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Re: ATTRACTION TOWARDS SRIRANGAM - An article in "Hindu"

From the Bhakti List Archives

M K Sudarshan • February 26, 1997 


At 12:24 PM 2/23/97 -0500, Lakshmi N.Srinivasan wrote:

>Rangarajan's family has been playing for the Lord for 43 generations. Every
>morning Ranganathanswamy is woken up by a male member of the family playing
>the veena. During Uthsavams, several of them walk in front of the deities
>with their veenas strapped across their bodies almost like guitars, playing
>and singing. Rangarajan himself retired as the principal of a college in
>Trichy. His four sons were educated there and all of them live and work in
>close by places.

Thanks for taking so much trouble putting the 'Hindu' article on the list.

Reading the above I am reminded of the renowned 'nadaswaram-vidwAn', Sheikh
Chinnamoulana.

I met him in Jan'97 when he visited my mother at home in Chennai. He is
nearing 70 years of age today and has had a by-pass surgery. He rarely
performs in public these days but people still remember him for his
enthralling artistry on that musical instrument.

Not many people know that Sheikh ChinnamoulAna, a Muslim, even today is a
resident of SriRangam. He has a house there and lives with his family as he
has been doing for several years now as far back as anyone can remember.

Not many people know that as an ardent devotee of Lord Ranganatha, the
Sheikh must have daily "darshan" at His temple ! Without that audience he
won't lift his "nadaswaram" ! And without practice -- 'nitya-sAdhakam' --
for at least a few hours a day the Sheikh, it is said, won't touch a morsel
of food !

Such is the powerful hold that Ranga has on even a non-Hindu ! It is
needless to conjecture on what He does to so bewitch and so captivate
"SriRangam-vAsi-s" of the present --- as He did the past !!

sudarshan.