A PROFILE ON THE TRUSTEE

The successful progress of any enterprise secular or spritual depends upon several contributing factors, like right insight, careful planning, strict adherence to the blue print, due supervision and humane treatment of the working personnel. They are extremely essentail rather indispensable, if the wheels of progress have to run smoothly. If the enterprise is of religious type, say the building of a temple, the executive chief must invariably possess superhuman abilities, like total selfless involvement, tireless striving, ceaseless unsparing attention, administrative acumen and divine commitment. If these noble traits and ennobling sentiments go into action, the project, hitting the target makes the Divinities for whom it is built, come down and consecrate themselves to shower boons on the pious builder first and the devout public next. Even the Pancha Boothas bows to his Sankalpa.

It was on Tamil Chithra month, Rohini Star day in 1986 (April-May), the trustee, Sri K.S.Sridhar visited the ruined temple along with his family members. He could not see the icon on account of bushy plants obstructing his view. It was on this day around 12 Noon, a light emanating as Divya swaroopa awakened him immediately, Sri K.S.Sridhar took a vow to spend all his professional earnigs for the development of the temple and as well the village, Vepanjeri in which he was born and to make Vepanjeri a Divya Kshetra. Bushy plants removed, temple premises cleaned and white-washed, archakas appointed, Naivedyam offered, regular poojas commenced. In 1990, as the temple was in ruins, the trustee removed the entire old structure and took up punaruddharana karyakramam by constructing a new temple and installed the main deity at the original place. Kumbabhishekam was performed on 1st March 1990 after renovating the temple in the august presence of Thangal Swamiji, known as Kumbabhisheka Chakravarthy. The Peetadhipathi of Yerpedu Ashram near Sri Kalahasthi was present to mark the significance of the event, the Annual Brahmotsavams conclude on Tamil Chtra Rohini, with Theerthavari or chakrasnanam and Dwajavarohanam every year. He laid roads, acquired sites for construction of several temples and Kalyana Mandapam and Vahana Mandapam. He constructed Astalakshmi Temple and consecrated the Deities in the year 2002. Renovated the pond in ruins and made it pushkarini. Put up life size Dasavathara statues around the four banks of Pushkarini and Kaliya Mardana Mandapam at the central in the 28ft deep pushkarini. He reared a garden with Nakshatravanam as Garden of Stars with different rare plants. He consecrated Brahma, Muneeswara, Saptha Kannikas, Gangamma and Shiva statues around pushkarini. Constructed a super statue of 21 ft with height of Maha Vishnu. He consecrated the idols. Sri Sudharasana & Yoga Narasimha Swamy and Sri Ayyappa Swamy, Sri Vidya Vinayaka Swamy, Navagraha, Sri Baktha Anjaneya Swamy in separate mandirs. His Clients turned devotees, Sri K.Lakshminarayana and K.Ramaiah of Tirupati have put up Vahana and Kalyana Mandapam. Now our trustee, has taken up the task of erecting a Mega 33 ft. Super statue of Sri Ranganatha Swamy which is nearing completion.

The trustee who is an humanist is providing medical aid by running a free dispensary in the village; drinking water supply to each and every house in the village apart from providing street lights and the like involving in social services too.

THE TRUSTEE & HIS HOUSEHOLD

The high souled trustee Sri K.S.Sridhar is quite fortunate in having a cultured house hold. All the members are devout and disciplined and ever ready to do humanatarian services willingly in an exemplary manner at it. He is the scion of the great and celebrated Komandur Srinivasa Ayyangar who raised a holy mandir for Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy from the ruins of an ancient temple built by Chola King in 1178.

He was born to venerable couple Smt. Jayalakshmi and Sri Komandur Rangamannar Ayyangar in 1943. He had his primary education at Vepanjeri school and later studied in Sri Venkateswara University and obtained his B.Sc., degree. Then he studied Law in Madras Law College. He is happily paired with Smt. Sumitra, an amiable and duty conscious docile woman who whole heartedly is assisting him in both spiritual and domestic work. She follows him like shadow outside the house to carrying out the devotional activities, like arranging pooja materials in temples both at home and principal temple at Vepanjeri. Her humanist services are a model to the up-coming woman devotees. She is the daughter of Sri Eyyunni Gopalakrishnamachary, an illustrious Telugu Vidwan, whose commitment to religious work is high commendable. He grommed his daughter on high principles and as such she has proved a right match to the Trustee in doing social service in many ways.

The trustee, Sri K.S.Sridhar, has to enlightened sons and a pious daughter. The elder son, K.S.Vasu is a lawyer enjoying the good practice set up by his able and efficient advocate-father. He is and helping him in the management of the famous educational institution known as Sri Venkateswara Children's High School situated at stones throw from his house. The second, K.S.Ravi, a software consultant in U.S.A also helps his father to carry on his mission of emancipation of the Bakthas. Smt. Srilatha, the daughter of the trustee is pious house wife living in States involved in devotional activities and also in the propagantion of Vepanjeri Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy's glory in America too by organising Poojas there.

