Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Dec 30: Periyaswamy, a Muscat based businessman performed a grand religious Mahayaga at Kollur temple to express his gratitude to goddess Mookambika, who he believes has blessed him to prosper in business in Muscat.

The Yaga which started on December 25 is said to be the biggest Yaga in the country. The Yaga was performed with an expenditure of Rs 30 crore approximately. As many as 1,350 priests and 2,000 Veda experts took part in it. The religious programme lasting five days was performed with 10,000 Chandika Paarayanas in ten pots. As many as 2,000 Paarayanas each and 200 small Yagas were performed every day.

The Yaga which is said to be Ayatha Mahayaga is rare. It is the fifth in the country and first in the state. There have been obstacles in past Mahayagas in the country. But the Yaga here went on smoothly.

Periyaswamy speaking to reporters said that he is a Tamil Nadu origin NRI businessman. He joined a company in Muscat in 1993 for a salary of Rs 12,000 per month and later started a business on a partnership in the ratio 40:60 with a local Arab. The local later cheated him. Therefore, he returned to India and went to Mookambika temple. He prayed for three favours there. A Sadhu there said that the favours will be granted. Periyaswamy returned to Muscat, took over the factory he had lost and developed the factory that had 300 people into a factory employing 3,000 employees now. “It does a business of Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore per month with good profits. Therefore, I have performed Yaga to express my gratitude to the deity,” he said.

He said that he will present Rs 60 lac donation to the temple and 15 kg gold to the roof of the ‘Garbha Gudi’. He added that he will be making the offering through Chandika Yaga after obtaining permission from the management of the temple. He said that the amount spent in this respect was from his own earnings. He has paid an honorarium between Rs 22,000 to Rs one lac to the priests of Chandika Yaga which were sent to them through demand drafts.