The Glory of Giripradakshina of The Holy Hill of Arunachala

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The Holy Hill of Arunachala is one of the oldest and most sacred holy places in India. Lord Shiva, the very embodiment of wisdom, out of His supreme compassion and to bless the world, manifested in the form of the Holy Hill. This led devotees to start the practice of Giripradakshina, walking around the Holy Hill as an act of reverence and worship.

Devotees who come from far and wide together to worship the Swayambhu lingam thus understand that they are not doing Giripradakshina around an ordinary hill of rocks and mud, but to Lord Arunachala Himself. It is one of the most important forms of worship of Lord Shiva and, in fact, one of the most efficacious forms of sadhana.

Giripradakshina has been practiced since time immemorial by saints, sages, devotees, and siddhas, Authoritative references to this fact are found in the Vedas, Puranas, Stotras, and devotional hymns. The importance of Giripradakshina and the benefits that accrue from it have been proclaimed by Lord Shiva Himself. He is ever ready to grant the prayers of devotees who go around the Hill, remembering its nature and seeking its blessings.

Bhagavan Ramana declared that the holy Hill of Arunachala is the heart of the earth, the spiritual centre of the world. He expressed His adoration in action, by doing Pradakshina to the Sacred Hill countless times. While emphasizing the importance of Self-enquiry, Bhagavan Sri Ramana taught His devotees the importance of Giripradakshina by His own example.

Let us humbly Pray to Arunachala Ramana to Grace us with the strength to do the circumambulation of the Holy Hill of Arunachala with devotion.

This book was originally written as part of a larger work. This The larger work was split into two books for practical purposes, in order to keep the length and printing costs down. We (the authors) decided to focus this book on worship-ping Arunachala through Giripradakshina. The other book is titled Worshipping the Divine Oneness of Arunachala-Ramana and is focused on the divine relationship of Arunachala and Ramana. We recommend that you read both books together as a set in order to understand more completely the spiritual significance of Arunachala-Ramana and Giripradakshina.

For more information on ways of doing Giripradakshina that will make it comfortable and enjoyable, to learn how to maximise spiritual benefits from it, or to quench one's intellectual curiosity about what one sees during it, A Guide to Giripradakshina has been written by the same authors, published by Sri Ramanasramam.

In this book 'The Glory of Giripradakshina' in the beginning chapters of the book Divinity of the Holy Hill of Arunachala and the emphasis of doing Giripradakshana which Bhagavan Ramana told His devotees as spiritual sadhana is dealt with.

One of the main purposes of this book, The Glory of Giripradakshina of The Holy Hill of Arunachala, is to compile and recount the many incidents that took place while Bhagavan Ramana or His devotees went on Giripradakshina. Giripradakshina has been a focal point and occasion for great learning, spiritual wit, and unusual experiences among His devotees. They recorded these events over the years as told by Bhagavan Himself, or as their own personal experiences.