Sri Ramana Maharshi Life Timeline

Sri Ramana Maharshi

1879

  • December 30 Monday 1 a.m. – Born at Tiruchuli. [Corresponding to 16, Margali of Tamil year Pramadi – Star Punarvasu – Arudra Darshan day.]
  • House where born is now called ‘Sri Sundara Mandiram’. Tiruchuli temple Deities are Sri Bhuminatha and Mother Sri Sahayavalli about which Sundaramurti and Manikkavacakar have sung hymns.
  • Blind nurse saw a wondrous light at the time of birth [PB1 – Pictorial Biography]. ‘Arudra Darshan’ commemorates the occasion when Siva manifested himself to his devotees as Nataraja [ PB1, SR14 – Self Realization]. It is also on this date that an endless column of Light – Siva’s transcendental and immanent aspect – was to manifest as the benevolent Arunachala [PB2].
  • Siblings – Brother – Nagaswami (1878-1900) [SR12,124]; Brother – Nagasundaram, later known as Niranjanananda or Chinnaswami [1886 – 1953 Jan 29, died of heart disease. Joined Bhagavan in 1917 (SR12,262)]; Sister – Alamelu Ammal [1888- 1953 Jan. 3, died of liver disease ( SR266)];Nephew – Venkataraman, Chinnaswami’s son, at age 24, called to help ashram in 1938 [SR266]; need for him to come and help confirmed by Bhagavan [Venkatoo 60]. Now Ramanananda Saraswati.

1886
[6y+]

  • We used to play in the Kalyana Mandapam which is by the side of the temple. Our classes were also held there for some time. [PB4]
  • When Venkataraman was about 6 years old, he was reprimanded mildly for making kites and paper boats from an old disposed case-bundle of law suits. The boy took it to heart and disappeared, and the search for him was fruitless. At the time of puja at the Mother Sri Sahayavalli shrine the priest saw a figure silently seated behind the idol. It was the child Venkataraman.[PB5]

1891
[11y+]

  • Moves to Dindigul, after completing elementary education at Tiruchuli. Spent one year in the first form at Dindigul [SR15].

1892
[12y+]

  • February 18 – Death of father, Sundaram Iyer. Moves to Madurai, to live with paternal uncle, Subba Iyer. Studies at Scott’s Middle School and American Mission High School

1895
[15y+]

  • November – hears of ‘Arunachala‘ mentioned to him by an elderly relative. About the same time, or perhaps some months later, reads Periapuranam [SR17].

1896
[16y+]

Ramana Maharshi - 21 years old

  • About middle of July – ‘Death Experience’ at Madurai ending in complete and permanent Realization of the Self. House is now called ‘Sri Ramana Mandiram’.
  • August 29, Saturday – Leaves Madurai for Arunachala.
  • September 1, Tuesday – Arrives in Arunachala, reports to inner shrine at the great temple, Sri Arunachaleswara and Mother Sri Apeethakuchamba. Upon leaving the temple, and on his consent to getting his head shaved after being asked by someone, he was lead to Ayyankulam Tank and had his head shaved. Threw away all his remaining money into the tank [PB24].
  • Stays in temple premises within the Thousand-Pillared Hall, in Pathala Linga [underground cellar] south east corner [PB29].
  • He was completely oblivious when he was bodily carried out of the Pathala Lingam vault to the Subramanya Shrine [PB24].
  • Seshadri Swami tried to guard him [SR47]
  • Gopura Subramanya Shrine – 2 months stay [PB24] Mouna Swami looks after [SR49]
  • He then moved to adjoining flower garden and banana grove, and sometimes in the room where large floats were stored [PB25]
  • Next sat under large Illupai tree or in the Mangai Pillayar Shrine [PB25]. Uddandi Nayinar became an attendant [SR51], returned to his mutt in 1897, revisited seven years later, once or twice again and died about 1916 [SR71]

1898
[18y+]

  • Moved to Gurumurtam in the outskirts of the town [February – SR52] less than a year and a half after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai [PB25] on Annamalai Tambiran’s request [SR. Palaniswami becomes the attendant [SR54].
  • Remains attendant for 21 years [AO 36 – Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self Knowledge, by Arthur Osborne].
  • After a little more than a year at Gurumurtam, Brahmana Swami moved to neighboring mango orchard in May 1898, staying there for about 6 months [PB34]
  • May – Uncle Nelliappa Iyer visits Bhagavan at Mango Grove. Uncle Subba Iyer with whom Bhagavan had stayed in Madurai had died in the meantime [May 1,1898 – SR61].
  • A month at Arunagirinathar Temple, then a week at one of the towers of the great temple and in the Alari oleander [SR50] garden [SR64]. He then moved to iPavalakkunru. [PB24]
  • September: Moves to Pavalakkunru [one of the spurs of the Arunacchala Hill ] on which there were an Iswara temple, a spring, a cave and a mutt at the foot [SR64]
  • December – Mother Alagammal visits Bhagavan at Pavalakkunru, with Nagaswami [SR64]

1899
[19y+]

  • February – Moves to the Hill, Arunachala.
  • Stays in various caves up the Hill – Satguru Swami Cave [Alamarathu Guhai], Guhu Namasivaya Cave for short periods, then to Virupaksha Cave [PB44]
  • But mostly in Virupaksha Cave [lived here for 17 years] , using Mango Tree Cave [near Mulaipal Tirtham – SR69] as summer residence. [His first cave on the Hill was the Virupaksha – SR67]
  • Virupaksha Deva 15th century saint [Glory of Arunachala]

