Thread by @gowkinkara

KATHA SRAVANTHI (Bedtime story) 25/1/2022:
THONDAMAN CHAKRAVARTHY the king of Thondanadu, was a very wealthy king . He built the VENKATESHWARA SWAMY TEMPLE in Tirumala . It is said that Tirumala Balaji would speak to his Bhaktas, and stopped talking and became a Shila roopa

After an incident. THONDAMAN was a great bhakta of VENKATESHWARA, and he was the one who would do the last and first pooja to Bhagawan. Everyday, Brahma and all the Devatas come to TIRUMALA temple to worship Bhagawan with their hands folded and heads bent. THONDAMAN was able to

See them with the drishti granted to him by Bhagawan. This made him proud that even Brahma and other devatas are bending their head and coming for the darshan in the maginficent temple he built, and thought that he is the most generous and a great Bhakta, and says the same to

Bhagwan while doing Pooja. Bhagawan remains silent on this. The next day, when THONDAMAN was removing the Nirmalya of golden flowers, of the previous day's pooja he sees clay flowers on bhagawan's feet. He asks Bhagawan who had come into the closed temple and worshipped him with

Clay flowers? Bhagwan says, none came, but a Potter named BHEEMA, made an idol of him with wood and he worshipped him with clay flowers. Surprised, THONDAMAN asks about his whereabouts and Bhagawan replies that he resides in a nearby village. With tears in his eyes and a feeling

Of resentment, he goes in search of Bheema to the nearby village and reaches his house. While entering his meager Hut, he gets hit by the Head jamb, and his crown falls down. Listening to the sound, BHEEMA comes out and enquires about him, to which THONDAMAN aks him if he had

Worshipped Bhagawan with clay flowers. When he says yes, he asks him to show his mandir, and when he sees the wooden idol with clay flowers, his pride breaks and he realises that what God accepts is Bhakti and not magnificent temples , and his eyes swell with tears of regret

While this was happening, Bhagawan comes to BHEEMA'S house and seeing Bhagawan, BHEEMA and his wife TAMALI, get into ecstasy, and TAMALI thinks how I wish I can give something to lord, and immediately thinks that Bhagawan is offered rich food as nivedana in temple,will he accept

The megre jowar porridge? Immediately Bhagawan says TAMALI I'm very hungry, is there something to eat? She immediately runs and gets some maize porridge on piece of broken new clay pot, and gives it to Bhagawan, who cherishes and eats it. To this day, every morning jowar porridge

Is offered on a piece of broken clay pot as a recognition of BHEEMA and TAMALI'S great bhakti for TIRUMALA SREE VENKATESHWARA. BHEEMA and TAMALI later get VAIKUNTHA prapti and attain Moksha. Seeing this when THONDAMAN asks for Moksha, bhagawan says, there is another janma for him

After which he would attain moksha, and also says that he would be in TIRUMALA from now on in Shila roopa and wouldn't talk to anyone. THONDAMAN then spends his entire life in bhagawan's seva, and without fail goes to TIRUMALA everyday to perform all kainkaryas . And On his death

Bed, he with tears in his eyes prays to Bhagawan that because of his helplessness he couldn't come and do kainkarya and couldn't see him. Bhagawan then appears and sits next to him and facilities anayasa maranam to him by giving Tulasi Theertha with his own hands. On request of

THONDAMAN, swamy stays there as a swayam bhu to bless all. To this day, this temple is there in Thondanadu, a few kilometres from Tirupathi
, And here Bhagawan is in sitting position, unlike TIRUMALA VENKATESHWARA, Who is in a standing position.

Even to this day, Brahma does pooja to Bhagawan during Brahma muhurtha. Every night before closing the temple after ekanta seva to bhagawan all the essential things for pooja are kept ready. In the morning when the Temple is opened, the traces of Pooja done in closed doors

is seen🙏. The water with which Brahma does pooja to Bhagawan is given as Theertha in the morning to everyone.)
Om namo venkateshwaraya namaha🙏
Govinda Govinda🙏