Adquisición y procesamiento de datos

I boarded the plane for India from Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9.05 am on 16 September 2005 on a pilgrimage a day after my 46th _{birthday. I had been directed to make this pilgrimage}

by Sage Agathiyar through the nadi.

I arrive in Chennai at 10 am IST. Jiva, the tour agent in India and Prem, my driver received me at the airport. I confirmed my return ticket at the Jet Airway’s counter before heading for the moneychangers in Saidapet. I changed the currency I had brought.

I called on Amman Satyanathan at Triplicane to collect herbs for my brother-in-law. Amman Satyanathan was a staunch devotee of Saint Ragavendra. He is an author and publisher of many books on the saint. I started my pilgrimage with a prayer at Saint Ragavendra’s Brindavan opposite Amman Satyanathan’s publishing company cum bookshop.

I had lunch at Hotel Saravanabhavan and I left for Thiruvanamalai at 1.20 pm.

Melmaruvathur Athi Parasakthi Temple

I stopped at Melmaruvathur Athi Parasakthi temple. This is the second time I was here. There was hardly any crowd this time around and I had the Goddess all to myself. Trying to find my way out of this temple complex, I chanced upon a building that caught my attention. As I looked to see what was inside, an elderly men invited me in saying it was the meditation hall. The meditation hall had a large portrait of Bangaaroo Adigal. There was no one around. I sat to meditate. I saw an aura around the portrait of the saint and the altar.

After coming round the temple grounds a couple of times trying to find my way out, I finally find the exit. I was not the only one. There were some women too who asked me for directions to exit from the temple grounds. I left the temple at 3.15 pm. I reached the outskirts of Thiruvanamalai at 5 pm. I had the first view of the hill here. I went looking around for Supramania Swami’s kudil but eventually decided to call Swami’s son Ramajayam, over to Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s (Visiri Swami) ashram and have me taken to the kudil.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s Samadhi And Ashram

While Prem tries to contact Ramajayam, I prayed at Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s temple and Samadhi. As I entered the temple complex prayer was going on. A small group of devotees were chanting the Yogi’s name Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Jaya Gururaya and going round the Samadhi. I joined them. I was given prasadham that I eat and fed a dog that stood looking at me.

Supramania Swami’s Hermitage

Supramania Swami’s kudil with Thiruvanamalai in the background

Ramajayam was already waiting as I came out of the ashram grounds. We hugged each other. He took me to Supramania Swami’s hermitage or kudil. We stopped the car a short distance from the kudil and I hopped onto Ramajayam’s motorcycle as the path had narrowed down from here on. I saw the building that I had helped put up for Swami for the first time. It was thirty feet by eleven

feet built on a small plot of land thirty feet by sixty feet. Swami’s wife greeted me at the door. She said I looked different.

As I stepped into the kudil, Supramania Swami came out of the prayer room. On seeing me, he backed away against the wall. He too said I looked different. I handed Swami the offering of flowers and fruits that I had bought and fell at his feet. I suddenly cried. Swami picked me up and ushered my into the prayer room. He handed over a dhoti (kaavi) to adorn and had me sit on the carpet. Ramajayam tells me Swami was waiting since morning for my arrival with excitement.

Later Swami tells me that he heard the sound of Ongkaram and a loud blast as I arrived at the kudil. He told me I was ‘heavy’ as he tried to pick me up.

I could not help notice that he had covered an existing window with a gunnysack. When I enquired, he told me he had closed up the window, which was in the living area directly opposite his bed, because he could not continue to see the hill any longer, as it was too ‘fiery’.

Prayers with Supramania Swami

Later that night at 7.30 pm, Supramania Swami led me on a prayer in his kudil. The Swami started chanting his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's (Visiri Swami) name. The chant went Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Jaya Gururaya.

After about a few minutes into the chant, I heard another voice - that of a male chanting together. I could hear Swami’s voice. I could hear mine too. Therefore, who was this third person chanting with us? There was no one else then in the kudil. Swami's wife and son had gone out. I did not open my eyes. Eventually after about twenty minutes of chanting, Swami ended the chant and the voice was not heard again. I had wanted to ask him about this third voice but completely forgot.49

Supramania Swami in his village home

49 Swami initiated me into the repetition of the Yogi’s mantra, Yogi Ramsuratkumara Yogi Ramsuratkumara Yogi Ramsuratkumara Jaya Gururaya. Swami tells me later it was his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar (Visiri Swami). Swami almost immediately brings down the guru whose name was chanted from his throne to sit together and chant with this aspirant. How marvelous?

His wife and granddaughter were already asleep as we talked into the early hours of the morning. They had stayed back at the kudil while Ramajayam went back to the village that night.

Swami and I spoke throughout the night and early morning. Swami’s wife had retired for the night sleeping in the kitchen of the kudil. Ramajayam had ridden off to his home in the village where his family stayed. I finally retired for the day at 2.40 am while Swami kept on with his chanting.