TEMPLE VISITS Aug26

Visits to Salem on 24th and 25th August 2026

24/08/2026

Morning : Skandashramam (hill)

Evening : Tharamangalam - lot of architectural brilliance like rotating lotus, Ramar Vaali sculptures and stone chains.

25/08/2026

Morning : Namakkal Narasimhar temple at the base of fort of Tipu Sultan. 

Namakkal Anjanear - very famous.

Thirchengodu Ardhanaareswarar - very crowded. On a rocky mountain. Temple bus takes devotees from bus stand to mountain top.

Evening at Salem Local :

Sukhavaneshwarar,

Kottai Mariamman and 

RajaGanapathy temple. 

A STORY

Vishnushiv, aged about 65, was a resident of a medium sized town in South India. He was in sales function in a private company and had lived in many places throughout the country. During the last decade of his service he had been in Chennai City. He was a bachelor and he lived with his parents. After retirement he came to live in this smaller town with his parents. He was a spiritual person and he had been constantly in search of knowledge of self. It is therefore he chose this place after retirement which contained a well-known temple. Initially he stayed in a small rented house along with his parents and quietly carried on his pursuits. Soon he lost both his parents within a gap of one year. 

With his career savings he was able to buy a house some distance away from the temple. It was a small house in an apartment newly constructed. The house about 500 sq.ft. place that had a large room, a kitchen, a bathroom and toilet. Along one side wall by the side of a window he had put in his bed. His furniture, apart from a single bed, contained a reclining chair and a couple of chairs for any visitors. There was a small refrigerator and some utensils in the kitchen. He cooked his own meals. He particularly liked to cook eggs in the mornings,  with some rice for the afternoon and chapati and a simple subzi for the night. He had early dinner by about 8 pm and mostly retired to bed by 10.30. Somedays if he did not feel like cooking he bought food from a homely restaurant nearby. Between breakfast and cooking lunch he spent his time visiting temple, or reading or writing which he was very fond of. After lunch he rested a bit and went for a walk in the evening. After dinner he listened to carnatic music or bhajans or discourses till going to sleep. This was his routine everyday.

In the apartment, in the same floor, there were two other houses, big ones, sort of 3 BHKs. One on the left was occupied by a family of 6 people and in the one opposite came to reside a young couple with a 2 year old boy. They had bought this house. The woman's  name was Prerana and the man was Srimaan. The little one was named Sandilya. 

Vishnushiv was pleasant to the people in the apartment and greeted people warmly whenever he happened to meet them. Whenever he encountered either Srimaan or Prerana they greeted with a "hello, uncle" and he would respond. Soon hello turned into a few enquiries and the couple became familiar with Vishnushiv. 

Prerana had a homely look about her and her appearance was pleasant. Srimaan was tall and was of amicable personality. 

One day, Prerana met Vishnushiv in the corridor of their floor when she suddenly asked him,

" Uncle, can I call you appa?" I lost both my parents and I feel like calling you appa. Can I?

Vishnushiv said, " Sure, By all means". 

As soon as he said this she suddenly hugged him with tears in her eyes. " Thankyou, appa.". There started a beautiful relationship. After this she made it a practice to hug him at least once a day. Her hugs gave a warmth which Vishnushiv liked. He also responded with genuine affection. Since the house was opposite she would come in and offer food. In fact she offered to give him food all three times in a day. But Vishnushiv said the he would like to keep in touch with his cooking and whenever he did not feel like cooking he would take from her. She also agreed. 

Srimaan's job made him busy and knowing a relationship developing between his family and Vishnushiv, he was able to concentrate on his work without too much worry on the household front. Sometimes the kid used to come into Vishnushivs house to talk and play. At times Vishnushiv helped Prerana with buying vegetables and provisions. He also taught the technique of meditation to Srimaan as he was stressed out at work and needed to cope. When the child became a bit old older, Vishnushiv helped with his schoolwork and told him stories.  For Vishnushiv, getting a daughter like Prerana was a satisfying life experience and he became quite close to her. 

Gradually the two houses became one in terms of their bonding.  By his spiritual pursuits Vishnushiv, who was seeking the knowlege of the self practised unattachment while experiencing this special kind of relationship. He knew attachments would lead to some emotions which are hard to resist. However he let the happenings proceed as events. He taught them that death would bring them pain, but it is unavoidable and they have to learn to cope with it just as they face some of the challenges of life. He taught all three of them the life skills. 

