Life
of Mookupodi Swami
Video of Swamigal
Devotees' Stories
of Mookupodi Swami
Samadhi
Photograph
Gallery
Life of Mookupodi Swami
The famed Mookupodi Swamigal
(Siddhar) who devoted his life
to prayer and seclusion,
passed away at Seshadri
Ashram, Tiruvannamalai, on
Sunday morning at 5.30 a.m.,
December 9, 2018. His death
came nearly ten days after he
had fallen whilst moving
around Arunachalala. After his
fall, he appeared unwell and
declined to take food or
engage in activity. He
remained (until his end) only
at Seshadri Ashram on Chengham
Road, Tiruvannamalai.
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Mookupodi Swamigal spent his
life on the streets, roads,
shops, ashrams, temples,
mandapams - at the foot of
Arunachala. He frequently wore
a green shawl and would
regularly inhale tobacco
powder - hence his nomenclature
"Mookupodi". He rarely spoke
and it was believed that if he
did speak or look at a
person's face, that he was
giving his blessings.
Devotees who came for darshan
waited long hours to hear a
few words from him. Devotees
from all over Tamil Nadu
visited him to get his
blessings. He sometimes made
predictions on natural
calamities baffling many. But,
after the fortelling came
true, those around him came to
understand the predictions.
By the time of
his death, as well as devotees
from these parts and pilgrims
from further afield, Mookupodi
Swami was regularily visited by
local and State politicians in
order to receive his Blessings.
Mookupodi Siddhar lived at
Tiruvannamalai for over thirty
years. However it was only in
the last ten years of his life
that he started to become well
known both to people living here
and pilgrims from other places.
Mookupodi Swamigal was born as
Mottayan Gaunder in his family's
ancestral home on Shivan Kovil
Street, East Rajapalayam, near
Salem. His caste was that of the
Gaunder farming community.
During his youth, Mottayan
Gaunder would spend most of his
time at the Veerapathiran Temple
where he served as priest and
made garlands for the Temple
deity. At the age of 25, his
family insisted on his marriage
to a girl named Chadachi. The
marriage took place and soon
after, the couple had a son who
they named Periyaswamy.
Shortly after Periyaswamy's
birth, Mottayan Gaunder left his
birth village - which he would not
return to for over 12 years - and
began his spiritual journey as a
travelling Sadhu. After
wandering about for 12 years he
returned to his native place of
East Rajapalayam, to be in
attendance for the passing away
of his wife Chadachi, which
occurred almost immediately on
his return. After she passed
away, Mottayan Swami continued
to remain in his village for
three months. Before departing,
he asked his son Periyaswamy to
accompany him but Mottayan
Gaunder's mother refused.
She was quoted to have said,
"You took that path. At least
let me have my grandson with me
..."
Periyaswamy obeyed his
grandmother and continued to
live in his native place. He
married and became a householder
with two children; one boy and
one girl. Years later,
Periyaswamy travelled to
Tiruvannamalai and by showing
around an old photographs of his
father, successfully located his
father living amongst the Sadhu
community of Tiruvannamalai.
Old photograph of Mottayan
Gaunder
Of his relationship with his
Sadhu father, Periyaswamy
remarked: "To my father, I am
not any different. He is
treating me like the way he does
you...".
Periyaswamy, son of Swamigal
Freely using the birth name of
Mottayan Gaunder on arrival at
Tiruvannamalai, over time and
because of his habit of
frequently snorting tobacco
(Mookupodi) and snuff, Mottayan
Gaunder began to be known as
Mookupodi Siddhar or Mookupodi
Swamigal. Soon his birth name
was forgotten and at this place
he was increasingly known as
Mookupodi Swamigal.
During His time at
Tiruvannamalai He lived at a
number of Temples including
Hanuman Temple, Rajarajeshwari
Temple, Adi Annamalai Temple,
Karumariamman Temple and towards
the end of His life, at the
Navagraha Shrine on Girivalam
Road next to Unnamulai Teertham.
Whilst there, increasingly large
crowds of devotees gathered to
take his darshan and wait for
signs and blessings in answer to
their prayers. Mookupodi Siddhar
behaved in unorthodox and
unusual ways. He would shout at
and chase people and sometimes
even beat some with his lathi
(stick) .... which was believed
to be both a blessing and a
teaching.
