Sri Ramanasramam, Thiruvannamalai

Sri Ramanasramam is the ashram that grew around Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950), the sage of Arunachala whose teaching of self-enquiry — the simple question “Who am I?” — drew seekers from across the world to Thiruvannamalai. Set at the foot of the sacred hill of Arunachala, it remains a living centre of meditation built around the samadhi shrine of the Maharshi.

Who was Ramana Maharshi?

Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879 in Tamil Nadu and, at sixteen, underwent a spontaneous experience of death and deathlessness that left him settled in the awareness of the Self. He left home for the hill of Arunachala in 1896 and never went far from it again. For decades he lived in silence and simplicity, and his presence alone drew the community that became Sri Ramanasramam.

The teaching of self-enquiry

The heart of Ramana’s teaching is atma-vichara, self-enquiry. He urged seekers to turn attention inward with the question “Who am I?”, tracing the sense of “I” back to its source until the individual ego dissolves into the awareness that underlies it. He taught that this awareness, the Self, is always present and needs only to be recognised. Free of ritual and open to anyone, the method is why his influence spread far beyond India.

Arunachala, the hill that is Shiva

The ashram cannot be separated from Arunachala, the hill it sits beneath. In Tamil Shaiva tradition Arunachala is Shiva himself in the form of fire, one of the five element-temples of the south, and the great Arunachaleswarar temple stands on its other flank. Ramana regarded the hill as his guru and the embodiment of the Self, and composed hymns to it. Many devotees pair time at the ashram with the Girivalam, the circuit of the hill.

The samadhi shrine and the ashram today

When Ramana died in 1950, his body was interred at the ashram, and the Samadhi Hall — with the Mathru Bhuteswara shrine built over his mother’s samadhi — became the devotional centre. Today the ashram keeps daily Vedic chanting, meditation halls, a library and a bookshop, and welcomes visitors who come to sit in silence. It runs on the quiet discipline the Maharshi modelled.

Visiting the ashram

Sri Ramanasramam is open to all, with no charge for darshan or for the chanting and meditation. Simple accommodation can be arranged in advance for genuine seekers, subject to availability. Visitors are asked to keep silence in the halls and dress modestly. Early morning and evening, when Vedic recitation fills the Samadhi Hall, are the most affecting times to be there.

How to reach Sri Ramanasramam

• By road: the ashram is on the western edge of Thiruvannamalai, about 2 km from the town centre and the Arunachaleswarar temple.
• By train: Thiruvannamalai railway station is about 3 km away, linked to Chennai, Villupuram and Katpadi.
• By air: Chennai (about 185 km) is the nearest major airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

॥ अरुणाचल शिव ॥  xE2x80xA2  Bhaktiras.net Temple Guide