He did write a will to bequeath his humble property to this daughter Prerana after his death to show that life is an experience and memory, it's payoff. 

 

MY GRANDPA

Name : K.P.Thyagaraja Dikshidar

Born : 1st January 1901

Died : 18th August 1981

Educational Qualification : M.A.B.L

Native of : Coimbatore.

Wife : Janaki Ammal

Children : 7 Sons and 2 daughters.

A prominent personality in Coimbatore.  The title 'Dikshadar', meaning one who received God's grace, was awarded to his ancestors, of which he was the last holder. Said to be one of the decendant of Appaya Dikshidar, a sixteenth century saint regarded as an avatar of Lord Shiva himself, well versed in  Hindu scriptures. 

He was Chairman of Vasundhara Bank founded around 1940 with 273 shareholders. This bank later merged with Indian Overseas Bank in 1972. He was appointed as the liquidator of Indian Overseas Bank and successfully recovered the loans in 7-8 years.

Ran a Company Chemicals & Fertilizers Pvt Ltd. a fertilizer trading company with offices in Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Ooty, Conoor. Kothagiri. Satyamangalam, Pollachi. Udumalpet, Erode and Annur. He had earlier bought this Company from Seshasayee brothers. 

Also ran Soap and Ink manufacturing Company in Thadagam Road. Coimbatore.

Unfortunately none of the businesses saw success and resulted in huge losses. 

Owned 267 acres of Agricultural land near Dharapuram and Karatholuvu village in Udumalpet district. Due to land ceiling act brought out by the then Government, these lands were distributed among the progenies and ultimately had to be sold due to mounting losses in failed businesses.

Achievements include managing the Kozumum estate extending upto Palani consisting of 12 villages. 

One of the earliest donors to Vivekananda College in Mylapore, Chennai where three of his sons later studied.

Other offices held by him include 

- correspondent of Suburban High School

- President of Ramnagar Brahmins Association

- Trustee in Ramar koil in Ramnagar, Coimbatore.

A Sanskrit scholar well versed in Hindi scriptures. 

His house in Ponnurangam Street was a mansion with a large reception room, a huge hall, a veranda with open terrace on two sides, one for water storage and toilets and other, a staircase for first floor. A bathroom, a big dining hall, a large kitchen, a pooja room. The mansion also contained an office room in front near the reception area along with two other rooms in the ground floor and three rooms in the first floor and a large open terrace. The front was also sprawling with a garage and backyard housed a big cow shed and open toilet(in those days). The side space contained many huge trees and plants. It is said that many a marriage was conducted in this house, as part of charitable activities carried out by my thatha and paati.

My paati was known for her kind heart and her charities to families and individuals who made it to good stature in later life. She is talked reverently by some of those recipients.

He lost his fifth son, who was in the Indian Air Force, in a road accident that shattered him. He was a diabetic patient who developed gangarin in both the feet and suffered for long due to this. He was nursed at home by his sixth son during this time. Ultimately he succumbed to this and reached God's abode at the age of 81.

HINDUS WAY OF LIFE

Castes were an integral part of Hindu way of life mentioned in Vedas, which covers all aspects of life on this planet. Castes were divided into 4 categories based on professions(varnas). Brahmins are expected to study Vedas, research on it, expound it so as to guide all humanity. They are expected to live a  simple life, often on alms - that is explained by the fact that they should live by example totally focussed on the relationship between God and human being. Shatriyas are warriors duty bound to protect the humanity. Vaishyas are merchants involved in trade and distribution. Shudras constitute all other functions necessary to maintain life. It is made explicitly clear that It is the choice of the profession that should decide the caste and not birth.But generally speaking, it is a natural corollary that a person born into a particular caste shall naturally follow the same profession. There are exceptions, of course. 

Somewhere along the time, if one were to notice, Brahmins have started to enter into trade in large numbers. Working for a Company may be taken to be a profession of trade because products are made with selling as the prime motive, what we call as the commercialized world. In todays society, priests (purohits), who necessarily have to study Vedas can be taken to upkeep the Brahmin profession. But this field has become commercial too and simple living is not its forte. Teaching profession comes near to Brahminical profession but not being glamorous have less and less takers. Nowadays Brahmins join Defense forces, indulge in other professions which are not truly liberating. To some extent this intermingling happens in other castes too. 

