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My Thoughts

Dear Vasu,

I wouldn't say "thanks" to your wonderful
comment on my recent blogpost. I know that you, Suresh, Jayaraman, (and many others like Sudhakar, Magesh, et al) of our family have wonderful writing / expressing ability and skill. It is ingrained you see. Only people don't find time to sit and write / express their thoughts.

I am sure you and all others would spare a few minutes daily / weekly and continue posting.

I consider it my greatest fortune and Sri Rama & Sri Krishna_blessed opportunity that we shifted from Kilpauk to this present house three years ago. It is so near to Mylapore, the Cultural Capital of Chennai and Tamilnadu. Do you know that, if you draw a circle of just 1 1/2 or 2 km radius with the Sri Kapaleeswarar Koil Kulam as its centre, you have -

(a) more than 8 Easwaran (Shiva) koils, all ancient and grand.
(b) three Perumal koils, again very ancient, and grand
(c) a great Saibaba temple
(d) two Aiyappa temples,
(e) four large Sri Anchaneya Koils (purely dedicated to Anchaneya, not a sannadhi)
(f) three large Pillaiyar koils (apart from hundreds of small pillaiyar koils)
(g) a koil one each for Kali amman, Appar, Tiruvalluvar

-- the list is endless. The said circle would also encompass many Sangeetha Sabhas, school auditoriums (at least FIVE), Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, etc etc.

Truly, the Cultural Capital of Chennai and I am blessed to have visited ALL the above temples (a to g above) - along with Vijaya Chiththi, of course - in these 3 years and gone to most of the Sabhas, and ALL of the school auditoriums ! Not to be missed is the wonderful, wonderful GIRI trading, and the South Mada street.

Two years back to this day, we saw a poster in Adi Kesava Perumal Koil about Sri VELUKKUDI Krishnan Swamigal (Geetha Upanyasam on Pothigai TV daily). Chiththi and I would have listened to 95 % of his 519 Geetha upanyasams (Monday, 12th Jan, it will be the 520th) without fail.

From casually getting up at 6-15 and listening (first two upanyasams), I have vastly disciplined myself slowly but with determination - for the past three months, I get up daily at 4-45, bath before 5, and then Paaraayanams. From this Pongal, I am thinking of raising this bar to 4-30 AM, God willing.

Once Sujatha was asked "who, in your opinion, is the best orator?" - and he replied without hesitation, "Velukkudi Krishnan Swamigal" ! His upanyasam on Srimad Bhagavatham is - i dont know how to write, its simply great! Our Ramamurthy athimber first loaned me his CDs of this upanyasam - but today I have 3 MP3 CDs of my own. Krithika & Arvind have presented me with atleast six upanyasam MP3 CDs of Velukkudi, now I have to find time to listen and grasp. (Presently I am listening to his Kamba Ramayanam). My future blogposts will be on these upanyasams, be warned !!

Smt Vishakha Hari is another of my favourite, as you know. FYI, our Aditi, if she sees Vishakha on TV, would rush to me and tell me "thatha, Vishakha Hari !!". Last evening (9th Jan), when I put on Kambha Ramayanam, Aditi ran to her Paatti and dragged her "Velukkudi thatha vanthuttaa ...vaaa paatti !" Aditi also listens !! God bless Aditi.

more later (???)

rajappa1:00 PM on 10 Jan 2009

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