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SRI YATHOKTHAKARI

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Bhashyam Nallappa • October 28, 1996 


I would like to begin by saying thanks to Dr. Sadagopan for his wonderful
commentary on Lord YATHOKTHAKARI and Vehha Sethu Stotram. 
As he correctly  said that Desikar's birthplace (Thuppul) is less than 
a mile from this divya desam. 
His story about the river Veghawati (which was the form Goddess Saraswati)
took is very accurate, but I would like to add that there is an amusing
part to this story that Lord Vishnu used common sense to stop the river.
He simply went and lay in front of the fiery river and Saraswati being a
woman was taken aback by the form of a man lying in her path and she was
overcome with the feeling of shyness, Since she was overcome by the feeling
of shyness she lost her anger. This is depicted by 
the humbled Sraswathi Devi
is seen at  the foot of the resting Lord (Vishnu Sethu )
with folded hands
as Dr. Sadagopan correctly said.

Another important feature that Dr. Sadagopan pointed out is that the Lord is facing
West which is quite unique from other temples which have our Lord in the
recling posture.
I would like to add that though the Lord is reclining, it is not the typical
'sayanam posture', he is holding a lotus in a very elegant way in his right
hand.
On my request to visit the temple I have been asked by Mani as to the way to
get to the temple. I would begin by saying that Kanchipuram is actually
split into two chinna kanchi (little kanchi or also known as 
vishnu kanchi ) and  Periya Kanchi (Big Kanchi or Siva kanchi).

Sankara Madham and Meenakshi amman temple are in Big Kanchipuram.

Sri Yathokthakari temple is in Little Kanchipuram on Sannadhi street.
The main road or artery of Kanchipuram is called Mahatma Gandhi Road
but Mahatma Gandhi road is known by different names at different parts of
the city. Sannadhi street is perpendicular to MG road. The point where
MG road meets Sannandhi street is called Hudsonpet. The temple is less than
ten minutes walk from Hudsonpet part of MG road. 
Other geographical details are that Sri Yathokthakari temple is a mile from
Varadaraja Perumal temple and 3/4 mile from Rangaswami Kollam (lake)
Vilakkoli Perumal temple is near Rangaswami Kollam. 
So basically Sri Yathokthakari temple is halfway between  Vardaraja PErumal
temple and Rangaswami Kollam.
The other close point to the temple is Tirrukachi Nambi street (T.K.Nambi)
street which as I said before is MG road but known as T.K. Nambi street because
of the Tirrukacchi Nambi temple being on this road. 

I apologize for nearly mapping out Kanchipuram and making this mail to be so
long.


bhashyam nallappa