"Swamigal, I want to die only in my Hometown!"

Sri Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavathar, the revered Guru of many stalwarts, including the famous singer Yesudas, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V. V. Subramaniam, P. Leela etc, lost his voice due to throat cancer. He took a vow to Lord Guruvayurappan, stating that he would donate all his earnings from his music concerts if he was blessed enough to regain his voice.

He was cured and regained his voice and he adhered to the vow he made to the Lord.

When he called on Kanchi Paramacharya, he made a fervent appeal to bless him, so that he would die only while he was performing at his home town.

An as he wished, the singer departed from this world when he was singing in his birth place! The temple priest told him that he would live for 120 years. Chembai responded saying that there was a kanakku an equation between him and Lord Krishna and that the priest could not predict it. Then he did his Sandhya vandanam. And then his head slid to one side and he was Gone.

There is no parallel to the overwhelming compassion of the Great Guru.

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Thanks to Shri Arcot Easwaran for this post in Periva.proboards.com

Chembai was a famous Carnatic music singer from Palghat in Kerala. He was born on 1st September 1896, a Janmashtami day! He passed away on 16th October 1974, at the age of 78, of a cardiac arrest. Shortly before that, he performed his last concert at a Poozhikkunnu Sreekrishna temple in Ottapalam (the venue of his first concert), and concluded the concert with his favourite song "Karunai Cheivan Endu Thamasam Krishna" (Why is there so much delay in conferring Your mercy, Krishna?). His nephew said he had always spoken about an easy death, and had attained it!

In his tribute, Mridangam Maestro Palghat Mani Iyer said, “Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar sang till he had his pechu Speech. Chembai sang till his last moochu Breath!”.

The above is a picture of Sree Poozhikunnu SriKrishna Temple at Chembaipuri, Ottappalam. Thanks to MyPalakkad page in facebook for this picture.

Address of Temple: Poozhikunnu Sreekrishna Temple Lane, Ottapalam, Kerala 679101.

Source: Wiki/The Hindu.