KAAKAD THOTHATHRI VADYAR (8)

                                           KALAKAD THOTHATHRI VADYAR (  8  )

                                                                     Due to his  astrological knowledge , KTV  could expand  his  ,sphere of correspondence to a wider range ,as far as Delhi,Bombay Calcūttaa and many other cities  wherefrom   he used  to get a lot of letters .After reading and replying them , the letters  would be punched and hanged  on a thin rod ,in the first hall. In return he would be writing reply, then and there without any delay. Procrastination is one thing not known to KTV...Postal expenses  have been very heavy for him in his sacred task.Two or three years after Komu's Kannikadhanm  in 1945.Sankari, KTV and Mother made another trip  to Benares  ,leaving  Periannaa,Chinnanna and me  under the care of  Meenakshi Athai and her husband. As the youngest of the three ,I enjoyed more liberty with them .This time  their stay at Benares  was for about a month and Komu  was brought  to Kalakad for delivery....K. gave birth  to  a female child  which was named  Rugmini   and more or less the same time  our Mother gave birth to  Krishnan in 1948..After six months  Gopalathan came and took back K and the child..Unfortunately the child did not survive  for long...Two years later  in 1950 , K delivered another child and it was named  Meenakshi ,shortly known as Meena. Her eyes were bright and she was brisk and active too..In the end of the same year  our brother Sathi was born. ..Kannan was born in 1953 . Meena also did not last long .

                                      At Kalakad and elsewhere  he made    natural  intrinsic relations  among various families  of the brahmin community by  marriages fixed on Astronomical predictions based on horoscopic readings and suggesting  pariharams in case of need., For all such marriages he used to get invitations and wherever possible he was attending  too.This also made him busy. ..He was a  pious devotee  of  Sri.Shringeri Mahaswamigal  and whenever  the Swamijies made camps in the district, KTV took initiative in inviting them to the village receiving them  in a fitting manner and  all comforts were taken care of  until their return. A proper committee would be set up for the above purposes which he will be heading. An office would be functioning at our house from well in advance. Just opposite to our house there is a Vedapatasalai  where the Swamijies would be staying and doing their Pujas and  pravachanams.He was also the Mudraadhikaari of the Shringeri mutt until his health permitted.  In his life time  Swamijies have visited  four times. 

                        An unexpected event  also happened  which is worth mentioning here. On the way from Nagerkoil  to Kallidaikurichi during a visit of  Sri . Abhinava Vidhyatheertha Mahaswamigal and Sri  . Bharathee Theertha Mahaswamigal to the district, there was a misinformation that the night dinner would be provided at Kalakad on  the way at  our street' for Swamijies '  retinue  numbering forty persons .On arrival at Kalakad the senior Swmijee learnt that there is no symptom of that.He asked the driver of his car to take him to our house  and literally knocked at our doors. By then KTV and Paatti had retired to bed.Shocked to find the Swamijees knocking at the door to his utter surprise, invited them into the house  with due formalities.KTV requested Swamijees to wait for half hour time and assured to feed all his retinue.He wasted no time sounded all the persons in the street regarding the matter  and with their help saw that all the guests were fed sumptuously. Swamijees were very happy.Two more instances of this type  will be explained in the next issue..

                                                                   ( to  be  continued  )