Temple, Travel and Sport

Lord Namperumal provided a Grand darshan on the New Golden Garuda Vahana at Veereswaram while the devotees’ hands went up in Unison with the Smart Phone to shoot his picture!!!

The Garuda Vahana was still being anointed with Gold at 5pm inside the Ranganatha temple, the authorities then did a photo shoot with the new Vahana delaying the start of the procession at Veereswaram by 45 minutes.

Garuda then watched helplessly as the Lord passed by defunct Indian Styled Toilets on Uthira Streets

It was the fourth day of the over 500 years old Thai Bhoopathi Thirunaal Utsavam at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. And the day of the recital of Thirumazhisai Azhvaar’s Naanmugan Thiruvanthathi.

நான்முகனைநாராயணன்படைத்தான்

நான்முகனும்தான்முகமாய்

சங்கரனைதான்படைத்தான்

யான்முகமாய்அந்தாதிமேலிட்டு

அறிவித்தேன்ஆழ்பொருளை

சிந்தாமல்கொள்மின்நீர்தேர்ந்து

At least 2000 devotees gathered at 530pm on Thursday (Jan 25) evening at the Garuda Sevai Asthana Mandapam in Veereswaram near Amma Mandapam on the banks of Cauvery 30 minutes ahead of the Bhoopathi Thirunaal Garuda Sevai Purapadu of Lord Namperumal.

Timing of the Procession – A Distinguishing feature at Srirangam

Historically, a distinguishing feature at the Ranganathaswamy Divya Desam has been the perfect timing of the processions of Lord Namperumal. While the devotees started gathering in at Veereswaram to pick their favourite spot to have first darshan of the Lord atop his vehicle Garuda, few knew that the Lord’s vehicle was still being constructed inside the Ranganatha temple.

Focus on Constant New Additions

HR & CE has heavily cashed in, over the last decade, on the donor’s craze to contribute. There had already been many new Golden Vahana contributions in 2017. And it was time for another Golden Garuda this time for the Bhoopathi Thirunaal. However, this turned out to be a last day exercise, leaving devotees wondering if the devotees were wooed late into the utsavam!!!

Two hours to the scheduled start of the procession at Veereswaram, the Lord’s vehicle had just begun to be anointed with the Golden Kavacham as this writer stood next to the Garuda Mandapam near the Ariya Bhattal Vaasal at the Ranganathaswamy temple wondering as to why the vehicle had not reached Veereswaram at this hour. The alankaram of both the Lord atop the Garuda Vahana as well as the Garuda himself usually takes close to an hour and the screen closes (for devotee darshan) by 5pm on the evening of the Garuda Sevai.

But here the Vehicle Lord was surrounded by multiple workers nailing the screws on the new addition of Gold closely watched and monitored by the time keeper Manian who had a worried look on his face as time was ticking by and it was likely that the procession would not start on time.

Lord’s faith in Garuda

பதிப்பகைஞற்க்குஆற்றாதுபாய்திரைநீர்பாழி

மதித்துஅடைந்தவாழ்அரவம்

தன்னைமதித்து

அவன்தன்வல்ஆகத்துஏற்றிய

மாமேனிமாயவனை

அல்லாதுஒன்றுஏத்தாது என்நா -திருமழிசை ஆழவார்

Namperumal had reached Veereswaram earlier in the day after his morning procession on the 'Prabhai’ around the Uthira Streets of Srirangam. Those devotees who gathered in large numbers after 5pm continued to have darshan of Lord Namperumal that it should have been time to close to the screen for the Garuda Sevai alankaram. But the Vehicle of the Lord had not arrived at Veereswaram even by 5.30pm.

First the authorities and Then the Devotees with the Photo Shoot!!!

While the devotees were thus waiting at Veereswaram, it was time for the authorities and the ever smiling- never to miss a 'photo opp' Sundar Bhattar to do a photo shoot at the Ranganatha Temple with the new Golden Garuda Vahanam. And just close to the scheduled time of the purapadu, the small sized Golden Garuda arrived by a tractor at Veereswaram!!!

Several hundreds of devotees had lined up on both side of the Mambazha Salai just before 6pm in the hope of having darshan in the next few minutes. Over the next half hour, there were murmurs from the several decades old traditionalists of Srirangam who had watched this utsavam from way back in the 1950s. They recalled as to how timing was one thing that Lord Namperumal never missed and that the devotees could always arrive to have darshan at the scheduled time. They bemoaned this tradition that Namperumal never likes a delay too was being tinkered with.

When an official who has been involved at the temple for well over three decades was asked as to how even the basic work on the new Garuda was still going on after 4pm inside the Ranganatha temple said that ‘such questions should not be asked and that one would have to just wait it out’!!! A typical response of the changing times at the temple!!

If this was a sign of the changing times and the ‘donor funding’ driven functioning under the HR & CE, at 645pm one got a taste of the new wave of devotion.

As the screen opened and Lord Namperumal made a grand entry out of the Veereswaram Mandapam led by the Ghee lit lamps, one was delighted to see the hands of the devotees rising in Unison in the hundreds. It seemed that they all remembered the verses of Thirumazhisai Azhvaar.

In his praise of the Lord of Srirangam, Thirumazhisai Azhvaar had said that the Lord goes around looking for the true devotees and that the devotees too are constantly looking at his lotus feet for blessing.

ஆட்பார்த்துஉழிதருவாய்

கண்டுகொள்என்றும்நின்தாட்பாரத்து

உழிதருவேன்தன்மையை

கேட்பார்க்குயாரும்பொருளாய்நின்றஅரங்கனே

உன்னைவிரும்புவதேவிள்ளேன்மனம்

But lo, it was not the folded hands of devotion. The first action from almost the entire devotee crowd (including the ladies and the Senior Citizens) from the Veereswaram Mandapam to the Mambazha Salai was to shoot the picture of the Lord with their Smart Phones. And the Lord had to wait to see the folded hands!!!

The Truly Devotional Prabhandham Ghosti

It was almost 830pm when the Lord entered the South Uthira Street in front of the Ranga Ranga Gopuram where the Prabhandham Scholars had been waiting for a while to begin the recital of the Nanmugan Thiruvanthathi on this fourth day of the utsavam.

Their devotion to the Lord is probably the tradition that has been least affected at this temple in the decades gone by. No cell phone chats during their recital unlike in so many other Divya Desams. They are truly focused on the Lord despite the many distractions. Their chanting style of the Prabhandham that is unique to the Ranganathaswamy temple is so full of devotion that it is difficult not to be devotionally lured.

Lord passes by the defunct open toilets on Uthira Streets

If the delay on the evening and rising hands of the cell phones were not enough of a bad sign, one was even more shocked as the Lord passed through the North Uthira and East Uthira Streets. Just a few yards away from the Lord were several open Indian Styled toilets. Some of them had been closed with Sand but several remained open and the devotees who walked along with the Lord during the procession had to evade these pavement toilets, carefully.

While so much of attention is paid to the anointment of Gold on the Garuda even as late as 5pm, an hour ahead of the scheduled time of the utsavam unmindful of the delay to the procession and the waiting devotees, the Lord is made to pass through with a number of defunct open toilets by his side.

While the authorities just showcased the UNESCO award on the grand restoration of the temple to the CM of Tamil Nadu, it is important that during the post restoration phase and as part of its ongoing initiatives, they pay attention to these details on street processions. It is not enough to just have all the vahanas embedded with Gold. One has to ensure that the Lord is handed out a grand welcome in all the streets and the presence of defunct toilets on the traditional Uthira streets is surely not a rewarding experience for the Lord.

The Historical Thai Utsavam

The Bhoopathi Thirunaal utsavam in Thai dates back to the period of the Vijayanagara King Veera Bhoopathi Udayar who in a birthday celebration began the Chariot Festival on his birthday on Punarpoosam in Thai over 500 years ago. It is in recognition of his contribution that the festival in Thai at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam has been named as the ‘Bhoopathi Thirunaal’ with the Utsava Deity going around the Uthira Veethi (the inner street) on each of the days on an exclusive Vahanam with the Chariot Festival on the 9^th day.

Bhoopathi Udayar would not have been happy of a festival named after him with the Lord passing by open toilets on the historically traditional ‘Outer Prakaram’.

Back at the temple, for close to an hour, the prabhandham experts continued with their devotional rendering of Thirumazhisai Azhvaar’s verses standing opposite the Vahana Mandapam. And as the Lord listened to the high pitched traditional recital and having seen the great service rendered by the Sri Patham Thangis -20 of whom carried him in turns for almost close to 3 hours on the evening, he would have hoped that the HR & CE officials as well as the authorities too showed the same intent in carrying out this historical utsavam in a traditional way not allowing for such delays and ensuring the traditional streets that the Lord passes by are clean so the sanctity of the utsavam is maintained.

PS: The Sri Patham Thangis after having seen the Lord through to the Kannadi Arai just after 10.30 pm were back the next morning at 4am for the Sesha Vahana procession around the Uthira Streets followed by a procession. One cannot but admire their devotional commitment to the Lord’s procession during these 11 days.

A young Bhattar revives Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's historical location in Mangai Madam
The High Flying NextGen Bhattar is all set to take over the 'dynamic bhattar' tag in the Nangur region from Madhavan Bhattar of Annan Perumal Koil

Balaji Bhattar was just 20 years old when he took up Mangai Madam Veera Narasimha temple, one of the Pancha Narasimha temples of Thiru Nangur and a location where Thiru Mangai Azhvaar had performed the Thathiyeeraadhanai for 1008 Vaishnavites as per the condition laid by his beloved Kumuduvalli Nachiyar of Annan Perumal Koil.

This location was also home to the first step in the transformation of Mangai Mannan from a king to a Saint Poet. Historically, this has been a temple where Thirumangai Azhvaar makes an annual trip from Thirunagari on the No Moon Day in Thai (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/03/thiru-nangur-11-garuda-sevai.html). This trip is now part of the 124 year old Thai 11 Garuda Sevai Utsavam and Thiru Mangai Azhvaar begins his trip from Thirunagari by visiting Thiru Kuraiyalur (2 kms from here) and Mangai Madam before making his way to Thiru Nangur.

At the time it had been in a completely dilapidated state with broken floors and falling roof. The outer walls had been completely damaged. Nothing seemed right at this legendary location that had led Thiru Mangai Azhvaar to fulfilling his promise and to subsequently getting married to Kumudavalli. Decades of uncared existence had brought it to a stage of going into oblivion. And when the young Balaji Bhattar came back after completing his Vedic and Agama initiation from the renowned Lakshmana Dikshithar of Parthan Palli Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2012/07/parthan-palli-divya-desam.html), a few kms from here, he along with Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan began the process of resurrecting the temple from ground up.

When Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan visited the Divya Desams in Thiru Nangur in the 1990s, he was saddened to find the temple in tatters. He helped reconstruct almost the entire temple in 2000-01. In a flat period of 123 days the entire reconstruction work was completed by Madhavan and his team.

Balaji Bhattar of Mangai Madam, who had his schooling locally in Nangur had come to Mylapore, Madras as a young boy to learn the Vedas but his real initiation into the agamas came from Lakshmana Dikshithar. He then took over full charge of the temple and has in the last 17 years revived a number of the historical Utsavams including the Brahmotsavam. Indications are that there was once a big chariot and the chariot went through the four streets of Mangai Madam.

The real NextGen Bhattar in the Thiru Nangur region

He is one Bhattar in the Thiru Nangur region who is best qualified to take on the ‘dynamic bhattar’ mantle that has been held by Madhavan Bhattar of Annan Perumal Koil (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/12/annan-perumal-koil.html). At a young age, he has grasped the model of capturing the devotee’s attention inside temple and getting them interested in temple activities.

Revival of Utsavams

Since the restoration of the temple in 2001, he has brought it back to life reviving the historical utsavams including the Brahmotsavam in Aadi. He has also revived the Pavitrotsavam and Narasimha Jayanthi Utsavams. Thirumangai Azhvaar's annual trip from Thirungari to Thiru Kuraiyalur and Mangai Madam are now grand trips.

Offers from Thiru Nangur

Balaji Bhattar is also in demand from the Thiru Nangur temples to support them in alankaram and related sacred activities at those Divya Desams especially during the big utsavams there. There hasve been feelers sent to him to check his interest on shifting into one of the Divya Desams in Thiru Nangur into a full fledged role.

But Mangai Madam has always been something close to Balaji Bhattar's heart for he has been there from the time he was a young boy and had seen the process of dilapidation with his own eyes through the 1990s. And it had been his presence that has helped its survival and the transformation one is seeing currently in the activities at the temple.

At the moment, his mind is all focused on Lord Veera Narasimha at Mangai Madam and to make this temple an integral part of a devotee's Nangur Divya Desam trip. Already there are devotees making their way to the temple from distant corners of the world.

In a matter of a decade and a half, Balaji Bhattar has showcased to the archaka community at large that with commitment and devotion to the Lord, one can succeed even from the remotest part of the state and that the future is not so bleak for the Bhattars if the starting point of their Kainkaryam is devotion to the Lord.

A long Battle to Protect Temple Heritage and Architecture

The Man who combined with Subramaniam Swamy to secure Pothu Dikshithars' hereditary rights at the Chidambaram Temple

‘Ramesh stood by us during the dark period of the HR & CE takeover assuring us that he would fight till the very end for our just cause. In a time and age when most are looking for personal glorification, it is rare to find someone as devoted and committed, and as selfless as him in the fight against injustice at temples in Tamil Nadu’ – Chidambaram Temple’s Sivaraja Dikshithar

It is a chilly Margazhi morning and the day of the Avathara Utsavam of Vaayilar Nayanar, the only Nayanar from Mylapore. Temple activist TR Ramesh, a former banking professional and a staunch Saivite devotee well versed in the Thevaram and other sacred verses is at the Kapaleeswarar Temple to fight the HR & CE department on the issue of the temporary music and dance stage that had been erected right in front of the Nayanar Sannidhi. He is seen frantically calling the JC of the temple enquiring about the removal of the stage with the Abhishekam just a few hours away.

In the evening, at the Pushpa Pallakku street procession, around 400 delighted devotees are seen thanking him profusely for his tireless effort in helping remove the obstructions and facilitating the proper conduct of the annual festival.

The additional constructions such as Anna Dhana Koodams, toilets and new sannidhis that have come up in many ancient temples thus destroying its heritage and architecture is one of the big battles Ramesh has been involved in with the HR & CE in the last few years.

Chidambaram Pothu Dikshithars’ case

January 6 (this year – 2018) marked the fourth anniversary of the landmark judgment and a historic victory for Pothu Dikshithars of the Chidambaram Sabanayakar temple. It was Ramesh’s first big success in his battle against the HR & CE. While the verdict was being pronounced that morning at the Supreme Court, Ramesh was at the Ayodhya Mandapam, in West Mambalam physically stalling efforts by the HR & CE to take over the Samajam and within an hour of the Supreme Court verdict, the Madras HC had provided a stay to HR & CE’s attempted takeover. It was a dual victory for Ramesh that day.

He has since successfully stopped the takeover of 5 ancient temples in TN including Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal Temple, Chromepet, Kandhaswamy Temple, Kandhakottam and Aiyyapan Temple, Kodungaiyur.

He also stalled the construction of the Raja Gopuram at the Padalathri temple in Singaperumal Koil and is currently taking on the HR & CE against the construction of a new modern Raja Gopuram at the over 1000years old Kurupapureeswarar temple in Thiruvennainallur, near Villupuram.

He is confident that the planned construction of the new Raja Gopuram at Thiru Vellarai Divya Desam near Srirangam too will be stopped.

The fight against HR & CE

When the judgment was pronounced against the Pothu Dikshithars in 2009, it was Ramesh’s father, an erudite Saivite Scholar that they first approached for the next action in the fight for their rights. Ramesh took up the task of putting together the entire research material including a paragraph wise rebuttal for Shri Subramanian Swamy to fight the case in the Supreme Court. His research on Chidambaram temple and the law relating to temple rights were sharpened and honed during the research period of almost 5years.

His initial angst against the HR & CE was driven by the Hundies that came up in multiple places within the Chidambaram temple soon after the 2009 Madras High Court order handing the temple to the HR & CE. He found that this had a direct impact on the livelihood of the Dikshithars and diminished a substantial portion of the Dhakshina monies.In the name of the prasadam stall, he says they sold food that was made outside. But what really infuriated Ramesh was the notices HR & CE sent to all the Dikshithars to get them registered so they could appoint and recognize a few as Archakas, for he saw this as a plan to create division among the Dikshithar families.

That was when he started using the RTI Act to secure information about the HR & CE administered temples and found to his dismay a number of violations in the functioning of the temples. He filed over 700 applications and the information provided him with significant insights into the lack of processes and systems in the administration of the temples.

In 2015, he filed five Writ Petitions questioning the appointment and presence of Executive Officers in five of the big temples and another one challenging the appointment of HR & CE staff as Fit Persons in temples. A few months ago, he issued notices to the Commissioner relating to 17 temples where there were no orders of appointment of EOs. It was after his writ that the department framed the rules for the appointment of EOs under the HR & CE Act for the first time in 55 years. His case on improper civil works in temples in the name of Thiruppani has now been tagged along with the Suo Moto Heritage case at the Madras High Court.

Chidambaram’s Sivaraja Dikshithar

80 year old M. N Sivaraja Dikshithar is a scholar extraordinaire and a master of Sanskrit, Tamil, English and Hindi. He has seen the highs and lows at the Chidambaram temple over the last 7 decades and is all praise for the efforts of Ramesh

‘Hundreds of the Pothu Dikshithar families are grateful to Ramesh for his selfless service of five years in helping us secure our historical rights. It was a terrible time for the Pothu Dikshithars after the adverse verdict in 2009 and many went into depression. It was Ramesh who stood by us during that dark period assuring us that he would fight till the very end for our just cause. In a time and age when most are looking for personal glorification, it is rare to find someone as devoted and committed, and as selfless as him in the fight against injustice at temples in Tamil Nadu.’

Dedicating his life to Protecting Ancient Temples

He understands that fighting such a large institution managing close to 40000 temples will be a very long drawn out process but is committed to fulfilling the promise given to Late Shri Dayanand Saraswathi, just a month prior to his death, that he would dedicate his entire life to protecting the heritage and architecture of ancient temples and not give up this fight unmindful of the challenges that may come his way.

Five Areas of Concern

Ramesh says he will be relentless in his pursuit of taking on the HR & CE in issues relating to the department’s interference in religious matters, non protection of temple properties and non realization of income, issues relating to auctioning of prasadam stalls and the like, diversion of temple funds to non temple purposes and the flawed process of Thiruppani including demolition of ancient sculptures and heritage in the name of renovation.

After the unsavoury incident at the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Margazhi, devotees of the temple are now coming together to form a Temple Worshippers Forum in Mylapore to fight collectively as a group irregularities and hurdles they face with the HR & CE department.

This Ramesh believes is a great sign in meeting his objective of getting HR & CE to act in the spirit of what the Act had really intended all those decades ago - the role of looking after the properties of the temple and realising the due income from them. He says that the fight against injustice in Temples has risen rapidly in recent years and is confident that this will soon become an avalanche and that Justice will finally prevail.

His Temple Activism successes thus far include helping secure rights for the Pothu Dikshathars of Chidambaram, stalling takeover bid of HR & CE in 5 temples, preventing arbitrary civil works in several temples, helping the Proper Conduct of the Vaayilar Nayanar Avathara Utsavam in Mylapore and forcing HR & CE to frame the rules of EO appointment for the first time. And in 2018, he is raring to go further taking the HR & CE on even more..

He is currently in the process of filing a Writ of Mandamus seeking direction that HR & CE will publish all the information, voluntarily, relating to the temples under section 4 of the RTI Act and another writ against the transfer of temple funds for non temple purposes. He is also planning to file a Writ relating to illegal presence of EOs in many temples and a Writ seeking handing over 40 temples back to original trustees.

With his complete understanding of the HR & CE Act, Ramesh is now readying himself to go the full distance in his battle against the HR & CE with the Temple Worshippers Society funding his temple activism initiatives.He has just started ‘belling the cat’ and many more across the country are now joining him in this endeavour. Ramesh has drawn inspiration from enquiries he has been receiving from the trustees of several temples across the Southern States seeking his counsel in their fight to keep the department away from their respective temple. It is a clear sign of the increased awareness of the rights to administer temples.

