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A tour to Tiruvannamalai is always a blessed and beautiful experience to pay respect to Arunachala and Ramana Maharshi.It is also a beautiful experience to visit various temples and ashrams in Tiruvannamalai. So it is important to know a little about temple rules and etiquette in Tiruvanamalai before entering them.
Tiruvannamalai is an excellent and spiritual town, yet it can appear to be confusing because of the disorder, commotion, crowds, various dialects, customs and cultures. It feels progressively confusing while visiting strict religious and spiritual places like temples and ashrams as one needs to be cautious about not irritating the local people’s strict sentiments.
Tiruvannamalai is the most important spiritual tourist spot on the planet and home to an assortment of scenes, societies and people. Regardless of whether you investigate the urban areas of Tiruvannamalai or the village side of Arunachala mountain, or Ramana Ashram or the temples in Tiruvannamalai, it is important for tourists to be suitably dressed according to Indian custom and culture. Your dress for travel in Tiruvannamalai relies upon one’s individual taste, but tourists must respect the culture,the atmosphere and social norms of this tremendous town.
Here are a few tips to make your visit enjoyable and memorable while visiting Tiruvannamalai temples and ashrams –
Leave your footwear outside the temple in a safe place and walk bare feet.
You should take off your shoes before entering Tiruvannamalai temples.Entering with your bare foot is an indication of respect and humility when you pray to the almighty. The passage way of most temples in Tiruvannamalai is stacked by shoe racks or separate area is given by the temple management for leaving your foot wear. Many temples in Tiruvannamalai will not have any arrangement to keep your footwear and one has to risk keeping it outside at their own risk.Few temples have staff or volunteers working at such counter and they would give you a token when you leave your shoes with them.
Ramana Ashram and other Ashrams like Yogi Ramsurathkumar have a separate area with a volunteer at the entrance of the ashram to keep your footwear.
Many temples may not allow camera or phones
Tiruvannamalai temples and ashrams are an incredible spot for photography yet you should check in advance if photography is allowed.There are many multi faceted carvings inside the Tiruvannamalai temples but you need to check if photos or videos are allowed as they keep changing rules and regulations often. Some temples allow photographs and some don’t. Check with every Tiruvannamalai temple and ashram authority before taking photographs.
Dress code in Tiruvannamalai while visiting temples and ashrams
When entering the temples in Tiruvannamalai it is very important to wear clothes that do not reveal your body. Men and women are not allowed to wear short pants or short skirts while entering temples or ashrams. Women must not wear clothes that reveal – Bare backs – Cleavage – Stomach – Midriff – Thighs & Legs. Strictly avoid any dress that is transparent and avoid showing excessive amount of skin.
Keep Silence
Visitors to Tiruvannamalai temples and ashrams must remain silent and respect the calm atmosphere that prevails in these temples and ashrams.
Contributions to God
There are numerous shops and merchants outside Tiruvannamalai temple selling flowers, coconuts, tulsi leaf, and other stuffs that is generally offered to the Gods inside the temple.You could possibly purchase this. It is totally up to you and not compulsory..
Making Donations to the temples
Most temples in Tiruvannamalai will have donation boxes either at the entrance of the temple or near the main deity’s place.If you wish to donate you can make your offering into the donations box.When the priest does Aarti and brings the deepam to you in the plate along with the Prasad, then most people place Rs 10 upto Rs 100 as they wish in the plate. But this is not compulsory and it is only your wish to give money.
Walk Clockwise
Join the crowd of devotees as they walk around the inward sanctum in a clockwise direction. It’s a walk known as pradakshina or parikarama, to offer respect to the gods by going around them. At the point when you reach every deity, join your hands in a Namaste style and bow your head and pray. It’s common that a Hindu temple will have many gods.There is always Lord Ganesh, Lord Karthik, Lord Durga etc.. Walk clockwise always, stop at every god and unite your palms before the chest in an aware motion of ‘Namaste’. Give your offering to the deity, or offer it to the pandit standing near the deity.
Acknowledge the Prasad
After the pandit does the puja, the prasad is offered to the devotees. It’s frequently organic product or sweet or a powder ( Vibuthi or Kumkum ) to apply in the forehead or sometimes milk and holy waters if given which you can drink or apply to the head. Acknowledge and receive it in your right hand and appreciate it once you have left the temple.
Avoid Touts and beggars
Remain careful of Touts and Thieves
Tiruvannamalai temples and ashrams are an obvious place for pickpockets and thieves because of the crowds in the temple. Numerous episodes of pick pocketing occur inside and around temples.Try not to wear costly things like gold and precious stones while visiting the temple.Keep your phones safe inside your purse or bag. Do not keep them in your pockets. Remain careful of your possessions constantly.
Some individuals may come and request money for gift or for doing pooja for their benefit. Avoid such individuals.Maintain a strategic distance from any individual who approaches you for special pooja or money for something else.Do not trust them.
Finally and lastly please do not encourage touts or beggars in Tiruvannamalai temples or at Tiruvannamalai Ashrams.
EXTRA ADVICE
Keep some change of money / smaller cash denominations like Rs 10 ,Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 for any small expenses or for purchasing small gifts.
Enjoy your travel to Tiruvannamalai temples and ashrams with these tips
Note – Few Stricter temples in Tiruvannamalai deny entry of foreigners and Non – Hindus into the inner sanctum place where the deity is present.But you can enter the main temple and see the outer sanctum of the temple.