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S Vasudevan Triumphant Return TN Cricket

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The Return of the Golden Hand
In his first and only year as TN captain, he won the Ranji Trophy in 1988. Now in his first year as Chairman of Selectors, TN has won the T20 tournament that has been elusive for almost 15years

“I know that (TN's good run in white ball cricket in recent years) but what I want is the trophy. Nothing less will be acceptable” - Vasudevan told Dinesh Karthik last month after the captain's appointment
33 years ago, TN cricket was in a fix. Legendary S Venkataraghavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/04/venkataraghavan75.html) had retired. Following his retirement, Bharat Reddy, the wicket keeper from the 1970s captained TN but was dropped soon after (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/11/bharath-reddy-players-man.html). The senior most player V Sivaramakrishnan retired at the start of the season. It was the year of the World Cup, the first after India’s historic win and K Srikkanth, still in his prime, was likely to be away for a large part of the domestic season. There were some ‘very interested’ contenders who had made known their intention to lead the state side that season but the TN selectors went for the experienced Vasudevan. In the preceding ten years, he had not captained the state once. The years leading up to that season had been dominated by Delhi, Bombay and Karnataka and very few would have given the young and un-fancied TN team a chance. But in his very first year as the captain, he led TN to a Ranji Trophy victory (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/vasudevan-tn-ranji-trophy-retirement.html). He was (and still is) a simple and an uncomplicated man and moved well with the players, most of them then in their early 20s. He allowed them to be their own self and gave them the freedom to express themselves, something that had been sorely missing in the earlier regime. He too played a big part in the triumph contributing with the ball in what was one of his best seasons.

In the last two decades, he has been largely out of the TNCA cricket circuit (except for one off coaching stints), initially focusing on his IT/ Oracle business and then on his role as a coach of a local cricket academy with a limited number of students. It must have come as a surprise to many in the TN cricketing circles that after over 25years, he came back as a State Selector, this time as the Chairman.

And the Golden hand has done it again. After a gap of almost 15years, Tamil Nadu has won T20 trophy (they last won the T20 tourney way back in 2006-07, the inaugural year of the tournament). It must be remembered that TN has done exceptionally well in White Ball cricket in recent years (the team lost the final last year in the last ball of the match). And that is exactly what Dinesh Karthik (who was the captain in the final a decade and a half ago) brought to the notice of Vasudevan soon after his appointment as captain last month when the two met at the TNCA. The easy going Vasudevan can get to be stern when it comes to (cricketing) business and his response to DK was straight and on his face “I know that but what I want is the trophy. Nothing less will be acceptable.”

While he is known to be a quiet man, on the ground he did put his foot down with his expectations in that successful year as captain. In the very first match, he recorded the reason on the morning of the first day of the season for wanting a ‘different’ batsman (who could also bowl) and chose him ahead of the player that the Selector had written and presented as their Playing XI for the match in 1987.

Likewise, now, soon after his appointment as the Chairman, Vasudevan  set the bar high and the expectations right. The message went around to the team that this was a year when they had to go for the trophy. Another year as a finalist was not what the selectors were looking at. Vasudevan pushed up the bar right on the evening the captain was chosen. There were many setbacks for him in the early phase. M Vijay expressed his unavailability after the squad of 25 was chosen (the real reason for his announcement will be kept away from this story!!!). Vijay Sankar informed in advance that he would not be available for the knockout phase. Like a few other teams, TN had lost a few to the test squad but the youngsters came to the fore.

Vasudevan told this writer that he saw great unity in the team and there were positive vibes on the field “I felt the team entered the field with a sense of confidence and a belief that they could beat any team in the competition. Even in the matches that they were behind, they came back strong and won with ease. You did not get the feeling even once in the tournament that it would be a tense finish.”

As the Chairman, he passed on his suggestions through the tournament to the captain and the coach including on the combination for matches “Both of them were very receptive to the suggestions and it has been a very positive engagement in terms of communication with the think tank of the team through the tournament.” 

Sidu's Selecton for the final
The selection of M Siddharth in the final for his first match of the tournament too was discussed between DK, Coach Vasu and Chairman Vasudevan. And he turned out to be the surprise package with a man of the match performance.

As soon as TN won the Trophy, Vasudevan told this writer that one cannot compare with the 5 day victory ( Ranji win of 1988) as T20 is totally a different ball game."I am delighted that our boys did exceptionally well as a unit. I am particularly pleased that the youngsters really did well backed up by Dinesh, KB and Aparajith."

Given the confidence built with this tournament victory that saw TN win all its matches, Vasudevan indicated that all the performers in this team were likely to get a chance in the domestic one day tournament as well to keep the continuity going and to carry this confidence into the upcoming tournament.

For a man who has been away from limelight and any cricketing association with the TNCA for long, this late comeback has been terrific. Like with his cricketing days, when he captained the team successfully a decade after his State debut, here too, the opportunity has been long overdue but within months of his appointment, TN has won a tournament after a decade and a half. He is silent most of the time to the external world but over the last couple of months, few know that he has put in several hours of background work each day on the team composition providing the inspiration from behind sitting at his third floor home in Gandhinagar.

Congrats to the Silent Man of TN Cricket. 

(The star bowler of the Final, Man of the Match, M Siddharth made his debut in the TNCA league as a 11 year old under the captaincy of this writer - https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/09/siddharth-tamil-nadu-one-day-team.html)

Srirangam Madapalli Fame Lakshmi Narasimhan enters Sainthood

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From a crorepathi IT Professional a few years ago to Sainthood in the 40s
Lakshmi Narasimhan transformed the Srirangam Madapalli in 2017-18 but moved on from the temple after being rejected the post of Jeer
End of  January 2021, he has officially renounced family way of life and become 'Dhanurudhas Ramanuja Jeer'

Just under three years after he gave up a high paying job in a MNC and took up service at the Madapalli at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, Lakshmi Narasimhan, in his 40s, has given up family life and taken up Sainthood. He will now be referred to as Dhanurudhasa Ramanuja Jeer.

17-18 in Srirangam
This section had in July 2018 written about his transformational services at the Srirangam Madapalli (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/srirangam-madapalli-transformation.html). However, his stint at the madapalli was shortlived with constant detractors making it difficult for him to pursue the large scale transformation that he was attempting at the madapalli. Following the death of the Jeer of the Ranganathaswamy temple, Lakshmi Narasimhan had indicated his interest for that post and was willing to quickly learn the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham in its entirety. But the temple authorities did not act in his favour with several opposition to him being nominated for the post. Shortly after, he quit the temple initially indicating a temporary leave for physical health issues relating to carrying heavy vessels at the madapalli. But he never returned again to the temple and the madapalli. His mentee of the time, another former IT professional Srivathsan continues to serve at the madapalli in Srirangam.
2019 at Azhvaar Tirunagari
The next year,  in June 2019, this section tracked him at 5am on the Nava Tirupathi Garuda Seva day at Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya carrying sacred water from the Tamaraibarani for the day's utsavam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/06/nava-tirupathi-garuda-sevai.html). He had performed selfless service through the Ramanuja Utsavam in the summer of 2019 at Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam. He was also involved in propogating the traditional way of life to the priests in the region. Priests had told this writer in 2019 as to how he would present verses from the scriptures and initiate the thought process of following the traditional ways at the Divya Desam temples even in these modern times. However, his stint there too was shortlived as his traditional ways and getting everyone to follow his way did not find favour with the temple authorities. He moved on from the temple leaving indication to very few people there on his whereabouts. 

2020 at Melkote/ Kirangur
And then, this section spotted him at the Avathara Sthalam of Ananthazhvaan at Kirangur, near Srirangapatna(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/ananthazhvaar-kirangur.html). He had spent some time at Melkote, most of the nights sleeping on the banks of the Theertham before joining hands in service with the now 88 year old Ananthacharya  at Kirangur. Over the last year, he has been at the madapalli at Kirangur much to the delight of Octogenerian Ananrhacharya, who  told this writer that he feels blessed to have someone like Lakshmi Narasimhan joining him out of nowhere.

And earlier today, he officially renounced his family way of life at Melkote and assumed the status of Jeer (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/09/melkote-araiyar-sri-rama-sharma.html).
In the few months that this writer had known him in Srirangam, he had always indicated dedicating himself to a life of service to God. Even at that time, he had let go of his family and was living a life surviving on very minimal food and clothing. While the Srirangam Temple authorities were not inclined on making him the Jeer of the temple, he has two years on chosen his own path and renounced materialistic interests in life and will now pursue sainthood.

He is now taking up a round tour of Kanchipuram ( Kooram), Srirangam and Thirumalai.

It is likely he will return to Kirangur and continue to reside at the Avathara Sthalam of Ananthaazhvaan.

Sarangapani Koil Naana Bhattar

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Financial Constraints led him to let go an Engineering Degree opportunity in the 1990s, and with that the possibility of a corporate job overseas
Financially much less lucrative, but the satisfaction and happiness of serving Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar at Thiru Kudanthai for the last 18 years is unmatched- Naana Bhattar
S Narayanan’s forefathers had performed archaka kainkaryam at the Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/sarangapani-koil-thiru-kudanthai.html). As with temples across Tamil Nadu, things turned for the worse in the 70s and 80s. Service Personnel had begun moving away from Kumbakonam to bigger cities and devotees too found their way out of the ancient temple town seeking greener pastures elsewhere. The devotional wave was still at least a decade away when the teenaged Narayanan completed his Class XII exam. There was not much Thattu Kaasu in those days and with increased cost of living, the priests had begun to feel the pinch. As has been the traditional within the family of priests, one of the sons continues with the temple service while another goes out into the corporate world. His elder stopped academics after Class X and began his service at the temple. Narayanan, a student of Town High School, Kumbakonam,  was a bright student at School and secured well over 1000 marks (out of 1200) and was handed a BE computer science seat at the Shanmugha College. He attended the interview and much to his delight was offered a seat on merit. There were less than 50 Engineering colleges in the state at that time and he felt good to be joining a number of his school class mates at the college. It seemed at that time that the elder brother would be at the Sarangapani Koil while the younger one would find his way into the corporate world and probably somewhere overseas.

Joining the 1990s TN Engineering Wave!!
The 1990s also saw the first wave of a large number of Engineering students from Tamil Nadu make the trip to the US for their first jobs. Engineers were the flavour the day that decade and Narayanan too wanted to be part of this wave and visualized working in the US as an Engineer from Kumbakonam. When things were looking up for him academically, he found a problem typical of a middle class house hold, especially the priests of Divya Desams. His parents did not have sufficient savings out of the income from the temple service to fund his Engineering education (it was around Rs. 20000 annually) and hence much to his disappointment, he could not graduate as a Computer Science Engineer. Instead he did B. Sc in a local college in Kumbakonam. Alongside his studies, he began performing support services at the Sarangapani Divya Desam from the 1990s. Before he turned 20, his appa passed away that meant a further dent into the finances.

He pursued a Post Graduate Diploma after his graduation and hoped for a job in a local firm but his mind slowly moved away from the corporate thought and he stood transformed from wanting to be an engineer working in the US to a priest following in the footsteps of his forefathers.

Overseas Dreams shattered, remains in Kumbakonam
He put behind his dreams of going overseas as an engineer and learnt the agamas for a few years from a Vedic Pundit in Kumbakonam. He officially joined the temple in 2003 after his wedding (as per the tradition at the temple, priests can present the entire service only after the marriage) though he had begun supporting his elder brother, Sudarashan Bhattar even earlier but with restrictions. With the 13 days service on offer each month across Sarangapani, Ramaswamy and Chakrapani temples, he has now been serving at these temples as ‘Naana Bhattar’ for the last 18 years.  
Reminiscing with his school mates
During Covid, after the temples closed for devotee darshan for several months last year, Naana Bhattar reconnected on social media with his classmates from school and found that a majority of his mates were overseas in high paying corporate jobs. If he had been able to pay the annual fees in the 1990s, he too may have been in a similar corporate job in the US. Instead he has been serving at the Divya Desam in Thiru Kudanthai without a salary (they perform service as hereditary descendants) depending solely on Thattu Kaasu during the 13day service to make ends meet.  

Interestingly, it is Naana Bhattar that they (his classmates now stationed overseas) reach out to when they encounter a problem in their lives for him to perform an archanai for Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar. And they look up to him to provide them with comforting words and solace that the Lord of Thiru Kudanthai will take care of the devotees' problems. When they land in India for a holiday, they are always at the Sarangapani Koil to both see their old school mate as well as invoking the blessings of Perumal and Thayar through his archanai.
Once in a while, the thought crosses his mind, especially when he is in conversation with his old mates in the US and elsewhere overseas, on what might have been had he joined the Engineering course.

But soon he reminds himself that very few in the world can touch Sarangapani Perumal at Thiru Kudanthai Divya Desam, one praised by seven azhvaars and that he has been blessed as one designated to do that service at this historical temple. No amount of corporate compensation and glory can match the happiness of serving Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar.
While it is tempting to look at the other side and the financial glory of his batchmates and the settled look,financially, of their families, only a select few in the country get the opportunity to serve at Divya Desams. Money is required to pay the house rent and the bills that crop up every month. To that extent, some amount of financial security is required. With the big devotional wave that has been hitting the TN temples over the last decade, the priests of Divya Desam are beginning to have a reasonably strong run financially, of late. Finally, though, it is the exclusivity of the devotional experience and being with God all through the day that makes the difference. And that experience has an umatched feel about it for Divya Desam Bhattars such as Naana.

Narasimmapuram Azhagiya Singar Pancha Brindavanam

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In a remote location near Pullam Bhoothangudi within a single complex is the Brindavanam of five heads of the Ahobilam Mutt
The Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan Temple had been in dilapidated condition for several decades and was renovated under the leadership of the 45th Jeer
Just over 200 years ago, the 25th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt, HH Srinivasa Yatheendra Maha Desikan made a trip to the then vibrant Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Valvil Rama temple at Pullam Bhoothangudi. To seek his blessings, the Prince of Thanjavur Serfoji visited Pullam Bhoothangudi. Soon after, he handed several villages around Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam in donation to the Mutt. Over time, this location a couple of kms North East of Pullam Bhoothangudi came to be named as Narasimmapuram. It is here that one finds a beautiful Brindavanam of five Heads of the Ahobilam Mutt.

All those centuries ago, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Pullam Bhoothangudi as a well laid out city with huge Mansions and Mandapams (much in contrast to what it is now), Pullam Bhoothangudi was home to scores of Vedic Seers who in their chants through the day spread the message of forgiveness and patience as part of one’s lives. The temple was surrounded with beautiful red lotuses that seemed to bloom all through the year in the water tanks, where one also found bees drinking nectar and humming sweet tunes. He makes a specific reference to Punnai Trees that sprinkled golden turmeric like pollen. Water, he says, gushed from the Cauvery with gems being washed ashore on to the banks in Pullam Bhoothangudi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/05/pullam-bhoothangudi-divya-desam.html). 
                                        25th Jeer (1776-1811)

The first Brindavanam was for the 25th Jeer who secured these lands for the Mutt in the late 18th Century from Serfoji. Soon after he passed away, in 1811, the first of the Brindavanams came up in Narasimmapuram. Over the next century, Brindavanam for the 26th, 30th, 37th and 38th Jeers of the Mutt was also built within this beautiful complex. Half a km South of the Brindavanam is a small temple for Lakshmi Narasimhan also on the piece of land handed to the Mutt by the Thanjavur Prince(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/thanjavur-palace-babaji-rajah-bhonsle.html). 

However, with the infrastructure development in the 20th century skewed towards certain locations, this entire region including the Divya Desams of Pullam Bhoothangudi and Athanur turned ‘remote’ in the new scheme of things. And for several decades, the two Divya Desams as well as the temple and the Brindavanam in Narasimmapuram remained in dilapidated condition.
                        26th and 30th Jeer ( 1811-28/1837-42)

While the devotional wave saw improvements in the two Divya Desams (another renovation exercise is currently on at Athanur Aandalukku Aiyan Divya Desam with the Samprokshanam expected shortly), the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple in Narasimmapuram continued to remain deserted and unattended. Broken walls and big bushes were seen inside the two complexes.

The revival in Narasimmapuram
It was during the period of the 45th Jeer HH Narayana Maha Desikan that a complete renovation exercise was initiated at the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimha temple and consecration performed earlier last decade.
                                            
                          37th / 38th Jeers at the Brindavanam
Three years ago, the Mutt in a formal directive handed over the maintenance and organizing of festivals at Narasimmapuram to the trustees of the Brindavanam. The 46th Jeer of the Mutt instructed that the Trustees of the Narasimmapuram Brindavanam Trust, who are related to the 38th Head of the Mutt, Srinivasa Satakopa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (Mutt’s head - 1905-09) to maintain the two properties. 
Currently Kannappan, a resident of Sannidhi Street in Pullam Bhoothangudi for the last 25years and the trustee of the temple, has been rendering service all alone performing daily aradhana at both the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple. 

For centuries, his forefathers had taken care of the Athanur Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2010/04/athanur-divya-desam.html). Given the challenging financial conditions of the time, his father who had been managing the temple services all by himself handed over the temple to the Mutt in the 1950s. 

Both at the Lakshmi Narasimha temple and the Pancha Brindavanam, Kannappan meticulously lights lamps every morning and performs aradhana. He also presents Thaligai at the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple.

The Brindavanam of the 19th Head of the Mutt is also in this region, very near the Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam.

Kannappan can be reached on: 99446 30182
The story on the Brindavanam of the 40th Jeer of the Mutt at Thuvariman (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/01/thuvariman-rangaraja-perumal-temple.html)

Thiru Purambiyam Satchinathar Temple

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Revival next year of the Maasi Brahmotsavam after five decades
A young Visionary Priest is dreaming big in this remote temple town on the outskirts of Kumbakonam and bringing the temple back to its historical glory
The Lord is believed to provide solutions from Legal Hurdles – Perform a Pooja on a Tuesday
Not so long ago, the four Saint Poets praised Satchinathar temple in Thiru Purambiyam, a location where a historical battle had been fought, was not in great shape. As with many historical temples in TN, there was a shortage of service personnel including archakas and paricharakaras. The Maasi Brahmotsavam had come to a halt. It was then that the Madurai Atheenam, that administers the temple, identified a young man, Rajasekara Gurukal, who was serving at another popular temple, Patteeswaram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/patteeswaram-thiru-gnana-sambanthar.html?m=1), not too far from here. But he seemed to be well settled there and was initially reluctant to move. But with persuasion from the authorities, he finally relented and made the move to the Satchinathar temple, about 2kms north of Innambur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/08/ezhuthurai-nathar-temple-innambur.html). In the eight years that he has been at the temple, he has begun the process of the transformation of the temple to its historical glory reviving utsavams, getting the devotees back into in the temple and building a team of service personnel.

The work load for archakas in remote temples is heavy and hence not many in the new generation are interested in this service but not so Rajasekaran Gurukal. Madapalli personnel in most remote temples are in short supply. With the cooks in demand elsewhere, few are ready to offer their services in temples that offer a low salary. For long, there were no public transport services to this historical temple. Even now, it is infrequent. The size of the temple would shake even an enthusiastic archaka for maintenance is a big challenge. 

Every morning, he rides over ten kms from the Mutt Street in Kumbakonam to the temple on his two wheeler and returns after the pooja at noon. He then returns again in the evening for the pooja. Thus he rides over 40kms each day to perform service at the temple. He also doubles up as a cook each day.
      Appar on Thiru Purambiyam

Historical Names
The huge Satchnathar temple in Thiru Purambiyam that measures 1 lakh sq ft in size is 10kms West of Kumbakonam on the banks of Manniyaru.  Historically this was referred to as Kalyana Maa Nagar, Punnaaga Vanam, Aathi Thechuram. At the eastern entrance is an 81 feet high five tier Raja Gopuram. In ancient times, Swami was referred to as Purambiya Mudayara Nayanar, Purambiya Mudayara Mahadevar and Pattaalekar Thambiraanaar. 
The Lord as Witness in Madurai - Satchinathar
A businessman from Poompuhar married a woman from Madurai and settled there. When he heard the news of his sister’s death, he returned to his home town. On his way back, he came along with his niece. At this temple, she was bitten by a snake. Invoking the blessings of the Lord here, she was brought to life and he married her at this temple.