(A version of this story featured in The Hindu Friday Review today)

A once in a Century Sapthaavaranam coinciding with Chandra Grahanam creates huge ‘agama process’ controversy at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam

In a commendable move, JC Pon Jayaraman takes a bold and an unprecedented decision of revising the entire schedule of events at the last minute in an effort to do the ‘right’ thing

Thursday January 31, 2018 marked a once in over a century event at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. On this day, Chandra Grahanam coincided with the Sapthaavaranam of the Bhoopathi Thirunaal Utsavam in Thai.

The events as it unfolded over the week of this grand Thai Utsavam also showcased the difficulties in managing such a large and ancient temple with many different and conflicting views having to be considered before finalizing upon the sequence of events on the day. Many different factions, each with their own opinion does not make it easy for the authorities to take decisions, and yet one had to commend the JC of the temple, Pon Jayaraman, for a brave decision he took on this day dismissing the officially printed programme schedule that had been in circulation for over three quarters.

The annual calendar

For many years, the Srirangam temple has been bringing out an annual calendar that provides complete details on the days of the utsavams in the year as well as the timings of procession and other highlights of pooja on these days. This calendar of events is also posted on the website of the temple.

For this year, 2017-18, the calendar book had been launched in Panguni of 2017 i.e nine months ahead of this Bhoopathi Thirunaal utsavam.

The page relating to January 31, 2018 clearly indicated that it was the day of the Chandira Grihanam and provides the timings of Moolavar Darshan as well as the specific timing of the Thirumanjanam, the special Sapthaavaranam Procession, one where Lord Namperumal goes around the Uthira streets listening to Ramanuja Nootranthaathi chanting without the beating of the drums.

As per this schedule, the Grahanam Thirumanjanam was to take place between 5 pm and 730 pm. And then Lord Namperumal was to leave for the Uthira Veethi Sapthaavaranam procession at 10 pm. And the flag was to be brought down at 0.30 am (Feb 1) after ‘Padippu’ thanking the Lord for the safe and successful conduct of the Utsavam.

Till the middle of this Utsavam, this had remained the schedule, until a sudden realization happened with Murali Bhattar, raising the need to have two Thirumanjanams on the day one prior to the Purapadu for Sapthaavaranam (Thirunaal ending Thirumanjanam) and then one after the flag was brought down for the Chandra Grahanam.

Murali Bhattar, well versed in the agamas and who has been here at the temple for several decades told this writer that this annual calendar (handed out to the devotees at a pre fixed price) is usually run through the Araiyars, the Uthama Nambi clan and the Bhattars before it is finalized ahead of the Tamil New Year.

When asked as to why this was not pointed out earlier, either before it went to print or during the course of the year, he conveyed his apologies to the authorities for overlooking the error in the calendar but requested the authorities to take corrective action as he had noticed it ahead of the day and to stick to what was right as per the agamas.

A revision in schedule had many other officials, bhattars and kainkaryapakas raising their eyebrows.

Japta Sampath, known for his loud and vocal voicing of opinions, registered a strong protest against the conduct of two Thirumanjanams and bringing forward the 10pm procession to 1.30pm. Several decades experienced Raman Bhattar of Therazhundur, a man well versed in the agamas agreed with Murali Bhattar that it was appropriate to have two Thirumanjanams on the day.

The temple had to make a choice between the two options. A programme taking into account the Chandra Grahanam, had been chalked out three quarters earlier with a clear description of the events of the day and the schedule had been officially printed by the temple.

Do they choose to stick to the popular and safe decision of the programme detailed in the calendar at the beginning of the year after the Bhattar had brought the error to their notice or do they take corrective action and go ahead with the right process for the day and acknowledge the error in the official schedule.

It was not an easy decision to take, for it seemed that on the day leading up to the Chandra Grahanam a majority wanted to stick to the schedule and were not in favour of two Thirumanjanams and a revision of procession timing.

A Commendable Decision by the JC

The man in the hot seat JC Pon Jayaraman took quite a bold and brave decision and quite an unprecedented one at that. He stuck his neck out to go with what was stated in the agamas for such a unique occurrence of a Sapthaavaranam day falling on a Chandra Grahanam.Through the day one could hear murmurs of angst against the rescheduling of the entire set of events on this day.

The 9^th day Thirumanjanam after the Chariot festival ended only around mid night and the Kainkaryapakas had to be back at the temple in the morning for this additional Thirumanjanam in the morning on the 10^th day of the Utsavam.

This new schedule posted on the notice board outside the Ariya Bhattal Vaasal on the morning of the 10^th day showed the first Thirumanjanam in the morning at 9 am, the procession at 1.30 pm, the flag to be brought down at 4 pm and the second ‘Grahanam’ Thirumanjanam after 5 pm with the Lord going back to the Moolavar Sannidhi at 9.15 pm.

Sitting in front of the notice board, Japta Sampath also questioned the plan to bring down of the flag at 4 pm as it was not to be done before Sunset.

As luck would have it, one that saved the day for the JC and the authorities, the first Thirumanjanam and the formalities following that were so delayed that the procession took off only at 3.45pm which meant the Lord was back at the temple only around 5pm.

Being this special 10^th day of the Utsavam, the Lord made his way to the Thayar Sannidhi for Thiruvanthikaapu and then through the now open route alongside the 1000 Pillared Mandapam to the Ramanuja Sannidhi where he was greeted with Coconut Water.

And when the Ramanuja Nootranthathi Satrumurai was completed near the Garudan Sannidhi, it was close to 6pm. Following the ‘Padippu’, the flag was brought down well after 6.30 pm (after Sunset), even though this had been planned for 4 pm as per the revised schedule saving the blushes for the authorities.

Lord Namperumal made his way out for the 2^nd procession of the day after 730pm and following the 2^nd Thirumanjanam, he made his way to his sanctum from the Santanu Mandapam after 11 pm bringing to end a long and controversial day at the temple.

Varadaraja Perumal provides darshan in Venugopalan Thiru Kolam at the Thottam
Presentation of the Prabhandham Verses by the 90 year old Ghanta Kesari was a big highlight on the concluding day of the three day Utsavam

It is the season of moving into the summer phase of the year. Historically, Maasi is the month when Dhavana Utsavam is celebrated welcoming the Lord into the Nandavanam to watch the blooming of the Fragrant Dhavanam Flowers.

This ancient Utsavam was celebrated in a grand manner over three days at Varadaraja Perumal Divya Desam in Kanchipuram at the Thottam in the North West end of the huge temple praised in several verses by Vedantha Desikar.

In Adaikala Pathu, he refers to this temple as one of the most prominent places to seek Mukthi.

பத்திமுதலாம்அவற்றில்பத்திஎனக்குக்கூடாமல்

எத்திசையும்உழன்றேடிஇளைத்துவிழும்காகம்போல்

முத்திதரும்நகர்எழில்முக்கியமாம்கச்சிதன்னில்

அத்திகிரிஅருளாளர்க்குஅடைக்கலம்நான்புகுந்தேனே

On the third and concluding day of the Utsavam, the Bhattars were up early in the morning at the Alankaram Mandapam to decorate Varadar as well as Perundevi Thayar for the day’s outing. By 11am the two of them were ready at their respective abodes for the procession.

Varadaraja Perumal made his way out from the ‘Malai’ Koil and as he came out to the next prakaram, he was delighted to find Perundevi Thayar waiting for him at the entrance of her Sannidhi. Welcoming her with a smile, Varadaraja Perumal, with Thayar by his side made his way out to the Thottam led by the traditional Vadhyam.

While a number of Divya Desams wear a deserted look on weekdays, it was heartening to find that the utsavam here at the Varadaraja Perumal Divya Desam was attended by hundreds of traditional devotees most of whom stayed till the very end.

Big Thaligai on the Day

As he entered the Thottam, one could spot a smile in the Lord’s face as he sensed the beautiful fragrance of the Dhavanam that had sprouted in large numbers. It was also a special day for the deities in terms of Thaligai offered to them. Soon after the entry at the asthana mandapam inside the Thottam, the Lord and Thayar were presented with hot ghee filled Chakkarai Pongal and Cashew Halwa.

Thirumanjanam

An hour and a half later, starting at 1.30pm the couple enjoyed showering of Sandal Paste and fruits on them as part of the 75 minute long Thirumanjanam. Especially pleasing during the Thirumanjanam was the solo devotional presentation of the sacred verses both from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham as well as Desikar Prabhandham by 90 year old ‘Ghanta’ Paal Kesari. Unmindful of the nonstop photo clicks by the devotees and the loud gossips by many at the mandapam, Ghanta Kesari presented verses of praise of the Lord describing his greatness and how he always was around to protect the good from the evil.

However, even this most committed rendering with such devotion was unfortunately not enough to prevent devotees from standing right behind him to click photos of the Lord and engaging in talks!!

And the times that we live in is such that these photos of the Thirumanjanam had hit the social media by 2.30 pm. Even those in the traditional attire did not spare the Lord from nonstop photos during these 75 minutes with their hands held high.

Notwithstanding such distractions, the Lord and Thayar seemed to enjoy the presentation of Ghanta Kesari and at the end sported a big smile commending the utmost devotion behind the rendering of the verses at this old age.

The Lord and Thayar were then treated to another round of delicious Thaligai this time large quantities of Ven Pongal and once again Chakkarai Pongal.

Venugopalan Thiru Kolam

After this sumptuous meal, the Lord prepared himself to provide the devotees with the special Thiru Kolam of the day to mark the culmination of the Utsavam. For an hour, Raja Bhattar and his team worked on the Lord’s attire for the evening procession paying detailed attention to each aspect of the Thiru Kolam from the Lord’s flute to the placing of the feet from the right Abharanams to the folds on the Silk Vastram.

As the screen opened at 5pm, hundreds of devotees who had gathered at the Thotta Mandapam were thrilled at the sight of watching the two in identical dresses. Varadaraja Perumal was seen in a grand yellow silk vastram to match Perundevi Thayar’s shining yellow silk saree.

Providing darshan in a standing posture in the Venugopalan Thiru Kolam, Lord Varadaraja Perumal was seen playing his favourite flute with the legs crossed. The fragrance from the Dhavanam in the huge garland seemed to make him happy.

Soon after, in line with the Lord’s Thiru Kolam, the Nagaswaram artiste played the ‘Alaipaayudhey Kanna’ song during the Pathi Ulathal much to the delight of the devotees.

Ghosti - Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi

By 7pm, the big Prabhandham Ghosti were waiting at the entrance of the Thottam and as the two made their way out to the Northern Prakaram, the 25 strong Ghosti welcomed the couple from the Thottam with the loud recital of Periyazhvaar’s Vanna Madangal Soozh verses.

While the Prabhandham Ghosti led the procession with the 10 verses from Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi, the Veda Parayanam group followed the couple chanting the sacred verses from the verses. After brief stopovers at Nam Azhvaar, Ramanuja and Vedanta Desikar Sannidhis, the couple made their way to the Western Raja Gopuram where the Prabhandham Ghosti presented the Satru Murai for the evening procession.

It was close to 8pm when Perundevi Thayar bid adieu to Varadaraja Perumal as she made her way into her Sannidhi. For the first time on this long day, there was a tinge of sadness on the Lord’s face and he waited till the very last moment as Thayar ‘disappeared’ into her Sannidhi before moving on to his ‘abode’ at the Malai Koil bringing to end the Davana Utsavam.

PS: While the Thottam is huge including the one at the far East End of the temple, a large area seems to be largely unattended to with big bushes in many places behind the asthana mandapam and near the Eastern Raja Gopuram. Also, the mandapam enroute to the asthana mandapam inside the Thottam is in a dilapidated condition and filled with bats.

A double century in his first match for Railways, almost a Century in the final match of the Ranji season, a Century on Debut in the Duleep Trophy and a Century in the Zonal Final made it an extraordinary year in 89-90 but even that wasn't enough for a national call and this elegant left hander from Udumalpet faded away soon after

It had all the makings of a great fantasy story. A young talented cricketer from a remote village in Tamil Nadu was on the verge of national selection. He had just had a prolific season for the Indian Railways and the Central Zone. An unexpected injury to Indian Opener Navjot Sidhu forced him out of the New Zealand tour in January 1990. This should have paved the way for the 26 year old to take the flight to the kiwi land. But as was the case with many a (TN) cricketer in those decades, he too got a raw deal. Much against the run of play, (former) Bombay star Dilip Vengsarkar, at the tail end of his career, got the rather 'shocking' replacement call. A middle order bat replaced an opener!!!

Village boy Udamalaipettai Ramanathan Radhakrishnan had his hopes dashed once and for all. He was never again in contention and his career faded away far took quickly for one's liking. Almost 30 years later and now in his mid 50s, his passion for cricket remains undiminished as can be seen from his long 25 km drive to SRMC ground in Porur on the outskirts of Madras to play an inter club Rotary match in January 2018!!! And the guard of honour that the two teams gave him was a recognition of his undying interest to be at a cricket ground every weekend.

His physique bears no resemblance to the slim figure that he once was but his love for the game is striking. Into his 50s, he was still playing league cricket in Madras.

A late start

It was a very low key beginning for him and he had not particularly entertained thoughts of playing top level cricket, unlike the teenaged cricketers from the city. His elder brother by many years was lot more of a striking force in Udumalpet those days with his power hitting. Radhakrishnan spent almost his entire schooling days playing tennis ball and cork ball at the huge open ground near the Udumalpet railway station. It was during one of those friendly matches that his natural talent to strike the ball was spotted by those at the nearby SVPB (Sri Venkateswara Paper Boards) nets.

It was a period when Shri. M Soundararajan, the founder of SVPB, a paper manufacturing firm in Udumalpet was promoting talented cricketers from that region fulfill their potential. He was singly instrumental in getting Udumalpet on the cricketing map of Tamil Nadu.

The roping of Brijesh Patel to the SVPB as its captain proved to be a turning point for Radhakrishnan. Brijesh was a legend in domestic cricket and he took a special liking for Radhakrishnan and mentored him in those prime years in the mid 1980s.

Coimbatore was a very strong districts side in those days and it wasn’t easy to break through into the squad as a batsman with established Ranji Stars such as NP Madhavan and Peter Fernandez. In his very first match for Coimbatore, he scored a century against Trichy at the Forest College ground setting the ground ablaze with attacking stroke play. It was then that he bagged the title of Tiger Radhakrishnan

Soon after in a match that shot two district cricketers into limelight, Combined Districts shocked the city in a big comeback win at Erode. Chasing over 300, the districts had lost more than half their side for just over 50 when Madurai boy M Venkatramana joined opener UR Radhakrishnan. The two of them scored centuries to help Combined Districts beat a strong City bowling Unit that included Sunil Subramanium, R Venkatesh, I Rajkumar and K Arun Kumar.

Venkatramana (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/06/venkatramana-m_97.html) sees that match in Erode as the one that helped both of them make the upward charge towards top notch cricket in Madras. 'We were both 'noticed' in that match by the big stars from the city'.

Offspinner M Subramaniam ( Idly Subba) played a lot with UR Radhakrishnan in the 1980s. He cites a couple of knocks Radhakrishnan played in Madras to showcase the potential he held at that time.

'Playing against K Arun Kumar and S Vasudevan at their peak, he scored a brilliant 136 on a matting wicket in Union to help SVPB beat SPIC. And then he scored a scorching 140 against MRF comprising of the best of fast bowlers at that time in the city. I particularly remember the gutsy cuts and pulls that Radhakrishnan played taking on the fastest bowlers. But may be he lacked that urge to look for higher accolades.'

He particularly remembers the gutsy cuts and pulls that Radhakrishnan played taking on the fastest bowlers of that time.

His First League match in Madras

Udumalpet based star SVPB opener of the 1980s S Sukumar took Radhakrishnan to league cricket in Madras. It was he who introduced him to YMA’s captain the legendary S Venkataraghavan and got him registered for that club in the early 1980s. In his first league match in Madras, he had the privilege of opening with K Srikkanth.

Sukumar vividly remembers Venkat’s remarks after seeing Radhakrishnan bat ‘Venkat was very impressed with Radhakrishnan and thought the young lad had a lot of potential.’

SVPB taking over Globe Trotters was a blessing for many of the cricketers from Udumalpet as they came to battle with the biggies of city cricket. In those early years, Radhakrishnan had very little pocket money and would often board a bus to the cricket ground. Sometimes he stayed with NP Madhavan.

But it was KRS Mani, who managed the Globe Trotters team, who really helped Radhakrishnan in that early phase of his cricketing life in the city. Radhakrishnan spent a lot of the time with Mani who provided him accommodation at his house in Mylapore and took him to the grounds for the matches. It was with Mani’s support on all fronts that Radhakrishnan survived that period financially.

It was also a period when he forged a strong and close friendship with VB Chandrasekar who had moved to CIT to pursue his higher education. The two of them posted many successful opening partnerships that decade.

Big knocks and consistent performance for Globe Trotters earned him a place in the TN Ranji squad in the 1987-88 season and he opened with VBC scoring very consistently in his very first season at the senior level. He scored 230 runs in his debut season in Ranji cricket including 64 on his debut in Dec 87 at the age of 24 posting a century stand with VBC.

Radhakrishnan remembers one of his best knocks in Ranji Cricket that came that season on a rank square turner against Raghuram Bhat. Chasing 192, Radhakrishnan top scored with 36 and provided a strong start with VBC. But TN faltered after Radhakrishnan fell and collapsed. But that knocks remains at the top of the list for Radhakrishnan.

Despite top scoring in that 2^nd innings against a strong Karnataka team in the last league match of that Ranji Season, he had to sit out the QF and SF as K Srikkanth returned from national duties to play for the state. But with Srikkanth unavailable for the final, UR figured in that historic team that won the Ranji Trophy in March 1988.

Misses the year after the Ranji win

Soon after that Ranji final, job offers poured in for Radhakrishnan. Every public sector bank offered him officer posting but he chose the Indian Railways, a decision that seemed the right one going by the state and zonal opportunities he was to get in the coming years. However, he had to sit out the entire year in 88-89 as the Ranji Finalist Railways did not pick this new entrant.

His Best Season - 1989-90
Thus he missed an important year in his cricket career after a successful debut season. But he showed his owners what they had missed the previous season with a terrific performance in 89-90. It turned out to be his best year in cricket. He scored close to 400 runs at an average of close to 100 that featured a double hundred against UP in the very first match for the Railways featuring in a double century partnership with Yusuf Ali Khan.

The two followed it up with another century stand in the very next match with the roles revised this time – Yusuf scoring a double hundred and Radhakrishnan contributing 70. He ended the league season with a knock of 93 against Rajasthan. Unfortunately for him, Railways narrowly missed out on the qualification to the knock outs.

However, his performances that Ranji Season earned him a place in the Strong Zonal squad for the Duleep Trophy. In December that year, he had his third century stand of the season with Yusuf this time for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy at Chepauk with Radhakrishnan scoring a century on debut. He followed this up with a half century in the Semi Final.

A Century in the Duleep Trophy Final
But he counts his century in the final of the Duleep Trophy against South Zone as his most memorable innings in cricket. It was a match in which VBC too got a century for South. Chandrasekar just beat Radhakrishnan in the race for the opening spot on that trip to Australia / New Zealand.

After the century in the final when Javagal Srinath was at the receiving end of blows from Radhakrishanan, the fast bowler came up to him and complimented him on his aggressive style taking on fearlessly the fast bowlers ‘You will go a long way in cricket’.

In a matter of four months, Radhakrishnan had run up a double century in Ranji Trophy and two centuries in Duleep Trophy against strong oppositions. And he was on the verge of national duty. With the injury to Navjot Sidhu in the first test in New Zealand, the Indian team was looking for a replacement opener. And Radhakrishnan could have easily been the automatic choice for he had scored over 600 runs by the middle of that domestic season in India. However, the selectors overlooked Radhakrishnan and instead chose a middle order bat. Dilip Vengsarkar was past his best by then but he managed to get the nod.

VBC told his close friend much later in his life that Radhakrishnan may have performed better in New Zealand had he been picked. Soon after, when Radhakrishnan returned to Chepauk to play in a local match, Srikkanth called out for him in his typically loud style and told him 'You should have been on that New Zealand tour for the consistent string of scores you have run up in recent months. Its unfortunate.'

Those remain some of Radhakrishnan’s best moments in cricket and he cherishes those comments to this day.It was the closest he came to national selection. But he was never one of those who fought till the very end. He enjoyed his cricket, played it with passion and did not necessarily always cherish the dream of playing for the country.