Every morning, people gathered
near Ner Annamalai Temple for
darshan of the mostly silent
Swamigal. They would wait,
sometimes for hours, to get his
darshan and blessings. At times,
Swamigal would ask a visitor to
give him money, and he would
wrap it in a towel or strip of
cloth, and then tie the material
(with the money) to his hip.
There were days when several
bundles of money were tied to
his body in this way. Later he
would randomly give that money
to someone else.
Below is a video of Mookupodi
Swamigal on Car Street,
Tiruvannamalai and shows how
Mookupodi comported himself day
by day.
Video of Mookupodi Swamigal
The enigmatic Siddhar Mookupodi
Swami. He had no home but the
streets of the Tiruvannamalai
and the floors of Shrines and
restaurants. Wherever He went
crowds of devotees followed in
the hope that they would receive
His blessing.
Devotees Stories of Mookupodi
Siddhar (Mottayan Swamigal)
December 2007
Went for a Meal and met
a Saint
I was taking meals at the old
Hotel Deepam on Car Street,
opposite the Post Office, when I
first saw Mottayan Swamiji
(Mookupodi Swami). He was
sitting on top of a box style
ice cream freezer with his back
leaning against the wall. The
first things I noticed - he was
motionless and very dirty . . .
but there was something about
him that peaked my curiosity.
Even though it was the first
time I had seen him I was
fascinated enough to talk with
the manager of the Hotel. He
told me that Swamiji had been
living at the Hotel for several
months and all were eager he
should remain. While there, I
took a few photographs from a
distance - he seemed oblivious to
what was happening around him in
the noisy Lodge abutting the
busy main thoroughfare of Car
Street.
Swamiji in 2007 at Hotel
Deepam
It is believed he moved to
Tiruvannamalai over 30 years
ago. Occasionally he disappears
from the Hotel Deepam but after
a short time returns. Although
not currently famous outside
Tiruvannamalai, he is well known
to traders and merchants near
the Big Temple where it seems to
be Swamiji's custom to habituate
a particular shop or restaurant
for months at a time and then
suddenly, for no apparent
reason, leave his spot and take
up residence at some other
place.
Wherever he remains, it is
always with the grateful support
of the owner of whatever
establishment Swamiji has
selected as they believe Swami's
presence blesses and helps their
business, health and life. In
this respect he moved to his
current abode, the restaurant
Hotel Deepam on Car Street (near
Arunachaleswarar Temple) about 4
months back. He sits quietly in
the same corner and rarely
notices or looks at anybody.
When he wishes to eat he will
command whoever he chooses to
'bring me food'. At night he
sleeps on the restaurant floor.
Sometimes he will get up and go
for a wander about the town;
about three times a week Swami
will order an auto rickshaw
driver to take him around the
Hill - but always in an
anti-clockwise direction. I have
heard of several saints and
sages who also have practiced
going anti-clockwise around the
Hill.
While there Mottayan Swamiji was
sought by a number of devotees
who came and sat at a table near
him hoping for a glance,
blessing or some sort of signal
or recognition. The owner of
Hotel Deepam told me that
Swamiji is often offered
expensive clothes and gifts, but
he doesn't often accept items,
instead preferring to remain in
his own well worn rags. He also
will rarely receive offerings of
food - at the times he wishes to
eat he will select who it is
that will feed him, and then
give his orders. The Manager
told me that one time when
Swamiji was alighting from the
car of a devotee with whom he
had journeyed and returned from
a distant Temple Town, the
devotee presented Swami with a
fabulously expensive Shawl.
Swami took the shawl and dropped
it into a puddle at the side of
the road, with his feet he
stirred it around the mud and
dirt and then only condescended
to drape the now filthy Shawl
upon his shoulders.
As to his condition...who can
make a determination of
someone's spiritual state?
However I do know that at a
vital decision making period of
my life, I was drawn to present
myself at the Hotel where I sat
at a table near Swamiji.
