Autobiography of Adhyatma Ratna Kumbakonam C N Guruswami Sarma -Chapter 24- Lingering Pudukkottah memories

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

ADHYATMA RATNA KUMBAKONAM C N GURUSWAMI SARMA (1900-1968)

CHAPTER 24

LINGERING PUDUKKOTTAH MEMORIES

In short, two days later I was enjoying the trip along with my father in stages to chingleput, the place a bit familiar to me when I had been there with my grandfather as I had already described. The next chapter in my life opens in Chingleput. Before I start on that portion, I need to dwell a little more on my Pudukkottah memories.

Right through my stay at Pudukkottah , iu was often reminded that my father's Guru whose name was given to me (Guruswami) had attained Siddhi at that place and my father and his friends were there when the samadhi was built over him on the eastern bank of the Kulam. I was taken there by one sankara Iyer, my father's theosophist chela who, after a number of years became a relative also. His father-in-law, I was told was  a State Tahsildar at Alangudi and was a great friend of my father. I was impressed in Pudukkottah by the nightly behaviour, flutes, drums etc  for every jamam called "pari" and used to wake up to hear them.(Ref 1)  I had also thee privilege of witnessing the then maharajah stepping down in front of the -can I say- our house to receive the garland and other respects from my people. I was introduced to him by my father and he was kind to say that the old noble race continues in the young ones like me and he is rightly glad about it. Again I was told that my grandfather (paternal) was responsible for instituting friday charities, of oil, saffron and rice to sumangalis and also the Navarathri sadhas. I attended one day and I also received a dole of rice. Learned discussions in sastras were going on and presents were made to Pundits on the day after Vijayadasami. The temple at Tirugokarnam and tutelary Devi of the palace Brahadamba riveted all my attention a good deal and I never missed the opportunity to have a dharshan of that benign Goddess. Highly bejewelled and adorned the deities were taken in procession with soldiers marching and I remember only a few things about such grandiose shows. I was taken to the Palace to see many things but the only two things that fixed my attention were the relic of sand on which Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra had written  (Ref 2) so many years ago and which was worshipped daily. I also remember the Darbar hall where there is still first seat adorned with flowers and is said to have been kept unfilled after my grandfather who was also called Kuppuswami Josyar and whose aganitham is said to be followed in the publication of the annual Pudukkottah Panchangam. It was a well planned city with its straight streets, ponds and palaces and I loved it then and I love it now, though it had lost all the factors for which I loved it. It was uncorrupted by the impact of the western English civilization and people were kind most of them being Madhwas and ashtasahasram smarthas with three or four well known vadama families including ours. The place was not linked by railways or buses then. It was a city of large gardens and had a sylvan touch and life was comparatively cheap. There was of course petty fighting among higher ranks and lower ranks and scarcely one came to see us or the other so called gentry of the place had his upper cloth on when he saw any one of us  face to face. So did the upper rank when Dewan or the Raja was met. There was a small army and cavalry also and on some days fairly dressed cavalry men used to ride along the main streets.It was a gala affair. The place was full of artistes and fine cuts were appreciated and patronised by d a large extent by the state. I also saw the turbanned bust photo of my late cousin, Lawyer in the beautiful court building and stood admiring him who was reported to have crossed swords against even the illustrious vakils of from Madras. That was all what Pudukkottah impressed me in that impressionable age and much of that impression still lingers though so many things have changed including the whole set up of the State in the next few decades.
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Editor's notes:
1.My grandmother used to give a more descriptive and picuresque description of "Pari"s (as she might have seen or heard from her mother who belonged to Pudukkottah). Morning at 5 AM they had vedappari when learned pundits used to go round the palace reciting vedas. Sanguppari was earlier than that, when a palace guard went round blowing conch. similarly, in the night, they had Manippari, paraippari and nayanappari etc. As the 4 jamams are there in the night there were usually 4 paris. ( A jamam is roughly 3 hours)   
2.  The revered saint Sadasiva Brahmendra blessed Raja of Pudukkottah Maharah Vijaya Raghunatha Thondaiman (1730-1768) who became his bhaktha after seeing him in Pudukkottah near Tiruvarankulam. After reated requests from Raja, Swamiji initated him in the Dakshinamurthy mantram. Since the saint had taken a vow of silence, he had to write down on sand and Raja learnt it by repeating it. Raja collected the sand after memorising the mantra in his angavastram. This sand is kept and worshipped in the Dakshinamurthy temple inside the palace till today. 
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