When they returned to Madurai, his first wife went to the King’s court. When they were asked for proof of the wedding, the niece invoked the blessings of the Lord of Thirupurambiyam. The Lord, Vanni Maram and the well, the only three present there that day presented themselves and confirmed the wedding. Hence the Lord came to be known as Satchinathar. 

Tuesday has now become a popular day at the temple with the devotees coming in to invoke the blessings of the Lord to sort their legal problems. Bring the lord who acted as a witness, every Tuesday he performs special pooja for devotees caught in a legal tangle. 
             Sundarar Purambiyam

Revival of Murasu
The beating of the big drum (Murasu) was a big feature at the temple for Artha Jaama pooja. The beating of the drum was heard at Kollidam and the devotees would rush to the temple for darshan. In a devotional development, he has revived this after 50 years. He is hoping to building a strong young team that will take this service into the next few decades. 

Brahmotsavam after Five Decades
The chariot that had been in a dilapidated condition is being currently repaired as are a few of the vahanas. By the time we are into the same period next year, it is likely he would have revived the Maasi Brahmotsavam that has been off for almost five decades. 

Chozha Period Contributions
Following his transformational victory in the battle of Purambiyam, Aditya Chozha built this as a Granite structure from the previous brick construction. In memory of this, this location was named as Aaditheswaram.

Sembiyan Mahadevi, who contributed to the development of many temples including Konerirajapuram(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/03/konerirajapuram-thiru-nallam.html?m=1), donated a silver kalasam for thirumanjanam invoking the Lord for the well being of her son Uthama Chozha. During the period of Aditya Karaikalan, lands were donated for the creation and maintenance of a nandavanam.
One of the Chief Ministers of Raja Raja Chozha directed the daily pooja for Ashta Parivara idols and allocated funds for this. During his rule, a separate sannidhi was built for Ambal. Kulotunga I contributed to the Panguni Utsavam. Vikrama Chozha allocated lands for the celebration of festivals for the Saint Poets For amavasya thirumanjanam, lands were granted during the rule of Kulothunga III. 

Vijayanagara King granted several lands for the conduct of the utsavams at this temple including a grand one in Maasi.

An interesting directive
Centuries old inscription points to an interesting direction from the time. Those residing in the inner street had to delivery 20 coconuts to the temple for every tree they owned in their house. 

Originally Ambal Kuraivilaa Azhagi was East facing. At a later point of time, Nagoor Chettiar constructed a South facing Sannidhi. In memory of this, there is a sculpture of the Chettiar with folded hands. 

Devotional Service in a Remote Location
Rajasekara Gurukal is a Commerce Graduate and could easily have gone the corporate way like so many others from his generation but right from a young age, he has dedicated himself to performing service at temples having begun helping his uncles from the age of seven. He sees touching the Lord and performing pooja every day in a Saint Poets praised temple as a blessing that came its way on its own and considers it his duty to revive the festivals and bring the temple back to its historical glory.

He learnt the agamas and the secrets of alankaram from his uncle and cousins. He does not have financial desires and his entire focus is on getting the Satchinathar Temple in Thiru Purambiyam into a self sufficient mode where utsavams can be run on its own through devotee support for the next several decades.  He expects a grand revival of the Brahmostsavam in Maasi of 2022 by when he hopes to have the Chariot and all the vahanas in great shape. He is currently laying a strong foundation at the temple sowing the seed that hopefully will sprout for another 100 years. 

All by himself, single handedly, he lights the lamps in all the Sannidhis in the morning, performs abhisekam, cooks at the madapalli and talks to the devotee network to lure them back into the temple for the utsavams. He is devotionally excited all the time and is grateful to the Lord for assigning him the task of managing such a huge temple and is constantly thinking of improving the temple and reviving all the festivals. 

In remote temple locations, there still are a few priests who make a big difference in the world of selfless service to the Lord and Rajasekara Gurukal is one such. Not so long ago there was a big agraharam in this temple town. May be one day he will be able to convince the descendants of the original inhabitants to come back and revive the vibrant agraharam in  the same way he is reviving historical activities at the temple.

The temple is open from 7am-12noon and 4.30pm-8pm. Contact Rajasekara Gurukal @ 98946 52238.

Seshamani Bhattar Erettai Tirupathi passes away

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From wading through the high tides at Tamaraibarani to be welcomed by Snakes and Bats at Erettai Tirupathi, Seshamani Bhattar was one who served with devotional fearlessness in the dark days of the 1970s and 80

No money to pay sons’ school fees, No money to buy new dresses for the sons for Deepavali, and yet his mind did not waver away from the Lords of Three Divya Desams

Decades ago, YG Mahendran’s amma helped reconstruct a dilapidated house and bought him a cycle to go to Erettai Tirupathi from Thiru Kolur 
The priest, who withstood personal threats to his life in the 1970s and 80s and performed service of the most devotional kind at Erettai Tirupathi passed away recently at his home in Thiru Kolur aged 69.

Well over 40 years ago, G Seshamani Bhattar then in his 20s, took charge of the archaka service at the twin temples of Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam, the Lords of which Nam Azhvaar saw as his father and mother. While he had been serving, on and off at the temple even as a teenager, it was his father in law, Venkatakrishnan, who had been performing pooja at Erettai Tirupathi since the 1940s at a low two digit salary, who roped him in for a life time service. Like his father in law earlier, Seshamani Bhattar too performed archaka service in the twin temples of Tholai Villi Mangalam at a miniscule salary that never crossed Rs. 70 per month for much of his first two decades.  In those decades, with no income at the temple, even this salary would be handed to him at infrequent intervals.

சிந்தையாலும் சொல்லாலும் செய்கையினாலும் 
தேவ பிரானையே 
தந்தை தாய் என் று அடைந்த 
வன் குருகூர் அவர் சடகோபன் சொல் 

முந்தை ஆயிரத்துள் இவை 
தொலை வில்லி மங்கலத்தை சொன்ன
செந்தமிழ் பத்தும் வல்லார் 
அடிமை செய்வார் திருமாலுக்கே 

A Dark Era
Through that dark period (literally) in the 70s and 80s, there was no electricity in the entire Erettai Tirupathi region. While historically many Divya Desams and ancient temples have been described as being in the middle of a forest or being surrounded by huge forest like groves, Seshamani Bhattar was an actual witness to it. The Erettai Tirupathi region was a dense forest inhabited by poisonous snakes. Also, the dark Sannidhi inside the temple proved a perfect abode for hundreds of bats. Seshamani Bhattar would enter the temple every morning to the fizzing noise of the serpents and the flapping of the wings of the bats.

In the early part of the 20th century, there had been a few Brahmin families in the agraharam but they too had to be evacuated following several floods the most severe of which struck in the first quarter.
There was not even a mud road to the twin temple from any of the Nava tirupathi temples. And there were no bridges as well to reach the temple crossing the Tamaraibarani River. The only option to reach the temple was to wade through the chest high water at the river, and then through the dense thicket to the temple.
                 Erettai Tirupathi in the early 1990s

After he managed to reach the temple, the plight of Seshamani Bhattar was quite miserable. With no power facilities, it was largely pitch dark in and around the sannidhis. The temple complex itself was in a dilapidated state. There was hardly the required quantity of ghee to light the lamp on a regular basis. Worse still, his wait for that odd devotee almost always proved a futile one. 25 paise thattu kaasu per week was a luxury in that first decade of his service.

One Bhattar- Three Divya Desams every day
For two decades from the 1970s, Seshamani Bhattar arrived at the twin temples every morning at 11am after performing pooja at Thiru Kolur Divya Desam. He would perform aradhana here at the twin temples and leave by 4pm so as to be in time at Thiru Kolur for the evening pooja there. This was a daily routine for him. Decades earlier, his father in law used to engage bullock cart once in a while to move around but once Seshamani Bhattar joined Erettai Tirupathi his only mode of transport was the long 6 km walk across the Tamaraibarani from Thiru Kolur. 

In those decades, no one dared to perform service at these two temples. It was the devotional mindset of Seshamani Bhattar that alone ensured that pooja was not stopped anytime at the twin Divya Desams.

வைத்த  மா நிதியாம் மதுசூதனையே அலற்றி
கொத்தலர்  பொழில் சூழ்.... 

அவன் சேர்  திரு கோலூற்கே 
சித்தம் வைத்துரைபார் நிகழ் பொன் உலகாழ்வாரே

His son the 40 year old Balaji Bhattar, who is now in charge of Thiru Kolur Vaitha Maa Nidhi Divya Desam, recounts the financial challenges from his childhood days in the 1980s “There was no money to pay my school fees. The income from the temple was no sufficient for us to buy new clothes even for Deepavali. With no salary and thattu kaasu, even daily sustenance was a challenge. But it did not deter him from selfless service at three Divya Desams for two decades. To him, serving at these three temples came above everything else.”
True devotion to the Lord kept him going and he considered it a great blessing to perform every day service at three Divya Desams. During that dark phase of life, while priests from many ancient temples sought other financial opportunities such as Samprokshanams and other vedic events, Seshamani Bhattar rarely went outside of these temples in search of additional sources of income. He was completely committed to the Lords of Erettai Tirupathi and Thiru Kolur.
திருந்து  வேதமும் வேள்வியும்
திரு மா மகளிரும் தாம் மலிந்து 
இருந்து வாழ் பொருநல் வடகரை 
வண் தொலை வில்லி மங்கலம் 

And then things turned for the worse in the early 1990s. Ravaged by floods in Tamaraibarani, the temple had reached a state of total dilapidation. Water levels reached Knee deep inside the Moolavar Sannidhi. It seemed to be a helpless state for the Bhattar with nowhere to turn to. 

While on one side there was very little financial security with a low two digit monthly salary, on the other there was always the threat of physical attack by animals including the real possibility of snake bites. Encountering Snakes inside the temple was a regular feature for both Venkatakrishnan Bhattar as well as Seshamani Bhattar. His wife stood by him all through his life and was a pillar of strength during the decades of the financial stress. Soon after he passed away, she too followed him to Vaikuntam. 
Large shrubs had come up on the Vimana and the inner walls. The prakara was covered with huge bushes and no devotee could go around the sannidhi in either of the temples. The only time the temple really lit up was on Maasi Anusham when Nam Azhvaar made his way across the Tamarai Barani for a day long stay here. That brought in groups of devotees from Azhvaar Tirunagari and around.

Temple on the Verge of Collapse - Seshamani remains strong
Following the floods in the early 1990s, the twin temples seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Unmindful of the risk to his health, he waded through the water to light lamp at the twin temples.  Decades long resident of Azhvaar Tirunagari, Octogenarian Appu Sadagopachari had told this writer a few years ago on the state of the temple in the decades prior to Venu Srinivasan taking up the restoration work “The roof could have fallen off any time at Erettai Tirupathi. There were pillars hanging around. Water had seeped in right to the sanctum.”
Seshamani Bhattar had tears rolling down his cheeks when he narrated a few years ago to this writer the struggles in that phase of life “The temple structure itself seemed to be going down as a result of the floods and there was a real threat of one of the Divya Desams being lost to the Vaishnavite world.  The entire temple complex was stuck with dirty water and filth.’

Mrs YGP buys him a cycle and helps reconstruct his house
When floods struck Tamaraibarani, Seshamani Bhattar would take the long over 10 kms route through the Sri Vaikuntam bridge. Balaji Bhattar recalls one of such trips from his childhood days “Cine Personality YG Mahendra’s amma was on a trip to Nava Tirupathi Divya Desams. When she saw my appa walking all the way from Thiru Kolur to Erettai Tirupathi, she came home to meet him at Thiru Kolur. She was shocked  on seeing the house in a dilapidated condition. Immediately, she helped with the construction of a brick house from the ‘Koorai’ that it was. She also purchased a cycle so my appa could ride to the Divya Desam. We still live in that same house and my appa used that cycle till the very end, over three decades after it was presented to him.”
On such days, Balaji Bhattar recalls his father taking food from home to for neivedyam for the two Lords in Erettai Tirupathi. 

It was after TVS Motor’s Venu Srinivasan’s transformational restoration exercise in the mid 1990s that the annual Brahmotsavam including all the Vahana processions was revived at the twin temples of Aravinda Losana and Devapiran.

Seshamani Bhattar who performed daily pooja in these three temples for over two decades at a salary of less than Rs. 100 per month was assigned the Devapiran Sannidhi as an exclusive temple with a monthly Sambhavanai from Venu Srinivasan that was several multiples of what he had received over the previous two decades. The Bhattar’s monthly income touched four digits for the first time in 1998.            
Seshamani Bhattar continued to serve at the Devapiran temple almost till the very end including during the COVID period in 2020. He told this writer in a conversation before his death that he was pleased to have both his sons ( Raghu and Balaji Bhattar) sticking to temple kainkaryam despite the financial plight of his father and grandfather over the 2nd half of the 20th century. The monthly Sambavanai presented by Venu Srinivasan and the increased ‘Thattu Kasu’ had provided great financial security to the sons of Seshamani Bhattar.

For the devoted Seshamani Bhattar, it was finally happy times to be seeing human faces around him through the day from the previously lonely life at the temple spent alongside reptiles and mammals!!

While he had to encounter decades of financial challenges, his life was largely fulfilling serving at the feet of three Divya Desam Lords, an opportunity unlikely to have been available to many priests in the country. And he lived all his life in the memory of that service to these Lords. Never once did he complain about the financial challenges and his mind was always focused on his duty of serving the Lord at Erettai Tirupathi and Thiru Kolur.

Truly an exceptional Divya Desam Bhattar.

(Seshamani Bhattar passed away on January 2, 2021 of Kidney failure and wheezing related ailment at the age of 69. Shortly after, his wife too passed away)

Karunaswamy Koil Karunthittaikudi Thanjavur

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A Shivanadiyar revives a historical underground water tunnel through a public interest initiative in Thanjavur
Water now flows directly from Vadavuru into the temple tank at Vashishteswarar temple raising possibility of the revival of a historical Theppotsavam in Chitrai every year
Sivanadiyar Sellaperumal, Thanjavur

Located between two rivers Vennaru in the North and Veera Chozha Vadavaru in the South is the Vashisteswarar temple in Karuthittai Kudi. Currently this is referred to as Karunaswamy temple. Chozha period inscriptions refer to this temple as Karu Thittai Kudi. Parantaka II inscriptions indicate that the temple pre dates the Big Temple in Thanjavur. He renovated the temple during his rule.  Later Nayaks and Marathas improved upon and developed the temple. Sage Vashishta did pooja here invoking the blessings of the Lord. A special feature at the temple is the idols of Vashishta and his wife Arundhati.  Till a few decades ago, this temple too was part of the Saptha Sthanam festival of Thanjavur. 
10 day Brahmotsavam is celebrated in a grand manner in Vaikasi while 10day Pooram festival for Ambal is celebrated in Aadi. The temple is building a Kannadi Pallakku to be part of the utsavam processions. On the 3rd, 4th and 5th days of Panguni, the Sun’s rays fall directly on Vashishteswarar.

Appar's reference to Karunthittai Kudi
Appar in his third verse in Thiru Thandagam refer to Karun Thittai Kudi.
நற்குடிமேல் விடையுயர்ந்த நம்பன் செம்பங் 
குடிநல்லக் குடி நளி நாட்டியத்தான் குடி 
கற்குடி தென் களக்குடி  செங் காட்டங்குடி 
கருந்திட்டை குடி  கடைய குடி காணுங்கால் 
விற்குடிவேள் விக்குடி நல் வேட்ட குடி வேதிகுடி 
மானிகுடி விடை வாய்க்குடி 
புற்குடிமா குடித்தேவன் குடி நீலக்குடி 
புதுக்குடியும்  போற்றவிடம் போகுமன்றே

Historical Tunnel out of action 
A historical tunnel that led water from Vadavaru, a tributary of Cauvery, to the huge tank at the Vashishteswarar Karunaswamy Temple in Karuthittakudi in the Northern part of Thanjavur had become completely blocked on account of two reasons – construction of an underground drainage system just under  two decades ago in Thanjavur and the piling up of huge amounts of debris through the entire half a km stretch from Vadavuru to the temple tank. This resulted, initially, in minimal water getting into the tank and then over a period of time no water flowed into the tank. 

Tank in Dilapidated State
By 2019, the tank was seen with big bushes across the entire width of the tank. B Pasupathi Gurukal, whose forefathers have been serving at the temple for centuries as archakas told this writer that his grandfather had told him in his younger days that once upon a time, till a century ago, there was a Chitrai Theppotsavam conducted at the temple. For almost two decades, there had not been a drop of water at the tank such was its dilapidated state. The deterioration was so fast that in recent times the residents especially those in the new generation were not even aware of the existence of the centuries old underground tunnel that once brought water from Cauvery’s tributary directly into the temple tank. 

45 year old E. R Sellaperumal, a Sivan Adiyar and a selfless service worker in Thanjavur, is a living example of what true devotional endeavours can achieve. He had taken up and completed a water tank work at Azhagiya Kulam a few years ago. He recalls the work undertaken there “Till a few decades ago, the tank was brimming with water. I used to play along with other boys my age during my childhood in the 1970s/80s but Azhagiya Kulam had become like a dump yard and had become filled with wastes. I brought together school children as a service initiative to remove the bushes inside the tank that allowed rain water into the tank.”
 Sellaperumal's son entered the tunnel and dirtied his feet

Thanjavur School Teacher spots Sellaperumal
Impressed with this successful restoration work, Swaminathan, a school teacher in Thanjavur, approached Sellaperumal in late 2019 and asked if he could try and solve another challenging mystery, one where many before him had failed. Several attempts had been made but no one including the Thanjavur Corporation could work out the tunnel between the Karunaswamy temple and Vadavaru. Multiple attempts had failed in the last few years. The Thanjavur Corporation had built a new underground drainage system right above the water tunnel from Vadavaru to the temple tank. For long, this had proved to be an impediment to the revival exercise and a reason for the multiple attempts to fail earlier. In 2019, there was not a ray of hope that anyone could revive this least of all an individual Sivan Adiyar.

There was not a drop of water in the tank. Thuruthi trees had grown large and wide inside the tank. The tank East of the Karunaswamy temple was inhabited by venomous snakes. On December 31, 2019, Chellaperumal started work with a bunch of volunteers to physically support him on the ground inside the tank. For 20 days, they worked morning and evening. By Thai of 2020, they had all become excited in this revival process and there was a self belief that they could achieve this together.

A Huge Snake raises its hood in front of him
He recalls the initial period of this restoration exercise “Within the first few days of starting our work, there was a huge snake just a few feet away while I was engaged in the cutting of the trees inside the tank The first positive vibration of God’s blessing came right then. It raised its hood in front of me and I could have gone that very moment. But it slowly made its way into the corner of the tank. I saw that as a great blessing and a go ahead from Karunaswamy for my work." 
        Long Snake at the tank near this writer and Sellaperumal this week

May be a coincidence, as this writer stood next to him this week near the now brimming tank, he pointed to another long snake passing by the edge of the tank. He was unfazed as he had by now got used to large snakes moving around the tank.

Identifying the route of the tunnel
It was to be a monumental task as he was going to soon find out. In the various attempts over the previous decade, no one had been successful in even identifying the route of the tunnel. Construction in recent years/decades had meant there were new houses, shops and many other buildings along the route. For starters, he had to find the route of the tunnel from the river to the tank. 
In his efforts to identify the route, he found divine help once again. There was a historical Malai Vembu tree South East of the temple. When he dug a 7.5 feet pit right next to the tree, much to his delight he found the starting point of the tunnel. A few 100 meters away to the South was another tree and when he dug a pit there, there was the continuation of the tunnel. He went about digging around 20 pits along the path to trace the tunnel to Vadavaru. Much to his disbelief he found those links exactly near those historical trees and in locations where there were no new constructions. By now, he was convinced that Lord Vashishteswarar was firmly behind him.

In the period of work, he found great strength and support from another Sivanadiyar Saravanan and Senthil Kumar, who worked on the ground with him through a large part of this very complex exercise.

