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B Arun IPL Son Adithya Coaching Academy

January 7, 2022, 10:50 am
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Father Arun set for an IPL coaching foray, Son Adithya dons CEO role at 28, set to launch two Mega Coaching Academies
Just under seven decades ago, C Rajagopalachari, the then CM of TN, had suggested the next gen to learn, take up and continue the hereditary skills of their forefathers. This had not been received well by the public in the state. Into the 21st century, in the cricketing arena, one is finding the next gen following what Rajaji had wanted in that phase all those decades. In August 2020, this section had featured a story on the then 25year old Adhishwar, son of former India fast bowler and architect of the MRF Pace Foundation TA Sekar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/08/ta-sekar-architect-behind-worlds-best.html), getting into the IPL. Interestingly, a confident Adhishwar has already made the move from Mumbai Indians to Delhi Capital. This year will see CEO Adithya, son of former India Bowling Coach B Arun, launch mega cricket academies in two locations. The one in Hyderabad will officially kick off in the next fortnight while the one in Chennai will be launched later this year.

Adithya was a fast bowler who made his debut in the city league under the captaincy of this writer just over a dozen years ago. He went on to play for Dindigul Dragons (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/08/srinivasan-s-vimal-khumar-tnpl.html) in the TNPL for four years. But just ahead of the breakout of Covid he had a self realization that he was not good enough to achieve his dream of playing for the country. And he decided to pack his boots and move into the Corporate World in Cricket. It had always been his appa’s wish to set up a coaching academy that would identify talent at the grass root level. 

He was keen to pursue a Masters in Sports Management and had secured a seat at Loughborough University in the UK but (un)fortunately the breakout of the pandemic led to the course being deferred. And he began to anchor the revamping of the coaching academy located on a 2 ½ acre campus in Hyderabad.

CEO of Coaching Firm
His new firm ‘Coaching Beyond’, of which Adithya is the CEO, had taken over the St. Johns Academy, an existing coaching unit that had previously produced seven international cricketers. Adithya began to anchor an extensive revamp of the academy. 

Talking to this writer from Hyderabad, Adithya is grateful that his Masters degree saw a deferral “Having worked here for over a year, I have realized that what I learned her could not have been taught in any University in the world.”

He says that the existing academy had at one point several hundred students but he is clear that a 1:8 ratio is to be maintained and will be downsizing when they officially launch it shortly “The students will be based on selection. Delivering quality and personal attention to each student will be an important feature of the academy.”

Launching a Mega Academy in Chennai
The academy in Hyderabad is almost ready for launch with the final revamping work expected to be completed in the next week. As soon as this is completed, Adithya will move back to Chennai to finalise the location for the academy there “We have identified the location. It will also have a full fledged cricket ground in addition to net facilities. The academy in Chennai will be ready for launch by June this year.”

The firm will launch a portal for 'Coach Education' that will be available at an economical cost. Next month, there will also be an in person coaching programme to train coaching and up-skill them. The longer term plan is to take the academy to smaller towns and for them to act as feeder to the main academies in Hyderabad and Chennai. Currently there are 17 coaches, 10 staffers and 6 back end employees in the firm.

28 year old Adithya says that playing was exciting as long as it lasted but he has had a strong mind to let go of his playing ambitions (he has registered himself with a lower division team in the TNCA league) and move into a career in the coaching arena. For the moment he is the CEO who is anchoring the management of Coaching Beyond but someday in the future, Adithya, who is also a level two coach, is hoping to expand his personal offering into coaching as well.
Arun's Positivity rubs off on the son
He has a big advantage being the son of Arun, who has been touted as one of the best man managers in Indian cricket “Appa has always given positive vibes. In any given scenario, he sees the positive side and acts accordingly. In the 90s, he had made his intentions of coaching the Indian team one day but was not taken seriously. He lived his dream and finally managed to achieve that. That’s a great learning to take forward.”

Clearly the Next Gen in cricket has arrived and Rajaji’s stated model is now working big time in cricket. Like Adhishwar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/08/ta-adhishwar-mumbai-indians-strategy.html), Adithya is looking to a long hit on the cricket field albeit not with the bat or ball. And he strikes a confident note that he will be able to deliver on the coaching front and create the next generation of cricketers.

B Arun, Ravi Shastri and R Sridhar along with a corporate are the partners in Coaching Beyond. 

Arun into IPL Coaching 
B Arun has just completed a glorious phase in his cricket career leaving the India coaching scene with a never been seen fast bowling riches. He got big insights through a deep analysis of issues that had previously plagued the fast bowlers in India and presented a meticulous plan to the Ravi Shastri and  Virat Kohli. And he went about implementing the strategy that has helped take India to the top of the cricketing world. Interestingly, a similar plan tried out by England has failed miserably in the last 12 months because of faulty implementation. Being the top international team five years in a row he says has given him immense satisfaction and been one of the big highlights of his coaching career. Talking to this writer in the midst of a Covid scare in the family, Arun says how a phone call from London led to his coaching dream come true.

Arun - Ravi Shastri Friendship
Arun’s relationship with Ravi Shastri dates back to 1980 when the two were in the U19 camp in Bombay. He says that the two of them had hit it off right then and it has been a long four decades friendship. He says that the call from Ravi was one of his biggest moments “I was driving my car when Ravi called from London asking if I would be interested to take up the bowling coach role. It was a dream come true for me.  Long ago, I had set out with the ambition to coach the Indian team one day. I have had my fair share of arguments with Ravi but it has always been for the betterment of the team. Once we agreed, we went wholeheartedly into it.”

Professional Engagement with Ashwin
Premier spin bowler of the Indian team, R Ashwin, has been through challenging times in the last few years and has been quite vocal as to how he felt in those times. Arun says he has had a great working relationship with Ashwin “He is such an intelligent guy that he always comes up with lots of questions about the technical aspects of bowling. I found that to be very interesting. In fact, my ability to coach spinners is better than fast bowlers!!! I did my level 3 coaching thesis on spinners. We learnt a lot from each others, he brings so many different perspectives to the table and it is always fascinating to engage in a discussion with Ashwin. I have always believed in giving feedback to bowlers for I think it empowers them even more and allows them to be innovative.”
“Ashwin is one who has constantly strived to come out of the comfort zone wanting to better himself at what he does and that is a great quality and sign of a champion bowler. My relationship with him was built on trust and mutual respect and through those challenging times, we have always had an open and transparent discussion. And he appreciated that.”

Stream of Fast Bowlers
It was Arun’s deep analysis and insights into the fast bowling scenario in the country that has led to the emergence of the new crop of fast bowlers each bowling at good speed over long periods of time. “When I was at the NCA, we got together to analyse as to what could be done with the fast bowlers in terms of pace as they seemed to start at 130KMPH but gradually came down in pace. We found that work load management and attention to fitness were the two key aspects and worked on optimal bowling programme for fast bowlers at the nets.”

“I went and talked to Ravi and Virat and they were instantly thrilled with the idea. Our vision was to become the number one team in the world and we needed fast bowlers for all conditions who could win us matches everywhere. And they had to sustain and remain fresh all the time. The fast bowlers we spoke to saw the benefit of this programme. Eventually the success of the team has been because of the efficient management of the bowlers. Though we had the work load management in place for the fast bowlers, we did not compromise on the balance of the team.” 

Arun into the IPL 
After his huge success with the Indian team, it is no surprise that the IPL franchisees are looking to grab him. In July 2017, on a personal invitation from VB Chandrasekar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/01/vb-chandrasekar.html), this writer attended an event at Savera to announce the launch of B Arun as the Head Coach of Tiruvallur Veerans (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/arun-quits-tnpl-tiruvallur-veerans.html) in the TNPL. However, within 72 hours, Arun had to quit as the coach as he was appointed as the Bowling Coach of India. He is now likely to get into the larger IPL "I will definitely be part of the IPL this year and am likely to finalise this soon."

The Father and Son did not achive big success in their playing days but both are now deeply entrenched into the coaching space. The father has already carved a great name for himself at the international level while the son is starting out on an exciting path with the ambition of creating the next gen of India cricketers!!
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M Senthilnathan Udumalpet MRF India U19 Captain

January 7, 2022, 10:30 pm
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The boy from Udumalpet set grounds ablaze in the 1980s with his dominating presence culminating in the Indian Captaincy at the first ever U19 World Cup in Australia – The cricketing system in TN combined with his attitudinal challenges in a transitional phase meant that he did not carry the huge success at Junior Level into Ranji Trophy and beyond though he was on the verge of India Selection for the Australasia Cup in 1990
In the mid 1980s, a teenager from Udumalpet was making waves in the cricketing arena not just in TN but across the country and overseas. His presence at the crease gave enormous confidence to his teammates while creating jitters in the opposition rank. The field was spread far and wide  the moment he came into bat but often the ball was sent to the ‘B’ Ground or the tennis court at the Forest College ground in Coimbatore. The opposition was once so terrified by his demolition act that they forfeited the match!!! He was such a naturally gifted player that even his teammates were in awe of his talent. By the time he was 17/18, future international fast bowlers such as Bishop and Reiffel were wonderstruck by his magical presence at the crease. Almost everyone in the cricketing fraternity reckoned that he would burst on to the international scene such had been his dominating presence in age group cricket. His mentor Brijesh Patel invited him to Bangalore to play for Karnataka, Air India offered him an officer’s post and a move to Bombay while he was still a teenager, one that would have meant playing alongside Sanjay Manjrekar and Sachin Tendulkar. Refusing both, he stuck to his home state. The man who backed him the most through that entire decade, Soundararajan of SVPB, placed the biggest cricketing bet of his life on this teenager. Vasu Paranjpe, his coach at the U19 World Cup, openly remarked that he was a player to be watched and one for the future.

