Activities
Daily Schedule
6:45am: Milk Offering/breakfast
8am: Vedaparayana
10am: Morning Puja
11:30: Lunch
4pm: Tea
4pm: Group Reading (Tamil)
4:30: Group Reading (English)
5pm: Vedaparayana
6:15: Evening Puja
6:30: Tamil Parayana
7:00: Evening Meal
8.30 pm: Samadhi Hall Closes
Special Events
Bhagavan’s Jayanti: (Dec-Jan) The Maharshi’s birthday, celebrated by a great family gathering of devotees, elaborate pujas and special biksha, all in homage to Bhagavan, as during his lifetime.
Pongal: (Jan 13th-15th) Harvest festival followed by Mattu Pongol, the festival of cows.
Sri Vidya Havan:(Jan-Feb) A full-day homa (fire worship) to rededicate the Meru-Chakra of Mother’s Shrine.
Mahasivaratri: (Feb-Mar) This ‘Night of Siva’, Lord Siva manifested as Arunachala on earth for the benefit of all humankind. Observed by an all-night vigil, pujas, recitation of mantras and circumambulation of the Hill.
Bhagavan’s Aradhana: (April-May) The anniversary of Sri Bhagavan’s mahanirvana with special abhishekam and puja.
Mahapuja: (May-June) Observance of Bhagavan’s mother’s mahasamadhi.
Advent:(Sept 1st) Annual celebration of Sri Bhagavan’s arrival at Arunachala on this day in 1896.
Navaratri:(Oct) Nine-day festival in adoration of Holy Mother. Each day the beautifully decorated deity depicts a different aspect of the Divine Mother, culminating with a procession around the Ashram on Vijayadasami, the tenth day, marking the victory of light over darkness.
Kartikai Deepam: (Nov-Dec) This spectacular ten-day festival, witnessed by hundreds of thousands, is the glory of Arunachala. The gigantic temple chariots are led in procession through the town streets. At sunset on the final day, the beacon atop Arunachala is lit and is visible for miles around, burning for 7 days or more.
Sri Chakra Puja:This powerful Devi puja is performed in the Mother’s Shrine at 6pm-8:30 each Friday evening, as well as on full moon days and the first day of each month, according to the Tamil calendar.