[Chaturamnaya] Kalady’s Rediscoverer & Rediscovery - 6

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 https://www.sringeri.net/2010/06/26/articles/kaladys-rediscoverer-rediscovery-part-3.htm
 
Securing the lands related to the Great Master
 
By this time eleven years had elapsed since the idea of the consecration of Kalady first germinated in the mind of the
Mahaswamiji. Sri K. Seshadri Iyer, who had first found the birthplace and whose influence was immense was now no more,
as also Pandit Srinivasa Shastri. The Mahaswamiji knew that nothing great could be achieved without difficulties.
He simply bided His time seeking an opportune moment to act.
 
In 1905-06, Sri V.P. Madhava Rao became Diwan of Travancore. This statesman had the greatest reverence for the Mahaswamiji
ever since he had His Darshan when being a Deputy Commissioner at Shimoga in 1885. The Mahaswamiji thought that this was a
good opportunity for arranging to get possession of the lands at Kalady related to Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Accordingly He
sent the Sarvadhikari (Agent) of the Peetham Sri N. Srikanta Shastri and Diwan Bahadur A Ramachandra Iyer, a retired Judge
of the Chief Court of Mysore, to Travancore on this mission in 1905. They made known the long cherished intentions of
the Guru regarding the consecration proposal of temples at Kalady both to the Maharaja of Travancore, Padmanabha Dasa
Sri Moolam Tirunal Bala Rama Varma, and Diwan V.P. Madhava Rao.
 
They then went to Kalady and inspected the place. The river Poorna was flowing by, in a limpid stream; the bathing-ghat
here was held sacred by the neighbouring villages and people used to come and bathe here on sacred days like the new Moon,
the tradition here being that the Sri Adi Shankaracharya had bathed at this very ghat. Nearby was a shrine of Lord Krishna,
as also a Math of a Sannyasin (the Thekke Madhom). All the land, known as Kalady Sanketam (place of sanctity), belonged to
this Math; but the Sannyasi of the Math was entitled to nothing more than a fixed light-rent paid by the cultivating
tenants who possessed permanent occupancy rights. It was not easy to bring them to part with their rights.
 
To be continued …
 
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