Debris inside the Tunnel
The distance from the river bank to the temple tank was around half a km. Having identified the tunnel, the task now was to find the state of the tunnel. The biggest shock of this exercise came when he looked into the tunnel. He found the entire stretch filled with filth. That by itself was not much of a shock. Over a long period of close to two decades, drainage water had mixed with the debris inside the tunnel resulting in thick mounds of mud along the entire stretch from Vadavaru to the temple tank. Sellaperumal found that not a piece of mud could be moved even with modern technological equipments like JCB. It was several years of waste collection that had turned unbreakable inside the tunnel. Inside the tunnel, the mixing of the sewage water with the debris was a dangerous health hazard. Unmindful of this, Sellaperumal and the set of volunteers went about their work with minimal fuss. It was the most unforgettable moment of his life.
       Crude Innovative Tools

Construction worker Rajini- A Pillar of Strength
In the initial days, many equipments that he sourced were broken trying to remove the thick layer of debris. It was the size and weight hitherto unseen by anyone in Thanjavur in modern times. Chellaperumal with a huge team of service personnel used truly innovative technologies that may well have been in vogue a 1000 years ago to drill into the tunnel to bring out the debris.Construction worker, Rajini, was a pillar of strength for Sellaperumal throughout the period of the project and was the one who was actively involved on the ground in this complex exercise.
 
Skating Shoes as a tool to remove debris!!!
It may seem odd and out of place near a temple in Thanjavur but Chellaperumal put skating shoes to great use in this exercise and this innovation turned out to be transformational. The skating shoe was attached to a long rod with a flat plate at the end. Using this, the team inserted the long rod inside the tunnel with the skating shoe enabling the ease of movement of the rod. This way they managed to collect the debris. But this was a long drawn process. Sellaperumal points to his right hand and the damage this exercise of removing the thick debris has caused. 
 Engineer Jyothi Prakash and Construction Worker Rajini

The national lockdown announced in late March last year was a setback. Their enthusiasm was dented. They waited patiently in the initial phase of total lockdown before coming back in full force once again. While the identification of the tunnel route took months, the removal of debris ban locked inside the half km tunnel took even longer - upto six months. In the challenging phase of the lockdown and the subsequent partial lifting thereafter, it was Engineer Jyothi Prakash who extended manpower support and organised food. Sellaperumal is particularly grateful to Jyothi Prakash for this service "2020 was not an easy year. There were so many external challenges. In that period, it was Jyothi Prakash who helped us with adequate people to carry out this work. With most of them working full time in the tunnel, it was he who organised food for a large part of this period."

Sellaperumal was stunned at the quality of the tunnel construction “What we found inside the tunnel was historical construction whose hallmark was strong limestone foundation. It has survived several centuries.”

Finally, after a year of starting work, Sellaperumal and his team of selfless service volunteers from across Thanjavur completed the entire work – from removing the bushes and trees at the tank, to identifying the tunnel, from removing the debris through an innovative method to inserting PVC Pipes at appropriate places along the path of the tunnel. From tall and thick bushes in December 2019, the once completely dry tank is now brimming with water. One day may be the Theppotsavam too would be back at the Karunaswamy temple.
                 Thanjavur Prince Babaji Bhonsle

Palace's Support
During the period, the Prince of Thanjavur, Babaji Rajah Bhonsle(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/thanjavur-palace-babaji-rajah-bhonsle.html), who administers the Vashishteswarar Karunaswamy temple, conducted several meetings at the Palace and onsite. He also approached the IIT Madras for support in this initiative. The Prince says that the Collector of Thanjavur encouraged this restoration exercise, was fully supportive and believed that the tunnel could be revived. The Corporation Commissioner’s support in providing all the necessary permissions including the digging of exploratory pits at several locations along the way is unparalleled. The  Commissioner has said that this tank was included in Smart City project and that a lot of development is likely to happen, going forward.” 
                    Pathway to tunnel

Srikumar, a devotee from Coimbatore who last year contributed significantly to the consecration of the Big Temple festivities(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/02/thanjavur-big-temple-kumbhabhishekam.html), was of great financial help on this one as well including providing the PVC pipes that have been used in a couple of locations along the length of the tunnel. 

Last month on the completion of this mammoth exercise, the Prince honoured all the volunteers and donors including officials of the Thanjavur Corporation who supported this project. 

This revival of the centuries old half kilometer tunnel connecting the Vadavaru and the Karunaswamy Temple tank is a great lesson in public projects. If selfless service personnel come together towards a public cause, even the seemingly impossible tasks can be achieved. And Sivan Adiyaar Sellaperumal is a shining example of how devotees should focus on devotional endeavors without any thoughts on financial returns and media publicity.

Sellaperumal and his wife run a canteen service in Thanjavur but when this opportunity to serve Lord Vashishteswarar came up, he focused his fullest attention on this project and drove it with single minded devotion while his wife ran the canteen almost all alone by herself. While he was paid once in a while for his service by donors and the like, it was a miniscule amount to what this kind of work would have entailed.
S Ramanathan seen with Rice Mill owner Govindarajan and Sellaperumal

This story leaves the final word with 70 year old S Ramanathan, a former staffer of PSU BHEL at multiple locations and now working closely with the Prince of Thanjavur on temple restorations. He tracked this project closely and says nothing can compensate the efforts of Sellaperumal “Even if you offer a crore of rupees to Sellaperumal, it will not be commensurate with the selfless service he has rendered during a year of Corona and made this seemingly impossible task a reality.” 
         Hereditary Priest Pasupathi Gurukal

The temple is open from 7am-11am and 5pm-8pm. Contact Pasupathi Gurukal@ 8220728579

H Lakshmanan TVS Sundaram Clayton ED

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From a typist in a Police Office to Executive Director and the most trusted right hand man of Father – Son Duo of a TVS Group firm for close to seven decades
He is an institution by himself and our 'Rock of Gibraltar' - Venu Srinivasan
"Just in his 20s, he once carried over a 100 files to the Madurai Airport similar to Anjaneya picking up the entire Sanjeevi Hills when he did not know which of the files his boss TS Srinivasan was looking for"- R Srinivasan, TVS Schools, Madurai
In the late 1940s, this teenager despite securing a distinction in SSLC could not pursue his Mathematical interests due to the financial challenges in the family. He joined a typewriting institute but the finances were so bad that he did not have money to pay the exam fees. Facing embarrassment, he stayed away from the institute as well. The scenario almost led him into a depression for everything seemed to be going against him in life in that phase. But through extraordinary hard work and dedication, he overcame the challenges, took a train to Madurai to secure a job in the High Court. Against all odds and despite being scoffed at, he quit the Government job to join a private firm where he rose to the high post of ED and became one of the most respected professionals in the TVS Group. Despite his glorious run, he has remained simple and down to earth and has played the role of a mentor to several top management professionals over generations. He is one of the two longest actively serving professionals in the group. In October last year, this section featured a story on the other six decades serving Octogenarian, R Srinivasan, TVS Schools, Madurai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/10/r-srinivasan-tvs-madurai.html). Here is the story of 88 year old H Lakshmanan (lovingly referred to as HL) who has been the right hand man of TVS's father – son duo for close to seven decades.

A Mylaporean in the making!!!
Born in Shengottai, very near the famous Courtallam falls, in 1933, Lakshmanan was a Mylaporean in his childhood for his ‘Caterer’ father had moved to Madras in search of greener pastures in the city.As a school boy, he spent the evenings at the Kapaleeswarar temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/kapaleeswarar-temple-jayakanthan.html) including watching the grand utsavams of the time. It was likely he would become a full fledged Mylaporean for he was shaping up well at the Karpagavalli Vidyalaya school residing in the nearby Nadu Street when the outbreak of World War II and a bomb threat to Madras led his parents to beat a hasty retreat down South to the ‘Nellaiappar’ temple town of Tirunelveli.

Delayed SSLC Results and a Rejected Scholarship
He joined MDT (Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar) Hindu school in Class VI. His father offered private catering service in Tirunelveli. Not yet into his teens, Lakshmanan displayed a lot of responsibility understanding the scenario around him in the family and spent a lot of his non school time helping his father in the catering activities. He would himself serve the customers with a lot of love every evening and night. It was probably this early initiation that led him to engage very closely with the work force later in life at the TVS Group. During the five years at MDT, he was also involved with the RSS. He was highly devoted even as a school boy and spent a lot of time at the historical Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli town ( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/11/nellaiappar-koil-tirunelveli.html). Lord Muruga was his favourite from childhood and he visited the nearby Saalai Murugan temple (that has become very popular today) every day during his teenage life in Tirunelveli.

All along his schooling days, Mathematics was his favourite subject. More often than not, he secured Centum in the exams through this period. There was no electricity at home in the years of his schooling and he prepared for the exams under the hurricane light. When he wrote the SSLC examination, there was high expectation of him from his teachers. However, when the results were announced, his name was missing from the list. He was in tears. His teachers too were shocked for he was among the top ranked students of the school and everyone enquired if something went wrong leading up to the examination. It was the first of many such events in this phase that was to go terribly against him. As he was underage, the results had actually been held back. A few months later, his name was cleared and he came out trumps with a distinction. Unfortunately, by then, the college admission had started and he was behind time especially on scholarship that was on offer for bright students. 

Financial Challenges ends his academic life at 15!!
His scholarship application was rejected by MDT College and thus he could not pursue his academics despite achieving distinction. He had dreams of graduating in Maths but those were completely shattered. Another college did offer him full scholarship but he, even as a teenager, vehemently opposed the ‘religious condition’ laid out to him and rejected that scholarship. Instead of joining a regular college, he consoled himself and joined the ‘Reporter’s Home’ typewriting institute near Tirunelveli Junction. Life then went from bad to worse. When it was time for him to write the lower examination, there was no money to pay the fees. Everything that could go wrong in life seemed to in that phase of his life. And he was slowly moving into a state of depression.

First Job at 16- A Vessels manufacturer
With no college education in sight, though his father had given him hopes of a possible scholarship the next year, and with typewriting exam too out of hand, Lakshmanan, then 16, joined a brass vessels manufacturer (Venkatachalam) at a monthly salary of Rs. 25 to help out his family financially. He learnt the basics of accounting and banking work in that firm. As an accounts assistant, he was entrusted with the responsibility of going to the bank to deposit cheques, raising customer invoices and following up on payments. He looks at that six month experience with a lot of happiness “It was the vessels manufacturer who handed me my first job. I learnt a lot in those six months especially in finance and customer service."

Life Transforming Financial Support
There were two large life transforming events within a few years of each other, the first one in Tirunelveli. While he was working in the brass vessels firm, Seetharaman, the owner of the typewriting institute spotted him one day and was shocked to know the developments of the previous six months. In what Lakshmanan calls a life changing gesture, his fees was taken care of  and he went on to write the lower (exam). Within the next 12 months, he had come out trumps in lower and higher typewriting as well as short hand. By this time, he was also taking care of the typewriting institute that had twenty machines. Lakshmanan is grateful to the owner brothers, Ramabhadran and Seetharaman, for the life transforming help rendered “It was the typewriting and short hand certificates that opened the doors for me in life and made me what I am today. It was their gesture to pay my fees that turned around my life.”

Typist at Police Admininstrative Office
He wanted to register at the employment exchange in Tirunelveli but his application was rejected as he was still a minor.  When the District Police Administrative Office in Palayamkottai was looking for a typist, he applied and was handed a temporary posting. The Superintendent of Police took a liking for him for he was proficient in taking notes and turning around the requirements within the deadline.  He worked there at a monthly salary of Rs. 90. However, when the Government appointed official typists, he lost his job for he was not a major. Depression in life continued. He wondered if there was ever permanence in life. Every joy seemed so short lived as a teenager.

A Great two years with the Judges in Madurai HC
As he scouted around for the next job, the employment exchange alerted him on Madurai HC looking for stenographers. It was not necessarily the norm in those decades, but Lakshmanan boldly boarded the then famous Shengottai passenger to Madurai. It was his classmate and friend Krishnan, who later went on to a Central Government job, who received him at the Madurai Junction. The District Judge was impressed with his confidence, and on the back of a strong performance in academics in SSLC, Lakshmanan was appointed as a Steno at the Madurai High Court. 

For two years, he had a great time in Madurai.  Just like the Superintendent of Police in Tirunelveli, the Judges too took to a liking for the young boy and many times directed him to take notes of their open court verdict and hand back the copy to them. So impressed were the senior judges with his work that they even asked him to type the preamble to their judgment orders. He was then part of the Estates Abolishment Tribunal and accompanied the panel comprising of one Judge, a Sub Judge and a Revenue Department Officer to various locations in TN including Trichy, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Pudukottai. He spent an enjoyable six months at the Tribunal. 

Working in the Madurai Court for two years under the Learned Judges helped him improve his (English) language skills that was to hold him in good stead during his early years at TVS.

An inspirational moment- R Ramachandran's gesture
One evening in 1953, while he was on his way to watch a movie at the Regal Talkies, near Madurai Junction, he was asked to take a look at The Hindu of that day that had featured an ad of TVS & Sons calling out for application from Stenographers for their Workshop in South Veli Street in Madurai. M.R Kannan, the spare parts chief was to interview the applicants. The gesture of R Ramachandran (TS Rajam's son) on the morning of the interview created an immediate bonding for Lakshmanan with TVS. The interview was at the TVS & Sons headquarters in Madurai. When R Ramachandran, who passed by the interviewees, came to know that they had been waiting for a while, he called out, that very instant, for Kannan and directed the interview to be started immediately “It was an inspirational moment for me and gave me the confidence that I was joining the right company. The owners cared even for the prospective employees at the junior most level and did not like anyone’s time to be taken for granted. It was a great life lesson that I always followed all through my career.”
Lakshmanan had already written the Government Services Examination and long decades of Government service beckoned him. The head of the Tribunal in the Madurai High Court called on Lakshmanan and as it was to happen a few years later in the case of RS, scoffed at his decision to join a private firm. Lakshmanan recalls that conversation from August of 1953 “he called it a foolhardy decision on coming to know about my planned move to a private company.”

An emboldened Statement
When TS Srinivasan (TSS), with whom he was to have a 26 year association - one that he calls as life's greatest blessing, asked him for the salary that he was looking for, pat came a bold reply“I would like it to be at least Rs. 5 more than my Government job.” His uninhibited view was to be a standout feature of his interactions with the founding family of TVS in the coming decades. He also asked his future boss that he was being taken as only a probationary officer (for a period of one year) and what would happen to him if the confirmation did not take place a year later."

Srinivasan had an eye for talent and he immediately spotted the spark in the young man. His sharp questions on that day seemed to impress him and he took him under his ‘care’. The two of them were to engage in a great and hugely successful professional relationship for the next 26 years. Lakshmanan joined as the stenographer at the TVS workshop in August of 1953.
Innovative Spirit of TSS
Lakshmanan recounts the early years of his stint in Madurai under the leadership of TS Srinivasan “He was a visionary. He would himself get down to the workshop and repair buses and cars. His innovative spirit was reflected in his drawings that was usually made on a simple sheet of paper. Once in a 40seater bus, he sketched to show the team how 42 could sit with a little bit of innovation. When he went on inspections rounds to the branches (Tirunelveli, Pudukottai, Trichy and Salem) in the State, he always took me along. These trips gave me a great opportunity to watch his interactions with employees and customers from close quarters.  It was in that phase that he also taught me the art of letter writing.”

The first recognition – An instant reward
Lakshmanan remembers Srinivasan sitting in a corner of his home for many days focusing intensely on the manual for Workshop service. He was clear that the quality of service had to be standardized. On one of the evenings, Srinivasan had placed Rs. 100 on Lakshmanan’s desk in office. HL recalls the conversation from that evening “When I found the note, I went up to him and enquired about the amount. He said it was a reward for my hard work in bringing out the manual and my efforts to type through the night to stick to the deadline. This was the first of several occasions when founding family members instantly showed their appreciation for an employee’s commitment at the work place.”

Unforgettable memory – The  Founder’s Polite enquiry
The high in that first year at TVS was the most unforgettable treatment meted out to him by TVS Iyengar and his wife (Lakshmi Ammal). Every evening, when he visited Srinivasan’s house on work, he would be welcomed politely by TVS Iyengar, with a newspaper in hand“He would enquire about my work and if I was learning and enjoying. His wife was one of the kindest women I have met. Every time I went there, she would feed me delicious dishes. She almost looked at me as another son, given that I was alone in Madurai. She took great care of me. It was my first experience of how the founding family treated the employees as one among them.”

TSS's trust in HL
HL joined TVS when Venu Srinivasan was just six months old. Throughout his childhood, when Venu needed anything, his father would direct him to HL. Venu remembers those days from the 1950s and 60s “As a school boy, I used to see him chatting with my parents at home everyday. He was in and out of the house all the time. My earliest memories of him date back to my childhood days when my appa would repeatedly tell me ‘when in doubt, ask Lakshmanan’. That early advice from my appa has stayed with me for the rest of my life. I also saw right in front of my eyes the trust that my appa had in HL.”
      Venu Srinivasan - CSR Initiative

The 1960s – Exciting Period for The TVS Group
When the Government began handing out licenses to firms for manufacturing in the auto sector in the 1960s, Srinivasan came to Madras and asked HL to join him there. Initially, he continued to be part of TVS & Sons and was posted on deputation to work in Srinivasan’s office in June 1960 by when his salary had doubled to Rs. 450. The two decades starting 1960 was an exciting period for the TVS Group with the setting up of several new manufacturing firms, first in Padi and later outside this new manufacturing belt. The first of the investments was in Wheels India through a JV with Dunlop of UK. 

Carrying the Sanjeevi Hill to the Madurai Airport
In the very early days of the planning for the Padi Project, TS Srinivasan was taking a flight one evening from Madurai to Madras for a discussion on the commissioning of the Plant. When he had missed taking a particular file, he called HL from the airport to quickly hand him the file. 

84 year old R Srinivasan Director on Board TVS Schools Madurai, who joined TVS in 1958 and has now been there for over six decades recalls the amazing feat of HL that evening"In those days, only very few employees stayed back at work after 5pm. The office was almost empty and HL did not know which of the files that his boss was looking for.  Similar to Lord Anjaneya carrying the entire Sanjeevi Hills, HL picked up well over a 100 files from the office. Since I was present that evening in office, he asked me to join as well and the two of us went in a jeep to the Madurai Airport."
                                    
"All the files were spread out in the huge open space in the airport. He picked up five files from the huge lot and appreciated HL for his 'Anjaneya like' thoughts that evening. That was the kind of early commitment and responsiveness that HL showed at TVS even as a youngster in his 20s."

Anchoring the Padi Projects
Through the 1960s, it was Lakshmanan who typed every document, letter, license and JV agreements and quotations for all the TVS Group companies. In January 1965, he was re-designated as Personal Secretary to TS Srinivasan. Five years later, he became assistant to TSS. Venu credits HL for all the early JV agreements in the group and the setting up of new businesses in Padi and HosurHe anchored all the JVs signed by the TVS group. From taking notes to typing the agreement and letters to the Govt he did it all by himself in the 60s. He was the go to man for everything. For a man, who had studied only up to SSLC, he grasped a great bit of knowledge about Company Law and Taxation."

"My appa built Padi while I built Hosur. In both, HL was the anchor man.”

He helped in starting Wheels India, Sundaram Clayton, Brakes India, Lucas TVS, Sundram Fasteners and Sundaram Brake Lines (including the negotiations with the US JV partner Abex). In later decades, he also played a critical role in the JVs with Suzuki and Whirlpool. During this period, he was also involved in price negotiations with customers, the art of which he says he learnt from TS Krishna (TSK) and TSS.

Backs the TVS Brand - BOLD Statement
When TVS was to sign a JV with Lucas, the foreign partner was keen on a bankruptcy clause “If TVS went bankrupt, you would have to sell the shares to Lucas.” HL who had been an active member of the discussions sprung a surprise by standing up and laying a reciprocal condition on Lucas that stunned and angered the Lucas Management.

HL had prior experience and an in-depth understanding of the clauses in JV agreements for he had been involved in Wheels India's JV and he confidently spoke in that meeting demanding a similar clause if Lucas went bankrupt. When the partner asked how he dared to speak of Lucas in such terms, HL retorted with a hitherto unseen boldness “How dare you associate the TVS group with a possible bankruptcy." 

It was indicative of the strong bonding HL had struck with TVS that he was willing to give his everything for the brand. 

