Hare Krishna,

Jaya Panduranga.

I thought visiting Lord Panduranga at Thennangur is a great experience. I visited that place and would suugest others to visit if they can. It was built by Swami Haridas Giri.

http://www.thennangur.com/

Probably some of you have heard of Swami Haridas(Not the Mahaprabhus disciple) and his GURU Swami Gnanananda. My uncle used to tell me often that Swami Gnanananda was nearly 500 years old. I think HE lived till late 80s before attaining samadhi. Swami Gnanananda cured Swami Haridas from small pox by just touching Swami Haridas with his hand. The story goes like this. Swami Haridas was working in Crompton Greaves company as an engineer. Once he was suffering from Small Pox and Swami Haridas' father having heard of Swami Gnanananda Guru came to him and surrendered his child before him. Swami Gnanananda Guru agreed to cure his son on one condition if he would allow his son to become his desciple and allow him to take sannyasa. Swami Haridas' father agreed so that his son atleast would live. With one touch Swami Haridas was not only cured of small pox but was given Gnana diksha, which Swami Haridas realised when his Guru asked him to teach the students in the ashram. To his own surprise Swami Haridas not only taught highly spiritual knowledge to students without any previous education but also was given the gift of singing Lord Hari's name. Swami Haridas himself had told this story to a group of sudience at Madurai and my uncle was one of the people in that audience. My uncle narrated this story to me. My Uncle had also visited Swami Gnanananda Guru once at a pplace near Madurai. During that time Madurai was in drought and people visited the Guru for help. The Guru promised them that before those people reach Madurai it would start to rain. Before my uncle reached Madurai it was already raining heavily. These are some of the stories I heard about the powers of this Great Guru. Swami Gnanananda was himself lead by Lord Vittala in his childhood.

Swami Haridas was a great singer in Tamil Nadu and a great Bhakta of Sri Krishna. He loved the Lord as Ram the most(I guess). During his end of life(late 80s or early 90s) he entered Ganga and asked his desciples not to follow him. I heard that water from the river started flood and Swami Haridas disappeared from this world. He is now with his beloved Lord RAM.