Whatever the reason for the
impulse that brought me to
Swami, I left feeling satisfied
that my question had been
answered and fully blessed. On a
number of occasions thereafter I
was able to spend time with
Siddhar Swamigal and although
have to admit to being a nervous
a couple of time that I would be
the object of his "apparent"
rage...I have always met with a
childlike gentleness from this
wonderfully strange being.
Epilogue
Sri Ramana Maharshi once said
that there are at least 7 Rishis
(in disguise) living at
Arunachala at any one time. And
there is a famous story of
Paramahamsa Ramakrishna once
identifying a filthy fellow, who
was sharing a leaf of food with
a pack of dogs as a great Saint
of immense power.
The story goes thus:-
"Once a God intoxicated Sadhu
came to Rani Rasmani's Kali
temple. One day he did not get
any food; and even though
feeling hungry, he did not ask
anybody for it; but seeing the
dog eating the remnants of food
thrown away in a corner after a
feast, he went there and
embracing the dog said,
"Brother, how is it that you eat
alone without giving me a
share?" So saying, he began to
eat along with the dog. Having
finished his meal in this
strange company, the sage
entered the temple of Mother
Kali and prayed with such
devotion that it sent a thrill
through the temple. When after
finishing his prayers, he
started to go away, and Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa asked
his nephew Hriday, to follow the
man, and talk with him.
When Hriday followed him for
some distance, the sage turned
around and said, "Why do you
follow me?" Hriday replied,
"Sir, give me some instruction"
The sage said, "When the water
of this dirty ditch and the Holy
Ganges yonder appear as one in
your sight, and when the sound
of the flageolet (musical
instrument) and the noise of the
crowd will have no distinction
to your ear, then you will reach
the state of true knowledge. A
Siddha roams in various
disguises-as a child, as an
unclean spirit, or even as a mad
man".
My last experience of Mookupodi
Swami reminded me of the above
story of the mad Siddhar roaming
about the streets of Calcutta.
It was a day shortly before
Swamigal's accident which 10
days later led to his Samadhi at
Sri Seshadri Swamigal Ashram.
I was passing the Navagraha
Shrine on the Girivalam Roadway
and on noticing a large crowd
gathered about a solitary, dirty
figure resting against a pillar
of the Shrine, decided to stop
in order to have darshan.
I stood at the edge of a number
of other devotees, and Mookupodi
Swami rose and started wandering
about the outer circle of the
Shrine. He walked about and then
turned and stopped within a foot
of me, face-to-face and
eyeball-to-eyeball. He stood in
front of me for over five
minutes. It was as if he was
pouring his grace into me. I
stopped thinking and let him do
whatever it was he was doing. We
stood there in isolation and
silence, oblivious to what else
was happening around us.
That was the last time I saw
Mookupodi Swami.
Swamigal balcony of Srinivasan
School on girivalam roadway
Some locals feel that Mottayan
Swamiji was some kind of
Avadhuta much in the same way as
Shirdi Sai or Seshadri Swami.
Others mock and ridicule what
they think is a ridiculous
anachronism...someone belonging
to the history pages of India.
All I can say is that I feel
blessed and thankful to have
been able to spend time in his
presence.
May 2009
Unforgettable Meeting
with Appa
"..... We met Appa in May
2009 - an unforgettable month of
my life. My husband had lost his
job in the U.S. due to
recession. We were searching for
jobs for 2 months now. In the
meanwhile I was having very
sudden and severe health
problems related to my brain and
fertility. All these put
together we were having the
toughest time of our life, not
to mention that we were married
for less than a year.
My husband is a devotee of Lord
Arunachaleswarar and so, as is
our habit, we went to
Tiruvannamalai for Swami's
darshan. On the blessed day when
we met Appa, we were leaving
Tiruvannamalai to go back to our
home in Madurai. After having
breakfast, I hired an auto. Of
all the autos that were present
there, God had to send me only
that particular auto. In that
auto, there were two photos. One
was the photo of Uchimalai
Swamigal who was no longer
present in Tiruvannamalai. There
was this other photo we did not
recognise. We asked the auto
driver about it and it was he
who told us about Appa. We
wanted to meet him very badly
and asked him to take us to
Appa.
