In Andal's Service.

[Guest guest]

Sri Andal Charitable Trust, Chennai (Regn. No.279/1997)

91 Thulasingam Street, Perambur, Chennai-600 011 (India).

 

Phone: 044-551.18.61 (Srivilliputtur Vidwan R. Kannan Swamy).

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APPEAL

 

Commencing from January 1998, the Andal Trust has been rendering the

following sacramental services in the in the twin temples of

Sri-vaTa-patra-SAyee and ANDAL in the sacred city of Srivilliputtur :-

 

1. Daily chanting of Veda and Divya-prabandham scripture on prescribed

occasions.

2. Offering (token) cash 'sambhAvanam' (ceremonial fee) to the

'adhyApaka-s' for the service of recitation.

3. Providing the materials for the daily 'snapana-tirumanjanam' of

Periyazhvar.

4. Organising food offerings (taLikai/naivEdyam prasAdam) in morning,

mid-day and evening hours, in the shrines of Sri Vatapatra-Sayee, Andal

and Periyazhvar.

5. Distribution of food 'prasadam' (sacrament) to the

'dEsAntari-yAtrika' (outstation pilgrims) who visit Srivilliputtur.

 

The Andal Trust has received support from Sri Vaana-maa-malai Jeeyar

Svami, Sri Azhakia-Singar Svami of the Ahobila Matham, Srimat Srirangam

Andavan Svami, TridanDi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Svami, and

several other prominent personalities.

 

The Andal Trust was set up and registered as an independent agency to

ensure a minimum degree of regular worship three times a day

('nitya-trikAla-tiru-ArAdhanam'). The corpus fund was constituted

through minimum individual donations of Rs.3000/-, and a total sum of

Rs.13 lakhs was raised and invested as capital fund. The interest

realised at 15% was adequate for meeting the expenses of daily worship.

 

However, the cash yield has of late been steeply decreasing since

interest rates have fallen as low as 7%. This has obliged the Trust

to seek further enhancement of the corpus fund, in order that it can

support even the minimum desired level of regular worship in the highly

venerated shrines of Sri Vatapatra-Sayee, Andal and Periyazhvar in

Srivilliputtur, which is the fountainhead of our sacred hymns,

tiru-p-pallANDu and tiru-p-pAvai.

 

The Trust accordingly appeals to all 'Astika-s' to contribute urgently

and generously, as voluntary religious service ('kainkaryam'), and as

a rescue operation to protect the noble traditions of our religion.

 

DONATIONS TO THE ANDAL TRUST (which is registered) are exempted from

Income Tax under Section 80(G) of the IT Act.

 

Donations may kindly be sent to the above address through Demand Drafts

or Cheques made in favour of "Sri Andal Charitable Trust, Chennai".

 

R. Kannan Swamy,

Trustee, Sri Andal Charitable Trust, Chennai.

 

September 2001.

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Friends,

 

The above Appeal is circulated at the desire of Srivilliputtur Vidwan

Sri R. Kannan Swamy, Founder Trustee of the Andal Trust.

 

The Sri-vaishNava world is in debt to Sri Kannan Swamy to have taken on

himself to ensure a minimum level of Agamic workship in the precious

shrines of Andal, vaTa-patra-SAyee and periyAzhvAr in the blessed

'divya-dESam' of Srivilliputtur. The Appeal is self-explanatory and

both the Trust and its cause merit generous donations from every

believer.

 

Sri Kannan Swamy needs to be introduced to Sri-vaishNava-s living

outside of Chennai city where he has been regularly offering discourses

on themes of the 'sampradAyam' over the years. He has braved the

greatest trials to edit, annotate and publish some fine classics :-

 

i) 'yatirAja-vijaya nATakam' (by vAtsya-Siriya-naTAtoor ammAL) with

Sanskrit original and translation in Tamil-Hindi. [The Swamy received

an award from the President of India, for this work.]

 

ii) 'Sri gOdA-pariNaya champoo' (by kESava kavi-rAja) with Sanskrit

original and translation in Tamil. [The Swamy has also issued a separate

edition carrying the English translation by myself.]

 

iii) 'AzhvArkaL vaibhavam' (a Tamil poetic kAvyam by

vaDivu-azhakia-nambi-dAsar), with verse-wise paraphrase.

 

iv) 'rAmAnujar vaibhavam' (a Tamil poetic kAvyam by

vaDivu-azhakia-nambi-dAsar), with verse-wise paraphrase.

 

v) 'Sri bhAgavata purANam' (a Tamil poetic kAvyam by

nellai nagar Sri aruLALa dAsar), with spot glossary of rare words,

-- in five volumes, each volume carrying a very informative and

scholarly mini-dissertation as a Foreward.

 

vi) 'Sri rAmAyaNa-saurabham' (of kAnchi Sri P.B. Annangaracharya) -

edited newly by Sri Kannan Swamy.

 

It is now common knowledge that our ancient temples revered in the Sri

Vaishnava sampradaayam have been systematically and steadily deprived of

their properties and sumptuous historic endowments. Their cash

revenues, such as they are, continue to be frittered away on organising

of fancy events which are unrelated to the primary identity, history and

needs of the temples. The sacred, beautiful and time-honoured rites

receive but token and meagre observance as they are held in contempt by

the temple bureaucracy.

 

The Andal Trust is an evident need of the hour in our religion, and your

donations would constitute a meritorious 'kainkaryam'.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan

T.S. Sundara Rajan.