Village Traveler Forum
A community forum dedicated to sacred pilgrimage, mindful travel, village stories, and ways to give back to the communities we visit. Share your journeys, insights, and experiences.
Discussions With Recent Posts
Village Traveler’s Pilgrimage in South India
Village Traveler: Pilgrimage to Tiruvannamalai and the Sacred Mountain Arunachala Village Traveler will soon offer a deeply meaningful pilgrimage into the spiritual heart of South India—Tiruvannamalai, home to the sacred mountain Arunachala and the ashram of the revered sage Sri Ramana Maharshi. Considered one of India’s most powerful centers of awakening, this region invites travelers into a landscape where silence, devotion, and ancient wisdom converge. At the center of the pilgrimage stands Arunachala, the red granite mountain venerated as a manifestation of Lord Shiva. For countless generations, seekers have journeyed here to perform giri pradakshina, the holy circumambulation of the mountain, believed to dissolve karmas, calm the mind, and open the heart. Village Traveler guides pilgrims through this practice with respect for tradition, offering time for reflection, mantra, and embodied connection to the land. Nearby lies Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Ashram, a sanctuary of peace where the teachings of self-inquiry—Who am I?—continue to inspire spiritual aspirants from around the world. Visitors can participate in daily chanting, meditation, and time in the meditation hall where Ramana himself once sat. The atmosphere is serene, inviting both inner stillness and profound insight. The pilgrimage also includes the towering Annamalaiyar Temple, one of the great Shaivite temples of South India, rich with vibrant mythology, towering gopurams, and centuries of devotional practice. With Village Traveler, this journey becomes more than a visit to holy sites—it becomes an invitation to deepen into presence, humility, and sacred connection. Each step around Arunachala, each moment of silence at the Ashram, and each offering made in the temple contributes to an embodied experience of India’s living spiritual heritage. Village Traveler’s South India pilgrimage honors the lineage of Ramana Maharshi and the ancient power of Arunachala, guiding travelers into a transformative encounter with the Self, the sacred, and the timeless pulse of Tamil Nadu.
Dreams from Tiruvanamalai
**At the Foot of the Fire Mountain** The bus rattled into Tiruvannamalai just as dawn gathered on the horizon, brushing the sky with rose-colored light. Arunachala stood ahead—immense, silent, and strangely familiar, as if it had been waiting for the traveler since before memory began. Naya stepped onto the dusty road, feeling the air change. Pilgrims moved quietly toward the Arunachaleswarar Temple, their footsteps soft but purposeful, like beads slipping along a mala. The gopurams rose high, covered in a thousand carved stories, yet the greatest story of all was the mountain watching over them. Inside the temple, the lamps flickered. Naya joined the line for darshan, the scent of camphor curling through the air. But even amidst the ringing bells and chanting, a deeper stillness tugged inside—a silent invitation. Later, as the sun climbed, Naya walked toward Ramanashram. The path was simple, shaded by trees filled with chattering monkeys. And yet each step felt like shedding something: a worry, a memory, a layer of identity once believed essential. Sitting in the Old Hall where Ramana Maharshi once taught without words, Naya felt the quiet more than heard it. The presence there was unmistakable—gentle, spacious, intimate. It didn’t teach; it revealed. A question rose in the mind: What am I seeking? And almost immediately, like a response carried on a breeze from the mountain, came the whisper of Ramana’s teaching: “Turn within. Ask who is the one who seeks.” The seeker paused. The question seemed to dissolve into something wider. For a moment, the boundary between the body and the world thinned. The mountain, the ashram, the dust on the road were not separate—not other—they were simply part of a single silent presence. That evening, Naya joined the pilgrims walking giri pradakshina, circling Arunachala under a moonlit sky. Children laughed. Sadhus chanted. Some walked barefoot; some carried offerings. Yet all were drawn by the same ancient pull—the promise that the very ground beneath them was a Guru in stone. As the road curved, Naya felt the inner and outer worlds touch. Arunachala—the mountain—was not just a place. It was a mirror. In its stillness was the teaching Ramana offered again and again: The Self you are seeking is the one who is looking. Be still, and know. And with that simple awareness, the pilgrimage shifted. It was no longer a journey to a sacred mountain, but a return to the quiet, luminous center that had never been left.
Future Visions for Village Traveler
THE FUTURE VISION OF VILLAGE TRAVELER Chapter 12 — A Vision for the World Village Traveler is more than an organization. It is a vision for how humanity can walk together through the 21st century with reverence, unity, and wisdom. The world is hungry for connection — not just digital connection, but soul-level connection. We are longing for: • rootedness in ancient wisdom • a return to sacred relationship with the Earth • humility across religious and cultural boundaries • communities grounded in love rather than ideology • shared human purpose Village Traveler’s answer to this longing is simple: bring people to where the sacred is alive. Let the land, the temples, the elders, the mountains, and the rivers do the teaching. The vision is not to change the world through force or persuasion. It is to change it through pilgrimage — one heart, one journey, one awakening at a time. Unity Across Traditions We envision a world where: • a Christian can learn from Hindu wisdom • a Buddhist can sit in an Ethiopian church • an Indigenous elder can share teachings with a yogi • a seeker can walk through many traditions with openness, not confusion Wisdom is not owned. It is shared — like fire that lights another flame without diminishing itself. Healing the Divide As borders tighten, pilgrimages soften them. As fear grows, sacred travel dissolves it. As traditions retreat into themselves, Village Traveler encourages them to meet again in mutual respect. This is not idealism. It is ancient truth returning in a new form. Chapter 13 — The Village Traveler Movement Village Traveler is growing into a worldwide movement rooted in three living centers: 1. Crestone, Colorado A valley of world traditions — a place of meditation, retreat, and spiritual cross-pollination. 2. Bodhgaya, India The heart of the Buddha’s awakening and a center of global pilgrimage. 3. Burlington, Wisconsin — Enlightened Living Center A place of community gatherings, teachings, and spiritual friendship. These three centers form a triangle of activity — East, West, and Middle — connecting pilgrims, teachers, and seekers. The Village Traveler Society Those who travel with Village Traveler become part of a global family — a society of pilgrims committed to: • unity • sacred service • lifelong learning • interfaith friendship • spiritual growth Members stay connected through gatherings, online satsangs, pilgrimages, and shared projects that support global harmony. Future Projects Village Traveler is evolving toward: • establishing a pilgrimage residency program • creating eco-conscious retreat centers • publishing teachings and travel guides • developing interfaith youth exchanges • sponsoring cultural preservation initiatives • training pilgrimage leaders The movement grows not by marketing, but by invitation — through the authentic inspiration of those who have walked the path. Epilogue — The Blessing of the Road Pilgrimage is a return — not to a place, but to a way of being. It teaches us that: • the world is alive • the sacred is everywhere • every tradition carries light • separation is an illusion • unity is our natural state The pilgrim’s journey does not end at the final temple or mountain. It continues in the way we speak, listen, give, serve, and love. Village Traveler blesses every traveler with this simple prayer: May your feet walk gently. May your heart open fully. May your mind be clear. May your journey serve all beings. And may you remember, always, that you are part of a great human family — a village without borders. The path awaits. And you are already on it.