Without battling an eye lid, he moved on in life. A few months after this set back, he was alongside some of the top names in Indian cricket having been picked for the Wills XI in the Wills Trophy One Tournament in April 1990. In the semi final, UR shared a century stand with Ajay Jadeja as Wills XI beat TN.

Looking back at that tournament, 'UR' reveals an odd and interesting fact ‘I was the only cricketer not to have played for India from that Wills XI team. That was how close I came!!!’

Quitting the Railways

In the next couple of years, Radhakrishnan slowly faded into oblivion. In 1990-91, he added another century to his tally but did not have a great season in Ranji Cricket. It was the period that he got married and the work atmosphere in the Railways at that time was not something that he enjoyed. For a cricketer who played with a lot of passion and took life in a jolly way, the amount of politics and behind the back talking was too much to take. Also, working for the Railways meant being away for six months in the year to play many tournaments that they participated in. And hence he took the tough call of quitting the Railways, much against the advise of many of his well wishers of that time and got back to his old team of Globe Trotters, a club that had now been taken over by MRF.

His 2nd Cricketing Mistake
TA Sekar helped him play for Goa as a professional. However, here too, Radhakrishnan made a tactical mistake. Like Brijesh Patel, former India cricketer Yashpal Sharma too had a special liking for Radhakrishnan and he was keen that the left hander continue to play for Railways, this time as a professional even though he had quit them much against their call.

That would given Radhakrishnan the opportunity to play Zonal cricket and he may have remained in national contention if he had run up big scores again. However, he chose Goa and the political cricketing climate there put an end to Radhakrishnan’s Ranji career though he ended it with another big hundred - 182 in his very last match.

S Vasudevan, who captained Tamil Nadu to that Ranji Trophy win and saw Radhakrishnan from close quarters in that debut season for the left handed, thought that he was supremely talented and that the Railways move was a step in the right direction for him. ‘He should have worked harder and continued to score more runs for the Railways and kept the pressure on the selectors. But he did not do that.’

A Jolly Cricketer

Former TN Ranji Cricketer NP Madhavan captained Radhakrishnan in that first season at SVPB in Coimbatore in early 1980s. He believes that Radhakrishnan had the potential to reach the top but may have lacked the dedication to fight harder ‘Everyone in that SVPB team including Brijesh Patel expected him to play at the highest level. He was probably the best cricketer to have come out of Udumalpet. In fact, Brijesh liked him so much that he personally mentored him but he may have lacked the mental toughness and single mindedness to succeed. He was a very jolly cricketer and everyone in the team liked him.”

Subba, who is currently in Sydney, always saw the human aspect in UR. 'What touched me was that right from his teenage days he was always and has remained a good human being with a helping tendency. ‘If only he had stuck on to the Railways, he may have scaled the heights both in cricket as well as in his corporate career for he had had some terrific performances for the Railways.’

While Radhakrishnan does not regret anything in cricket, there is a tinge of sadness in him for having failed to meet the expectation of the founder Chairman of SVPB who had pinned hopes on him to play for India. A different call from the selectors in 1990 may have seen Radhakrishnan don the India cap. But it was not to be. Finally he ended up playing just 19 first class matches, too small a number for the potential he held.

To him, playing the game with passion and delighting the 'Kadalai' boy at Chepauk with a hooked six to Long Leg gave more happiness than any records and statistics.And it is that same passion that has driven him to continue to play cricket here in Madras almost every weekend unlike most others his age.

How over 300 families dwindled to under 30 in just a few decades

In his Tiruvoimozhi praise, Nam Azhwar gives an indication of the prosperity of the people as seen from his reference to the presence of tall mansions. He found red lotuses, sugarcane, mango groves and paddy in abundance. Repeatedly he refers to this place as being home to great Vedic Seers who chanted, non- stop, the sacred verses.

Divya Desam’s Speciality

The speciality of this Divya Desam is the daily oil abhishekam for the Moolavar deity. The oil, which is believed to have medicinal values helping cure illness, is then deposited into the Oil Well inside the temple. Another feature at this temple is the presence inside the sanctum of Urvasi and Thilothama, who undertook penance at Thothadri seeking liberation from re-birth, in a posture of fanning the Lord.

Till the mid 1950s, the long agraharam at the Eastern entrance of the Thothadri Nathan Divya Desam in Nanguneri lined up with over 300 families welcoming the Lord during the popular street processions on the occasion of the Brahmotsavam in Chitrai. The big Kudai was a feature during Brahmotsavam. Led by Theevatti lamps, the Lord was carried by the Sri Patham under the big Kudai, especially as there were no overhead wires in those days.

But by the time, Nambi Srinivasan Bhattar was into his schooling in the 1970s the exodus had begun. His father and grandfather had performed Kainkaryam at the temple at a time when Vaishnavite participation was at its best.

Most of the Kainkaryapakas owned a house in this temple town. They had a share in the prasadam each day and the Centuries old Vanamamalai Mutt provided lunch each day of the year. This kept them going until the big famine of the early 1960s when the Mutt stopped the lunch programme. The kainkaryapakas found it difficult to survive that phase.

A salary of Rs. 10 and Rs. 15 per month
Nambi Srinivasan Bhattar’s father worked at less than Rs. 25 per month. He also got an equivalent value of Paddy each month. But that was all. In the 10 days of Sannidhi Service that was allotted to his family, he almost never got over Rs. 3 a day as Thattu Kaasu and even that was only on special festive days. For Nambi Srinivasan Bhattar, who has now been at the temple for close to three decades, it had been a financial struggle during his school days. Even organizing a simple wedding was a monumental task for his father and they looked up to the Mutt for support.

Nambi Bhattar is pleased that his father survived a difficult phase without any sort of complaints. The archakas of that generation as well as the kainkaryapakas saw their role simply as a service to the Lord and financial shortcomings never came in their way of service.

Madapalli Service

52 year old Soundararajan has been at the Madapalli for 35 years. His father Deivanayakan had been there for four decades. He is the 6^th gen to be performing this service at the Madapalli. In the 1950s his father was paid Rs. 10 and an equivalent in Paddy.

Margazhi was always special for the service personnel at the Madapalli and it was one of the toughest periods. One Padi Pongal had to be presented to the Lord at 5am on each of the days. The service personnel were present there a couple of hours prior to get the sacred food ready. In those days, no sugar was added. It was always jaggery at this temple.

Athirasam,Thenguzhal and Vadai were a regular feature during Margazhi. Another speciality was the steaming Semba rice that most at the temple enjoyed. On Friday evening, Pongal was served after the Oonjal Utsavam Ghosti.

Each day of the year, in those decades of service, Deivanayakan prepared 35 Katti of rice in the morning and 35 small dosais in the evening. These were distributed among the kainkaryapakas.

On the occasion of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam, the Madapalli personnel received Rs. 10 per day for the additional Thaligai they prepared.

Tough Times in the 60s and 70s

Padma Mami who is now back in the Sannidhi Street has seen different phases of Nanguneri having been around since the 1960s. She completed her SSLC in 1971. Her mother hailed from Nanguneri. She remembers the entire agraharam being inhabitated by Vaishnavites. The Konars and Pillais, she says, lived in the street next to the Mada Street. They too had a role to play in the Kainkaryam and carried the Lord on the Thanga Chapram on the 7^thday of the Brahmotsavam.

She remembers the time when the Mutt used to feed the entire families in the agraharam. That was how everyone survived and were able to perform the kainkaryam. Padma’s father in law performed kainkaryam at the Mutt. But the 1960s turned out to be a very difficult period as there was no financial stability. And the financial struggle led them finally away from kainkaryam.

It was a period when they sold their houses at cheap throw away prices in the thousands. And now decades later the original inhabitants are trying to re-secure the very same homes for several lakhs. Ghosti in those decades was 100 strong but now this has come down to just 5!!!

However, Padma Mami's family was one of the few that did not sell their ancestral house. It had been in dilapidated condition but they managed to keep it traditional through the decades. And over the last few years, after they have come back to settle down in the agraharam, they have revamped the house without altering the traditional aspects.

She is also happy that original inhabitants in large numbers are looking to come back and she is hopeful that over the next decade, the agraharam will be filled with traditionalists like in the past.

A victory for TVS in the Tirunelveli Court
Rangamani Narayanan now resides in the farther end of the Sannidhi Street. Her husband provides service at the Mutt's madapalli. Her grand father Thambu Raghunathan was a leading Government advocate in the first half of the 20th century. He resided in the sannidhi street right in front of the Raja Gopuram.

She remembers a historic episode that happened almost a hundred years ago one that her grand father narrated to her in her childhood. TVS Sundaram Iyengar had had a verdict against him in business. Thambu Iyengar was renowned for his straight forward approach and would not easily take up cases unless he was convinced about the credibility of the person.

While Thambu Iyerngar was initially hesitant to take it up, when he heard about the back ground to the story he called out for TVS Sundaram Iyengar to meet with him. Having understood the story and having convinced himself that the businessman ran his firm in a fair and honest way, he took up the case and won it for the legendary enterpreneur.

Rangamani looks back at that episode as one of the big moments for their family in having stood up for the truth and won the case for TVS.

A Grand Restoration after 100 years

Over the last 100 years, far too many additional constructions had come up at the temple. And the temple had lost the architectural glory. The entrance pathway had become dark with constructions on either side and a temporary roof. New constructions meant that natural light found it difficult to make its way into the temple!!! Bats were natural inhabitants in such a scenario.

A restoration was hanging in the balance for many years. But there was a dire need to restore the temple back to its ancient glory. That was when Venu Srinivasan was just completing the exercise at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. He decided to take this up. It was also the final leg of his 11 Divya Desams restoration initiative around Tirunelveli that he began way back in the 1990s with Erettai Tirupathi, a temple that had then been in a state of ruin. Today, the entire Nava Tiruapthi region is flourishing with the temple personnel having seen a revival in their fortunes. 25 years after his first temple restoration, he is now supporting the Vanamamalai Mutt administered and Nam Azhwar praised Thothadri Nathan Divya Desam in Nanguneri with a restoration exercise that is taking place after more than 100 years. The previous Samprokshanam was performed in 1910.

Inscriptions dating back to the 13^thCentury AD provide insights into a few of the festivals. Grants had been made to conduct the sacred bath of God on Adi Pooram, celebration of a special festival on Moolam and another one on the Uttiram day in Chitrai.

When Venu Srinivasan visited this historical temple with his team as part of the pre restoration exercise inspection a few years ago, he found new structures inside the temple 'A number of new walls had been built in the last 100 years for no good reasons. A large part of the restoration exercise involved removing unwanted structures which were neither historical nor architecturally proper.'

The entrance to the temple including the Chariot Mandapam and the long pathway to the Raja Gopuram had a forlorn look. New Constructions had posed as an obstruction to free movement. It also prevented natural light from entering the temple. Many areas inside the temple were completely dark. The prakaram was full of bats.

The Vasantha Mandapam was seen with modern modifications and had to be conserved and its historical importance to be brought back. The sacred well was surrounded by walls and new additions. There was no free outflow of the Abhisekam water and the rain water too stagnated inside the temple. There was a pressing need for restoration.

Transformation of the Temple

Over the last 12-18 months, one has seen a complete transformation of the temple much on the lines of the restoration at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. Huge amount of debris from the prakaram, especially around the Vasantha Mandapam and in the Nandavanam that had accumulated over a long period of time has been removed.

Restoration of Vasantha Madapam to its historical stone structure is one of the big highlights of this restoration exercise. The entire Nandavanam that is home to tall coconut trees now wears a fresh look with a lot of open spaces that will make for a cool trip for the Lord during the Vasantha Utsavam every Vaikasi. One also finds number of Vrikshi, Arali and Malli Trees in the Nandavanam that will enable the presentation of daily flowers for the Lord and on festive occasions as well.

With the removal of new constructions, that had been previously obstructive, one is now welcomed into the temple by a number of pillars standing tall amidst the long pathway leading to the Raja Gopuram.

Rain and Waste water drainage improvement has been another important initiative undertaken as part of this exercise whereby the water is now led out of the temple into the nearby pond. The Yagasalai that had been previously dark has been improved providing for better ventilation and lighting. The stair case to the Moolai Garudan had been damaged and was in a broken condition. This too has been restored. Safety grills have been installed for the utsava mandapams

Refurbished Gopuram

The Raja Gopuram looked faded just a few years ago with a few of the sculptures on the Gopuram in bad condition and on the verge of falling off. The Gopuram has now had a fresh coat of painting while the sculptures have been restored and are now looking pristine.

Walls around the Well

The Sacred Well was another area inside the temple complex where new structures had come up. These have been removed and the openness around the entire area has been restored reviving the sanctity of the place.

It has been a long wait of over a century for the repair works at the temple but going by the quality of the restoration it has been worth the wait. Devotees visiting the temple now are sure to find the transformative change inside the temple complex.

Venu Srinivasan looks back at this whole exercise of restoration as one of the biggest blessings from the Lord. ‘It has been a highly fulfilling experience to be involved in the restoration of Divya Desams in the Tirunelveli region and to be able to revive heritage structures from a state of dilapidation. The feedback from the devotees of having felt positive vibrations while at these temples after the restoration exercise is the real blessing that one could get at the end of such large restorations.’

Samprokshanam is slated for Aani after the big Utsavams in Panguni, Chitrai and Vaikasi.

Forest College closes for cricket after four decades following a financial disagreement with CDCA

Kalli waves his bat at his Team Captain, while Kicha raises his bat to his new ‘House’ Captain in the late 1970s at the Agri and Forest College Grounds

A 12 wicket haul at the Agri ground in Jan 65 earns Venkat his Test Cap

VV Kumar flies from Calcutta to play on the Jute Matting to help Madras beat Mysore

‘Dey Chinna - Paiya, choose the New Ball’ Venkat tells an excited young K Bharath Kumar at the Forest College in 1978

A historical cricket ground in Coimbatore with a beautiful Turf wicket, the only one in the city, has been finally laid to rest as a result of a financial disagreement between the Coimbatore District Cricket Association and the ground authorities.

The Picturesque State Reserve Forest College (formerly Madras Forest College) ground has played host to many a cricket battle both at the state level as well as in the local league. Many State cricketers presented some of their most memorable performances here at this ground. It has also been a ground that has laid the foundation for many a promising cricketer from the districts.

The ground flanked by the British period Pavilion (renovated only a decade ago) at the Western End and the historic clock tower at the Far Eastern end dates back a 100 years. Some of the matches find a mention in the annual year book brought out by the erstwhile Madras Forest College.

It was here on the Matting wicket that the Tamil Nadu opener of the 1970s V Krishnaswamy scored his first and only Ranji Trophy Century and presented it as a gift to his new married wife Radha way back in 1978.

1 km West of the Forest College ground and at the foot of the famous temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya in Maruthamalai is the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) ground that too has played host to some outstanding performances that were milestones in the careers of players.

It was in 1981 that a turf wicket was laid at the Forest College ground. It was on that newly laid turf wicket that a memorable Ranji Trophy match was played in January 1982 that saw legends such as Venkataraghavan and MV Narasimha Rao take on each other for supremacy in the South Zone Ranji Trophy league. It also saw upcoming stars such as Mohd Azharuddin and Arshad Ayub showcase their talent to the cricket fans of Coimbatore. A decade later, in 1992, Azhar was to return to the same ground, this time as a cricket legend of Indian cricket and with a huge fan following.

Historic Performances at the Agri Ground

60 years ago, in December 1958 in one of his first big performances in first class cricket, a then young leg spinner VV Kumar (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/07/cricket-tales-exclusive-with-vv-kumar.html) picked up 6 wickets against a strong Mysore team.

That match remains etched in his memory ‘I was playing a tournament for Philips at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta and flew down to play this Ranji match in the first week of December. It was on a Jute Matting wicket at the Agri Ground in Coimbatore. It was not easy to turn the ball on a Jute Matting unlike the later day Coir matting wickets. And Mysore was very strong side that comprised wonderful players like B Frank and Krishnaswamy. I was very pleased to have contributed to our side’s win on first innings lead.’

A year later, he came back to Coimbatore and to the very same jute matting wicket at the Agri ground and picked up 6wickets in each innings turning in a star performance against Kerala and securing victory for Madras. Very soon he made his debut for India.

‘Even though it was a very difficult wicket to bowl on for a leg spinner, I enjoyed the challenge and used flight in the air to prize out the wickets for our State. That gave me a lot of satisfaction to have picked up wickets two years in a row on very difficult track for a leg spinner.’

The Agri ground performance and Venkat’s Test Debut

In January 1965, Venkataraghavan still in his teens picked up 12 wickets at the Agricultural College matting wicket as he spun Madras to a 2 day victory against Andhra. This Agri haul helped him secure him a place in the Indian team for the first test just a month later against New Zealand.

Cricket in Coimbatore in the 1970s

Two matches stood out in the 1970s one at the Forest College and the other at the Agricultural College ground. Both had one thing in common – ‘Gifting’ after a personal batting milestone and interestingly at the opposite end of the batting order!!!

For almost a decade from the late 1960s, legendary off spinner and TN Captain S Venkataraghavan had the greatest respect for the bowling abilities of TN Ranji Finals hatrick star B Kalyanasundaram (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2011/08/kalli-b-kalyanasundaram.html). Years ago in a telephonic conversation, Venkataraghavan told prtraveller as to how he would go to Kalli for a breakthrough whenever the spinners (Venkat himself and VV Kumar) were held at bay by the opposition and how Kalli would almost always deliver the important breakthrough.

However what did not go off well between Venkat and Kalli during the 1970s was the dressing room discussion on the batting ability of the latter. Kalli always believed that he was a good bat and wanted to prove that to his captain. Further embarrassing Kalli, Venkat enticed him with a bet if he managed to reach 25 in a Ranji match.

Eager to prove a point to his captain and batting with determination, Kalli reached 24 NO at lunch in a Ranji match at Tellicherry. And was all ready to be padded up once again after lunch when he heard a big roar of laughter in the dressing room. To his shock, he found that Venkat had announced the declaration to the opposition captain without his knowledge leaving him just one run short of winning the bet. Kalli was furious with his captain that day for denying him that extra run!!!

However, the determined player that he was, he chose the Agri college ground in Coimbatore, a place that was to be his place of residence for 11 years ( he moved to LMW only that year) to win over the batting laurels from his captain.

By September 1976, Kalyanasundaram had played almost a decade of Ranji cricket. He had been on the verge of India selection a few years earlier but the time had almost come for him to move on from cricket. There was also severe pressure on him to continue to perform to stay in the team. And Chairman of Selectors and Team Manager CR Rangachari was particularly gunning for him with a young Bharath Kumar staking his claim.

Kalli Seen with SVPB Opener S Sukumar

After TN had bowled out Andhra on the opening day, the team had managed a slender lead on the 2^nd but had lost 8 wickets when Kalli joined wicket keeper Bharath Reddy. Venkat this time had indicated his intention to declare unlike the surprise call in Tellicherry. Kalli, though, was not to be undone this time and was all charged up to achieve the batting goal of his Ranji Career. With the blessings of Lord Subramanya (who was just a few kms away in Maruthamalai), Kalli raced through to his milestone and raised his bat towards his captain at the pavilion at the Western End in a gesture of ‘I have done it’.

The professional that he was, the moment Venkat declared the innings closed and as Kalli made his way back to the pavilion, he presented Rs. 25 to Kalli in the presence of all his teammates, something Kalli says was one of his happiest moments in cricket – to receive the prize from the cricketing legend.

Buoyed by this acknowledgement from his captain, Kalli burst into the attack and ran through the Andhra innings picking up 5wickets making it a delightful experience for him at the agri ground. For almost ten years, he went on to play at the Forest College and Agri College for his employer LMW in the first division of the Coimbatore league.

It was also at the Agri College ground that Ranji Cricketer NP Madhavan ( http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/05/np-madhavan.html) played one of the best knocks witnessed at the ground with a terrific match winning century against Salem for Coimbatore in an inter districts match in 1982, soon after he joined SVPB Udumalpet from IOB.

Brijesh Patel who was drafted in by Soundararajan of SVPB Udumalpet had played many a sparkling innings at the Forest College in the mid 1980s.

Kicha’s gift to his wife

Two years later, in November 1978, the forest college hosted the Ranji match once against Andhra. TN opener of the decade V Krishnaswamy (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/08/krishnaswamy-v.html) had just got married earlier in the year and his wife Radha (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/08/radha-krishnaswamy.html) too was present at the ground. Historically this ground was called the Madras Forest College ground and then subsequently in the 2^nd half of the 20^th century had been renamed as State Reserve Forest College ground.

