharshi's cave retreat |
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| Ramana Maharshi and his disciples with his mother who took care of them all! |
Saturday, February 11, 2017
I decided to climb Arunachala Hill (2600 ft)
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| Dogs who have chosen to live on the hill with their renunciates. |
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| Look closely and you can see the temple towers and the stadium size temple complex from Arunachala Hill |
Friday, February 10, 2017
Most houses are cement, brick, and rebar. Many people build their own
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| Building material transport |
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| These people are adding another story on their shop. The pile of sand in front is for mixing cement. |
I watched several houses being constructed
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| An important construction material- no 2 x 4's used here. |
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| The house visible from my balcony |
Arunachala Pradakshina
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| I arrived in time for the February Full moon pradakshina, circumambulation of Arunachala |
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| It was a 10 mile hike, but the temple was beautiful at the end. |
250 Ashrama guests and staff eat twice a day here
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| This beautifully constructed hall used to house the Ashram goshala (dairy) |
Food
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| Food made in the kitchen is transported in this interesting vehicle to the front of the Ashram to feed the hungry. |
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| 500 or more people wait in line to be fed each day. For many it is their only meal. |
Kitchen
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| The kitchen and food being prepared. The pipes above the large pots bring steam throughout the kitchen. |
Thursday, February 9, 2017
The milking process
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| A gir mix breed cow being milked with her new calf present |
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| The expert milker uses one machine for 40 cows twice a day. |
Goshala Residents
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| Breed used for draft due to its trotting speed. |
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| Pregnant cows hanging out in the shade |
The Goshala has 198 cattle of all ages and breeds
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| They are experimenting with crossing gyr breed cattle with other breeds for greater resistance to heat and insects. |
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| Newborns |
Goshala breeding program
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| Milk cows of all breeds spend time with a gyr bull to understand the best genetics for milk production and disease resistance. |
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| A gyr bull |
Goshala means Dairy
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| Ramana Maharshi with Lakshmi, the beginning of the Goshala. Lakshmi was a gift. Ramana Maharshi sent her back to the giver as he didn't have a stable for her. She found her way back to Ramana through the streets of Tirumvannamalai. This happened several times. Finally he decided to give her a home. |
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| Gyrs are from North West India and have a convex forehead and long ears that help with heat dissipation as does the hump on their back which stores fat and water (like a camel) |
Ramanashrama
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| The Ashram entrance |
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| A cool arboretum inside the Ashram gates |
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| Ancient tree at the entrance to Ramanashrama |
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Vegetables from the country. Products of the cows of Tamil Nadu
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| All the villagers who own cows pile their manure in the alleys. Drivers with small 3 wheeled trucks come and collect it for farmers in the country. Other drivers bring trucks in with vegetables, fruit, hay, water, to distribute to the residents. |
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| Onions, Potatoes, Ginger and Garlic |
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| Locally grown vegetables and mangos at the Tirumvannamalai Market. |
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Chai Shop- One place the milk is delivered
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| The milk man makes a delivery to the Chai Shop |
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| Chai Shop with the dog that owns it. |
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