Raus Peter was an officer of the British East India company who was know for his compassion and able administration. There is a famous miracle story of Madurai Meenakshi herself saving this British officer who later became Peter Pandian.
In the deep of night, Raus’s sleep was disturbed. The sound
of a fierce storm and heavy rain was overpowered by a knocking sound at his
door. Even on this stormy night, someone was knocking at his door.
When he opened the door, Raus Peter was taken aback! A young
girl, drenched in the rain, was standing in front of him. Without saying a
word, the girl grabbed his hand and pulled him. He felt strangely numb. He
couldn't resist. He couldn't even ask any questions.
Holding the girl's hand, he followed her out of the house.
And at that very moment, his house collapsed with a deafening crash. Raus
shuddered. If this girl hadn't saved him…
The girl continued walking ahead. Raus followed her. They
veered off the path and arrived at the front of a temple. She entered the
temple. Should he follow her inside? It would be better not to! But, after a
moment of hesitation, Raus stepped into the temple. Inside, in the sanctum of
the Meenakshi Temple, the girl vanished! Before him stood only the radiant
golden idol of Goddess Meenakshi, lit by the flames of the lamps.
Raus Peter was astonished; he realized there was no
difference between the girl and the deity! Could it be? Tears filled his eyes.
No, this was not blind faith or superstition. She truly existed. What a divine
act of grace from the mother! Raus Peter, the British officer, became known to
all as Peter Pandian. He gave away all his earnings at the feet of the goddess.
From the very beginning, Raus had been different from the
other British officers. When he arrived to govern Madurai (Meenakshi Pattinam)
for the East India Company in 1812, he did not rely on weapons but on love as
his weapon. Through his charity, meditation, and magnanimity, the common people
didn't even realize they were under a British ruler. It was as if he were their
father. Goddess Meenakshi herself, sitting in her temple, was witnessing his
righteous deeds. As the supreme goddess, she rewards people according to their
actions. And so, on that stormy night, Raus Peter was saved from disaster.