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Áine Keenan
@ainekeenan.bsky.social
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An Irish Woman In India
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Áine Keenan @ainekeenan.bsky.social · Nov 12
If they see breasts
and long hair coming
they call it woman,
if beard and whiskers
they call it man:
but, look, the Self
that hovers in between
is neither man
nor woman
O Ramanatha

Dasimayya, 11th century

#Ardhanarishwara #TamilNadu #India
Ardhanarishwara Temple, Adiannamalai, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
ainekeenan.bsky.social
My awareness is united
and focused in the Real.
Caste, order, and scripture
are gone;
I am the Supreme Brahman
beyond all attributes.

Avudai Akkal, 18th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #RamanaMaharshi #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A garlanded line-drawing mural of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) on the rear wall of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. There is a small platform beneath it on which to light a diya, candle or incense. Carl Jung wrote: “Sri Ramana Maharshi is a true son of the Indian Earth. He is genuine, authentic and, in addition to that, something quite phenomenal. In India, he is the whitest spot in a white space. What we find in the life and teachings of Sri Ramana is the purest of Bharat [India] with its breath liberating humanity. The life and teachings of Sri Ramana are not only important for India, but also for Westerners."
December 7, 2025 at 7:03 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
If in your heart you make
a manger for his birth,
then God will once again
become a child on earth.

Angelus Silesius, 17th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #Christmas #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Saint Nicholas Day, 6 December. A young boy sits on a pink and black bicycle with protective plastic wrap on the frame and training wheels attached to the rear axle. He is wearing a gold-colored long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and a colourful plush scarf. The lane is in a residential area with buildings and scaffolding in the background. Ramana Nagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
December 6, 2025 at 5:27 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Love
Devotion
Feeling
Emotion

Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Look into your Heart my friend
The return to your Self
The return to innocence

Enigma, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A barefooted Indian woman wearing a dark long raincoat over her salwar kameez stands transfixed with her hands open in supplication at the moment of the Deepam Flame being lit on Mount Arunachala at 6 pm, 3 December 2025. On the ground all around her are small clay lamps (diyas) burning ghee or oil and casting a warm glow in the fading darkness at the courtyard of Adiannamalai Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. Visible also are other devotees of Lord Shiva equally immersed in the emotional intensity of this moment.
December 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I can see clearly now,
the rain is gone
I can see obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds
that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright, bright,
bright sun-shiny day

Johnny Nash, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Five Indian women, each clad in a different-coloured plastic raincoat costing ₹100 (approximately €1), walk barefoot with their hoods down in a line past a roadside fruit-seller. They are doing so in sacred worship of Mount Arunachala, Lord Shiva in form, as they complete the 14 km circuit by road and have 'darshan' (vision) from different aspects along the way. The circumambulation is performed in a clockwise direction and is believed to purify the soul, remove sins, fulfill desires and offer spiritual merit. Devotees are encouraged to walk slowly, similar to a woman in the ninth month of pregnancy. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
December 4, 2025 at 4:36 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
To make the intellect rid of
the sense ‘I am the body’, and
fixing it securely in the Heart,
this is the significance of
witnessing the Beacon Light
of Arunachala.

Ramana Maharshi, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Today is Maha Deepam, 3 December 2025, at the 2,688 foot Mount Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, pictured here from Adiannamalai village almost in silhouette with a faint rose-pink hue. Possibly the most spiritually charged nights in the Tamil calendar, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his infinite light form. At 6 pm, an enormous flame will be lit in a huge cauldron on the highest peak using 600 kg of ghee, 10 kg of camphor, a wick of 1,500 metres of cotton cloth and a 15 foot bamboo stick. Organisers are prepared for more than 4 million devotees to be present for this moment - including many from the nearby states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka - and to walk barefoot the 14 km around the base of the Holy Hill.
December 3, 2025 at 7:06 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
We will, we will rock you,
sing it
We will, we will rock you, everybody
We will, we will rock you, hmm
We will, we will rock you
Alright

Queen, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Yesterday, 1 December 2025, ‘Periya Ther,’ the enormous wooden chariot of the presiding deity of Arunachaleswar Temple was pulled in procession by hundreds of devotees around the four main streets surrounding the temple using large chains as part of the annual Karthigai Deepam festival. The chariot carrying the goddess, Unnamulai Amman, was similarly hauled by women, followed by the chariot of Chandikeshwarar. The main chariot is the largest of its kind in Asia weighing 300 tons and with a height of 90 feet and was built in such a way that the lower-most tier made of teak wood is heavy and, as it goes up, it is constructed with lighter wood to ensure stability when the chariot moves. This is a TV report from 2024: https://youtu.be/y3iQ9uP5muI
December 2, 2025 at 5:27 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

The Clash, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A brown Bargur cow with sharp curved horns and distinctive white markings all over its body glares menacingly at the camera in the entrance to VIP Gardens, Post Office Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. The breed is native to a forest region in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. They are known to be very aggressive and of fiery disposition. Admired for their endurance, speed and trotting ability, they are mainly used as draught cattle for agricultural operations in the hills. Clearly visible in the background is extensive overgrowth, randomly dumped refuse and a dirt track leading to three apartment blocks. There is also the merest of glimpses of Mount Arunachala in the distance.
December 1, 2025 at 6:43 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
As sure as night is dark
and day is light
I keep You on my mind
both day and night
And happiness I've known
proves that it's right
Because You're mine,
I walk the line.

Johnny Cash, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
It's nighttime and there is relatively little traffic on the road. Four Indian men stand on a crosswalk and look on as a fifth manually operates a specialised machine applying white durable thermoplastic paint for road markings. This is being heated to a high temperature and carefully spread on by the steersman as a hot melt. The lyrics come from Johnny Cash's first number-one hit which remained on the American charts for over 43 weeks. Bob Dylan described it as "... a song I'd always considered to be up there at the top, one of the most mysterious and revolutionary of all time, a song that makes an attack on your most vulnerable spots, sharp words from a master." Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 30, 2025 at 6:36 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴, noun

/𝘥𝘪ːˈ𝘣𝘳𝘪ː𝘧𝘪ŋ/

activity of asking somebody
questions officially, in order to
get information about the task
that they have just completed

Oxford Dictionary, 21st century

#Photography #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two policemen sit on duty outside of the gates of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, one with a moustache staring suspiciously over his shoulder at the camera. The custom-designed yellow metal structure on which they are sitting is one of a hundred or so distributed along the pilgrim route of 14 km around the holy hill of Arunachala. It bears an advertisement for 'Anand Vest And Briefs: Vests. Briefs. Trunks. T-Shirt. Track Pant. Shorts' and an image of a vest-clad, well-toned younger Indian man. In front of where the two policemen are sitting, a yellow rickshaw has just pulled up. An elderly Indian woman in a sari and a white-bearded sadhu wearing an orange turban and scarf, and using a walking stick for support, move towards the gates of Sri Ramanasramam.
November 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk
on your knees for a hundred miles
through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal
of your body love what it loves.

Mary Oliver, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A dramatically-colourful peacock - with vibrant blue body and neck and orange-tipped feathers - jumps at full wingspan from a height and casts an even larger shadow on the ground beneath. In the background are two motor scooters and fencing. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 28, 2025 at 8:08 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
When you go will you send
back a letter from America?
Take a look up the rail track
from Miami to Canada ...

The Proclaimers, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #RamanaMaharshi #Ashram #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Red old-fashioned letterbox at the steps leading up to the closed doors of Sri Ramana Ashram Book Depot, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 27, 2025 at 1:32 PM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
come on come on
let me into your temple
come on come on
I want into your temple
come on come on
let me into the temple
come on come on
I want into the temple

Jane Siberry, 21st century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
In excess of 30 Indian devotees cluster around the locked gates of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India which closes from 11 am to 2 pm each day. Home to Ramana Maharshi from 1922 until his death in 1950, his samadhi shrine continues to attract devotees from all over the world. The original entrance had the same archway, but no wall. On the advice of a local police inspector, the ashram built a barricade of bamboo and rope on either side of the gate to demarcate the ashram's boundaries. The temporary barricade was not converted into a permanent wall until the late 1940s. https://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-photos-for-living-by-words-of.html
November 26, 2025 at 7:05 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Before I built a wall
I’d ask to know what I was
walling in or walling out,
and to whom I was like
to give offence ...

He says again, ‘Good fences
make good neighbours.’

Robert Frost, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two men paint a dividing-wall yellow in accordance with the instructions of a third elevated on a higher level on the other side. The one wearing a white vest and green dhoti uses a roller and yellow paint. The other, dressed in a longsleeved orange shirt and blue-check dhoti, uses a simple brush and is having something pointed out to him from above by the third man who has his sleeves rolled up. [In fact, the painters had hopped over this rooftop wall without the other landlord's permission and were hurrying to complete the task as a fait accompli before there could be any complaints!] Ramana Nagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 25, 2025 at 5:41 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I am neither male nor female,
nor am I sexless.
I am the Peaceful One,
whose form is self-effulgent,
powerful radiance.

Guru Nanak, 16th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #Mystical #Sikh #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
November 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Look, there it stands,
as if insentient.
When it stilled my mind
and drew me to itself
and I came near,
I saw that it was
absolute stillness,
O Arunachala!

Ramana Maharshi, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #Stunday #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A pink, 40-seat private bus with a large 'FRIENDS' decal on the upper window sits parked on a clay plot of land with Arunachala looming in the background, separated only by a variety of trees and dense undergrowth. The holy hill forms part of the Eastern Ghats and is 2,268 feet in height. Geologists estimate its age to be 2.6 billion years. The Skanda Purana tells of how Shiva appeared as a column of light to settle a dispute between Brahma and Vishnu about which of them was greater. After this had been resolved, Siva manifested in form for the benefit of humanity as the Arunachala Hill.
November 23, 2025 at 8:54 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The o-o-o-o-o-one
The o-o-o-o-o-one
The one that got away

Katy Perry, 21st century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A Tibetan Buddhist nun in maroon robes and a white shawl stares into her camera's viewfinder whilst a macaque monkey sneaks by with its tail aloft. Skanda Ashram, Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 22, 2025 at 6:19 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Take me to the river,
drop me in the water
Dip me in the river,
drop me in the water
Washing me down,
washing me down.

