The first saint to whom Guruji did the divine seva (thiruppani) was Mahan Sri Gurulinga Swamigal.
Guruji had a very deep connect with Mahan Sri Gurulinga Swamigal. Guruji started to go to Gurulinga swamigal temple since 1993. At that time the temple was managed by Sakunthala Ammal. She was the fifth person and the fourth generation to manage the temple ever since Mahan Sri Gurulinga Swamigal entered Jeeva Samadhi. We all used to call her Ayah(meaning grand mother). She was in such a total devotion towards Gurulinga Swamigal that swami will obey her commands. She as a single lady dedicated her entire life towards the seva of the saint and was managing the temple for almost 30 years. Then at the right moment, Guruji had come to take over the mantle from Ayah. Ayah was extremely happy to hand over her responsibility of managing the temple to the right person in our Guruji.
Since Ayah managed all alone for so many years without any income and she was almost 78 years when Guruji came. Though the sanctum sanctorum was very strongly built, the temple did not have any gopuram or a proper entrance. Only the almighty saint helped Ayah to run the temple without income for all these years. Guruji meditating in the temple, had some path transforming experiences. In fact Guruji always states that Mahan Gurulinga Swamigal is His Guru who had given finishing touches to Guruji’s seeking. Even after enlightenment, Guruji states that he is still learning a lot from Mahan Gurulinga Swamigal. The greatest compassion of Gurulinga Swamigal is to guide any seeker in the path of enlightenment like a mother slowly feeding her child. Mother always takes care of the child, does not over feed the child and always ensures safety of the child. Likewise Mahan Sri Gurulinga Swamigal takes care of the seeker with such compassion.
For one of the greatest saints, the Samadhi temple did not have a proper entrance or a temple for that matter. Guruji felt the need of a proper enclosure and Gopuram for Gurulinga Swamigal. Also, Ayah was leading a life even without basic amenities. She was such a great devotee of Gurulinga swamigal, but was staying in the temple for 30 years without even a proper place to sleep or with basic bathroom facility.
Seeing all this, Guruji had a deep intent to start Thiruppani for Swami by building a Gopuram for Swami with a big entrance door, small room for Ayah to stay and sleep, and a bathroom.
The thiruppani started by the direction of Mahan Gurulinga Swamigal. The first contribution was done by Duraimurugar, Natchatra Yogam magazine author who had given Rs. 5000/- to start. That was a good start but a very small sum for the entire temple to be built. Then Guruji applied for a loan in a bank and started the thiruppani at full swing. Swamiji had chosen Guruji for this divine seva. IT was a live saint doing thiruppani to another live saint.
Guruji’s few disciples and Guruji’s few fellow seekers offered helping hands to the thiruppani and some of them were involved in the physical seva as well. Though the labourers were doing their part, Guruji and his team of disciples did the seva with vigour and night and day, watering the newly constructed building day by day as much as it deserved. The labourers do only as a duty but Guruji and disciples did with a total heart and indeed Swamiji was in all the hearts.
Guruji had also faced a lot of obstacles in constructing the temple in clearing the encroachments that the temple had in the entrance itself.
Step by step, slowly the gopuram emerged in its grandeur raising about 22 feet from the ceiling which was about 16 feet tall and enclosed the sanctum sanctorum.
Swamiji took the temple gradually to completion through Guruji.
On the auspicious day of Thai poosam during 31 January 1999 Swamiji’s Kumbabhishekam was held in a grand manner.
But even at the spire, at the top during the kumbabhishekam moment, Guruji stood humbly only with the intent that he was an instrument in the hands of Swamiji to do the entire thiruppani, despite many others rushing to grab a chance to take the credit and perform Kumbabhishekam. Swamiji is the supreme soul. Every thing is His leela only.
After Kumbahishekam also Thiruppani continued for Swamiji in many forms. Slowly Swamiji’s Gurupooja festival became grander and grander. The temple also became brighter and brighter due to the sheer presence of Guruji, Swami’s presence started to express more in the temple.
Guruji stated that when He did thiruppani to Swami, he grew in spirituality by many quantum leaps. During the night and during sleep also, Guruji always felt that he was in the temple only and not in home. Adding to that Swamiji had shared so much spiritually to Guruji. He had shown the Jeeva Samadhi Sthithi to Guruji many times.
That is why Guruji always states that doing seva to a saint either in Samadhi or live, is the highest form of seva that any body could do in this human body.
In the meantime, Ayah had attained Samadhi (that was another divine drama).
The next Kumbabhishekam happened again on a thai poosam day during 27-1-2013. Always the saints do everything for a reason. This time, Swamiji had ensured that Gur10 fuji was not a spectator during the kumbabhishekam, but Swamiji ensured that this time the divine Kumbabhishekam was done by the divine hands of Guruji.
Then came the repeated rains in Chennai, although during the 2015 floods in Chennai, not even a single drop entered the temple, during small rains due to the lower level of the temple, water used to come in. His Holiness Guruji Sundar decided to lift the base of the temple and during 2021 dismantled the older sanctum with the permission of Gurulinga Swamigal and had re-constructed a marvel of a temple which rose about 10 feet taller with the mulasthanam having 2 layers, one for pooja and other one the undisturbed samadhi shrine which is in the basement. This original shrine at the basement is only accessible on select days. Finally His Holiness performed Kumbabhishekham again during the 136th Gurupooja which happened on 12/12/2022.
