Sri BN Mama needs no introduction. We all know him – love his drawing. Here is a little unknown fact about mama that happened in the past few years. I unfortunately couldn’t visit trichy in my last trip – next trip, will visit him and this patasala. Here is his email to me and I request you to do your best in supporting this patasala.

On a different note, mama has resumed his drawing/painting after a long break – he mentioned that he would send us some of his new work – looking forward to seeing them.

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Dear Mahesh,

This is B.Narayanan (B.N.mama). As you know, I have been staying in Sai Lakshminagar near Allur agraharam, Tiruchy for the past four years. In our colony, there is a VEdapAthashAlA by the above name.

All four VEdAs are taught here. As of now there are twenty VidhyArtis, and five adhyapakas.

The PAtashAlA is housed in seven houses one of which serves as kitchen and dining.

I have enclosed a small write-up about the PAthashAlA and some recent photographs. In the month of May, six new children joined the PAthashAlA and Upanayanam and Brahmoadesham were performed for them.

Last year I had placed a request for donations to you and the response was excellent.

This year also I request you to publish my request in your blog and help get some substantial amount as donations by MahaPeriyava devotees.

Thanking you,
B.Narayanan.

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ABOUT SRIVEDAVALLI CATURVEDA PATASALA.

On the banks of the sacred KAvEri river, ten kilometers from TIRUCHI town, on the highway from Tiruchi to Kulitalai, and near Allur agrahAram, is a gated community by the name Sai Lakshminagar. When one enters this colony, one can have Dharsan of Shri GaneshA; he is welcome by the Divine sounds and vibrations of Vedas, being recited by about twenty vidyArtIs.

Sri VEdavalli caturvEda pAtasAlA was founded by Shri Srinivasa Iyengar, on the 6th of June 2016. Mr.Iyengar, when he was a boy, wanted to do VEdAdyayanam; his uncle ( Periappa) was a VEdapandit. But his father had other plans for him and put him in medicine. He eventually became a doctor by profession.

But the speck of fire inside him was aglow. When he came to Tiruchi to settle down, the speck turned into fire. Along with two other friends there, he started this VEdapAtasAlA. Four vidyartis of Samaveda( Jaiminya), who had come down to another Patasala in Tiruchi, were left in lurch due to some misunderstanding.

His nephew was a Samaveda pandit and so, these four vidyartis were taken by him and they started the Patasala in his house only as Gurukulam.

After six months, another set of vidyartis, who were the friends of these four, joined the Patasala to do Atharvaveda adyayanam. With MahaPeriava’s Anugraham, one Atharvaveda pandit accepted to come down and teach these new vidyartis.

As the number of vidyartis has increased and a new Guruji has also come down there, extra space was required. With His anugraham, one of His devotees who had a house in the colony offered his house and another Samskruta teacher also gave her house to the Patasala.

A kitchen with a cook was set up in one house.
Slowly and steadily, the number of vidyartis grew in number to about 22. As the Gurus’ accommodation and food were taken care of, initially, they were not paid any renumeration, for the first three years. Then the Patasala started paying renumeration also to the Gurus.

Then came the Covid pandemic. And the cash inflow got affected. Well wishers in and out of the colony, mostly, MahaPeriava devotees chipped in with their resources.

MahaPeriava devotees from many places send in their donations once or twice in a year.

Mr.Iyengar is a great devotee of MahaPeriava. In fact, in the late 80’s, when he was living in Tambaram, he had organized “Pidi arisi thittam” in his neighbourhood, and the Sanakara school there used to come and collect the rice from him every week.
As of now two vidyartis have completed their Adyayanam and are doing Kaingaryam in the PAtasAlA itself. Now there are twnty vidyartis doing Adyayanam of all four Vedas.

Mr.Iyangar decidedly believes that all these happened only due to the Anugraham of Azhvar, AchAryan, MahaPeriava and Veda Mata.

Some more details about the Patashala.

All four Vedas are taught.—

• Total 5 adhyapakas
• Rg. Vedam— 4 vidyatis
• Yajur Vedam— 4 Vidyartis.
• Jaiminya Sama Vedam—- 7 Vidyartis.
• Atharva Vedam—- 6 Vidyartis.
• Monthly Expenditure other than Food provisions.
• Salary for the Gurujis—– 5*Rs.10,000 = 50,000.
• Cook (lady) salary —15,000.
• Rent for six houses —- 30,000.
• Electricity bill —- 10,000
• 4 vidyartis from Tamil nadu, 16 from Rajastan and Bihar and U.P from Hyderabad.
• Rice, oil, vegetables and provisions—- a portion of the requirement is donated by local people.

Every Pradhosham, Mr.Iyengar takes the vidyartis to the nearby Shiva temple and conduct Abhishekam, Rudra—Camaka pArAyanam and Pooja. They prepare PrasAdham and distribute to the devotees.

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