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Dear members/friends of the Tiruvenkatam Group,

In this post, it is my pleasure to give you an update
of my visit to Sri Perumbudur to acquaint myself of
the progress of the construction of the public-latrine
facility there meant for general benefit of pilgrims.
The funding of the project was made possible from
contributions received from several members of the
Tiruvenkatam and Oppiliappan Group lists.

Regds,
dAsan,

Sudarshan

                  ***************

The day was 23rd July. Another humid morning in
Chennai when Sri Manoram Chaitanya (MC) and Sri
M.G.Vasudevan (MGV) picked me up and we set off in
MGV's Maruti car at around 8 Am to Perumbudur.

Sri MGV's chauffeur drove the Maruti to Perumbudur at
terrific break-neck speed (100 kmph) on the newly laid
out national highway -- a stretch of the "golden
quadrilateral" that has of late become something of a
mythic symbol for the "great strides in economic
progress India takes in its march towards "super-power
status" by the year 2025!". 

MGV's chauffeur handled the Maruti like a true "Le
Mans" veteran, expertly weaving in and out of lanes,
and tearing down the highway like Sri Michael
Schumacher of worldwide Formula 1 fame. I held my
heart in my mouth throughout the journey but MGV and
MC themselves seemed quite unmindful and unruffled!
Obviously, they had got used to the pace of India's
"great march forward".... As a NRI, I suppose I
was'nt, not yet, at least...

One of the reasons why I felt rather mentally
under-prepared to confront and accept the great new
economic developments taking place in and around the
city of Chennai (as all over India) was the sight of
so many great big and beautiful trees, all along the
highways, being felled down just to make way for
roads, bridges, culverts, and other constructions like
factories, deemed universities and sewage pipelines.
On both sides of the highway, one saw brand new
gleaming buildings of some of the top corporate names
of the world --- Nokia, Hyundai, Delphi etc. All this
at the cost of so many magnificent and age-old trees
that had once stood lining the roadways and pathways
across which generations of our forefather perhaps had
once trodden?  It made me wonder a bit about my real
destination! In 25 years from now, (when India would
hopefully take its pride of place in the world as a
"super-power", a status that almost everyone today in
the country is clamoring for!), in 25 years from now,
would Sri Perumbudur be known more as the epicentre of
Chennai's industrial empire than as a centre of
pilgrimage?

We reached Perumbudur (all in one piece) inside of an
hour, thanks to the daring performance of MGV's little
Maruti and the brave devilry of his dashing young
chauffeur!      
      
                ****************

We headed straight for the site of the construction. 

The site is situated outside the temple's main
frontage, a few hundred yards rightward from the
principal portals and abutting the "mAda veedhi" where
one can see, first and foremost, the "sannidhi" of Sri
Manavalama-muni.

Adjacent to this shrine of Sri ManavALa-mAmuni runs a
narrow unpaved, un-topped alleyway that meanders into
the distance of about a furlong farther inside the
town-quarters of Sri Perumbudur. It is towards the
rear end of this alley that we come across the
construction site.

                    **************

MC and MGV immediately take me on detailed tour of the
construction site. The design of the facilities is
quite simple but utilitarian: a section each of closed
urinals and bathrooms (4+4) for women and men
separated by a solid wall with full and functional
sanitary fittings, tiling, wash-basins, tap and manual
flushing toilet-seating --- all illumined by
regulation, overhead electric-bulb lighting. Nothing
fancy in the design but nothing really wanting  either
in a public-WC. 

Sri Thyagarajan is the mason (local artisan) whom MC
introduces me to. He finishes fixing the borewell pump
he is intently attending to and then gets up and
greets MGV and me. 

It is good to note that there is plentiful
water-supply from the borewell for construction
purposes. ALso, the same source, I am told, would
supply water for regular use in the toilets too after
construction. "This is a 1HP motor and it will pump
water up to that overhead Sintex tank, you will see
there on the roof once it is completed in a few weeks
time", says Thyagarajan to me, pointing skyward to the
roof of the construction where about 3-4 masons, I
see, are hard at work completing the roofing section
of the building.

                     **************

MGV then takes Thyagarajan aside and then the two
confer at great lengths on some of the finer points of
design and construction. Sri Thyagarajan squats on the
ground, amid heaps of gravel, sand, bricks and mortar
piled all around. He then uses his fingers to draw
rough sketches on the ground of section-profiles in
order to explain to MGV some intricate questions of
masonry. 

MGV, being the civil-engineering expert at L&T that he
is, nods his head, asks some pointed questions,
listens carefully and then provides some quick
suggestions and answers to Thyagarajan's posers. All
this takes a good part of an half-hour. The mason then
finally nods his head appreciatively! I can see that
MGV, our expert, has just cleared away some intricate
technical problem! "Piece of cake", MGV tells me under
his breath, "This for me is a pretty simple
construction". 