The first time we met Appa he
was in a Mariamman Temple in the
Giri route. He was having a
thiruvodu in his hands. When he
saw us, he walked to the nearby
plants and started to pluck
leaves from them. He then kept
those leaf bunches next to his
head. After being there for
sometime, he decided to go for
girivalam and signalled to a
person standing near by. He then
started for girivalam in the
anti-clockwise direction.
We took off behind him. He went
into Hotel Akasha and asked for
the senior owner. When he learnt
that the owner was out of town,
he broke his thiruvodu by
sending it crashing on the
floor. The owner immediately
asked the guard to clear it and
he explained to us, the
spectators that Appa had
actually done drishti kalippu by
breaking the thiruvodu.
Our girivalam continued and at
one point a leaf bunch flew from
Appa's head and fell on the
road - of the 4-5 bunches only one
fell to the ground. We took the
bunch as Prasad. I am very happy
that I took it. We kept the leaf
in a plastic cover and were very
surprised to see that the leaf
was fresh and green as if in a
plant for a month.
I don't think it is a
coincidence that the leaf was
fresh till all our problems were
solved. My husband got a job in
Singapore, and all my health
problems were resolved. Appa
stayed with us in form of the
leaf till our problems were
solved.
Swamigal at tiffin stand
If you go to Tiruvannamalai try
to have the divine experience
with Appa. He will not talk
through his mouth. But if you
ask him something (you should
talk using your heart and not
mouth) then he will shake his
head as an answer. If the answer
is a yes then he will nod and if
it is a no then he will indicate
accordingly. If you have been
blessed to meet Appa then I am
sure, that Appa could not bear
seeing you in pain and so he
will chose to see you and free
you of all the pain. I am also
sure that from that moment on,
your life will only improve."
August 2009
Still in Shock from
meeting Appa Swamiji
"I am still in shock, I met Appa
Swami yesterday and again today.
. . . I am a NRI (Non
Resident Indian) from the USA,
and was eager to meet him but no
one knew where he was. I was
walking along on a hot day with
no hope of meeting Appa when on
a whim I asked an auto driver
... and he said he saw him in
the morning in a temple nearby.
He had ridden twice in his auto
around the Arunachala
mountain - of course
anti-clockwise.
I jumped in and asked him to
take me to the temple. Appa
wasn't there but one good
Samaritan said he was in the
school some distance away, but
that I could not go in. My
arrogance took over and I said,
"Well, watch me".
I walked into the school,
introduced myself to the
headmaster who graciously
invited me to his office where
Appa was sitting on the ground
as though he was waiting for me.
He had a slight smile on his
face. I folded my hands and
prayed to him about my problems.
He started saying something that
I didn't understand.
I asked the headmaster and the
headmistress who had joined us
by then, what he was saying and
they said that they had no idea
who he was. Just that he had
walked in that morning and a
policeman who was with him asked
the headmaster to treat him
well. If Appa had chosen to come
to the school, then good things
must happen in the school.
Moments before I arrived, Appa
had ordered for himself lunch
from some far off Temple. The
headmaster had sent someone to
get it. The headmaster kept
saying "Who is he?" I told him
to read about him on the
internet . . . "Appa you are
famous. You are on the internet
and the whole world knows about
you." ... Then he returned to
staring at the floor ahead of
him with his awareness inside of
him.
Appa started gesticulating more
and saying a few more things. I
was trying to understand what
Appa was telling me. It was
obvious he was talking to me
because he was repeating the
same thing over and over again.
. . . The Headmaster and
Headmistress left the room. I
sat for while with Appa feeling
blessed he will take care of my
problems... I didn't want to
leave him but then he suddenly
got up and went to the room next
door. I was scared because he
had two pieces of stick with him
that he used when people annoyed
him. I thought maybe I had
annoyed him... but no, he was
indicating to me that the
meeting was over and I could
go... I didn't get the message
so I followed him to the
neighbouring room.
Appa took a u-turn and walked
back to the Headmaster's office
and waved his hand signalling to
me to leave. I bowed my head and
asked for his blessings. He
nodded and again signalled me to
leave. I went outside and got
back into the auto. I asked the
auto driver what came of the two
times Appa rode in his auto. The
auto driver said he owned his
own auto then but was also in a
lot of debt. Since the rides, he
has sold his auto and is
completely out of debt. He is
now carefree renting his latest
auto deciding what to do next.
