Member (Re)Introduction and more...

[Guest guest]

Dear members of the bhakti list:

 

Some of you might already know me.

I recently joined (re-joined) the bhakti list

after I d from the list a few months

ago when I made a transition from being a University

student to start working at Nortel Networks, Ottawa.

 

For those of you who do not know me, I thought I

would just introduce myself. My name is

Govindarajan Varadarajan. I am bascially from

Trichy, but have lived and studied mostly in

Bangalore. Until a few months ago, I was a student

at the Computing and Information Science Dept. of

Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. I have been

a member of this list (though very silent) since

late 1994.

 

I am interested in all aspects of Ubhaya Vedantam,

particularly in the works of our azwaars and acharyaas.

I do not consider myself very good at reading/writing

tamil, but slowly I am trying to commit to memory

some of the works of our Azwaars and Acharyaas from

the Nityaanusandanam such as Thirupalliyaezuchi,

Neeratam, Poochootal, Varanamaayiram, Amalanaadhipiran,

Kanninunchiruthambu, Kaapidal, Saenniyongu....

now that I am working and can find some free time

during the weekends.

 

Before I joined work at Nortel and after I

finished my work at Queen's University, I had the

good fortune of visiting India and during the visit,

I had the good fortune of visiting some of the

diwya desams like Thiruvellarai, Srirangam,

Nachiyaar Koil, Thirupathi, Uttamarkoil,

and GuNaseelam. This was the first time I visited

Tiruvellarai and really had an opportunity

to appreciate every aspect of the temple

that was found in the article that was

written in tamil by our Acharyan

Sriman U.Ve.Sowmyanaarayana chariar swamy and

translated into english by Sriman U.Ve Oppiliappan Koil

Varadachari Sadagopan which can be found at:

(http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/~varadarg/srivaishnava.html).

I once again thank Sriman Sadagopan for his translation.

 

Also, I understand from my parents in Bangalore that

the vigraha prathistai and maha samprokshanam of

Swami Thiruppanazhwar is planned to be held at Thiruvellari

during the ensuing month THAI (February, 5-7, 1999). I

understand that the total expenses for the project is

around one lakh rupees. I shall soon have the

pathrigai that I received from my father scanned and

posted at http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/~varadarg/tppnazwar.html

Those interested in contributing any amount may wish to

send it to me and I shall consolidate them and have it

sent to the authorities in thiruvellarai.

 

My Address is,

 

Apt.1011, 230 Woodridge Crescent,

Nepean, Ontario, Canada - K2B 8G2.

Phone: 613-721-3676.

 

Even an email confirmation of the amount would be fine.

I shall have the money sent in your name and you

could send me the amount at your convenience.

 

Recently during the christmas break (26 Dec 98),

I had the good fortune of visiting the Balaji Temple in

Chicago and have the wonderful fortune of having the

saevai (darsanam) of Thaayar and PerumaaL. It was so beautiful,

that I am really falling short of words to describe my

appreciations for the temple and I really felt as if

I was in Tirupathi.

 

During the visit I also had the very good fortune

of meeting some of the bhaagawathas from the bhakti

list who had come from various places to attend the

adhyayana utsavam, such as Srimans Mohan Sagar and his wife,

Srinivasa Varadhan, Chitra Madhavan and others.

I was also told that Sriman Mani Varadarajan was also

supposed to visit a day or two later but I had to

return back. This was the first time that I had an

opportunity to meet any of the members from our list, though

I have known them only from their wonderful postings

to the list.

 

To be honest, during my four year stay

here in Canada, I haven't had a chance to visit a temple

so majestic in nature and that visit to Chicago has

really seriously made me think that I should come down to

the US from Canada, and live in a place like Chicago

from where such temples are easily accessible.

 

On our way back, we also had an opportunity to visit

the Ramar temple in Chicago (Aurora ??) and had a wonderful

darsanam of the Lord. I was also glad to find out that

the bhattar at the temple, Sriman Krishna Bhattar, is a

relative of Babu Bhattar at the Venugopala Swamy Temple

in Malleswaram, Bangalore which is one of the temples that

I really adore (for those of who have been to the Venugopala

Swamy temple).

 

I consider myself to be in KG school, as far as

Ubhaya Vedantham is concerned, so might not be able

to contribute very much in the way of articles to the

list, but shall continue to educate myself from the

wonderful postings from other more learned bhagawathaas

in the list.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Daasan,

Govindarajan