What began as an experiment in 1996 has become a big devotional exercise every evening.
This year, 54 year old A Srikanth is completing 25 years of his popular daily Akshara Manamalai Parayanam at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple. On the recent Tamil New Year’s day, devotees congregated in large numbers at the eastern entrance to start the year with the devotional recital.
Srikanth has dedicated his life to the service of Sri Kapaleeswarar.
While in class 8 at P. S. High School, he won the first prize in an oratorical competition in which he spoke on Ramalinga swamigal and was presented with a Thiruvachagam book. He told this writer that he brought the book one day to Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple and began reading it, a process that became a daily routine for many years.
In 1996, he started the recital of ‘Ramana Maharishi’s Akshara Manamalai inside this temple. At 8 pm, every evening, he starts with Mattitac Punnayam, Gnana Sambanthar’s 10 songs, followed by Manicka Vachakar’s Shiva Puranam and ends the 30 minute session with Akshara Manamalai.
The parayanam has gained strength with a set of devotees having become regulars at the daily evening recital.
- Photo used here was shot on Tamil New Year’s day, 2021