TSK’s Touch - The Family’s Greatness
When the MRTP Act was being enforced in great vigour, he went along with the TVS family members to discuss the issues with the government. It was a high pressure meeting and it was HL who participated actively in the discussions, took notes and prepared the minutes of the meeting that same evening. By the end of the day, he was physically drained and literally fell on the bed. A little later when he felt a hand on his forehead and woke up, he saw TS Krishna pressing his forehead“You had given your best in today’s meeting and this is a small token of appreciation for the hard work you put in over the last few days” remarked TSK to HL in the room in Delhi that evening. It was a remarkable gesture from the member of the founding family that left him dumbfounded yet again. 
Like TSS placing Rs. 100 for his night long typing effort, this unbelievable gesture from TSK was instant. Time and again gestures such as these reiterated the genuine feelings of the founding family towards employees, especially to those who they felt were genuinely committed to the success of the firm. A sincere contribution of an employee was almost always recognized. In the above cases, they did it silently without any open publicity. On another occasion when foreign delegates from Lucas visited Madras, TS Krishna openly announced to them that "HL knew every pillar at all the plants of the TVS firms".

He recalls the bonding of the family members with the workers "Once when TSK found that a staffer’s son had joined elsewhere, he immediately called his father and enquired. Soon after, the youngster joined TVS and stayed for decades."

TS Santhanam's confidence booster - I am SSLC too!!! You will clinch the deal
In the 1960s and 70s, Lakshmanan spent a lot of time at the sprawling house of TS Santhanam on D’Silva Road in Mylapore for Srinivasan directed him to Santhanam on all financial matters "Once when I went to his house to get his inputs on a negotiation that I was going to engage with in Delhi the next day and finding me a bit jittery, he injected a confidence booster – I too studied only till SSLC. You will definitely clinch the deal.”

A Proud Moment - From a Steno to Wearing a Coat
There were occasions when Santhanam raised his self esteem “When he took me for a meeting with bank officials, he insisted that I too wear a coat. For a steno to now wear a coat along with a founding family member was a special moment in my life."

In 1974, he was transferred to Sundaram Clayton as Co-ordination Manager and four years later was re-designated as EA to Chairman. Having originally started off as one who took notes and typed letters, by the end of the 1970s he had made steady progress and had become involved with plant planning, recruitment and process development, in addition to making significant contributions in JV agreements and collaborations. 

Lakshmanan saw TSS’s care for the workers during periods when posters were to be put up within the plant“I would type several times but he would not be happy. He was insistent that the communication be in a manner that the workers understood every single word of the poster. If he was not convinced, he would work on it endlessly till he got the right set of words.”

A Double Blow – First TSK and then TSS
While the 1960s and the early 70s had been an exciting phase for Lakshmanan with his deep involvement in the setting up of various plants in Padi and his integral role in the JVs that the new TVS Group firms registered, the second half of the 70s was one of personal tragedy for him. While he worked with all the founding family members in the TVS Group, he was particularly attached to TS Krishna and TS Srinivasan.

On the day that he passed away, TS Krishna had called up HL to hand over all his confidential files for him to keep in safe custody “Suresh Krishna was on a temple trip to Tiruverkadu. I do not know what prompted him that morning but TS Krishna called me for a meeting and handed over his files and asked me to take care. A few hours later, much to my shock, he passed away.” 

Lakshmanan found it very challenging to overcome the loss. 

And then a few years later came the biggest tragedy in his life. The TVS moped was designed by TS Srinivasan and he was very bullish on its prospects. It was his brainchild. To check if it was good enough, he once, in the test phase, asked two heavy men weighing  to ride up the Chetput bridge. It had to pass that test, else we will not launch the vehicle, he had told HL.

Srinivasan’s death leaves a Permanent Scar
In 1979, he was to participate in the inauguration of the moped plant in Hosur. HL recalls the last two calls he had with TSS “He was all excited at the prospects and believed that the mopeds had a great future in India given its agrarian economy. And then 24 hours prior to the event, he called me to inform that he was unwell. His voice was down. He was saddened that he would not be able to make it to the event for it was it his pet project. Shortly after, he passed away.”
The early demise of TSS left a permanent scar in HL. After the many shocks he had encountered in his teenage years, Lakshmanan had made steady progress in the career and was leading a happy and contended life under the guidance of Srinivasan until his boss’s untimely death almost led him into another depression. He was so much in shock that he decided to leave the company and return to his native town of Shengottai “I had even looked for a house in Shengottai. I simply could not reconcile to the fact that the man who made my life was no more going to be there.” 

It was on Venu’s insistence that HL changed his mind and reversed his decision to quit the corporate world.   

Pillar and Strenght to Venu in the 1980s
Venu was 26 and had just returned to Madras after his Masters in the US. when his appa died. He was thrown into the deep end with huge responsibilities at a fairly young age. He recalls his professional engagement with HL in those early formative years in the 1980s “In the first decade and a half, Lakshmanan was my guide all the way in every big decision I took. He was the pillar and tower of strength for me in that initial phase of my corporate life. His guidance was available to me on all matters. He would prepare Charts and present comparative analysis. All the partners trusted him as much as I trusted him."  

Except direct operations on the ground, he was involved with every aspect of the company. He was involved in policy decisions, senior hires, industrial relations and most importanly wage negotiations with the Union.

The trust that even the JV partners had in HL is seen from the strange condition the JV partner’s Chief Clayton Dewandre laid soon after the passing away of Srinivasan “We would like to confirm that HL would not quit the company for the next few years.” 

The 1980s - His most significant contribution 
The late 1980s was marked by severe troubles on the labour front at TVS Motor. He counts the negotiations with the unions and solving multiple crisis situations as among his biggest achievements at SCL and TVS M.. His favourite engagement in later decades has been handling the issues on the labour front and looking after the welfare of the workers. Rght from the early years, he has always been closely attached to them.  

INTUC leader R Kuppusamy explained to this writer his engagement with Lakshmanan whom he has closely known for 43 years“He himself started from scratch and encountered a number of difficulties in his early phase in life. Despite rising to the very top of TVS, he has remained simplistic in his lifestyle. He understood the feelings of the workers. His words are always soft, his interest in the workers genuine, and he is one of the most compassionate persons I have seen.”
“Very early on, he realized that workers were an integral part for the growth of the company and ensured that their welfare is taken care of. During the challenging period of labour trouble, he slogged day and night for a smooth resolution to the dispute. His work in that phase was extraordinary."

"A highly devoted person, he had a lot of love for the workers. All these came to the fore when he negotiated with us (the TVS Union in the late 1980s). He has a razor sharp memory and came across to all of us as being genuinely concerned for our welfare and was keen to give them a fair deal for their contribution. His involvement in the resolution of the dispute was the turning point in that phase. Even in the most challenging of times, he did not flutter and remained cool. He had a long term vision and it was his role that helped break the political stranglehold (in the Union) that was emerging strongly in that phase. He was the architect of the solution framework that finally proved satisfactory to both the workers and the management."

A Great Mentor
Venu has seen him as a great mentor for generations in the TVS Group "He is one of the very few to have interacted with four generations of the TVS family starting from TVS Iyengar. He is widely respected across the family. After my father’s time, he played a mentoring role to me. It is he who mentored Sudarshan and Lakshmi. He is one of the most extraordinary people I have known in the TVS Group."

The Conscience Keeper 
Labour negotiations was a big deal in those decades. He was the man involved in settling those. Venu says that everyone in the company went to him when in crisis "He would prepare the charts, compile it together and present to my father. After my father’s demise, he played an important role as the ED (HL was appointed as the ED in 1983). I always saw him as the conscience keeper of the company. He has had the capacity and the  emotional quotient combined with IQ to deal with trickly and very complex issues, that he would simplify and offer as a solution. Everyone who dealt with him had complete and implicit trust in him. He was the man who solved all kinds of crisis from small internal difference of opinions within the company to large labour disputes. Often he was the one who would 'pour oil on troubled waters' including with JV partners. "
                         50 Years at TVS

"He was one man from that era who knew,inside out, the TVS culture and was a walking example of it. He inculcated those values into generation after generation."

As neutral as it gets
71 year old R.L. Ravichandran, who earlier last decade played a significant role in the revival of Royal Enfield,  worked for close to a decade at TVS Motors, his last role being as the Head of Sales and Marketing. Ravichandran recalls his first meeting at the Haddows Road office in the late 1980s  "At the time I met HL at Jayalakshmi Estates, TVS Suzuki was into the third month of lockout. He presented the true picture to me. He promised that while the then scenario was not rosy, his career at TVS Motors would be interesting and progressive. It would be a great place  to learn (Ravichandran had until then been in the Consumer Durables sector) and gain knowledge about the auto sector."

"I found him to be extremely passionate about the culture of the company. The TVS brand meant a lot to him and he was keen to initiate the traditional values into every new entrant. He played a huge mentoring role in that phase. While he had already been in the TVS Group for close to four decades at that time, I found him to be extremely neutral in his judgment and analysis. He advised me on my career and played the role of an elder statesman."
As he looks back three decades after his first interaction with HL, Ravichandran says that it gave him great comfort to see him as a neutral in the company. “I would go to him and open up on all issues. He would hear me out patiently and offer fair and reasonable solutions to every issue that I raised during that period.  It was HL who taught me to deal with people at all levels. Typically, one would expect someone at his level and with his decades of experience to be skewed in his views towards the management but he never was. He was unbiased and offered a neutral opinion every single time during my stint there.” 

"He was a father figure to me and the guardian of values and one of the strongest pillars of that group.”

Many years later, when Ravichandran looked for some help on superannuation benefits, it was HL once again who convinced Venu and secured the benefits within a month. 

A Great Learner
Former President and Company Secretary of TVS & Sons 85 year old Ganapathi Sarma attributes HL’s phenomenal rise to the top to his ability to learn “He was a great learner and used every opportunity that came his way to expand his knowledge into fields that were not directly connected with his work profile. He understood the accounting and legal processes and worked closely with HR and chalked out broad policy decisions. All through, he showed an inclination to constantly improve and develop his interests and thus became a multifarious personality in the group where over time everyone looked up to him for resolution in crisis situations.” 

Stays rooted to the ground
He says that for all success in the TVS Group, Lakshmanan remained rooted to the ground and maintained a low profile“When one grows to the top especially from a lower level, there is often a tendency to become arrogant. Lakshmanan has stayed grounded all through his career. Not once did he allow the power to get to his head and has forever remained a simple man. To this day, everyone who has engaged with him in life has the greatest respect for him both as a professional as well as a human being.”

Unassuming and Meticulous
TVS Schools' R Srinivasan has found HL to be an unassuming personality despite his rise to the top “When I joined TVS at the Service Station in South Veli Street (Madurai) in 1958, he had already been working there for a few years.  Even then way back in the late 1950s, he was a very hard working gentleman, fully committed to the organization and a very dependable assistant directly reporting to Sri TSS. An unassuming person, he was very meticulous in his work. I still remember his pleasant manners and soft approach towards all staff members.”

He also remembers the differentiated attire “He used to wear only white pant and white full hand bush shirt.”

Anchors CSR – Treatment for Leprosy
Lakshman's contribution was not restricted to corporate management alone. He was a highly devoted person and cared for the workers and the financially deprived section of the society and wa particularly keen on improving the health care of the downtrodden. When CSR initiatives were launched by Venu Srinivasan, one of the first set of activities undertaken was towards treatment for leprosy in Hosur. Ulaganathan Selvam, VP, Civil ( Temple Restoration), TVS Motor, who has been involved in Temple Restoration and CSR initiatives of Srinivasan Services Trust from the early stages recalls the role of Lakshmanan from the early 1980s “He anchored the CSR initiatives right from the beginning. Leprosy was very high in Hosur in the 1970s. When the moped plant was being planned, Srinivasan had told him to take care of the Leprosy cases. Lakshmanan’s role in CSR started right from there.”

“Much later, in the 1990s and 2000s, he anchored the implementation of primary health services at Erattai Tirupathi and educational initiatives at Thiru Kurungudi. He was an integral part of the restoration exercises in Nava Tirupathi and he made several trips to these remote temples to oversee the activities He was a guide not only on the Corporate Management front but also in CSR activities.” 



Like R Srinivasan of TVS Madurai, Lakshmanan too has been actively in the educational space over the last couple of decades overseeing the institutions run by Malini Srinivasan, the elder sister of Venu. He has been the Treasurer of the Educational Trust that runs multiple institutions in Karnataka and TN. 

The Hindu Traditions
Very few know his devotional endeavours. Venu says that not just the corporate expertise, his knowledge of The Hindu Kriyas too is extraordinary "He is a walking encyclopedia of the Hindu traditions and philosophy. Watching him at sacred events, one even gets a feeling that he knows more than the modern age Vaathiyar." 

For decades he has been a devotee of Lord Muruga and has observed day long fast on the day of Shasti every month, one that he continues to this day.

Modern and Traditional, Radical and Orthodox
Venu has found a very unique mix in him. He has had many interesting interactions that looking back provides great insights into the personality of Lakshmanan “When I propose what I think is a novel idea, he would refuse with a strong reasoning. And on other occasions when I  present to him what I felt was too radical and suggested that we should not do, he would give a go ahead and state that it was a very good idea. He was modern and traditional, radical and orthodox. We disagreed terribly on many occasions but he would defend it once we both agreed on a certain decision. He had great loyalty to the family and the larger group.” 

When he joined the vessels making firm in Tirunelveli as a minor boy in the late 1940s, with the financial situation in the family extremely precarious, his parents would have been happy for him to have a job on hand that would have helped him meet the bare monthly expenses. By the mid 1950s, they were in for a great surprise. Soon after his job at TVS was confirmed following his probation, he returned home, one fine morning, to Tirunelveli and asked his parents to ‘pack their bags’ to Madurai. It was an amazing gesture from a son for whom they could not even contribute to the college education. Not only was he a trusted man in the TVS Group, he proved to be a completely responsible son even in his early 20s and remained so all through their lives and took great care of them.

Back again after the Lockdown!!!
Both RS and HL were scoffed at as being a fool to quit a Government Job for TVS. But as seen in both the stories, at TVS it is possible to rise right to the top if you show the inclination to learn and give your best in everything you do, and of course have the patience. Like RS, who is currently recuperating from a serious surgery but continues to serve the TVS Schools in Madurai, HL too has had his share of surgeries but almost seven decades after his first interaction at TVS, he continues to play an active advisory role. He finds himself bonded to Venu Srinivasan and his group of institutions. This year (2021), following the removal of lockdown restrictions, he is back at the weekly review meetings much against the wishes of Venu “I asked him to stay at home and take care of his health. But his passion and commitment is such that he simply cannot detach himself from TVS and has now made it a habit to make it  physically to the office to review work with the management.” 

Always a man in whites, he rose from being a steno in a police office in Palayamkottai to the post of ED at Sundaram Clayton. At 88, he now looks fit as a fiddle, a result of clean habits all his life. When he resided in Baskarapuram off Warren Road in Mylapore, his daily routine included a hourly walk at Nageswara Rao Park, one that has been maintained by Sundaram Finance for close to two decades. For a man whose academic stint lasted just till SSLC, he has surprisingly been a voracious reader all his life and has a home library that comprises well over 300 books. He counts the learning under TSS as his life’s greatest blessing. “He gave me complete freedom, trusted me to the hilt and taught me every aspect of corporate management. I owe all my success to him.”

The FINAL WORD 
Venu Srinivasan, (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html) who has been associated with him right from the time he was six months old, summarises him best“Lakshmanan was my appa’s right hand for over 25years and then has been my right hand in the organisation for over four decades. He has been a very unique person in the TVS Group. His foundation was very strong. He had an enormous moral conviction, was self effacing and shunned publicity for himself at all times. One had to coerce him into sitting at the head table at company events. He would reach out to the lowest level of the workers and sincerely engage with them for hours. He was simple in his habits and lifestyle - an austere personality with no material desires." 
“From engaging with the family to all the corporate deals, his has been a glorious innings. An extraordinary man full of values, he has been there all the time whenever we have wanted him. Over the last many decades, he understood the TVS culture as well as anyone and is a walking example of the TVS way of life. In his case, thoughts, words and action were congruent. He was a great defender of the values of the company and would boldly point out at the very beginning if he foresaw that something was likely to go against the values.  He had a capacity to store a wealth of knowledge. To all complex issues that we encountered, he would simplify and offer solutions that would leave everyone stunned. He had the undiluted trust of all the people in the TVS Group.” 

He is an institution by himself and our Rock of Gibraltar. He remains one of the great personalities in TVS' history, next only to the founders.  

Thanjai Pureeswarar Vennartrankarai

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Ambal took the form of Kaali to kill Asuras who had secured boons of invincibility
Located opposite the Divya Desam of Veera Narasimha Perumal Thanjai Maa Mani Koil (Thanjai Maa Mani) is the Thanjai Pureeswarar temple in Vennartrankarai (Banks of Vennar) in the Northern outskirts of Thanjavur.

Three asuras, Thanjan, Thadakan and Thandakan had secured several boons from Lord Shiva and become almost invincible. Parasara rishi undertook penance at this place. Thanjan in light of the boon he had received harassed the Rishis. Thadagan had received the boon that if his blood spilt on the ground he would gain his life back. Answering the prayers of the rishi, Lord Shiva sent Ananada Valli Ambal to kill the asuras. She took the form of Pachai Kaali Amman to kill Thadagan. But every time his blood spilt on the ground he came back to life. Then she took the form of Pavala Kaali and killed him. As she took his life out after a crore deaths, she is referred to as Kodi Amman. She provided darshan along with Shiva. There is a separate temple of Kodi Amman half a kilometer south of this temple.

Thandakan was killed by Vishnu taking the form of Veera Narasimhar. 

Kubera who lost his wealth invoked the blessings of the Lord in several Saivite temples. This was one of them. It was on Aipasi Amavasya day that Kubera had darshan of Shiva. In memory of this, Kubera Yaagam takes place on that day.  There is a sculpture of Kubera inside the temple.

In 1889, a new mandapa was built at the entrance and Kumbabhisekam performed by the Marathas. For over a century, there had been no renovation at the temple until the current Prince Babaji Rajah Bhonsle (Thanjavur Prince) organised restoration of the temple in 2000. Currently, renovation work is on at the temple
10day Brahmotsavam is celebrated in Chitrai with Theerthavari on Pournami.
Every Friday there is an Oonjal for Ambal
On Amavasai day, there is an abhisekam for Kubera and anna dhanam for 500 people.

As is the trend in recent years, Pradosham has become a popular event with several hundreds of devotees being present on the evening.
The temple is open from 7am-12noon and 5pm-8pm. Contact Gnanasekar Gurukal @ 9600360499

Thanjai Maa Mani Koil is opposite this temple (Thanjai Divya Desam).

When here also visit, the historical Vashishteswarar temple in Karunthittakudi about a Km South East of this temple (Karunaswamy Koil)

KR Rajagopal Dashing Opener Brilliant Wicket Keeper 1960s

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After an extraordinary start to the domestic season in 1967 and considered a certainty for the Australia tour,  the man from ‘Kakkadasam’ was ‘DECLARED OUT’ twice in succession – first LBW after edging a glance on to his pad in the Duleep Trophy final and then even more shockingly as ‘medically unfit with a heart ailment’ just ahead of selection

Once swarmed by fans and teammates alike, the Octogenarian, who Jolly Rovers' N Sankar considered his all time favourite batsman, is seeing a vast deterioration in health and living a loner’s life in Banashankari
In the 1950s, as a school boy just into cricket, he did not have money to buy whites. His parents did not know he was into cricket till the day he was to make a trip to Madras from Bangalore. He batted in the 1960s in a way like no other and kept brilliantly to Prasanna and Chandrasekar for Mysore and to Venkataraghavan (Venkat@75) and VV Kumar for Madras. Crowds flocked in thousands to watch him bat, especially at Chepauk and Marina. While he was not a man of numbers, he, in the form of his life, scored over 800runs in first class cricket in a season and was on the verge of being on the plane to Australia in 1967 until much to his shock he was ‘certified’ as having a heart ailment and termed ‘medically unfit’ to last five days of a test match. It was that ‘heartless’ certificate that broke his ‘cricketing heart’ and he was never the same cricketer again. Here is the story of the Octogenarian who forever will remain a fan’s darling cricketer.

