A Walk in the Theosophical Society

A Walk in the TS- This walk is a guided one, with a particular route taken from Besant avenue gate, through the public areas of the TS, in a circuitous manner so walkers are fascinated with the wealth of unusual trees, flowers, cacti, birds, insects, ponds, building and history of the TS that they get to witness in the span of an hour. 

Introduction a the Besant Avenue gate.

The TS was started in New York in 1875 by Helena p. Blavatsky and HS Olcott. TS was started at a time when western materialism was rising and the west was totally oblivious to the Hindu and Buddhist doctrines on karma and reincarnation. HPB and  HSO In 1879  travelled to India, widely in search of a headquarters for the TS and only in 1882, they reached Chennai and bought the Huddlestone gardens- a 27 acres property, on which they established the home of the TS. The TS today has 1200 centres in 50 countries. Annie Besant was the second TS president in 1907 and within four years acquired more property to make it 250 plus acres. There are 100 buildings in the campus. Its campus glorifies reverence for life in all forms.

At the Bharat Samaj Puja or Hindu Temple

There are six small places of worship on the campus representing the six major religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism,  Zoroastrianism, Muslim and Christian religions. The Hindu or Bharat Samaj Puja temple was designed by Jiddu Krishnamurti and inaugurated in 1925. It has no idol but a lamp to worship and is called the temple of light. It has twelve pillars with bas-relief. They signify the 12 zodiac signs. One of them shows the eternal youth teaching his pupils among who are sages, under a banyan tree, by the power of his silence. A special chant has been created for worship in this temple which at the end of the ceremony is supposed to create an aura of healing and compassion to spread far and wide. These special prayers in groups are offered during the international convention that takes place in January.

Walking on towards Bhojanshala

Further down we cross the mahogany trees of the founder’s avenue. This path is lined by mahogany trees on both sides, planted with soil bought from the TS centres of various countries. Bhojanshala lies at the end of this road. The Founders avenue ends or starts with a small trilithon. Trilithons are parts of temple, here there are 5 procured from the Chandragiri temples in N.Arcot. by the founder HS Olcott.

Next, we see the rockery with the diff types of cacti. 

The tall columnar cacti blossom from July to Aug. one can also see and hear the 10,000 plus fruit bats that hang from the banyan tree beyond. Fruit bats are not blind, called flying foxes, feed on the red fig fruits of the banyan tree, and are nocturnal here and are harmless. They are not migratory. 

More than a hundred different bird species have been noticed here.

Now we pass the various trees and coconut groves to reach the path that leads to the Buddhist temple.

 This temple has a small shrine and 1000 years old buddha shrine. The window represents the swastika- which represents the four noble truths and the dharma chakra is represented by the 8 spoked wheel, the eightfold path. The bodhi tree that faces it is from a sapling of the original bodhi tree under which Buddha got enlightened. Yellow alamander flowering trees line the path near the Buddhist temple. The bell room facing the temple had to be removed after an attempted theft.

To Olcott’s memorial

Further, we walk to the ‘Radha Burnier’ path parallel to the Adyar river with mangrove vegetation.

Further, we walk back and cut across to the Anjaneyar temple, which was constructed when the cooks of the bhojanshala requested Annie Besant to construct a small temple for them, and walk along by the riverside bungalow, with a brief description of CW Leadbeater, who has written many books and is well known for his book on 'Chakras' world over.  The octagonal room was constructed for him.

Headquarters building

 We reach the path that leads out to the next trilithon near the headquarters building. On the left of the path, the trees of rose of Venezuela (red bunched flowers) and pink oleander trees line. Inside the hq building we see the bas-relief sculptures of the various religions of the man, along with the society’s motto, and its three objects. The doors of the museum and archives were gifted by the prince Harisinghji of Benares with the bas-relief of the incarnations of Vishnu.

The Rose of Venezuela near the Headquarters hall and opposite the adyar theatre.

Medha Gautam, a molecular biologist who died too young at 60, has a garden named after her.

We walk now passing the memorial of Subramaniam Iyer, was appointed as a judge in 1891 and also was the first Indian chief justice of the Madras high court. He was from Madurai and helped Annie Besant in the home rule movement, from 1907 to 1911 was the vice president of the TS.

Following this is the memorial to the contributions of unknown theosophists.  We examine the cannon ball or naga lingam tree here.

We pass other exotic trees to the fourth trilithon and turn back via the Adyar theatre thru the admin block, noticing a huge temple tree or frangipani facing it walking now quickly back toward the banyan tree.  

Other flowering trees to look out for are the Portia flowers with yellow and orange blossoms,(with soft petals) and the Indian laburnum. Insects to watch for are the red cotton strainers and the seven

 spotted black cockroaches.

Before the banyan tree we take a detour to see the Blavatsky bungalow in which Tagore stayed briefly in 1934, and examine the banyan tree, The fifth trilithon is in front of the great banyan tree whose main trunk fell in a cyclone 1989. Annie Besant and JK have lectured under this tree, which was the spot for meetings before, until it became too big. The area of the banyan tree covered is 60,000 sqft, and is approx. 450 years old.

We pass a very large tamarind tree and more caesalpinia trees on the right.

The Zoroastrian temple lies to the right with Assyrian motifs. The winged farohar or fravashi represents the higher self. Kneeling in front in obeisance are horses, by the steps. This temple worships fire. On the left further, is the Sikh temple, followed by the liberal catholic church.

We finally end with the Adyar library started in 1886 by Olcott which houses 160,000 to 200,000 books and 20,000 palm leaf manuscripts. Originally the library was at the headquarters hall, but shifted to the new premises in the 1976. The old library is now a museum. It has a 800 years old book with Buddhist inscriptions.

Outside the library, there are a few bushes of the birds of paradise and further down near the car park the red and yellow caesalpinia trees.