Much to everyone’s disappointment and as has been the case with many TN cricketers, he flattered to deceive. A few years into the Senior State team, the magic was gone. Of course many a time the ball was still sent towering over the roof at Chepauk into MAC B or into the Canal. But the consistent big scores that was a dominating feature at U15 and U19 levels remained elusive. His liking for Biriyani and ice cream and the summer trips to Malaysia meant fitness had taken a backseat. Into the early 90s, he had gained in weight and was almost unrecognizable from the teenager of the previous decade. This combined with the cricketing system that did not nurture the special talent undid his progress and soon he faded away. It turned out to be yet another case of a premature exit in TN cricket. While he did not live up to the expectation as a player and his performance did not match the promise, he came back strong in the second innings and has been heading the World’s Premier Pace Foundation as the Chief Coach over the last 13years. Here is the story.

From the Udumalpet Govt School
M Senthilnathan hailed from Udumalpet, a small town about70kms from Coimbatore on the Pazhani highway. His appa, Mayilvahanan was a Government School teacher who played for Udumalpet Cricket Club. Under his appa’s captaincy, UCC entered the Coimbatore league winning the qualifying tourney in the mid 70s. While his appa’s throw downs at home was his first initiation into cricket, the big transformation in his cricket happened when the revered Audhi Chetty took over the coaching of Sri Venkateswara Paper and Boards (SVPB), a cricket team promoted by its owner M. Soundararajan, the Grand Son of the legendary industrialist GV Govindaswamy Naidu (who had founded the Sri Venkatesa (Textile) Mills in 1933). While AG Ram Singh had briefly coached the team, it was Audhi Chetty who played the pivotal role in the team emerging as a name to reckon with in TN cricket grooming young talent and turning them into cricketers, who delivered consistently on the ground. 
A young Senthil with Coach Audhi Chetty

64 year old Kanakaraj, who till recently worked for Robin Singh, played for SVPB (UCC) much before the stars came into the fold. He recalls Senthilnathan from the 1970s “His appa Mayilvahanan was a good cricketer and helped SVPB get into the Coimbatore league. He would bring Senthil along for all his matches in Coimbatore and that created an early interest for Senthil in cricket.”

The First Ball - Signalling his arrival to the City Boys
It was a City v Districts schools match in 1983-84 in Pondicherry. Left arm quickie from Vidya Mandir (Mylapore) Hemant Srivatsa (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/04/hemant-srivatsa-cricketer-of-1980s.html), now owner of Murrays Auction, in his first representative match was at his aggressive best picking up a wicket in his opening over. In walked a slim and shy lad from Udumalpet. Hemant recalls that moment close to four decades later“My first ball to Senthil was a good length inswinger and it came back in no time, shot past me and vanished into the boundary. It was as good a shot as one could play first ball. It was an amazing shot for his age. He was a classy batsman and the mainstay of our TN batting line up at the age group level for many years.”
The boy from Udumalpet announced his arrival on the cricketing scene with an aggressive style that was symbolic of him through that decade. From that day, he became a highly respected cricketer in the city circles. “District players have historically felt the pinch in TN cricket but this boy was not the typical timid village boy. He let his bat earn him the respect and through the 1980s he was seen as the best bat to emerge from the districts” says Hemant.

“I still remember his exceptional innings a year or so later against Paul Reiffel. Right then, I felt he had it in him to play for the country. He was a naturally gifted stroke maker and made batting look so easy. As a person, he was cultured and dignified right through the teenage phase.”

Impresses EAS Prasanna
Kanakaraj says such was his interest in cricket that he was on the run all the time “He travelled round the year and whenever he came to Udumalpet, he was welcomed like a star. In those days, stardom in cricket for a player from Udumalpet was unheard of and Senthil was the first real big star featuring at all levels in the age group tournaments. Even as a 14 year old, he began earning the respect of legends, the first of them being EAS Prasanna who was so impressed with his  century against Karnataka that he lauded the young boy as one ‘for the future’."
Given his great cricketing interest, Senthilnathan’s teachers took classes for him in the month leading up to the board exam to help him clear Class X. Similar was the scenario in Class XII as well as by then his life had become all about cricket. Senthil had emerged as a prodigious talent with remarkable aggression for a young boy. His fearless strokeplay left everyone stunned. Senthil attributes this natural ability to his genes “My thatha was a crazy cricket fan and would travel for every Pongal test. My appa and uncles were all cricketers who played for SVPB. Thus cricket came naturally to me from a young age. All the discussions at home centered on cricket.”

Senthil on the rampage – Chengalpet Forfeits
He began his league career in Coimbatore for SVPB (B) with strong knocks against SVPB (A) impressing the seniors in the team and then followed up with a good knock against LMW comprising of Kalli and KS Vaidyanathan. Against Ramakrishna Steel, the third big team in the first division he got a half century and soon became a regular member of the districts team. 

PR Ramakrishnan (Ramki), who was on the fringe of State debut for over 10 matches, had returned to Coimbatore in the mid 70s giving up serious cricket to pursue a career in Law. He was a districts schools selector from 1980 and watched Senthilnathan right from the time he was into his teens.  “He was an early entrant into districts cricket on the back of Audhi Chetty unearthing his batting talent. He was a class apart even at that early stage and had a sound defence and terrific strokes. When he was not yet 15, he made 180 in a match in Ooty.”

Former state cricketer and a key member of SVPB for two decades NP Madhavan, who himself played for Chengalpet in his early years before his move to Udumalpet remembers the match at the Forest College Ground “He was still in his mid teens when he made 167 for Coimbatore against Chengalpet. Senthil was on the rampage and once again dominating as he did on many occasions in the period between 1983 and 88. He was unstoppable that day."
                    Forest College - Chengalpet Forfeits- The Triumphant Cbe Team

The rivalry between the two districts was so intense in those years that an angered Chengalpet forfeited the match almost in a way to prevent Senthil from notching a double century, a rarity those days for a districts cricketer.

Another Udumalpet product UR Radhakrishnan, who played together with Senthil for SVPB and later for the state, saw a Rohit Sharma kind of fearless approach in him in the 1980s at the age group level. “He had class written all over him. He had a positive body language, never feared the opposition and made batting look so simple.”

When Trinidad and Tobago visited India, Senthilnathan tore into Ian Bishop who was to play for the West Indies through the 1990s during the course of a century. He followed this up with a couple of half centuries against the team that also included Brian Lara. On his 16th birthday, he took the heat on the touring Aussie U19 team comprising of future test players Paul Reiffel, Tom Moody, Gavin Robertson and Andrew Zessers. The back to the wall innings of 167 at Patna in the second U19 test made everyone at the national level take notice of this teenager. 

That year, he also went on a Bharath Reddy organised TN Colts’ tour to the UK. The team comprised of the who’s who of TN cricket and Senthilnathan was the only ‘baby’ in the team. SVPB owner Soundararajan saw the natural talent in Senthil and took special interest in him. Reddy recalls Soundar’s huge belief in Senthil’s talent “Soundar saw big potential in Senthil and was keen on an early overseas exposure for him. He agreed to fully sponsor his expenses for the entire tour.”

Senthilnathan remembers coming up against Courtney Walsh at Gloucestershire “It was a great experience to watch him bowl in English conditions.”

35years later Senthil has almost tears in his eyes as he recounts the contribution of Soundararajan “Ahead of that tour, he came to Madras and personally selected the jacket as well as the entire of dresses for me. He gave me all the confidence and exposure that a youngster could have asked for. By picking up Globe Trotters in the first division league in Chennai, he kept the SVPB team together through the year and helped us bond well as one family.”

Brijesh’s Mentoring Role
One the big developments in club cricket that decade was the roping in of Brijesh Patel by Soundararajan to captain and mentor the players at SVPB and later at Globe Trotters. Soundararajan had a business engagement with Brijesh’s family and thus secured Brijesh's services for SVPB. It was the biggest outside signing in TN cricket in that phase. Brijesh was a big influence on most of the SVPB players but his biggest impact was on the teenaged Senthilnathan “While Audhi Chetty taught me the basics of batting and laid a strong foundation, Brijesh inculcated in me the finer technical aspects on the field. I was very aggressive in those early days and wanted to smack every ball to the fence. He taught me the art of playing singles – a quiet flick to square leg of an off spinner and a glide to backward point of a leggie. He was also the driving force in getting me to run quick singles and converting ones into twos. He was easily my biggest influence on my batting in those formative years. And when I did something that was not in line with the team's thought process, he would let me know in no uncertain terms.”

One of his early memories of a big knock at the senior level was a 30 ball 60 in the Gurumurthy organised YSCA trophy (YSCA Guru) in front of Brijesh in a crucial knock out game against a star studded BUCC in front of a big crowd at the RKM ground in T. Nagar.

Senthil would rock for India - Audhi Chetty tells SVPB seniors
Opening batsman S Sukumar was one of the earliest recruits at SVPB and joined the Udumalpet team in the mid 70s. He has known Senthil from the time he was a 8 year old boy when he came to the SVPB nets to watch the seniors in action "He grew up watching star players like Brijesh (Patel), Peter (Fernandez), NP(Madhavan) and Robin (Singh). Guided by coaches like Ram Singh and Audhi Chetty, Senthil emerged as gritty cricketer from school days and leading India Under19 was a big achievement. Audhi Chetty used to constantly tell us that this boy would rock as a great batsman for India.”

A Notch above the rest
Middle order batsman RG Shyamsundar belonged to the same batch as Senthilnathan and the two of them played together for four years including at the U19 World Cup in Australia in 1988. He recalls the first time he saw Senthil “He came from a small town with no city exposure. In the city vs districts game, he played one cover drive and that one shot was enough for the selectors.  He did not score runs in that match but with just that one shot he stamped his class and left a lasting memory."
At the crease, he had a dominating presence. The moment he came to bat the opposition captain posted long off and long on, such was the fear he had created in the opposition rank across the country. Though he came from the districts and was a very shy and quiet guy in those early days, he controlled the city boys with his masterful stroke play. He was at least one notch above all of us and he earned the respect of each one of us through this batting display. At the U19 level, the most watched for contest was the one between him and Venkatapathy Raju. In Australia and other overseas locations, they expected a lot from him after watching him bat.”