Humble beginnings - To a Govt School 
KR Rajagopal (Raja to his friends in the cricketing circle) did the early part of his schooling in a remote Government school. His father, KV Ramanujachar, who hailed from Kakkadasam, a village near Hosur, was an accountant at the AG’s office. Cricket was nowhere on the family radar. When he moved into Bangalore High School, he quietly took to cricket and joined the team as an opening batsman and wicket keeper. He was academically good and secured high marks that left his parents (his mother- Komalamma- was from Chengalpet) blissfully unaware of his cricketing pursuits. The next decade and a half was to be a glorious period in his cricketing life that he cherishes to this day as he reminisces with this writer at his home in ITI colony, Banashankari his hey days in cricket and the shocking treatment meted out to him.

Blows away opposition as a teenager 
As a teenager, he played two knocks that were early indication of the extraordinary batting ability. Rajagopal blasted almost a century before lunch that stunned his team mates as well as the opposition. It was against a visiting team from Madras whose bowling attack included Murugesh, considered a top bowler of the time. When the puny boy was back in the dressing room for the luncheon break, his captain and legendary fast bowler G Kasturi Rangan asked him if he knew the greatness of the opposition bowlers. The young boy’s answer was simple“I do not know their background and do not want to know. I played as I received and struck the ball as I saw it.”

The captain and his teammates were dumbfounded with his sharp response but that was to be his style of play all through the next decade. In both, batting as well as keeping and much later his captaincy, he was instinctive but it was driven by a great understanding of his own abilities and what he was capable of. The opposition names simply did not matter to him.

Rajagopal is hardly able to move freely these days and bears no resemblance to what he was even a couple of years ago but his memory is still able to recollect the practice during his school and intermediate days in the 1950s "I started to play cricket in 1952 and used to practice near Madhavan Park and at the Vokkaliga Sanga Ground near South End Circle."

One of a Kind Opening Bat
Former Ranji Cricketer 85year old R Chandrasekaran (RC SBI) was part of the strong all India SBI outfit in the 1960s and took over a 100 wickets in a season as an offspinner. He recalls a match when Bangalore boy Rajagopal took them by storm “I took the BRC team to Bangalore and met Raja for the first time as a collegiate cricketer. He scored a brilliant century against us. You did not see teenagers from that generation play that kind of a knock. As an opener, the trend was to defend and see off the new ball. But he was different and a one of a kind of a cricketer even then in the 1950s. His stroke play was scintillating and we did not know what hit us that day. Having seen him then, it was no surprise to me that he emerged the kind of opener he did in the 60s.”
Big Double Hundreds in College
By the end of the decade, he had made a fair progress both in academics as well as in cricket. He joined the NIE (National Institute of Engineering), Mysore for the Electrical Engineering course. While he did well in academics backed by a set of high quality professors who saw his potential in cricket and took good care of him, the phase was marked by top notch performances on the cricket field that saw him catapult into the next level. He captained a rather un-fancied college team with no big names to victories in inter collegiate tournaments. His two double hundreds made the entire cricketing fraternity in Karnataka look up and take notice. On the back of his collegiate performances, he also made it the Varsity team along with EAS Prasanna.

In the first division league in Bangalore, he played for ‘Bangalore Cricketers’ under the captaincy of  Kasturi Rangan. The star studded team that included players such as S Natarajan, N Sadhashivam ( who Rajagopal counts as amongst his closest friends) and fast bowler HT Baskar Rao, won almost all the trophies for many years in the late 1950s and 60s with Rajagopal being a star performer for them. Financial challenges remained throughout his childhood and he never had the money to spend on a cricket kit be it a batting or a keeping glove. His team mates of the time remember him wearing the same whites for many matches and entering the ground in canvas shoes. For the matches during his Engineering years, he boarded the unreserved compartment in the train from Mysore to reach Bangalore and returned in an unreserved coach thus spending minimal amount of money.

The early Ranji years – Back to back centuries
He was not yet 21 and still at NIE when he made his Ranji debut for Mysore with a knock of 76 against Hyderabad. But it was his century against Hyderabad at Fateh Maidan a couple of years later that had even the opposition gasping for breath. He matched Subramanyam stroke for stroke in his first century for Mysore. Within the next fortnight, he had scored another Ranji hundred. 

Century on Debut with one hand, for ITI 
Soon after becoming an Engineer, he was roped in by Indian Telephone Industries, Bangalore in 1963. Given the financial scenario in the family, this first job was a big development in his life and was particularly pleasing to his parents.
Handsome looking Rajagopal with his ITI captain Frank

In over ten years of cricket in Karnataka starting from his high school days, he had the least protection as a keeper and would often keep and bat with fractured fingers. He recalls one such match soon after joining ITI “Batting the earlier week, I had fractured my left hand and it was completely in a plaster. It was the week I joined ITI and was to be my debut match. It was a prestigious one for it was against the highly fancied SBI. My captain Frank was disappointed that I would not be able to play. When I saw the disappointment writ large on his face, I surprised him and nodded my presence at the match. He could not believe and thought I was a fool to play with a broken hand. But I was serious. I opened the innings, scored a century with one hand and we won the match.”

It was not a one off incident. His career was replete with tales of him playing with fractured fingers and scoring blistering centuries and pulling off brilliant catches or stumping behind the wicket.

In the late 1950s and early 60s, he kept up to the stumps to G Kasturi Rangan with torn gloves “Once Subbu asked me to go to the hospital after a serious finger injury. I asked him to help put the gloves back in my hands and continued, and scored a century with a fractured finger. Cricket always came first and till the time I played, I gave my life for the team.”

Keeping to Magician Chandra
While he showed glimpses of his stroke play every now and then for Mysore, it was his keeping to the two greats (Prasanna and Chandra) that was the highlight of those early Ranji years. He recalls the moments of keeping to Chandrasekar“I was blessed to keep to ‘magician’ Chandra. Alongside VV Kumar, keeping to Chandra was the ‘most challenging’ in my career. The ball would bounce on to your face and turn either way or not turn at all. He was everything. You would go nuts trying to understand him.”
With Mysore team mate Erapalli Prasanna

An Extraordinary Human Being
Talking to this writer from Bangalore, legendary off spinner Erapalli Prasanna has the highest words of praise for Rajagopal “I knew Raja from the time he was a school boy in Bangalore. We both played together for several years at School, College, University and for the State. He was not only a great batsman and wicket keeper, I found him to be an extra ordinary human being as well.”

Bids goodbye to Mysore with a scintillating knock
Just a few months before his move to Madras, he bid goodbye to Mysore with an unforgettable knock. His scintillating 97 in the Ranji Semi Final against Rajasthan probably left the Bangalore fans wanting more of Rajagopal. 

The move to Madras
In 1966, India Cements made a big cricketing move that was to transform the way cricket was played in Madras. S Rangarajan of The Hindu had run the team for a year. And then VA Parthasarathy approached KS Narayanan (KSN) and asked if would be interested to run Jolly Rovers. Once he took the call, he decided that it would be the best and roped in cricketers from different states. Rajagopal was in a secure job when this offer came from India Cements in the summer of 1966. It was not a done thing in those days to quit a Government job but both the finances (his salary was doubled) and the prospects of greater exposure with a number of tournaments in Madras led him to accept the offer from India Cements. At the time it was still untested waters but he took a calculated decision to shift to another state, one that was not taken to politely by the fans of Mysore as he was to find later when he returned to the city. 

The moment he landed in Madras, he became an instant hit and very soon attained star status in the city. While he took great delight in keeping to Prasanna and Chandrasekar, it was Jolly Rovers and Madras where he really garnered a huge following. Fans flocked in large numbers to watch him bat.

Thiruvallikeni crowd
Having played from the 1950s at Marina, he considers playing on the beach side ground as his most favourite in cricket “The people of Thiruvallikeni were highly knowledgeable. They would swarm the ground on the morning of the match. The gallery next to the pavilion would be packed and there would be a buzz with several hundreds of them standing on the beach side. It was an extraordinary experience playing in front of them as they cheered every shot. Owners, KSN and N Sankar too would be in the pavilion closely watching every move of ours. The expectation was very high and you took great pleasure in rising up to the occasion. We played several high profile matches there including the most (in)famous one when we were jeered off the field.”

80 year old Najam Hussain (Najam@80), who played alongside him for almost 15years right from his teenage years first for Mysore Juniors, then Ranji cricket for Mysore and finally for Madras and Jolly Rovers, recalls his captain Raja’s sharp cricketing brain from that Buchi Babu semi final in Marina “When the dominating Polly Umrigar was batting, he brought KS Vaidhyanathan into short leg and the very next ball the leg cutter that I bowled was promptly pushed by Polly into Vaidhy’s hands. It was an amazing piece of captaincy, one that swung the fortunes of the match.”
                                
Of course, the crowd at Marina were keen to see ACC in the final and Rajagopal operating B Kalyanasundaram and Najam Hussain and slowing things down in the rain affected match did not go down well with them and they booed the players off the field as the match ended in a draw with ACC tantalizing short of the target (the next morning Rajagopal won the 'spin of the coin' at Chepauk and Jolly Rovers was through to the final).

Rajagopal remembers the simplicity of the father and son, and their ‘fanatic’ interest in promoting cricket and cricketers in Madras “As you know, Marina had a very small pavilion. Unmindful of that, both KSN and Sankar sat there next to the players and motivated us through the match. The top management presence was a big boost to us and we wanted to give it our best in front of them. When the crowd almost chased us in anger and began pelting stones, the two of them organised cars for all the players and ensured that each one of us were dropped home. It was just an amazing gesture. They were totally thrilled when we won the final beating a strong State Bank side.”
The Electrical Engineer’s commitment to work
While he thrilled fans on the field with his dashing stroke play, he was totally committed to his employer and worked alongside S Venkataraghavan at the Nandambakkam Foundry of India Cements in his first year in Madras. Cricket was his first love and passion but giving his best at the work place was never compromised all through his career. Once, completely unmindful of an important Ranji match the next morning, he worked through the night. When KS Narayanan came at around 8.30am, he found Rajagopal still working “Immediately he directed my release and organised a car for me to Chepauk to be in time for the toss” recalls Rajagopal of that morning.

For long, K Baradwaj, who worked in India Cements for 37 years from 1966, played host to Rajagopal at his home on TTK (Mowbrays) road.  He was a top order batsman for Vivekananda College and Madras University in the late 1950s and early 60s and has remained one of Rajagopal's closest friends over the last sixty years. Baradwaj used to accompany Rajagopal for many of the matches both in Madras as well as outside and knew him inside out. 
Sitting at his home in Koramangala, the 78 year old told this writer on Raja's exploits in that phase “Raja was staying far off in Nandambakkam closer to the foundry. On many occasions, he would come home on the night before the match, have a quick wash and breakfast in the morning before leaving for the ground. Chepauk, Marina or Vivekananda was lot closer to my place and he found it comfortable to leave from here.”

Absent minded but merciless on the bowlers
Baradwaj says that Raja batted in a period when protective equipments were of poor quality “A strike on your fingers would result in a fracture. The pads were heavy and would turn direction as you ran a quick single or two. The buckle in the strap would often poke your ankle as you ran. The bats were oiled and ‘seasoned’ but it had no power. When one played the drive, one often felt a shock in the hand.” 

“Raja cared for no protection and was absent minded in these aspects. He had a carefree attitude and was an unassuming fellow. On most occasions, he would close his eyes and pick a bat from the kit and end up with a century. He played on canvas shoes!!!! He was a puny fellow and one wondered how he could play such shots. He used the bat almost like a magic wand. Raja was all timing and technique. While he was a great gentleman off the field, he was merciless on the bowlers on the field.”

“Many a time, his legs would be swollen after he took a blow from a fastish ball. Once he played a swashbuckling knock and came back after two hours to realize that he had not worn the abdomen guard that day!!! Bowlers or grounds did not matter to him. In a match at Vivekananda College, where the outfield was thick with grass, he had the IOB fielders chasing the ball all over the park as  he unleashed his scorching drives.”

A ‘Spring in his steps’
The youngest of the famous ‘Singh’ Trio, AG Satwender Singh was at the other end during many of Rajagopal’s sparkling knocks and a few times at the receiving end (as seen below)!! He recalls Dabbar’s (that is how a few of the teammates used to jokingly call him) presence at the wicket “While he was not pre determined and played the ball on its merit, there was certainly a ‘spring in his steps’.  He was waiting for the ball to be released so he could spank it to the fence.  While he was a gentleman off the field, he would not spare anyone while we were fielding. If someone was not up to the mark, he would be the first one to express his displeasure. He was very passionate about the game and a complete team man.”
The Famous 'Singh' Trio
Sumptuous Lunch
Satwender remembers a special habit of Rajagopal during the lunch break “While most of us preferred to eat light, he was different. He often surprised us during the luncheons. He would eat big, get back to the crease and smash the bowlers all around the park.” 

The CEO Fan hands him a free Royal Enfield Bike
‘Ayya’ SR Subramanian (son of Sundaram Iyer) of Royal Enfield had become a big fan of Rajagopal after having watched him bat in 1966. When he heard that this Ranji cricketer was taking a bus from Nandambakkam to Chepauk and returning by bus after the nets every evening, he called him over and told him that he should focus on his cricket and not be taking the strenuous journey by bus every day “He handed me the keys of a Royal Enfield bike, almost free, and asked me to go to the ground on the bike. I was simply stunned at this remarkable gesture”. Rajagopal found it a great honour for 'Ayya' to personally meet him and hand this over to him.

It is another matter that he struggled to ride the bike. Baradwaj recalls the 'light weighted' Raja mishandling the heavy bike “Initially he found it difficult to ride the bike. It was too heavy for him. It was a challenge to even pull up the center stand. Most of the days, he would park at my house with the side stand. Over time, he got used to it and began to enjoy those rides on the Royal Enfield bike.”

1967 - (Un)Forgettable Year in Cricket
After a sedate first season for Madras, he began his second in the August of 1967 in a manner that had not been seen hitherto of a TN opener. He started off with back to back centuries against Kerala and Hyderabad.  He considers the match against Hyderabad at Chepauk in the first week of September as one of his best, for multiple reasons. He came straight off the Nandambakkam foundry to score a century on the first day of the match and that gave him great satisfaction, for KSN had personally directed his release and organised a car for him to be at Chepauk just in time for the start of the match. But what made this match even more memorable for Rajagopal was his blistering display in the second innings "We required 65 to win and were battling against time.  We lost a couple of wickets, but I went after the chase and secured an unlikely win in just over 10overs with an unbeaten 41."

Those were not days when you heard of teams chasing a target at six runs an over but Rajagopal’s display in that last innings chase showed that he was no normal cricketer and way ahead of his time.

Even MAK Pataudi was shell shocked
Baradwaj who was present at the match recounts Raja often jumping out to Govindraj and driving him through a packed offside field “Through that innings, one saw MAK Pataudi clapping after every stroke that went past him in the covers. Those moments are ever green and still fresh in my eyes.”  

Booed by the Bangalore Crowd
In the next match, he returned to the Central College Ground in Bangalore for the first time after his move to Madras. His experience until then had been of him being a favourite with the crowd. For the first time in his life, he found them going against him and was shocked with the treatment meted out to him by the crowd that clearly expressed their displeasure at his move to Madras. Baradwaj travelled to this match as well specifically to watch Raja bat “It was almost like a test match setting with big stars on both sides. The crowd of 5000 plus was partisan. Even as he entered the ground, they booed him. Everyone there was making a big hue and cry about him having left Mysore for Madras. Much to their delight he was out for a duck in the first innings. And then they booed him all the way back to the pavilion. I was right up there. He was totally annoyed with their attitude and broke a few cool drink bottles in the dressing room.”

Madras had been bowled out cheaply and conceded a big first innings lead. Mysore declared its second innings setting Madras a 260 plus target that in those days was rarely chased and definitely not against Prasanna and Chandrasekar. Ofcourse, he had just effected a terrific chase in the previous match but that was a smallish target.

Tearing apart Chandra and Pras
Baradwaj recalls the events of the last day “You would not give any team in India a chance with that kind of a chase on the final day against Chandra and Pras on their home turf. But Raja came back with a vengeance. He was hurting inside for he had grown up there and given everything for Mysore for over a decade from his school days. He tore everyone apart including Chandrasekar and Prasanna in a blistering knock of 78 that silenced the crowd.”

Satwender Singh was the one who saw off the run chase with an unbeaten 72 in a match winning partnership with Najam Hussain. He recalls that innings of Rajagopal on the final day“It was Raja who started off the chase by setting the right tempo and provided us the impetus with a flurry of pulls and drives against YB Patel, Chandra and Pras.”

Around the country to watch ‘Raja’ play
When Rajagopal moved to Madras in 1966, he set the city grounds ablaze with his dashing stroke play. 1967 was a special year as he was in the form of his life. It was the year when N Sankar returned to Madras from the US and his presence at the ground had a big positive impact on Rajagopal. He was at his explosive best that season as he tore apart every single bowling attack that came his way. He began with two Ranji Trophy centuries and followed it up with a match winning fourth innings knock against Mysore against two top bowlers. Picked in the South Zone team for the Duleep Trophy, he struck two half centuries against Central Zone.  He was also included in the Rest of India team for the Irani Trophy match. 

The Octogenarian recalls Sankar’s trip to Bangalore and Bombay “It is unlikely one would have heard of a corporate chief travelling 400kms to watch his club cricketer play a domestic match and then another 2000kms to motivate him in another match, staying the full length of the multi day match in both instances. He was so passionate about the game and saw his club players as one from his own family. Every time we performed, we saw his eyes light up in delight and that spurred us to perform even better. For him to come and watch me play in Bangalore and Bombay was simply unthinkable. His presence was great inspiration for me and I wanted to showcase myself in front of him to make his trips worthwhile.”

‘DECLARED OUT’ TWICE
In the Duleep Trophy final that was supposed to be a big match for him against West Zone, he encountered a shock that he remembers distinctly 53 years later with a lot of sadness, on the way the game was played in India at that time and the West - South divide. 

He recounts to this writer the dreadful period that paradoxically coincided with his best ever phase in cricket “I was batting for South Zone against West Zone and up against the fast bowling stars in Ramakant Desai and Surti. In just the second over, when I edged a leg glance to a ball from Surti that was going down leg, much to my shock the umpire lifted his finger. When the same umpired officiated in Calcutta later, he came up to me on his own and apologized.”

‘It was all planted. I could not do anything’ Rajagopal remembers the Umpire telling him.

In the first week of November, he came up again against Ramakant Desai and played another top knock for ROI against Bombay in the Irani Trophy match scoring 49 with N Sankar watching from the stands.

Certified ‘Medically Unfit’
He had been a top run getter in that first phase of the domestic season and these knocks earned him an entry into the pre selection camp (for the Australia tour) at Khadakwasla (Pune). Everyone was impressed with his stroke play. He was considered a certainty for the Aussie tour.

“Players from Bombay did not allow those from Madras to flourish pointing to the cases of AG Milkha Singh and AG Kripal Singh. We had to fight against all odds. Everything was stacked against cricketers from Madras. After having scored all those runs in the domestic circuit and having done well at the camp in Pune, they found an innovative way to throw me out. They got the doctors to certify me as ‘medically unfit’ with a heart ailment. And here I am still alive 53 years later doing things all on my own.”

Just under three decades later, Rajesh Kannan, a former YMCA (TSR) team mate of this writer underwent similar experience in Tamil Nadu. He too was DECLARED medically unfit when he was on the verge of selection for TN to accommodate another player. If he had known India’s cricketing history, he would have taken comfort from the fact that he was not the first one to be declared medically unfit by the selectors when he was hale and healthy. 25 years later, that medical certification continues to hurt this now BCCI umpire (Rajesh Kannan).
 
Baradwaj remembers that month ahead of the Aussie tour “In that camp, he hooked Umesh Kulkarni for a six off the first ball. In those days, openers were supposed to take the shine of the new ball. But Raja took the leather off the ball. After they watched him bat in the camp, they were very impressed with what they saw. Everyone knew he was a certainty for the tour. And then the unthinkable happened.”

