The Hindu : Kerala News : Thanks to Guruvayoorappan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 08, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Thanks to Guruvayoorappan

By K. Santhosh

Jill Detweiler and her husband Ben Clemens with their daughter Sarah.

THRISSUR, FEB 7. Jill Detweiler and her husband Ben Clemens believe that their daughter, Sarah, was born safely because of the blessings of Lord Guruvayoorappan.

Expressing their gratitude, the couple from New York got Krishnanattom staged at the Sreekrishna temple in Guruvayur, near here, on January 29. Such thanksgiving shows are not infrequent at the temple.

The story began when the British-born writer-photographer Pepita Seth went to New York to deliver a lecture on Theyyam and Krishnanattom, having been invited by Amy Trompetter, renowned puppeteer and professor at Barnard College.

``Ms. Trompetter looked worried one day. She told me her nephew's wife, Ms. Detweiler, was in labour. There were serious complications and the doctors were worried. Ms. Trompetter's family did not know what to do. I suggested that they pray to Lord Guruvayoorappan. They did,'' says Ms. Seth.

The next day, Ms. Trompetter was all smiles. ``Ms. Detweiler had given birth to a healthy child. The family attributed it to the blessings of Lord Guruvayoorappan. Till then, they had not even heard of the Guruvayur temple. They were eager to know about the shrine and made an offering to the temple,'' Ms. Seth says.

When Ms. Seth came to Kerala, she received an e-mail from Ms. Trompetter, requesting her to arrange a Krishnanattom performance at the Guruvayur temple.

Curiously, the episode presented was `Avatharam.'

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