Kanchi Periyavas on Modern day Palanquins! :)))

HH Pudhu Periyava being carried by devotees. Oh, what blessed shoulders they are!

HH Pudhu Periyava being carried by devotees as seen in the first picture. Oh, what blessed shoulders they are! Vigraham of Kanchi Mahaperiyava being carried atop a Toyota car!

Pratyaksha Deivame --- Mahaperiyava Music Book/CD by Gayathri Girish and Rukmini Ramani released on April 15th, 2017!

A book and CD titled ‘Prathyaksha Deivame The Veritable God’ by Dr. Rukmini Ramani was released on April 15 2017 at an event held at P. S. School, Mylapore in Madras.

The music book which consists of Pancharatna Kritis on Sri Kanchi Mahaperiyava was composed on the Mela kartha ragas Todi, Simhendramandyamam, Chakravaham, Dharmavathi and Sarasangi. Smt Gayathri Girish has rendered the kritis in the CD.

The event was presided over by Sri Ganesh Sarma. Dr. K. V. S. Gopalakrishnan, secretary, P. S. Educational Society welcomed the gathering. The sale proceeds of the book and CD will be given to Sri Matha Cancer Care and veda patashala respectively.

Guru T. V. Gopalakrishnan, N. Rajeswari, sub-editor, The Hindu (Tamil), guru P. S. Narayanaswami and K. N. Ramaswamy, director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and several others were the guests at the event.

Those interested in the Book and music CD please contact Dr Rukmani at the below address:

Dr. Rukmini Ramani, 
Shivanugraha Trust,
Flat P, Saradambal Apartments, 3rd Floor, 
36, Kripasankari Street, 
West Mambalam, Chennai-600033

Phone number: +91 98403 48638

For more details please check the below link:

https://vandeguruparamparaam.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/gayathri-girish-singing-on-mahaswamigal-for-the-cause-of-vedas/

Mahaswamigal Jayanthi in Boston, US on June 3rd, 2017!

Mahaperiyava's Jayanthi will be celebrated on June 3rd, 2017 in Sri Kalikambal temple in Boston, US at this address:15 N Main St, Bellingham, MA 02019-1551 Phone: (508) 966-8332

Please see above flyer for more details.

Those nearby, please do attend and be blessed.

Poems composed on Mahaswamigal by a devotee in 1939 and 1961!

1) First screenshot --- மஹா பெரியவர் மீது தாத்தா இயற்றிய சித்திரக்கவி இது. Arvind Swaminathan's grandfather Shri Swaminatha Sharma had composed this poem on Kanchi Mahaperiyava sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.

2) Second one from the top --- Song composed by Shri Swaminatha Sharma on Mahaperiyava on the the occasion of Vyasa pooja in the year 1961, August 6th.

3) Last one --- Another poem composed by Shri Swaminatha Sharma on Swamigal on June 6th, 1939.

Shankara. How precious these are! And how beautiful they are to even look at!

So sorry that I am unable to translate them to English, for those of you who cannot read Tamil. Please bear with me on the poor quality of the pictures too.

Thanks a ton to Shri Mohan Ramiah for running this by me.

A Devotee who always chants 'Shankara' and Mahaperiyava's grace for him!

Such a rare picture of Kanchi Mahaperiyava being garlanded or the garland being removed by Bala Mama!

My father-in-law, late Sri M Adhinarayanan was an ardent devotee of Kanchi Mahaperiyava since the 1960s. Because of his Bhakti for Mahaperiyava, he always used to say ‘Sankara’ while sitting down or standing up or while doing any simple thing as well. He had such Bhakti , automatically he would say ‘Sankara’ at any moment of time.

Once he was at Sri Kanchi Mutt late at night. Mahaperiyava had not retired yet for resting. Mahaperiyava was surrounded by V.I.Ps, like IAS/IPS officers, Government Officials, Diwan and Others.

Mahaperiyava’s neck was adorned by a beautiful garland of flowers. While retiring, Mahaperiyava would remove the garland of flowers. Every one was eagerly and anxiously waiting to receive it for himself/herself.

Mahaperiyava removed the garland and all of a sudden dropped it on the neck of my father-in-law!

Shankara! (this is my Shankara :))))

My father-in-law started weeping uncontrollably by the grace and kindness of the Great Sage. As was his usual practice my father-in-law was constantly chanting “Sankara” which the Almighty in Sage’s Rupa recognized and Blessed him.

