On sunday I arrived in Tirupati. 2 young men - Pavan and Sai picked me up at the train station and brought me to the Hotel Annapurna, where I am staying. We spoke about my plans in Tirupati, so they could plan a few things and help me with the trips etc.
The trip to Tirumala on monday was quickly organized (Sias brothers and family were going on a pilgrimage to the temple, so I could join them). That is in the Posts called GOINDA.
Before we met Sais Family, Pavan and Sai toke me to the Sri Venkateswarar University in Tirupati. So this place has a University named after the God of the Tirumala temple. So are many things in Tirupati organized and payed by the TTD (Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams).
In this University my father did some more studys (after studying theology in Germany) and achieved his PHD! First they showed me many different departments of the University. It is a really big campus, long roads connect the buildings and there are alot of trees between all of them. From the hilltop it looks more like a forest than a University! The botanical garden was more like a forest from down, apparently no one really takes care here.
After they showed me their departments we visited sociology, because I remembered my father saying his PHD was about the religious sociology of Hinduism and Christianity in India. Wrong.
When I checked his Website I remembered he said it was a PHD of Philosophy. So we went to the philosophy department. Unfortunately we -again- didn't see his name on the board of PHDs of the department, so we asked the head of the department. He welcomed me to the University and was more interested in talking to a foreigner than helping with me looking for some kind of record about my father. I'd liked to have taken a foto of his name at least ^^
He called for some of his staff from the secratery to his office so they could take pictures more openly (I heard the smartphone camera sound earlier). Then they all toke turns standing next to me and having a foto taken. They said it was a real pleasure talking to me and meeting me. Same as Pavan always said. Yet I think the motivation behind this is different. Pavan has a connection - more or less - to me and my family. The people from the philosophy department don't. Eventhough they praised their seminars about Kant and other german philosophers (like satré he said ^^'). I had a feeling the assisting prof., who teaches Kant looked a little worried, when the head of the department introduced me to him as a visiting german. Then he was relieved, when he realised I'm no philosopher to test his knowledge. Kind of funny :D
The others handed me more like a trophy. Maybe they will show a few friends and tell them this man from germany came and visited me in my office. Not sure how you can show of with that, but I guess it's something you can do in India. Pavan told me that this type of showing off exists in India. Its more or less a great thing to meet a foreigner and talk to him, then you can tell your friends you actually met a german/american and talked to him...
After that we went to Tirumala (see other posts).
On wednesday Pavan and Sai met me in my room. They told me they were heading back to their Families. So they wouldn't accompany me that day, but Premar would take me around.
When Premar arrived Pavan and Sai said goodbye and he and I went to the West Church Compound. Where our old house stands. We went inside with the secretary of the church (I think Mr. George was his name). I saw the old bedroom, kitchen and dining room. Most rooms are empty, only the front rooms are being used as the office of the church now. A family is living upstairs, where there were once Guestrooms.
Thanks to the Chairman of the Church we were able to go inside. The parish is growing so they are expanding the church! He showed me the garden where also Hindus come to meditate and maybe talk to the students of the christian student centre.
After that we went to the east church compound. There a few important men of the church were waiting for me. They too had finished a new bigger church in 2004. Premar showed me the office where my father used to work and I was invited to lunch by Rajamohan, the chairman of the east compound church. Hiy house has been dedicated by my father in 1991, they said it was a great pleasure to have me for lunch.
They served me nice Chicken Biriyani and talked to me a little bit. The mother I think was overwhelmed with joy to have me and had to cool off in her room. She came later and I saw the joy in her face to see me. This feeling was really weird. I haven't done anything to recieve this sort of kindness. Just by being born to my father I seem to have inherited this thankfulness of the people.
Later Pavan told me: "We feel obligated to you, to show you all the kindness we have, because you were born to your good-hearted father. He was such an important person to our church. Without him we wouldn't be here and therefore we are so thankful to him and because you are his son, we are as thankful to you as to him."
I was really overwhelmed by all this. Every person who I met in Tirupati and surroundings (see the Post "Sri Kalahasti and bishops") and knew my father were all very very very kind to me. Their children and brothers and sisters were the same, even though they didn't know him! Still this feeling of obligation and kindness runs through the veins of these people - as it seems. They invited me to places, felt honoured just by my presence and to talk to me. Often someone said I look just like my father or my mother, as if they were reminiscing about him and actually seeing him through me. An astonishing feeling. Sometimes I felt as if I was exploiting them, just by being there they felt the need to pay my lunch, drinks or something else. I am pretty sure they didn't have this feeling and gave their money knowingly and willingly, as thanks to my father, but still... I am not him and therefore it was a weird feeling to recieve the thanks of people, who actually are thanking someone else.
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