arunachalakiwi: Animals I see every day (or, the Clare R. post !)

Starting with Ramanashram there are many dogs, along with other animals and birds, that are allowed to roam quite happily around, including several puppies. It's quite common to see them wandering through the meditation hall but sometimes get the arse from some overly strict attendant. The animal thing at the ashram is probably from the days when Ramana was alive as he had a tremendous connection with animals. In earlier posts I showed these photos....Ramans favourie animals have their own little shrine-type gravestones. there are many books written about Ramana and the animals, I will try to write a few of the stories as they are truly remarkable and often very funny with it.

His favourite was Lakshmi the cow who has this rather large memorial

These are the ashram puppies, real little characters

This is the hotel bullock, they take people for rides on the cart....boring !

These two critters are actually hens and live at the hotel. They are "Kenny hens" and when I asked the dick at reception how to spell Kenny he said there was no English spelling for it (Insert Southpark Face !) I call them Burt and Ethel. They are like an old married couple and walk all over the place sort of arguing and bitching at each other but are never apart.

Heaps of Peacocks and other birdlife wandering round Ramanashram

A couple of the cows from Ramanashram

Ramanashram dog curled up asleep as they tend to do all day. people just walk

around them and pay them no never mind.

The puppies get constant attention from the children

Then there are the "up the hill dogs" who hang about, well, up the hill. On the path on the way to Skandashram you will see these dogs everywhere. They have collars on and I found out that many Indian dogs are well looked after by westerners and various trusts (because as we know, people care more about the animals that they do about people !) A dog with a collar on is much better looked after by the Indians apparently. They all have chunks out of their ears and are actually really sweet dogs, though still quite weary of humans, as they should be.

Then there's dog lady, as I call her. She comes up the hill and sits in the bush with the dogs, keeping them company and feeds them. Probably worms them as they are all very healthy compared to some of the mangy things you see around the town.

Cows in the middle of busy roads is always goo entertainment. Some things like this you just never really get used to. A bunch of cows with cow babies. The cow babies are drinking as they wander down and across the road.

Then I was up the hill sitting on a large rock area doing my pranayama early one morning to the chanting rising up from the big temple below. The monkeys often come for a look and a bit of a chat. I love monkeys, they are very cool little critters, many people are scared of them.

Then this little female with part of her back leg missing comes up to take my bag (and they really will take it given half a chance) The conversation went something like this....

"Hi, I can see you are just sitting there doing that breathing thing so I'm just going to take the opportunity to check out your bag here. I can smell the almonds so I might have some if you don't mind. As you can see I have only three good legs so I am a special needs monkey, all the more reason to let me have your bag. Thanks very much"

I love these monkeys, the Lemurs. They are much bigger than the Macarques, way more powerful and incredibly fast. Very human looking in some ways and act more human too.