16 March 2016

Circumambulating Arunachala Hill

The 814m-high Arunachala Hill aka Red Mountain is a holy hill at Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. The hill is also known by the names Annamalai Hill, Arunachalam, Arunai, Sonagiri, and Sonachalam. It is one of the five main Shaivite holy places in South India. The Annamalaiyar Temple, a Shiva temple which is famous for its massive gopurams, some of which reach as high as 66 m, is located at the base of the hill.

Over the centuries, many devotees, pilgrims, saints, sages, and sadhus have been drawn to the Arunachala Hill. Throughout the year, they engage in the circumambulation of both Annamalaiyar Temple and Arunachala Hill, a sacred practise known as Giri Pradakshina in Sanskrit and Giri Valam in Tamil, considered to be beneficial in all ways, and an effective form of basic yoga. There are eight small shrines of lingams located in the 14 km circumference of the hill, each one associated with the twelve moon signs and manned by gangs of characterful sadhus in all shades of orange...

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; interesting; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; morning sun; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human; human head; human face; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; grey beard; orange headwrap; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; emotion; environmental portrait; travel; Hinduism; tradition; sadhu; holy man; beggar; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; posing; attitude; authentic; dark skin; old man; dignity; blood-shed eyes; rugged

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; interesting; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; morning sun; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human; human head; human face; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; white beard; orange robe; orange headwrap; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; environmental portrait; travel; Hinduism; tradition; sadhu; holy man; beggar; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; posing; attitude; authentic; rudraksha beads; orange turban; dignity; old man

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; lively; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; magnificent; inspirational; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; street; headshot; en face; outdoor; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human head; human face; forehead; tilaka; human eyes; facial expression; lived-in face; eye contact; full beard; bareheaded; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; mood; dignity; travel; religion; Hinduism; tradition; guru; holy man; Shaivism; Shaivite sadhu; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; Indian man; one person; old man; posing; attitude; authentic; incredible; awesome; dignified; serious; orange robe; third eye; grey beard

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm lens; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; sunshine; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human head; human face; white forehead; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; full beard; orange robe; orange turban; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; environmental portrait; travel; religion; Hinduism; tradition; Annamalaiyar Temple; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; old man; posing; attitude; authentic; fascinating; sadhu; holy man; Shiva; Shaivism; devotee; pilgrim; swarty; blood-shed eyes; white beard

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm lens; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; sunshine; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human head; human face; human eyes; facial expression; lived-in face; wrinkles; eye contact; full beard; orange robe; orange turban; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; dignity; environmental portrait; travel; religion; Hinduism; tradition; Annamalaiyar Temple; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; old man; posing; attitude; authentic; fascinating; sadhu; holy man; Shiva; Shaivism; devotee; pilgrim; teeth; tilaka

There are c. 5 million sadhus in India today and they are widely respected for their holiness. About 200 of them live in caves, shacks, shrines, and under the open sky at the foot of Arunachala Hill. It is thought that their austere practices help to burn off their karma and that of the community at large. Thus mostly seen as benefiting society, these sadhus are supported by donations from many devotees and pilgrims. However, sadhus have also often been viewed with a certain degree of suspicion since posing as a sadhu at popular pilgrimage sites can be a good means of acquiring income for non-devout beggars and charlatans. There are many shades of orange in India.

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; interesting; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; morning sun; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human; human head; human face; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; grey beard; orange robe; orange headwrap; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; emotion; environmental portrait; travel; Hinduism; tradition; sadhu; holy man; beggar; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; posing; attitude; authentic; grinning

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; interesting; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; orange; outdoor; morning sun; sunshine; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human; human head; human face; tilaka; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; grey beard; orange headwrap; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; emotion; fun; environmental portrait; travel; Hinduism; tradition; sadhu; holy man; beggar; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; posing; attitude; authentic; smiling; laughing; teeth; rudraksha beads

rudraksha beads; Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; lively; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; outdoor; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human head; human face; forehead; tilaka; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; white beard; bareheaded; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; fun; travel; religion; Hinduism; tradition; guru; holy man; Shaivism; Shaivite sadhu; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; Indian man; one person; posing; attitude; authentic; incredible; smiling; grinning; white hair; blood-shed eyes; third eye; permastoned; white

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; lively; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; excellent; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; handsome; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; outdoor; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human head; human face; human eyes; facial expression; eye contact; black beard; black hair; bareheaded; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; travel; religion; Hinduism; tradition; guru; holy man; sadhu; young man; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; Indian man; one person; posing; attitude; authentic; incredible; black

Matt Hahnewald Photography; Facing the World; photography; photo; image; spectacular; outstanding; fantastic; favourite; superior; handsome; excellent; interesting; long white hair; Nikon D3100; Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G; prime lens; 50mm; 4 : 3 aspect ratio; horizontal format; closeup; portrait; portraiture; street; headshot; en face; outdoor; morning sun; colour; cultural; character; personality; real people; human; human head; human face; tilaka; human eyes; tripundra; facial expression; eye contact; white beard; consent; empathy; rapport; respect; encounter; travel; Hinduism; tradition; sadhu; holy man; Arunachala Hill; Tiruvannamalai; Tamil Nadu; South India; one person; male; adult; posing; attitude; authentic; bareheaded; clean



High-res portrait photographs with full exif data, geotags and technical details in Matt Hahnewald's
Flickr Album 2016-02b Rambling Around Arunachala Hill

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