SIDDHA HEARTBEAT: ANNADHAANAM AT TIRUVANNAMALAI

Supramania Swami's last wish was to provide free food to 1000 people at Tiruvannamalai on completion of his tapas or Mauna Virudham in 2007. Swami had started the tapas on Thaipusam day and had wished to refrain from talking for 60 days at the end of which he wanted to do the said Annadhaanam. But Swami passed away just a few days after he started his Virudham. He went into samadhi on 7 February 2007. He was laid to rest in Tiruvannamalai on the path of Girivalam. As I was not planning to go to Tiruvannamalai when I was in India recently, I asked if Jnana Jyothiamma could carry out the task of organizing and providing Annadhaanam as per the wish of Supramania Swami. She readily took up the offer. Earlier Deva, Supramania Swami's brother-in-law, had been asking Jnana Jyothiamma over to Tiruvannamalai numerous times. Jnana Jyothiamma was considering whether to go over. When I put my requests to her, she readily agreed to take up this massive task. I was glad that we could fulfill Swami's final wish finally.

On 10 October 2013, Jnana Jyothiamma asked Dr. Ram Supramaniam to come over to Chennai from his hometown in Tirunelvelli. Deva picked the Dr in town and came over to fetch Jnana Jyothi amma. Jnana Jyothiamma had already purchased most of the groceries for the Annadhaanam. They traveled to Tiruvannamalai. After dropping Jnana Jyothiamma and the Dr in town Deva left to purchase other items.

Later Deva drove Jnana Jyothiamma and Dr. Ram to the village home of Supramania Swami in Nachaananthal, eight kilometers away from Tiruvannamalai town. After having met his family members and a short prayer, Jnana Jyothiamma asked to see Supramania Swami's Samadhi in town. At Supramania Swami's Samadhi, Jnana Jyothiamma pays her respect, Swami. She garlands him and offers her prayers too. Jnana Jothiamma asks to see the Kudil or hermitage of Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai too.

The next day, 11 October 2013, the day of my arrival with my family to India, Deva and his family and kin go about preparing the food. Meanwhile, Jnana Jyothiamma starts the Annadhaanam beginning with a prayer at Easanya Lingam. Then Jnana Jyothiamma revisits Swami's samadhi and prays that he should come and partake the food. While she was waiting, for the food to be delivered at the adjacent Ambal's Temple, a Sadhu suddenly appears from nowhere and asked her if she was feeding people. Surprised and shaken up with his question and his attire Jnana Jyothiamma addresses him with attention and care. Jnana Jyothiamma had told me that the first person to partake the food on that day would have to be a Siddha as she felt it was a commendable task and venture. When the food arrives she serves the Sadhu.

Jnana Jyothiamma met me in Trichy later on the same day, Friday 11th October 2013, after performing Annadhanam earlier that day at Tiruvanamalai. She narrates the events that took place that morning.

"After Easanya Linga Temple we went to Supramania Swamy's Samadhi to seek his blessings before the start of the Anadhanam. I told our Father Agathiyan to come first and partake the food. I also called out to Sage Vashista, Sheshadri Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigalar and all the Sidhas, Munis, Devis and Devas to come along with Supramania Swamy and accept our Anadhaanam. This temple where you see the statue of Lord Shiva is Aadi Parashakthi Amma's temple, which is just a few yards away from Supramania Swamy's Samadhi. Since Deva and his family were on their way along with their car and the truck that were bringing the food, I sat inside the temple as it was very shady inside"

"Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Sadhu arrives with raised hands blessing me. He had a book in his hand, he came straight to me and asked me if I can read Tamil. I replied to him that I cannot read Tamil, but pointing towards Ram, I told this Sadhu that he (Dr Ram) can read. As I noticed that he was taking out a book from his bag, I requested Dr. Ram to sit by his side and read out the book. I had uploaded a video on you tube when you can hear Ram read the contents of the book relating to Rudrakshams"

"I asked him how many Rudrakshams he had in his mala which was coiled round his neck like a serpent with 1000 heads. I was taken aback, when he said the the Mala had 1000 Rudrakshams. He further told me that many people had asked him how he is managing the weight of this 1000 Rudraksham Mala round his neck. His reply ... he told me ..... "I do not feel any weight, as I do not walk. You feel the weight only when you carry your body. I have no body .. so where is the weight?"

"The first person to receive Anandhanam from me was this Sadhu. His mannerisms/behaviour/speech and overall movements seems to be out of the ordinary. We started our Anandhanam from this temple."

After proceeding all along the Girivalam route and distributing the food, yet there was surplus food, an amount of food that could feed another 50 people. They had reach Ner Annamalai when a Sadhu calls out to Jnana Jyothiamma over from across the road asking if she wanted to see Ramalinga Adigal. Jnana Jyothiamma rushed to him immediately on hearing the name mentioned. He opened up the temple doors that were closed and she was invited into Ramalinga Adigal's sannadhi.

After this beautiful darshan, they had hardly moved some distance when all the food was taken up. The mission that we set out to perform was completed. I thank Jnana Jyothiamma for making Supramania Swami's wish come true. I thank Dr. Ram Supramaniam who came all the way from his home in Tirunelveli to help out. I thank Deva who called Jnana Jothiamma over to Tiruvannamalai. I thank Jnana Jyothiamma for accepting to go to Tiruvannamalai. I thank Jnana Jyothiamma, Dr. Ram and Deva for taking on this gigantic and massive task. I thank Deva's family and friends who helped out in preparing the food and distributing it. I thank the Siddhas for their blessings and for ensuring that all went well.