The next morning I went on
girivalam . . . it being full
moon day. I walked by the school
wondering if the Headmaster had
left his office open for Appa to
sleep. The Headmaster's office
was closed but I saw Appa pacing
the floor outside. He had bathed
and worn a fresh zari dhoti and
looked luminous. I called out
his name and he looked. I folded
my hands above my head in
namaskar so Appa could see it
over and above the gate. Then a
smile came on his face and he
looked away and stood at a spot
where I could see him clearly.
I feel in such peace. I know I
am taken care of. Thank you
Appa.
August 2009
Trip to Chennai with
Appa Swamiji
". . . I had an inner
feeling that I must visit
Mookupodi Swamigal. I took him
some snacks and surprisingly got
the same auto driver who took me
two days previously. Swami was
pacing the floor in the
headmaster's office when I
arrived, and left in a huff with
his two sticks. I was a little
scared. was he angry with me for
something?
But no, the headmaster asked me
to sit down and wait for swami
to return. Appa was back in a
few minutes, he snapped the two
short bamboo sticks on the floor
and demanded repeatedly to be
taken to Chennai.
As he was saying that a taxi
owner who had more than a year
ago prayed that if he could get
out of the rental business and
own his own taxi, that he would
love for Appa to ride in it.
Appa got in his taxi a few weeks
ago and demanded to be driven
around Arunachala anti-clockwise
and then to Chennai and some
other nearby towns. Appa was in
his car day and night for one
full week. The only time the
taxi driver got time off was to
eat. Anyway, after that trip two
weeks ago, today was the first
day the same taxi driver came to
see Appa for his blessings - and
lo and behold, Appa wanted to go
to Chennai.
He asked me to come with him. I
heard it once but didn't want to
go. So I pretended not to
understand. All the people in
the headmasters office said Appa
wanted me to go to Chennai with
him. To be sure for myself I
repeatedly asked Appa if that
was the case. At first he
pointed (with the two sticks) to
a seat beside him - there was no
way I was going to get in with
him holding the two sticks. So
he pointed to the seat beside
the driver. Still worried and
wondering why we were going to
Chennai and when we would come
back, I sat in front.
It was the hottest day of the
year. I kept the front powder
mirror down to keep an eye on
Appa the whole trip. The three
hour drive to Chennai was
gruelling but we did stop for
chai that Appa graciously took
from me. I offered him a snack,
and he accepted that with a
smile, Then he looked out the
window and asked for guavas ...
he asked for them to be cut.
When we had them cut, he gave
each of us in the car a piece.
It was his prasadam to us.
That is when I found out that
Appa had not bathed in 32 years.
His body has no odour. I noticed
also that Appa's body was not
sweating even though the rest of
us in the car were profusely
sweating. He remained absorbed
in something within himself the
whole time. Off and on he would
open his eyes but then close
them again.
Once we reached Chennai, the
driver told us Appa would tell
us where he wanted to go. We
asked Appa if he wanted to go
back to Tiruvannamalai and Appa
responded with an enthusiastic
"Yes". We got lunch from a good
restaurant which Appa ate in the
back seat of the taxi. After he
had eaten he threw the stainless
steel tumbler out the window and
the taxi driver had to jump into
heavy traffic to retrieve it.
Then we were all on our way back
to Tiruvannamalai.
I have no idea what to make of
this trip. I got to be in Appa's
company for six full hours. I am
wondering if he was observing me
while in meditation. I hoping he
was dissolving some of the bad
karma I am experiencing. I don't
know what to make of the trip. I
feel blessed though to have been
in Tiruvannamalai and met
Mookupodi Swamigal."
August 2009
Swamiji Frightened Us
Away
"I had a darshan of the Swami on
21st August. He was staying at
the high school on the girivalam
road at the back of the
mountain. I believe he is also
called Mookupodi Samiyar
(mookupodi-snuff).
Well, it goes like this: My
mother wanted to do girivalam in
an auto. So I, my wife and my
mother hired an auto outside
Ramanasaramam and were going
around it when my mother asked
the auto driver about the
whereabouts of the swami. He
said the swami is staying in the
school which is on the girivalam
route and promised to take us
there. We were all excited. When
we reached the school, the guard
said that the swami had just
left and pointed out the
direction. The swami was just 50
yards away. So the auto driver
took us near him. Then the
strangest thing happened. The
swami started shouting at us
even before we got out of the
auto. We were so scared we asked
the auto driver to immediately
vacate the place.