Moreover this venerable Trustee of the Lakshminarayanswamy temple at Vepanjeri owns the pious ambition of emancipating the people through reconstruction of the once glorious shrine which held its supremacy. His efforts commendable revived the spiritual splendour of the erstwhile temple that came into existence in the 12th century A.D. His advent inaugurated a new epoch in the history of that old temple. With the hearty co-operation and commendable participation by the pious and assisted by technical assistants, spiritual pundits and temple Vastu experts, he began punaruddharana programme. His pious ambition and whole-hearted commitment acted as a catalyst and brought into the well planned project, holy. The evaporated spiritual fervour, slumbering religious instincts of the villagers once again surfaced at the Midas touch. His unsurpassable alchemic sparsa converted the dry and dusty earth's crust into a glittering gold rush from which arose high towers, spacious halls, holy garbhagriha, broad Mukha Mandapa, dazzling flag post and mini rooms for storage of holy materials for agamic worship of the consecrated vigrahas and a host of necessary parts. The temple towers rise high visible for long distances around, beckoning the theist manavali to visit and offer different of types of prayer services for different kinds of hardships they faced. The Karunaika Sindhu Bhagawan Lakshmi Narayana Swamy liberally and timely showed boons and fulfilled their desires.

Not satisfied with his personal observation and performing of several kinds of kaikaryams to Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy at Vepanjeri, he installed in his house a beautiful icon of Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy at Tirupati and offering daily pujas. He is exercising his influence sublime onthe devotion charged souls of the city of the Tirupati who are participating lustily in special puja activities, like Kshirabhisekam with 10008 litres of milk. Reacting favourably, many of the like minds are joining the vanguard to publishing the glory of the Presiding Deity of Vepanjeri. Daivaradhana pushed back miles off his jeevanavyapara - advocate practice. He has gone for ahead of his grandfather, that illustrious builder of old mandir Sri Komandur Srinvasa Iyenger some two centuries back. The present temples glory and its prosperity are entirely of his own making.

His dedication whole time like contagion ignited the dormant religious instincts in many and he is pressing into service their good will, cooperation, physical labour etc. All towards the horizontal and vertical expansion of the temple. People equate him with the archamuti and are ready to be at this beck and call. As said his dharmapatni is equally rather more enthusiastic in serving the Bhaktas. She is Saha Dharmacharini in spirit and word. For her, the temple work is moving spirit behind her dedicated, spiritualized husband-the Trustee. May this great adarsa couple involve themselves in greater devotional activities to that, highest, kindest kalpa vruksha that the archamurti Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy.

EPILOGUE

Gitacharya Bhagawan Krishna has categorically and in unambiguous diction declared that He Himself descends down taking human form to supress demonic acts of rakshas and the sworn enemies of mankind. Or at times he sends out superhumans to resuscitate dharma through several forms. These Godmen-Daivamsa sambhutas preach eternal dharma through their personal observance of virtuous acts. Or through awakening of religious consciousness by visiting the temples and involve themselves in Daiva Karyas. They not only accelerate spiritual progress that result in the all round development of humanity. Dissolute and deserted places turn pilgrim places and confer solace by freeing the sokarthis from the much harassing worries and troubles. Archamurtis lure unending streams of bhaktas for seva and lead blissful life. These Daivamsa sambhutas possess unsurpassable divine virtues, like selfless involvement, total dedication, round the clock supervision and altruistic aspiration. With such ennobling activities they spiritualise the sleepings enshrouds by building or renovating the old mandirs. Then begins, a new era of religious conscionsness in people leading to a metamorphosis in social, economic, spiritual and cultural life. Every sphere of human activity blooms and fetches unending happiness.

This is what is observed in Vepanjeri village and its people. It is brought to about by the advent of Sri K.S.Sridhar, a prominent son of this holy soil. His scientific precision and legal accuracy sprouting from the fertile soil of religosity transformed once an earth and earthly people into spiritually awakened pious Bhaktas, who voluntarily and enthusiastically are participating in all the temple activities, ably and efficiently planned and organized. His elaborate and never ending Daiva Karyas like daily seva and occassional pujas are attracting and illunining the people as what God is and how is to be invoked. Ceaseless streams of devotees coming from far off places fortifies this fact. More importantly, the sleeping village people ever absorbed in state mundane activities are now moving about with almost agility. Every native and visiting devotee with folded hands are praying to the Presiding Deity for the long life of the Trustee whose contribution alone has heightened the glory of the temple.