“He was very upset and felt insulted. There was the North/West and South (Madras) divide.  Every effort was made to keep ‘Madrasis’ away.”

Baradwaj recalls a personal conversation AG Kripal Singh had with in the 1960s “In a match where he was unbeaten on 95 at tea, he overheard a conversation between Umrigar and Vijay Manjrekar in Marathi where the former asked the latter to run his partner out soon after tea. Kripal knew multiple languages and he was shocked at what transpired during the tea interval.”

Najam too was with his childhood teammate through that troubling period“It is a pity he did not play for India. He would have loved the bouncy wickets in Australia and it would have suited his back foot play. The person who was taken in his place (Prince Inderjith Singhji!!) was a shadow of Raja.”
Raja in a non keeper's role for Madras - takes a catch 

In Prime Form and Pink of Health
“I used to prevail upon PK Belliappa to allow Raja to keep for Madras that would have further boosted his chances of India selection. Not only was he in prime form, he was also in the pink of health. He was simply toying with the best of bowlers that season. He was as fit as it gets. He was a talent waiting to be tapped and raring to go that year. Any side would have been lucky to have him. He performed extraordinarily with both the big gloves and the small. India missed out on one great cricketer.”

TNCA did not back him 
SBI’s off spinner R Chandrasekar, who has been running league teams in Madras and a former Treasurer of the TNCA, forged a long term friendship with Rajagopal that has now lasted over six decades. From the 1980s, he has written several official letters to the BCCI pointing to the wrongs in Indian Cricket. He says there was lot more to it than meets the eye in Raja’s case “He has been a fine gentleman all through this life and rarely complained. He should have toured Australia with the Indian team, but the TNCA did not back him for reasons known to everyone at that time!!”

With Sankar on the day of the announcement
Sankar (Sanmar N Sankar)  recalls the exact words of Rajagopal from that day “When the announcement came, he was shell shocked. He had performed in three different tournaments and he was almost unstoppable that year. He was so down that he simply said to himself ‘Po Da, neeyum cricket um’. He almost packed off the cricket kit that day.”
Best Century
The politics of cricket killed Raja’s heart. But he was not done with yet, that season. A month after being omitted from the Indian squad, he scored what he calls as one of his best centuries. In the Quarter Final in January 1968, when he should probably have been batting for India at Brisbane, he made a 2nd innings century (after a half century in the first innings) against MP at Chepauk that Satwendar remembers distinctly “He was still batting when I went into bat at No. 6. We were in trouble in the 2nd innings having lost four early wickets. We put on a century stand and helped Madras recover. He went on to make 154, one of the best innings that I have seen. His batting was always a delight to watch, more so that day. Fast or slow, inswing or outswing, off spin or leg spin – nothing mattered to him. He simply did not care who the bowler was. He was in prime form that season and almost unstoppable.” 
                      Hooking Tony Grieg

A month later playing for Madras CM’s XI against an International XI, he played a famous hook off Tony Grieg, a photograph of which he cherishes to this day. He showed glimpses of his stroke play that day against Geoff Arnold and Grieg in his knock of 35 and how he may have belonged in that top bracket. In 1969, towards the end of his first class career, he played another scintillating knock for MCC President’s XI against Ceylon in Trichy. He continued to play Ranji cricket and sizzled once in a while.

Cricketer of the Year – Too little Too late
In 1967-68, he won the best cricketer of the year award but that was too little too late. He remembers his name on the player's board at Chepauk. The year saw both the high and low for Rajagopal “If I had made the tour to Australia, my cricketing life would have taken a different turn. Once I was not picked on such a flimsy ground, much against the truth, I decided to focus on my job. Sankar was the big inspiration. He was there in the stands every match that year and made trips exclusively for me. As I took guard at the crease and watched him in the stands, I was greatly motivated and took pleasure in playing my strokes freely in front of him. He wanted me to continue and try again. I had worked really hard that year but after all the performances in that early part of the season, I felt merit had taken a back seat and it was unlikely things would change anytime soon.”

Even in the most challenging of moments in life, Rajagopal looks back at his life and proudly says that he never asked for a favour from anyone. 

My Guiding light behind the stumps
Legendary leg spinner VV Kumar (VV Kumar) credits Rajagopal with guiding him in important moments “I found him to be a gifted batsman with a strong back foot play. After he came to Madras and with the huge exposure he got here, he developed his game to a great extent. I have not seen a wicket keeper like him. His leg side gathering was a visual treat. He made keeping look so easy. It may be difficult for anyone to believe now but he would anticipate and go to short leg to pick up catches. Not only was he a brilliant glove man, he also studied the wicket and the batsman’s movements. There were many occasions when he assessed the batsman’s footwork and gave sharp insights that helped me pick wickets. I was lot more confident in my bowling when Raja kept wickets. He was my guide when I bowled.”
Another Madras Cricketer gets the Selector’s Snub
“In that phase, in the late 1960s, he was as good as any opener in India. As we were all together at the start of that season in September and October of 1967 moving from one city to another, we all felt he was an automatic choice for the Australia tour on the back of his big scores and the form he was in at that time. He was simply milking the bowling. But like with so many Madras cricketers before (and after) him, he too was snubbed by the selectors. His ‘wicket keeper’ replacement for that tour was nowhere as talented or performing as Raja. The Selectors’ choice of leaving Raja out was laughable. It had a big bearing on him and he was never the same again after that. It just dented his confidence.”

Hat Trick man Kalyanasundaram (Kalli) echoes VV Kumar’s sentiment “I have not seen a better wicket keeper bat than Raja.” 

A decade and a half later, middle order south paw R Madhavan (Madhavan@60) faced the same treatment. Almost similar to Rajagopal, Madhavan scored runs aplenty and century after century in 1984 that also included one against David Gower’s England. And he too like Rajagopal was never the same again after not being picked.

‘Stumps’ the bowler and the batsman
While he was a stroke filled opening batsman who put the opposition new ball bowlers to sword soon after play was called, as a keeper he did things on the field that stumped not just the opposition batsman but also his own teammates and the bowler. Kalyanasundaram recalls one such instance “As I turned back at the top of my bowling mark, I found him standing up to the stumps. No fast bowler likes a keeper standing up and I asked him to go back. But typical of him he stood his ground and said ‘Nee podu daa’. And the very next ball, as the ball passed the batsman, he removed the bails in a flash to send the batsman on his way. He assessed every batsman and acted accordingly. He was a highly thinking cricketer and had a pulse of both the batsman and the bowler.”
Baradwaj says that people talk about MS Dhoni and his innovative way of keeping. Raja did that over 60 years ago. To balls down the leg, he would catch with his left hand and to those pitched outside off, he would hold with the right hand. The quality of the gloves was poor in those days. By the end of the day, he would have bruised fingers and palms but he did not drop a catch or miss a stumping. 

Wicket Keeping Genius
The above incident relating to Kalli is fresh in Baradwaj’s memory “When former Madras University player R Ravichandran was stumped off Kalli by Raja standing up to the stumps, the batsman was flabbergasted and almost refused to leave the pitch. He simply could not believe that a keeper could effect a stumping of Kalli who was really quick in those years. Sometimes he almost looked like a clown in the way he took calls behind the stumps but he was astonishingly brilliant.”

“People came in large groups just to watch him bat. And they would cheer every shot of his.  He was a batting genius. You had to see him to believe what a genius he was with a bat in hand.  And he was a wicket keeping master class and a genius at work with the bigger gloves as well.”

That was not the only occasion he surprised the bowler and the batsman. Satwendar Singh recounts his own dismissal in a match against Jolly Rovers at Chepauk “After I got through the swing of KS Kannan, I faced up to George Thomas. He was really quick but there was Raja standing up to the stumps. Obviously, he had spotted my tendency to lift my back leg. As the fast in-swinger went down the leg, he removed the bails in a fraction of a section and I was on my way. He was outstanding especially down the leg.”

While he counts keeping to BS Chandrasekar and VV Kumar as his most challenging, Rajagopal says he also has fond memories of standing up to great fast bowlers such as G Kasturi Rangan, Mysore and B Kalyanasundaram, Madras.

The Captaincy Years
After he retired from Ranji Cricket, he continued to play for Jolly Rovers for a few years in the 1970s by when he had moved from the Foundry in Madras to the Plant in Tirunelveli. Kalli considers him as one of the best captains he played under “In a match, I had already bowled 10overs at a stretch and went up to Raja and asked if I could take a break. Pat came his reply in his typical chirpy way “Am I the captain or you? I know when to take you off. The ball is still thudding into my gloves and my palms are paining. You are still generating pace and continue to ball.”
       
Can we take a Nellikkai, Please?
59 year old S Dhandayuthapani, currently a GM at NBFC Sundaram Finance Ltd, spent his entire childhood at Sankar Nagar, residing a few hundred yards away from Rajagopal’s independent house there. His father worked at the Sankar Nagar plant for several decades. He remembers those years from the early 1970s “Rajagopal had a huge garden in his house and the tall Nellikkai tree was distinctive. As young school boys, we would often ask for Nellikkai. Just as he was in cricket, he was courteous and friendly to all of us and we would take the Nellikkai in bunches. He showed no glimpses of the star status he had attained by then with his cricketing success.”
Tirunelveli’s Darling - A People’s man
While he was a soft spoken person off the field, Dhandayuthapani remembers his fireworks on the ground “On the field, he was the one cricketer all of us in Tirunelveli went to watch. On the days he batted, it seemed that almost the entire Tirunelveli was at the ground. He provided the fireworks and rarely disappointed the fans. He seemed to have a certain aura and when he came to bat, it seemed that everyone became cheerful. He brought positive energy in the minds of the people of Tirunelveli leaving one to wonder if this was really possible of a cricketer. He was the Srikkanth of the late 1960s and early 70s and had a huge fan following there. He was a people’s man.”

Najam says that Rajagopal remained a simplistic fellow “Despite the star status he had gained through his delightful stroke play and brilliant keeping, he had no airs about himself. He was such a simple fellow that even as a Ranji Cricketer he would wrap his shoes in a paper and take it to the ground.”
                          
Tirunelveli to the Middle East
After a decade and a half at India Cements, he sought permission from KSN and N Sankar to go to Kuwait as the HOD Maintenance with the Kuwait Electrical Board- Power Station from where he had received an irresistible offer “KSN gave me a blanket offer to join them back anytime I wanted. That was the generosity shown by KSN and Sankar. They really cared for the cricketers.”

Similar to his cricketing days, he went through highs and lows in the Middle East and in 1990 had to return to India empty handed following the outbreak of the Iran – Iraq war. He came back to Muscat where he worked as a Chief Maintenance Engineer at the Power Station for three years. And he hung his professional boots as well, just as early as he had his cricketing canvas shoes. He retired at the age of 53 and has been in Bangalore for over 25 years now.

Health Deteriorates after his wife's demise
Just five years ago, he was at his youthful best engaging cheerfully with his former teammates at the golden jubilee celebrations of Jolly Rovers including having a  chat with N Sankar. Even as recently as a couple of years ago, he was at an IPL match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Unfortunately, his health has dipped since. He is currently going through one of the most challenging times of his life. His wife had been a pillar of strength over the previous five decades. Following the death of his wife a year and half ago, his health has deteriorated rapidly. The medical expenses far exceed the pension he receives from the BCCI. It is not finances though that is a worry. At the peak of his cricketing powers, he was swarmed by his teammates and the fans. He was a personal favourite of KSN and NS. He had people all around him all the time. But now he is living a life of a loner fighting the health issues in a determined way all by himself at his home in ITI colony in Banashankari taking the tablets at the prescribed time, cooking the vastly ‘restricted’ food that he is allowed to have and living in the memories of the golden decade of his cricketing life.
 He talks to his two US settled daughters, Roopa and Deepa, every other day using the modern technology. His teammates from the 1960s too continue to reach out to him. Najam calls him at least once a fortnight while Satwendar meets him every time he is in Bangalore. Baradwaj lives on the other side of the city and is hopeful of meeting him once the Corona scare is out of the way. N Sankar who reached out to him when he went ‘out of sight’ (Rajagopal almost lost his eye sight in that phase) during his Middle East stint in the 1980s, too has reached out to his all time favourite batsman in recent years recalling the good old times. 
Several hours into the conversation with this writer, Rajagopal, aged 81, is tired. It is time for him to cook his lunch. But before that he has to take the tablets. He has so many restrictions that he says no external cook is ready to modify their model of cooking. As he slowly walks into the kitchen to take the tablet, he says that his abiding memory of cricket is that he played for the love of the game and gave delight to KSN and N Sankar, his teammates and thousands of fans in Madras and Tirunelveli “If people remember me today as a cricketer from that golden era, the entire credit goes to KSN and NS. KSN would often call me to his room and enquire about my well being. He wanted to make sure that I was taken care of well. It was an out of the world feeling for any young cricketer to be treated so by the Chief of the Company.” 

Those are the fond memories that Rajagopal continues to live with each day of his life as he rolls the tablet into his mouth and bids goodbye to this writer as he makes his way into the kitchen again to cook his meal for the day.

Maruvur Vedic Ramesh

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From Thillaisthanam - All through the Rishabha Vahanam night in Mylapore
“என் பாதையில் ஆயிரம் தடுமாற்றம் வரலாம் - ஆனால் என் பயணம் தடம் மாறாது”
It is 3.30am on Wednesday (March 24) morning and the large Vedic Group that has been reciting Rig, Yajur and Saama Vedams at the Rishabha Vahanam street procession of the Kapaleeswarar Panguni Brahmotsavam stop half way into the South Mada Street and are asked by the leader of the pack to make their way into the Valleeswarar Temple for a short break. The Group calls this middle aged person to join them but he refuses instead preferring to walk all alone along the Pancha Murthy procession into the West Mada street (RK Mutt Road). He talks to no one over the next three and a half hours staying in peace with Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal. 

Maravur V Ramesh has come all the way from Thillaisthanam, Thiruvayaru (Thillaisthanam Neiyarappar) to be part of the Vedic Chanting on the Rishabha Vahanam night in Mylapore.

In the 1980s and early 90s, Ramesh learnt the Vedas at the Patshalas in Thiruvayaru, Thiruvanaikaval and Musuri. He has been a firm believer in a traditional way of life right from his childhood, thoughts initiated into him by his Vedic teachers early on in life. He does not eat ‘outside’ food. He also drinks only well water!!! These aspects have not gone down well in life with the World at Large and prospective brides have forever rejected him. At 46, he remains a bachelor.
With an elderly mother at home, he has spent the entire period of the Pandemic back in Thillaisthanam agraharam managing with Vedic Chanting at homams and temple consecrations whenever opportunities have come his way. 

He lives life his own way in the way he believes one should as his Whatsapp display indicates “என் பாதையில் ஆயிரம் தடுமாற்றம் வரலாம் -ஆனால் என் பயணம் தடம் மாறாது”

He is hoping that more Vedic opportunities will come his way once the Corona scare is out. For the moment, soon after the Yajur Vedam presentation at the Kapali Brahmotsavam, he is headed to Kanchipuram where he expects to spend a few days before returning to Thillaisthanam.

Chokkanatha Swamy Domlur

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The Oldest Perumal temple in Bangalore dates back to the rule of Raja Raja Chozha
Referred to as 'Chokka Perumal', the Saligrama Idol was installed at a high location with Sun's rays directly falling on the Lord in Feb-March and Sept-Oct

A Vedic Patshala near the temple regularly rolls out students in Agamas and historical stotras
In the infrastructural changes of the last 50 years, the oldest Chozha period Perumal temple in Bangalore has gone into obscurity into a small lane off the old Airport road. Historically, most of the Perumal temples in Karnataka have been along the banks of the Cauvery as seen from the temples in and around Srirangapatna (Srirangapatna), Talakadu (Talakkadu), Satyagala Madhya Rangam (Satyagala) and the like. However, this one in Bangalore was a rare exception built during the Chozha period on the Eastern outskirts.

As per inscriptions dating back to the rule of Raja Raja Chozha, this temple was located in ‘Tommaluru’ (now Domlur) belonging to Desa Manikka Pattinam of Yelahanka region. The main Saligrama deity was referred to as ‘Chokka’ Perumal. During the rule of Raja Raja Chozha, the rights of the temple land and right to perform consecration ceremony and archaka service was handed to Allala Nambiyar and his descendants. Lands were also donated for the maintenance of the temple. The sanctum and the artha mandapam seem to belong to the period of the Chozhas. Subsequently during the rule of the Hoysalas, donations were made for the conduct of the festivals. The exteriors of the temple bear endorsement of the style of the Vijayanagara rulers.
Moolavar at a high location facing East
Saptha Rishis performed penance at this location. Pleased with their prayers, Lord Vishnu directed them to install a deity of his at a high location facing East in a way to receive Cosmic Energy. A photo dating back to 1947 indicates the historical structure of the temple prior to the consecration of the 1980s after the restoration. The temple now bears no resemblance to the historical exteriors as seen just under 75years ago.
                      Historical Temple Structure in 1947

Sun’s rays on Chokka Perumal
Sun’s rays fall on the Lord in end of February – early March for 10 days and once again end of September early October for 10 days.
             Temple Structure after the Consecration in the 1980s

10 spots within the temple complex have been marked for Cosmic Energy, the only such temple in Bangalore. This has become so popular that devotees from far away Bidar and Gulbarga regularly visit this temple and stay here for Cosmic Energy. 

A Cellar
There was a cellar till recently where jewels of the Lord were kept in safe custody. This has been closed now but one can still find its location just outside the sanctum. 

Renovation in the 1970s/80s
In the mid 1970s, the devotees came together to renovate the temple and rebuilt the temple in the form and structure that we see today. Vinayaka and Hanuman Sannidhis have been recent additions. Abhisekam takes place for Vinayakar on Monday and Tuesday and Thirumanjanam for Hanuman on Tuesday and Saturday.  Every morning there is a homam at the temple between 630am and 730am.

Round the year Utsavams
Sundara Kandam Parayanam takes places at the temple during Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Navarathri. There is a special alankaram on each day of the Navarathri Utsavam with a street procession on Vijayadasami. Kalyana Utsavam too has become a regular feature at this temple of late and devotees have come to believe this as a Prarthana Sthalam where Chokka Perumal fulfills their wishes. 
As is the case with temples in Tamil Nadu, the Saturdays have become grand celebrations in Puratasi ( Kannada Shravanam month).  Every Saturday, following the Thirumanjanam, there is annadhanam for around 400 people. Every morning in margazhi, around 30 devotees present Thiruppavai at this temple at 5.30am. There is also a 78 day parayanam by Domlur Trustees – Lalitha Sahasranamam and Vishnu Sahasranamam. On the day following Rama Navami as well as on the fourth Saturday of Puratasi (Kannada Shravanam Month), Chokka Perumal along with Sri and Bhoo Devi Thayar provide darshan around the streets of Domlur on a Pallakku.  

Every February, a dance programme is organised inside the temple complex by the Karnataka Government Endowment at Heritage temples programme.

A Vedic Patshala
Balaji Bhattar, the current priest at the temple, is from a Vedic Patshala that is located two kilometers from this temple. Around 40students including from Hassan and Mandya are being initiated into agamas and stotras there. 


R Keshavachar is the hereditary archaka of the temple.

The temple is open from 6am-11am and 6pm-830pm. Contact: Balaji Bhattar @ 97414 54291

JR Madanagopal International one dayer Fourth Umpire

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Madanagopal makes international debut as Fourth Umpire in Ind v Eng One dayers, Set to get into IPL (on-field) this year

He is rated as one of the best umpires in India, will be part of the IPL Onfield Panel this year and am confident that he will do well - KS Viswanathan, CEO, CSK and former Hony Secretary, TNCA
It has been long due. 15 years after his BCCI debut as an umpire, former South Zone middle order batsman and now a top BCCI Umpire JR Madanagopal has finally made it to the international scene. He made his debut as a fourth umpire yesterday at the second one day international match between India and England in Pune. He will be a reserve umpire for the third and deciding one dayer to be played tomorrow (Sunday) at the same ground.