Strong Performance in NZ 
End of December 1986, he made his first trip to Australia and created the first impression in them as a highly talented batsman though he did not make big runs on that tour. A year later, ahead of the U19 World Cup, the Indian team went to New Zealand for a test cum one day tour against a team that comprised of Chris Cairns, Chris Pringle and Shane Thomson. Senthilnathan did well in the test as well as the one-dayers. He says he was confident right through that season "I performed well on that tour and the confidence levels were high going into the World Cup."
 
Captains U19 World Cup
In the first match of the World Cup, Senthilnathan was once again blazing away in the run chase against England when bad luck struck and he was injured with a groin strain. As fate would have it, Nayan Mongia came in as the runner for the injured Senthil and within minutes ran Senthil out!!! While he played in the next match the very next day against Australia, he was not allowed a runner while batting and came down the order. He missed the match against Pakistan due to the injury. India lost both those matches. Continuing his good form from a month earlier from the Kiwi land, he struck another half century against them. The final match came down to run rate for India and they had to achieve the win at a fair clip to qualify for the semifinal. Senthil once again led the run chase with a strong start “We were up there at 95 for 2 and looking good. We were confident of chasing it down but collapsed and fell way short” says Senthil looking back on that day when Sanath Jayasuria batting in the middle order transformed the Sri Lankan innings at a time when they were likely to be bowled out quickly and dented India's hopes of qualification.

Mini Viv Richards of the time
Arjan Kripal Singh too was part of the TN, South Zone and Indian team with Senthil through those four years. He endorses Shyam’s view “Senthil was always one level up and a Master at that level. We were all in awe of his stroke play. He was almost a mini Viv Richards at that time (and this is no exaggeration). If you did not get him out early, he would tear into the attack. He was also a shrewd cricketer and tactically good.”
Big Endorsement from Vasu Paranjpe
By the time he returned, he was seen as a superstar. Captaining India was no mean feat and he was touted to go big.  Coach Vasu Paranjpe openly remarked that Senthilnathan was a player to be watched out. It does not come easily from a Bombay coach and this view endorsed the fact that he really belonged in the ‘class above’.

Unfortunately many things went against him in the following two years some of it his own making. 

Ranji Debut on a Square Turner
A couple of months ahead of the U19World Cup, he had made his Ranji debut against Karnataka on a treacherous wicket on which Raghuram Bhat was almost unplayable. UR Radhakrishnan, who also featured in that match, has sympathies for Senthil “He was in great form at that time and was well respected coming into the Senior Level. He was supremely confident. Unfortunately, his Ranji debut came up against Bhattaa on a treacherous wicket where even the more established batsmen struggled.” 

The only positive memory for Senthil from that match was him catching legend GR Vishwanath in both the innings. 

Bad Luck in the Ranji Final
On the back of having captained India in the U19 World Cup, he was handed out an opportunity in the historic Ranji final just a few days after his return to Madras. If the square turner undid him in January against Karnataka, the back of the short leg ruined the Ranji Final for him. Senthilnathan recounts as to how bad luck played a part a second time in the same year “I was confident that month after the World Cup and wanted to showcase myself with a strong performance in the Ranji Final. But my powerful pull ricocheted off the short leg's back to the wicket keeper. With the background of my performance in NZ and at the World Cup, if I had played a big knock in the final, things may have taken a positive turn for me at the senior level.”

But it was not to be. He failed again, for the third time in under a year for Tamil Nadu, this time in the famous Irani Trophy match that VBC won for the state with his blistering onslaught against Gopal Sharma and Hirwani playing a terrible slog in front of the national selectors at home. It was not the first and the only time that a bad shot went against him when it counted. He was in the squad to Western Australia but did not play the match.

Outstation Offers
1983-88 had been a great phase in his life with Soundararajan and Brijesh Patel playing a critical role in his cricketing growth and he was on top of the World with his elevation to the captaincy at the U19 World Cup. So impressed was Brijesh with Senthilnathan’s potential that there was a suggestion made for him to move to Bangalore so he could play for Karnataka in the Ranji season. Around the same time, there was a big offer from Air India to move to Bombay- an officer’s post and the possibility of playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Manjrekar and Ravi Shastri. The cricketing fraternity in Bombay does not get impressed easily but when they do, it surely is a great endorsement especially if the player is from TN. They really felt that he had it in him and tried best to convince him that he would be an integral part of the team but despite his appa’s insistence to accept that offer, Senthil negated both and stuck to TN. 

Confidence Crushed in the crucial early phase
There was not much of mentoring in those years in TN cricket with each player left to his own. Former India cricketer and team mate at Globe Trotters through the 1990s, WV Raman is saddened at the way Senthil was handled but not surprised "Senthil was a phenomenal talent and one with great potential. The system in TN did not make it easy for him to survive. He was always made to feel on the edge, uncertain of his place in the team. That does not give a youngster the confidence to build a career. His debut was on a square turner. Spinners in the top teams in South Zone were top class. Very few came unscathed on such wickets.”

"There was no guidance on the way to transition from junior to senior cricket and the right way to approach batting at the senior level. At the very beginning, if he had got games on good pitches, he would have got the much needed confidence. At that young age, if things don’t go your way, you are made to feel not so good."

(Raman himself played a Board Presidents XI match and was made to sit the next day with the State team, such was the treatment meted out by the TN selectors of the time!!!)

“When an outstanding talent had to be motivated and taken care of, they crushed his confidence by treating him shabbily. A crucial year or two was lost in the process.”
“People did not understand him enough and (while I am not a psychologist) I think he felt quite desperate in that phase and did not know where to look for help.  At the Ranji level, he had to curb his stroke play but he did not learn to do it early enough. The worst part of that phase for him was that he was always under the threat of losing his place and that put a lot of pressure on his batting.  A combination of these factors led to this phenomenal talent not being nurtured. Such a huge talent amounting to nothing was disappointing. There was a bit of a settled look about the TN middle order and he remained unsettled in the Ranji team!!!”

"It always looked like it was three steps ahead and two steps back in his case. Nurturing and he system’s support is required in that crucial phase in a cricketer’s career. When you don’t get it, things can go terribly wrong. In his case it looked like he always asked the question to himself if he belonged to this stage."

The Biriyani Addiction and the impact on his fitness
By the time he moved from Udumalpet into a full time life in the city, Senthilnathan had taken a liking for Biriyani and Ice Creams. Most times he simply could not control his addiction for high quality food. By the turn of the decade, he had gained weight that went against him at the senior state level. Fitness deteriorated and he was no more the fleet footed man that one had seen in his teenage years. While his close catching continued to be good, he was a  bit of a liability in the outfield.

The Malaysian Expedition and resultant indiscipline
In this phase, Senthil began to make trips to Malaysia where he was hosted by former SVPB team mate and one of his closest friends Dinesh, a lecturer there. Often, he would stay there for long periods at the end of a cricket season and return only a few days ahead of the new season, when he would be clearly over weight and lacking in fitness. Given the Pace Foundation, MRF, under TA Sekar, offered top class fitness facilities even in those early days but he did not pay attention to fitness and this impacted his concentration levels on the field for he did not seem to have the same focus as earlier. Once a brisk runner between wickets – in the days of Brijesh- he turned into a 'safe singles’ runner. Rarely did he convert runs into twos and threes. He became unrecognizable on the cricket field. An outstanding fielder for SVPB had now turned into one who had to be hidden in the field.

TN failed to fast track Senthil
PC Prakash was part of the TN middle order in the late 80s and early 90s and had also been to the UK as part of the above mentioned TN Colts team in the summer of 85. He says that Senthil was an exciting batsman, technically sound but at the Senior level, there was always the issue of fitness against him  “A lot of the Ranji winning team played into next year and were in good form. As an U19 India captain, he could have been given a lot more chances in 88-89. He should have been fast tracked and given opportunities. He lost an important year or two when he was in a confident mood and raring to go.”
“As a 19-20 year old, who has achieved glory, there is a tendency to get carried away.There was also brashness in his batting. In that phase, he did not fully understand his game. Unfortunately he was not nurtured. Frankly, there was no guidance in those days. You were left to make mistakes and learn from those on your own. It was the bane of TN cricket.  After the highs of age group success, the early years with the senior state turned out to be a difficult phase for him. The transition from age group to state cricket did not happen in his case.”

On the Verge of India Selection
In April 1990, he played a scintillating knock of 97 in the Wills Trophy, a knock that came off just 60balls. Watching the knock, national selector GR Vishwanth remarked that a good knock in the next game against Wills XI comprising Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar would book him a place in the Indian team for the Australasia Cup that came up a week later in Sharjah. India was looking for a big hitting player in the middle order and he seemed to fit the bill. Senthilnathan was just one match away from getting into the Indian team. Unfortunately, he failed in that important moment in the final and was not picked. It was the closest he had come to national selection. And a golden opportunity had been lost.

However, the big runs in Ranji Trophy that was a hall mark of his age group days did not happen till he was into his fifth year for TN. In 1991-92, he scored over 500 runs including three good outings in the knock out phase. In the Quarter final against UP, he scored his first of his two Ranji centuries after TN had been rocked back on the first morning. His past reputation at the national level in junior cricket meant that his performances that Ranji season was immediately recognised and earned him an opportunity in the Deodhar and Wills Trophy. He did get a half century in the Wills Trophy but by then a new crop of youngsters had begun to emerge on the domestic scene.

