I think I will stay about another week here in Tiruvannamalai. I arrived on May 13 to stay with an octogenarian friend in his home close to the ashram. I spend about four hours a day there, in a self-imposed schedule of meditation. The ashram imposes no strict rules upon visitors, or even guests who stay there. But there is a faithful community of devotees, Indian and foreign, who spend a good part of their day in its halls and grounds. Hebrew readers can see Tomer Persico’s article about it, or look at the pictures.
It’s my fifth visit to Tiru, but I know less about the town than most others where I’ve spent this amount of time. I’ve visited the grand old temple of course (once), climbed up Arunachala as far as the caves, and circumambulated around the hill (13 km) a couple of times, though not barefoot like a true believer.