Two decades ago, Madanagopal was among the top run getters in domestic One Day Cricket. Following his retirement from cricket, he moved into umpiring a decade and a half ago. He made rapid strides in Umpiring in the initial years with an IPL call within the first two years of the launch of the IPL. However, he did not get the deserved chances over the last decade. He has recently once again broken into the BCCI Top 20 Umpires Panel. Exactly a year ago, he was to make it once again into the IPL as a fourth umpire but the national lockdown and the moving of the IPL into Dubai meant that only limited number of officials went into the bio bubble last year.

This call for the international matches just ahead of the IPL augurs well for him. 

Since the time he wrote the BCCI examination in 2006, KN Ananthapadmanabhan and Madanagopal, where they secured identical marks, have officiated together in many important matches. In 2016-17, the two of them officiated together in the Ranji Semi Final, a first for Madan. Ananthapadmanabhan (KN Anantha) had told this writer in 2016 that he and Madan were constantly engaged in intellectual discussions on umpiring over the last many years and they continue to do that to this day. Interestingly, once again, when Madan is making his entry as the fourth umpire in an international match, Ananthapadmanabhan is near side him ( as onfield / 3rd umpire).
Madan to be on field Umpire in IPL 
Nine Years ago, in 2012, KS Viswanathan, now CEO of CSK, had told this writer from Calcutta that Madanagopal was the best (first class) player turned umpire he had seen after the legendary S Venkataraghavan/ in the previous 15years. He told this writer today that Madanagopal will be part of the on field panel in the IPL this year “He is rated as one of the best umpires in India. Being a first class cricketer of repute, I am very confident that he will do very well in umpiring.”

Ravana Kapaleeswarar Panguni Procession

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The peaceful Sunday night when the Ten Headed Lankan King Ravana carried Kapaleeswarar around the Mada Streets in Mylapore to the tunes of a sole ‘Mukha Veena’ 
A large part of the street processions over the first nine days of the Kapaleeswarar Panguni Brahmotsavam had been to the loud drum beats as well as the musical accompaniments of the Nagaswaram and Tavil. The last procession of the Utsavam on Sunday night was different in more ways than one. 

While the temple complex was packed during the Thiru Kalyana Utsavam at the specially decorated mandapam at the eastern entrance with not an inch for any devotee to enter or exit, the hours after provided for a very different experience. There was a quiet calm around the Mada Streets late into the night. A majority of the devotee crowd that witnessed the Thiru Kalyanam had dispersed. The vendors on the streets who made big business on this big day of the Utsavam were seen with happy faces even as they were winding up.  Almost all the shops around the Mada Streets had shut down. 
Thiru Kailaya Darshan
It was against this backdrop that Kapaleeswarar provided Gopura Vaasal darshan at 10.30pm on Sunday night. There were no loud beating of the drums that was symbolic of the street processions at this festival. With Ravana carrying Kapaleeswarar, his favourite instrument ‘Veena’ was played out as the only musical instrument of the procession with two artistes alternating around the four streets. It was easily one of the most peaceful processions of the Utsavam with select devotees enjoying the devotional rendering on the ‘Mukha Veena’. It almost seemed that they were stunned at watching the Great Lankan King Ravana carrying Sri Kapaleeswarar in a majestic procession around the four Mada Streets.

Legend has it that Nandi stopped Ravana from flying over Kailasa as it was the sole abode of Shiva and Parvathi. When Ravana tried to lift Mount Kailasa, Lord Shiva placed his big toe on him and he lay crushed under the mountain. An ever ardent devotee of Shiva, Ravana sang verses in praise of the Lord. Pleased with his prayers, Shiva and Parvathi are said to have provided darshan to him. 
This procession is considered a particularly sacred one for following the celestial wedding at the specially decorated Thiru Kalyana Mandapam, Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal are believed to provide a ‘Thiru Kailaya’ darshan.

Traditional Kolams and the Aarathi Thattu
The residents on the four Mada Streets are of course awake as they have been on all the nights of the procession. Even as Kapaleeswarar was to enter the South Mada Street, the entire street was decked with Pulli Kolams, another devotional feature of this Utsavam with young school going kids competing with one and another to welcome the Lord into their homes with their favourite Kolam of the night. The elders await,with the Aarathi Thattu and a coconut, the arrival of their favourite Lord. At the West end of the South Mada Street, with the full moon shining at its brightest and slowly inching her way on to the West, one priest hands over charge to another to manage the second half of the procession. 
After a two and a half hour procession, Kapaleeswarar entered the Gopura Vaasal sharp at 1am and shortly after the curtains were brought down on the Panguni Brahmotsavam with Venkatasubramanain Shivachariar performing the sacred ritual. 
A number of devotees had been disappointed with the 'inside' temple- shortened version of the 2020 Brahmotsavam that took place in the first week of this month. But this one over the last ten days, coming as it has after two years, has turned out to be a mega event that has provided great devotional energy to several thousands of devotees, who turned out in large numbers unmindful of the Corona scare to seek the blessings of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal. 

Sundarar mediates between Karpagambal Kapaleeswarar

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After a 2 1/2 hour Pallakku procession, a 'Big Fight' erupts between Karpagambal and Kapaleeswarar
Sundara Moorthy Nayanar mediates and brings them together again
The episode from Thiru Oodal Puranam was played out a day after the flag was brought down at the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore
                                  Othuvar Vageesan

It all seemed fine with the grand Thiru Kalyanam on the tenth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at the Kapaleeswarar temple and Ravana Vahana procession led by Mukha Veena presentation on Sunday night (Ravana Kapaleeswarar panguni). 24 hours later as it so often happens with couples, Karpagambal made a strong protest to Kapaleeswarar holding the Ganga (a lady) secretly atop his head.

Collection day for the Sripatham
The day after the curtains come down on the Brahmotsavam is the one when,  during the Pancha Moorthy procession, the Sripatham make their collections for their 10day services. And it turned out to be a really long drawn one. While the procession on a simple pallakku started at 7.30pm on Monday evening, the return to the Chariot side did not take place till it struck 10pm. And when they did make it back, all of a sudden Karpagambal shot past Kapaleeswarar into the 16 Pillar Mandapam while he stayed back in shock near the Chariot at this sudden hasty retreat from his consort. 
                                Sundarar

Enactment of Thiru Oodal
Kapaleeswarar pulled in his friend and one of the four famous Saint Poets, Sundara Moorthy Nayanar (Thiru Vennai Nallur Sundarar), to check the reason for Ambal’s anger and to bring her back. For the next half hour or so, this historical episode was played out between the 16 Pillar Mandapam and the Chariot side with Sundarar going back and forth between Ambal and the Swami playing a conciliatory role.  Ambal reasoned that she had borne with patience many things in the past but this one of him having Ganga secretly in the head was unpardonable.  
Late on Monday evening, Othuvar Vageesan anchored the enactment reading out Ambal’s message to Kapaleeswarar and his defense to Ambal that he had tanned waiting in the hot sun. Finally Swami asks Sundarar to play out the Saama Vedam before Ambal to cool her down reasoning out that even Ravana did so after he was crushed under Mount Kailasa by his big toe.After three rounds, Ambal finally relented and made her way to the Chariot side to take her place beside Kapaleeswarar much to the delight of the small bunch of devotees who came specifically to watch the enactment of this episode. 

Head Priest E Venkatasubramanian Shivachariar said that many couples have come together after having darshan of the enactment of this episode at the Kapaleeswarar temple.

Shortly after 10.30pm, the Pancha Moorthy idols made their way into the temple.

At the Vaishnavite Divya Desam in Srirangam, a similar episode is played out in front of the Ranganayaki Thayar Sannidhi on the morning of Panguni Uthiram with Araiyars playing the mediatory role (Panguni Uthiram Debate).


Vilvam ‘Anna’ Vasudevan Kapaleeswarar Temple

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The ‘Silent’ Man breathes the Thevaram Verses every minute of his life and believes there is a solution in these verses to every problem in life
He took to 'Silence' for a full year to cure a devotee's child
Has there ever been an Acharya who has initiated disciples into the sacred verses for over a decade without speaking a single word!!!
                     Vilvam Anna @ Kasi

He is back this month at the Kapaleeswarar temple after a long trip to Kasi. The long beard that was symbolic of him in 2020 is gone and ‘surprisingly’ so has his presence inside the Kapaleeswarar Sannidhi. On the evening of the Arubhathumoovar Utsavam last week, this writer received a call at 9.50pm from Lakshmanan, the acting JC of the Kapaleeswarar temple with a query that you do not normally associate with the EOs of HR & CE temples “who is that glowing face on your whats app display.” When this writer informed him that he is the man who has spent the last two decades right inside that temple complex, he responded with delight “I have been (an EO) at almost all the major temples in TN and have interacted with most of the Mutt heads but have never seen anyone with the ‘தேஜஸ்’ of this man.” The JC was the most recent of the callers who have made similar remarks about this man. Top cricketers in the city and some of the leading Vaishnavite Priests at TN temples have seen a ‘spark’ in that man. However, despite their keen interest to meet him, not one has taken time out to meet the man.There may have also been any number of likes and positive comments about him on the social media during his long trip to Kasi end of 2020 and in January this year, when he broke his silene after a decade. It is one thing to post likes, quite another to recite Pathikams inside the temple without the use of mobile phones and talking to one another. 

Back in Madras, he has returned once again to his ‘Silent’ mode but this writer managed to catch the 60 year old Vilvam ‘Anna’ Vasudevan on one (emergency) ‘non Mounam’ day this month at the Kapaleeswarar temple. He is not in the least surprised to hear this (those who saw a rare spark not meeting him). With his first response, he provides total clarity on his outlook to life “You cannot 'convince' people. You cannot change any of them, unless they decide to on their own. If you thought I was so influential, you would be hearing a wave of Thevaram verses around me. How many years have I been reciting the verses and how many people do you now see with me. Unless Kapaleeswarar showers his blessings, no one would reach out.”

It is past 9.30pm and time to leave as the lights go off around the temple complex. As he walks back home along the Ponnambala Vathiyar Street, he says that it is the one day he has spoken this month as there was an emergency call from an overseas country (and that there seems to be some reason that Kapaleeswarar has brought the two together on this one off ‘talking’ day). 

100s of Pages of hand written 'Dharmic' notes
Vilvam ‘Anna’ Vasudevan goes into the traditional looking house and comes back with a large spiral bound book that he hands to this writer. It contains several hundred pages of hand written notes on Dharmic way of life and an understanding of life from the Ramayana and the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets that provide insights into how he has mastered the subject.

Between 2000 and 06, he along with four others visited 200 Thevaram temples where they recited the sacred verses including ones relating to that temple and Pancha Puranam. He had earlier given up his corporate job which he says was 'to take care of his amma', now aged 96, and to dedicate the rest of his life to spreading the greatness of sacred verses. During the big utsavam at the Kapaleeswarar temple, the Chidambaram temple and a few other historical temples, he completes one Parayanam during the period of the utsavam.

He rubbishes any reference to him leading a ‘Saintly life’ or being a messenger of God. But his long time student 34 year old Thaniga Raja says Vilvam Anna breathes the sacred verses every moment of his life and lives by example uniquely, in ‘Silence’.

Solving the financial Challenges
Raja was just 15 years old in 2002 and dressed in shorts when his appa brought him to the Kapaleeswarar temple. He recounts his first meeting with Vilvam Anna “We were in debt and in serious financial difficulty. When Vilvam Anna passed by, it struck him that we were facing some challenges. He called my appa to enquire and handed to him a small book comprising of verses from the Panniru Thirumurai.”

“He asked us to recite with devotional sincerity and sent us back from the temple that day with a belief that our problems will be solved. I really did not understand its importance then.” 

Relief from Jaundice
The family’s problems were indeed solved. A couple of years later, when Raja was struck with Jaundice, at 19, it was Vilvam Anna again who came to the rescue of the family with a devotional ‘Thevaram’ solution “He asked me to recite the ‘Avvanaikku Ivvanai’ verse and I was cured.”

He showcased to us that the Thevaram verses of the Saint Poets had a solution to every problem we encounter in life and that we need to look nowhere else.

Turning Point in his life
In 2008, Raja's appa approached Vilvam ‘Anna’ Vasudevan to initiate his son into the Thevaram verses. In those years, he was on a ‘Silent’ mode thrice a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday and on Pradhosham days. Raja was asked to start off with four lines from Manickavachakar's ‘Thiru Chadagam’ (Thiruvasagam) - Thiruvathavur. He craves for perfection and makes no compromises in life. He is particular on the correct ‘Uchcharippu’ and would not clear the verse otherwise. When he fumbled in the recital, he was asked to leave the then Nallappan street home of Vilvam Anna “I was almost in tears. It was just four lines in Tamizh. He rejected me and I was completely dejected.”

Raja came home and spent several hours not just learning those four lines but an additional 16 lines. He went back to Vilvam Anna and recited those 20 lines with such confidence that ‘he hugged me by the shoulder in front of Kapali. There was a delight in his eyes that I put in the effort and came out trumps.’

It was the turning point of his life and Raja became a full time student of Vilvam Anna Vasudevan.

A Big Moment at Avudayar Koil
A year later, there was a group that was to go from Mylapore to Thiru Perunthurai, Avudayar Koil but fate decided that Raja would go alone with Vilvam Vasudevan for Thiruvasagam Mutrothal in February 2009. His rendering of Thiruvasagam was so beautiful that a Shivan Adiyar at Avudayar Koil funded a recording and distributed several thousands of CDs to devotees. Raja shows to this writer a hand written note in his personal diary recording 21st February 2009 as one of the biggest days in his life. He dedicates that entirely to the selfless contribution of Vilvam Anna Vasudevan.

Recite the Sacred Verses, Feel no Hunger 
In his Thirumozhi, Vaishnavite Saint Poet Periyazhvar says that all his life he has never starved for food even for a day. Even on days when he did not have food, he never felt hungry for he served as a true devotee of the Lord. If a day arises, when he is not able to chant sacred name of the Lord, then that will be the day of ‘Real Starvation’ for him. 

Raja recounts a similar experience of his years as a college student “On the off days in my college years, I would go to his house at 9am and start reciting the verses. As I sat beside him and began rendering the verses, hours ticked by but my mind was so devotionally attached that hunger never struck me. On most days, it was well past 1pm/2pm when Vilvam Anna would personally feed me with his hands. And then I would sit for another three hours with reciting the sacred verses. I realized when the mind is on God reciting these verses, time just flies and one does not feel the hunger.”

Vilvam Anna Vasudevan has stuck to a menu of ‘salt-less’ curd rice once a day. One has to eat to satisfy the hunger and not for the taste. He has followed that message from the scriptures over the last dozen years ‘The taste buds have gone long back’, he says. 

52 year old S Sasikumar, a businessman, is the other long time ‘student’ of Vilvam Anna Vasudevan. He recalls his experience at the Kapaleeswarar temple well over 15years ago “Like most devotees, I would come and chat around at the temple. While we did go into the Sannidhi to invoking the blessings of Swami and Ambal, a good part of our time at the temple was spent talking with people. He spotted me and handed me a book and asked me to read. And I was completely transformed and became his student.”
Sasikumar has been learning and reciting the sacred verses every evening at the Swami Sannidhi during the Artha Jaama Period for well over a decade. In the first couple of years of his initiation, Vilvam Anna spoke on select days in a wekk “In those early years, he provided great insights into different Thevaram temples, the relevance of the Naalvar’s verses at these temples and the contributions made by the 63 Nayanmars and how we could learn from them and implement those messages in our daily lives.” 

Silence for one full year to cure a Child!!!
Once over a decade ago, when there was a serious health issue for a Kapaleeswarar devotee’s child, he took to ‘Silence’ for a full year invoking the blessings of the Lord through non-stop recital of the Thevaram verses. The child was cured!!!! And he decided this as a way of his life to relentlessly present the sacred verses.

When devotees encountered Navagraha related issues and he could see the problem in their eyes, he would pick up select verses and hand it to them to recite “There have been several cases when we have seen with our own eyes as to how he has helped solve issues through the verses of the Saint Poets” says Sasikumar.

He recounts the respect the entire Thevaram temples fraternity have for him when he visited the Chidambaram temple‘When I told them that I am a disciple of Vilvam Anna, the way they addressed me suddenly changed and the respect for me increased manifold!!!’

Not many are able to observe silence and still make a contribution to life. Vilvam ‘Anna’ Vasudevan is an exception. He has observed silence for over a decade and yet has earned the respect of the world as can be seen from the devotees addressing him at the Kapaleeswarar temple each day of the year. The Head Priest of the temple E Venkatasubramanian (Jayakanthan) Shivachariar (Jayakanthan Kapali) told this writer that even the HR &CE officials have high regard for him. He expressed surprise that Vilvam Vasudevan was sitting in front of the Vayilar Nayanar Sannidhi and was keen to get his recital back at the Swami or Ambal Sannidhi for there is a positive vibration when the sacred verses are presented by such holy men inside the Sannidhi.

When he spots a devotee facing a challenge, he immediately provides a ‘Thevaram’ Solution. He breathes these verses day and night and believes within himself that the sacred songs of the Saivite Saint Poets contains a solution to every problem that one encounters and that one can find an inner peace through its recital.

There is a spark in his eyes when he tells this writer that a 10 year old boy has just joined him this month to recite the Shiva Puranam along with him. There is another boy who is being initiated into Vishnu Sahasranamam.

For Raja, who is now learning the verses of Sundara Moorthy Nayanar (Vennai Nallur), it has been 13 long years since he was first initiated by Vilvam Anna Vasudevan. He asks if there has ever been an acharya in this world who has initiated a student for that long a period without speaking a single word and without taking a single rupee or non financial items as Sambhavanai. 
Vilvam Anna Vasudevan's mind is always on the Saint Poets and breathes the Thevaram Verses every minute of his life. Doing Parayanam continuously - Panniru Thirumurai, Vedas, Ramayanam, Bhagavatham and the Puranas- at the Kapaleeswarar temple, he says is his way of life. He is ever willing to initiate anyone into the Thevaram Verses and available seven days a week at the Kapaleeswarar Temple. If Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal bless, there will hopefully be several more disciples this decade who will learn and spread the messages from the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets to the World at Large. 

Truly an exceptional 'Silent'' Personality.

Someshwara Temple Halasuru Bengaluru

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Exquisite Stone Sculptures of Narasimha, Garuda and Mandavya Rishi inside the Temple
In the Mandavya Maha Kshetram is the centuries old Someshwara Temple in Halasuru, Bengaluru, one built by Magadi Kempa Gowda in its current form and structure and housed in a huge temple complex. There are 48 pillars in the Mukha Mandapam that is abound with exquisite sculptures including of Narasimha, Garuda and Shiva. Mandavya Rishi undertook penance and performed pooja here. In memory of this, there is an idol of the Rishi found inside the temple. Inside the prakara are idols of 63 Nayanmars.
There is a Raja Gopuram at the Eastern entrance with separate Vimanams and Sannidhi for Someshwar and Kamakshi Ambal. 

10 day Brahmotsavam is celebrated in a grand way with Chariot Procession on Chitrai Pournami. Pradhosham has become a big devotional event in recent years.
Renovation activity is currently going on at the temple. 

There are two senior archakas anchoring the poojas – Shanumuga and Sundara Ramanathar Deekshithars.77 year old Parthasarathy fro Kanchipuram has been performing service for 45 years and now takes care of the Hanuman Sannidhi.

The temple is open from 6am-12.30pm and  5.30pm-9pm. Contact: 9448024793

How to reach
Someshwara Temple is 100 yards from the Halasuru Metro station and a few minutes from the Halasuru Bus stand. 

When here, also visit Domlur Chokkanatha Swamy Temple - 2kms from here (Chokka Perumal Domlur)

Tamil Scholar TN Ramachandran passes away

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The man who was the first to translate nearly 4300 stanzas of Periya Puranam, Thiruvachakam and Thirumurais into English is no more. Not a day passed without him reciting the sacred verses of the Saint Poets
'Thanjavur has lost a Jewel. He was one of the greatest Tamil Scholars' - K Ramnarayanan, former Revenue Officer and close friend of TNR

"Be sincere to yourself. Have no pretention. Do not go after fame or name and don't fall for it. Our need for humility is infinite" - TNR's final message to the World at Large
Erudite Scholar and proponent of Saiva Siddhantha, Octogenarian Sekkizhar-Adi-p-Podi Dr.Thillaisthanam Natarajan Ramachandran passed away last evening at 7.45pm. He was 87. He had been unwell for a while. Till the very end he moved around with a small note, pen and a dictionary in his hand.