Like Kalli a couple of years earlier, Kicha too was in his final days as a first class cricketer. And like Kalli, he too had a point to prove with the bat before his retirement. There was a milestone missing in his stats and he was keen to hand that as a gift to his wife.

A couple of years prior to this trip to Coimbatore, Kicha had played one of his best innings in Ranji cricket on a difficult wicket in Salem against Andhra but his knock went in vain as TN lost by a single run that he looks back as the State’s worst defeat of the decade.

This time Krishnaswamy with his long standing opening partner from the college days, V Sivaramakrishnan put on a century stand at this beautiful and picturesque ground with the Blue Mountains as the back drop.

Kicha reached his maiden hundred in Ranji cricket in front of his wife who was cheering him on all the way through as a spectator. And like Kalli did to his team captain, Kicha too waved his bat high, not to his team captain but to his ‘house’ captain bringing big cheer from the entire team in the dressing room!!!!

‘Dey Kurangu New Ball Choose Pannu’

The match at the forest college is also famous for another milestone. It was the first match for K Bharath Kumar under Venkat’s captaincy. Bharath had made his debut the previous year after Kalli’s retirement.

Bharath remembers those moments after the declaration ‘Venkat shouted out in his typical way. ‘Dey, antha chinna paiyan kitta new balls kuduthu choose panna sollu’. Venkat always used to address Bharath as ‘Chinna Paiyan’ and took special care of him. When Bharath couldn’t believe what he had just heard, he asked if really he was to choose the ball which brought even more of Venkat’s love for him ‘Dey Kurangu choose the new ball quickly’.

It was a great moment for the young Bharath to be given this honour in his very first match under the legendary captain. He had heard that Venkat and the spinners would come very early on into the attack and hence he considered it an honour to be asked to choose the new ball.

Andhra ended day 2 (1^st day had been washed out) at 20/4 with the wickets being shared. The next morning, Bharath recalls, Venkat surprisingly threw the ball at him even though he and Vasudevan had ended the previous evening. In one of his best early spells in Ranji cricket, Bharath Kumar ran through the Andhra innings in a fiery spell on the third morning bringing the Andhra innings to an end before the first hour had been completed. After Kicha’s century, Bharath Kumar picked up 5 wickets conceding just 4 runs. Andhra was bowled out for its lowest ever score in Ranji cricket for just 29. Another great landmark for TN cricket at this historical ground in Coimbatore.

That spell at the Forest College gave Venkat a lot of confidence in Bharath and he gave him many long spells over the next few years including 40 overs each against strong Bombay and Delhi teams.

Vasudevan bundles out a strong Hyderabad

Just ahead of the biggest match seen by the city until then, a new turf wicket was laid at the Forest College ground, the first in the city. In January 1982, the forest college ground played host to a star studded Hyderabad Ranji team captained by India cricketer MV Narasimha Rao that locked horns with Venkat’s TN.

All the fans were also eagerly looking forward to another star, the elegant TE Srinivasan who had made his test debut against Hadlee and New Zealand the previous year and whose supposed verbal dual with Gavaskar was the talk of the town that January. Temporary tents had been put up all around the ground with the pavilion at the South end.

Two relatively unknown names were also part of the Hyderabad team - Mohd Azharuddin still a teenager was making waves in local cricket in Hyderabad and Arshad Ayub was seen as a successor to Shivlal Yadav.

But they all came a cropper against S Vasudevan who in a terrific spell on the first afternoon in which he claimed 5 wickets triggered a sensational collapsed as Hyderabad lost 8 wickets for 30 runs. Vasudevan looks back at that spell with a great deal of delight 'It was a very strong Hyderabad team and they had got off to a good start that morning. I knocked out Narasimha Rao, Azhar and Khalid Abdul Qayyum in that afternoon spell that helped us bowled them out on the first day itself.'

The crowd on that Friday evening just about had a glimpse of TE Srinivasan. The next morning he treated them to some delightful strokes that he had come to be known for. Unfortunately, the Sunday turned out to be drab for the packed house as Venkat and Vasudevan failed to bowl out the defiant Hyderabad batsmen and the match petered out into a boring draw.

Indian stars recognize the Groundsman

A decade later Azhar, by then a legend of Indian cricket returned to the Forest College this time to roaring cheer from the huge crowd. Chinnaraj, the head groundsman who retired recently after serving for well over three decades cherishes the memory of both Azhar and Kapil Dev handing the groundsmen Rs. 100 each for the services at the end of the match. The huge crowd that had come to see K Srikkanth, Azhar and Kapil were rather disappointed as South Zone were bowled out for just 78 and North came through in a tough chase on a fast paced wicket. But this match remains in the memory of all those who were present that day for it was the time they got to see all the leading Indian stars from close quarters.

Unfortunately, a ground with such historical performances has now been shut for cricket due to financial bargaining issues. Over the last few decades, the ground was handed to the CDCA for 45 weekends each year and almost all the top matches were played on the turf wicket.

A Anthony Raj, the care taker at the Central Academy of the Forest College that administers the ground who has been at the Forest College since the 1980s too is saddened by the developments. 'The new principal was keen to raise the daily match fees by Rs. 1000 but that was not acceptable to the Coimbatore District Cricket Association and they pulled out. '

'I had seen the top stars in action in the 1980s and 90s. And there used to be big crowds coming to the ground to watch the matches. Now we use the ground only for our local college matches.'

Interestingly, the pavilion had been reconstructed only just over a decade ago keeping the heritage aspects unchanged.

S Sivagnanam, who has been a groundsman at the Forest College since 1981 and who retired only a few months ago, bemoans the lack of interest at the cricket association to maintain the turf wicket.

We had put in a lot of effort to prepare that turf wicket at the Forest College and it was much appreciated by the big stars of Tamil Nadu cricket when they came here to play. Even Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar were very happy and surprised with the pace on the wicket when they played the Deodhar Trophy match. It was the impact of the 'Kali Mannu' we had used. But I am very saddened that all our efforts in having the only turf wicket in Coimbatore has gone waste and that no cricket will now be played at the Forest College ground.'

But now one finds the matting wicket full of stones and in a tattered condition and the turf wicket out of maintenance for a long time, the excess grass on the outfield has been burnt in the last few days and finally all the cricket fan is left with is of the historical memories of matches played in the decades gone by!!!

Thankfully, for the moment, the agricultural college ground continues to host matches.

Legendary leg spinner VV Kumar hits out at R Ashwin for making a mockery of the Prestigious Irani Trophy match

As the legendary leg spinner VV Kumar, who picked up 599 wickets in first class cricket sat in front of his TV set on the first two days of the Irani Trophy match earlier this week, he was in for a shock. He saw Indian off spinner R Ashwin bowling leg spin in the first innings of the match when the Vidarbha batsmen had got off to a good start.

Right from his playing days, VV Kumar saw the Irani Trophy as one of the most important and in many cases the final step in the ladder to donning the Indian cap. Everyone gave their best in the Irani Trophy. In the 1980s, either side of the decade, two openers from Tamil Nadu, K Srikkanth and VB Chandrasekar presented scintillating performances in the Irani Trophy to catch the eye of the selectors.

From his Twitter Page

But here was an experienced Indian bowler with over 300 Test wickets making a mockery of the match trying his newest variation- the leg spin- when the opposition was knocking the stuff out of the Rest of the India side.

In an exclusive chat with prtraveller, VV Kumar extolling anger at the experimentation in a prestigious match said,'When he should have led the attack from the front and tried to get wickets to halt Vidarbha’s rampaging progress, I saw him experimenting with leg spin. This is completely unacceptable for an Indian bowler to treat an Irani Trophy match as an experimental ground especially when his team was floundering. Were the national selectors watching what Ashwin was doing.'

During my playing days, such an attitude of an international cricketer would have had serious repercussions on the player. And neither the national nor the state selectors would have tolerated such an action by a senior player.

On a technical front, VV Kumar said, ‘An off spinner has to try his variations with off spin. It is fair of him to expand and widen his repertoire. But an off spinner cannot start bowling leg spin in a match stating ‘variations’ as a reason. That is just not on. It is making a mockery of the importance of the match. Both the state selectors as well as the national selectors have to come down strongly upon such experimentations in serious and prestigious matches.'

It may be recalled that earlier this season, Ashwin repeatedly tried such variations even in Ranji Trophy matches. In the very first match of the Ranji Season against Andhra, such experimentations almost led to Andhra chasing out a Challenging target on the final day at Chepauk.

A furious VV Kumar ended stating that Irani Trophy or for that matter even the Ranji Trophy is not a platform for such 'leg spin' experimentation and selectors should not tolerate such abuse of powers by a senior player of the Indian team.

Leg Spin for TN in Vijay Hazare Tournament

Recently a senior umpire also expressed anger after watching Ashwin bowl leg spin in the final stages of a closely fought one day match for Tamil Nadu'One of the balls turned so wide that it was called a wide. Another ball too turned wide for it to be hit away. It was shocking to see him bowl leg spin when there was a match to be won for Tamil Nadu.'

Tamil Nadu lost that match narrowly.

State Selector hits out at the Senior Players

Very interestingly, just two weeks ago, after coming back from his duties as a Match Referee, Chairman of State Selection Panel S Sharath in an interaction with this writer at the St. Bedes ground said in almost a provoking gesture that writers like me do not write on the wrong doings of top players such as Ashwin and Vijay (who pulled out very late from an important State match recently) that allows them to act as they want!!

On the day of Tamil Nadu being knocked out of this season’s Ranji Trophy, Sharath was quoted as saying that he would look at wrist spinners for the next season. It is sincerely hoped that he did not have Ashwin in his mind.

The story of how True Devotion brings the Lord to you
100s of devoted Vethal Volunteers of Srirangam carry Lord Namperumal through a 5 ½ hour long trip to Jeeyapuram through Pits and Pot Holes on a narrow dark path on Friday night

The dark night takes a toll on Sri Patham with one of them receiving a Scorpion bite on the return trip

This week in Panguni sees two of the longest trips of the year for Namperumal, the utsava deity of the Lord Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. Last Friday (March 23), on the second evening of the Panguni Brahmotsavam, Namperumal left for a night long ‘Stoney’ and ‘Thorny’ 15 km trip to Jeeyapuram, West of Tiruchirapalli and on the Southern banks of Cauvery. In under a week of this trip, he will make another long trip this time across the Coloroon to the Ellaikarai Mandapam North of Srirangam this Thursday (March 29). In between these two long trips, he also makes a ‘secret’ trip to meet his beloved in Woraiyur ( the procession started this Tuesday (March 27) morning at 3am.

The story goes that the Lord answered the sincere prayers of an old lady in Jeeyapuram and decided to come all the way out of Srirangam crossing the Cauvery to provide a surprise darshan to her.

The centuries old trip has historically been one of the most tedious for Namperumal. And this time proved no different.

Leaves his abode in Srirangam

When he set foot for his trip at 9pm on Friday evening, there was a buoyancy at the temple with several hundreds of devotees waiting at the Ranga Vilas Mandapam to accord him a warm send off for a day away from the temple. And as he made his way around the South and West Chitrai Streets, it looked that the devotees were delighted to be part of this long night for the Lord as they lined up both sides of this traditional street in large numbers and walked along with the Lord who was flanked in the front by the Divya Prabhandham Ghosti and in the back by the Veda Parayanam Ghosti.

At the Northern exit point of Srirangam, the Divya Prabhandham Ghosti presented the Satru Murai verses to bid good bye to the Lord for the rest of his trip.

Welcoming the Lord on Melur Road

There has been a big development in recent times on the previously deserted Melur Road on the Western side of Srirangam with big modern residential complexes lining up the road with the centuries old Thathachariar Garden being one of the few remaining groves on the Southern side of the road providing the much needed greenery to this temple town. Hundreds of families have moved into these new complexes and they welcomed the Lord along this stretch.

Shortly after 11pm, Namperumal entered Melur to a grand welcome from the residents with the entire village staying back late. Fruits, flowers and coconuts were showered on the Lord at different halting points at this small village and there was devotional fervour all around. The Vethal team, a voluntary service unit of the Srirangam temple to carry the Lord on outside street processions, too was all excited till this point. There was vibrancy to this trip till the halts in Melur.

While the 16 HR & CE appointed Sri Patham Thangis carry out the service inside the temple, it is the 100s of Vethal Volunteers who carry the Lord on their shoulders on long processions and on occasions like Voiyali.

But as the Lord left Melur close to mid night, the energy began to sap. A few kms West of Melur, the tar road gave way to a path that was filled with sharp stones. There were no lights on the narrow route. For over two hours, there were no devotees leaving one to admire the selfless service of the Vethal Sri Patham Thangis in carrying the Lord on dark streets, stoney and muddy path that was full of pot holes, with space just enough for the Lord to be carried.

Past mid night, the Lord crossed Butterfly Park on the Western Outskirts of Melur. By 1am, the Sri Patham Thangis already had bruised feet and many sat down to remove the thorns that had penetrated on to their feet.

As the clocked ticket to 1.30am, the Lord crossed Oosikan paalam to deafening silence with no signs of any devotees in the vicinity. The Lord was flanked on the right by tall Eucalyptus trees said to belong to the temple and on the left by Cauvery.

100s take turns to carry the Lord on the Dark Road

Every 15 minutes, the Vethal Volunteers took turn to carry the Lord. A number of temple staffers and the priests/ Kainkaryapakas took the easy option of making it directly via the Coimbatore National Highway to the banks of the Cauvery at Jeeyapuram leaving the Vethal Volunteers to their own to wade through the holes, stones and sliding pits that were a continuous feature all through a long stretch of the narrow pathway after Oosikan Palam. A couple of Theevattis was the only source of light.

It was almost close to 2 am when the Lord crossed Kuthu Adi Amman Koil, another landmark on this long journey to Jeeyapuram. A few of the Sri Patham Thangis took time out here to attend to their injuries and bruises while the Lord continued on his trip.

No Devotees in sight for over two hours

A van with a power generator led the Lord in the front but unfortunately through the entire trip the lights hit directly into the eyes of the volunteers and proved more of a distraction than a help to the Sri Patham Thangis. Repeated requests to turn down the focus light went unheard causing additional stress on the volunteers.

Srinivasan, the Sri Patham Thangis Head has been on this trip for three decades and as he walked along, he narrated the tale from his younger days in the 1980s and 90s ‘In the decades gone by, the Lord used to go further North West of Melur, cross the Coloroon, visit Kiliyanallur and Karugamanickam villages before coming back into the Melur road. I myself have carried the Lord across the Coloroon to these two villages till the mid 1990s.”

“But the big advantage in those earlier decades was that Lord Namperumal would cross the Cauvery West of Melur near the Vrikshi Mandapam making it a lot easier for the Sri Patham Thangis. From the end of Melur, the Lord waded through the Cauvery to reach Jeeyapuram. However, the construction of a number of burial grounds alongside the Cauvery has made it unviable for the Lord to use the historical pathway through the Cauvery. It is easier to carry the Lord through the sand of the Cauvery as it provides for a better grip. This current route through sharp stones and very narrow path makes it a very difficult journey and it is commendable of the Sri Patham Volunteers to carry the Lord non-stop for over five hours despite the deep strain caused to them, physically.”

Finally after five hours, the Lord reached the Northern banks of Cauvery at 2am. There were about a 100 devotees waiting there at the Cauvery waiting to have a darshan of the Lord. The Lord made his way through the thigh deep water in the Cauvery to reach the Southern banks.

It had been a breathtaking 5 ½ hour effort by the Sri Patham Thangis to carry the Lord on their shoulders without placing the Lord on the artificial stools even once, a unique feature of the processions of Namperumal.

The clock had ticked to 2.30 am when the Lord reached the Asthana Mandapam in Jeeyapuram to halt for the night. The first phase of this long trip had been done but there were no official arrangement from the temple for these volunteers and all of them had to find their own accommodation for the night.

Curd Rice and Keerai for the Lord – Reminiscing a historical episode

Three hours later, at 5.30am on Saturday (March 24) the Veda Parayana Ghosti presented Vedic Recital following which the Lord was presented with a special Thaligai comprising of mangoes, keerai and curd rice.

For the next 4 ½ hours, the Lord went around Jeeyapuram and the surrounding villages including Vellala Street, Ammangudi and Anthanallur providing darshan to the devotees. As he made his way through this historical agraharams, the residents reminded themselves of the story of the old patti and how true devotion can lure the Lord your way as they folded their hands to invoke the Lord’s blessings.

True Devotion brings the Lord to you

A grandmother hailing from Jeeyapuram doted on her shepherd grandson. She was a staunch devotee of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam though she had not seen him being in this far away Jeeyapuram. Invoking the blessings of Lord Rangantha, every day she would send curd rice and keerai to her grandson for lunch. The story goes that Lord Ranganatha was so moved by the sincere devotion of this old lady and her care for her grandson that He decided to provide darshan to her by coming over here. Disguised as the grandson, he reached Ammayar Pandhal in the afternoon. As usual the grandmother made her way to hand over the lunch to her grandson. A pleased Lord had a filling lunch and thanked the grandmother. In the evening when the grandson returned home, he enquired as to why she had not brought food that day and if all was well with her. When she told her grandson that she had indeed come that afternoon and that he had enjoyed the food as always, the boy denied it.

It was then that the Lord of Srirangam appeared before her and applauded her for the curd rice and Keerai that he had taken earlier in the day and provided darshan to the delighted grandmother.

It is in memory of this episode that Lord Namperumal makes this annual trip to Jeeyapuram to reach here on the third morning of the Brahmotsavam in Panguni.

Balasubramaniam and Balachandran have been residents of the Agraharam in Jeeyapuram for several decades having been born and brought up here.

They have seen the Srirangam Lord’s trip from close quarters over the decades “There were periods when Cauvery was to the brim and the Lord would wade through high waters to reach the Southern Banks. It was a great sight to watch the Lord cross the Cauvery in the decades gone by. To this day, curd rice and keerai is presented to the Lord on the morning of his trip here.”

Govindarajan and his family have been residents of the agraharam at Jeeyapuram for the last five decades. It is one of the very few houses in the agraharam to retain the ancient traditional look ‘We decided long ago not to modernize the house as this house reminds us of the old world charm and the times we lived in.’

As the Lord made his way through the different streets of Jeeyapuram, there was frenetic call to take him quickly past the railway gate for it was time for the morning train to pass by. The Sri Patham Thangis rushed just in time before the gate came down at the Jeeyapuram station. During the trip not only did they have to steer clear of stones and pits but also had to be mindful of the train timings to prevent the Lord from getting stuck at gates.

A full 4 ½ hours later the Lord was back at the Jeeypuram asthana mandapam following a Theerthavari in front of the dry tank!!

The entire place wore a festive look through the day with temporary shops lining up entire Jeeyapuram. Children from all the neighbouring villages were seen in large numbers. The stalls made brisk business selling balloons and toys for the kids to play with.

By 5.30pm, thousands of devotees had positioned themselves atop the big mound overlooking the Cauvery to have a darshan of Namperumal for one final time on this annual trip. Sharp at 6pm, Namperumal began his long trip back to Srirangam through the same narrow stone filled path.

A Scorpion Bite!!!

The 10 hour procession (5 ½ hours to Jeeyapuram the previous night and the 4 ½ hours around Jeeyapuram on Saturday morning) had taken a big toll on the Vethal Volunteers, Many were seen with bruised shoulders and bleeding feet. And to top it, one of the Sri Patham Thangis was bitten on the night by a scorpion from inside the bushes just past the Butter Fly Park near Melur.

As the Lord crossed Melur after a few Mandagapadis, the Sri Patham Thangis were in no mood for anymore stopovers and thus the residents in the residential complexes on the Melur Road were given a go by with the Lord rushing back at a fast pace to the Melur Road Junction in Srirangam, where a huge crowd had gathered to welcome the Lord back to their abode.

Joined by the Prabhandham Ghosti at the North Chitrai Street, the Lord made his way back to the Sanctum just before mid night on Saturday bringing to end a long and tiring trip.

Sri Patham Thangis’ Commendable effort on two successive nights

The role of the Vethal Volunteers had to be commended, for without battling an eyelid and keeping their devotional commitment through the 30kms trip, they carried the Lord on difficult unlit roads unmindful of the physical injury.

Ahead of the Utsavam, it would not have cost the Srirangam Temple much to lay a tar road, either in association with the Corporation or from the Temple Funds, leading to the Northern Banks of Cauvery at Jeeyapuram to make it easier for the Sri Patham Thangis especially given that both the trips (to and fro) take place in the dark and a well laid road would prevent physical leg injuries to the Sri Patham Thangis. But that was not to be. No temple staffer walked along with the Lord through these two trips. Some took the easier route of reaching Jeeyapuram through the National Highway while a couple of them sat on the van.

