Papa had taken leave from work for the first time in his life and was resting at home with medication. As mummy was preparing the medicine to give to Papa, Appu walked in and consumed the medicine that was prepared for Papa and Appu said to mummy “You have 5 Sivams and you will not have any difficulties (5 சிவன்கள் உனக்கு இருக்கின்றனர், ஒரு குறையும் இல்லை).
Papa passed away peacefully on the same day. When Papa died, I remember it was a Saturday. My elder brother (Dr.K. Sivayoganathan) and myself used to take tea to Appu in the early mornings every Tuesday and Thursday. The Tuesday after
Papa’s final journey, we were asked to refrain from going to Appu with the tea due to the traditional mourning observation period, which explicitly exclude anyone from visiting temple for a period of 31 days after the final journey. Appu inquired from Assai lyah (Mr Thirunavukarasu) the reasons for our absence and sent Assai lyah to our house to take us to Appu with the usual tea saying that “They have no mourning exclusions” (அவங்களுக்கு ஒரு துடக்கும் இல்லை).
Appu used to enjoy the tea with cream crackers/golden puff biscuits. He will keep the tea in a half coconut shell ( சிரட்டை) and eat the biscuits above it, so that any loose flakes fall into the tea and lie at the bottom of the shell. After finishing the tea, he will collect the soaked biscuit flakes and enjoy eating them, without wasting any biscuits.
I remember that there were Columbuthurai devotees who used to take turns to take tea to Appu in the morning. We were doing it on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mr Chanthirasekaram on Wednesdays and Mrs Sivananthan on Fridays. The same families took turns to provide his favourite idiyappam (string hoppers) and sothy (fluid dish made from coconut milk) dinner.
Appu always had Ayurvedic medication consisting of one tablet of Thanga elathy (தங்க ஏலாதி) and two tablets of Miruthu Sanjeevi (மிருது சஞ்சீவி) mixed with Kudineer (குடிநீர்) in a small coconut shell before taking the tea. At the bottom of the shell one could see the gold flakes shining. We used to call the ONE AND TWO (ஒன்றும் இரண்டும்) tablets.When we were studying at St John’s College, we used to get ready wearing the college uniform (white shirts and blue shorts) and stay with Appu who normally leaves the Ashram at the same time in the morning.
Appu will normally get a car to take him from the Ashram by one of the many devotees and we were able to share the posh car lift most of the times! I remember one day when we were all ready to go to St John’s College and waiting for a posh car with Appu, Appu suddenly stopped a JMC (Jaffna Municipal Council) lorry which transports “human night soil” to the sea and got into the lorry and waved at us! The lorry driver was very pleased to take Appu and Appu was waving and laughing at us.
With our clean uniforms, we did not get into the JMC lorry which was emitting a very offensive smell due to its natural operational characteristics! We walked to St John’s College after missing our posh car journey whilst Appu was waving and laughing away happily transported by the JMC lorry. Appu used to get my elder brother to read Sanskrit/Upanishads/Bhagavad Gita. We used to sing Sanskrit songs in which Appu got us trained by the North Indian Brahmin Ragavan. Both Annai and Thiru did very well in the Sanskrit examination. And the examination board wanted their photos for the newspaper. Appu did not want any publicity and stopped it. We used to join Appu in cleaning, sweeping and picking Margo seeds on the property. Appu used to pay us 1 cent per 1 full coconut shell of seeds. Since we lost our father when we were very young (1958), our grandmother used to encourage us to study well, work hard and behave well. She always said that no one will respect anyone when they do not possess knowledge, health, wealth and good behaviour. She always referred to Mr V.A. Kandiah’s absence from visiting us since our father’s demise (Mr V.A. Kandiah and my father Mr. S. Kandiah were first cousins and whenever he was in Jaffna, he used to visit us, which stopped after father’s death) and she used to refer to them as “big hands/wealthy” (பெரிய கைகள்).
One day when I was attending to Appu’s work in picking the Margo seeds, Appu called me and asked me whether Mr. V. A. Kandiah had visited our home recently. I said “No Appu.” He asked me why and I said they are “பெரிய கைகள்.” Appu said “Do they have long hands?” (என்னடா அவைக்கு நீண்ட கையா?) and laughed. At that very instant, I saw a big black limousine arriving and parking outside the Ashram. Mr V. A. Kandiah came out of the vehicle and was greeted by Appu. Appu asked him “where are you going Kandiah?” Mr Kandiah replied “I am going to Nainativu chariot festival.” Appu asked him to take me (Eswaran) with him. Mr V.A. Kandiah drove me to our house and I got dressed in blue shorts and a white shirt (St John’s uniform). Mr V. A. Kandiah drove the car to Kayts Naval Base where we were greeted by the captain and taken to Nainativu temple by a special boat.
Once we arrived in the temple the priest gave clearance for the chariot to move (Mr V.A. Kandiah was the prominent MP for Kayts and the islands). I enjoyed this trip and the royal treatment I was given by the naval officers and the temple priest, as they assumed that I was his son (we looked alike). Mr V. A. Kandiah and my father are from Velanai, a small island next to Jaffna peninsula. Appu used to tease me and my brothers by calling us “islanders” (தீவார்). He also used various teasing statements like “islanders come and get on the veranda and suck the palmyra fruit! (தீவாரே வாரும், திண்ணையிலே ஏறும் பனங்காயைச் சூப்பும் ) and islanders are “bag changers” (உமல் மாறிகள்). This is supposed to indicate that when the islanders get down from the transport (usually boat) to the main land they casually take someone else’s bag, as it may have more valuables. Appu was perhaps reminding us of the rich heritage!
During the regular Sivapuranam recital by Aasiah in the Ashram, we used to sit behind Aasiah and Thuraiappa Appa in the Northern part of the Ashram, singing Thevaram in front of Appu. Both Thiru (Thirumagal) and myself used to tap Thuraiappa appa’s shoulder in turn to make him ticklish. One day Appu asked both of us to stay back after the evening worship. When all other devotees left, Appu reprimanded both of us in a few words of wisdom and directed us to behave well.