In view of this turbulance and churning of professions in todays society, castes may appear to have lost its credibility. The rituals associated with each caste, particularly for Brahmins. are practised as a routine and in my opinion, have diminishing relevance. But then there are duties prescribed by Vedas such as conducting some worships, duties towards ones ancestors, upkeep and maintenance of temples, which even now, cannot be performed without the help of Brahmins and in these certain procedures prescribed need to be followed in the form of rituals. So there may be some rituals which are necessary and some which are not. It is upto the individual to follow these traditions. Rituals are a means to turn into a devout and in turn to attain liberation, but then Vedas do mention other means to reach the same goal. I feel that an individual, in todays world is in a better position to decide his course of life with two conditions viz., Karma and Dharma. What one does must fall within the ambit of these two irrevocable laws on which even God shall not compromise. 

MIRACLES FOR INDIA

Miracles are some things everyone wishes all over the world. They do happen with the right expectations and when time is ripe. 

India has been through a torment for the last 800 years with many marauding and exploitative rulers. After its Independence in 1947 from servility to incompatible rulers , the pangs of infancy did not allow its people to breathe a sigh of relief. 

But for the past few years, roughly from the turn of twenty first century, if one were to observe closely, some miracles seem to happen, something beyond human capabilities. In my opinion, the first to happen was the arrival of a yogi, a renunciate, and a perfect representative of Sanatana Dharma. I am referring to Swami Ramdev. While many may criticize him, I, for one, will not. He was dropped from nowhere into the life of common people in this country. It is from him that age-old culture of Yoga became famous all over the world. His prime motive was to regenerate the richness of Indian culture. His sleight of hand in commercial segment  by which, within a handful number of years, he established a ₹30000 crore corporate empire, a task by any means a miracle. Not only this, this empire was established within the current dispensation with the motive that profits are distributed to the society's welfare. He aided the  rediscovery of the beauty of Ayurveda, again a gem of Indian culture. There were Ayurvedic manufacturing Companies and hubs in this Country even before, but they were secluded and under tight wraps. His life itself could be the epitome of a true Yogi, a near ideal soul in the parlance of Veda, what with his service to the society, preaching people on the right path to take, curing illness etc… 

The second phenomenon is Modi, who began to come to the scene at around the same time. He again is a renunciate, a true Yogi, a representative of Sanatana Dharma,  practically if not literally. Things seem to evolve somehow by which some conditions became favorable and he could come to occupy a position of Authority in the Political sphere. Another principle of Hindu Dharma, the Karma Yogi is the principle here. His only concern became the welfare of his people, his Country. All else seem to fall in place. His pro-activeness in introducing reforms, welfare measures without people asking for or expecting is stupendous. His policies covered everything both external and internal. He brought the attention of the world to the richness of Indian culture that gave rise to some awe among the world powers. Under him suddenly, everyone from bureaucracy to political opponents started to fall in line..  By some magical dispensation, a team of people of shared values, joined his Government (cabinet ministers) as well as advisory Institutions ( PMO, Niti Ayog). His task of cleaning up both Mind (anti-corruption) and body (swachh Bharat) helped to correct a whole lot of wrongs of the past several years. Of course, there are Ravans and Duryodhans of the society to be tamed. And subjects to be protected from evil enemies. But, these are an ongoing process and will take the stipulated duration. 

In Hindu religion, we have read about epics and stories of God or God-sent  men to chastise the world. I am sure that posterity will judge these two personalities and may award the term Avatars or Messiahs. While, as per scriptures, Kali Yug is a wicked period, it gives hope that even in such an environment, God shall protect the virtuous.

REVIVE VALUE SYSTEMS

The world is changing fast. Today's children are initiated into mobile culture very early in life. It is very hard for parents and elders to shield children from mobile phones. So youth today, find mobile phones to be their soul mate. Family bondings are secondary and are dwindling further. Direct communication is becoming rare. So we can say that individuals are becoming more independent, but more dependent on machines. Two things are very important in humans. Cognitive factors and actions. Actions are easily delegated to the machines,  while mind power cannot be imparted. Hence we find an increasing number of psychiatric cases, broken marriages, stress, psychosomatic diseases and unrest. Another disturbing aspect of society we find is that women are becoming increasingly assertive and audacious. This is also somehow becoming an impediment to the smooth conduct of society. The societal values are degrading. While I am not questioning the equality of women, it is true that every component of the eco-system has its role to play. This is the reason the society has been  divided into caste system in Vedas. Similarly sexes do have their differences. Each component must discharge it's duty in accordance with one's innate ability,  both physical and mental. 