MC tells me then that if all goes well the
construction should go full steam ahead in the next
few weeks. Although, there were local elements in and
outside the temple who initially seemed to resent and
resist the "kainkaryam", eventually, general public
opinion had turned positive towards the idea. Everyone
knew, that during festive days at Sri Perumbudur, the
general public and assembly of pilgrims had simply
nowhere to go to relieve or wash themselves.
Invariably, they used the street-sides itself as
latrines making the stench and filth so revolting as
to make the whole street virtually out of bounds for
civic society. So, realizing the importance of the
project now under progress everyone at the temple were
cooperative and helful. So, no problem is expected in
completing the project in time. Thanks to the funds
made available by contributions from the T'venkatam
and Oppiliappan lists, no financial crunch too would
be faced.

Everyone is happy. I am very pleased to hear the good
news too.

                 *****************

While we are all huddled together, in walks another
person whom MC immediately introduces to me as Sri
TirthAnkar Das Prabhu! "He is the man who is our site
manager, who oversees the work here on a day-to-day
basis", says MC. 

Sri Tirthankar is a short man dressed in traditional
dhothi and vest with a frayed cloth-bag slung on his
shoulder and walking barefeet. He wears a "shika" and
carries the traditional "chandan" mark on his forehead
typical of all ISKON devotees. He is dark and heavily
sunburnt --- sure tell-tale signs, I can tell, of a
man who spends probably most of the day out under the
cruel summer sun of Sri Perumbudur, overseeing the
construction from morn till evening. But Sri
TirthANkar, I notice, has a ready and cheerful smile.
I find it strangely radiant!

Sri TirthANkar tells us that he expects the whole
construction to be completed by the next
"tiruvAthirai" (asterism) next month and all should be
well by then, by the Grace of God. He then politely
takes leave and vanishes from sight.

I do not meet TirthAnkar Das again and it leaves me
with a vague, inexplicable sense of loss.

                   ***************

Later, on our return to Chennai, I query MC about Sri
TirthANkar and his background. What I hear from MC
simply amazes me.

Sri TirthAnkar is a native of deep interior southern
India hailing from a humble Naadaar family. He joined
the ISKON many years ago and has spent all his life
like a wandering mendicant, going from one place to
another all across Tamil Nadu wherever ISKON-centres
needed volunteers to carry out any sort of "kainkarya"
in their particular part of the state. 

Tirthankar has no family attachments except an old
mother who lives in Chennai. He has no belongings
except the cloth-bag in which he stores the sum of all
his wordly properties -- a few change of clothes and a
few spartan items of personal toiletry. He has no
steady source of income. He lives entirely on the
daily alms of kindly souls of the particular ISKON
group he happens to be serving at any point of time.
He has no personal address, no roof over his head. He
lives wherever he can find a place to lie down and go
to sleep at night --- e.g. a temple "mantapam", an
"ashram" quarters, a "choultry" or some such public
place he happens to find in the area he is operating
in. 

Sri Tirthankar also has a few good friends like MC
himself who give him some money now and then with
which Tirthankar sometimes buys food or eats out at
local roadside restaurants.

"TirthAnkar Das Prabhu has always lived like this", MC
explained to me, "and he will continue to live like
this. Once this project in Sri Perumbudur is
completed, he will move on to some other ISKON project
elsewhere in Tamilnadu where his services could be
used. When TirthAnkar has nothing much to do, he goes
to Chennai to be with his mother or to come to our
ISKON-local centre there where he participates in
"bhajans". He is a good singer of bhajans. Right now
in Perumbudur he is doing a good job for me. He is
honest, hardworking and completely reliable. I have
great trust in him."

What MC told me about Sri TirthAnkar, he related in
stark, flat and matter-of-fact words without a trace
of any sort of emotion! I was simply stupefied by what
I heard! Here was MC describing to me a man whose life
seemed to almost perfectly fit the description of a
true "karma-yOgi", a true Vedantin, a true "vairaagi"
--- and MC was talking to me about him so casually ...
as casually as Thyagarajan, the mason, had explained
to MGV about the 1HP motor-pump back at the
construction site!

I could not help slightly chiding MC, "MC what have
you done! Why did you not tell me all this about
TirthANkar before? What you tell me about him makes me
desperately want to meet him once more and prostrate
before him! In this age of "kali" and in this world
where we are all interested only in our own selfish
needs and concerns, you are telling me that there
actually lives a person like TirthAnkar in flesh and
blood! By God, he is a true 'yOgi', someone who is
living by the highest of Vedantic ideals --- by
"Unchavrti", by "nishkaama karma"! I would have loved
to spend more time talking to him, MC! You have robbed
me of an opportunity to get to know a soul who must be
a hundred times more noble than anyone I have known in
my life!".

Having let the opportunity slip by, I made MC promise
me however that on my next trip to India, he would
arrange to bring Sri TirthAnkar Das to my house where
he would sing a few bhajans and deign to dine with me
and my family members.

