Nithya Annadhanam is being served at : Dhanushkodi | Thiruvannamalai | Puravipalayam | Chennai | Pondicherry | Nedumaram Village
Stories from the Puravipalayam terrace
When Kodi Swamigal moved to the terrace at Puravipalayam Palace, he felt right at home. The residents of the Palace and the village began to understand that something divine was happening around them.
3 decades of divine darshan at Puravipalayam
In the gentle rustle of the leaves and the quiet hum of village life, one still hears stories of those whose lives were touched by Kodi Swamigal. These aren’t just stories of miracles, but tales of transformation, where the ordinary became extraordinary.
At first, only the members of the Zamin family and visitors known to them would come to see Kodi Swamigal. During those early days at the Palace, Kodi Swamigal had his favourite spots on the terrace. The place had two balconies with open areas, one on the left side facing the village with a northern view, and one on the right side looking into the Palace complex. He liked to sit on the parapet walls of the balcony, looking at the village below or gazing at the skies above. Sometimes, the family members worried about his safety, but he laughed it off.
Five steps led to the Zamindar’s living area at the other end of the open area. Kodi Swamigal would often go there and stand on the first step, deep in meditation. He called these steps the “Steps of Five Elements” and told people to leave food there. Crows came and ate the food, and Kodi Swamigal said it was where the Gods came and ate.
One evening, while on the terrace, Kodi Swami told young Kalaivani that he had been here before when her great-great-grandparents had ruled. To her amazement, he elaborated that he and a group of Sadhus were all disciples of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. They later became Swami Vivekananda's disciples and came to Puravipalayam, where they stayed in the old palace. His golden words were,
Five steps led to the Zamindar’s living area at the other end of the open area. Kodi Swamigal would often go there and stand on the first step, deep in meditation. He called these steps the “Steps of Five Elements” and told people to leave food there. Crows came and ate the food, and Kodi Swamigal said it was where the Gods came and ate.
One evening, while on the terrace, Kodi Swami told young Kalaivani that he had been here before when her great-great-grandparents had ruled. To her amazement, he elaborated that he and a group of Sadhus were all disciples of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. They later became Swami Vivekananda's disciples and came to Puravipalayam, where they stayed in the old palace. His golden words were,
New Moon Day (Amavasai) worship at Puravipalyam terrace in the presence of Kodi Swamigal
When Kodi Swamigal was there, the New Moon worship, Amavasya Pooja, was a special event for the Zamindar family. In the evening, everyone gathered at the terrace where Kodi Swamigal stayed and prayed together in his divine presence. As part of the ritual, they offered a Padayal, where seventeen different items of food were served on a banana leaf. After the Pooja, the Zamindar fed Kodi Swamigal from the Padayal, and the leftover food was shared with all as prasad (blessed food).
Everyone in the zamin family made sure they attended this ritual without fail. It was a time to connect with the divine and be together as a family in the presence of Kodi Swamigal.
At Thabovanam temple in Chennai, for every Amavasai & Pournami, we conduct 3 AM pooja as per the tradition, perform abhishekam for the urchava murthy of Kodi Swamigal and conduct Oonjal Utsavam.
Everyone in the zamin family made sure they attended this ritual without fail. It was a time to connect with the divine and be together as a family in the presence of Kodi Swamigal.
At Thabovanam temple in Chennai, for every Amavasai & Pournami, we conduct 3 AM pooja as per the tradition, perform abhishekam for the urchava murthy of Kodi Swamigal and conduct Oonjal Utsavam.
Nobody knocks when the door is closed.
When Kodi Swamigal arrived at the Puravipalayam Palace terrace in the early 1970s, he sometimes locked himself in a room on the left side.
Whenever Kodi Swamigal went into that room and lay on the bed, it was understood that he did not wish to be disturbed. If the door was locked, they called out to him a few times, but beyond that, they respected his divine solitude.