The following need to be reinstalled into the society if, like environment, the society has to be preserved for future. 

Joint-family system :  Old-age homes are to be dicouraged or avoided. While we include our Old-age parents in our house, we are keeping a wealth called experience, which can come only with time. Experience has a soul called wisdom. This is the preservative we add to the society to prevent it from spoilage. It is best not to break the generational link that Almighty has provided to living beings.

Practice Tradition : Do not leave any opportunity to follow tradition. Celebrate all festivals. Festivals are the best expression of society's tradition. Follow religious leaders. Accord respect and reverence to religious institutions. Practise relevant rites & rituals as prescribed in authentic scriptures. 

Real Education : Education must be relevant to the society. It is very much necessary to impart the right education to children. For eg. British education will not suit Indian way of life. There are glaring differences between western and Eastern philosophies. It is the Gurukulam concept which can suit Indian way of life and thinking. Only a suitable education can serve the values and aspirations of the people of a particular society. It is here that one can realise the importance of education. Education helps to continue the traditions and instill values to society for its longevity and well-being. 

Quality of Rulers :  It is utmost important who rules the society. Right kind of Rulers must be selected. The elected ruler must be a representative of the people in its right sense. For eg. Home-bred leaders are anytime far superior to western-styled rulers. It is also necessary for people to select quality people to rule them. At the same time, while people expect their rights to be protected, it is also necessary for them to do their expected duties sincerely. 

Having said all the above, I cannot but bring a fact to the notice. It is said in scriptures that Kaliyug, a period of 4,32,000 years, that we are going through at present,  is a period likely to be extremely terrifying in terms of atrocities. And we have only crossed 5000 years of that period. So the values are expected to decay as a natural course and man has to perhaps bear the brunt. The remedy probably lies in individual level where one can shield oneself from the ill-effects with proper conduct and  devout faith. 

SANKARA MUTT

Five Sankara Mutts and Kanchi Mutt were established by Sri Adi Sankaracharya. As we all know the purpose of Sri Adi Sankaracharya's life was to rally the Hindu religion and give a proper direction to the followers of Sanatana Dharma. Hindu religion and it's principles, at that time was challenged by other off-shoot philosophies. Also Sri Adi Sankaracharya was probably able to visualise at the time the later threats of Muslim and Christian invasion. 

The question now, is the purpose and the relevance of Sankara Mutts established by Sri Adi Sankara. First we must understand that these Mutts are supposed to preserve the Hindu religion and not to propagate it, which is a task being well done by these Mutts. One would naturally think that Hindu religion has to be preserved by making the people aware of Hindu values. 

So we must reflect upon what constitutes Hindu values. The following are some of the Hindu values that I can readily think of;

• Realisation of the principles of Karma and Dharma

• Means of conduct of one's life to achieve the life goals (spiritual) 

• Duties & Responsibilities of an individual in achievement of life goals. This will include the division of society along caste lines. Castes were created purely for facilitating professional duties and not for division of society into higher and lower. 

• Clear duties prescribed for each caste and it's interchangeability. 

• Vasudaiva Kutumbakam - the world is one family

• To harmonise all things in nature with individuals and to respect & regard every component of the eco-system.. 

• The rites and practices to follow for a layman ( with even a minimum understanding of the religious principles). It should be noted here that subjects were given a wide choice as long as they conformed to the ultimate goal. This is the reason there are so many Institutions for Hindu religion such as Shaivites & Vaishnava traditions, Madhava traditions, Ramakrishna Mission, Sikhism, Swaminarayan cult, Radhaswomi Satsang, Bahai faith etc. 

Presently Sankara Mutts have branches in various cities of India making it easier for people to approach them. They run Veda paatashalas, mission hospitals, gaushalas, patronise schools, run colleges, train brahmin priests, conduct upanayanams and marriages for the poor, organise annadaanas, assist temple establishments and so on. The tradition of daily pujas and special day functions throughout the year are all observed in letter & spirit. All these are done to reach out to people and as an example to the people on how to be ideal citizens and contribute to society  

May be I can suggest a few more initiatives such as holistic centres in every town and village of India which can provide health dispensaries, teach yoga, have meditation centres, organise satsangs, provide counselling, provide skills in traditional areas such as pottery, handicrafts, sculpting, looming and agriculture, advise people on some wrong practices such as animal sacrifice, drinking, atrocities on women etc. Such efforts will go a long way in raising the awareness among people.