Just before mid night on Saturday, the Sri Patham Thangis were offered a sumptuous dinner at the Natha Muni Sannidhi. Their shoulders were seen with blood clots and their feet bruised. But to them, many who had come from Madras, the service to the Lord was foremost and they were back the next morning for the 4^thday procession along the Chitrai Streets.

A 11 hour trip to Jeeyapuram and back offers a great devotional opportunity to the residents of Srirangam to be exclusively alongside the Lord and to experience the joy of long trips of the Lord. But no devotee from Srirangam stayed through the trip with the Lord with all of them taking the easier option of receiving him in Jeeyapuram on Saturday morning and at Srirangam on Saturday night. That way they will appreciate better the efforts and devotional commitment of the Sri Patham Thangis.

The legendary episode of Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari swapping their roles and providing darshan to Brahmma on the Rohini day in Panguni was enacted at the Thiruvanaikaval temple

Teenagers provide a Grand Re -Entry of the Divine Couple with a non stop 2 hour exhilarating drums presentation

The Pancha Prakara Utsavam, the biggest festival at this ancient Thevaram Sthalam, marks the culmination of the long Brahmotsavam at the Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval. It is the only day in the year when the two provide darshan in all the five prakarams.

Located on the Northern banks of Cauvery is the Lord Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval, one of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalams, where Lord Shiva manifests himself as ‘Water’ (among the five elements). Hence this is referred to as a ‘Neer’ sthalam (‘Appu’ in Sanskrit). Thiru ‘Aanai’ kaval is home to Nava Theertham, with the Pancha Prakara Utsavam relating to one of them, the Brahmma Theertham, where Brahmma undertook penance to liberate himself from a grievous sin.

The story goes that after created a beautiful girl in this world, Brahmma cast his eye on the beautiful girl when he should have seen her as his own daughter. Inflicted with Brahmma Hathi Dosham, he came here, bathed in the Theertham south of the temple and undertook penance invoking the blessings of Jambukeswarar. A pleased Lord Shiva decided to provide darshan to Brahmma and liberate him from the Dosham.

However, as he was preparing to leave, Goddess Akilandeswari too wanted to join. Shiva cautioned that Brahmma had got into this situation lured by the beauty of a young girl and did not want to take a chance once again. Thus a unique feature of this historical festival is that as a cautionary gesture, they decided to interchange roles – Shiva took the form of Akilandeswari and the Goddess went there as Jambukeswarar and provided darshan to Brahmma. It was only after liberating Brahmma from his Dosham, that they moved back into their original forms.

This legendary episode of Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari swapping their roles and providing darshan to Brahmma on the Rohini day in Panguni was enacted at the Thiruvanaikaval temple at the Brahmma Theertham at the South end of the 5^th Prakara and liberating him from his sins was enacted at the Pancha Prakara Utsavam at Thiruvanaikaval on Monday (April 2) night.

A Grand Alankaram

It is 5 pm on Monday evening. The temple wears a quiet look and the devotees are having a darshan of the moolavar deity, Jambukeswarar, manifesting himself as Water inside a small enclosure in the sanctum.

Not too far away from here, the alankaram experts are quietly at the task of transforming Ambal into Jambukeswarar and vice versa. Adi Sankara had himself presented the Goddess with two beautiful ear rings – Thaadagam with Sri Chakra. The alankara process for beautiful looking Akilandeswari is a very special feature at this temple. Decked with Jewels and thick long garlands, the couple is ready by 7pm for the night long trip. The first two inner most prakarams were completed in fairly quick time.

It is a night of the year when the legendary Thevaram sthalam stays awake to welcome the divine couple into their homes. Just after 8pm, 25 vedic scholars gathered at the entrance of the 3^rd prakaram. Alongside the divine couple, there were around 50 devotees ready to begin the recital of the Thevaram verses.

The Procession through the 3rd Prakaram

At the western entrance of the 3^rd prakaram vedic chanting began with the young boys’ devotional recital. The first stop of the long festive night was at the Eastern End of the 3^rd Prakaram. It was well past 9 pm and the decades long Gurukal alerted that the devotees will start swarming into the temple when the couple enter the 3^rd prakaram. And so it was. As the two stopped over at the mandapam at the Eastern end, devotees gathered in several hundreds to watch the beautifully decorated couple . Around the divine couple, activity gathered steam.

At the far end, as has been the tradition over the decades, prasadam in large quantities were presented to every devotee that was to serve as dinner on the night. At another corner of the prakaram, upanyasakars had congregated to present the inner meaning of the Theveram Verses. Flanked by musicians, they presented the learnings from the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint poets through the night.

As the time ticked to 10.30pm, the loud beating of the drum signified that the couple are ready to move past the towering Western Raja Gopuram into the fourth prakaram – referred to as the Ul Thiru Veethi or the Car Street.

A heartening feature of this sthalam is that the Ul Veethi still houses traditional residents living life the way they used to centuries ago. From the physical attire to the way they address the guests gives one a glimpse of the people from the centuries gone by. Any new comer to the North Ul Thiru Veethi is invited to sit on that old Thinnai at the entrance of the house and offered a glass of water from the pot. The modesty of communication is enlightening and one is left to wonder if such people still exist.

The entire street was dotted with white pulli kolams, each of which welcoming the couple in their own devotional way. As the couple make their way to the northern gateway of the temple, the experience is even more delightful. Several boys aged below 20 with the sacred ash on their body are seen learning the Vedas. They offer their respects to the couple in front of the Sankara Mutt that has produced scores of vedic scholars. The sincerity of the young boys and their commitment to a devotional life has to make a new entrant happy.

As the couple passed through this most traditional street of Thiruvanaikaval, many old time residents remembered the legendary story behind this temple’s architecture.

Ko Chenganan's First Maada Koil

Thiruvanaikaval is the first of the ‘Maada Koils’ built by the great Chozha King Ko Chenganan. The story goes that a Spider provided shade to the Lord through its cobweb, while an elephant performed pooja removing all the dirt around the lord, bringing water for Abhishekam, plucking flowers and fruits and providing sandalwood. One day, angered at finding a cobweb above the Lord, the elephant swung his tail and hit out at the web as he saw it as dirt. In retaliation, the spider entered the nose of the elephant. Stung with unbearable pain, the elephant died. The spider caught inside elephant’s body too died of suffocation. When they entered Kailasam, and asked for a wish, the elephant asked for this place where he performed pooja with sincerity to be named after him. Hence this place came to be called Thiru ‘Aanai’ Kaval. The spider asked to be born as a King who would build everlasting temples.

The spider was thus born as Ko Chenganan Chozhan. He carried his anger into this life as well. Ko Chenganan built over 70 Saivite temples all of which were such that the elephant could not enter. It was either a small entrance into the sanctum or a high rise that an elephant could not climb. Ruling from Uraiyur, the then capital of the Chozhas, Ko Chenganan crossed the Cauvery and found an idol of Shiva beneath the tree. He also remembered his life as a spider when he had provided shade right above. His devotion touched a peak and he built Thiruvanaikal as his first Saivite temple.

The First Long break on the night

As the couple reach the far end of the North Ul Veethi, they are presented with silk vastrams. The entire street reverberated with loud devotional chants of the Vedas and the Thevaram verses. It is just past mid night when they reach the mid point of the South Ul Veethi. And it is time for the longest break of the night. For well over 90 minutes, the nagaswaram and band vadhyam sat right in the middle of the mid point of the South Ul Veethi and played devotional numbers.

The residents of the South Ul Veethi presented butter milk among other offerings to the hundreds of devotees who accompanied the couple through the procession as well as to the service volunteers who were driving the couple on separate wheeled vehicles. Unfortunately, for decades, the procession has moved from carrying the couple on the shoulders to a procession on wheels. That was the one sour point of the procession.

It was 2am when Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari continued their procession on the South Ul Veethi. At the far end of the street, near the sacred tank, the musicians sat down once again, this time for a 30 minute presentation. It had taken over 4 hours to complete the Ul Veethi, the 4^thprakaram purapadu. Past 2.30am, the couple readied themselves for an even longer trip around the huge 5^th prakaram, the huge walls of which is believed to have been built by the Lord himself. The traditional local residents of the Ul Veethi made their way back home promising to join the couple in the morning at a point on the 5^th prakaram.

Vibhuthi Prakaram – The 5^th Prakaram

The largest and outermost prakara – the fifth prakaram is referred to as the Vibhoothi Prakara. The story goes that several thousands of labourers toiled hard through the day to construct the prakara. As a reward of their hard work, these committed labourers were each given Vibhoothi as prasadam. As they went back home, to their pleasant surprise they found that the Lord’s Prasadam had magically turned into money – a testimony to the truth that the Lord rewards those who offer their sincere prayers and work sincerely in their daily lives.

The story of the Vibhuthi prakaram is one of extreme devotional to the couple of the Thiruvanaikaval. The non traditionalists may not know the Thevaram verses or may not be in the traditional madisar or panchakacham of the Ul Veethi but they clearly showcased on the night that their devotion to the Lord and Ambal is as pure as of anyone. Every house on the narrow streets around the 5^th prakaram welcomed the couple in a devotional way offering coconuts and garlands invoking the blessings of the couple. It was well past 330am on the North Vibhuthi Street but even young children aged 5 were up with folded hands to invoke the couple’s blessings, such was the devotion of the residents of the prakaram.

Leading the couple in the front were Othuvars and Bhagavathas comprising of elderly men and women as well as young children who through the entire night chanted aloud Verses relating to different Thevaram Sthalams including Sundarar’s verse on Thiru Aanaikka where he refers to an interesting episode that every devotee should first offer their present to the Lord before consuming it. A Queen who was a gifted a set of glittering necklaces adorned herself and showcased it with all joy. After bathing in the Cauvery, she found the necklaces missing. Shocked at this loss, the king and the queen invoked the blessings of Lord Jambukeswarar to help find the necklaces. Shortly after, as the priest provided the Lord with the sacred bath the necklaces were seen on the Lord’s Lingam making them realise that in their hour of joy and greed, they had forgotten to first thank him for their state of happiness.

This story so beautifully narrated by Sundarar as a message to all devotees that we should not forget the Lord in our hour of happiness was sung with devotional fervour as part of the procession through the Vibhuthi Thiru Veethi.

By the time the Moon slid into the far western end of the sky giving way to the Sun in the East, the couple had made their way to South Vibuthi Street where after an early morning bath, residents with bright sacred ash on their forehead had darshan in front of their homes. It was almost 8am when they reached the South West end of the South Vibhuthi Street (now referred to as ‘Single Street’).

Exhilarating Devotional Drums

And then all of a sudden as the clock ticked to 8am, the procession saw a dramatic and a quite unexpected reverberation. It looked like the best moments of the 15 hour procession was reserved for the very end.

Out of no-where, around 10 boys all in their teens brought out the traditional ‘Udal’ (the sacred drum) and for almost two hours presented a nonstop devotional beating. It is only during such presentations that one’s belief in God is endorsed. They showcased to the world that morning that with true service minded devotion to the divine couple, anything in possible.

Jambu is in his mid teens and has a good academics record at school. One day over the next decade, he may join the corporate world but that morning on the West Vibhuthi Street, he showcased a devotional beating of the drum that would not be seen in any other Thevaram Sthalam or Divya Desam. One had to wonder as to how a young lean teenaged boy could render such a hard paced devotional beating of the drum nonstop for two hours. And yet as every minute passed by that morning, one’s belief in God had to increase. During those two hours, fruits were offered, fruit juices, butter milk and many more eats came his way and that of the other boys playing alongside him. But they would have none of it. The Panguni Sun was beating down as the clock ticked past 9am. Sweat poured like thick water down his brow. His cheek had turned red. Every vein in his body was activated. The small chest had expanded to its widest.

It looked like Jambu had moved to a different world – a world devoted and dedicated to God. The beating of the Periya Udal got louder as he used the small cane in his right hand to magical effect with the speed of his strike reaching unbeatable levels. At his peak, Jambu would have reached speed levels of well over 60 strikes a minute and even as his team mates handed over their drum to another member, Jambu continued to increase the speed of the beat while at the same time instructing his members with his eyes on the right tune.

Totally the boys number around 25, all having learnt this art by watching and practicing in their free time while they are away from school. Most exhibit the same intensity of devotion to Lord Jambukeswarar. With the Periya Udal tied to their shoulder, they forget the world around them.

It is almost close to 10am and the couple are finally back at the Western entrance of the Ul Thiru Veethi, a spot in the fourth prakaram that they had left 7 hours earlier. With a Magudi Nagaswaram presentation, the couple made their way back to their abode bringing to end the 15 hour Pancha Prakara Procession.

The final word though rested with the drum beaters. Chanting Thiruchitrambalam and reciting a Thevaram Verse and thanking the couple for this opportunity, they beat the drums one final time at an exhilarating speed and that devotional rendition brought to end Thiruvanaikaval’s longest and biggest utsavam, the 15 hour Pancha Prakara Utsavam.

Periya Nambi descendant Narasimha Gopalan takes up the cause of the Priests in TN temples

Long Serving Priests in around 50 ancient temples around Ambasamudram get less than Rs. 1000 per month

Pleads with the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to direct HR & CE to pay fair and reasonable salary to Priests

After making repeated pleas over the last many years to the HR & CE about the financial plight of the Archakas and other temple servants in ancient temples in Tamil Nadu and the critical need to revise upwards their salary to a reasonable living standard, Periya Nambi Narasimha Gopalan, the Head Priest at Sri Rajagopalaswamy Kulasekara Azhwar Temple, Mannar Kovil, Ambasamudram Taluk and the 29^th descendant of revered Acharya Periya Nambi (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html), has filed a Writ Petition against the HR & CE at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the current salary paid to him (and to priests and temple servants similar to him in remote temples managed by HR & CE) is so abysmal that even the basic survival is becoming increasingly difficult for these priests.

Narasimha Gopalan at the time of filing the Petition was getting a monthly salary of Rs. 750 which itself is up three fold from Rs. 250 that he had been receiving for almost a decade. His father performed service at the temple in the 1980s at a salary of just Rs. 55 per month. Currently, there are six other full time service personnel at the temple each of whom gets just a three figure salary every month.

Shocking Salaries to Priests
Shocking is the fact that a priest at the nearby Vilvanathar temple in Pathamadai is paid a salary of Rs. 19 per month while at the historical and ancient Kailasanathar temple in Brahmadesam, the priest is paid a salary of Rs. 215 per month. Even in the now popular Nava Tirupathi Divya Desams on the Eastern Side of Tirunelveli, the official salaries to most priests continues to be low and it is the monthly 'Sambhavanai' from Venu Srinivasan to each of the priests over the last two decades that has helped them sustain their family.

Similar is the fate of most other priests in the region. Narasimha Gopalan has put together data on the salary paid to Priests and other temple service personnel in close to 50 ancient temples in the Ambasamudram region.

As per the data, in almost all the temples, the service personnel including the priests receive only up to three figure salaries every month. One has to wonder as to how a priest can run a family with such a low income all through his life.

He cites a verse from the Thirukural “ஆ பயன் குன்றும் அறுதொழிலோர் நூல் மறப்பர் காவலன் காவான் எனின் .” If the ruler does not take care of his subjects and does not give them their fair dues, the cow count will decrease and the Brahmins whose job it is to chant and teach the Vedas will leave and go to other jobs.

‘Frustration is bound to increase and unless corrective action is taken, it is likely that in the decades to come they will all move away from temple service in line with what Thiruvalluvar stated all those centuries ago’ says Narasimha Gopalan

With such low salaries, most of the temples located in remote areas have been finding it difficult to attract service and support staff. And thus one finds that in many remote temples, the priest is left all alone to take care of all the daily maintenance work as well in addition to performing the pooja.

Salary restriction based on income of temple

HR and CE also has a restriction on payment of salaries to staff that cannot go beyond 40% of the total income of the concerned temple.

In his petition, Narasimha Gopalan says that irrespective of the income of the temple, the nature and working time of rendering services by the archakas are by and large one and the same. It is also to be borne in mind that priests in such remote temples have to take care of all the sannidhis at the same time and all through the day. Determination of salary and discrimination based on the income of the temple where they are employed is unconstitutional.

T.R. Ramesh, President, Temple Worshippers Society who has filed a number of cases in the Madras High Court against the HR & CE says that the fundamental problem lies in the classification of temples based on their incomes and not based on their religious significance like Thevaram Sthalam or Divya Desam.

“They are not classified by how big the temples are and how many sannadhis they have or based on the extent of immovable properties that belong to the temple. Every Divya Desam and Thevaram Sthalam should have adequate number of priests and that is possible only by giving the priests a reasonable monthly income and benefits. It is ethically incorrect for the HR & CE to put a salary disbursement cap of 40% of the temple’s income and pay such shockingly low salaries to the priests.”

Even though the Archakas are admittedly office holders under Section 55 of the HR&CE Act, 1959 and most of them have been providing service for several decades having completely dedicated themselves to the service of the Lord, they are continued to be paid meager three digit salary.

Narasimha Gopalan has said in his petition that non consideration of priest’s livelihood and not to let them to lead a decent life is abrupt violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It falls to the government to initiate steps in order to secure them a decent living and minimum wages, says Narasimha Gopalan.

Ramesh says that the priests are placed at par with sweepers and below drivers in designation. This is totally unfair. Priests have to learn the Vedas for at least 7 years and learn and train in shastras for 3 years. The position of Priests must be much higher and salary fixed accordingly

Fair and Reasonable Salary to Priests

In his petition, Narasimha Gopalan has pleaded with the Court to invoke its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India and direct the HR & CE to fix a pay scale for Archakas and other servants who are directly associated in the temple service.

He is of the view that at least Rs. 400 per day (Rs. 12000 per month) would be a reasonable salary for full time long serving temple priests and service personnel in remote temples in Tamil Nadu.

Managing the Temple all alone

The reference of Shenbagam flowers in Kulasekara Azhwar’s verses motivated him to convert the huge open area in the outer prakara of the 5 ½ acre temple into a Nandavanam. He sowed the seeds in 2008 and today it compares with the best with a wide variety of flowers that includes Shenbagam, Malligai, Iruvatchi, Magilam and Parichatam. With the idea of providing resting and nesting place for birds and parrots, he added Thothagathi, Naaval and Maruthai trees as well. In recent times, he has also started to grow 70 teak trees.

For over a decade, he has taken care of the maintenance of the temple almost all alone. Today, the temple wears a fresh look. All the Sannidhis and prakaras are clean. Unlike in the past, the lamp now glows at the temple, a significant improvement from the decades gone by.

Naamam Potuttaan??
When he once heard the phrase ‘Naamam Potuttan’ (a reference of the sacred ash of Vaishnavites being used to indicate a cheat), he raged in anger. He moved the Madurai High Court pleading an order to restrain the use of this terminology both in movies as well as in public places. He is hoping the judgment would be delivered soon in his favour (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/11/periya-nambi-acharya-fights-for.html).

He has also made himself a party to the dress code case in the High Court and is planning to go on an appeal against the earlier verdict. He asks if it will be acceptable in the corporate world for an interviewee to go to a job interview in shorts and T shirt saying that his strength is in the intelligence of the mind and not in the dress that he wears. He strongly believes that there is a certain dress code required for presence at temples to create the devotional environment.

It is hoped that the HR & CE will realize the unfair treatment meted out to priests in thousands of temples across the state and fix a fair pay scale that will give financial respectability to the priests. In the absence of such a step, it may be left to the Courts to forcibly make the HR & CE take corrective steps and reverse the injustice done to the priests over the last many decades.

(A version of this story featured today in The Hindu Friday Review)

A through the night trip from Chidambaram to Kille

When as part of his humble offering, a young puncture shop owner on the outskirts of Chidambaram kept his shop open well past 10pm and filled air to the tyres of the Lord’s vehicle and saw it as the service he could render to the Lord on the night when Chitrakoodathullan, the Utsava deity of Chidambaram Divya Desam began his 15km trip to Killai for the Theerthavari Utsavam at the Eastern Sea Shore on the occasion of Maasi Magam, one was reminded of Thiru Mangai Azhwar’s praise of the greatness of Thillai Thiru Chitrakoodam and what the Lord expects from his devotees.

