Yagnya In The Concrete Jungle
It was apparent to Swamiji through his contact with the Shiva Family in Malaysia that although the Indian diaspora had retained the roots of their forefathers, much of what passed for cultural heritage had lost its meaning and with significant lapses in rationale. The modern generation were well on their way to cultural oblivion through the onslaught of the paradigms of stress laden modern lifestyles - excessive consumerism, evanescent values, and instant everything.
Belaboring lofty philosophical truths to unprepared minds would clearly be futile, despite their timeless relevance. And so in the tradition of the great masters of yore, he embarked on a simple plan of making culture accessible and enjoyable to both young and old. Thus were laid the foundations of his first inspiration - the Temple of Fine Arts. The arts, Swamiji pointed out, have their origins in the Divine and hence the 'Temple'. Here the Divine is worshipped through the fine arts, and here art would be taught for the love of it.
Among his ardent devotees were two families, Gopal Shetty and wife Radha, and Shivadas and wife Vatsala who were the doyen of Indian dance in Malaysia. Enlisting their support, the Temple of Fine Arts was inaugurated in 1981 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. Starting out in relative obscurity, with a motley class of the most unlikely dancers (many were Shiva Family enthusiasts), the first lessons in Bharatanatyam commenced. With patience and diligence the teachers instructed the students, exercising their unbending joints and unyielding flab, and coordinating impossible limb movements to the beats of 'tayim-taka-taye-ta...
Six months later the Temple of Fine Arts announced itself to an unsuspecting public, by hosting its first cultural performance enacted through the dance story 'Dattatreya'. The skillful choreography and artistic presentation of light, colour, sound and spectacle made the three day recital, a glitsy affair. Kuala Lumpur was taken by storm.
Enthused by a steady stream of students seeking to enroll for dance lessons at the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA for short) the institution sought to steadily enlarge its repertoire of classes for instruction in dance, vocals and musical instruments.
In the midst of feverish activity at the TFA, Swamiji executed his next masterly stroke, by inspiring the Shiva Family members of the medical profession to undertake charitable welfare of the sick and needy. And so in 1983 was started the Temple of Service, a medical clinic dispensing free consultation and medicines targeting the poor slum dwellers in and around the Brickfields locality.
As a test of their resolve, the Shiva Family, undertook to defray much of the expenses operating the TFA, its many public performances and the Temple of Service. Only after three years of such endurance were donations solicited.
In the meantime the TFA was growing beyond all expectations. To supplement operational expenses of the school and medical charities, Swamiji proceeded in 1985 to uncover the culinary assets within the group by starting the Annalakshmi Restaurant. The adage athithi dhevo bhava meaning the 'guest is God' has been the conditioning factor. Here food would be prepared, cooked and served with love. This concept, a tribute to the Goddess of Plenty whose name is Annalakshmi, and the ideals, the warmth and the service very soon captured the taste buds and imagination of diners and connoisseurs alike.
Above: Founding and renovation of TFA Kuala Lumpur 1981
(Clockwise) Enthusiastic Shiva Family volunteers, Master Gopal Plans, Master Shivadas heaves, Swamiji at work
Above: Early class scenes at TFA Kuala Lumpur
(Clockwise) Dance class with a batch of budding tots, Music class in the open, Music 'kacheri' pioneers, Instrumental practise session
Above: Some of the TFA service ventures
(Clockwise) Annapoorna Restaurant KL (renamed Annalakshmi), SivaSanta Medical Charity in Johor Baru, Lavanya Arts, SivaSanta Medical Charity in Chennai
Above: Other activities
(Clockwise) Homam, Wedding Ceremony, Old TFA Bunglow - No: 116, Deepavali early morning in TFA
Tagged as a restaurant where 'vegetarian dining is a cultural experience' its true significance as a bold experiment can only be understood when one is cognisant that in this nation of twenty million meat eaters (of which eight percent are largely of South Indian descent), there had not been a single Indian (wholly) vegetarian restaurant. And therefore when the Annalakshmi Restaurant, delightfully furnished, first opened its doors in upscale Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur many were the skeptics that prophesied its short existence. Yet with the dedicated lady folk in the kitchens turning out their delectable wares and other assorted volunteers manning the restaurant floor, many in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur have become inveterate devotees of authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine.
Close on the heels of the restaurant, came into being Lavanya Arts, a boutique and handicrafts center whose initial foray had been in overseeing decor elements for the Temple of Fine Arts and the Annalakshmi Restaurant. Clearly artistic talents abounded within the Shiva Family members who saw the potential in propagating rustic and village art forms of the artisans from India. These clearly far excelled in appeal from the mass produced machine duplicates which lacked the 'soul' of the artist.