The year after he slammed 189 against Assam in another knock out Ranji game. Once again, like a year earlier, it was a knock played after the top order had been run through on the first morning. Team mate from the 1990s and now Chairman of India U19 S Sharath credits him for carrying him through the double century partnership that they shared against Assam “I was on a lean patch and struggling for runs. And we had lost early wickets that day. It was Senthil who helped me build the innings talking to me almost after every ball. That was the innings that gave me the confidence. He may have made for a terrific white ball player.”

Globe Trotters team mate from the 1990s and now a coach with the Australian team S Sriram remembers him for his play against spin, the huge sixes he used to hit and the ability to spot good talent. 

Sekar secures him the Goan Opportunity
TA Sekar the architect of the MRF Pace Foundation helped him with a professional engagement with Goa in 1995-96 after TN failed to pick him. He did reasonably well with the bat that season but by then the fitness levels had deteriorated. His first class career ended at the end of the season somewhat prematurely at the age of 27.

Former Bombay and TN Ranji cricketer, S Srinivasan, who too played for SVPB in the 1980s says that Audhi Chetty’s influence was written all over Senthil in that early phase “He was technically correct and an attacking and stylish batsman who played the inside out shot over Covers with ease. He had made it to the India U19 team based on the quantum of big runs he amassed but that dried up at the State level when he graduated into the Ranji team."

Failed in the Big Moments
UR Radhakrishan (Radha UR) points to the fact that when he graduated to the Senior State he seemed to lack the big match temperament and did not do well in the big moments, the Irani Trophy and Wills Trophy final being two illustrations.

A lot was expected of him but he flattered to deceive. The hunger for runs and determination to prove that he belonged to the top level went missing. Bharath Reddy who took him on that tour to UK in the mid 80s when Senthil was still a school boy and had also made the first offer from a first division team in the city looks back with disappointment at the talent having gone waste“He was highly talented with compact technique and had big strokes in his repertoire. While he was a big success at the age group level, he did not work hard enough and a bit of laziness had crept in once he graduated to the senior level.”

25 years after he quit first class cricket, Senthil agrees that laziness and lack of hard work were the prime reasons for him to not translate his potential into performance at the senior level after having achieved so much success at the U15 and U19 levels.

Succumbed to pressure of high expectations
NP Madhavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/05/np-madhavan.html) had seen Senthilnathan from the time he was a 12 year old boy and has stuck to SVPB for the last four decades. He was someone Senthil looked up to in those early days in the 1980s Madhavan is particularly saddened that Soundar's big belief in Senthil's potential did not see the desired end result “Unfortunately during his playing days for the State, his reputation and performance did not match. He was a bold and brave cricketer and struck the ball fearlessly. It was a big achievement for someone from Udumalpet to play for India at the U19 World Cup. Soundar pinned all his hopes on Senthil and expected him to play for the country.”
“With his outstanding performance at the U19 level, there was great expectation of him but he succumbed to the pressure. Youngsters did not get a long rope at the state level in those days in TN. He was a naturally gifted player but did not work on his fitness. He continued to dominate in the first division matches and was the backbone of Globe Trotters for a while. Towering Sixers became his hallmark. He was a really powerful bat and technically well accomplishd but he did not do justice to his potential."

As exciting as Sachin
Raman says that cricketing greats such as Lara, Bishop and Caddick still talk about Senthil’s stroke play from 87/88 “They were all so impressed with his batting that they wondered as to how he did not rise up to the next level. In fact, soon after his return from the U19 World Cup, the cricketing fraternity was as excited about Senthil as they were with Sachin. He was really seen as one who had it in him to make it big for India.”

Soundararajan’s biggest cricketing disappointment
His performance for TN left Soundararajan really disappointed. He told this writer in a face to face interaction at his palacious home in Udumalpet that his biggest cricketing disappointment was the fading away of Senthilnathan “Senthilnathan was immensely talented and it was a great moment for all of us when he captained the India U19 team in Australia. He was fit as a fiddle in those early days and his fielding was a delight to watch. I was always confident that he would play for India and had given him all that I could to create the necessary cricket infrastructure.”
"Somehow his attitude changed after his success at the Junior Level, he put on a lot of weight and was never the same again. His failure at the Ranji level remains my biggest disappointment in cricket.” 

The Second Innings
After his playing days, TA Sekar, who had been his mentor at MRF, handed him the role of a batting coach at Globe Trotters, a phase when he learned a lot from batting great Greg Chappell. A decade later when TA Sekar moved into the IPL, he was appointed as the Chief Coach of the MRF Pace Foundation, a moment that he considers as the biggest of his cricketing life. “It was a great honour to be working with legends such as Lillee, McGrath and (Greg) Chappell. I learned a lot from Greg on the technical aspects of batting, the clarity on going forward or back even while batting in the nets. Even at that age, Lillee will roar in and fire a thunderbolt at you at the Pace Foundation nets especially after you have hit him the previous ball. ”

NP Madhavan says that it came as a big surprise to them in Udumalpet that Senthil could fill in TA Sekar's shoes at the Pace Foundation "He has been able to keep that going successfully after Sekar for over a dozen years and that is a great achievement."
He was a beautiful village to international success story to be written. He captained not just TN and South Zone at the age group level but also India at the first ever U19 World Cup in Australia in 1988, something that was almost inconceivable for a village cricketer in those days. He was touted as the next big talent for India and it was to be a matter of time before he was to play for India. He had everything going for him in his teens. He attained stardom in a period of a few years. Everything seemed to come so easily to him in that phase. Teammembers and opposition alike were in awe of his natural abilities with the bat. From 'Mini Richards' to ‘as exciting as Sachin’, he was garlanded with accolades. He was on top of the World in early part of 1988. He was spoken of in such glorious terms that no other district cricketer had hitherto been spoken about. He was SVPB Soundararajan’s biggest hope in cricket.  Unfortunately he flattered to deceive. By the turn of the decade, the penchant for scoring runs had turned to real hunger at the sight of that famous Biriyani. High quality luxurious food tempte him like nothing else. The cricketing system failed him as much as he failed himself. By the time, he managed to find a regular place in the Ranji XI, he had lost his magic touch with the bat and faded away after a few years much to everyone’s disappointment, where Soundararajan was on the top of the list. 
He failed to make the transition from junior to senior cricket. The cricketing foundation was so strong thanks to Audhi Chetty and Brijesh Patel but the cricketing fraternity was let down with performance not matching the talent. Later on with support  from TA Sekar, he emerged as a good batting coach for Globe Trotters and over the last decade has had the best phase of his life as the head coach of the world’s premier pace foundation. His playing career did not go as per plan but he has made up for that with his coaching contribution in his second innings in cricket being honoured with the most coveted and sought after posts in Indian cricket – the Head Coach of the MRF Pace Foundation interacting with legends DK Lillee, Glenn McGrath and Greg Chappell.

Senthil will remain as yet another case of what might have been!!
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Azhvaar Tirunagari Vaikunta Ekadasi

January 17, 2022, 11:21 pm
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S Ajith - A HR & CE EO who is making a positive difference in a historical Divya Desam
Paramapada Vaasal Procession takes place 'On-Time' after several decades - He is now looking to restore the third prakara to historical glory and to recover the temple properties in this temple town
S Ajith, EO

The devotional wave that has taken off at the big temples (including the Parikara and Prarthana sthalams) in Tamil Nadu since the turn of the century has been a big revenue earner for priests in a few of the renowned temples.  At the Athi Nathar temple in Azhvaar Tirunagari, it is particularly so on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day. 

Ekadasi Procession on Dwadasi morning!!!
Those who have visited Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam in recent decades would know that the Paramapada Vaasal Procession on Vaikunta Ekadasi day used to take place on ‘Dwadasi’ morning. The archakas had spotted the opportunity to earn big on this day and kept Polintha Ninra Piraan in the previous day’s Sayana Kolam through the Vaikunta Ekadasi day for darshan. It was the ‘big collection’ day for the archakas. What was historically a Paramapada Vaasal procession at 5.30pm on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day had for decades turned into a procession well after 4.30am the next morning i.e the Dwadasi day. 
Money ruled roost and the archakas for long refused to get the Lord ready for the Paramapada Vaasal procession on the evening on Vaikunta Ekadasi day, instead sticking to the Sayana Kolam alankaram from the previous night. Historically, especially in the pre motor vehicle days, this was the biggest day of the year at the temple with devotees walking to each of the Nava Tirupathi temples and having Azhvaar Tirunagari as their final destination of the day. 

Last week, the EO of the temple, S Ajith, who has been known to be a Stickler for discipline and processes, directed for the procession to be done as per historical practice. And thus for the first time in several decades, the Paramapada Vaasal procession took place at 5.30pm last Thursday (Jan 13) as against it being almost a Dwadasi procession in the decades gone by. Of course, the Pandemic helped and there were no ‘archanai’ tickets issued on the day and the crowd was not as high as it would have been during normal times. But the message was clear from the EO that the historical practice had to be brought back on this day. He has used the Vaikunta Ekadasi utsavam to ring in the change to traditional practices.

Two Mandapams restored for Ekadasi Procession
In addition to getting the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession done on time, Ajith also ensured that the two mandapams that had remained unused for decades at the West end of the temple were revived. It had been historical tradition for Polintha Ninra Piraan to visit each of these two mandapams on the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession but with the procession taking place only on Dwadasi day, this practice had been dispensed with and the two mandapams had remained in ruins. 

This year, ahead of the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession, he ensured that these two mandapams were redone and a facelift was given to them through Venu Srinivasan's trust (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html). With the procession starting on time, the Lord stayed for a while in each of the two mandapams much to the delight of the devotees.

A 'threatening' Paricharaka shown the door
Sticking to his practice of following the processes, Ajith stood up to the threat from a three years experienced Paricharaka at the Athi Nathan temple who was keen to turn into an archaka on the back of seeing the big turnaround in fortune of the priests at this Divya Desam. Threatening to let go the paricharaka keys if he did not get the archaka posting, he reached out to the EO. And later to the politicians as well including the minister. Not succumbing to the pressure, Ajith accepted the key and asked him to leave. Seeking greener pastures, the Paricharaka has moved to a temple in Bombay!!! In every temple that he has been in, Ajith has been clear that he needs people whose focus is on serving the Lord.

