The Ever compassionate Lord

Few days ago... I was contemplating on my great grandfather and was browsing his old photographs at sabarimalai... The Pankuni uthram festival of 60s, 70s and 80s.... As my usual practice I took some of these to show it to a devotee close to my heart, who "celebrates our Lord" - and with whom I share most of my ideas...

Each photograph conveyed a story... we were really thrilled to see the Sabarimalai of yester years... Everything so orderly, so calm and peaceful those days.... Especially when we saw a the photo - Thatha Standing all alone in the Padhinettam padi, (http://shanmatha.blogspot.com/2011/01/padhinettam-padi.html) we were reminded of the unruly rush that we had during Jothi... and we all had a craving desire whether we could "get back" that Sabarimalai....

"Whether is it possible to have such a sabarimalai hereafter?" 

- we asked the question and we ourselves gave the answer - "NO".. "the golden days are gone"... 

But we never expected "Bhakta Paripala" was hearing us and was smiling at us...

Very soon we planned for our Sabarimala trip. The utsavam had just begun and to our utter surprise the crowd was almost nil at Pampa. We were excited... and went ahead and everything was almost magically done. When we reached Pathinettampadi to our pleasant surprise - it was totally free..  We were enjoying the very sight of the Ashtadasha Peetam... Satya Dharma swaroopam was all alone - waiting for us.... The best part is - we had an opportunity to take similar photograph in front of the holy steps - just like my great grand father...  

Though there is no one to stop us... How long will we stand there? And finally we decided to move... - After all how can the intense yearning of the heart be contained?  Our Lord is waiting for us....

We rushed to our beloved Lord...  Ayyappan looked as fresh as a newly blossomed Lotus! 

One of my favorite quote is - "We leave sannidhanam to come back"... Now, needless to say our darshan was near perfect. We spent almost 4-5 hours with our Lord with no one to stop us or pull us.

To cut a long story short I felt that the Lord himself held our hands, took us to Sannidhanam and brought us back - just because we desired for a peaceful dharshanam like the olden days. We didn't even prayed - we just expressed our desire amongst us- and he made it a reality.... 

Even a very small -true desire of us is heard by Him... 

After returning from the Yatra - I got a messgae from Him....

In one of my old articles Ive written : - "This once unlettered boy, whom He took under his benign and protective care, as a fond father would do, and made him what he is today" - these words are proved 200% true once again.. Not only as a fond father  but more than a compassionate mother he is taking care of me.... 

I thanked him for being "my life" and granting us the opportunity to serve him. For the yeomen service rendered by my ancestors, the ever merciful Lord is  keeping up his promise generations after generations.

In answer to this he gave His same benign smile..

... 

My Grand father - My first Guru

 -a tribute to Kalpathy Shri.CV.Srinivasa Iyer (Chaami Anna)

This year, March 19 is Pankuni Uthram, which reminded me of my Great Grand Father and Iam posting this article as a tribute to this noble soul.. (this is an article which I wrote for my next book "Nothing But Ayyappan" )

A small request.... I have a desire to write his Life history in detail... so any reader who have had the acquaintance with Shri. CV.Srinivasa Iyer / CV Krishna Iyer and  have any small piece of information / photographs or anything to share.. please write to me(aravindsastha@gmail.com) or call me (09994641801)

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My Grand father - My first Guru 

-a tribute to Kalpathy Shri.CV.Srinivasa Iyer (Chaami Anna)

In the holy land of Bharat it is said that during every century, there would be atleast a single Jivan muktha born to accomplish a divine mission and to re-establish a divine faith.

True to this saying this Mahaan, Shri CV Srinivasa Iyer was born to re establish the supremacy of Lord Ayyappa, at a time when - the divine will wanted to spread the glory of Ayyappa Bhatki.

As per the wishes of Lord Ayyappa, during the right juncture- at his middle age - he was particularly attracted to the Sabarimala Yatra, because of his younger brother Shri.CV.Krishna Iyer, who was undertaking the yatra for years.

He reached the Sannidhanam for the first time - thereafter the spiritual progress of Chaami Anna was on the fast track and he

came into contact with great people and the truth of the vedantas were getting clearer to him..

Though he was a gruhastha, he was living a saint’s life working very hard for the spiritual upliftment of the ordinary souls. As a Guruswamy he took several hundreds of devotees to Sabarimala. True to the “Ayyappa thathwaam” - his clan of disciples comprised of lay men to Vedhic scholars. Many veteran Guruswamys we see today were his disciples. He was fondly known as “Chaami Anna” with respect and love from his sishyas.

For several decades for some reasons, the Pankuni Uthra Puja was not being done at the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple. Though it was an auspicious day for Sastha, the temple was not even opened on that particular day. As per the divine directions, Chaami Anna took the initative and this puja commenced to be done by him. A spectacular Lakhsharchana and Vedhic homams to Lord Sastha on the Pankuni Uthram day was performed judiciously and magnificently at Sabarimala for years by him. The puja grew in popularity and at one point of time his party included nearly 500 devotees and 70-80 Vedhic Scholars, 6-7 special busses and fleet of Cars and Lorries to carry the necessary items for the magnificent ritual. The festival attained the new heights with Purusha Sooktha Homam, Rudrabishekam and even to Maha Rudram and Athi Rudram.

He was not only an ardent and sincere devotee – but was a realized and elevated soul. Many have had the opportunity of getting his blessings and have come up in their life. I have heard from many of his associates that all what he says is the total Satyam and no one dared to defy his instructions. A simple namaskaram would bring forth from him an abundance of blessings and love and one could feel the depth and warmth of the same.

He was an embodiment of devotion and compassion and nobody would return empty handed after seeing him. Even today whenever I go for pujas or lectures anywhere in India, I would definitely see atlesat 2 or 3 disciples of Chaami Anna. Many many stalwarts and seniors exclaim that they have had the privilege of meeting him, eating saddhi(food) along with him, and getting prasadam from him.

The pilgrimage to the Sabarimalai is very symbolic of the journey of the individual ‘atma’ and it’s joining with the ‘Paramatma’ During the Pankuni Uthram festival of 1989, Chaami Anna, made a very significant remark that, he will cease to live beyond the Pankuni Uthram festival that year and it was an intuition from his side and that Lord Ayyappa wanted it that way. Events, have proved that he attained Lord Ayyappa’s world during the same date and in doing so, left all of us, his devotees orphans to be guided by his spirit of selflessness and love and compassion to all.

My tryst with a phenomenon called “Ayyappa” started right from the day I took birth in this earth- because of my Great grand father Shri CV Srinivasa Iyer. (Chaami Anna) whom I consider my first Guru to Sastha.

I was a small boy when he ceased his earthly connections, but even at that early age I had the rare privilege of getting blessings directly from him. And I am very sure that he is blessing all of us even today and this perhaps, is the guiding force and the inner drive which is operating us till date.