Athi Rudhram and Sahasra Chandi Homam at Vadavambalam

Vadavambalam is a small village in Tamil Nadu, situated in between Villupuram and Panruti. The Adhistanam

situated amongst open fields was not known until Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi (Maha Periyava) of

Sri kanchi Kamakoti Peetam found it in 1927.

Sri Aathmabodendra swamigal was one of the Kanchi Mutt's pontiffs who lived in the later part of eighteenth

and the beginning of nineteenth century. Learning from the Mutt records that the swamigal had attained

samadhi somewhere here, Maha Periyava set about to find the exact spot, while on His tour in this part

of the country. When He came here He requested Kumbakonam Sri Sambamoorthy Sastrigal, who had

accompanied Him, to have his bath and to dig in a particular spot just with his hands without the use

of any instrument.

When Sri Sambamoorthy Sastrigal started to dig as bid he swooned in a trance. When Maha Periyava

enquired of him as to what he saw he replied that he saw a Yatheeswarar sitting with a Danda and

kamandalu and holding a rudraksha in his hand chant 'sada shivam, sada shivam'. Many vedic scholars

seated in his front were chanting the Upanishads.

The Yatheeswarar signed to him to stop the digging and also stopped the chanting. Maha Periyava

then requested the owner of the land to donate it to the Mutt . He then built a Brindavana in this spot

and incorporated a Linga here. It may be mentioned here that it was Sri Aathmabodendral's disciple

Sri Bodendral who spread Naama Sidantha, at his Guru's behest.

A few devotees of the Kanchi Paramacharya have taken the Samkalpam to conduct Atirudram and Sahasra
Chandi Homam for the welfare of the entire world in 11 holy pilgrim centers. The first two were
performed in Ilayathangudi (last Dec) and Tiruvenkadu (last May). The third in the series is scheduled to
take place from Dec 22 to Jan 8 in Vadavambalam. Most of the places chosen for the Atirudram are quite
remote and hardly any facilities are available and everything has to be done from scratch. In Vadavambalam
because of the incessant rains last week, even the Pandals that were erected were destroyed and had to be
redone. There is a serious crunch of funds available. Hence this urgent appeal from the organisers to all followers of
Sanatana Dharma to participate and help in the successful completion of the Yagna. The invitation is attached.
The estimate is around Rs 35 Lakhs.

Those who wish to contribute to the Atirudra & Sahasra Chandi Mahayagnam may send DD/Cheque drawn
in favour of “Shree Chandra Sekarendra Saraswathy Swamigal Kaingarya Trust” payable at Trichy
to Sri.T.K.Vaidhyanathan, Door no. DAF/4, Bharat Plaza , Moolathopu, Melur Rd. , Srirangam, Trichy-620006,
Ph. No: 0431 2434553.

Exemption under Section 80G of Income Tax Act ,1961 is available.

In the USA, tax exemption is available for cheques drawn in favor of KKSF mentioning

'Vadavambalam Atirudram' in the memo. It can be sent to Sri. K. Guruvayurappan,

502 Justin Way, Neshanic Station NJ 08853.

Further information can also be had from:

Sri. T.K. Vaidhyanathan, Trichy, Cell: 9443733573; Sri. J.G.Moorthy, Trichy, Cell: 9840918710, E-mail: <jgm_ohm@yahoo.co.in>; Sri. S. Ramakrishnan, Coimbatore ,Cell: 9442644830. E-mail: