MINS, the near overflow) indicates that the woman
has received the grace of the goddess. No men are
directly involved.
As part of the festival young boys ritually (and
painlessly) pierce their skin with silver needles,
to honor the goddess Attukal Amma. Unmar-
ried girls under the age of 12 offer plates of rice,
coconut, areca nut, and flowers to the goddess, to
ensure that they remain healthy and protected.
Further reading: Dianne Jenett, “Red Rice for Bhaga-
vati: Pongala Ritual at the Attukal Temple in Kerala,”
ReVision 20, no. 3 (1998): 37–43. Vikraman Kok-
kanathala, The Glory of Attukal. Translated by Kamala
Bai (Thiruvananthapuram: Sunce Publishing Division,
1997); K. R. Vaidyanathan, Temples and Legends of
Kerala (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1994).
Poonja, Sri Harilal (Poonjaji, Papaji)
(1910–1997) teacher of enlightenment
Sri Harilal Poonja was a prominent spiritual
teacher in Lucknow who had a number of influ-
ential students.
Born on October 13, 1910, in an area of the
Punjab now a part of Pakistan, H. W. L. Poonja
was part of a family of devotees. His mother was
a devoted follower of the Lord KRISHNA, and his
maternal uncle was Swami RAMA TIRTHA, a cel-
ebrated saint. At age eight, the boy had his first
transcendental experience, became a devotee of
Lord Krishna, and began a MANTRA practice day
and night.
At age 20, he entered into an arranged mar-
riage and later had two children. He served in the
army for less than two years, leaving to pursue
his spiritual quest. While living in his father’s
house with his wife and children, he received
a vision of Bhagavan Sri RAMANA MAHARSHI,
an enlightened master, who directed him to
Ramana’s ashram in Tiruvannamalai in southern
India.
During the partition of India, Poonjaji moved
his family from the Punjab to Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh, where he worked as a salesman and min-
ing manager. He later became a revered teacher in
Lucknow, giving daily satsangs (teachings). His
home and a nearby community building have
been visited by hundreds of spiritual seekers and
students. The main characteristic of his teaching
was his capacity to awaken seekers to their true
Self in his presence. The American teachers of
enlightenment GANGAJI and Andrew COHEN are
two of his best-known students.
In 1993, the Avadhuta Foundation was set up
to further the teachings of Poonjaji and to archive
and distribute audiotapes and videotapes of meet-
ings with him. He died in Lucknow on September
6, 1997.Further reading: David Godman, Nothing Ever Happened:
Biography of H. W. L. Poonja, 3 vols. (Boulder, Colo.:Sri Harilal Poonja (Poonjaji), teacher of advaita Vedanta
(Courtesy of Eli Jaxon-Bear)Poonja, Sri Harilal 331 J