Tiruvannamalai Veda Vidya Patshala

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has taken to Veda Parayanam and service at the feet of Arunachaleswarar as his way of life

He is now initiating 17 students from across the Country into Vedic Education through the Gurukulam Model in Tiruvannamalai

As a young school boy in the 1980s he watched the Veda Parayanam presented by renowned scholars on the occasion of the Karthigai Brahmotsavam at the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The decade saw traditionalists moving away from their hereditary locations as well as the traditional services rendered by those from his forefathers’ generation being dispensed with in ancient temples. His two elder brothers pursued academics and went their own way - one to the Corporate World in Madras and the other as a research scholar in Chemistry. But this young boy not yet 10 was so devotionally inspired by the vedic chanting during those ten days each year that he took the call even before he entered his teens that service at the feet of Arunachaleswarar would be his way of life. 

S Hari Kumar was proficient in academics and earned a distinction in Class X. His amma was keen that he pursue academics and move into a life like his elder brothers into the corporate world especially given that the decades of the 1970s and 80s had seen a sweeping move away from devotion.  A century ago, his great grandfather Arunachala Sastrigal had performed daily parayanam offering the vedic presentation as his one kaalam kainkaryam each day at the temple. He used to feed visiting devotees. Satsung during utsavams was also a regular feature in the first half of the previous century. For close to 150 years, there had been Veda parayanam on the Ayyankulam Agraharam during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam.  That was the biggest early inspiration for Hari Kumar as a school boy. His appa Subramanian, who worked in the Court, took him during those 10 days to listen to the parayanam. The top notch scholars from TN were present on the occasion. He listened with great interest and that created an everlasting feeling in him. The vidwans were already into the 80s and the next generation was missing for they were all on their way to a life in the city. 

The late Nannilam Brahmashri Rajagopala Ganapadigal (who passed away all of a sudden a couple of years back) was a great source of motivation for the young Hari Kumar to take to Veda Parayanam. He asked the 14year old Hari Kumar to join the patshala in Mylapore in the early 90s but they rejected him as he was over aged to start Vedic Education. A dejected Hari Kumar returned to Tiruvannamalai but Rajagopala Ganapadigal had created a burning interest in him to learn the Vedas and this rejection motivated him to master the Vedas. 

The young boy had made up his mind when Mahadev Ganapadigal of Chidambaram made his way to yet another Karthigai Brahmotsavam Parayanam. Much to the acharya’s surprise, the teenager asked if he could adopt him as his disciple and initiate him into the Vedas. The acharya was not sure if this was just an instinctive reaction or if the young boy was indeed serious. 

The Chidambaram Nataraja Inspiration

When the boy remained steadfast in his pursuit through the ten days of the festival, the acharya told him that he would return to Chidambaram and think this through. Before Margazhi had been born, Hari Kumar received a surprise hand written letter from the revered Parameswaran Ganapadigal, Mahadev Gandapadigal’s appa appreciating his vedic interest and asking him to come over to Chidambaram. Hari Kumar did not take the Class XII exam and moved to Chidambaram. When he watched the Veda Parayanam in front of Nataraja during Margazhi Tiruvathirai, he told his acharya that he wanted to present similarly in front of Arunachaleswarar during Karthigai Brahmotsavam.

For the next dozen years, he stayed back full time in Chidambaram to learn Krishna Yajur Veda. The acharya was so touched by his devotion that he also initiated him into Maitrayani Samhita Hari Kumar recounts that great moment just over 15years ago “Maitrayani Samhita was facing extinction for there was just one scholar in Nasik in the second half of the last century. My acharya went to Nasik and learnt them. He was so convinced with my interest that he took the call to pass this on to me. And thus I became one of the very few in the country to be initiated into this at that time.”

In addition to learning Krishna Yajur Veda from Mahadeva Dikshithar, he was also initiated into Atharvana Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda and Maitrayani Samhita by legend Parameswara Dikshithar. “I consider it a great blessing that my acharya chose me as a student for Maitrayani Samhita initiation" says Hari Kumar Ganapadigal.

Exposure to Veda Parayanam

During this 12 year period, he made several trips with his acharya to Paadal Petral Sthalams and Divya Desams presenting Veda Paratyanam in those historical locations. Following these highly devotional trips, he was clear that he would not monetize his learnings that even left Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal stunned “When I gave my Ganam exam at the Kanchi Mutt, Periyava remarked that I was the first to do so from North Arcot. After I had taken the exam, Periyava asked me about my future plans and if I would be getting into a city life having done so well in the Vedic Exam. He was taken aback when I said that my objective in life was to present the Vedas in front of Arunachaleswarar and to share my knowledge with the next generation.”

Dramatic Revival of the Damaged Vocal Cord

In the middle of his tenure as a student his loud and nonstop recital had led to him damaging his vocal cord. Doctors in Chennai gave him no chance of recovery and suggested to discontinue the recital for the cord was deteriorating fast. He came back to Tiruvannamalai and with the fullest faith in Arunachaleswarar drank the abhiseka theertham invoking the blessings of his favourite Swami. His unflinching faith in Swami produced results beyond his wildest imagination. Two decades later he is still reciting the vedic verses and his vocal cord has been revived.  This episode brought him even closer to Arunachaleswarar.