Mookupodi Swamigal at
Navagraha Shrine, Girivalam
Roadway
I cannot make any sense of this
incident. Were we not
spiritually mature enough to
have darshan of swami? Or did he
in fact benefit us spiritually
in his own mysterious way, just
like Seshadri Swamigal? Maybe,
he is not the one to take some
karma load off us. I really
don't know."
January 2013
My Family's Experience
with Mookupodi Swamigal
". . . I want to give my
experience with Mooku Podi
Swami. I live in the US and
visited India on Vacation for
three weeks. I got initiated
into several Meditation
techniques by Vethathiri
Maharishi and then started to
follow Sri Nithyananda Swami.
There is a huge temple in the
city where I live in the US ...
I along with my wife, 10 year
old son and my Father-in-law
came to Tiruvannamalai on the
evening of 5th January to be
part of Nithyananda Swami's
Birthday celebrations. I drove
our car from Trichy and stayed
in a hotel just outside
Arunachala temple. Because of
heavy traffic, I decided to take
an auto rather than drive the
car. That is when everything
started.
The auto driver who took us to
Nithyananda Swami's ashram on
our route started to talk about
Mookupodi Swami and suggested we
attempt to see him once before
we leave. Initially that thought
did not get into me strongly. He
mentioned that Mookupodi Swami
was staying at that time in
hotel called Arpana which is
where we planned to go for
Dinner on the 5th. We asked
Arpana Hotel's watchman about
Mookupodi Swami's whereabouts.
The watchman replied that
Mookupodi Swami was no longer
staying in that hotel and had
moved to a place near the
Srinivasan school on the
Girivalam path.
I requested the auto driver to
pick up again the next day to
visit Nithyananda Swami's
ashram. The next day on our way
to the Ashram he stopped the
auto at a place before the
Ashram and pointed out a old man
and then said he is Mookupodi
Swami. We just got out of the
auto and stood on the other side
of the road to pay our respects.
I did not get any sort of
opinion on Mookupodi Swami and
prayed for his blessings. He had
a look at our family and we felt
really good about it. We had to
leave to go to the Ashram as we
had a Pada Puja scheduled with
Nithyananda Swami.
After our time at the Ashram we
came back to see Mookupodi Swami
but could not find him. Then we
went to Ramana Asramam and
Visiri Samiyar Ashram and spend
the whole day thereabouts. The
next day (7th January) we were
planning to return back to
Trichy but I started to have a
very strong urge to once again
meet Mookupodi Swami before
leaving. So we checked out of
our hotel and headed out on the
Girivalam path by 7.30 am. To
our surprise, Mookupodi Swami
was sitting on the same spot. We
parked the car on the road, left
our sandals in the car and got
out of the car and sat on a
bench which was around 30 foot
away from him. It would have
been around 20 minutes we just
sat and got his darshan. He
started to walk around and then
came and stood near our car. I
turned to him in the sitting
position and we were looking at
him for blessings. I was praying
to get initiation into Atma
Vidya (Ramana Maharishi's "Who
Am I" self introspection). Other
than that, I did not have any
other feelings.
After seeing Mookupodi Swami
standing near our car, the
people around that place started
to shout at us to open the car
door as Mookupodi Swami wanted
to sit inside. I immediately
rushed and opened the door and
requested him to sit in our car.
He hesitated and did not sit.
There was a small boy who urged
us to remove the sandals out of
the car. I removed them and then
Mookupodi Swami came and sat in
the passenger side. I took my
son and then sat in the car. He
did not talk anything to me and
used sign languages and gave me
directions. I finally ended up
in a hotel called Udupi.
He went inside and showed sign
language to me to make the chair
available for him to sit. I did
so and then I wanted to sit with
my son, on the floor near
Swami's foot. He urged us
instead to sit on chairs at a
nearby table. After tiffin we
left. I wanted to drive around
the Hill and return to the same
spot where we started. He wanted
to stop and then he got down.
