VISIT TO TIRUVALLUR
Dear Sweet Children,
In the last episode I told you how Lakshmanacharyulu advised Seethapathi to visit Tiruvallur in Tamilnadu with his son and daughter and fulfill a vow that was pending over a long time. I guess the vow was taken long back by Rangamma, Amma’s mother herself, but not redeemed due to her ill-health followed by untimely death. More than an year elapsed unobserved. For the peace of the soul of Rangamma, the vow had to be cleared sooner or later. Evidently Seethapathi forgot all about it, steeped in misery due to his wife’s tragic demise. Now that Lakshmanacharyulu sounded a timely reminder, Seethapathi traveled to Madras along with his son and daughter. He was also accompanied by his sister Annapurnamma, Chidambararao’s wife and Bharati, their daughter. At Madras Central R.S. They were affectionately received by relatives. They later traveled to Thiruvalloor and lodged in a choultry. They visited the temple of Veera Raghava Swamy the next morning, took bath in the temple tank and made their offerings, etc., according to established tradition.
In the meantime, unnoticed by her father, Amma swam across the tank upto the Mandapam located centrally in the tank and quietly sat there studying the panorama around. People who saw her swimming alone and reaching the Mandapam, anxiously gasped, and raised a hue and cry fearing for her safety. Mother was only six. There was a big gathering of devotees on the bank. Among them a sadhu clad in ochre robes curiously enquired Seethapathi who that girl was. Seethapathi answered that she was his daughter. The sadhu again enquired if the girl was Seethapathi’s ‘own’ daughter and Seethapathi clarified that the girl was his ‘own’ daughter. On hearing this reply, the sadhu was overjoyed and exclaimed; “O; you are blessed! You are the blessed father of a goddess!”. So saying the sadhu melted into the crowd not to be seen anymore.
In this context I may take you back to a similar incident that took place long long ago in respect of Rangamma also when she was traveling with Amma just 20 months old. They were proceeding to Mannava in a bullock cart. On the way a sadhu looked at Amma, accosted Rangamma and exclaimed, “Your child is God! You are blessed! You have no re-birth!”. So saying he walked away. You were told about this in an earlier episode. You will therefore be happy to read together the two incidents, how Rangamma and Seethapathi had similar experiences, each time a sadhu exclaiming that they were indeed blessed and that their daughter was verily a goddess.
Now let us come back to the choultry in Tiruvallur in Tamilnadu. Amma in the meantime gave a slip to her father and ambled about in the temple premises. Seethapathi duly searched for her but could not trace her though she was very much in the same premises. In the same choultry in another room there was an interesting occupant, a Pahilwan. (a Wrestler is usually called so). He was very excited to observe Amma and her features and drew her near. Amma also engaged him in an interesting conversation in spite of disparity in age. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna. He felt that Amma was Lord Krishna Himself. He quickly kept a flute in her hand and decorated her with a crown of peacock plumes. He pulled out his camera too and took a few snaps. He started shedding tears in ecstasy that he saw Lord Krishna right in front of him (like Punnayya in Mannava some time ago). Next, Amma appeared to him clad in a gorgeous saree as Goddess Lakshmi with a big plate of rice in her hand, serving food to a multitude of devotees. The Pahilwan again exclaimed that he saw his Goddess in Amma. Thus it was the great fortune of the Pahilwan to experience the visions of his chosen deities, Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi in Amma. In the meantime Amma slyly slipped out of his room while the Pahilwan bathed in bliss. Amma met her father and other relatives much to their relief. They later left Tiruvallur and reached Siripuram by night. Here Amma unexpectedly developed a high fever. An Andhra gentleman readily administered some medicine for temporary relief. Seethapathi was very much alarmed by this unexpected development. The party hurried to Madras and then back to Bapatla where an anxious Chidambara Rao received them at the railway station.
So, dear children, we have made a pilgrimage with Amma from Bapatla to Tamilnadu and safely returned after enjoying Amma’s pleasant exploits there. You shall hear more of them as we proceed tale by tale.
– (To be continued)