                *****************

Having completed our tour of the construction site,
MGV and MC took me around the town to take a quick
survery of the temple "teppakkoLam" -- the temple
pond. I was aghast to see the dire condition of the
sacred pond. It was good to see it full of water but
it was pathetic to see how abused and utterly
neglected it was.

It is a fairly large "kkoLam" and seems to have been
well maintained in the recent past for I saw neatly
constructed stone steps all around the banks. But
obviously, in the several years of drought the tank
had probably seen in the past, it had been left
bone-dry and since then had never been dredged or
de-silted. As a result, now it was a quagmire of
slush, weed, dead-fish, muck, pilgrim/tourist litter,
household waste (local residents I saw were washing
their clothes and utensils on the steps of the pond)
and stray animal excreta.... It was a terribly sad
sight indeed! 

MGV could not help silently lamenting why the
SriVaishnava community, both in India and abroad,
could not come forward to do something about the pond
at Sri perumbudur.

We passed on in silent, helpless mourning.
              
                ****************   
        
Next, we visited the Sri Vedanta Desika 'sannidhi'
situated on the eastern side of the 'kkoLam'
overlooking it. This is a beautiful, not-too-large a
shrine to our AchArya, and also housing additional
shrines to "perumAl" and "thAyyAr". It is neat and
clean and extremely well maintained. I was really
happy to visit this 'sannidhi' at Perumbudur.

                 ****************

Next MGV and MC led the way to the main temple of Sri
Adi Kesava Perumal and Sri Ramanujacharya. The day
happened, by a happy and auspicious coincidence, to
fall in the asterism of "tiruvAthirai" --- the
'tiru-nakshatram' of the AchArya himself! It also
happened to be a Sunday and the weekend crowds of
worshippers milled and swelled all around us across
the temple 'prAkAras'.

MC explained to me that of late it had become a common
folk belief that anyone who was suffering
(astrologically) from "sarpa dOsham" (ill-effects of a
serpentine configuration in one's astral horoscope)
could seek relief by worshipping the 'sannidhi' of Sri
RamanujachArya (since he is known to be a
"amsha-avAtara" of the primordial Serpent-servant,
"Sri AnanthaAzhwAn Adi Seshan", who ever resides in
divine service to and with the Supreme Lord Almighty,
Srimann Narayanan). No wonder the crowds kept milling
around this temple which otherwise is known to be
scarsely visited by pilgrims!

We purchased ourselves a "special darshan" ticket of
Rs. 25/each and after what seemed like an interminable
wait of about an hour, we entered the 'sannidhi' of
both "perumAl" and "uDayavar" and had a glorious
"darshan" --- the first time ever for me in my life!
Although I had been a native of Chennai for well over
3 decades somehow, by a strage quirk or accident of
circumstances, I had not had the good fortune to
worship at this shrine of our venerable AchArya! 

The grievous lapse on my part had at last been made
good! My spirit felt at rest and deeply comforted.....

                   ****************

Outside the temple gates once again.

The sun burned down on us mercilessly. The crowds
around us were milling all over, shouting and jostling
amidst the noise of tourist-bus engines gunning,
exhaust smoke belching and sound-horns blaring
everywhere. In the midst of all this, I began to feel
hungry but was rather shy to admit it to MGV or MC. 

Magically, MC seemed to instantly sense my need and
immediately rushed back into the temple, only to
re-emerge a few minutes later with loads of "donnai"
(cups made of plaintain-leaves) in his hands. I was
served hot spicy "kovil naivEdya prasAdam" straight
from the kitchen fires of the "madapalli"! 

MGV and I sat down right there on the large doorsteps
of the Adi Kesava perumAl temple and happily feasted
upon holy "bhagavadh-prasAdam" right under the nose,
as it were, of Srimadh Bhagavadh RamanujAcharya!

It was delicious! It was sumptuous! As I tucked one
mouthful after another of the tasty "daddhi-annam"
into my belly, I heard it burp and belch happily....
A profound sense of gratitude began to envelop my mind
in that moment. I thought to myself, "How grateful I
should be for my AhcAryA's kind hospitality! As a
native of this province here for 30 years, I had not
cared to visit him and offer worship him to at his
very birthplace ('avatAra-sthala')! And yet, now that
I've made amends for the lapse on my part, how He
hastens to show me such courtesy and compassion
through this thoughtful "prasAdam" delivered to me
through the hands of a good "bhAgavatha" like Sri
Manoram das and in the company of yet another devout
SriVaishnava like Sri MGV!" How fortunate indeed I am!
How blessed!

                *******************

Thus ended my wonderful trip to Sri Perumbudur! A
memorable one indeed in many, many ways! 

In the next posting, I will try and cover the event of
the "sathAbhishEkam" of my father.


Thanks and regards,
dAsan,

Sudarshan 

     
         





Sudarshan Madabushi
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
KGL Ports International
Plot A-21, Kuwait Free Trade Zone.
PO BOx 24565, Safat 13106,
Kuwait.
Ph: (965)- 4827804/5 Ext 212
Fax:       4827806
mob:       7063337
email:  mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx


                
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