This is my first post in the blog in the new year 2012 .it is quite surprising to me (and quite a relief possibly to my followers of the blog who are small in number!!) that despite the time available at my disposal,in the post retirement saga , i had not posted a blog for the last 26 days.
Then it struck me that there is a time for every thing. And only when it strikes the chord in you, you tend to execute a thing,though thoughts and plans may be in the mind for quite some time.
And the time has come now, after visiting my native place(In quick succession , twice in a fortnight-on 7th JANUARY earlier and again on 26th JANUARY(yesterday)to pst this blog.
Kodavasal,(also referred to as Kudavasal)a place which is supposed to me my native as per records(as is true to many whose roots are now shifted far away)
enteases me when ever i go there(Whether it be in short intervals or after a lond time).May be the genes within me, or may be the beauty of the lord Srinivasa there, may be the still green paddy fields which are a treat and comfort to the eyes which got exhausted after years of living in Concrete jungles, or may be a combinaton of all these factors propel me to this palce like a Magnet which attracts the Iron.
The place has a sthala purana which is quite impressive and intersting at the same time.The sthalapurana has all the box office ingredients of a present cinema/Only difference is that one is real and the other is fantasy/
Lord Srinivasa is blessing his devotees with his consorts Boodevi and Sridevi in this temple which is sitauted just behind the Kodavasal bus stand, hardly 3 minutes walk away.Kodavasal itself is well connected from Kumbakonam with buses plying to Thiruvarur/NAGAPATNAM every once in 30 minutes or so,Besides there are buses from Kumbalonam via oppikiappan koil too.
Lord Srinivasa is facing north to bless Guberan(Lord of wealth )at this temple/Cutting details short the purana is as under. Lord srinivasa, in order to perform his marriage was in need of money(it proves that in those days it is the male who has to spend to win the hands of female!)and he has borrowed the same from Lord Guberan.Guberan had a passing doubt as to whether Lord Srinivasa will be able to repay his debts.(One may recall that Lord Srinivasa at Thirumala is still only paying interest in debt and principal repayment is yet to start!!!). Here is where lord Srinivasa at Kodavasal acts smartly and differently.He ensures the copious repayments of money i all its forms on a continuous basis and Lord Gubera finds it even difficul to account or store them.Then he relaises his mistake and prays to Lord to bless him.Sice the direction of Kubera is north, Lord Srinivasa in this temple faces North and bless him.Lord is in Kalyana thirukkolam(Marriage attire)and so also his godesses.Since the lord and his wifes are in Kalyana thirukkolam all those who come to this temple with a prayer for marriage will be blessed accordingly by Lord Srinivasa.Since Lord has given this boon, Goddess Boomadevi on her part has blessed devotees with DhanyaM/Nilam ,thereby meaning that those who pray for well being,shelter and food will be blessed with accordingly.Seeing this Goddess Sridevi has woved to bless her devotees to this sthala with SANTHANA Bhagyam,(Blessings for child birth).
Thus this sthala fulfills all prayers leading to a happy married life with wealth, and good children.
I had been to this place in 2009 during samprokshnam when the whole temple got a face lift with contributions from all devotees (Including us who belong to Rayar family, a family title bestowed on our ancestors by King Krishnadevarayar who was instrumental in fulfilling dreams of a brahmin in whose dream Lord Srinivasa appeared and directed for building a temple herein).the place Kudavasal also had another great trait, in the sence that this represents the mouth of the pot in which the Amirtham (FROM PARKADAL)was kept which spilled to this place.In 2010 I was accompanied by my brothers and sisters.IT WAS an occasion filled with great memories ,love and affection and above all a great sence of oneness with the lord.2010 , EXACTLY AFTER AN YEAR my brother left the earth to join the heavenly abode.In 2011 i had been alone to this temple to pray for the marriage of my daughter which went along with grace and beauty in June 2011 .In the first week of January 2012, self and wife went along with a friend;s family to pay our prayers to the lord and yesterday we had been to the temple along with my daughter and son in law/sambandhis to pray for the next auspicious event to take place in the home smoothly.
Trip was exactly for a day and it was hectic. Due to tight office shedulef my daughter the trip was planned for 26th Jna, a declared public holiday which even MNCs can not deny to Indian citizens.We reached Koyambedu, to board a bus at 10 pm (after some anxious moments of traffic jam which enabled us to reach only at 9.50 pm despite ourleaving home 2 hrs in advance)and reached Kumbakonam at 6am.thanks to our earlier visit in first week of January 2012, during which itself i have blocked the rooms at Andavar ASHRAM and also booked a car, right from landing at KMU till departing by Rockfort express at 7.55pm, everey thing went as meticulously as possible with grace of God.In the morning we had also finished dharshan at Lord oppiliappan koil(Where we initially planned to perform the marriage of my daughter which was later shifted to CHENNAI due to exigencies),Thirunageswaram and Garba rashambigai temple.
By the time we finished our day's itineary and boarded the Rock fort , with hot tiffin purchased and packed minutes before the train departure from Krishna bhaan,(oppposite to station)ready for consumption, our hearts and minds were alreay full with peace, content and happiness.
Of course,I missed my son as it is the third or fourth occasion that me, my wife, and my daughter had been to temple but he could not accompany us, as he was earlier away in Bombay and later , now at hONGKONG.But then i firmly believe, as reiterated in the initial para of this blog, that there will be a time for every thing and we should wait for the same, leaving the rest to HIS MAJESTY.I surrender unto HIM in totality.
May the blessings of Lord Srinivasa be bestowed with out limit on every reader/non reader of this blog and their families.
