ONE aspect very very few know about Anna is that he has paid the education fees of many many children. He has been paying the yearly school fees and college fees for many students including our maid's children. Many stand as Engineers, college professors, lab assistants etc today because of his philanthropy. Not many know this as he has never said it to anyone. What the right hand gives, the left doesn’t know applies exceptionally to Him. Likewise many of the Divyadeshams and Shivaalayams shine today because of His benevolence. He has renovated many many Divyadeshams, restored 2 of the lost Divyadeshams in Kanchi ( did the prathishta of those 2 deities at Yathokthakari sannidhi) and also started providing archaka salary assistance to more than archakars of 75 Divyadeshams through a separate trust, the Divyadesha Mangalashasana Trust. This started way back, almost 40 years back when he lost his heart at the state of Jagadrakshaka temple at Aaduthurai. “You are the Rakshaka – the Protector of this world , yet none to protect you from rain or shine “, thus pined his heart. Then sprung this initiative of supporting the naive and poor archakars. Through His Bhagavatha Dharmam Trust he started Goshalas ( not just having milking cows but supporting cows even after they have stopped yielding milk). “Once a cow comes to Aiyya, it stays here until it’s natural death" , “ These cows are fortunate to have come to Him escaping the evil eyes of the butchers". “ They know Aiyya personally" say the cowherds at Azhagar Kovil ashram of Sri Anna. Even as he was very young he revolted against slaughter of cows supporting Prabhudatta Brahmachari's “Gorakshak” movement. The Veda patashalas run by him, supported by him are many. Many many marriages have been conducted by him in elegance and simplicity saving the extra ordinary costs they would incur. He has personally united several bakthas through marriage alliances, attending Himself their marriages, seemandams, child’s Annaprasanams ( thousands of children have had this bhagyam), upanayanams, shashtiabdapoorthi, sadabhishekam and even their life's end. His Trust Brahma Sabha conducts Samashti upanayanam yearly at Paranoor during Vasanthothsavam – (May, June) for those who cannot afford. He has stood for the villagers of several villages, building temples for the village deities, helping them with funds for agriculture, house constructions and what not? Govindapuram Sri Bodendral’s Adhistanam re-gained its lost glory because of Sri Anna’s yearly Aradhana and Navahams/ sapthahams, thousands being fed during the festival. He considers Sri Bodendral as one of His Gurus and hence his immense Guru bakthi made Him establish a Seva Samithi solely for this purpose—Annadanam. Likewise the Thiruvisanallur mutt and Polagam Vijayagopala yathigal mutt regained their shine due to Him. His innumerable thoughts, fire to spread the awareness of our Nations' great saints, their literature, their biographies, commentaries and to express his own opinions made Him start a monthly spiritual magazine Bhagavatha Dharmam since the last 40 years. Through this he conveys to the public unknown facts about Our Sanathana Dharmam.
Continued in CHAPTER 3 : THE DIVINE ODYSSEY
