Agasthiappa Mudaliar
Agasthiappa Mudhaliar (14 November 1927 – 02 December 2019) was a Congress leader, Philanthropist, Shaivite, Village President, Councillor, etc. He served as president in various cooperative societies. He was fondly called “Thalaivar” or “Chinnavar” by Perunagar village people and his followers in Uthiramerur Taluk. He held 17 leadership positions at the same time.
Early Life and Family: Agasthiappa Mudhaliar was born on 14 November 1927 at Perunagar village in Uthiramerur Taluk, Kanchipuram District to Mr. Azhaganandha Mudaliar and Mrs. Ambujammal. He had an elder brother, Thirumurugananda Mudaliar. Because of poverty and his family situation, he could not continue his studies; he took care of the family by doing farming and various other activities. He got married at the age of 18 to Mrs. Sundarambal, daughter of Mr. Ellappa Mudaliar and Mrs. Ilanjiammal on 13.09.1945. He has five daughters namely Pattuvadhananbaal, Vadivambaal, Parvathy, Rajakumari and Karpagam.
Political Career: During his childhood itself, he enrolled as part of the Indian Freedom movement before he joined TNCC. He followed Gandhi’s ideology and wore only cotton clothes throughout his life. Because of his hard work, political connections and his hospitality, several ministers visited Perunagar to open the welfare plans brought in by him, like Mr. Kamaraj, Mr. Bhaktavachalam, Mr. C. Subramanyam, Mr. Kakkan, Mr. O.V. Alagessan, Mr. Ramaiya, Mrs. Lourdammal Simon, Mr. Ramaiya, Mr. N. S. Rajkumar Manraadiar, Mr. T. Purushotham Mudhaliyar and also various other government officials visited Perungar during his tenure. He was instrumental in developing his village by bringing schools, a police station, a cooperative bank, a library, a milk society, a rice mill, etc.
He served as head of Farmers Association and helped with irrigation activities like taking care of lakes, canals, and performed sediment removal as a lake restoration technique. He also served as president of Chengalpat district’s rice mill association for 10 years. He also served as Secretary of Thondai Mandala Saiva Vellalar Sangam from 1981 – 2019. He also served as LLA member of Chengalpat’s Library Association through government’s nomination. In 1976, he was sent to Punjab by government to participate in Dairy Association Conference.
Cooperative Society Positions and Activities:
He received a special cooperative Society member award from Mr. Anbazhagan (ex-education minister), at a program led by K.N. Nehru (ex-cooperative society minister) on 25.01.2001 at Kanchipuram as part of the 47th All India Cooperative Week - State level festival. 1. He gave life to the non-functioning body of United Currency Association and maintained it between 1945 – 56. 2. In 1956, he united 6 nearby villages of Perungar (Perunagar, Ilanagar, Chetpet, Manampathy, Manapathy Kandigai and Visoor) and formed the cooperative agricultural bank and he served as President of that bank. 3. Between 1947 – 56, he served as a governing body member of the Uthiramerur cooperative corporation. 4. Between 1956 - 62, he served as Secretary of the Uthiramerur cooperative corporation. 5. Between 1962 – 65, he served as President of the Uthiramerur cooperative corporation. 6. Between 1965 – 68, he served as Director of the Kanchipuram Central Cooperative Bank. 7. Between 1965 – 2001, he served as Perungar Cooperative Bank president. 8. Between 1958 – 89, he served as President of the Perungar Milk Society group. 9. Between 1965 – 68, he served as Chengalpat district’s cooperative bank’s Vice President. 10. Between 1962 – 75, he served as President of Rural Co-operative Housing Society of Perunagar village. 11. Between 1962 – 85, he served as President of Cooperative Goat Breeders Association. 12. Between 1958 – 61, he served as Director of Kanchipuram Taluk Cooperative Marketing Society He spent 56 years in service with the cooperative society for which he was honored with a special cooperative member award as part of 46th, 47th and 48th cooperative week – district level festivals.
Spiritual Activities:
1. On 09.07.1992 – He served as Secretary of the Temple Restoration Committee of Selva Vinayaga Perumal temple, Middle street, Perunagar and arranged for the consecration ceremony of the temple. 2. He formed Brahmapureeswarar monthly worship group and arranged for spiritual discourses, took those groups to various famous historic sites of Lord Shiva and explained them the history of those sites and helped spread Shaivism. 3. He served as a member of the Brahmapureeswarar temple trust committee and greatly helped with all the temple development activities. 4. On 10.07.2011 – he, along with the help of other volunteers and the board of Trustees of Brahmapureeswarar temple, gathered almost 1 crore and performed the consecration ceremony of the temple which did not happen in the previous 100 years of Perunagar’s history. He was instrumental in arranging all the help to perform this. 5. Whenever the temple chariot was having issues, he arranged a lot of volunteers and collected enough funds and arranged for the needed wood for fixing the chariot from other nearby places and amazed the whole village by performing the chariot festival. 6. Va.Cee.Kalyana Sundara Mudhaliyar’s book on Selva Vinayaga Perumal with the help of Mr. Arunachalam was published by Sankara Mutt Poet Jayasenthilnathan. 7. Every year, he performed Maasi Magam festival, Mariyamman Aadi month festival, Perumal temple Navarathri festival and special abhishegam to Selva Vinayaga Perumal on his birthday without fail. 8. He had arranged a grand welcome to Sankara Mutt Gurus and Thondai Mandal Aadheenakarthas and helped everyone in the village to get blessings from them.
Death: He died at his residence in Perunagar on 02 December 2019 after prolonged illness. He worked hard throughout his life for the Perunagar village and brought in various welfare plans, he was fondly called as father of the Perungar village. He was very kind and loving towards everyone, from kids to elderly people and the whole village referred to him with love as “Periyavar”.
References
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