A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

“What what thing which which tiyithiley happeno, that that thing that that tiyithiley happeney happen.”

This was one of Babuji’s favourite sayings. And it has been proved right so many times. Recently too it was proved right, not once, but twice in a three month period. Though we lived in New Delhi for more than 40 years, Babuji and I had never visited Agra to ‘see’ the Taj Mahal. Every time my son Bala came home from the U S he was keen and ready to take us to Agra. But Babuji always had a ready-made reply that at that period of the year either it was too cold or too hot. So we never made that trip. And for the last twenty years, no mention of this was made by anybody in the family.

Last year my children and grandchildren came together to celebrate my 80th birthday. Raja felt that my ‘not seeing the Taj Mahal' should also be rectified.
He arranged for a one day trip to Agra for the whole family which was enjoyed by one and all, including my three year old great granddaughter.

So it was fated that I was to see the Taj Mahal without Babuji.

We all know there is the annual Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana conducted in January–February. Though I never voiced my wish to anyone I always felt that I was not lucky enough to go to Thiruvaiyaru during the Aradhana. Recently this was proved wrong.

Last fortnight Raja and I went on a temple tour to Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru and Kumbakonam. We reached Thiruvaiyaru at an auspicious time when at the Samadhi of Sri Thyagaraja Swamigal, abhishekham, alankaram, and Deepa aradhanai was taking place. We were the only two devotees there. We had a good darisanam. It seemed as though it was specially ordered for us. I was entirely thrilled.

To add to my joy and fulfilment, there was a violin concert going on too, with full accompaniments. That made it perfect. Then the violinist started to play the pancharatna kriti in Sri Ragam - what more could one ask for!

Again I was reminded of Babuji’s saying “What what tiyithiley ……”