Many people we meet, pass as flashes in our mind. Quick responses and quick disappearances. Objectives achieved, progress made but with disconnected future.
Not always. The first meeting itself becomes an event. First meeting appears not as the first. As though we had connections in the immediate past and in the forgotten past. As though we were acquainted since birth or even before that. As though we were familiar with each other through pages of history.
Not only the familiarity and the related conjunctions. In the absolute concordance of perceptions and values the meeting passes as an event. Many objectives appear to be common. Many work programs jut into each other. Could this be termed as working chemistry?
Also the first meeting becomes the point to begin a long term collaboration and association not for mutual benefit but for common causes.
That was what happened to me and Mr. V. K. Ramachandra. We had never met before. We had nor personal knowledge of each other. Neither knew of other’s background. We did not know each other’s’ credibility rating. However, we plunged into a project for a larger cause.
When I shared my views at his tiny office inside the Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple on audio recording with pann, the 4,274 hymns of Sekizhar’s Periya Puranam for posterity, he smiled. He did not speak a word. That was my first meeting.
That was my short stay of a week in Singapore during January 2009, at the premises of Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple as the guest of a large number of admirers, lovers, chanters of Panniru Thirumurai. They were a loose gathering of Saiva Tamil devotees, apparently not bound to each other by any dictum or structure of an organization. They all had many matters in common. They loved each other. They respected each other. They appreciated each other. By then they had imbibed all aspects of modernity to decorate Tamil Saiva cultural luminescence. I found in them, living examples of exemplified human nature shaped through Tamil Saiva traditions.
Was Mr. V. K. Ramachandra leading them? Was he guiding them? He was the President of the Trust of Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple. Yet no, he was not. He was their first servant, a volunteer par excellence. He spoke few words. He never preferred a platform. Being an engineer by profession, his knowledge of managing the affairs of a Hindu temple, it appeared to me was minimal. But all matters related to the temple management happened to be in near perfection.
He took me to his house to meet his family. His wife belonged to the clan of Sir Waithilingam Duraisamy, a doyen in pre-independent politics of the then Ceylon, who rose to be the Speaker of the House of elected representatives. She happened to be the sister of my friend and co-worker, an unorthodox, independent-minded person, Advocate Rajarajeswaran Thangarajah of Jaffna.
When I was leaving Singapore, a smiling Mr. V. K. Ramachandra told me that Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple Trust will make the initial contribution to the audio recording project. It was a substantial contribution. If all the 18,268 hymns of Panniru Thirumurai are audible to anyone anytime, anywhere in the globe, தேமதுரத் தமிழோசை உலமெலாம் பரவும்வகை செய்த today, freely, the beginning was made at the office of Mr. V. K. Ramachandra.
That was the beginning of a long term association. I was blessed to be at Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple for short sojourns during the following years.
Whenever Mr. V. K. Ramachandra came to Chennai, India, I always made it a point to reach him at the residence of his friend, a senior police officer, at Thiruvanmyoor to take him around Chennai for cultural feasting.
Today, when the most respectful Sivasubramaniam Rajasundaram Aiyah informed me of the peaceful passing away of Mr. V. K. Ramachandra, I could not dam the tears rolling down my cheeks non-stop.
Saiva Tamil world is grateful to this simple, humble, dedicated, friendly, lovable soul, who without fun or fare, seeking no fame, contributed immensely to the continuation of the rich, beautiful and all-encompassing Tamil Saiva culture and tradition.
To all who are deprived of his company and his service, specially to those loved ones at home, whom he cherished to be with always, my condolences.
Not always. The first meeting itself becomes an event. First meeting appears not as the first. As though we had connections in the immediate past and in the forgotten past. As though we were acquainted since birth or even before that. As though we were familiar with each other through pages of history.
Not only the familiarity and the related conjunctions. In the absolute concordance of perceptions and values the meeting passes as an event. Many objectives appear to be common. Many work programs jut into each other. Could this be termed as working chemistry?
Also the first meeting becomes the point to begin a long term collaboration and association not for mutual benefit but for common causes.
That was what happened to me and Mr. V. K. Ramachandra. We had never met before. We had nor personal knowledge of each other. Neither knew of other’s background. We did not know each other’s’ credibility rating. However, we plunged into a project for a larger cause.
When I shared my views at his tiny office inside the Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple on audio recording with pann, the 4,274 hymns of Sekizhar’s Periya Puranam for posterity, he smiled. He did not speak a word. That was my first meeting.
That was my short stay of a week in Singapore during January 2009, at the premises of Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple as the guest of a large number of admirers, lovers, chanters of Panniru Thirumurai. They were a loose gathering of Saiva Tamil devotees, apparently not bound to each other by any dictum or structure of an organization. They all had many matters in common. They loved each other. They respected each other. They appreciated each other. By then they had imbibed all aspects of modernity to decorate Tamil Saiva cultural luminescence. I found in them, living examples of exemplified human nature shaped through Tamil Saiva traditions.
Was Mr. V. K. Ramachandra leading them? Was he guiding them? He was the President of the Trust of Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple. Yet no, he was not. He was their first servant, a volunteer par excellence. He spoke few words. He never preferred a platform. Being an engineer by profession, his knowledge of managing the affairs of a Hindu temple, it appeared to me was minimal. But all matters related to the temple management happened to be in near perfection.
He took me to his house to meet his family. His wife belonged to the clan of Sir Waithilingam Duraisamy, a doyen in pre-independent politics of the then Ceylon, who rose to be the Speaker of the House of elected representatives. She happened to be the sister of my friend and co-worker, an unorthodox, independent-minded person, Advocate Rajarajeswaran Thangarajah of Jaffna.
When I was leaving Singapore, a smiling Mr. V. K. Ramachandra told me that Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple Trust will make the initial contribution to the audio recording project. It was a substantial contribution. If all the 18,268 hymns of Panniru Thirumurai are audible to anyone anytime, anywhere in the globe, தேமதுரத் தமிழோசை உலமெலாம் பரவும்வகை செய்த today, freely, the beginning was made at the office of Mr. V. K. Ramachandra.
That was the beginning of a long term association. I was blessed to be at Arulmiku Rudhra Kaliamman Temple for short sojourns during the following years.
Whenever Mr. V. K. Ramachandra came to Chennai, India, I always made it a point to reach him at the residence of his friend, a senior police officer, at Thiruvanmyoor to take him around Chennai for cultural feasting.
Today, when the most respectful Sivasubramaniam Rajasundaram Aiyah informed me of the peaceful passing away of Mr. V. K. Ramachandra, I could not dam the tears rolling down my cheeks non-stop.
Saiva Tamil world is grateful to this simple, humble, dedicated, friendly, lovable soul, who without fun or fare, seeking no fame, contributed immensely to the continuation of the rich, beautiful and all-encompassing Tamil Saiva culture and tradition.
To all who are deprived of his company and his service, specially to those loved ones at home, whom he cherished to be with always, my condolences.