Launches Gurukulam in 2008

In 2008, two students from Polur came up to him asking if he could initiate them into the Vedas taking him by surprise. Hari Kumar Ganapadigal looks back at this unexpected event,  one that he considers as Arunachaleswarar’s blessings “Years ago, their parents had watched my Veda Parayanam in various temples. They told me that they had decided then that if they were blessed with a son, they would send him to me for Vedic studies. It was a truly blessed feeling that two students came out of nowhere.” 

Tragic Death

And thus in 2008, he began the Gurukulam model of Vedic Education from his home on Ayyankulam Agraharam in Tiruvannamalai with two students. But he has had to face severe challenges in his life. In the same year of the launch, he lost his appa to ill health. And then an even bigger tragedy struck him. His elder brother Manikandan, a P. hd in Chemistry lost his life in 2016 at the Theerthavari utsavam drowning in the tank due to overcrowding right in front of his eyes. 

Hari Kumar recalls the role of Manikandan in the formative years of the Patshala and earlier “Manikandan had been a mentor to all the students and was a loved personality in the temple circles in Tiruvannamalai. It was he who performed lakshaarchanai on his own to support my endeavour in Veda Adyayanam helping me overcome the Vocal Cord issues. He presented Veda Parayanam at the temple each day till his death and performed daily Thiru Aradhanam with great devotion.  He could interact with Vedic Vidwans, with Kalpakkam atomic scientist (he himself was a P. hd in Chemistry) and equally well with financially challenged people. He touched everyone’s lives with his conduct.” 

Following the tragedy, his eldest brother Ganesan has been a pillar of strength. He credits Ganesan for helping wade through that challenging phase “Ganesan has been my guiding force all my life. While he may seem to be away in Madras, he is the one who has been the inspiration for all of us to continue our service to Arunachaleswarar. For decades, he has been a great source of motivation during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam. Soon after Manikandan's untimely death, Ganesan's contribution in terms of providing mental strength to all of us has been immense. Financially, he sends a lot of his earnings to my amma and that’s how we run the family. Without him, it would have been difficult for the Gurukulam to have survived this long.” 

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has been able to move since that tragic evening when he too was inside the tank and just about survived. He now has 17 students learning under him and is just as devotionally excited as the 17 students in this transfer of the vedic knowledge. The youngest of the lot Srinath has just joined from Delhi aged just 6 and it is a delight to watch him wake up early on a chilly morning to following the traditional processes that have been laid out for the students in the Patshala.

His elder brother Gurunath too had joined when he was six.  He is all of 11 but there is delight in his face as he talks about the Veda Parayanam in front of Arunachaleswarar “We play tennis ball cricket in the evening. Chess is another game we play during our free time. But the satisfaction from learning the Vedas and presenting it in front of Arunachaleswarar every Monday is unmatched."

The oldest of the lot at 17 is Sabararish from Karaikudi. Just like how he was taught the Maitrayani Samhita by his acharya, he has begun teaching 16 year old Tarun from Rajasthan into this. Two students have completed their full course in Atharvana Veda. There are three different batches running now. His five year old son too has joined in, though not full time yet.

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal himself follows a rigorous traditional practice each day of the year including a ritualist Thiru Aradhanam. There aren’t too many these days following all the traditional practices each day of the year but he has been a stickler for traditional practices all his life. He has been conducting Chaturveda Parayanam during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam over the last decade or so. 

Revival of Jata Ganam

During Aadi Pooram, he presents Jata Ganam following the message of Maha Periyava “During his time, Jata Ganam had reduced. He had wanted this to be revived at least in the temples that had four Raja Gopurams. At Tiruvannamalai this had been started over four decades ago and I am continuing that tradition during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam.”

No promotion of the Patshala

43 year old Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has never gone out of Tiruvannamalai seeking financial remuneration. Not once has he solicited money or donations for the Gurukulam. There are no brochures or pamphlets or a website to promote his Gurukulam. He has never had an income and expense statement at his Patshala.  He sees the future as being no different. The Patshala does not have a brand name like the ones run by bigger institutions and Mutts. Just his devotional commitment to Arunachaleswarar has brought in students from Rajasthan, Kasi, Delhi, Vijaywada and Hyderabad in addition to those from TN.  The next generation of Chidambaram Dikshithars is learning from him. 

Challenging Financial Situation 

He is not unduly worried that there is no monthly salary like that paid to acharyas in Patshalas run by Mutts and private institutions. Sishyas have come on their own accord and are all devotionally excited. Not for them watching TV or playing with the mobile phones. As they gather as a group, the happiness at being alongside their acharya Hari Kumar Ganapadigal is palpable and they feel the positive vibration at this place. His wife has become deeply attached to the Gurukulam on her own and has been showering her love and affected on his students. His amma too has been appreciative of his endeavour though she had been apprehensive during his teenage years. Despite all the challenges that life has thrown at him, he has been able to keep the Gurukulam going for almost 15years and the student strength has been increasing. He sees all these as God’s blessings. He has utmost faith in Annamalayar and believes that his way of life has always been decided by the Swami of Tiruvannamalai and that he will forever act as dictated by the Lord. Financial challenges remain but for now nothing matters other than engaging intensely with his students and rolling out the next generation of top notch students from this historical temple town. 

Sri Arunachala Veda Vidya Patshala is located on Ayyankulam Agraharam very near the Eastern Rajagopuram of the Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal can be reached on 99940 46545