Talking Heads, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #Scape #WaterScape
Pali Tirtham (water tank), next to Sri Ramanasramam is used for sacred rites and functions. Also called ‘Manakkula’ (‘marriage’), it attracts newly married couples for blessings. Nearby, a majestic peepul tree (ficus religiosa) with statues of Ganesha and other deities carved in stone underneath it is to be found on the roadside bank with a raised platform around it. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 21, 2025 at 5:28 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
We dance round in a ring
and suppose,
But the Secret sits
in the middle and knows.

Robert Frost, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Spirituality #Poetry #Prayer #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #Temple #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Devotees in vibrant traditional Indian clothing pay obeisance with folded hands before the sacred flame at Arunachaleswar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
November 20, 2025 at 3:18 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
But if you got to go
It's all right
But if you got to go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night

Bob Dylan, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A young Indian boy contemplates as he crouches in sand on his haunches with his back to the camera. He's wearing red shorts and a blue and yellow graphic t-shirt. In the middle distance is an empty white plastic chair. And in the background is a man executing a yoga pose in front of a sign reading 'TOILET' in large red letters against a white background. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. 🥳
November 18, 2025 at 7:46 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Every old man I see
Reminds me of my father
When he had fallen
in love with death
One time when
sheaves were gathered ...

Patrick Kavanagh, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #Ireland #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
An elderly sadhu (Indian holy man) dressed in shades of orange walks along a roadside continuous white line with the aid of a stick, while rickshaws, scooters and a car whizz by. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. 👣 Every old man I see Reminds me of my father When he had fallen in love with death One time when sheaves were gathered. That man I saw in Gardner Street Stumbled on the kerb was one, He stared at me half-eyed, I might have been his son. And I remember the musician Faltering over his fiddle In Bayswater, London, He too set me the riddle. Every old man I see In October-coloured weather Seems to say to me: "I was once your father." 🪷 Patrick Kavanagh is considered one of the foremost Irish poets of the 20th century. His work often centered on rural life, particularly in his native County Monaghan, Ireland. His poetry celebrated the ordinary, finding beauty and meaning in the everyday lives of farmers and rural folk. Kavanagh's writing is characterized by its directness, honesty, and unflinching realism. He rejected the romantic idealism of earlier Irish poets, choosing instead to depict the harsh realities of rural life.
November 17, 2025 at 7:32 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you'll find
You get what you need

Rolling Stones, 20th century

#Photography #SpeirGorm #Stunday #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Babu's kirana (general) store is a small local retail shop that sells daily household goods like rice, pulses, fresh vegetables, oils, snacks, sugar, bottled water and other food staples, along with toiletries, detergents and various necessities. From an anchor to a needle, this specific one also offers an informal accommodation referral service for local guesthouses. Other kirana shops also sell clothing, stationery, toys and basic medicines. These stores are a key part of local communities, a convenient and essential resource for essential supplies within the neighbourhood itself. Ramana Nagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
November 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Everybody needs good neighbours.
With a little understanding,
You can find the perfect blend.
That's when good neighbours
become good friends.

Barry Crocker, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #Caturday #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A defensive black cat with white markings shares food with a much bigger peacock bearing a vibrant blue neckline. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 15, 2025 at 4:01 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Ya douse an souse
Ya rub and scrub
Ya sputter and splash
all over the tub
You may be cold and wet
when you're done
But ya gotta admit
it's good clean fun

Snow White, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two veshti-clad trainee brahmin priests look on as a third beats a cloth on the steps to clean it after soaking it in an orange plastic bucket. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 14, 2025 at 6:06 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
England's not the mythical land
of Madame George and roses
It's the home of police who
kill blacks boys on mopeds ...

Sinéad O'Connor, 21st century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #UrbanGaze #ArtChallenges #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
At a busy crossing point, a passenger on the back of a well-lit motorcycle waves in good humour. Of the three motorcycles in view, nobody is wearing a helmet. Behind them, street traders sell peanuts, coconut juice and vegetables to the passing trade. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Magnified, sanctified
Be the holy name
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame
A million candles burning
For the help that never came
You want it darker

Leonard Cohen, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
An elaborate 50-foot image of the seated Hindu Goddess Amman brightly lit with multi-coloured LED lights is propped up by the roadside on bamboo sticks and metal wires as part of festival celebrations. She holds a trident (trisula) in one hand and a small hand drum (damaru) in the other. A third hand is empty and raised in a gesture (mudra) to allay fear and offer protection to her devotees, whilst a fourth holds a sword to overcome negativity and fight against evil forces. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 12, 2025 at 11:23 AM