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SADHUS OF THE HOLY HILL - TIRUVANNAMALAI

The true worshippers of Nature, the spiritualists, the mendicants venerating the beauty of Existence are the Sadhus. In India, from the ancient times, they are the ones who live dedicated to this purpose. They remain the upholders of divine truth and imparters of ‘Life Divine’ to the people.

Sadhus are commonly known as hermits, wanderers, prophets, Sages, Saints or the Enlightened.

Presently, the Sadhus can be categorically classified into three modes:

• Ones who have renounced their mundane life for the realization of divinity. They are either wandering from place to place or remain in a single place involved in spiritual approach for attaining divine experience.
• Ones who are dedicated to some spiritual path, initiated and ordained by his teachers of spiritual lineage.
• Ones who have been affected by certain fatal diseases or ones who have been expelled from their family and relatives also often find refuge in the Sadhu way of life.

These Sadhus visit, wander or stay in holy places in India such as Banaras, Rishikesh, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmsala, Palani, Rameshwaram and so on.

Tiruvannamalai – The place where the Holy Hill ‘Arunachala’ is located in Southern India, Tamil Nadu

Tiruvannamalai, found at a distance of 200 kilometers from Chennai city in the state of Tamil Nadu, it is one such pilgrimage place where pilgrims, seekers and spiritualists are all seen flocking all around the year. It is now known as the Spiritual centre of the world, attracting a huge number of people from all across the globe.

From ancient times, people and sadhus consider as well as experience this Holy Mountain as the Divine Presence on this planet. Arunachala stands surrounded by a small town but lately this town is seeing a growing population and growing development. There are approximately 700/750 sadhus who live here as a Sadhu community, gathering at certain places and sleeping on the streets surrounding the Holy Mountain.

There are several Ashrams and many generous people who offer them food, but the Sadhus do not have any place of proper shelter. They suffer the heat of the summer, the wetness of the rains and the chills of the winter. Not only that they are often troubled by creatures such as mosquitoes, bees, scorpions and snakes.

There are no proper medical facilities available for them. The Sadhus are left ignored and sometimes have to live with certain chronic as well as mundane sicknesses and diseases without having a place for getting any kind of proper medical treatment for getting cured.

During the days of the full moon Arunachala is surrounded and filled by more than 100,000 pilgrims (hundred thousand) who come to circumambulate (walk around) the mountain. On such days even the local police trouble the Sadhus in trying to control the crowds.

Whenever a Sadhu dies, it is difficult to conduct their funeral proceedings since it demands not only money but also the permission of the Town Corporations.

Considering the difficulties faced by the endangered Sadhu commune, we would like to extend our helping hand and services for supporting this native and ancient commune.

The proposed plan requires a tremendous amount of dedication and sincerity to suffice its cause. Donations/ Contributions are welcome from all those who believe in contributing for such a cause and are interested in preserving and reviving the traditions of the Sadhu commune.

This project is not just meant for sheltering all the Sadhus here in Tiruvannamalai but also for the poor and the needy, not just in helping the Sadhus in Tiruvannamalai but even the wandering Sadhus visiting here from time to time during the holy festivals, the aim of the project is in providing them a Home - in a truer sense to live dedicated to their purpose.

Achala Siddha welcomes Donations/ Contributions from all those who believe in preserving and enlivening the Sadhu commune and helping the Sadhus in Tiruvannamalai. In helping them to have a home where they can truly live their life in service and dedication to their purpose.

For details regarding Donations/ Contributions towards this cause.

Please Contact us at : projects@achalasiddha.com

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