He was an erudite scholar of Saiva Siddhanta and a great lover of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. He translated Vinayakar Naan Mani Malai, Kuyil Paattu, Kannan Paattu and Panchali Sapatham of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. His monograph on the bibliography of Saiva Siddhanta works is indispensable for any researcher of Saivism.  

He conducted weekly classes in Periya Puranam and Saiva Siddhanta and participated in several conferences at national and international levels. He was the Honorary Director of International Institute of Saiva Siddhanta, Dharmapuram. He started the Saint Sekkizhar School of Saiva Siddhanta, a trust for publishing rare and research works and was a member of the Committee for the revision of the University of Madras Tamil Lexicon. 

This writer met him for a long chat at his house in Sriram Nagar, Alwarpet in January 2020 ahead of the story on the consecration of the Big Temple, Thanjavur. For almost three hours, this writer listened to his strong views on various topics.

His father ran a transport company in Thanjavur while his grand father had been a clerk under the famous advocate Naganathaswamy. They had bought a house in Thillaisthanam (Thillaisthanam Neiyarappar). Every Sunday the young boy, still not into his teens would be taken to The Big Temple in Thanjavur to be initiated the importance of temples and the contribution of the Saint Poets to the society.

A Mammooth Victory as an apprentice
He recounted his early days as a lawyer "I was only 10 days old in the court and was a junior. Being an apprentice, I was not to 'open my mouth' in the court. However, my boss gave me the opportunity to talk and I won the case against G Ramaswamy." Following that victory, he instantly became famous and a name to reckon with. When he became closed to Vaishnavite Parthasarathy, he began to learn the commentaries of Periya Vaachan Pillai. 

His excitement was palpable and almost childlike when the conversation moved that evening to the sacred verses of the Saint Poets. His devotional spirit rose high when he was posed a query on any of the sacred verses, for he had spent sleepless nights with his thoughts centered on getting the right contextual meaning as was intended by the Saint Poets when they wrote the verses over 1000 years ago. 

Lets go lucrative opportunity in Madras returns to Thanjavur
Popularly known as TNR, he had his early education at Srinivasa Rao High School, Tiruvaiyaru and graduated in Commerce at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He later attended the Madras Law College, where he completed Bachelor’s Degree in Law. He returned to Thanjavur in 1956 at the age of 22 after completing his graduation (BL) and had been there ever since till poor health forced him to move to Madras to be with his sons. He recounted that there were 60 lawayers in Thanjavur at that time in the late 1950s and it was a challenge to take them on and succeed. But he did. 

He told this writer in January 2020 that though he could have continued to practice in Madras and pursued a lucrative practice in the city, his mind was focused on promoting the literatures of Tamil and English with hiis prime interest in the works of Sekkizhar and Saiva Siddhanta. He was a disciple of renowned poet Tiruloka Sitaram. 
Right from his school days in Thiruvayaru in the 1940s, Ramachandran developed special interest in the Thevaram verses and Saivite Siddhantha Sastras and for years listened to the Periya Puranam lectures of the revered (Principal) Gopala Iyer (his brother Srinivasan was TNR's classmate) of Thiruvayaru "His lectures were truly outstanding and I was completely immersed in those. It was that inspiration that led to my deep involvement in the sacred verses later on in life. We formed a 'sacred group' during our school days and recited the Thevaram verses every single day."

Perseverance in everything you do
During the summer vacation, Ramachandran spent over six hours every day at Gopala Iyer's house in Thiruvayaru listening to his talks "Perseverance was important. I allocated time for these. Memorising was also important to remember these verses. My acharya would spot even a small mistake in the recital. That was the reason for us to aspire for perfection in everything we did."

TNR recounted there being a weekly Mandagapadi in Thillaisthanam and prasadam being distributed to all the villagers "it was events such as these that made me devotional and spiritual from a very early stage in life."

He continued his early initiation into the Thevaram verses right through his college days and then during his period as a lawyer. Not a day passed without him reading the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets. 

In his life time, TNR translated most of the Thevaram verses in English. For a large part, he spent his own money to publish books for the welfare of the society so people could read and understand the contribution of the great Saint Poets. As he was a perfectionist and one who believed in perseverance, he never rushed to publish. He engaged in long years of meticulous planning and painstaking search for materials. 

Dark Days – 75 years ago
He went to the Big Temple quite frequently through the 1940s making the trip across the Cauvery from Thiruvayaru. Ramachandran’s eyes lit up when asked of the Big Temple from those years as a school boy "The temple now bears no resemblance to what it was 75 years ago. Almost all of us stood for a while at the eastern gopuram as a nice breeze struck us every time one made his way into the temple. It was a special experience. There were no electric lights in those days and the Sannidhis were illuminated by Ghee lamps. For such a huge temple complex, the darkness was scary and no one entered the temple after sunset fearing dangerous reptiles that moved around inside the temple complex.”

Contented Gurukals
He delightfully recalled the contented mindset of the Gurukals of the Big Temple in the 1960s and 70s “Despite the low salary, the Gurukals of the Big Temple were a totally contented and devoted lot. They saw it as a great blessing to be able to perform daily pooja at such a historic temple and dutifully undertook this service. At any point of time, the financial challenges did not swerve them away from the service to the Lord.”

Big Temple Trustees - Ones with a big heart
He told this writer that the Trustees of the Big Temple were ones with a big heart. They were sincere and committed to the temple. They brought the Society together. It is considered sacred to have darshan of the Lord during 48 Pradoshams. TNR did not miss a single pradosham for several decades and was present at the Big Temple between 4.30pm and 7.30pm on the Pradosham evenings and became closely associated with the temples and the devotees during such festive times. 

He remembers the financial challenges at the temple in those decades "Othuvars were present in large numbers at the Periya Koil but the payment was poor. When they moved away, the priests sang the Thevaram verses." 

'The festivals integrated us. It transcended beyond religion. The Yadavas presented prasadam in Thiruvayaru and the Shivachariars took that prasadam.'

Pravachanams – A regular feature inside the Periya Koil
Ramachandran told this writer that Pravachanams by renowned scholars was a regular feature inside the Periya Koil in those decades

Thanjavur Prince Babaji Rajah Bhonsle, who was a classmate of TR Mahesh (one of TNR’s sons)  recalls TNR presenting several spiritual lectures week on week through the 1960s and 70s at the Big Temple “He presented lectures on Saiva Siddhantha for decades and there would always be a big crowd listening to his talks at the big temple.” 

Sacred Verses - A Gold Mine
As years went by, devotees from across Thanjavur and around came specifically to hear his talks on Saiva Siddhantha Sastras and the significance of the Thevaram Verses and went back with devotional messages for life. He realized early on that the sacred verses were a gold mine as it taught one the way to live life and spent a lot of time to understand the nuances and intricate meanings of the sacred verses of the Saint Poets. This was particularly helpful in answering incisive questions from the audience at the end of these sessions. Every Shivachariar in that region came and listened to his spiritual talks.

Alankarams during the Navarathri Festival
Ramachandran recalled the Navarathri Festival at the Ambal Sannidhi of the Periya Koil as being one of the big occasions in the year “Sivachariars of the time were alankaram specialists. Aesthetic sense was very high in those decades and the Sivachariars were perfectionists. Each day of the Navarathri Utsavam, they would drape Ambal in a special alankaram and devotees flocked in large numbers from Thanjavur and all the nearby villages to take a look at the ‘Alankaram of the Day’. The entire discussion among the devotees that evening centered around the alankaram.

The 1980 Kumbabhisekam – A turning Point
Ramachandran saw the Kumbabhisekam in 1980 and the decade that followed as a turning point for the temple “It had been a long time coming and everyone eagerly waited for this big event. The Kumbabhisekam brought the society together. Subsequently, the revival of the festivals in its historical grandeur integrated people from different communities. It was a turning point for the temple. Crowds increased manifold after that Kumbabhisekam.”

During the entire Kumbabhisekam celebrations, TNR presented, to a big audience, lectures on Saiva Siddhantha Sastras at the Big Temple in 1980.

He was particularly happy that the Gurukals were now paid very well by the Palace under the regime of Babaji Rajah Bhonsle, quite a turnaround from the dark days, 50 years ago.

Thanjavur has lost a Jewel
89 year old K Ramanarayanan who worked in the Revenue department in Thanjavur for several decades was a neighbour and a very close friend of Ramachandran. 
Ramnarayanan, who lost his wife in February this year, is shocked to hear the news of Ramachandran’s death ‘Thanjavur has lost a jewel. He was one of the greatest Tamil Scholars.’

Gopal Iyer, Principal of Thiruvayaru College was a big influence on him and the reason for the development of his interest in Tamil Literature. After Gopal Iyer’s initiation, he was all about Sekkizhar and became a huge fan. It was Ramachandran who brought Sekkizhar to the fore through his Kambaraja padi. Kodaivasal Balasubramanian was his creation.”

His love for Sekkizhar was so much that he had prefixed the title “Sekkizhar Adi-p-Podi” to his name. 

“He was a very simple man and would often be seen breezing on the swing at his house in Thanjavur. He was a multi faceted personality”

Awards galore but not enough
In 1982, TN Government honoured him with Bharati Centenary Celebrations Award recognizing his translations of Bharathi’s works. A year later, the Govt presented him with the Best Translator award. The TN Government annointed him with the Mahakavi Bharatiyar award in 2010. In 2001, he was presented the Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The Mutts too recognized his contributions to the literary world. Dharmapuram Aadheenam crowned him with  ‘Saiva Siddhanta Kalanithi’ award while Kanchi Sankara Mutt presented a Gold Medal in 2004. That same year, Thiru Vavaduthurai Mutt presented him with the “Siddhanta Saiva Semmani” award.

But Ramnarayanan believes that the Government or the Mutts did not recognize him enough for his several decades of unmatched service to the literary world “I have lost a good friend. He did not get his due recognition but he was unmindful of that and continued to articulate his views. He did not work to get awards. His contribution to Tamil literature is significant and unmatched."

A Lawyer by profession, he would often participate in the ‘English literature’ talk at the SPCA club near the Big Temple. He was one of the members of Siddhar Mutt, Thanjavur.

An unnamed CEO says that he was blessed to read his transliterated books, a fortune left by him for future generations that may miss reading scriptures in Tamil. 

He was my inspiration for the Chidambaram Temple recovery- Son TR Ramesh
Temple activist and President of the Temple Worshippers Society TR Ramesh (Temple Activisit TR Ramesh) credits his father’s motivation as the reason for him to fight the case for the Chidambaram Deekshithars “He was the true reason I made the foray into temple activism when Chidambaram Temple was taken over. As a lawyer, he taught me the basics of Fundamental Constitutional Religious Rights. He told me to give my best when fighting cases for temples. But he cautioned me never to compromise on them because Deity, His Temple, His Endowments interests are NEVER to be compromised or diluted.”
Ramachandran was the first to translate nearly 4300 stanzas of Periya Puranam into English. He has many other firsts to his credit. He translated Manickavachakar’s Tiruvachakam and Tirukkovaiyar, the works of Karaikkal Ammaiyar and Pattinathar, Tirunavukkarasar’s Sixth Tirumurai, the First and Second Tirumurais of Thiru Gnana Sambandar, the Seventh Tirumurai of Sundarar and seven out of the fourteen Saiva Siddhanta Sastras. He has published over a 100 articles and authored over 25books.

Finally after over three hours of intense conversation, he bid goodbye to this writer late that evening in January 2020 with a strong message that had become so symbolic of him all through his life "You should be sincere to yourself. There should be no pretention. You should not go after fame or name and you should not fall for it."

His final message to this writer that January evening in 2020 "Our need for humility is infinite".

Ananda Thandava Puram Pancha Vateeswarar

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 A Trustee run temple is now under Takeover pressure from the HR&CE
Not too long ago this temple town on the Northern outskirts of Mayiladuthurai was home to a beautiful agraharam with over a 100 houses lined up in a long row west of the Pancha Vateeswarar temple leading to the Perumal temple. There are two Ambal Sannidhis - Brahmma Nayaki Ambal and Kalyana Sundari. Baradwaja rishi undertook penance and performed pooja here. Historically this was a place where Vadama Iyers lived in large numbers.

It is believed that Shiva performed ‘Ananda Thandavam’ here to answer the prayers of a sincere devotee.

All the festivals were organised through contributions from residents of this agraharam. For the Kumbabhisekams till 1996, which was anchored by the Shivachariar from Thiru Kolakka, committees were formed with devotees from the agraharam participating actively in the festivities. Alankarams were grand during utsavams. As with other remote temples, original inhabitants left this town too seeking greener pastures in larger cities.
Sincere Priests
Gowrishankar Shivachariar came here in 2011 after finishing his patshala initiation in the agamas. His grandfather had been a trustee here at this temple. He had kept the entire village together. Gowrishankar Shivachariar is continuing the legacy of his forefathers who had served the temple for centuries. Currently there are several challenges including the takeover bid but he does not want to leave and is keen to keep the service going.The temple is in need of a restoration exercise.

Till the middle of the last decade, vahana processions were still part of the utsavams. However, in recent years, most of the vahanas have been damaged with only Mooshika Vahana now left in a good condition. The Dwajasthambam too has been damaged.Madapalli too is non functional now. 
Takeover bid by HR & CE
This has for long been a trustee managed temple but the HR & CE has in the recent past been pressurizing a takeover of the temple. The agraharam devotees continue to pay the EB bill. The temple has been run for long with the support of the devotees. Old Kavachams still exist. There are 25 utsava idols inside the temple. As with many other temples in TN, the HR & CE has been pushing the Trustees to move the idols away into their security.

There were a lot of lands for the temple including Ilupadi Thope. The sacred temple tank is used to grow fish which is then sold in the market, a process that is also followed at Karunaswamy temple, Karunthittakudi, Thanjavur(Karunaswamy Temple, Karunthittakudi).

Rishabha Vahanam on Thai Swathi
Those from the Srivathsa Gothram specifically visit the temple and perform abhisekam. On the occasion of Pradhosham, 60 ladies present songs in praise of the Lord. They also present abhisekam milk for Pradhosham. On Margazhi Swathi, Guru Pooja is performed for Maina Kanja Nayanar who hailed from here. The Mukthi utsavam of Manakanja Nayanar is celebrated on Thai Swathi with a Guru Pooja, Rishabha Vahana procession inside the temple and a Purana recital. Street procession also takes place on Vaikasi Visakam.

Ayyanar temple, a km away from here, is very popular in Ananda Thandava Puram.

The temple is open from 630am- 11am and 5pm-8pm. Contact Gowrishankar Gurukal@ 9442058137

Jawahar Bhattar Thiru Vekka

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Pancharatra Agama Archakar Kannan Srinivasan Bhattar joins the Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal Thiru Vekka Divya Desam in Kanchipuram 
He has always been a 'stickler' for tradition in performing aradhana 
58 year old Kannan Srinivasan Bhattar (Jawahar Bhattar), a Pancharatra Agama Archakar who once served in Divya Desams such as Thenthiruperai, Srivaikuntam and Koviladi Appakudathan has joined the the Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal Thiru Vekka Divya Desam in Kanchipuram today on Tamil New Year’s day. He was previously at Mudikondan Kothandaramar temple.

In March 2019, this section had written about the renovation activities that were taking place att this Divya Desam praised by NamAzhvaar,Thirumazhisai Azhvaar, Poigai Azhvaar, Peyazhvaar and Thirumangai Azhvaar.
The story of Lord’s Maaru Sayanam
Thirumazhisai Azhwar came here and performed service to Lord Yathokthagaari with the assistance of his disciple Kanikannan. When the ruler ordered Kanikannan out of the kingdom for failing to sing praise of him, Thirumazhisai Azhwar too followed suit taking along with him the Lord of Thiru Vekka plunging the whole place into darkness.  Realising his folly, the king apologised and requested them to return to Kanchi. As an indication of his departure from the temple and his subsequent return, the Lord is said to have slept in the opposite direction. This Maaru Sayanam of the Lord sleeping from South to North is a special feature of this Divya Desam. As the Lord acceded to the request of Thirumazhisai Azhwar, he came to be called as ‘Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal’.

This episode of the Lord leaving the temple along with Thirumazhisai Azhwar is enacted every year on Thai Magam on the occasion of Thirumazhisai Azhwar’s birthday with a trip to the Palar. Later in the day, the garland worn by Thirumazhisai Azhwar at Thiru Vekka is sent to his avathara sthalam at Thirumazhisai for the evening festivities at the Jagannatha Perumal temple there.

Repair works had been undertaken at the Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal Divya Desam in 2018-19 at a cost of around Rs. 50Lakhs. The roof of the Perumal Sannidhi complex has been completely revamped using 12000 new tiles to prevent water leaks.  A new electrification system had also been put in place as part of the renovation exercise. For the first time, new LED lights were installed to illuminate the pathway around the prakara.

At that time, the trustee had asked this writer to suggest names of any archakas who would be interested to take up service at that Divya Desam. On the suggestion of this writer, the trustees had met with Jawahar Bhattar in 2019 but the decision had been kept on hold and things did not progress.

Joins Thiru Vekka on Tamil New Year's Day
Interestingly, it was Therazhundur’s Vasan Bhattar, who had performed the Samprokshanam at the Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal Divya Desam in 2019, who  spoke to the authorities at Mudikondan to secure archaka service for Jawahar Bhattar at the Kothandaramar temple. After having performed service there for over a year, Jawahar Bhattar has today joined as the archaka at  Thiru Vekka Divya Desam in Kanchipuram.

Forefathers at Kanchi
Jawahar Bhattar, who belongs to the Varam Tharum Periya Perumal Bhattar clan that performed service at the Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal Temple, began his temple association as a young boy in the 1980s at the Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Veeravanallur near Athalanallur (Attalanallur) supporting his grandfather at the temple. It was during that period that the young Jawahar Bhattar was initiated into Pancharatra Agama by the revered Mahara Bhooshana Bhattar at Veeravanallur (Veeravanallur), one who was recognised across the Pancharatra temples as one of the  best scholars in Shri Pancharatra Agama and who was the Archakar at Thenthiruperai as well as at Srinivasa Temple in Kilakkulam, Veeravanallur.

Decades later, Jawahar Bhattar further strengthened his knowledge in Pancharatra Agama by tutoring under Periya Thiruvadi Bhattar, the heredity Archakar of both Kallarpiran temple, Srivaikuntam  Srivaikuntam) and Adhi Nathar Temple, Azhvaar Thirunagari and another great Pancharatra Scholar, who was conferred the title of 'Pancharatra Agama Rathnagaram'.

Divya Desams Archaka Experience
In the late 1990s, he performed archaka service at Makara Nedun Kuzhai Kathan temple at Thenthiruperai (Thenthiruperai) and at the Kallarpiran Temple at Sri Vaikuntam Divya Desam. It was a period when Venu Srinivasan had just begun restoring the then dilapidated Nava Tirupathi temples (Errettai Tirupathi).

He has always been a stickler for the traditional way of performing aradhana at the temple, not for him the hurry. This lack of 'adjustment' to the devotees' hurried needs at temples has made him incur the wrath of devotees and authorities alike, for these days one is expected to 'toe' the current trend. Jawahar Bhattar is not one such.
He had moved on to the Appakudathan Divya Desam in Koviladi. His years there were a devotional treat for the devotees who visited the temple in that period. His devotional rendering of the verses relating to Thiruper Nagar, his explanation of the temple legend and of course the 'appam' every evening kept one devotionally connected to that Divya Desam (Koviladi).

He then performed service at the Rama Temple in Thenthiruperai and subsequently at the popular Lodhi Road Rama Temple in Delhi, where he was also involved in the installation of an idol of Kulasekara Azhvaar.

A year and half after he first met with the Trustee of Thiru Vekka Desam, Jawahar Bhattar has been offered the archaka service and has joined the historical Divya Desam on this first day of the new year. This section wishes Jawahar Bhattar a long stint at this Divya Desam, his fifth Divya Desam in his long career as an archaka..

Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal Divya desam is open between 8am-11am and 5pm-8pm. Contact Jawahar Bhattar @ 96006 38095.
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