RE: Fwd: Tirumala main door & game of dice - Hathiramji Baba

February 3, 2004

Respected members:

One of the writer's dear friend is about to visit Tirupati and is very

particular about staying in the mutt of Hathiramji Baba. This writer

understands that only if a donor or a member of the mutt recommends

requests will be encouraged. Further, it appears the mutt is not interested

in money or commercial exploitation of its facilities and even now

maintains strict orthodoxy in keeping with the ancient traditions and is

very particular about is occupants etc. Apparently, not much

advertisement is made and not many people are aware of the mutt

Woud appreciate if any of you good member(s) can give some details. The

writer's friend wants to stay and pray / meditate in such a conducive

atmosphere and hence his insistance on staying in the mutt

Many thanks in advance

Om tat Sat

Tat tvam asi

----- Forwarded by S Ramachandran/Custody/KamalaMills/HBL on 02/03/04 12:12

PM -----

"Sudharshan .A"

<sudharshan.aravamudan

@wipro.com> cc:

RE:

Re: Fwd: Tirumala main door &

09/24/02 04:42 AM game of dice

Please respond to

Oppiliappan

SrI:

Dear SrI Janaki Raman,

In the picture that we see upon entering the Tirumala temple, the Lord is

indeed playing dice with Hathiram Ji Baba. Back in the olden days an

innumerable amount sadhus from North India used to undertake pilgrimage to

the south (the vice versa still holds). Hathiram Ji Baba was one such

pilgrim who had started southwards to visit his beloved Lord in all his

various archAvatAras. No one knows his real name, but he used to call

himself 'hathi' because he was extraordinarily fat. Once he reached

Tirumala, he felt the irresistible charm of the Lord of kaliyuga pulling

him

back. He decided to stay in Tirumala with the Lord forever. The legend has

it that it was this Hathiram Ji Baba who built the temple (as it seen now)

in Tirumala. Such was his aparimita bhakti for the Lord that the Lord was

bound to him, and was said to play chokkatan with him whenever he (Baba)

felt like!! This is the scene depicted in the painting there. Baba's mutt

is

situated right opposite to the Temple, where he is seated in 'jiva

samadhi',

blessing the devotees of venkatanAthan.

Hope this answers your question.

Dasan

Sudharshan

At 08:46 AM 9/23/02 -0000, you wrote:

>While entering the main Tirumala temple, one can see some pictures

>being depicted on those doors. In one of them, one can see the lord

>playing a game of dice with a very fat person.

>

>Can someone on this throw some light on this ? I heard that this was

>a saint called Hathiram Baba who originally hailed from the north but

>settled down at tirumala after seeing the lord there.

>Janaki Raman

Oppiliappan

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February 4, 2004