Toilets in Sriperumbuttur.

[Guest guest]

Dear Prabhu,

 

Dandavats!

 

 

 

Forgive me for my delayed reply to your mail. This

was purely because I have been traveling. Presently,

I am in Australia and plan to be in Chennai by the end

of this week.

 

My Name is Manoram Chaitanya dasa, congregation

initiated devotee of the ISKCON Hare krsna temple in

Chennai. By the mercy Of Vaishnavas, I am trying to

seriously practice krsna consciousness. I am have been

in touch with the ISKCON temple in Chennai for the

past 17 yrs. I have small export business based in

Chennai.

 

I hail from an Arya Vysya Telugu Chettiar community in

Chennai. My ancestors have all been initiated by the

Sri Vaishnava acharyas from the Vanamamalia Mutt.

 

My mother’s father was a great follower of Sri Sri

Anangacharyar Swami. My Grandfather regularly attended

the Kalakshepams of Sri Velkudhi Varadacharyar Swami.

Although, my upbringing has been in such a

spiritualistic environment, I had never been serious

about the principles and teachings of the Sri

Vaishnava philosophy.

 

I was really out of all this and luckily had the

wonderful opportunity of meeting with the ISKCON

temple devotees and got cultivated into the system.

The teachings of Srila Prabhupada (Founder of ISKCON)

have always been a source of inspiration to me,

especially, the the various quotes from the teachings

of Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva, Nimbarka and other

Vaishnava acharyas in his books. I have always found

that the procedures adopted in the Sri Vaishnava

Temples and in ISKCON Temples are the same and have

also felt that the discussions between devotees in the

two temples are almost the same.

 

For the past six years I have been attending the

entire Margazhi month lectures given by great

Vaishnava acharyas like Sri Velkudhi Swami and Sri

Venkatkrishnan Swami (residing opp to the Parthasarthy

temple). Apart from these programs as far as possible

I try attending Sri Velukudhi Swami classes and Sri

Krsna Premi Swami classes.

 

Whenever I receive the information about the visits of

Vaishnava seers (Parakala Mutt, Udupi Pejwar Mutt,

Ahobila Mutt, Vanamamalai Mutt and ISKCON Mutt) in the

city I schedule my time to take their darshan and hear

their teachings. I am also a devotee(fan) of Sri

Mukkur Swami (He attained Paramapadam four years

before and he is a Elderly SriVaishanava grhastha

Narasimha devotee having his small Narasimha temple in

Sarojani street in T Nagar). Whenever I have had the

opportunity I would attend his classes and even now I

make it a point to visit his temple in T Nagar

regularly.

 

During my travel I carry cds of Vaishnava lectures

and also distribute them among my friends and I

personally feel that there is absolutely no difference

in the preaching of a Sri Vaishnava devotee and the

Gaudiya devotees. For me it is the same .I have seen

many a time devotees bringing in controversial topics

about Gaudiya and Srivaishanava devotees and find them

of no consequence to me and hence tend to totally

ignore them.

 

I also try to chant Thirupavai along with Gaudiya

prayers everyday .I have a small team of ISKCON

friends whenever we get time we make trips to Sri

Vaishnava divyadesams and festivals regularly. If we

have money we conduct prasadam distribution otherwise

we do namasankirtanam during Vaishnava festivals. I

attended the last festival at Kuram for the

celebrations of Sri Kurathalwar along with my friends.

 

This year,I also raised a small fund and gave it to

ISKCON Kumbakonam devotees who went to the 13 Garuda

Sevai festival at Thirnangoor and conducted

distribution of 600 plates prasadam to the Vaishnavas

there and performed Nama Sankirtanam.

 

Prabhuji,i have tried my best to explain about myself

and if there are any offences please forgive me .

 

 

 

 

Toilets in Sriperumbuttur – I was ONLY aware of this

dire situation last year but due to less funds that

kept my hands tight .

 

Due to my constant travel in Australia I am not able

to coordinate with the devotees at Chennai with the

construction matter. By 2 days I will be settled in a

place where I can make phone calls and emails to fully

coordinate the construction work at Sriperumbuttur. I

am also trying to be back to Chennai by the end of

this week.

 

 

Dasanu dasa,

Manoram.