The same small boy asked me to
do namaskarams and touch his
feet. I did and when I tried to
touch his foot, he nodded his
head and signalled me not to
touch. I obeyed his instructions
and said good-bye. He gracefully
nodded and gave me his send off.
Then there were people around
who came got his blessings.
My wife after getting his
blessings wanted to donate some
money for Anna Dhaan at the
Ragavendra Ashram. It was just
across the road. After visiting
Ragavendra Ashram, I had the
feeling again to take a photo of
him so that I can have it in my
Puja area for worship. We
returned back to see him and he
was not there. When I asked the
people around that place they
asked us to check at the
Srinivasan school.
We went there and found him
sitting at the hallway. I walked
up to him and asked him if I can
take a photo. He nodded his head
stood up and walked out of the
school straight to our car. So
we had him seated again and this
time all of our family sat
inside. He signalled me to go
anticlockwise. I started to
drive. We went two full rounds
this time and Swami by then
started to take a nap. When the
car came near the school, he
signalled to stop and got down.
I once again asked if I could
take a snap and he nodded no
again. That was the end. He
walked straight inside the
school and I did my namaskarams
again and headed out.
July, 2014
Tracking down Mookupodi
Samiyar
One town, many quests. Ramesh
Babu, who runs a tea shop near
Ramana Ashram, tells me about
Mookupodi Samiyar, known for his
affinity for mookupodi, which
devotees readily offer him. The
Samiyar is also known to have a
weakness for deep-fried mixture,
which would perhaps have earned
him the nickname farsan baba in
north India!
Every day, at the crack of dawn
the Samiyar arrives at the
Thiruner Annamalai Koyil to
meditate. He keeps to himself,
never talks, doesn't accept
money and, occasionally, waves
his wooden stick in blessing or
his trisulam to ward off pesky
devotees. But the devotees
aren't leaving anytime soon.
Babu says, "Years ago, a trader
from Coimbatore fell on hard
times and paid a visit to the
Samiyar. Soon, his business
turned around and in gratitude
he gifted him a sedan worth Rs.8
lakh. He also employed a
full-time chauffeur for him."
The Samiyar now uses the car to
make a fortnightly trip to
Rameswaram or Kanyakumari. The
rest of the time, the sedan
idles nearby.
Not finding the holy man at his
usual spot, I enlisted the help
of an enterprising auto driver.
We tracked him down to a
municipality school in the area.
The Samiyar sleeps in one of the
vacant classrooms at the end of
each day and that's where I find
him. Waiting ahead, at the
fast-asleep Samiyar's feet, is
Rajam, a middle-aged woman from
Puducherry. After an hour, we
decided to leave without meeting
him. This is Rajam's seventh
attempt to meet the man. She
tells me, "The first time I
came, I was drowning in debt. My
best friend, who was also my
business associate, had cheated
me of lakhs of rupees. One of my
cheques had bounced, leading to
legal action against me. The
Samiyar shooed me away then. I
went back dejected. But soon,
things started looking up. The
case was dropped and my finances
were back on track. I now come
every six months."
Samadhi
The famed Mookupodi Swamigal
(Siddhar) who devoted his life
to prayer and seclusion, passed
away at Seshadri Ashram,
Tiruvannamalai, on Sunday
morning at 5.30 a.m., December
9, 2018. His death came nearly
ten days after he had fallen
whilst moving around
Arunachalala. After his fall, he
appeared unwell and declined to
take food or engage in activity.
He remained (until his end) only
at Seshadri Ashram on Chengham
Road, Tiruvannamalai.
His body was kept at Seshadri
Swami Ashram that day during
which devotees of Mookupodi
Swamigal discussed preparing a
Samadhi Shrine. Several devotees
offered property in Ramana Nagar
for this purpose. But a
majority felt it more
appropriate that Swamigal be
situated off the Girivalam
Roadway more in the countryside.
A devotee with open land
opposite Vayu Lingam offered his
property for Swamigal's samadhi
and a large number of devotees
agreed. Immediately arrangements
were made to prepare a Shrine at
that place. His body was
entombed in Samadhi in a
dedicated place opposite the
Vayu Lingm on the Girivalam
Roadway, late that night.
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