That was Mahaperiyava’s Blessing for our entire family, we believe.

‘Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara’

*****

Shankara. What a beautiful incident narrated by Smt Lalitha Vijayakumar. How blessed her family is. Thanks to Periyava Puranam for this beautiful picture.

When Gothram and Suthram are not known... --- Mahaperiyava's solution!

The man worked at Tiruchi Railway Station, had two sons and one daughter. Had utmost devotion towards Kanchi Mahaswamigal. Where ever He camped, he used to visit Him atleast 4 or five times in a year with his family. Not for an instant darshan but would stay with the Mahan for two days soaking in His blessings.

“This boy is 9 years old, need to perform Upanayanam”, he told Swamigal.

“Do it”, replied Swamigal.

“I do not know his gothram or soothram”, said the person.

Mahaswamigal looked at him.

“He is your son right?”, asked Mahaperiyava.

“No, when the boy was in his mother's womb his father passed away. His mother passed away when he was two months old. There was no one in the village to take care of the boy. We took the baby and came home; do not know his relatives or any other information regarding the boy. Just heard this much that he belongs to some Agraharam in Tirunelveli”, replied the man.

Mahaswamigal had an unusual smile on His face. Looked at Kannan ( the person who did kaingaryam to Him) who was near Him: “Look, he has adopted an orphan, has taken care of the boy for so many years and is now planning to conduct Poonal Upanayanam ceremony… how noble of him!”

Kannan said, “So long even we thought that the boy was their own son!”

Mahaswamigal was immersed in joy and said “I have heard that for those who do not know the gothram, it is Kashyapa gothram, if the soothram is not known then it is Bodhyana soothram. Do like that and conduct the poonal ceremony. But never ever think that he is a stranger; he belongs to you and is your son!”

The man took prasadam and left with contentment.

கட்டுரையாளர்-ஸ்ரீமடம் பாலு-182
தட்டச்சு-வரகூரான் நாராயணன்
புத்தகம்-காஞ்சி மகான் தரிசனம்

திருச்சி ரயில்வே அலுவலத்தில் பணி, இரண்டு பையன்கள், ஒரு பெண்.
மகா சுவாமிகளிடம் அபார பக்தி. பெரியவாள் எங்கே முகாமிட்டிருந்தாலும் வருடத்துக்கு
நாலைந்து முறை,குடும்பத்தோடு தரிசனத்துக்கு வருவார். மின்னல் வேக தரிசனம் இல்லை. ஒரிரு நாள்கள் தங்கி,பெரியவாளின் நெருக்கத்தை நிதானமாக அனுபவித்துவிட்டுத்தான் போவார்.

"இந்தப் பையனுக்கு ஒன்பது வயசாயிடுத்து. உபநயனம் நடத்தணும்" என்று பெரியவாளிடம்
விக்ஞாபித்துக் கொண்டார், ஒரு முறை.

"செய்யேன்..."-பெரியவா

"பையனின் கோத்திரம் - சூத்திரம் தெரியல்லே..."

பெரியவாள் நிமிர்ந்து பார்த்தார்கள்.

"உன்னோட பையன்தானே?"

"இல்லை! பையனின் கர்ப்பவாச காலத்திலேயே

தகப்பனார் சிவலோகம் போய்ச் சேர்ந்தார். இரண்டு மாதக் குழந்தையை விட்டுவிட்டுத் தாயாரும் போய்ச்சேர்ந்து விட்டாள்.கிராமத்தில் குழந்தையை ப்பராமரிக்கும் பொறுப்பை யார் ஏற்பார்கள்? நாங்கள்கு ழந்தையை எடுத்துண்டு வந்தோம். ஊர், பெயர், பந்து ஜனங்கள் ரியலை. திருநெல்வேலி பக்கம் ஏதோ அக்ரஹாரம் என்று மட்டும் கேள்வி..."

பெரியவாள் முகத்தில் அசாதாரணமான புன்னகை.

அருகிலிருந்த தொண்டர் கண்ணனிடம்,

"பாரு..ஓர் அநாதைக் குழந்தையை எடுத்துண்டு வந்து, வளர்த்து,பூணல் போடப் போறார்! என்ன மனஸ் இவருக்கு."

கண்ணன் சொன்னார்; "அவரோட சொந்தப்பிள்ளைனுதான்நா ங்களும் நினைத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கோம்.

