Inner Pradakshina Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Pradakshina is circle around the holy object, it is the way without beginning and end. Arunachala is holy hill, the form of God of Gods, the Siva himself.
The seeking for the cache will lead you around holy hill Arunachala. You can undertake it only on foot. The whole trip is about 13 km long and you will follow the path througt bush.
There is no extra risk or danger for men or groups. For a single woman is recomended to find some credible companion. The inner pradakshina is recomended in night with moonlight. The red-white marking is well prepared for this event.
Please, do not forget to remove your shoes, when entering asramas, temples or shops. This is only condition for visiting them. Asramas or big teples have (sometimes free) cloakrooms for shoes, or you can ask somebody to watch your shoes.
To do pradakshina in night is highly recommended, but only when is enough of Moon Light. If it is the time around the New Moon, please plan your way to do it in day light, it is impossible to go safely throught the bush.
Beginning of our inner pradaksina is inside of Sri Ramana Asramam. At the basic coordinates !NO SHOES! you will find small room oposite of the Sri Ramana Samadhi Hall and The New Hall. In this room Sri Ramana attained Mahasamadhi, so we start from the point of the end. Notice the sign over the doors into room and remember Date and Time in form AB-B-CD E-BF. You can enjoy the peacefull mood of Sri Ramana Asramam, but now, let's go.
Leave the Asramam and on main road turn right. Go to the coordinates N12 13.430, E079 03.181. Here you find a Gate on right side. Count the slim pillars, it will be number E.
Follow main road to the N12 13.486, E079 02.986 (Waypoint 12), where you will find entrance to the forest. After about 50 meters you will find very interesting forest temple (since 2014 abandoned), just under tree branches. Follow a path through the "temple" and bush to the N12 13.597, E079 03.018 (Waypoint 13), where you will join original marked path of Inner pradakshina.
Follow the way to a dam of a water tank on N12 13.662, E079 02.946. Here you will find a sign with a date in form GDDH-DB.
Continue by maked way to a bank of another tank at N12 13.931, E079 02.627. Here was next sign wit the date in form C/GDDB-DC but it is destroyed now. You can find just bottom part with price of dam which begin with number B. On left side of Arunachala you can see rock formation in form of Bull head - it is Nandin, the greatest devotee of Siva and you are now getting his Darshan.
Continue at N12 14.207, E079 02.577, where is nice rock for short meditation about the sense of life. You will find a leak with monsoon water giving life to many frogs at right coordinates.
Continue at N12 14.267, E079 02.508. Here is tank of former Asram, At right position you will find a platform with H erected stones. You can see many sadhus washing here.
Go to the Well at N12 14.293, E079 02.474. Here you will not find a sign which is destroyed too, but you can find small sign with SERIAL No. directly on the pump with one letter and four numbers, sum last two and get number I. This place is part of Greening park.
Continue to the Kannapa Temple at N12 14.515, E079 02.035. !NO SHOES! This is only one temple at the Inner path and it is surely worth to visit. Backside of temple is nice palce for meditation.
After visiting the temple return on marked path. Now is the view of the Arunachala covered by a small hill.
When you climb up the a high dike of a new tank, after some 50 metres take small path on left down and follow small path, there are new deep ditches which is no possible to cross.
At N12 14.713, E079 02.157 you will see not the main top, but northern rock peak called Parvati, who is Siva consort. After some 50 meters you will see main peak Siva itself. Very close you can see an abandoned house, at N12 14.751 E079 02.189 you can see a small concrete platform (on south from the house, between the house and the marked path), if is a remain of temple then J = 9, if is a remain of toilet then J = 7
After about 200 meters you will find beginning of barbed wire fence, take the yellow marked path on right side of fence - close to the Hill. After 300 meters you can go back on the red marked path (it is about 30 meters north from you) or follow yellow marked path which is going about 200 meters closer to the Hill.
Continue at N12 15.091, E079 03.041, where you will find my favorite stop with nice stone for siting and watching Arunachala. You are in middle of pradaksina now. On the stone you can find a lapidary sign. If it has a shape of a circle then K = 4, if it has a shape of a triangle then K = 5 Yellow and red marked path meet again just few meters before my favorite stone.
Now go at N12 15.211, E079 03.641, where is a big stone, which can be used as a natural stone bell. It is that one with a painted arrow. Find some handy stone and knock the rim of the stone. It will sound nice and Siva surely hear it.
Since the year 2008 is possible to go throught the bush to the Kali temple. At N12 15.124, E079 03.906 you can see the Arunachala Siva hill with five heads, this is place known as the Panchmuktam.
If you lose the way, go to the main road, you will surely hear it. You can return to the inner path at N12 15.029, E079 04.050 and continue to the Kali temple at N12 14.874, E079 04.044. !NO SHOES! In the yard you will find X rows with Y demons each. X + Y gives you last number L. The Kali temple is also really interesting to explore.
After visiting take the road down and the first street on right. At N12 14.815, E079 04.227 you will find the gate of nice Sri Devi Karumari temple. Keep this road and find the Cross at N12 14.283, E079 04.277. Here turn your back to the Arunachala and go to the main road. Follow the main road right. At N12 14.186, E079 04.291 on your right is nice Durga Temple. The next right street will take you at N12 14.151, E079 04.196, where begins steps up to the Pavalkkunru Temple, where Sri Ramana Maharshi first time gave his teaching. This temple is at quite high hill and there is nice view of town. Continue by the main road at N12 14.019, E079 04.230 is crossing with The Narayana temple. After taking view take the main road up (right one).
Continue around the Main Arunachaleswara temple back to the Sri Ramana Asramam and finish your circle.
The box is hidden at coordinates N12 (A)(J-K).(L-H-B)(K-H)(I+A) E079 (D)(F-B).(J-K-A)(K+C)(E-G+A), it is now in office in one of many Asramas in Tiruvannamalai (it is not Sri Ramana Asramam), please show your GPS unit and ask Swamijee or somebody else in office for assistance. I hope now will be the whole GC project here in safe position and cachers will not be disapointed with some stolen box
Unfortunately box was lost in office. I made a new one in March 2014 with lock and clear description, I hope this will help to keep box safely. The combination for opening lock is JKL. Good luck.
After logging is the best step to return to the Sri Ramana Asramam. After such long walk will be your body tired and mind very quiet and you can enjoy the Bliss, which is unceasingly offered by everlasting presence of Sri Ramana.
Do not forget to remember BONUS coordinates for Arunachala cache !!
The initial content of the cache are spiritual souvenirs from Sri Ramana Asramam, The Big Temple or other pictures of Gods. Please, use for the trade similar items.
Some practical information is possible get here.
Small note on cache maintenance: There is a local cache guardian. Contact info on file with geocaching.com
Full Moon Nights :
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