1900
[20y+]

  • Between 1900 – 1902 [SR74] – Replies to questions put by Gambiram Seshayya [devout Rambhakta, studying various yogas – SR73], at Virupaksha Cave. Later published as Self-Enquiry

1902
[22y+]

  • Answers questions asked by Sivaprakasam Pillai [Who am I?], published in 1923 [SR77]

1905
[25y+]

  • Moves to Pachaiamman Koil[1] for six months during the plague epidemic. Returns to the Hill

1907
[27y+]

  • November 18: Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni [previously had visited Sri Bhagavan twice in 1903/1904 [SR88] visits Bhagavan. Bhagavan imparts upadesa to the Muni. In a letter Muni wrote next day, he declared that the Swami should be called Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi [SR90, 91]

1908
[28y+]

  • January to March: stays at Pachaiamman Koli [with Ganapati Muni and others]. Returns to Virupaksha Cave
  • Translates into Tamil prose Adi Sankara’s Viveka Chudamani and Drig Drisya Viveka

1911
[31y+]

  • First recorded visit of a Westerner – F.H.Humphreys visits Bhagavan [November – SR 110]

Ramana Maharshi

1912>
[32y+]

  • Death experience at Tortoise Rock in the presence of Vasudeva Sastry and others
  • First celebration of his birthday – Jayanti, in spite of his protests [SR183]

1914
[34y+]

  • Composes prayer to Arunachala for Mother’s recovery from illness

1915
[35y+]

  • Song of the Poppadum written for the sake of Mother.
  • The following were also written during Virupaksha days: Arunachala Aksharamana Malai, Arunachala Padikam, Arunachala Ashtakam, Translation of DevikaLottara, Translation of Adi Sankara’s Hymn to Dakshinamurti, Guru Stuti, Hastamalaka Stotra

1916
[36y+]

  • Moves to Skandashram

1917
[37y+]

  • Composes Arunachala Pancaratnam in Sanskrit
  • Mother settles at Skandashram [SR126 – In the beginning of 1916, mother came to stay, initially with Echammal]
  • Sri Ramana Gita written in Sanskrit by Ganapati Muni [questions put to Sri Bhagavan between December 1913 and August 1917 on different occasions, and his answers – SR93]

1922
[42y+]

  • May 19, Friday about 8 p.m. [SR129] – Mother’s Maha Samadhi [Bhagavan kept his right hand on her heart and his left was on her head AO78]
  • Jan 3 – Sri Bhagavan’s jayanti celebrated at Mother’s shrine first time. A week before the jayanti, Sri Bhagavan came to visit the shrine as usual on his daily walk and stayed on [PB62]. (date different from above)

1924
[44y+]

  • 26th June about 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Robbery at the ashram. Bhagavan receives blow on his left thigh. [SR152- 6]

1926
[46y+]

  • STOPPED GOING ROUND THE HILL. [SR172], [Kunju Swami, Letters – Suri Nagamma – #161 Poor man’s mite]
  • Old hall constructed [MP Jan 1987, p62] ; had to be dismantled in May 1986 and after six months of sustained, meticulous work, the renovated Old Hall was reopened at 7a.m. on 5 Dec 1986. Old devotees declared interior décor and outside appearance now look ‘absolutely the same’. From old structure major portions of Cuddappah slab, flooring, doors, windows, wooden trusses/rafters and tiles have been reused. [MP Jan 1987, p63 – 64]

1927
[47y+]

1928
[48y+]

  • Composes [Completes] Ulladu Narpadu in Tamil and Malayalam [Sat Darshanam]
    1930 – Ganapati Muni translates Sat Darshanam into Sanskrit.

1933
[53y+]

1936
[56y+]

1939
[59y+]

1940
[60y+]

1941
[61y+]

1945
[65y+]

  • Jan 25 – Foundation of New Hall: June 5 – cornerstone laid in presence of Bhagavan [Day by Day, p191]

1946
[66y+]

  • September 1- Golden Jubilee Celebration of Bhagavan’s arrival in Arunachala
  • New Hall in front of Sri Mathrubhuteswara Temple construction [MP Jan 1987, p62]

1947
[67y+]

Ramana Maharshi on couch

1948
[68y+]

  • June 18 – Cow Lakshmi attains nirvana
  • Translates into Tamil Atma Bodha of Adi Sankara

1949
[69y+]

  • March 14 – The brief ceremony was over by 9 p.m., when Maharshi was taken to open the new big Hall attached to the temple. Being too weak to turn the colossal key of the door, the young stapati turned it for him. He was taken directly to the inner temple and helped over the short flight of steps and made to touch the stone Sri Chakra, which stands immediately behind the lingam, as the symbol of the Creative Power latent in the Formless Spirit (Chit). He was then taken out and made to sit for the first time on the stone couch in the new temple hall, which was covered with red velvet cushions. [Diary March 18 entry – S.S.Cohen – Guru Ramana]
  • March 17, Thursday – Kumbhabhishekam of Mathrubhuteswara Temple in the presence of Bhagavan
  • June 1 – new hall [adjoining Mother’s temple] declared open [SR 256]

1950
[70y+]

  • April 14, Friday Brahman Nirvana of Bhagavan at 8.47 p.m. At that moment a shooting star, vividly luminous, coming from the South [the present Nirvana Room] and moving slowly northward across the sky and disappearing behind the peak of Arunachala was observed by many in various parts of India.