In his very first verse of praise of the Lord of Chidambaram, he says that one did not have to undertake severe penance by holding one’s breath or by stopping the five senses. Just visiting Thillai Nagar Thiru Chitrakoodam and having darshan of the Lord was enough to please the Lord and gain his blessing.

செந்தளிர்வாய் மலர் நகை சேர் செழுந்தண் சோலைத்
தில்லை நகர் திரு சித்திரகூடந் தன்னுள்
அந்தணர்கள் ஒரு மூவாயிரவர் ஏத்த
அணிமணி ஆசனத்து இருந்த அம்மான் தானே

Unmindful of his age, 85 year old AV Rangachari, former Economic Professor of Annamalai University, was at the Chidambaram Divya Desam two hours ahead of Lord Chitrakoodathullan’s trip to Killai and ensured that the Seva Kalam took place on time facilitating the timely departure of the Utsava deity for the night long procession.

He has spent almost his entire life in and around the huge ‘Twin Temple’ complex at Chidambaram. Unsurprisingly, Saivites and Vaishnavites, alike, have great regard for the contribution he has made. He was just 15 years old when he took up the responsibilities of the Theerthakar at the Govindaraja Perumal Divya Desam way back in 1948. Rangachari has been an integral part of the Seva Kalam at this Divya Desam ever since. By the time he turned 18, he was inducted into the Board of Trustees, one of the youngest to take up such a responsibility in a Divya Desam. By this time, he had also taken up the responsibilities for the conduct of Utsavams.

Lesson of his Life – Saivite – Vaishnavite Unity

The greatest initiation to him as a young boy from the elders was to have a cordial relationship with the Saivites. As one watches him from a corner, every devotee to the temple including to the Nataraja Sannidhi pays regards to him with folded hands seeking his blessings. His philosophy has always been quite simple ‘If you are straight forward and offer your service to the Lord with Devotion, people will trust you’.

After a grand alankaram by the priests, Chitrakoodathullan left his abode at Chidambaram on 28^th (Feb) evening along with Sri and Bhoo Devi Thayar.

All along the first couple of hours of his trip, many other devotees comprising of Petrol Station owners, staff of hospital and employees of provision stores accorded a warm welcome to the Lord presenting their offerings to him.

100s of devotees at Nakkara Vanthan Kudi

As the Lord passed by into Nakkara Vanthan Kudi, a remote Village East of Chidambaram late into the night, one was even more humbled with the unflinching devotion of the villagers with over a 100 of them gathering in front of the Draupadi Amman Temple with flowers, garlands and variety rice to be presented to the Lord on his only trip of the year to their village. And when Chitrakoodathullan reached their Village well past 10pm, they sung verses of praise on him in unison. In line with Kulasekara Azhwar’s praise, devotees thronged to see and enjoy the Lord of Chitrakoodam. And almost as following the devotional steps, the devotees of Nakkara Vanthan Kudi, old and the young alike offered worship with bowed heads and folded hands.

The story goes that in centuries gone by, the villagers pleaded with the Lord during this trip to make his way through the green fields as they believed that the Lord’s presence on their agricultural land would prove to be a great blessing for the coming harvest season.

Silk Shawls at Pinnathur Village

As the clock ticked to 11pm, the Lord bid farewell to these delighted devotees for another year and continued his march to the next destination through the dark streets lit up only by the Moon light.

It was the big day of the year for the devotees at Pinnathur, a small village 5kms off Killai. The entire village came together in large numbers to receive the Divya Desam Lord from Chidambaram even though it was well past mid night.

For half hour, the villagers comprising mainly of farmers and their families showered the Lord with a wide range of colourful silk shawls and sought his blessings.

Revival of Theppotsavam - Next Year
It was at the ancient Rama temple in Pinnathur Village that historically the Utsava Deity of Thillai Chitrakoodam Divya Desam took part in a Theppotsavam on his return trip from Killai. With the temple in a dilapidated condition, the Theppam had to be stopped a few decades ago. However with the renovation under way to get the temple back in shape, the authorities are hoping to revive the Theppotsavam next year at the temple.

By now, the Lord had been on road for over 5 hours. As he moved on from Pinnathur, the streets wore a deserted look. There was silence all around in the middle of the night.

1am and the Procession Continues

The Sri Patham Thangis’ motivational talks spurring each other to move the Lord onto the final destination at Killai was the only noise that could be heard as the Lord touched the Chidambaram Pichavaram Highway. It was almost 1.30am when the Lord reached Killai where at the Anjaneya Temple he rested for the night.

Historically, this used to be a weeklong utsavam with Veda Narayana Perumal of Valaimadevi (near Neyveli) and Varaha Perumal of Perumathur too joining the Chidambaram Divya Desam Lord in this annual Maasi Celebrations.

Theerthavari at the Sea Shore

The next morning Lord Chitrakoodathullan was up early to make his way to the Eastern Sea Shore for the annual Theerthavari utsavam on Maasi Magam that was then followed by a Thirumanjanam at Killai.

Later in the day, he made another long trip, this time westwards to Bhuvanagiri. As per the Chitrakoodam Puranam, the Lord of this Divya Desam enjoyed the Thiru Kalyana Vaibhavam at Vellaanthankarai ( Bhuvanagiri) in Maasi. As part of this legendary episode, the Thiru Kalyana Utsavam was performed at the Saurashtra Mandapam on the banks of Vellaaru in Bhuvanagiri.

After three days, having provided darshan to thousands of devotees in several villages around Chidambaram, the Lord began his trip back on Saturday (March 3) evening to reach his abode at Chidambaram at 930pm.

And much to the delight of the devotees who were awaiting his return, Chitrakoodathullan and Bhoo Varaha Perumal of Sri Mushnam, who too arrived there after the Theerthavari in Killai provided a joint darshan at the Chidambaram Divya Desam thus bringing to end the Maasi Magam Utsavam.

( A version of this story featured in The Hindu Friday Review dated April 13)

18 Adyayams in the Brahmma Puranam provide a great description of the greatness of Athigiri
A Grand Seven Day Celebration bringing back memories of the legendary tale of this historic Temple Town

'How about charging Rs. 5 from those devotees turning up just during the 'food' distribution'?

என் திசையும் கடலேழு மலைகள் ஏழும்

ஈரேழு வையகமும் படைத்து இலங்கும்

புண்டரீகத்து அயன் புணர்த்த பெரிய வேள்விப்

புனித நறும் போக்கியத்தை உவந்து வந்து

தொண்டையெனும் மண்டலத்தின் நடுவில் பாரில்

தூ நிலம் மெய்யவிரதத்து தோன்றி நின்ற

தொண்டல் அருள் குணமே நாம் கூறுகின்றோம்

கூர்மதியீர் குறிப்பாகக் கொண்மின் நீரே - Vedanta Desikar

It is a period before the big utsavams in Chitrai and Vaikasi. And summer is just around the corner. This phase is usually a quiet period for the Lord of Kanchi. For seven days ending with Shravanam in Panguni, Lord Varadar enjoyed the extensive presentation of the legend relating to this ancient temple town as part of the Pallava Utsavam.

While the legend has been narrated in great detail in different puranams, during these seven days, the descendents of Thatha desikan present the legend as described in 18 adyayams of the Athigiri Mahatmiyam from the Brahmma Puranam. On the final day, Vedanta Desikar’s Rahasya Grantha on the Lord of Kanchi is also presented.

On each of these seven days, the story from a particular adyayam or set of adyayams was narrated – first as a slokam followed by an exhaustive description of its meaning.

Srisaila Thathachariar is truly devotional as can be seen from his commitment to Athigiri Arulaalar. He has presented this annual sthalam puranam describing the legendary tale of Athigiri during the Pallava Utsavam. As he sits down talking to me on his presentations from the past, one gets an immediate sense of his devotion. He rolls out beautiful verses from the Brahmma Puranam doling out exciting tale relating to the emergence of Deva Perumal here at Athigiri.

As he presents the story, it is just so full of devotional honesty to the Lord of Kanchi. A sanskrit professor at the nearby college, one almost gets a child like excitement to be at his class each day such is his passionate roll out of this tale relating to Brahmma's Yagna and its outcome. He is also there in the evening on each of the days as part of the vedic recital in front of Lord Varadar.

Creating Kanchi for Brahmma's Yagna

The opening day of the Pallava Utsavam was the day of the introduction - the story of why Brahmma does the yagna, why Kanchi was chosen for this sacred event, the details of the rishis that attended the yagna.It is also the day when the important missing block in this exercise is brought out. The puranam states that Vashishta alerted Brahmma to the fact the Yagna could not be done in the absence of Saraswathi.

It is a day when the speciality of performing a yagna at Kanchi and its locational significance was narrated in great depth.

The descendant of Thatha Desikan (currently working at Turbo Energy, Sholingur) revealed that ahead of the huge Yagna, Brahmma summoned Sculptor Vishwakarma and directed him to create a city suitable for the occasion. The great sculptor that he was, Vishwakarma went about creating a place similar to the Deva logam with beautiful gardens, huge water filled tanks, hundreds of wells, Maada Maligai with big Thinnais and large Veethis.

எத்திசைநிலனும்எய்தி

அருந்தவம்செய்தஅந்நாள்

சத்தியவிரதம்செல்வாய்

என்றஓர் உரையின்சார்வாள்

அத்திசைச்சென்றழைத்து

அங்குஅமரர்இல்எடுப்பான்தன்னை

உத்தரவேதிசெய் என்று

உரைஅணங்குஇறைஉரைத்தான்

On the 2^nd day of the Utsava, the tale revolved around a worried Brahmma directing his disciples to locate Saraswathi and to bring her to the yagna. It was also the day when the story behind Saraswathi’s anger was retold and why she went away from Brahmma.

Saraswathi’s Anger

When Saraswathi enquired as to who was better – she or Lakshmi, Brahmma pointed to the latter, leading an unhappy Saraswathi to ask if she was at least the better of the Theerthams. There to Brahmma pointed to Ganga as the more sacred. Having thus been embarrassed in front of the Sabha comprising of Devas and Rishis, Saraswathi went away to the Saraswathi Theertham and performed penance.

As per Brahmma’s instructions, the rishis went in search of her and finally found her at the Saraswathi Theertham. When the rishis request Saraswathi to return and be present at the yagna, she narrates the story behind her anger and suggests that if he is indeed so keen on her presence, he should come and perform the yagna here at this place.

Significance of Kanchi

The many devotees from around the Mada Streets provide an eager ear to the story of Kanchi. The rishis present the greatness of Kanchi and impress upon her about this being a Sthala Kshetram Yagna and hence the merits of it are likely to occur only if done in Kanchi. It is also the day when in several verses the specialty and greatness of Kanchi is narrated.

‘All sins go away if the yagna is performed at Kanchi and hence the importance of Brahmma conducting the yagna there. ’

However, Saraswathi remains firm and refuses to return much to the disappointment of the Rishis.

Presenting the Legend - Two Hours each day

On the succeeding days, this story is taken forward by the Thatha Desikan descendents. Soon after Lord Varadar makes his way to the Asthana Mandapam near the Western Raja Gopuram, the descendents, each of whom take turns every year to present this legendary story stand in front of the Lord and present for well over two hours Brahmma’s Yagna tale and the challenges that he encountered.

Angered at the stubbornness of Saraswathi and her unwillingness to work for the dharmic good of the world, Brahmma decided to go ahead without her justifying to his preceptor that the yagna would be just as successful in the presence of Savitri.

The entire Bhoo Logam and Deva Logam participated in the Yagna except Saraswathi. With the huge participation in sight, Brahmma appointed Brahmins to take care of the guests.

The Sambhavanai Dispute!!!

The Brahmins in an eagerness to please the Devas presented additional sambhavanai to them infuriating the Asuras. Virata, the head of the Asuras took note of this. However he took a cautious stance. Realizing that Lord Narayana would work for the cause of the Devas, he asked the asuras to remain calm as he worked out a strategy.

Virata sketched a plan to stir up the already angry Saraswathi and decided to seek her support. They went as a group disguised as Brahmins. Once they arrived at the Saraswathi Theertham, Virata presented the story of the happenings at the Yagna and how it had begun in the presence of Savitri who was seated majestically in the place that was meant for Saraswathi. No sooner did he say this, he secured the reaction that he expected.

Even though she knew who they really were, she blessed them as they seemed to be her well wisher.

Saraswathi was fuming in anger at Brahmma’s action replacing her with Savithri and decided to use all her powers to stop the Yagna. She crossed mountains and forests at a rapid pace that they came crushing down and everything seemed to be giving way to her to clear her path to Kanchi. As she entered Kanchi, her anger surmounted watching the size of the yagna and the city that had been created. And she vented out her anger in the form of flash floods from river Vegavathi that sought to destroy the Yagna. The rishis and kings who had gathered there ran helter skelter for cover. They all wondered as to how unseasonal this was to have flash floods.

There was chaos everywhere with the sudden inflow into the city. Brahmma sought the help of Lord Narayana for the safe conduct and the successful completion of the Yagna. This was beautifully presented through several stotrams. These purana stotrams also describe the 10 avataars of Lord Narayana and Brahmma requests the Lord to protect him too like he did in those avatars.

Answering his prayers, he presented himself in different places around this ancient city including in a sleeping posture to prevent the river from flowing across to the location of the Yagna and thwarting Saraswathi’s efforts to disrupt the Yagna. Saraswathi stops on seeing the Lord and her anger subsides. Slowing her pace, she nears the Lord and surrenders to him and agrees to go and join Brahmma at the yagna. It was from here that the river splits into seven different tributaries.

Vashishta gives the green signal to Brahmma to allow Saraswathi at the yagna and it continues.

Devaperumal's emergence on the Hastham day in Chitrai

While Indra, Varuna and Agni were staying right opposite the Yagna, they did not get the desired effect when the ‘Swaaha’ mantra was recited. Bemused at this, they approached Brahmma who told them that this Yagna was directed at Lord Narayana and that it was not to get any fruits. Hence the entire benefit goes directly to Lord Narayana. This again is so beautifully described and explained in the Purana.

And suddenly there was fragrance all around Athigiri. Much to everyone’s surprise, a Vimana came out of the Yagna from the middle of the fire with Lord Narayana emerging out as Deva Perumal. In around 30 slokams, the entire physical beauty of Devaperumal is beautifully described in the Purana. The appearance of his eyes, his ears, the placing of his feet, the weapons he held and so on.

The Purana states that the lord emerged here on the Hastham day (Sunday) in Chitrai early in the morning. It really was an exciting third day’s presentation by the Thatha Desikan descendant.

Arathanam Process for Devaperumal

On the fourth morning, after having described the way the Lord emerged at athigiri, the entire arathanam process was described through several beautiful stotrams that brought to life the many different arathanams for Devaperumal. On this day, the many abharanams that the Lord adorns were also described in great detail including the one that Brahmma himself had presented.

On the fifth day of the Pallava Utsavam, the story of Brahmma’s Yagna was brought to a close with the Sambhavanai to all those present and the sending off to their respective places. Having seen the Lord emerge, Brahmma went round and round the Lord like how one would hug a new born, a description that brought tears in the eyes of those present. This episode of Brahmma’s Yagna ended with Brahmma seeking the boon from the Lord to stay here for ever in ‘Nithya Vaasam’ and provide darshan to his devotees.

Brahmma's sad departure brings tears

On the sixth day, Devaperumal asks Brahmma to go back to Sathya Logam and there are sad tears from the sincere devotees present on the day as Thathachar presents the slow manner in which an unwilling Brahmma left this place. This event is enacted at the temple during the Desikar Utsavam in Puratasi. The Purana relating to this particular episode ends with the entire world talking about this yagna for several years, such was its greatness of having taken place at Athigiri.

பெருமையுடைஅத்திகிரிப்பெருமாள்வந்தார்

பேராதஅருள்பொழியும்பெருமாள்வந்தார்

அருமறையின்உச்சிதனில்நின்றார்வந்தார்

அங்கமுடன்அவையாகும்அரியோர்வந்தார்

திருவுரையாய்த்தாம்பொருளாய்நிற்பார்வந்தார்

திருவருளால் செழுங்கலைகள்தந்தார்வந்தார்

மருவலர்க்குமயக்குரைக்கும்மாயோர்வந்தார்

வானேற வழிதந்தார்வந்தார்தாமே

The Final Day Action (April 10)

On the final day, Vedanta Desikar made an early morning trip from Thoopal Divya Desam to the Varadar Temple. Marking the concluding day’s celebrations, of the seven day utsavam, Lord Varadar was treated to an hour long Thirumanjanam.

Gajendra Aradhanam in Tretha Yugam

The Thathachariar descendant then went on to describe the Gajendra Aradhanam the story of how Maha Shathar Rishi undertakes severe penance. Indra who felt insecure at the severity of the penance sent beautiful girls to distract the rishi.

Later the rishi meets Brigandu Maha Rishi who directs him to Kanchi explaining the greatness of the place and asks him to take bath at the Chakkarai Theertham there. He asks him to invoke the blessings of Narasimha (at the entrance to the Malai Perumal) before seeking the blessings of Devaperumal. He asks the elephant to clear the place so he could do aradhana for the Lord. The Gajendra Moksham episode is described here in around 30 slokams.

Brihaspathi Aradhanam

This was followed by a description of Brihaspathi Aradhanam. Following a curse, Brihaspathi is born in the bhoo logam. Here he hits a dog that comes seeking asylum at a house. The dog tells him that he is at fault for this wrong action and that he will have to repent. Brihaspathi comes to Athigiri and does Gayathri Jabam to relieve himself of his sins. Perumal comes as a 16 year old before Brihaspathi. When the latter asks him to go away, the young boy asks him to take care of his lean body and informs him that he will soon be relieved of his sins.

This entire episode is narrated by Narada to Brigu Maha rishi highlighting the fame of Athigiri. The Puranam ends with Brahmma describing the Ashtanga Yagnas.

On the final evening, Lord Varadar was decorated with several different varieties of garland. As the clocked ticked to 6 pm, devotees in several hundreds congregated in front of the Pallava Utsavam asthana mandapam for this final evening’s celebrations. For their devotional seven day presentation in front of the Lord narrating in depth the legendary tale of Brahmma’s Yagna at Kanchi, the Thatha Desikan descendants were presented with the Lord’s garland in a thanking gesture.

Vedic Recital continues to be a strong hold at Kanchi and the vedic scholars presented all the four Vedas before the Lord.

How about Rs. 5 from each for the Theertham?

While the devotees (in large numbers) were missing during the devotional rendition of the Athigiri Mahatmiyam on each of the seven days, they suddenly seemed to arrive from nowhere during the presentation of Theertham and the hot Pongal and Dhadhyonam (a feature seen in many temples in Tamil Nadu). And just the presentation of the prasadam took almost half an hour, such was the devotee crowd prompting a Bhattar of two decades at the temple to remark as to what would happen if each of these devotees turning up just during the ‘food’ distribution were charged Rs. 5!!!

Shortly after 8pm, the handsome looking Varadar made his way to the Anjaneya temple west of the Raja Gopuram. Led by the presentation of the Periya Thirumozhi Verses on Pullam Bhoothangudi, he made his way back to the temple even as the agraharam residents continued to shower him with their offerings.

After a week long stay for the Pallava Utsavam, the Utsava deity made his way back to his abode at the Malai Koil just after 9pm bringing to end a historical Utsavam that brought back memories from the legendary tale of Kanchi.

12 Lords provide Garuda Sevai darshan on the TSR Big Street

Historically, five of the ancient Lords followed the Garuda Sevai with a 'Cooling off' session on the banks of the Cauvery on this Hot Chitrai Day

Akshaya Tritiyai in Chitrai marks the Biggest Festive Day of the year at the TSR Big Street in Kumbakonam. The 12 Vaishnavite Lords of this ancient temple are set to congregate in a few hours at the Western End of this Popular business street.

It is 6am on the morning of Akshaya Tritiyai (April 18), a day when Ganges is believed to have emerged on earth with Garuda having played a helpful role in that (hence the tradition of Garuda Sevai on this day). At the Sarangapani temple in Thiru Kudanthai, Soundararaja Bhattar who has been in this devotional service for three decades was working on the Garuda Sevai alankaram.

At the nearby Ramaswamy temple, Chakravarthi Bhattar had completed the grand alankaram of the handsome Lord and was awaiting the huge sets of flower garland that has been ordered from Srirangam to give the final touches to the alankaram. By 7am, Pattabhirama Bhattar had Lord Chakrapani sporting a majestic look with Garuda draped in a beautiful bright green silk vastram.

