Old couple.

The old couple live near the temple .The husband a retiree spends his time offering to guide pilgrims from other states to Divyadesams , places of rest and mode of travel as a service to Narayana.

They compelled us to take lunch at their old fashioned narrow and long house,maintained spotlessly clean.

Prasadam,sweet pongal, the taste rivals that of the Tirupati laddu's, from Padmanabha swamy temple was also in the menu available only to few, who are long associated with the temple .Their connection dates back to several generations.

The lady had prepared a sumptuous meal despite her age and arthritic condition and spoke to us as she served the meal on a plantain leaf.

There was no scarcity of water or electricity only a dearth of pachcharisi--raw rice that Tamilians take, unlike the boiled rice popular in here..Further for the past several decades there was also scarcity of vegetables and milk.And that only for the past few year this scarcity has been overcome.

She and her friends visited the temple every evening without fail and commented that the once spotlessly clean temple had lost its sheen under the new security ring.That her diabetic friends ,all in 70's walk around the long prakaram several times as an exercise as well.

The only unhindered, open and spacious space in the city!