Reviving the Third Prakara
Ajith is now in the process of reviving the third prakara in the temple which has remained in a dilapidated condition for many years. He has sought grant from the Government and is hopeful that this will be granted soon and is confident of starting work in this prakara soon. He is also looking to restore the historical building near the Golden Chariot. This too has been in a dilapidated state for long.

Recovering  the temple properties
He is also taking up an even more challenging task in the Namazhvaar born Divya Desam. In the century gone by, the sthalathars and acharyas had given away their historical temple lands at dead cheap price. This also includes the Periya Nambi Thirumaligai  that has now been converted to a Kalyana Mandapam. He is hoping to recover these temple lands and get it back in the possession of the temple. Interestingly, Ajith had earlier served at Kulasekara Azhvaar Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannar Koil, which is home to the one of the very few vibrant Thiru Maligais of Periya Nambi ((https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html). 

In his life, Ajith has himself had a few suspensions but he is unmindful of the risks of being straight forward and has always held the view that it is a blessing to be posted in a temple to serve the Lord and  that whichever temple he is posted in, he would always have serving the Lord and sticking to traditional practices at the forefront. He does not always get the support even from the priests and the sthalathars as they too have changed with the times. But Ajith has no two ways about how he will go about his work.

With him at the helm as EO at  the Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam, one can expect a lot of positive developments this year at this birth place of Nam Azhvaar.
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Erettai Tirupathi Sundara Rajan Bhattar

January 20, 2022, 4:57 am
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Next Gen Quits High Paying Corporate Job to head back to hereditary Divya Desam
32 year old K Sundara Rajan has a professional engineering degree and was working as a Network Engineer at Airtel (prior to this he was at Aircel) when one day in the last quarter of 2020 his Periappa Seshamani Bhattar asked him to return to Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam to don the role of the hereditary archaka.

Seshamani Bhattar who passed away in January last year was the one who anchored the revival of the twin temples of Aravinda Lochanan and Devarpiran in Erettain Tirupathi when it was in ruins in the 1980s.  He withered the presence of dangerous snakes and waded through chest high water in the Tamaraibarani to reach this Divya Desam from his home in Thiru Kolur over three decades ago. It was only in the 1990s that Venu Srinivasan took up the restoration of the temple and revived the entire region.  Through that dark phase prior to Venu Srinivasan’s restoration initiatives, it was Seshamani Bhattar who performed Thiru Aradhanam at these two temples and kept it going.
Seshamani Bhattar’s younger brother Kannan performed archaka service at the Anjaneya temple in Tirunelveli but returned to perform kainkaryam at Varagunamangai Divya Desam in Natham. 

When Seshamani Bhattar asked for Sundara Rajan to quit the corporate world, where his prospects were looking up, he did not think twice. Sundara Rajan looks back at his decision to return to Erettai Tirupathi“ My appa was not keen on me to quit the corporate world. I had become an engineer and my growth prospects were bright in the corporate world. I also had a young family with the birth of my 2nd son in Puratasi of 2020. But when my periappa, who had lived through the struggles of the 1980s and 90s at Erettai Tirupathi, asked me to return I could not say no to him.”

Even as a teenager, both during his school and college days, he had learned the Vaikanasa agama from Govindarajan Bhattar of Thiru Kurungudi Divya Desam. And hence he was equipped with the process relating to Thiru Aradhanam and the conduct of festivals.

Prior to the call from Seshamani Bhattar, the plan had been to continue in the corporate world. He had even taken the initial steps to get his first son admitted into a school in Aruppukottai where he was working at that time. Sundara Rajan is surprised that in the last 15 months, his wife has not asked once as to how he quit the corporate world and what the financial future was going to look like for him. Erettai Tirupathi is the kula deivam temple of his amma as well as his wife. He says that like him considering getting an opportunity to serve at the Divya Desam where his uncle had seen the toughest of times for any Bhattar, his wife too considers it a blessing for her husband to be serving at her kula deivam temple. 
Unfortunately for him, within a few months of his joining the Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam, Seshamani Bhattar passed away. And then adding to the woes, wave two of the Pandemic struck and temples were closed to devotees for a period of time. 

No HR & CE Salary/ No Thattu Kaasu 
From a high paying job, Sundara Rajan joined Erettai Tirupathi at ‘No Salary’.  Venu Srinivasan’s monthly Sambhavanai of Rs. 3000 was his only source of income for the first six months. He joined the temple in late 2020 at the end of wave one and then spent a large part of his initial phase in this Divya Desam in ‘Temple Lockdown’ with no devotees. There was no salary from the HR & CE and there was no thattu kaasu as the temple was closed to devotees. 

HR & CE EO's Gesture
When S Ajith (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/azhvaar-tirunagari-vaikunta-ekadasi.html) who took as the EO of Erettai Tirupathi in 2021 visited the temple, he was shocked to know that Sundara Rajan was not paid any salary even during the Pandemic. ‘It was the EO who immediately directed for a temporary posting at Aravinda Lochanan Sannidhi and organised for Rs. 2000 as my salary.’
While many are surprised as to how Sundara Rajan, who had then just turned 30, quit the corporate job and headed back to a remote temple where there is no assured income, he has second thoughts on this association with this Divya Desam “Even the EO enquired if I was planning to be here long term. I came back here responding to the direction of my uncle Seshamani Bhattar. I did not think of the financial prospects here. The only reason to take this up was to continue the hereditary archaka service that Seshamani Bhattar had so devotionally performed for many decades.”

It was Sundara Rajan who tied the ‘Kaappu’ for both the big annual utsavams in 2021 and he is committed to staying here for the rest of his life. He and his wife are also clear that their preference is for their children to be in the traditional line.

It has come as a big surprise that when many in the next gen have made their way into cities and the corporate world, Sundara Rajan has opted for the reverse and returned to the hereditary archaka service at Erettai Tirupathi.  It is also interesting that this is the second instance of a youngster letting go of financial prospects in larger cities and returning to hereditary locations. A couple of years ago, Venkata Srinivasan (Rahul Bhattar) joined Nigaril Mugil Vannan temple in Thenthiruperai Divya Desam at the age of 20 while all his classmates at Madurantakam Patshala moved to Chennai seeking greener pastures (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thenthiruperai-rahul-bhattar.html).
For Sundara Rajan, Kainkaryam to Aravinda Lochanan and Devapiran seemed more important than furthering the financial interests in the corporate world. And hence the financial lows such as the period during Wave two did not impact his mind negatively and he continued to perform daily Thiru Aradhanam through 2021 unmindful of the financial challenges that the Pandemic has brought to archakas in remote temples. When devotional intent is high, no amount of financial pressures will shake a human being. Sundara Rajan is an example of how that devotional feel drew him back to the Divya Desam and bound him for life with Lord Aravinda Lochanan.

Nava Tirupathi has now become stronger with the presence of two highly committed Bhattars - Ananthu of Thenthiruperai and Sundara Rajan of Erettai Tirupathi

Seshamani Bhattar will be delighted for his nephew and showering his blessings on the 32year old from Sri Vaikuntam.



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Thiru Kannamangai Ramaswamy Bhattar Grandsons

January 21, 2022, 7:24 am
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Next Gen set to take over archaka service at Kannamangai Divya Desam from April 
Srivathsan and Sudarshan, the grandsons of the revered PK Ramaswamy Bhattachar, are completing their 7 year Vaikanasa Agama education at Kudavasal in the next few months
The biggest moment of Ramaswamy Bhattachar's life will be when the two take up the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Brahmotsavam on their own later this year 
                        Sudarshan (left) and Srivathsan

In 1959, a vacancy arose for a Vaikanasa Agama Archakar at the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Kannamangai and PK Ramaswamy, just out of his teens, joined  the temple. He performed service for almost six decades. Over this long period, his monthly salary has risen to just Rs. 1500/- !!! In the first two decades of his service, even Rs. 2 as Thattu Kaasu was a rarity. He would cycle to Thiruvarur to get provisions. He was a very strict archakar and laid clear rules for the conduct of the devotees at the temple. Over the period of his service, he has helped fulfilled the wedding prayers of over 500 devotees at this temple through his sincere aradhana to Garudaazhvaar. The scenario at the temple was so bad that the Chitrai Brahmotsavam had to be discontinued. The once vibrant agraharam saw original inhabitants leave for cities seeking greener pastures. In this scenario, as with many other Divya Desam Bhattars of the time, Ramaswamy Bhattachar directed both his sons to focus on academics much against the wishes of his wife.  She had wanted them to continue the temple service but the financial scenario of the time did not make for even a basic living. His elder son Pakshitrajan took to ITI while his second son Venkatesan too went into a corporate life. Thus both the sons went away from temple service for a few decades with Ramaswamy Bhattachar himself taking care of the archaka service and utsavams at the Divya Desam. He had earned the respect of all the priests in the region as one of the best Vaikanasa Agama archakas.

Go to Kanna Mangai for the Lord's Full Version
When Thiru Mangai Azhvaar came to Chozha region and moved from one temple to another seeking darshan of the Lord in a full and gigantic posture, he was directed to Thiru Kannamangai. Ramaswamy Bhattachar considers it a great blessing to have been serving such a ‘wholesome’ Lord  for the best part of 60 years.

