Meenakshiammal
When Bhagavan went to Gurumurtham, a lady named Meenakshiammal started serving him. Although her outward appearance was like that of a rakshasi, a demoness, her heart was clean and pure. Every day, she would go around the hill, go home, cook food, and bring it to Bhagavan and feed him. She would bring along a few other ladies as well. Each one liked to give food to Bhagavan, to the extent that he felt it was excessive. Bhagavan never liked to waste anything. Soon, he moved to a mango tree grove in the next compound. Its owner prevented everyone other than Palani Swami and Bhagavan from coming inside.
Meenakshiammal holds the honour of being the first person to give an oil bath to Bhagavan after he came to Tiruvannamalai. Bhagavan related how one day when he was in Gurumurtham, Meenakshiammal brought a vessel and started boiling water. Bhagavan said, “I thought she was going to cook. She then opened her bag, took out some oil and soapnut powder and said, ‘Swami, come, I want to give you a bath.’” Bhagavan kept quiet in his usual manner,. She pulled him by the hand, made him sit down and forced the oil bath on him. Bhagavan very humourously puts it, “When she touched my hair, there were stones and dust in it!” One and a half years after coming to Tiruvannamalai, this was the first proper bath that Bhagavan had. His whole body had been unwashed and dirty. Sent by the Universal Mother, Meenakshiammal gave this bath to Bhagavan.
Later, when Bhagavan was still in Gurumurtham, he told Palani Swami that they should go their separate ways while begging for their food. He would go through the streets of Tiruvannamalai, stand in front of a house and clap his hands. In response, the woman of the house would come out with food. Day after day, house after house, street after street, Bhagavan begged for food. He received food from every woman of the house. Without doubt, it was the Universal Mother looking after her son.
Gurumurtam