Whenever Kodi Swamigal went into that room and lay on the bed, it was understood that he did not wish to be disturbed. If the door was locked, they called out to him a few times, but beyond that, they respected his divine solitude.
Kodi Swamigal darshan at Puravipalayam
Kodi Swamigal’s Darshan at Puravipalayam started as a weekly Sunday event, Pournamis & Amavasyas when villagers and devotees saw the sage and received his blessings. However, as news of his wisdom and compassion spread, the weekly gathering quickly became a daily pilgrimage for many. People from distant places came to Puravipalayam, attracted by the mystical presence of Kodi Swamigal.
From the common folklore whispered across village homes to the illustrious luminaries who have sought solace in his presence, Kodi Swamigal’s devotees represent a spectrum of human experience. Each story resonates with the simplicity and profundity of a spiritual journey.
His presence is not confined to grand temples or lofty ashrams; rather, it permeates the very air of Puravipalayam, where the earthy scent of devotion mingles with the fragrance of jasmine and incense.
From the common folklore whispered across village homes to the illustrious luminaries who have sought solace in his presence, Kodi Swamigal’s devotees represent a spectrum of human experience. Each story resonates with the simplicity and profundity of a spiritual journey.
His presence is not confined to grand temples or lofty ashrams; rather, it permeates the very air of Puravipalayam, where the earthy scent of devotion mingles with the fragrance of jasmine and incense.
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“Because of the punyam (good deeds) of your ancestor, I have come back here to stay and bless kodi kodi (countless) devotees.”
Stories filled with grace and blessings from the divine
The shallow mind questions, the profound heart answers.
The American Dream brewing in Indian Chai(Tea) shop
Shri Shanumuganathan, a young and ambitious chemistry graduate, worked at Mettupalayam. He was the brother of Ambigainathan, a man with dreams as big as the sky. One fateful day, Shri visited Kodi Swamigal and blessed him with the words, ‘You will go to America.’ This prophecy, at first, seemed like a distant dream, but it soon became the guiding light in his life. His disbelief turned into sheer joy when he stumbled upon an application form for an American University at the YMCA Tea Stall in Chennai. This unexpected twist of fate paved the way for his journey to America.
A Fishy Blessing by Kodi Swamigal
Thiru. Ambigainathan and his mother, who fed Kodi Swamigal well-cooked fish, sought his blessings for a good marriage for Ambigainathan’s sister, Jothi. Always enigmatic, Kodi Swamigal rubbed the fish on Jothi’s head, saying she was going to America. This cryptic response initially left both mother and son puzzled, as they were asking about her marriage, not her journey to America.
However, as the puzzle pieces started to fit together, they realized that the ‘fishy blessing’ was the answer they sought. Today, Smt.Jothi is happily married and settled in America, a testament to the power of prophecy and blessings and the enduring mystery surrounding them.
However, as the puzzle pieces started to fit together, they realized that the ‘fishy blessing’ was the answer they sought. Today, Smt.Jothi is happily married and settled in America, a testament to the power of prophecy and blessings and the enduring mystery surrounding them.
Ancient Manuscript from Sri Lanka
Once, a devotee from Sri Lanka came to see Kodi Swamgial at Puravipalayam. He carried a Manuscript ( Nadi astrology—an ancient form of astrology where sages write it on palm leaves).
The devotee gave the palm leaf to Kodi Swamigal and said the information on that palm leaf has the name of the Swamigal. The curiosity inside the person who brought the palm leaf and the people present at that time rose to high levels; Kodi Swamigal, as always in his enigmatic style, quickly took the palm leaf, put it in his pocket, and said it was nothing.
The devotee gave the palm leaf to Kodi Swamigal and said the information on that palm leaf has the name of the Swamigal. The curiosity inside the person who brought the palm leaf and the people present at that time rose to high levels; Kodi Swamigal, as always in his enigmatic style, quickly took the palm leaf, put it in his pocket, and said it was nothing.