A wonderful incident happened in my life that immersed me in Kanchi Maha Periyava's Karuna Kataksham (look of compassion): About 45 years ago, we were residing with family in the Tiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar at Perambur, Chennai. In the same area, the employees of the Simpson Group of companies, B&C Mills and the Government were also residing.
We had our own Residents Association. Still, we wanted to start a Satsangam (Spiritual Association). “Satsangam dukham prasayamati” meaning, “association with sadhus and the wise would lessen the grief”. Accordingly, through the Satsangam we started, we helped the poor students and the afflicted in a small way. In addition, it was customary to keep the holy portrait of Sri Hanuman in some of our friends' homes and do Nama Sankirtanam (singing the glorious names) on Saturdays.
With such happenings, some of us wanted to build a Vinayaka temple in the vacant plot near the Tiru.Vi.Ka statue. We decided to form a group for this purpose and collect funds. Along with me, SundaraRajan, KrishnaMurthi Aiyar, Srinivasan, RangaChari, Mani, Ethiraj, Dharanipathi, Kothandapani, Padmanabha Rao and few others were in the group. The task of collecting funds began. Erecting a hut in the vacant plot, we first started worshipping Vinayaka.
Days passed by. We could not get enough funds. We met AnanthaRamaKrishnan, Chairman of the Simpson Group of Companies and explained to him about our holy temple work. He gave a donation of one thousand rupees. It was a large sum at that time. Following AnanthaRamaKrishnan's donation, funds started collecting fast. Still, it wasn't enough to build a temple.
A devotee in the group proposed, "We can go to Kanchipuram and have darshan of Maha Periyava. If he gives us his anugraham and blesses the project, we can advertise in the popular magazines and collect funds." The proposal seemed okay to us. We contacted Kanchi SriMatham. They said, "Periyava has gone on yatra to North India. It is not known when he will return to the Matham. You ring up after a week. We shall inform you if we get any news from Periyava."
It was the time when communication facilities were not as widespread as today. With such limitation, we used to book a call to Kanchi SriMatham at regular intervals, get the phone connection and enquire. There was no news about Maha Periyava's coming to Chennai.
It was a Wednesday. I had a dream that night. News came that Maha Periyava
started from Nellore, passed through Perambur and was camping in Rao Bahadur Kalavala Kannan Chettiar's school. We ran to have his darshan and get his blessings. As the dream ended, I was happy, because when it dawned it would be Thursday (Guruvaram), and I had got Guru’s darshan in my dream!
After it dawned, I narrated the dream to my friends. They laughed and said, "You must have been thinking about the project the whole night, hence the dream." At that time, RangaChary who came running in a hurry said, "Anna, RamaChandran's dream has come true. Periyava who came from Nellore is said to be camping in Kalavala Kannan Chettiar's school since midnight!" I felt a shiver of ecstasy!
After taking bath, all of us started immediately. I had a pleasant shock when I reached the school. The walking God was seated in the same place that I saw in my dream, and in the same pose with a smile! We prostrated and then explained everything about our Satsangam, Vinayaka temple construction, and AnanthaRamaKrishan giving us donation. Maha Periyava blessed us with the words, "Kovil nanna varum”.
An employee of the Matham informed us that Pudu Periyava, Sri Jayendrar would be coming to the Tiru.Vi.Ka Nagar Vinayaka Temple that evening and explained to us about the custom of receiving him. We were panicking and were worried that we needed to receive Pudu Periyava with the necessary honour but we did not have a single paisa in the Sangam, so where could we go for the money? But then, knowing that Periyava was coming to their place, the local people came up with financial assistance.
Pudu Periyava came around seven o' clock in the evening. The tunes of Nadhaswaram, the chanting of Vedas and the devotees singing 'Hara hara Sankara Jaya jaya Sankara' transformed Tiru.Vi.Ka Nagar into a Swargapuri. After worshipping the Vinayaka in the hut, Pudu Periyava blessed the people. When he was about to leave, he said, "Come to the camp tomorrow." We went there the next day, got Maha Periyava's anugraham and blessings and returned. Later on, an advertisement seeking funds for constructing the temple with Acharya's anugraham was published in the magazines. Funds came by in heaps. The Temple arose majestically. The kumbhabhishekam was performed in a grand manner in the presence of Variyaar Swamigal. Thus Maha Periyava's Vakku,"Kovil nanna varum” became a reality.
We had then done pratishta (consecration) of only Vinayaka in the temple. In later days it became a large temple that included Anjaneya, Aiyappa and the Navagrahas. It has been several years since I changed my residence from Tiru.Vi.Ka Nagar. On the rare occasions whenever I happen to have darshan in this temple, thoughts about Maha Periyava crop up and gladden my heart.
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Feb 6, 2008
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