Ratnammal
Ratnammal was a young dancer who was looked down upon by society. One day, Ratnammal saw some urchins throwing stones into Pathalalinga. She went inside and saw a dim figure sitting with a faint halo surrounding it. Concerned about how this young ascetic could sustain himself, she brought food and fresh clothes and left them at the entrance. Her offerings remained untouched as Bhagavan was lost in samadhi.
Later, Seshadri Swami discovered Bhagavan, brought him out and instructed the temple priest to give milk to Bhagavan. This priest brought milk, not from Father Arunachaleshwara’s shrine, but from Mother Apeethakuchambal’s shrine next to his. This milk, poured on Mother’s idol along with turmeric, soap nut powder and ghee, was the first prasad Mother gave him. As Bhagavan was still in samadhi and not outwardly conscious, the priest opened his mouth and poured in ‘Mother’s milk’ - the first food that sustains. When Bhagavan resumed body consciousness, he stayed under an illupai tree in the temple premises where he remained in samadhi, only rarely coming to outward consciousness.
Once, when Ratnammal was on her way to a dance performance, she noticed Bhagavan seated there. Turning to her mother she said, “I will not eat until we have served this ascetic some food.” They tried to wake Bhagavan up, but in vain. So, they opened his mouth and put the food in. Sometimes he would swallow it. At other times the food would remain in his mouth and they would clean it up the next day. Bhagavan later on said, “This is the Universal Mother represented by Ratnammal.” He also once told Suri Nagamma, “Ratnammal was pure.” Bhagavan has never used such a description for anyone but Ratnammal. He explained that this was not a moral or physical purity he referred to, but to the fact that even in those days she had the capacity to recognize the divine before her. The Universal Mother was sustaining him. When Bhagavan was moving from the temple to Gurumurtam, he told Ratnammal, “Why go through the trouble of coming there? It is too far.” She agreed and obeyed.
Towers within Arunachaleswara Temple