பெரியவாள் மனசுக்குள்ளே ஆனந்தப்பட்டுக்கொண்டு சொன்னார்கள்;

"கோத்திரம் தெரியாதவர்களுக்கு, காசியப கோத்திரம்; ஸூத்திரம் தெரியாதவர்களுக்கு,போதாயன ஸூத்திரம் என்று கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்கேன். அது மாதிரி சொல்லிப்பூணூல் போடு. ஆனா குழந்தையை அந்நியமா நினைச்ச்டாதே. உன் பையன்தான்."

பிரசாதம் பெற்றுக் கொண்டு மன நிறைவுடன் நகர்ந்தார்கள்.

Harathi to Kanchi Mahaperiyava at His Adhishtanam in Kanchi!

What a Glorious Harathi to Kanchi Mahaperiyava! All our Sins will be washed away just by a mere Sight of the Harathi. 


Thanks to Sandhya Subramanian for sharing this video. This was taken on May 1, 2017 at Kanchi!

Kanchi Mahaperiyava had identified Muthuswami Dikshitar's house in Thiruvarur!

If it wasn’t for these three prolific composers/singers, Carnatic music today would not have been so popular.  Aiming to restore the original identity of Thiruvarur – the birthplace of the Trinity of Carnatic music and 18th century composers  – Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri -  and putting it on the global tourism map, popular Carnatic singer Geetha Rajashekar and S. Swaminathan, president of Shri Kanchi Kamakotipeeta Karnataka Sangeetha Mumoorthigal Seva Samithi. have embarked on an ambitious task of refurbishing the houses where Thyagraja and Syama Sastri had lived and also promote a musical trail - the first and unique one in the country. The Kanchi Paramacharya HH Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (also referred to as Mahaperiyava) who identified the spot, had reconstructed Muthuswami Dikshitar’s house but as this is in a dilapidated condition, the house will be rebuilt.

Perhaps, when the project materialises by next year 2018, it could rival the places that became famous due to Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. “We may require about Rs. 40 to 45 lakh for the entire project and we will convert them into tourist spot. Carnatic music singers and lovers could visit the houses or sing at the samadhi of the outstanding trio,” says Ms Geetha, who is also convener of the festival committee. Realising the potential of Thiruvarur,  the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district about 319 km from here, Ms Geetha Rajashekar, who is vice president of BJP Art & Culture Cell, informed that Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu responded positively to her request to take steps to develop Thiruvarur as a heritage town under Prasad or Hriday schemes. She also urged him to initiate measures to release a commemorative postal stamp on the 250th birth anniversary of Sri Thyagaraja.

According to Mr Swaminathan, not many are aware that Thiruvarur had produced the Trinity of Carnatic music. The present efforts would go a long way in popularising their rich contribution. “They had composed several thousands of songs in Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil and had performed at several places. These would also be highlighted,” he said and added that to the Carnatic music world Thiruvarur is as sacred as Ramjanma Bhoomi in Ayodhya for Hindus. All the three houses are under the control of the Kanchi mutt.

 “We have also planned a theme park for the 250th birth anniversary of the Sadguru and it shall have a state-of-art auditorium, a Trinity museum, a big library housing both the books and video collection of the immortal composers besides a Trinity Arch. We also want to start a school of music. We need atleast three to five acres land to raise the infrastructure and build roads. Once this is done, the entire place will develop,” adds Ms Geetha Rajashekar. Besides her, Deccan Moorthy is also involved in refurbishing the houses.Kanchi acharyas

In the picture Kanchi Shankaracharyas, HH Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and HH Sri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal grace the inaugural of Saint Thyagaraja’s 250th Jayanthi celebration in Madras on April 24th, 2017.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

New and rare pictures of Mahaperiyava, Pudhu Periyava and Bala Periyava!

Thanks to Sudhan Kalidas for Kanchi Mahaperiyava's rare picture and to Shri Vasant Raj for the beautiful pictures of HH Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and HH Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal in Badrinath. Pudhu Periyava is seen doing abhishekam to Shivalingam in Grishneshwar Jyothilingam temple in Maharashtra. Thanks to Shri Subramanian Swamy for the beautiful picture with Bala Periyava taken at Kanchi Matam on April 18th, 2017.

Kanchi Sri Matam Events --- April 2017!

April 1st to 3rd	Vasanta Navaratri Poojas 2017
April 4th - Tuesday	Sri Rama Navami 2017
April 5th - Wednesday	Sri Rama Pattabhishekam 2017
April 8th - Saturday	Pradosham Pooja
April 10th- Monday	Pournami Pooja
April 14th - Friday	Tamil (Hevilambi) Varusha Pirappu New Year 2017
April 15th - Saturday	Anusham Pooja 2017(Time is from 10:46 AM on April 14 to 1:40 PM on April 15)
April 24th - Monday	Pradosham Pooja
April 30th - Sunday	Sri Adi Sankara Jayanthi 2017
April 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th - Friday	Sukravara Pooja

Thanks to Kamakoti.org.

Vasantha Navarathri 2017 Drawings and Alankarams!

Vasantha Navarathri started on March 27th, 2017 and here are a few exquisite drawings and alankarams. The first beautiful drawing of Ambal and Kanchi Mahaswamigal is by Uma Somayajilu. The lovely second and the last alankarams have been done by Meena Kumar. The third alankaram of Bala from the top is from the home of Nurani Subramanian Srinivasan, so captivating it is. The incredible drawing of Rajashyamala, fourth from the top, is by Sowmya Subramanian!

Madurai Meenakshi Amman by Uma Somayajilu and Akhilandeshwari by Sowmya Subramanian in Their Regal Splendor for Vasantha Navarathri Day 2.

The above three: Spectacular drawings of Mahalakshmi by Uma Somayajilu and Sowmya Subramanian. The last one is an incredible drawing by Sudhan Kalidas of Gayathri Devi and Kanchi Mahaperiyava.

Above two drawings. Beautiful Maha Saraswathi by Uma Somayajilu and Kanchi Kamakshi Amman and Kanchi Mahaperiyava by Sowmya Subramanian.

Few words about Sowmya's drawing --- This should be framed and magnified to 10 feet by 15 feet and placed in those big walls of Louvre museum in Paris. 10 chairs must be placed before this Art and people should sit and enjoy this beauty for atleast 30 minutes. Shankara.

  

The above three: Exquisite drawings of Maha Durga, Sringeri Sharadamba and Kanchi Kamakshi by Uma Somayajilu, Sowmya Subramanian and Sudhan Kalidas, respectively.

The below one is Madura Kaliamman by Sowmya Subramanian:

The below exquisite drawings are Bala by Sowmya Subramanian, Bala and Durga by Uma Somahajilu, Alankarams by Meena Kumar and at the home of Narayanan Rangarajan respectively and Goddess Saraswathi by Sowmya Subramanian.

More spectacular drawings for the occasion of Rama Navami below. The first one is by Sowmya Subramanian and the second one is by Uma Somayajilu.

The below exquisite alankaram of Bala is from the home of Arthi Ganesh.

Pradosham Magic by Shri Narayanan Bala!

அன்னையும் நீயே என்

தந்தையும் நீயே அருள்மிகு

குருவும் நீயே லோகமாதா

காமாக்ஷியும் நீயே.

என்னைக் கடைத்தேற்ற வந்தனை இவ்வுலகில்

கண்ணிருந்தும் குருடனானேன் காணவில்லை உன்னுருவம்

கைகளிருந்தும் தொழுதேனில்லை நின்பாத சரணம்

முந்தை வினையின் விளையாட்டோ அறிகிலேன் ஐயனே

கடைத்தேற வழியொன்று சொல்வாய் என் குருநாதா

அடைக்கலம் புகுந்தேன் ஆட்கொள்வாய் தெய்வமே

நின்பாத சரணம் பற்றி சொல்வேன் தினமும்

ஜய ஜய சங்கரா! ஹர ஹர சங்கரா!


This beautiful poem is also penned by the incredibly talented artist Shri Narayanan Bala! He has drawn Kanchi Mahaperiyava for today March 25th 2017's Shani Pradosham day.

Shankara. How beautiful is that drawing. And how beautiful are his words.

From Pollachi to Portland... --- Anusham Pooja from around the World!

Anusham pooja being done by Children in Portland, US.

Anusham Pooja done by Children in Portland, US.

These are some stunning pictures of Kanchi Mahaperiyava's birthstar Anusham pooja performed on March 18th, 2017, from around the World. I apologize that I am unable to mention the names of the devotees, as there are too many pictures. But I have not forgotten those Special Children from Portland in Oregon, US who themselves did the Pooja and they are mentioned in two pictures above.