Alamathi - My favourite place to relax

 
                My Retirement Party at Adyar Post Office was well attended on 30-6-2009 by friends and relatives in large number and I was feeling extremely happy that I would be free from the very next day from my office routine and could pursue my childhood ambitions thereafter!  My unblemished service of 37 years in the Department of Posts in various capacities came to an end. What to do next?  What will I do with the plenty of time available with me? Can I join Bhajan Ravi Bhagavathar, a good old friend of mine and a great exponent of Sampradaya Bhajan and spend my time spreading Nama Sankeertan along with him? or try and polish my Samskrutham knowledge inculcated in my earlier days by one of my Hindi Praveen class mate of Ganesh Hindi Vidyalaya, Shri.  L  Kumaraswami, a Samskrutham scholar? I also thought of spending some time in the business side along with my brother's son Shri.  M. L.  Prasad, a budding industrialist. A big question was haunting my mind! 

                  I consulted my wife Smt. Lakshmi whose advice I follow on most of the occasions! She advised me to continue my Samskrutham studies instead of trying other fields since it does not involve much expenditure when compared to other fields as per her calculations! She was the boss of the finance department of our house and used to manage the same efficiently!  My elder brother Shri V Natarajan, a retired PWD Divisional Engineer and Founder of our VGS Welfare Trust, a strict disciplinarian, whom I follow closely from my childhood days, also advised me to focus on a particular field only instead of spending my time in various fields and running after different personalities one after the other. Finally, knowing my taste for Samskrutham language, I opted for pursuing my Samskrutham studies under the able guidance of Shri  P R Subramaniam, a Samskrutham Scholar who studied Samskrutham after his superannuation retirement from Central Government Service as a Gazetted Officer! That too as a regular student, attending the college daily, sitting along with students of a different age group! A great adventure well executed! Now he is the torch bearer of Samskrutham language in K K Nagar area and has initiated many of us to follow him. With his grace, I was able to complete my 7th level course in Samskrutham conducted by Samskrit Education Society (Regd.), R. A. Puram, Chennai - 600028.  I  used to admire my Master's selfless service in the propagation of our DIVINE language Samskrutham! Praying the Almighty to give him long life so that he could initiate more people in samskrutam fold. God must also give us strength and enthusiasm to follow his footsteps in the propagation of this wonderful language!!

          
                            Couple of weeks after my retirement, my eldest brother, my Mentor and Guru Shri V Mrithyunjayan phoned me and told that he had just seen a beautiful village called ALAMATHI and would like to purchase a plot there for his son Shri  M L Prasad to start his Packaging Industry and if at all interested I could also invest a small sum from my retirement benefits and purchase a plot there. The idea sounded good and I told him that  I would visit the place along with my friends shortly.  I phoned up my close relative and family Priest Shri. P. V. Mohan Sastrigal who was in search of a plot and also one of my best friend Shri. G.Viswanathanji, a Retired Officer of the erstwhile English Electric Company, a pricipled man, and conveyed the matter.  They both agreed to proceed with me to see the site.   
                                     
                         We started from my brother's residence situated at Vyasarpadi.  My brother's son took us in his red Maruti to a place called ROYAL CITY in ALAMATHI village. It is situated about 6 kilometres from Red Hills. It was July and hence was not a rainy season in Chennai and nearby areas.  En route, most of the areas of Chennai and nearby places looked very dry. It was scorching sun and the climate was very hot! We reached the site under discussion by noon.The area we were shown viz ROYAL CITY,  ALAMATHI  was an unique one! It was full of Mango, Neem, Banyan and other trees!  Very Fertile! Remembrance of my native village Virupaakshipuram of Valangiman Taluk near Kumbakonam came to my mind! I could hear the chirping of birds from the nearby trees! A swimming pool and a beautiful park nearby also added grace to the area! Adjacent to the site crystal clear drinking water from Puzhal lake was flowing like a small stream! It was a treat to watch! A gentle breeze engulfed the area! We felt a great stillness! The quality of that stillness was beyond imagination!  Serenity prevailed in that beautiful surrounding! Alas!  We have found out a place of our choice! All of us liked the calm atmosphere of that place!  

                       When we were just preparing ourselves for our return journey, about 100 cows and bulls went through the site after finishing their graze!  All of us thought it was a good omen!  We were all really very happy! Immediately I told my brother that I loved the place very much and thanked him profusely for the great idea! I also told him that I would definitely purchase at least half- a-ground even if nobody purchased the plot there!  That much was the attraction I had towards that place!


                       First my brother's son Prasad booked a plot there.  Secondly, I booked a plot for me adjacent to his plot.  Shri.  Mohan Sastrigal was specially requested by all to take plot numbers 100 and 101, the auspicious numbers, so that the area would grow in leaps and bounds by his grace and Vedhic chanting! My friend Shri.  Viswanathanji had some reservations about the area as the same came under 'Water Catchment Area' category. Moreover the plots were not DTP approved. But otherwise, he also liked the area very much.  One after the other many of our relatives and friends thronged that place viz.  ROYAL CITY,  ALAMATHI and bought  plots for them, thanks to the tireless work of Prasad, my brother's son who undertook the job of showing the plot, registering the same etc.  A great selfless service indeed! 

                     My dream of finding a favourite place to relax after retirement and to contemplate on 'Who am I?' was also fulfilled!   

                                     
                                                                                                         .........To be continued.