The famous TSR Big Street in Kumbakonam where the centuries old 12 Garuda Sevai utsavam unfolded later that morning wore a decorated festive look. A grand long Panthal has been erected in front of the Ahobila Mutt. By 730am, devotees had already begun to take up vantage position on both sides of the Street.

A couple of hours later one heard a loud devotional cheer from the huge crowd on the TSR Big Street signifying the entry of the first Lord of the morning. Within the next half hour, the Vaishnavite Lords of Kumbakonam had taken up their respective positions at the far West End of the Big Street. By now the crowd had swelled to several thousands on the hot Chitrai day.

Entry of Sarangapani into the Big Street

Back at the Aravamudhan Divya Desam, Prabhandham scholars were presenting the verses of Thirumangai Azhwar on Thiru Kudanthai.

At 9.30 am, led by Nam Azhwar, Thirumangai Azhwar and Thirumazhisai Azhwar, Lord Sarangapani made his way out of the towering Raja Gopuram.

The devotees and the shop owners welcomed Sarangapani calling out his name ‘Saranga’ in unison. He took his place alongside Chakrapani in the front row with Aathi Varaha Perumal and Raja Gopalan right behind them.

Lord Rama’s delayed arrival

As the clock ticket past 10.30am, everyone wondered on the missing link on the front row. It has been the tradition for a century for Sarangapani Perumal to be flanked by Chakrapani and Ramaswamy. While Lord Rama had been ready for departure early in the morning, a minor pay dispute at the final moment with the Sri Patham Thangis led to a delay. Finally, just after 11am, after all the other Lords had waited almost for an hour, Lord Rama took up his historical position alongside Lord Sarangapani.

There were different kinds of Garuda Vahanas on display with each of the Bhattars exhibited his Alankaram skill sporting the Lord in different attires much to the delight of the devotees. Aathi Varaha Perumal was particularly special as he provided darshan in Varaha Avataram – a Unique Feature for the utsava deities in Vaishnavite temples always provide darshan only in human form and not in the avataram form.

82 year old G Kunchithapatham, a Chartered Accountant has witnessed the Garuda Sevai for well over seven decades. He remembers the Garuda Sevai from the 2^nd half of the 1940s “I was all of 10 years old.

'It was a festival that everyone in the temple town looked forward to. Just a single Garuda Sevai is special. And when 12 different Lords provided Garuda Sevai darshan at one place, all of us saw it as a divine opportunity to seek their Blessings. It was with great joy that all of us gathered at the Western End of TSR Big Street to watch the 12 Lords. In those years, all the Lords used to congregate early in the morning around 7am and they used to provide darshan till around 2pm.”

The 12 Garuda Sevai Lords

Sarangapani, Chakrapani, Ramaswamy, Aathi Varaha Perumal, Rajagopalan (Thoppu Street), Rajagopalan (Bazaar Street), Santhanagopalan Krishnan (Malluga Chetty Street), Patabhiramar (Kamakshi Street), Navaneetha Krishnan (Mela Kottaiyur), Navaneetha Krishnan (Patrachar Street), Varadaraja Perumal (Mela Cauvery) and Srinivasa Perumal (Pulianchery near Swami Malai – Did not make it this year).

It has historically been a festival hosted by the shop keepers of TSR Big Street. 73 year old V Kannan, a jewellery shop owner on that street has been an integral part of this festival for over 50 years ‘Devotees used to arrive very early on the morning with their family having walked all the way from the neighbouring villages to witness this grandest Garuda Sevai of Kumbakonam. Since the early 1960s, we have been presenting Panagam and Butter Milk to all the devotees who visit the Garuda Sevai.

'This year we organized 10000 glasses. I remember as a school boy in those decades in the 1950s and 60s having watched the grand preparation on the Big Street with great interest. The ground work used to start one month ahead of the festival. The entire street used to have a huge Panthal with plantains and coconuts being part of the decoration.'

The return trip on a littered street

By noon, as is the case these days during big festivals, the entire street wore an untidy look. Unmindful of the fact the Lords were to make their return trip through this Street, food particles, cups and waste papers were littered in thousands right in the middle.

Having provided darshan to the huge devotee crowd, each of the Lords began their return journey to the respective abodes with the bare footed Sri Patham bearing the brunt of the sweltering Chitrai heat and having to evade the dirt that had now filled the entire street.

Revival of ‘Cooling off’ Trip after the Garuda Sevai

A century earlier, five of the 12 Garuda Sevai Lords used to go the banks of the Cauvery after providing darshan on TSR Big Street to cool off and as a resting exercise after spending the first half of the day in the hot Chitrai Sun. These are the five ancient Vaishnavite Lords of Kumbakonam that also make the trip for the Theerthavari Utsavam on Maasi Magam. Tents used to be set up on the banks of the river and prasadam used to be distributed late in the evening. When financial constraints arose, the post Garuda Sevai exercise was restricted to a trip to the Rajagopalan temple on Bazaar Street and this went on for about two decades. Around 60 years ago, this too came to a halt.

Revered Vaishnavite Scholar VS Karunakaran Swamy has now revived a part of that tradition with Lord Sarangapani making his way on a palanquin to Raja Gopalan temple after the Garuda Sevai.

Karunakaran Swamy is hopeful of a full revival very soon ‘We have started off with the revival of Divya Desam Lord Sarangapani’s trip. We are hoping that next year Lord Chakrapani too will be able to join on this cooling trip and then sometime in the near future, Lord Ramaswamy too would be able to join like in the first half of the previous century.”

Karunakaran Swamy had also organized the renovation of the Raja Gopalan temple a few years ago including the installation of an integrated idol for Nadathur Ammal and his disciple Vedanta Desikar. During the annual Brahmotsavam in Maasi, Nadathur Ammal and Desikar go on a street procession with Lord Raja Gopalan.

An interesting feature of the new temple tower is that the life story of Nadathur Ammal has been sculpted in the front with the life story of Krishna on the back. Also, sculpted are the seven Azhwars who sang praise of Lord Aravamuthan of Thiru Kudanthai.

After having spent the entire evening listening to a devotional rendering of Koil Tiruvoimozhi, Sarangapani returned to his abode just after 9pm bringing to end the Akshaya Tritiyai Utsavam.

76 year old Kuchi Maami wades her way through a long crowd seeking Moksham at the feet of Lord Ranganatha

'Why do you come for Darshan Everyday' - HR & CE Official

The temple opens the gate at Naazhi Kettan Vaasal just 2 minutes before the Purapadu time forcing devotees to rush all at once for 'Purapadu Thodakkam'

It is rare to see an old lady following the rules and processes with such devotion as the 76 year ‘Kuchi Maami’, who has been in Srirangam for the last two decades. She was married off as a teenager almost six decades ago to a man in the army and had to shift base to the North East. She faced many challenges in life including when a war broke out right in the middle of her pregnancy. When her husband passed away, she decided that it was time for her to be where she always wanted to be. And she let go everything (her daughter has been a working professional in the US and her granddaughter has been in a metro city) and shifted base to Srirangam.

She has had the happiest moments of her life in these two decades having dedicated this 2^nd half of her life entirely to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam.

But in recent years it has not been a smooth ride for her at the temple. With the overall devotee crowd increasing dramatically in recent times, and more specifically with the original inhabitants making their way back to Srirangam, the temple has had to deal with this huge crowd both from within and outside. On Friday and over the weekend, the crowd swells even more making it almost impossible to manage. Add to this the number of VIPs (including a big number through the Kainkaryapakas and Sthalathars) dishing out cards and references for special and quick darshan.

Meeting the Old Sincere Devotee

Many times this year, I ran into the lean and tall Kuchi Maami (she walks with a stick to assist her) since January. Each time, she has revealed a fascinating aspect of her character but never has she compromised on the processes of the temple for darshan. During the Thai Brahmotsavam, she waited outside the locked gate near the Dwajasthambam, eagerly awaiting the unlocking of the gate but even as time neared the start of the Purapadu there was no sign of the high handed Superintendent.

She wailed in vain narrating the story of the times gone by, the number of ubayams she has done, the contributions she has made and how the current staffers at the gate with a few exceptions have taken power into their head and been treating devotees shabbily.

Denying Entry at Nazhi Kettan Vaasal

It so happened that on that day, the set of 25 devotees weren’t allowed inside the Naazhi Kettan Vaasal for the purapadu as the Superintendent of the day took the call. And the devotional enthusiasm and expectation of those limited number of devotees collapsed in that moment when the Superintendent took that shocking sudden decision.

Even the days that they allow entry into the Nazhi Kettan Vaasal for purapadu, they do so exactly two minutes before the start. Such is their arrogant presence at that entry point. Usually well ahead of the purapadu time, the moolavar sannidhi is closed for darshan. Hence, these devotees not numbering that many (never above 100 in the last many many years) can easily be allowed into the inner prakaram so they can position themselves for the Purapadu Thodakkam.

In the last few years, there has never been an instance when the Superintendent at the gate has allowed the local devotees ahead of time for the purapadu. And when they finally allow ( just a couple of minutes ahead of the start), it is a mad rush of all the devotees including the senior citizens in an eagerness to not miss the Thodakkam.

One wonders as to what they will lose if they allow the devotees 30 minutes ahead of time into inner prakaram especially when the moolavar sannidhi is closed. It is sheer ego of the power mongering superintendents who enjoy watching the devotees wait at that gate pleading him to open.

The same story at the Maasi Utsavam

It did not end there. The same story was repeated during the Maasi Theppotsavam as well. And the Kuchi Maami was there again. This time too she spoke about the times gone by and how a certain set of HR & CE staffers at this Nazhi Kettan Vaasal were so against the local devotees. I saw it all over again. This time I went up to the authorities to ask as to why the devotees were not allowed inside for the Purapadu Thodakkam. And the reply was a shocker ‘If you want, you alone may go in. Do not ask for others.’ I refused that day and remained outside asking once again the reason. The reply was even more shocking 'What is so special about going inside and having darshan at the start of the purapadu. The same Lord comes outside and he will be on the street as well. So you can darshan of him there for as much time as you want. No one will prevent you."

In that heated moment, he also asked if he could stop the entire ticket queue and get them into the free darshan queue so there is no distinction between any of them!!!

And thus the Maasi Utsavam passed.

And into Chitrai....

My tryst with Kuchi Maami seemed never ending as she was there once again at the wrong place at the right time (i.e when I was there!!!) – this time at the Chitrai Utsavam in the 2^nd week of May. This time it was for the Moolavar Darshan during the 1^st half of the day. We both happened to stand in the same queue. As she stood right behind me, I suggested to her that I could try talking to the officials to see if they could allow her to bypass the long queue around the Santanu Mandapam and Gayathri Mandapam given her age and the walking stick that she held. Strong was the reply from her that left me stunned that morning.

‘I have seen this for long. Don’t try any such. They will give it back to you. I know all of them. They will not allow me. I do not want any favours from them despite my age. And she patiently walked along with me for the next half hour alongside the long queue to have darshan.’

We parted ways after the darshan but an hour later she was there sitting near the Kambathadi Anjaneyar. I went up to her to enquire as to why did not ask for special treatment both for her age as well as her being a two decades long regular at the temple. And in a long conversation with this writer she narrated the story of how life has been for her at the temple over the last two decades and how it is becoming increasing difficult and tedious for her to have darshan with the callous attitude of the HR & CE staffers at the Nazhi Kettan Vaasal and the vocal gestures made by some of the new comers at that gate.

‘All these years, I have paid the ticket at the counter and made my way through the process. There are some who show consideration (like Shri Anantharaman) for my age but there are others whose mind is always on money. It has been frustrating to repeatedly hear the same comment from those officials at the Nazhi Kettan Vaasal‘Why do you come every day for darshan’ (She doesn’t seek favour, she does not use any special privilege, she pays for the darshan and yet she is disgusted to hear the typical comments from a few of these HR &CE officials frowning upon these daily visitors for moolavar darshan).

As young lady devotees pass by, she covers her face in disgust ' I have never in these seven decades seen ladies wear such short dresses when coming to have darshan of the Lord. Is this the way to dress when you are visiting a temple to invoke the Lord's blessings.'

'I seek nothing from here except Moksham at the feet of Lord Ranganatha. I come here everyday with that as my only wish. For several decades, I have performed my role as a dutiful wife, a responsible mother and an adoring grandmother, got them into music and dance. What more can I do in this life. Now I visit Perumal and Thayar each day in the hope that he would grant my wish of Moksham.'

It is not just the lack of understanding of devotees’ desire to have darshan of the Purapadu Thodakkam that is a bother. It is also the attitude of the officials including the Superintendent and the newer entrants manning the ticket counter showcasing their raw power to these devotees using rough language that is a worry as one watches in dismay the treatment meted out to the financially weak.

The HR & CE reaction

The temple has under the current JC, Pon Jayaraman, allocated a specific hour in the day for senior citizens and locals. On a normal day, this crowd alone runs up to well over 500. Pon Jayaraman wants the devotees too to understand the view point of the temple and the challenges they face just in the same way that the devotees expect him to understand their view point.

"It is a mammoth task to manage large local crowds running into several hundreds each day with most seeking a free and special entry for Moolavar darshan. This is even more so on purapadu days."

One can't but admire the sincerity of the JC in listening to the voice of the devotees and his prompt directions in taking corrective action but he is far away from the place of action, most of the time, and also has several more pressing issues at hand.

While he does seem to provide repeated directions to allow entry, the important entry point is dominated by the Superintendent and his assistants who play a crucial role in allowing devotees for purapadu as well as for moolavar darshan.

Jayaraman says that his hands are also tied by the fact that the entry point at the Gayathri Mandapam is so narrow that there is not much leeway and that at that point, everyone has to join the single line.

Despite all of these, the JC can definitely direct his staff to be more courteous to the devotees seeking darshan for purapadu and to those locals, especially in their treatment of the senior citizens. One hopes that into the future, more responsible, polite and understanding people at the Nazhi Kettan Vaasal will don the important role at that entry point and help the likes of Kuchi Maami have a more peaceful darshan.

(Kuchi Maami refused to be photographed saying that she has had enough photo shoots as the wife of the Army General)

From a Vibrant fourth Prakaram in the 20th Century, the Ul Veethi sees dramatic changes in the last few decades

Located on the Northern banks of Cauvery is the Lord Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval, (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/thiruvanaikaval-jambukeswarar.html) one of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalams, where Lord Shiva manifests himself as ‘Water’ (among the five elements). Hence this is referred to as a ‘Neer’ sthalam. Thiruvanaikaval is one of the famous Mada Koils built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan, one where an elephant would not be able to enter the sanctum.

66 year old ST Subramaniam (STS) Pandithar lives in an old fashioned agraharam home on the North Ul Veethi (street) in the fourth prakaram. He has been performing aradhana for Lord Jambukeswarar and Ambal Akilandeswari since the early 1980s.

Life in Thiruvanaikaval a 100 years ago

His father had earlier performed service for over four decades, while his grandfather was at the temple for several decades in the later part of the 19^thcentury and early part of the 20^th century. Till the 1920s this was completely an island with minimal access to the temple. Giving importance to both the ancient Saivites and Vaishnavite (Srirangam) temples, the British built the railway station right between the two the temples equidistant to both. His grandfather barely received Rs. 10/- as thattu kaasu while in his father’s time this went up to Rs. 40/- in the 1940s and 50s. Being Mirasuthaars, they did not get any salary from the temple.

His grandfather never wore a shirt in his entire life and always sported the panchakacham. His grandfather never drank coffee in his life. He performed pooja for 45minutes every morning before leaving for the temple . He never went anywhere outside Thiruvanaikaval. His entire life revolved around service to Lord and Ambal.

Till the 1960s, the Sankara Mutt on the North Ul Street reverberated with students eager to learn the Vedas and the Agamas. The Chettiars promoted Patshaalas for each of the Vedas was vibrant on the north street till half a century ago.

4^th Prakaram – The traditional residents

As per the tradition in the fourth agraharam, three fourth of the residents were Brahmins with the Iyers performing pooja at the temple residing in the North Street facing the South. Kshatriyas too lived alongside them. The Brahmins of Thiruvanaikaval in those decades comprised of Sastris, Astrologers, Archakas, Vedic Pundits, Purohits and Thevaram singers. Washermen, Barbers, Musicians, Kothanars and Panthal makers too lived in this fourth prakaram. The Kshatriyas possessed a Kaalai Maadu in their homes and used it as a bullock cart. On the North East of the agraharam was the grave yard. Historically there was a tank on all the 8 corners. These were converted to houses in the 1980s as infra development took place in this region.

STS, as he is fondly called by the entire resident community of Thiruvanaikaval, remembers the time in the 1950s as a school boy the vibrant agraharam comprising of Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The entire North Ul Veethi reverberated with children in hundreds playing different games, especially on the weekends and during the summer vacation. Also, during the big festivals especially the Pancha Prakara Utsavam, people used to come and rest at the agraharam homes mingling in large groups and exchanging dharmic thoughts.

Till Dalmia Cements set up the plant in Kallakudi Pazhanganatham, almost all the houses in the entire 4^th prakaram comprised of thatched huts. It was only subsequently since the 1970s that cement construction came into play in this agraharam. The houses in the agraharam too had 5-7 stage model (like the ones in Srirangam), with the 5^th stage having an open roof to allow air and sunlight into the house. The sixth stage was traditionally the kitchen. Each house in the 4^th prakaram had a coconut tree and a flower garden with the residents presenting flowers to the Lord each day. Every household had a sacred cow too.

The Drainage System - From the Cauvery to the tanks

One of the interesting features of Thiruvanaikaval was the underground drainage system that existed till the 20^th century through which excess water from Cauvery and Coloroon flowed into the sacred tanks. This helped the grand celebration of the Theoppotsavam. But this passage was closed a few decades ago much to the disappointment of the residents.

The archakas were well respected in those decades. Each day of the year, they were presented with food that was rich in quality, and high in quantity. In the evenings, archakas used to share the 3 ½ padi payasam and 25 Vadas, amongst the 24 Mirasuthaars. In centuries gone by, the traditional convention was that any payment from the Kodi Maram to Moolasthanam belonged to the archakas.

Through the 20^th century, Archakas had financial issues but contentment helped them survive through very difficult phases. For decades, STS has left home at 6am and returned only after 1pm. And then in the evening he would come back home only after 10pm. It has been a physically tiring journey. But never in that period did any of the archakas lose their self respect.

The Grand Historical Festivals

Each of the utsavams was taken care of by a sect. Kshatriyas managed the Kuthirai Vahanam Utsavam, Navarathri was supported by the Iyengars, the popular Rishabaha Vahanam was taken care of by the Aasaarees. The Diwan Bahadur Sundarachariar Trust presented the Silver Horse Vahanam to the temple. Through the 20^thCentury, the 43 day festival culminating with the Pancha Prakara Utsavam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/04/thiruvanaikaval-pancha-prakara-utsavam.html) in mid panguni remained the longest and grandest in TN temples.

Only after the political change over of the 60s and 70s when the anti Brahmnical wave swept the state did the scenario inside the temple take a severe beating. The HR & CE placed hundials at key locations to take this away from the archakas’ kitty. Since the 1970s, the archakas suffered at the hands of the HR & CE officials. Many times they were publicly insulted by the officials. Huge patience became a pre requisite to survive here.

The Neivedyam for the Lord and Ambal has come down dramatically in recent decades. Now archakas received well below one fourth of what they used to receive half a century ago in terms of daily prasadam. Both the quality and quantity has gone down taking away an important component of archaka’s daily tradition.

The big negative change in the last few decades

Now huge apartments taller than the temple complex have sprung up all around the temple affecting the sanctity of the temple. Groundwater has been taken by these flats affecting severely the Jhala Thathva of this sacred location. The Vedic Paatshaalas too have given way to apartments. Also on the North Street in the fourth prakaram, one now finds a long stretch of garden. This new construction has prevented rain water from reaching the temple nandavanam.

A Big setback to the Archakas

As per the traditions here, the Archakas had to get married to be able to perform pooja. Historically, the Brahmins married from within the agraharam. The Archakas stuck to the temple and would not go outside of here in the century gone by. The greatest setback to the archaka community in recent times has been the difficulty in finding brides within the community, leaving them in the lurch.

STS says with a tinge of sadness that girls of Thiruvanaikaval are not ready to marry local Brahmins as they do not see the services of archakas as a positive story.