எங்களுக்கு அருள் செய்கின்ற  ஈசனை
வாச வார் குழலாள் மலை மங்கை தன் பங்கனைப்
 பங்கில் வைத்து உகந்தான் தன்னை

பான்மையை, பனி மா மதியம் தவழ் மன்குலை
கடரை வட மா மலை உச்சியை
நச்சி நாம் வணங்கப்படும் கங்குலை
பகவைச் சென்று நாடி
கண்ணமங்கையுள் கண்டு கொண்டேனே – Periya Thirumozhi 7-10-3

Ramaswamy Bhattar initiates the Grandsons
It was only in the last decade when his health gave way that the two sons returned to the temple to support their appa.  Having allowed both his sons into a life away from temples, Ramaswamy Bhattachar was keen that their sons get back into the temple mode to continue Divya Desam Kainkaryam. He instilled the devotional interest very early on into Srivathsan, the elder son of Pakshirajan. 
21 year old Srivathsan who came into the Swami Dayanand Patshala in 2014 recounts his school days “Even when I was in class III, I was present for the entire Brahmotsavam along with my Thatha. He had created such an interest in me in Divya Desam Kainkaryam that my interest was to be at the temple all the time. I would get away from the class and support my Thatha on the Brahmotsavam days.”

Quits School, Joins Agama Patshala
He quit school after class VIII and moved to the full time agama patshala in Kudavasal 8 years ago. His cousin brother Sudarshan, son of Venkatesan, then aged 11 too joined Srivathsan at the patshala. There both of them have been initiated into intense Vaikanasa Agama training. "Our day starts at 4.30am and goes up to 9pm. We learn the lessons from our acharya and then present the Santhai", says Srivathsan.  

“We have been trained fully into the process of conducting Pavitrotsavam, Samprokshanam and Kalyana utsavam. Currently we are into our final lessons learning the complete process of conducting a Brahmotsavam.”

In April this year, the two of them will be undertaking an examination with a top Vaikanasa Agama Judge testing their knowledge before they get certified. 

Pakshirajan Bhattar has been taking care of the temple in the last few years along with his younger brother Venkatesan after the ill health of his appa. He has built a solid devotee network to support the Utsavams but it has been challenging in the last couple of years with the Pandemic. The financial remuneration is not commensurate with the time and effort spent by the two of them each day at the temple.
                               Pakshirajan Bhattar

Last year, Srivathsan anchored the Pavitrotsavam formalities at Thiru Kannamangai Divya Desam, while Sudarashan has taken a special liking for Jeshtabhisekam and Brahmotsavam. They have also been performing Thiru Aradhanam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kudavasal in the last few years and have also been out on training programmes to assist in Samprokshanam events in a few temples to gain early experience. Srivathsan says that he has got a lot of confidence having performed service at the Varadaraja Perumal temple “We have performed all the utsavams at this temple and that has been an enriching experience for us.”

Sudarshan takes early inspiration from his Thatha
18 year old Sudarshan says that his entire inspiration to take to Divya Desam kainkaryam came from his Thatha “When I was a young school boy, I watched him perform service during processions. His performance of the aarathi and his presentation of Mantra Pushpam were truly devotional and it created great interest in me to be at the temple all the time.”
                                        V Sudarshan

“I have already participated in Samprokshanams in Kallakuruchi, Kurunchipadi and Mel Kumaramangalam.”

As part of the patshala initiation, they have also learned the Nithya Anusanthanam paasurams of the Azhvaars as well as the Tiruvoimozhi verses of Nam Azhvaar. Their plan is to pursue Shiromani courses in Sanskrit sometime in the future.

Srivathsan is clear in his mind that they are not taking the temple service with financial interests in mind “Both of us are entering the temple in the same way our grand father took this up. It is a great gift to be given an opportunity to perform Divya Desam kainkaryam and to take forward a service that our grandfather had performed for several decades earning the respect of all the devotees.”
Ramaswamy Bhattachar is delighted that in a world where the next gen has been moving into cities and work in the corporate space, his two grandsons have taken a devotional interest in Divya Desam Kainkaryam. “Given the scenario that existed then, my two sons were not able to get into Patshala education. I was keen for my grandsons to continue this Divya Desam service and they immediately took to it with devotional intent.”
                               P Srivathsan

Srivathsan says that he sees Divya Desam Kainkaryam as his way of life. “My patti wanted my appa and chithappa to learn the agamas in a patshala but circumstances then did not permit them. She was always saddened with that, we are now fulfilling our Patti’s wish that we should continue archaka service at the feet of Bhakthavatsala Perumal.”

Ramaswamy Bhattachar is 86years old and is now hard of hearing. Having performed service at this Divya Desam for over 50years, he is delighted that his two grandsons will be taking over charge from him this summer to carry on the service at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised temple. The EO of the temple has confirmed that the two youngsters will be given permanent HR&CE posting as the archakas of this Divya Desam.

Ramaswamy Bhattar's Biggest Moments coming up
Ramaswamy Bhattachar is still seen by his contemporaries as a stickler for perfection in the conduct of thiru Aradhanam and Utasvams. In this changing world, with impatience being a stand out feature and with everyone looking at finishing things quickly, he remains a traditionalist and does not compromise in the way temple service is to be performed. He has been looking to pass the baton and now the next gen is finally ready.
Earlier this week, this section had featured a story on another in the next gen quitting a corporate job to take up the hereditary archaka service in the Pandya region inspired by his uncle (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/erettai-tirupathi-sundara-rajan-bhattar.html). This one in the Chozha Kingdom is of two cousins promising to their grandfather as teenagers that they will perform lifelong service at the Divya Desam where he had so devotionally served for over five decades.

In April this year, his two grandsons will officially take charge at the temple and for the 86 year old Ramaswamy Bhattachar it will be one of the biggest moments of his life to watch them conduct the Brahmotsavam all on their own.
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Abhi Muktheeswarar Temple Manakkal Thiru Peruvelur

January 23, 2022, 1:22 am
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A Mada Koil built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan
Ravi Gurukal, now 66, has been serving as the sole priest for over 30 years with his salary having gone up from Rs. 400 to Rs. 1100 in these three decades

As seen in Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s praise of Thiru Naraiyur (Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam), Ko Chenganan Chozhan had built 70 Mada Koils(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/ko-chenganan-and-nachiyar-koil-divya.html?m=0). Thirumangai Azhvaar dedicated an entire set of 10verses to the Chozha King clearly impressed with his 'Maada Koil' construction, those where an elephant could not make its way. Ko Chenganan’s anger against elephants is reflected in all these temples. All of the Saivite temples built by him were such that the elephant could not enter. It was either a small entrance into the sanctum or a high rise with steps steeper than normal that an elephant could not climb. Such temples with either a narrow passage or high rise are referred to as Maada Koils.  The first of these was in Thiru – Aanai- Kaval (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/thiruvanaikaval-jambukeswarar.html).

The story goes that a Spider provided shade to the Lord through its cobweb, while an elephant performed pooja removing all the dirt around the lord, bringing water for Abhishekam, plucking flowers and fruits and providing sandalwood. One day, angered at finding a cobweb above the Lord, the elephant swung his tail and hit out at the web as he saw it as dirt. In retaliation, the spider entered the nose of the elephant. Stung with unbearable pain, the elephant died. The spider caught inside elephant’s body too died of suffocation. The spider asked to be born as a King who would build everlasting temples but his anger against elephants remained.

Praised by Appar and Gnana Sambandar
The Abhi Muktheeswarar temple in Manakkal (Ayyampet) historically referred to as Thiru Peruvelur about 7kms North of Thiruvarur is one such Mada Koil built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan.  The temple has been praised by Saivite Saint Poets Thiru Gnana Sambandar and Thirunavukarasar. 

மறையணி நாவினானை மறப்பிலார் மனத்துளானை 
கறையணி கண்டன்றன்னை கனலெரி யாடினானை 
பிறையணி சடையினானை பெருவேளூர் பேணினானை 
நாராயணி மலர்கள் தூவி நாடொறும் வணங்கு வேனே - Appar

Festivals a thing of the Past
Once upon a time, there was an 18day Brahmotsavam including Pidari and Ayyanar Utsavams but these have long become a thing of the past. After 1966, Kumbabhisekam had not taken place for 40years before the consecration in 2006. It is now 16 years since that Kumbabhisekam. There were paricharakars and a group of service personnel but none exist today except the sole priest. The utsava idols have been placed in safe custody at the Vaikunta Narayana Perumal temple and the only procession of the year is on the occasion of the annual Kanda Sashti Utsavam..

Devotionally Committed @ 66
Agatheeswarar Gurukal is now 66 years old. He has been performing abhisekam at this temple for over 30 years. He started off at a monthly salary of Rs. 400!!! There is no cook at the temple madapalli. For decades, his wife has doubled up as the temple cook handing over the morning Neivedyam for him to present to the Lord. On days, when ouststation devotees make their way for Parikara Sevai, she also makes special Neivedyam such as Chakkarai Pongal.
Devotees with Sukra Neecham visit this temple for Parikaram. Also, devotees bring their deaf and dumb children to the temple as they believe that offering sincere prayers at this temple will bring back the voice.

A Gurukal at Rs. 400 for 30 years
After completing Class X exams at the Semmangudi High school in Manakkal-Ayyampet, Agatheeswarar Gurukal went to the Patshala in Sikkal for initiation into the Kaarana Agama. His appa Vaidyanathan Gurukal had peformed pooja at the village temple in Keerangudi, about 1 km from Manakkal (Ayyampet). His uncle was at the praised Agatheeswarar temple in Manakkal Ayyampet. After completion of his Patshala education, he performed abhisekam in a temple in Karaiveeram, a nearby village while also being involved in supporting the Lead Shivachariar in Kumbabhisekams.

Just over three decades ago, the Abhi Muktheeswarar temple was short on a priest. Once upon a time there used to be a vibrant agraharam with the Vaikunta Narayana Perumal temple located half a km from here. The original inhabitants left this temple town and the temple and the existing priest felt the pinch. Priests came here for a short period but could not continue for there were severe financial challenges.

