Fwd: The Early days – 13 (Old Mandir Leelas – Coffee PODI (Powder) SAKAMMA)

[Bombay Srinivasan]

 D.Sakamma

 

 The Early days – 13 (Old Mandir Leelas – Coffee PODI (Powder)  SAKAMMA)

We know the stories of Karnam subamma and  Kamalamma. There was also another Loving Amma during Swami’s  early days.  Srimathi  Doddemani Sakamma was one of the founding figures of PrasanthiNilayam ashram. She was a  sweet and adorable lady. Swami used to call her Coffee Podi Sakamma. She was a coffee  planter, from coorg, in erstwhile  Mysore State.

 

Sakamma was originally from Bangalore. This Coorgi lady was the third wife of Doddamane Chikka Basappa and resident of Basavanagudi, Bangalore City.  She was honoured with the title Loka seva parayani (one who is devoted to service of society) by then Maharaja of Mysore. The Imperial government awarded her the title ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’ (‘Jewel of India’). She was also nominated by the Late Maharaja of Mysore to be the first lady representative in the Royal Mysore Assembly. 

 

 

All Sai devotees would have read in “Sathyam Sivam Sundaram” the episode of  “Kailash Committee”  An old sage and his young man driving a car visited the residence of this lady in Coorg. They were  seeking financial contribution to become a member in “Kailash Committee”. They took a declaration signed by her, and said they will collect the money later. When Sakamma saw Bhagavan Baba for the first time, she recognised that He was the same teenage driver. Swami described the complete events of that memorable day.   

 

Since then Sakamma was a regular visitor to Puttaparthi and spent many months in the divine Presence. Although  her relatives were not pleased with young Swami , she was not to be deterred.   Swami spent many months in her house in Bangalore in the early 1940's.  She spoke Telugu fluently.  When ever she came to Puttaparthi, she took up the responsibility of  cooking food  for Swami in the old mandir . She was a staunch taskmaster. She enforced  strict control on the food to be given to Swami.  She used to  cook clean and nutritious food. She would  also enforce afternoon rest for Swami.

 

Swami often made fun of her. He would roll his eyes and say that he had fever. Sakamma would become greatly concerned and she would start perspiring. With great care, she would feel his body and touch his cheeks. She would rush around to bring herbal medicines. 

 

Once when Sakamma was in Coorg she lost a nine-gem ring. It was stolen by some of her relatives. Swami asked her for more details about the ring,  and materialised the same ring and gave it to her.

 

THE MIDNIGHT DOSA

 

Swami would often play pranks on his devotees.  One night Swami woke up devotees saying he was hungry and wanted to eat dosas. People were wary of Sakamma and told Swami about it. Swami said she was sleeping and would not know.  Devotees hit upon an idea. They said they would make dosas for him provided he saw to that that no sound would  be heard when they were cooked. Swami agreed to do so.

 

As they lit the stove (made of mud and brick) and started cooking, not a sound was heard although the cooking lasted quite a while.  Swami quietly had the dosas and went to bed. In the next morning He decided to have some fun.  When Sakamma was ready with breakfast, Swami said he wasn’t hungry at all. Sakamma was worried and felt Swami had fallen sick or lost his appetite.  Swami took her aside and told her that the kuppam family had fed him dosas the previous night.  Sakamma was angry and scolded everyone for spoiling Swami’s health. The kuppam family faced her anger  the entire morning. Behind the scenes Swami was having a quite laugh.

 

Sakamma envisaged great interest in the construction work of Prashanthi Mandiram. She used to send many labourers for the construction work especially skilled carpenters. But like Karnam Subbamma,   Sakamma, too, did not live to see the inauguration of Prasanthi Nilayam , which was a project that she had helped to envision and funding too..

 

 

With Love & Regards,

"Mumbai" Srinivasan

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Web. Links:

“Previous Sareeram”  - The Old Body - (Story of Shirdi Sai Baba, as told by Sri Sathya Sai Baba) :

 The link: http://www.ssso.net/bombaysrinivasan-ebook2.htm

Sri Sathya Sai Hrudaya Nivasi – The link:  http://www.ssso.net/bombaysrinivasan-ebook.htm

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With Love & Regards,
Bombay Srinivasan