Sri Vidya Havan was celebrated in Ramanashram on Friday 18th March this year. This is a grand fire ceremony puja performed in order to re-consecrate and re-sanctify the Sri Chakra Mehru which was installed by Bhagavan Ramana himself inside the sanctum-sanctorum of His Mother’s shrine. During the Havan, Sri Vidya or Saraswathi, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom is invoked and worshipped with special rituals and chanting according to ancient vedic doctrines. Towards the culmination of the Havan, silk saris, gold ornaments, money, coconuts and lotus flowers are offered into the sacrificial fire. The fires of the homam then seem to leap up with greater vigour and engulf everyone in a tremendous wave of sacred energy.

Here is an excerpt regarding Bhagavan’s views about the topic of Sri Vidya and Sri Chakra taken from  “Letters from Ramanasramam” on 21st May 1947:

This afternoon, during a conversation regarding old Sankara Vijayam, Bhagavan asked one devotee whether it was not a fact amongst all books on the life of Sankara, Sankara Vijayam of Vidyaranya was the best. Bhagavan said with a smile, “Yes, his mental powers were very great. He was a great votary of Sri Vidya, you see. He therefore wanted to create a city in the shape of Sri Chakra and started doing it in Hampi but could not complete it. So he said that an emperor in future would rule the country and would be able to build a city in the shape of a Sri Chakra. When I told Nayana about this while i was on the hill, he made a peculiar comment, namely: ” Sri Chakrariti sona saila vapurusham, sri shodasarnatmakam occurs in Arunachala Ashtaka Stotram written by Sri Sankara. Besides this in Arunachala Purana, it is stated that this hill is reputed to be in the shape of Sri Chakra. Hence without searching for it, we have been lucky in getting this place which is in the shape of Sri Chakra. Bhagavan is the Chakravarthi (Emperor) ! If about ten houses are built around the hill, this itself is a great empire. Sankara must have intended this only …

Share