It is a temple off the Kudavasal Thiruvarur highway. It is the only temple in this neighbourhood that has been praised by both Appar and Gnana Sambandar. Not too many priests would come forward to perform service at such a remote location where the financial remuneration is so low. As his uncle had served at this historical temple, Agatheeswarar ‘Ravi’ Gurukkal took charge as the archaka in 1990. After over 30 years, his salary has increased to Rs. 1100!!! His house right in front of the temple is old fashioned and like the traditional one that one would have found in the 20th century. But Ravi Gurukal is contented to live this way and has shown great devotional commitment to not just perform daily service for over 30years but also to continue to take care of the temple all alone at the age of 66 when his physical strength is giving way. He climbs the steep 18 steps each day to light the lamp in the morning and presents Neivedyam to Abhi Muktheeswarar. With the previous Kumbabhisekam having taken place in 2006, efforts are likely to be taken this year to provide a facelift to the temple. The Raja Gopuram  at the Eastern Entrance wears a faded look. He expects the consecration of the temple to take place soon and is likely to be anchoring his second Kumbabhisekam at this temple.
It has been through his efforts that this Paadal Petra Sthalam has survived the test of times. One does not know if there will be another priest who will be ready to take charge in such a remote location in the future but for now, Ravi Gurukal is devotionally strong and continues to perform parikara and prarthana abhisekams for devotees who reach out to him with challenges in their lives. 

And he is ever willing to invoking the blessings of Abhi Muktheeswarar and Abhinaambigai Ambal (Elavaar Kuzhali)

The temple is open from 9am to 11am and 5pm to 730pm. Devotees may call Ravi Gurukal on 99442 49941 before visiting the temple.
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Ramakrishna Mutt Mylapore Kapali Temple Repossession

January 23, 2022, 3:41 am
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Will the Mutt hand back the property to the Kapaleesawarar Temple
Temple Activist TR Ramesh calls for the Kapaleeswarar Temple to repossess the huge property opposite PS School terming the transfer of land in the 1990s as prima facie illegal
In the last nine months, Kapaleeswarar has initiated a number of steps towards recovery of temple lands and rental arrears, and suspended the demolition and reconstruction plans around the temple following Ramesh's Tweets
      Photo - Temple Website

Temple Activist TR Ramesh, a resident of Mylapore and President of the Temple Worshipper Society is devotionally attached to the Kapaleeswarar Temple. In the past he has raised a number of issues relating to the temple and its surrounds. Last year, the temple EO D Kaveri acknowledged that it was his tweet following this writer’s story on the proposed demolition of buildings around the temple that led to suspension of the mega reconstruction plan that the HR & CE had drafted (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/07/kapali-temple-surrounds-large-scale.html). Prior to that, he had fought for the rights of the hereditary trustees of the temple and for the temple to be handed back to Poonamallee Thuluva Vellalar Marabinar Sangam from whom the rights had been taken by the HR & CE in the second half of the previous century(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/12/kapaleeswarar-temple-vellala-community.html). But the subject that is closest to his heart has been the recovery of the huge temple properties belonging to Sri Kapaleeswarar. Every time, he has found irregularities on this front, he has come out fuming and firing on all cylinders and for most part leaves the authorities in jitters for he raises genuine questions in the long term protection of the temple properties.

1990s Sale to RK Mutt Illegal
Ramesh is now taking up a very touchy subject, one that is likely to be sensitive to devotees. There has been a long drawn two decades old battle between the Kapaleeswarar temple and the Universal Temple of the Ramakrishna Mutt. In the early 1990s, the Mutt had sought a huge piece of land belonging to the Kapaleeswarar temple opposite the PS School to build a Universal temple. He says that the then state Government issued a G.O.  favouring the Mutt with the land alienation. “But even before the land alienation happened, the Mutt took possession of the land and started construction. Thereafter in the 2000s the succeeding Government (which is back in power now) issued a G.O. cancelling the earlier G.O.”
Interestingly as the political battle continued, the Government that originally handed the land reissued the G.O this time at a higher price. But Ramesh is not impressed as he questions the fundamental validity of this land transfer “The endowed property of Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple cannot be alienated especially by Government entities who are actually supposed to protect such temple properties. The sale is illegal - so there is no question of settling dues.”

The Universal Temple may have been constructed with a genuine intent and people may have benefitted from its activities. The Mutt had written to the EO of the Kapaleeswarar temple two decades ago that they had purchased the property following a Government order and after having secured a No Objection Certificate but Ramesh's view has been that properties of the historical Kapaleeswarar Temple has to be protected and cannot be sold off to anyone. When asked if the Universal temple was a good initiative by the Mutt and in the larger public interest, he quotes from Karl Marx “the path to hell is paved with good intentions"!!!!

He has always held the view with respect to temple lands across the state that these cannot be sold off irrespective of the intention of the sale and the noble acts of the buyer. It is the property of Sri Kapaleeswarar and that cannot be alienated.

Universal Temple can be moved to another location
The sale price and some interest arrears have been the bone of contention for a long time between the Government and the Mutt and legal notices have been exchanged between the two. But that is not of interest to Ramesh for he considers the sale as prima facie invalid and illegal. He told this writer that he is likely to send a notice to the Government and the HR &CE to initiate action to repossess the temple land. "Much like the Aswan Dam Project, they can transfer the Universal Temple to a site which belongs to it elsewhere in the city."
Impact of Ramesh's Tweets
Following his series of notices and tweets in 2021, the Kapaleeswarar temple authorities have in the last nine months initiated a number of action, especially on the recovery of properties and rental arrears. Last quarter, following his call to get back hereditary trustees, the temple had put out an advertisement calling for the appointment of Trustees (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/11/tn-temples-hr-eos-out-trustees-back.html). And now is the latest issue he has raised of the illegal sale of temple land to RK Mutt. He has also held for a long time that the market rent has to be realised for all temple and endowment properties and the temple in recent times have also acted on that front issuing notices to a number of its tenants in the Mylapore area. Last month, the temple had sent a notice to the Mylapore Club seeking huge rental arrears. The Club in response has filed a writ petition in the court terming this as arbitrary and against the long term agreement between the temple and the club. 

While Ramesh, son of renowned Tamil Scholar TN Ramachandran( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/04/tamil-scholar-tn-ramachandran-passes.html?m=1), has raised this issue, the temple authorities themselves have not asked for the property to be handed back to them except asking for the arrears in fair price of the property at the time of the sale to be made to them. But he is unfazed. His next step is to send a notice to the Government and the HR & CE to take steps to recover the temple property that had been illegally transferred.

Is Ramesh looking only for the Mutt to hand back the property to the temple and get back the price paid by them for the purchase. His answer is likely to leave the Mutt in a state of shock “The money paid by them for the (illegal) purchase in the 1990s should be adjusted towards fair market rent of the property (if the temple had let out this huge land) in the last couple of decades. Based on that, it is likely that the Mutt would probably have to pay lot more money now to the Kapaleeswarar temple while handing back the property.”
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Thanjavur Big Temple Ramanathan Shivachariar passes away

January 29, 2022, 1:29 am
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Initially overawed by the size of the Big Temple and unwilling to accept the Palace's invitation, Ramanathan Shivachariar joined the temple in one of its most challenging times and went on to serve Lord Brihadeeswarar for over four decades
TK Ramanathan Shivachariar, who had served at the Brihadeeswarar ‘Big Temple’ in Thanjavur for over four decades, passed away recently just a few months ahead of the 90th birthday celebrations that his family was planning. 

Hailing from Nallicherry near Mayiladuthurai, he moved to Puliyur near Needamangalam as a young boy.  He was well versed in the Agamas and performed service at the village temples there in his youth. He later moved to Thanjavur and performed archaka service at a Murugan temple in Arisikara Street. 

Joins the Big Temple @ Rs. 45
When there was a shortage of priests at the Big Temple in Thanjavur, he was offered a post as an archaka when he was in his 30s. His wife Kalyani recalls that moment over five decades ago “He was overawed by the size of the Big Temple and was apprehensive if he would be able to discharge his duties well. It was his relative Sattanathan Shivachariar who convinced him to accept the invitation.  And thus, quite unwillingly he took over charge at the Big Temple.”

A man who started with so much apprehension went on to serve as a priest with the greatest devotional commitment for over four decades leaving his wife Kalyani surprised. She told this writer this week at her home on Periya Piyalu Street (West Main Street) that he had become completely so devotionally attached to Brahadeeswarar that he refused to go outside the temple "He even named our third son as Brahadeeswarar.”

The Brihadeeswarar temple is considered a unique gem of Chozha, Nayak and Maratha artistic achievements. It would be hard for any devotee or tourist from the current generation to believe that in the not too distant past, the now World Heritage Site was inundated with hundreds of bats, and devotees and priests alike dreaded going inside the temple with darkness all around. Till the 20th century, there had been only two Kumbhabhishekams at the temple - one during Raja Raja Chozhan’s rule and the other in early 19th Century anchored by King Sarfoji.  Rajaram Raja Sahib, the grandfather of the current Prince Babaji Bhonsle, was keen to restore the temple to its ancient glory but the finances were poor. The Big Temple was not a tourist destination as it is now. It was not a devotional destination either. The fact that it was not a Paadal Petra Sthalam did not help.

Darkest Phase 
The 1970s was one of the most challenging periods at the Big Temple. Kumbabhisekam had not been performed for over 150years. The planned repair works from the 1960s had been postponed. There was no income at the temple. Traditional residents moved to larger cities in search of greener pastures. Devotee crowd at the temple dwindled. Thattu Kaasu was almost non-existent. It was in this backdrop that he joined the Big Temple at a salary of Rs. 45.

It may come as a surprise to many in the new gen who are now experiencing a wave of priests at the Big Temple. Each Sannidhi has a priest and assistants as well but way back in the 1970s, Ramanathan Shivachariar was one of the just three priests who served through that dark decade managing pooja in all the sannidhis. 

