On October 20, 2009 I received a note from Dr. S. Ananthakrishnan which became lost in my computer files and which I unearthed only recently whilst clearing my files. On going through the note thought it was time to make an effort to respond to the questions raised by Dr. S. Ananthakrishnan.
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| Kottankuchi Swamigal |
The note went thus:
"Have you heard of the mouna Swamigal on the Girivalam route? . . . I have personally met him and it was a casual meeting near the main Annamalaiyar Temple. His appearance is of a young person not less than 30-31, with a naturally formed French beard and he wears the Kaavi dress like the Kanchi Paramacharya style. This Mouna Swamigal himself wrote and told me when he visits the Mottayan Swami, that Mottayan Swami makes him sit in his lap. Still this mouna Swamigal preserves the photo of the Mottayan Swami though the edges of the photo are slightly damaged.
I would request you if you could post the photo of this Swamigal and his current whereabouts. Recently (note: i.e. at the end of 2009) on Zee Tamil T.V., they showed a video on the research on the Parakkum Siddhar. During the show they showed Mottayan Swami and this mouna Swamigal . . . “
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| Current house of Kootankuchi Swamigal |
After stopping at several places and talking with another Swami (who I will write about in due course on my blog Arunachala Mystic) residing in a house near the old Shantimalai Trust Gokulam, I and my friend arrived by auto rickshaw at the house of the silent Swami now residing just off the Girivalam roadway (near the Rajarajeshwari Temple).
The mouna Swamigal is still in silence but responded to my questions occasionally by hand signs and sometimes by writing his answers in a notebook.
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| Kootankuchi Swamigal's compound right of Sai Mandir, Girivalam Road |
Swami goes by the name Kootankuchi Swamigal. As he is a sannyasin, he did not wish to answer many questions regarding home and previous family but he did give several bits of information. His age is around forty years old and even though he is in silence he is available to visitors. He worships the Divine Mother in the form of Varahi. His guru is the now deceased Jangalidas Maharaj who has an ashram about seven kms from Shirdi. Kootankuchi Swamigal stayed at that place for six months many years previously.
Kootankuchi Swamigal has been living at Tiruvannamalai for a number of years and for the last 10 years has been maintaining a verbal silence. He had great love for Visiri Samiyar (Yogi Ramsuratkumar) and spent a lot of time with him in earlier days.
When asking Kootankuchi Swamigal whether the story of him sitting in the lap of Mottayan Swamigal was true. He said that previously (over 7 years ago) Mottayan Swamigal would sometimes come and meet with him and at that time, Mottayan would often lie on the floor resting his head upon Kottankuchi Swamigal and sometimes sitting in his lap. I asked Kottankuchi Swamigal as to his opinion of Mottayan Swami. He bowed his head in great reverence and indicated in writing that Mottayan Swami was a great Siddha.
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| Jolly workers building Swami's house |
I visited the Kootankuchi Swamigal with a friend Mr. Hari Prasad and my regular auto rickshaw driver Gandipan. Whilst there a number of personal questions were asked by us all, which Kottankuchi Swamigal answered (in writing and by gesture) clearly and at length. On a personal level I found that his advice was in line with the advice I have received through my own prayers and meditation upon the Divine Mother.
Kottankuchi Swamigal is currently building his own house a short distance from his rental accommodation and as soon as that is complete (probably not before the beginning of 2014) he will shift from his current abode.
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| Construction of House underway |
I have made many postings of Swami Mottayan (also known as Mookupodi Swami = snuff Swami as he is in the habit of daily taking snuff). As it has been sometime since I last saw him, early this morning I stopped at the new Navagraha Shrine (near Rajarajeshwari Temple) on the girivalam road, where I had heard that he currently stays at.
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| Mootayan Swami (Mookupodi Swamigal) |
A crowd of about thirty people were standing silently and reverently close by the Navagraha Shrine taking silent darshan of Mottayan Swami whist he was drinking his morning tea at an adjacent tea stall. I have heard that nowadays there is often a crowd of pilgrims and visitors surrounding him.
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| Crowd watching Swami take his morning tea |
The times that I was able to get easy access and even sit with him on the verandah of a local school playing with thayam stones seemed to be a very long time ago. To view some of the posts on Mottayan (Mookupodi) Swami on Arunachala Grace, go to this link here.
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| Mottayan Swami (aka Mookupodi Swami) |
