KAAKADU THOTHATHRI VADHYAR ( 13 )

                             KALAKADU THOTHATHRI VADHYAR  (  13  )      

                                                     As I have  been pointing out in my previous postings, KTV was busy through out in his astrological activities; but this was one phase of his life.People of the village sought his help in various other things also.I will mention one or two of them only since to give a complete list is highly impossible.Assume Mr X wanted to sell his lands for some purpose.He will entrust the related documents to KTV. Some other person ,say. Mr Y. may like to purchase some piece of land at the same time. He will call both of them to fix the agreeable rate to both side, call the document writers to the house ask  them     to prepare  the documents at their house and come back   .The vendor will be asked to read  aloud at his back with lying posture on the floor ,with closed eyes as if in the sleeping mode.  The vendor will finish reading all  the pages  may be ten or twelve as  needed. The vendor will be ready to leave. But he could not .So  for silent, KTV  will turn facing him and  dictate.    At least seven to eight mistakes KTV would have found out. He woud say as follows." Turn to page 3,line4 word 1  score out and replace by this.Similar instruction for every mistake Not  only that. The auspicious date for registration will be decided by him. The registrar will be informed and requested to come to open the door.If there is no registration on a particular day the office will not function unlike nowadays!.

A second one is a " smooth " partition of  properties among descendents after the death of the head of the family.It was quite common among the sons ,daughters also included in some cases, in the community to pick up quarrels  while  arriving at a peaceful solution in the dispute during partition . In some cases the end will be the development of animosity leading to serious damage of relationship.One of the parties may approach KTV .He will  first call all of them to our house advise them properly to be friendly before taking up the case.Then he will allocate to them  their due share in a satisfactory manner and will see that the official registration etc are done so that there would be no claims and counter claims in future .

                   Another important event worth mentioning in  the life of KTV  is to have arranged for conducting a Soma Yaagam in a very grand scale which event is remembered still by the present descendents of those who actually eyewitnessed and  helped in the conduct of the same successfully. It happened in 1959/60 when I was in Thiruchi.

                       Swami Dheekshithar , a Vedic scholar and our own Vaadhyaar wanted to conduct the Soma yaagam in a big scale ,even selling some of his paddy fields for the  expenses.But KTV objected to the idea of selling the lands and performing the yaagaa.He quoted from Saasthraa  books and it is not allowed, Dheekshidhar said that he was not having that much of money to spend on such a big event. KTV took the complete responsibility. He did this without moving from   kottadi( the first hall of our house )  He sat in a particular corner which he likes very much  and wrote letters to all his contacts  inside and outside India,informing them and requesting for contributions.Saasthraas are of opinion that we have to use only collected money.Only means of communication in those days were letters and post offices.He enlisted the cooperation of all the villege people, leave alone the  brahmins Our backyards all contained only mud walls of length at least 100 feet. He requested all the neighbours to demolish them to make a big area as that of a modern cricket ground . He employed  enough labourers to level the  ground , with proper enclosures surrounding the area with mudwalls ,thatches and thorns for the sake of protection. He had alerted all the business people ,vegetable vendors  grocery merchants nadhaswaram specialists those connected with light and sound and requested for their complete cooperation.It was a five day affair.Eminent scholars from Tanjore district and  other places,who were conversent with conducting such yaagaas were invited and treated properly.At all the brahmin people had their food  in common set up.All were very happy about the same.

                  Some Dheekshithars requested KTV to help in performing such yaagaas in their own places. KTV obliged.

                               ( to be continued  )