Dear srkudai,
Nochur Venkataraman was born in a village called Nochur, near Palghat.
He is a Palghat Brahmin, who knows Tamil and Malayalam. His
knowledge of Sanskrit is stupendous. He is a post graduate in
Sanskrit with particular reference to Vedanta. He studied in
Sri Sankara University in Kaladi, Kerala. He is about 35 years old, married and has got a cute little child by name Sadasiva. He had almost similar experiences in his childhood, his father, uncles etc., dying in quick succession in a year. The children in the house, even if there is a good function, used to ask the elders : Is today a
Devasam? [death ceremony function]. Thus he had opportunity
to think and contemplate as what is death, how a person dies?
He went to several places including SRK Math (I am not sure whether he joined as a probationer and then left it later). He came to
Tiruvannamalai and was immediately impressed by Bhagavan's
teachings. He says: Bhagavan opened my Heart! He studied
thoroughly all of Bhagavan Ramana's works. And started telling to
small audience in and around Palghat and Tellicherry, about Bhagavan's philosophy. His name spread and started discoursing
in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Chennai, Mumbai and even in Tiruvannamalai. He must have got married a few years back, and his only kid is Sadasiva. The couple own a house in T'malai but they go to different places for Nochur discoursing on Bhagavan Ramana. He goes even to Hardwar. He is an exponent in Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita apart from Bhagavan's teachings. He has recently released a book in Malayalam giving the comprehensive life and teachings of Bhagavan.
I met him first in Asramam. Later again recently I met him in
T'malai, when I went there on 19th and 20th July. I listened
to his discourse on Sri Dakshinamurty Stotram spread over 7
days for 14 hours, in Bangalore. Several CDs have come on his talks on Bhagavan's works. He is speaking about ULLadu Narpadu
since 2005. In five years, one week each, spread over 14 hours
he has covered upto 36 verses. One more discourse is due this
December 2010. Sri Ganesan, the eldest grand son of Sarvadikari,
has said in one satsangh, Nochur is today's embodiment of
Bhagavan Ramana! T.R. Kanakammal has attended his discourse
in 2009 in Chennai, when she was convalescing.
I also heard him in a brief question answer session, to an audience
of about 15 people, in T'malai inside Mother's Temple.
His CDs are only in Tamizh. If I get in other languages [it might
come in future], I shall be too glad to send a couple of cassettes.
Arunachala Siva.
Arunachala Siva.