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Thursday, February 15, 2018

Sastha Anna attains immortality

Most of the sabarimala long timers know Boothapandi Viri at periyanavattam. Sastha Anna was the main reason for it.

A humble devotee , at the same time divinity personified. An unassuming personality in total. A unsung hero among the devotees. Only very few lucky devotees understood his greatness.



His continued  association with Parvatheepuram Venkiteeswara iyer and Boothapandi Ramanatha  Swami for a long time made him an unmistakable servant of Lord Dharma Sastha.

He started his sabarimala yathra at a very young age and was continuing  it almost every month.

After the sudden demise of Trivandrm Kulathu Anna and Ramanatha Vadhyar, he stood like a pillar in continuing the pujas and Annadhanam at periyanavattam.

He was also credited with playing an important role in the refurbishment of the Aazhi Puja.  Incidentally the Aazhi Puja conducted by Shri Maha Sasthru Seva Sangam Coimbatore was the last one he took Sthanam.

His energy was something unimaginable. 150-200 kettunerai he will do just like that single handedly.

His mother like affection towards the devotees, treating the rich and poor alike and profound blessings from bottom of the heart  saw hundreds of people attracted towards Sastha worship.

Whenever a devotee is in trouble - he was the first person to grant him solace. Any devotee who heard his words were sure that the words are from Bagawan himself.

There are innumerable stories of people cured of illness,  bestowed with putra prapthi and unimaginable problems solved. We, members of Shri Maha Sasthru Seva Sangam have personally have witnessed so many such incidents.

Sastha Anna was admitted to the hospital few months back. After his surgery he was finally settled at his daughter's place at Tiruchendur.

He was very much worried - not for his health but for the reason he couldn't trek sabarimala.

Bagawan appeared in his dream and asked him " you came to see me every month... even now you're not satisfied? I'm with you hereafter "
This he has revealed to one of his disciples.

 His condition kept fluctuating for last few  days. He couldn't undertake the Makara jothi yathra this year. On Maha Shivaratri day he has commented his time has come and asked the relatives to remove him frm the bed and make him lie on the floor. Alas!within moments he lay on the floor , Sastha Anna breathed his last.

I reached his home to pay our last respects to the great soul.

I've garlanded him in trance so many times seeing him as the Lord himself. This time with a heavy heart I garlanded him in a totally different scenario. Even now he is in union with the Lord.  Next second , three black sparrows flew above his head and went outside outside rapidly. This reminded me of the story in Boothanatha Upakhyanam -Story of Vijaya Brahmana whose 3 types of Karmas flew out in the form of 3 black sparrows. (The story is explained in the book Maha Sasthavijayam in detail)

His karmas are gone - Sastha Anna would've reached the Lord's feet - I felt.

With the same thought I came out of the house and a Krishna Parunthu was cirucumbulating above his body - assuring my thoughts.


Only his body is gone.  He lives in our hearts -
His screaming voice, his presence and his "Ayyappaa deivame Sharanam Pon Ayyappa " will always be reverberating in Periyanavattam.


Swamyie Sharanam Ayyappa
Aravind Subramanyam &
Members of Shri Maha Sasthru Seva Sangam 

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