STS’ son learnt sukthas at the Sankara Mutt during his school days in the last decade. However, having seen the humiliation that his father had to endure and the tiring long days of this father, his son developed an aberration from an early age. STS had to perform under severe heart and still show patience for 12 hours a day. It was unbearable conditions physically and mentally. In fact STS had joined the temple in the early 1980s to relieve his father from his sufferings. After performing service for over three decades, his energy is completely drained and has nothing left to fight.

STS’s son like so many of his generation decided early on to move away from this service and is now in the IT world in Bangalore in air conditioned comfort far away from the world of his father who at 66 continues to perform service at the temple from 6am in the morning s sweating it out showing great amount of patience while facing different kinds of emotions from the devotees, VIPS, Politicians and the HR & CE officials.

A Bleak Future Ahead?

A century ago there was divinity and unflinching belief in God. To perform for the Lord was considered a blessing. Even in his father’s time, it was so. Devotees number has increased but has the bhakti process improved is a question STS wants every devotee to ask his /her conscience. Money is driving everything. Looking at the deterioration of the environment in and around the temple, STS wonders what the future would hold for the sincere archakas of ancient temples in Tamil Nadu who have given their lifetime in the service of Lord. His unflinching faith in God has seen him survive those decades and it is with that same faith that he continues to enter the temple every morning.

Trichy's Favourite Ice Cream Shop is completing 80 years

Way back in 1939, a small 200 feet shop was opened at the foot of the famous Rockfort (Uchi Pillayar Koil) Temple opposite the Main Guard Gate in Trichy that sought to serve ice creams and Grape Syrup to visitors and college students. It also served as a snack bar for villagers who brought vegetables and fruits from nearby villages every morning to Tiruchirapalli.

The Burma Bazaar around the sacred tank became a popular destination for goods from overseas market. The area also was home to all the popular colleges in the city. The Thayumanavar temple and the Uchi Pillayar Koil was a sacred temple for devotees from across the state.

Despite all these favourable factors that triggered the entry of Michaels, it still remains a remarkable achievement to have first survived eight decades and to have also emerged as the most favourite ice cream brand of Tiruchirapalli.

In the first few decades of its launch, Grape Syrup, available for 25 Paise, was the biggest hit among the customers who have since remained loyal to this brand of ice cream for several decades.

What is admirable over these decades has been the focus on quality. While the parlour has moved on to the third generation of brothers, quality has remained the same. Each day, they heat and boil the milk to the brim losing 20% (of the milk) in this heating process. They use the purest of the chocolate powder in the preparation of chocolate ice cream. On weeks that they are not able to source the best of ingredients, those flavours are not stocked, such is their commitment to quality. And that is the reason, that despite the emergence of several large and big branded ice cream shops cropping up in the town in recent times, people continue to flock to Michaels to taste different flavours such as Pista, Fruit Salad, Chocolate, Strawberry in small cups.

It continues to be priced low with the costliest of ice creams priced at Rs. 15 and the popular grape syrup still at just Rs. 12/-.

V Mahendran ( referred to by customers and colleagues as Pandyan) has been serving customers now for close to three decades. When he joined, the ice creams were priced at just Rs. 1/50 as was the Grape Syrup.

He is thrilled at the commitment of the owners over such a long period of time and their focus on quality as he brings out the branded choco powder from inside to showcase their commitment to quality 'Even on a single day, they have not compromised on the quality. If on any the best of choco powder is not available, on that day, chocolate ice cream will not be made and we will be one ice cream short on that day.'

He has found great satisfaction in serving customers day in day out during these three decades of his stint here at Michaels. Most of the decades long customers call him as Pandyan and he almost knows what their next order would be.

There are many college students who take delight in working part time here just for the joy of serving Trichy's favourite ice cream to customers. No soon has one finished Pista, one can hear the loud call for a Kesar Badam. Most customers usually end with their 'Favourite of all' - the Grape Syrup.

Another youngster who serves at the joint recalled my January trip to the shop when I visited again almost six months later, last week, that's the level of customer service at Michaels.

It is summer time and Mango is a big hit, with many customers first going for the tasty pure Mango cream.

Anyone visiting the busy Burma Bazaar below the Rockfort temple rarely misses a bite and a sip at Michaels. It is the customer and not the profit intent that is driving the third generation owners to continue this popular brand into the ninth decade, making available over 10 different flavours. And it is a journey that is likely to continue much into the future.

Jerome - One of the Third Gen Owners

Michaels Ice Cream is open between 10am and 10pm.

The Story of how the Coimbatore - Palani - Dindigul Broad Gauge Rail Route has gone completely Unutilised in the 1st year of launch

Podanur Junction, Just 6kms South of Coimbatore Junction, has potential to become an important terminal - 5 Platforms, huge two wheeler and car parking space, entry point from Kerala and Pollachi and direct road to airport

It has now been well over a year since the Coimbatore – Palani- Dindigul broad gauge line became fully operational (Sorry - became fully ready to be operated like the decades gone by). However the operational schedule on that route leaves one completely shocked wondering as to how the bus and the political lobby can still hold sway in Tamil Nadu, especially in this digital information world.

Historical Facts till 2000

Till the meter gauge section from Dindigul to Coimbatore via Palani was closed a decade ago (i.,e till around 2000 for 30-40 years from 1960s/1970s), there was a daily night express train from Coimbatore to Rameswaram via Pollachi, Udumalpet, Palani, Dindigul, Madurai starting at Coimbatore at 10 pm. A similar express train operated in reverse direction to reach Coimbatore at 5am. This train used to run full on all days.

Also, there were 5 daily passenger trains between Coimbatore and Dindigul via Pollachi and Palani – both ways that served both as connecting trains to express trains at Dindigul and Coimbatore as well as helped passengers travel to temple destination such as Palani. These trains always ran to full capacity in those decades.

There was a daily connecting passenger train for Nilagiri Express from Dindigul/Palani to Coimbatore. The train had halted at Palani (approx 530pm), Udumalpet (615pm), Pollachi (7pm) and used to reach Coimbatore at 745pm. Nilagiri Express used to depart in those days at around 830pm. So there used to be several 100s of passengers who travelled from Palani in this passenger train to catch the Nilagiri Express to Madras.

Similarly there was a connecting train in the morning to Nilagiri Express from Coimbatore that left Coimbatore at 6am or so to Palani / Dindigul stopping at Pollachi and Udumalpet. Thus, several hundreds headed for Pollachi/ Udumalpet/Palani boarded this passenger train after alighting from the Nilagiri express in morning at Coimbatore.

Coimbatore - Dindigul : Current Scenario

The newly built broad gauge line of 167 kms from Coimbatore to Dindigul via Pollachi- Palani has remained completely unutilized for over a year now, though even now all the buses from Coimbatore to Palani and Dindigul run full from morning till night. Each bus carries around 50-75 passengers where as a single passenger train could carry 750 to 1000 passengers.

There are multiple flyovers being constructed on the Coimbatore Pollachi National Highway (at Kinathukadavu / Eechanari ...) leaving the road very congested at multiple points along the highway. It now takes almost two hours at peak traffic for the buses to cover a 40 km trip between Coimbatore and Pollachi.

A ‘Special’ passenger train (Yes, that’s how the Southern Railway has named it!!!) leaves Coimbatore Junction for Pollachi every morning at 545 am. Nilagiri Express arrives at Coimbatore Junction at 430 am and Cheran Express arrives at 6.10 am. This passenger train has been shockingly timed so that neither the passengers of Nilagiri Express (one will not wait 75 minutes to board a passenger train to reach a destination 40 kms away) nor those of Cheran Express will be able to board the train to Pollachi, indicating a clear motive to help the buses run full.

The Big Questions

Why is there no express train or passenger trains running on the Coimbatore- Pollachi-Udumalpettai-Palani- Dindigul rail route (there is one weekly night express train to Tirunelveli on this route that leaves Cbe at 11.50pm!!!) a full one year after the 167 km broad gauge line became operational.

Why is the (Weekly) Coimbatore Rameswaram Express, the (Daily) Coimbatore-Tuticorin Express and the (Daily) Coimbatore Nagercoil Express running via Tirupur and Erode and not via Pollachi and Palani (Coimbatore-Tirupur-Erode-Dindigul is 240kms).

When a 167 kms is fully unutilized, the Southern Railway is using the already congested Tirupur –Erode route to travel 240 kms to cover the same distance.

Why is there not a single daily passenger or express train in the morning or night in the Coimbatore to Palani/Dindigul route.

Extension of Cheran Express to Pollachi

Cheran Express arriving at 6.10 am at Coimbatore Junction can easily be extended to Pollachi to reach there at 7 am. In the evening, Cheran Express can start from Pollachi at 930 pm and reach Coimbatore at 10.15 pm and it can leave Coimbatore at the current departure time of 10.40 pm (after a stoppage of 25 minutes). This way Pollachi will have an originating train as well.

WIKI PHOTO

Making Podanur Junction a big terminal

There are five platforms lying unutilized at the Podanur (PTJ) Junction (6kms South of Coimbatore Junction). Podanur is probably the only Junction in the Southern Railway that boasts of Five Platforms and is still so completely unutilised (except for passing trains between Trivanduram and Chennai Central). This station can be renamed as Coimbatore South Junction. So there can then be Coimbatore North, Coimbatore Junction and Coimbatore South Junction, two of these can be terminals.

Since there are five platforms at Podanur Junction, many trains can start from Podanur (Coimbatore South) Junction and run both towards Palani and Dindigul as well as towards Palakkad and Shoranur.

WIKI PHOTO

Does the Central Railway Ministry know that there are 300 car parking available and 2000 two wheeler parking available at the Podanur Station as against a cramped and Congested Coimbatore Junction with very minimal parking.

Podanur is an entry point from Kerala (Palakkad) into Coimbatore, it is also an entry point from Pollachi, Udumalpet and Palani. Podanur is also easily accessible from the Peelamedu (Coimbatore) airport via Ramanathapuram and Singanallur road route.

Podanur is only 20-30 minutes away from Coimbatore Junction by road. There are bus facilities available right outside the station. It is a bus terminal. Bus No. 4 runs from Podanur (South Coimbatore) to Thudiyalur (North Coimbatore) – it is one of the oldest bus routes in Coimbatore.

Making PTJ a terminal is a very viable option which ever one sees. It will help generate lot more revenue for the railways at very little additional investment (i.e only passenger amenities need to be upgraded at Podanur Junction).

The Southern Railway can also look at daily passenger trains to run from Podanur (Coimbatore South) to Palani and to Mettupalayam. This way all the five platforms will be well utilised while at the same time easing Coimbatore Junction of platform congestion. At the moment, there are many trains that lay on platforms for 12 hours at a stretch after its arrival thus consuming a line for a long period of time.

Tourist Destination to Temple Destination - A Train?

Southern Railway can also introduce daily night passenger train from Palani (Temple Destination) to Mettupalayam (Tourist Destination base to Ooty). This train can start from Palani at 1030pm and reach Mettupalayam at 430am/5am via Udumalpet, Pollachi, Podanur and Coimbatore. On the return route, a passenger can start from Mettupalayam at 10pm or so (after tourists have finished visiting Ooty) and reach Palani at 430am (for morning darshan)

Coimbatore to Madurai via Palani and Dindigul is only 220 kms. A daily express train can leave Mettupalayam /Coimbatore / Podanur at 10pm or so and reach Madurai at 4am/5am. Similarly a train can leave Madurai at 11am and reach Coimbatore / Podanur / Mettupalayam at 5am/6am. Even at an average slow speed of 40kms (which is below express speed), this distance can be covered in less than 6kms.

Since Podanur has 5 platforms, without congestion, 2 to 3 new trains can be easily accommodated there as an originating station. It will also free Coimbatore Junction of a lot of space as Palani and Dindigul bound trains can start from Podanur. A few food stalls and a lift to each of the platforms will help passengers access each of the platforms easily. This Junction has the potential to become a big terminal.

MEMU/ DEMU trains in the Coimbatore Zone

The Southern Railway can operate the popular MEMU/DEMU trains for short distances – Mettupalayam to Palani can be MEMU or DEMU, Coimbatore/Podanur to Palani can be MEMU/DEMU (only 100 kms) like how they operate from Chennai Egmore to Melmaruvathur every morning - Only sitting without sleeper berth or AC coaches

Suggestions to Southern Railway

Here are a few suggestions that the Southern Railway can consider:

1. Mettupalayam – Palani Daily Passenger (both ways)

2. Podanur- Dindigul/Madurai Night Express (1030pm dep / 430am arrival)

3. Connecting Passenger in the morning for Nilagiri Express to Pollachi/Udumalpet/Palani at 5am or so

4. Connecting Passenger in the night for Nilagiri Express from Palani/Udumalpet/Pollachi to reach CBE at 20.00hours

5. Extending Cheran Express to Pollachi to give Pollachi an originating express

5. Podanur –Rameswaram Express Day or Night Express

6. Podanur – Tirunelveli Express Day or Night Express

7. A Day Express on CBE- MDU route like Pallavan or Vaigai (From Coimbatore to Dindigul/Madurai)- Departing from Podanur at 645am and reaching Madurai at 12.45pm. In the reverse direction, the train can leave Madurai at 2pm and arrive at Coimbatore Junction at 8pm (since this section is almost fully free, an express train can easily cover the 220 kms distance in 5 hours running at 45kmph).

Ramanuja assigned the service of Thathiyarathanai at the Ranganathaswamy Temple to Koil Kongilachan, one of his 74 disciples

Descendents hope that one day this Kainkaryam at the Madapalli will come back to them

It is Friday morning and the first day of Aani. The day also coincided with Thiruvathirai, the star of Vaishnavite Saint Ramanuja. 39 year old Ramarajan, a descendent of Koil Kongilachan, the 27^th disciple of Ramanuja, is busy performing aradhanam at the Kongu Piratti Koil Kongilachan Thirumaligai in Mangamma Nagar, South of the Srirangam Raja Gopuram, for the Lakshmi Narasimha Idol that Ramanuja had presented to each of his 74 disciples.

Ramarajan’s father Sridharan Narasimha Acharya, aged 87 years, who had learnt the entire Divya Prabhandham from his father at a very early age was standing just behind him. A frail figure now, Sridharan presented Periyazhvaar's verses praising the different flowers that the Lord likes while his son placed those flowers before each of the idols.

On each of the Thiru Nakshatrams and on other sacred days in the year, these descendants of Koil Kongilachan perform aradhanam to Lord Lakshmi Narasimhar with the fullest of Bhakti, keeping far away the luring sounds of the mobile instruments.

Ramarajan’s grandfather Aadhi Sesha Narasimhacharya, born in 1901, was a great Divya Prabhandham exponent. He lived his entire life of over eight decades in service to the Lord of Srirangam participating in the Prabhandham Ghosti at the temple. He also performed Samasrayanam for his disciples.

The legend

Kongu Piratti and Kongilachan belonged to the Kongu region (off Sathyamangalam near Coimbatore). The story goes that the Kongu region had been struck with famine arising out of drought and hence the two reached Srirangam to invoke the blessings of the Lord Ranganatha and Ranganayaki Thayar.

One day, Kongu Piratti was taken aback by hundreds of people comprising of Kings, Acharyas, Devotees and many others falling at the feet of Ramanuja on a street Ghosti. Surprised at the mass appeal of Ramanuja, she went up to him and asked him in full public view as to why everyone was falling at this feet instead of the feet of the Lord. Ramanuja was truly impressed at the confident nature of Kongu Piratti and told her that he had two special mantras that he initiated to people and it was the secret of how one had to live life. When asked if he could initiate that to her, he asked her to come to his place ( Sri Ranga Narayana Jeer Mutt) on the Northern side of Srirangam in front of the Ranganayaki Thayar Sannidhi at the conclusion of the Ghosti.

There Ramanuja initiated Kongu Piratti with the Ashtachara Mantra and Dwaya Mantra.Soon after the initiation, Kongu Piratti heard the news that her home town was filled with rain and that people there were thrilled with the sudden turn of events.

When it was time for her to return to the Kongu region, she went back to the Mutt and met Ramanuja. She requested him not to get angry with what she was going to say. It was then that Ramanuja showcased how different he was to the incarnations of Lakshmana and Balarama. He asked her what she meant by ‘anger’ indicating that he knew not what anger was. She requested him to initiate her once again with the two special mantras for she had not been able to register it the previous time and now that she was going away to her home town.

Ramanuja's Anywhere, Anyone, Anytime initiation
Ramanuja told her that he would initiate the mantra anywhere to anyone at anytime and there were no restrictions whatsoever. And thus he initiated her a second time with the mantra. Gathering enough courage, she asked him if he could present her with something that she could keep in memory of the meetings in Srirangam. When he said that he just had a stick and was not in possession of anything else, she requested if she could take the footwear of his that she found there. And Ramanuja happily presented that to her.

Subsequently, when the Chozha king created trouble for Ramanuja, he handed the Kashayam Vastram to Koorathazhvan and left the temple town in a White Vastram along with his disciples. For 15 days it is believed that he did not have any food. When he entered the Sathyamangalam region, it is said that Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thayar, disguised in the form of hunters, provided darshan to him and directed him down the hill to a place where they would find good sacred food from the house of Kongu Piratti.

Kongu Piratti's respect for Ramanuja
When they reached the house and introduce themselves as having come from Srirangam, Kongu Piratti immediately enquired about the well being of Ramanuja. Like true disciples, they confirmed his happy state even though he had not eaten for 15 days.

When Kongu Pratti was presenting Thathiyaarathanai, Muthaliandaan and Kidambi Achan enquired as to who she was presenting the food to, she replied that it was to the sacred feet of Ramanuja whom she had met in Srirangam. In disbelief, the disciples reveal to her that Ramanuja was very much present there and that if her bhakti was true she should identify him. They threw a condition to her that they would eat only if she identified him.

Muthaliandan and Kidambi Achan led the way with a small ghee lit lamp for her to try and identify Ramanuja on that late evening in pitch dark conditions. Even though Ramanuja was in a white vastram, she identified him much to the delight of the revered saint. However since she had presented the Thathiyarathanai to the feet of Ramanuja that evening, he said he would not be able to eat again.

The next morning her husband Kongilaachan was back at his home. Ramanuja had made up his mind during this trip that he would eat only at the hands of men. Hence while Kongu Piratti was keen to make the morning food for Ramanuja, she could not do so. Kongilachan like most men had not entered the kitchen and had not mastered the art of cooking. With a screen across them, Kongu Piratti narrated the mix of ingredients and the process of making the food that morning and they presented it to Ramanuja who also presented a Kalakshepam there. It was there at the home of Kongu Piratti that he wore the Kashayam vastram once again.

When much later, Ramanuja wanted to build the Thondanur tank, it was Kovilachan who organized the ‘Varaaham’. No sooner had the acharya thought about the requirement of funds in his mind, it is believed that Kovilachan organized it for him.

Thathiyarathani Kainkaranyam at Srirangam Temple
When Ramanuja finally returned to Srirangam, he assigned a kainkaryam at the Ranganathaswamy temple for each of the 74 disciples. Kongu Piratti and Koil Kongilachan were handed the task of managing the Madapalli and presenting Thathiyarathanai for Periya Perumal.

On his death bed, when his disciples asked as to who would be the next acharya, Ramanuja directed them to Kongu Piratti. She spread the hair and knotted it thrice with each knot indicating a specific meaning to the future course of action.

Ramanuja had handed each of them a Lakshmi Narasimhar idol that he had secured through his penance. He told them that even in periods when they are not able to perform the assigned service at the temple, they should ensure that they perform the daily aradhanam for this idol at their Thiru Maligai.

Ramarajan himself is a Rig Vedam Ganapadigal and has dedicated his life to the presentation of Vedas. His two young sons too have been initiated into Vedic learning and are currently at the Vedic Patshaala in Krishnapuram, near Tirunelveli.

Ramarajan, whose forefathers had performed Thathiyarathanai for Lord Ranganatha in the centuries gone by, bemoans the fact that the Kainkaryam has gone out of their hands. He is hopeful that one day this specific service that Ramanuja himself had assigned would come back to them. Until then, he is focusing on reciting the Vedas, 15 days in a month at Tirumala. He also presents Kalakshepam regularly, though he is saddened by the fact that even on the morning of Ramanuja’s Thiru Nakshatram when he presented a one hour aradhanam, none of the large contingent of disciples of Kongu Piratti and Koil Kongilachan made the effort to come to the Thirumaligai and be part of the sacred event. Such is the turn that life has taken but he is committed to performing the service on all sacred days at his Thirumaligai till the day the Thathiyarathanai service beckons him back at the Ranganathaswamy temple.

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