Sri Acharya’s Compassion during Cauveri Floods
Our Swamigal graciously accepted the request of the citizens of Thiruvayar and celebrated the Vyasa puja in the year 1924, at the Pushya mandap in the north corner of Cauveri. Hordes of devotees from nearby Tanjore and other villages thronged to have darshan of Swamigal.
During the lunar month of Adi, Cauveri overflowed with floods and in some places, broke the banks. As the mandap where puja was taking place was close to the Cauveri, the flood water came into the puja mandap. The people of Thiruvayar requested Swamigal to move the puja to another place. Swamigal said that the puja cannot be moved during Chaturmasya for any calamity or any reason. The people were worried
about the situation. To make things worse, the flood grew and spread across to its tributary Kollidam, which was three miles away. The huts of the poor people, mostly Harijans, were immersed in flood waters. They started to move to higher elevated areas with their goats, cows, children and elderly. Swamigal was compassionate towards these poor people who were stranded in the floods without food and other facilities. He brought together the local key people and organized relief for the people affected in the floods as quickly as possible. He requested the annadhanam at the mutt premises to be reduced.
Instead, he arranged for regular daily food to be prepared in huge vessels and had the mutt employees take this food around the affected areas and distribute it. The distribution efforts were organized by the local Congress leader Sarangapani Iyengar and the partymen. The relief efforts were taken for fifteen days after which the floods receded and the public slowly started to return and to repair their homes. The poor folks
appreciated and praised Swamigal for his compassion and annadhanam. A help provided in time of need is indeed a valuable help. Everbody was amazed at the timely help provided by Swamigal.
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