'Railway employee till 2010'; Swami Sankarananda reaches Padmanabhapuram palace

PADMANABHAPURAM: Standing in front of the Padmanabhapuram palace, adorning a saffron robe, caressing a Rudraksha and Trishul in hand, the saint attracted the attention of those who came to see the Navratri idol procession on Tuesday.

It was Swami Sankarananda, who retired from railways and found enlightenment in ascetic life. A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Swami retired from Central Station as a depot storekeeper in 2010. He now has two ashrams in Thalakulam and Gudalur.

Swami Sankarananda was born Krishnankutty Nair in Thiruvananthapuram. When the idol procession took place on Tuesday, Sankarananda reached Padmanabhapuram from Suchindranm in the Kanyakumari district.

Sanakarananda will also be in attendance when the idol procession reaches Kaliakkavilai on Wednesday. He is also a frequent visitor to the Pournamikavu temple in Venganoor.