108 Divya Desam update

From the Bhakti List Archives

• November 18, 1995


 Dear Members of the Prapatti Group: It will be one week tomorrow since the 108
Divya Desam project came into being.A lot of support and offer of help has
resulted . Review of the correspondence indicates that we have Photos on atleast
48 Divya Desams . The two on Thirupparkadal and Thirunaadu have to be realized
thru 
Graphics help from an  artist among us or from India. That brings us to 50 out
of 108.

Sri Vijayaraghavan"s collection via his uncle would  add new ones. Sri Krish"s
vast collections 
should be another rich source for the archival Material. Sri Jagannath's and Sri
Dileepan"s help to cull material of  pictorial interest from Nrsimha Priya is
yet another key source. Sri Sampath Rengarajan"s offer of help to cover the
Group 4 temples is very welcome. He has left out temple 27 .
Rengarajan, is it intentional? I know that Temple is difficult to visit. The
Bhattar is few miles away and is not easy to contact to make a  visit.I tried
twice with my father and  it was not possible.
 Sri Varadarajan Govindarajan"s offer of help to get material thru his father at
Bangalore is very welcome. An earlier indication of what might be availableas
source and resource would be welcome in planning to address the gaps. 

Sri Tatachar"s help with the audios is very welcome.
Sri T.G.Srinivasan"s offer of assistanc eto push this project faster is
certainly welcome. His acces to 
Mulimedia tools would help to share the burden and would be of help to Sri
Dileepan particularly.
We  (PD,VS and TGS) will confer and check on how to share this work and keep in
touch regarding
Input to the story board. Sri Parthasarathy Ranganathan"s offer of help to bring
back material 
after his home visit in December is excellent. Sri Vijayaraghavan"s home visit
is going to be very
fruitful  for the archives thru his uncle"s collection. Sri K.Srinivasan"s visit
to India in Feb 1966 is
another important visit from the archives addition point of view. All in all,
the progress during the 
last SIX days ahs been very good indeed. 

Additional adaptation by the members of the groups  classified by Sri Dileepan
is needed. It is going to be difficult to  get links to the Kerala Divya Desams
(group 16) dear to Nammazhwar and the ones in the North such as Badari ( 15).
Groups 7  and 14 are fine now. Except for Thirukkodaloor, Group 4 is fine thanks
to S.Rengarajan"s offer of help. 

I will ask my sister tomorrow for help. She knows a lot of Bhattars and she has
visited many of these Sthalams. I will also take care of  Groups 3,5 and 6( 22
Temples). I will further  ask  my 
neighbor at Thiruvinnagar, Sri Govinda Raja Bhattar. He knows a lot of Bhattars
and is a doer.

Sri T.G.Srinivasan had a pertinent question on the CD ROM and /or Video  mode of
delivery of the 
assembled information inview of more people in India having Video as opposed to
Multimedia PCs.
This question is worth further consideration at a litle later date, when we will
know, what kind of 
material gets  assembled.

I have  written a lengthy  manuscript in Tamil on these Divya Desams as a part
of my study on the 
Ubhaya Vedantham and will be happy to stand by and help in every way I can to
see all of our dreams come true regarding this Once-in-a -Life time opportunity
of service to What 
Swami Desiakn described as Paitaamaham Dhanam or the treasures of our ancestors
and marry 
it with modern technology for the enjoyment of many.

Please send your comments and suggestions.

 on Yuva, Karthigai, Krishna Paksha Ekadasi day,
V.Sadagopan