Indebted to the Palace
Ramanathan Shivachariar told this writer exactly two years ago that he was ever indebted to the Palace “The Palace always stood by us. They were keen on our welfare and tried their best to support us in every possible way. They always craved for our happiness. Though I was financially challenged, not once did it cross my mind to go away from the temple in search of other lucrative opportunities.” 
A Promise to Brihadeesawarar
90 year old K Ramnarayanan, who worked in the Revenue Department in Thanjavur for four decades, recalls an anecdote from the decades gone by “Ramanathan Shivachariar participated in a common strike, unrelated to the temple. Ahead of joining the strike group, he placed the neivedyam in front of the Lord with a veshti placed on top. When he came back from the strike, he found the Veshti had come off. He told me that it was a great personal lesson he learned from Lord Brihadeeswarar who pointed to him that he had left him hungry and gone away. From that moment, he promised that he would never do any activity without feeding the Lord.”
Delighted at Big Temple's turnaround
In January 2020, Ramanathan Shivachariar told this writer that he was delighted that Prince Raja Bhonsle had effected a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the temple “When we were in service in the 1970s, financial situation was so bad that even our monthly salaries were delayed. The current Prince has ensured a great financial remuneration for all the priests in the temples under his administration. I am delighted that the current generation of priests of the Brihadeeswarar temple is enjoying a financially secure life under the Prince’s management. We were just three of us back then but struggled financially. Now there is a big contingent of priests at the Big Temple but each one of them is taken care of well, financially. I am happy to have seen this transformation at this temple in my lifetime.”

While the Big Temple had seen only two consecrations till 1980, Ramanathan Shivachariar was witness to three in a four decades period.
Just a day before the biggest consecration that the Big Temple has seen, Prince Bhonsle honoured the then 87 year old Ramanathan Shivachariar for his decades of service and for continuing to serve at the temple, especially during the most financially challenging times. 

Not one to be lured by money
50 year old Deva Senapathi, son of the late Sattanathan Shivachariar recalls his association with Ramanathan Shivachariar "He considered Performing Service at the feet of Brihadeeswarar as his sole duty in life. He did not even attend the family functions such was the devotional attachment to the Lord here. He symbolized a priest’s devotional sincerity. He always followed the traditional process and did not do things for money like priests do today. There was no room for VIP special darshan in his books and no special 'Maalai Mariyathai' for those who gave extra money. He could not be lured by money".

“He struggled in his youth and was financially challenged in his early married life. It was my appa who asked him to join here. He always had that gratitude for getting him the Big Temple posting and was particularly affectionate towards me right till the very end. His devotion to Brihadeeswarar and his simple way of life did not change till the end though he had earned a good name as the priest of the Big Temple."

Great Devotional Commitment even during the darkest days
Prince Babaji Rajah Bhonsle(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/thanjavur-palace-babaji-rajah-bhonsle.html), who took charge in the mid 1980s and has since created a never been seen transformation has the highest words of praise for Ramanathan Shivachariar“The 1960s and 70s was a difficult phase for us and we faced many challenges but the commitment of Ramanathan Shivachariar was at its highest. The financial benefits was not big in those decades but he had the fullest faith in Lord Brahadeeswarar and it was his devotional attachment to the Lord that he continued to serve with great happiness even during the dark days."
                        Prince Babaji Rajah Bhonsle

Ramanathan Shivachariar lived a highly devotional life in the true spirit of how a truly committed priest had to. He was well versed in the agamas, could communicate in English and was one of the most respected priests in the temple circles in the region.  He was well supported by his wife Kalyani in his devotional endeavours. She looks back at her six decades of married life with great satisfaction “Thattu Kaasu was minimal in those days but even in the most challenging of times, he did not ask any devotee or the Palace for money. He was always invoking the blessings of Brihadeeswarar and throughout his service at the Big Temple, he had made performing Abhisekam and offering Neivedyam as his only way of life. Even during the Brahmotsavam, there was minimal devotee crowd in the period that he joined but he would perform service with the greatest sincerity and return home well after 10pm each day. ”

“He was so loving that in the 60years of our married life not once did he utter a harsh word to me. Right till the very end, he ensured that I ate well and remained happy. It is the blessing of Lord Brahdeesawarar that he passed away in a peaceful way in a matter of minutes without any hospitalization.”
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Thiru Koodalur Kasturi Rangan Bhattar

January 30, 2022, 1:29 am
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Parikara Sthalam for Kethu Dosham
Three Generations of the Bhattar family have been performing service over the last century at a miniscule salary - Kasturi Rangan Bhattar has had his salary stagnant at around Rs. 1800 for the last 15years
39 year old Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now into his 25th year in service at the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Jagathrakshagan temple in Aduthurai Perumal Koil located on the Thiruvayaru Kumbakonam Highway. He began supporting his ‘blind’ appa as a teenager and then took full charge as the sole archaka in 2007. In the last 15years, his salary has remained stagnant much like that of Ananthu Bhattar of Thenthiruperai Divya Desam. He and his forefathers have been performing archaka service at the temple over the last century but through this entire period, the financial scenario has not improved. In his case, even the miniscule monthly salary of Rs. 1875 has not been paid for the last few years.

தாம் தம் பெருமை அறியார் 
தூது வேந்தர் காய வேந்தர் ஊர் போல் 
காந்தன் விரல் மென் கலை நன் மடவார் 
கூந்தல் கமழும் கூடலூரே 

His grandfather Srinivasa Raghavan had performed Thiru Aradhanam at the temple for several decades till 1980 at a salary of Rs. 13!!!  

His appa Muthu Krishnan Bhattar, who performed archaka service at Thiru Koodalur for over 25years including many years with blind eyes at a salary of Rs. 130, cycled every morning to Ayyampettai where he performed aradhanam in Rama, Krishna and Hanuman temples. He then cycled back to Thiru Koodalur for Thiru Aradhanam at the Divya Desam at 8am. From here, he cycled another 3kms to Puthur for service at the Perumal temple there and returned home at 12noon. He followed a similar process in the evening. There were no street lights in those decades but that did not deter Muthu Krishnan Bhattar from his devotional endeavours. This was his daily routine for close to two decades. From these four temples, he received a total of around Rs. 200 per month!!!

Unfortunately there were very few devotees in any of these temples. All the utsavams had come to a halt at Thiru Koodalur Divya Desam decades ago. The scenario was so bad four decades ago that Muthu Krishnan Bhattar would switch off the lamp soon after Thiru Aradhanam. There was not just shortage of oil or ghee to light the lamp but even the Thiri was not available in sufficient quantity. 

An accident takes away appa's eyes
In 1996, while returning after a bath in the Cauvery, Muthu Krishnan Bhattar was knocked down by a bus much like Srikanthan Bhattar of Sirupuliyur Divay Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/sirupuliyur-divya-desam.html). In the accident, he lost his eyesight but continued to serve for a few more years“I would leave him at the temple in the morning. On his own, he would make his way to the Sannidhi for he knew every wall and pillar at the temple. He would light the lamp and perform aradhanam. He would also cook in the Madapalli and present Thaligai to the Lord. I would come back and pick him back” says Kasturi Rangan Bhattar.

In the late 1990s, Krishnapremi ‘Anna’, who transformed Shenganoor(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/09/periya-vachan-pillai-senganoor.html), began an ubayam for Thirumanjanam every month on the Vaikasi Day and also presented Thayir Saatham as Thaligai.  Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan provided pooja items to the temple for daily aradhanam. He also anchored the renovation activities at temple with the consecration taking place in 2003. 
Kethu Parikara Sthalam
This is seen as a Kethu Parikara Sthalam. Separated couples come to this temple and present Thaligai with butter and kalkandu for 16days. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar says that close to 200 couples have come together after visiting this temple. Childless couples too visit the temple and have found success after invoking the blessings of the Lord here at this Divya Desam.

தக்கன் வேள்வி தகர்த்த தலைவன் 
துக்கம் துடைத்த துணைவர் ஊர் போல் 
எக்கலிடு நுண்மணல் மேல் 
எங்கும் கொக்கின் பழம்வீழ் கூடலூரே

Brahmotsavam Revived and Discontinued
Following the 2003 Samprokshanam, Vaikasi Brahmotsavam was revived for the first time in several decades. When Kasturi Rangan officially took charge in 2007, Aippasi Pavitrotsavam too was revived. But the Brahmotsavam that was only revived in 2003 has been discontinued once again and has not taken place for the last six years. There are no Sripatham personnel at the temple to carry the Lord on the big Vahanas. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now looking for small weightless vahanas so Brahmotsavam can be conducted and for the processions to take place on these small vahanas. If devotees support this initiative, it is possible for the Brahmotsavam to be revived sometime in the future. Currently, Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan is anchoring his 2nd renovation at this temple following the Samprokshanam in 2003. It is likely that the Samprokshanam will take place later this year but Brahmotsavam and the street processions may not resume anytime in the near future.
Ganapathy Agraharam, 2kms West of Thiru Koodalur, the place where Kasturi Rangan Bhattar resides was once vibrant. There were a few cows at home as was the tradition in the century gone by. The smarthas in the agraharam bought milk and curd from his forefathers and that was how the family was run but with the passing of time there too traditional residents moved away to larger towns. In addition to the Divya Desam service, Kasturi Rangan Bhattar also performs Thiru Aradhanam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ganapathy Agraharam.

Interestingly contrary to the current trend his wife refused prospective grooms from the corporate world and made her way back to Thiru Koodalur to marry the priest!!! His son is 5 ½ years old and the plan is to get him into a patshala in the next few years. 

Unpaid Salary for the last two years
His appa’s message during his childhood was to have the fullest faith in Jagathrakshagan and that he would take care of Kainkaryapakas who performed service with sincerity “We cannot continue this service if financial interest is in our mind. Kainkaryam to Jagathrakshagam is what keeps us going. Our duty is to be as sincere as possible in devotion and service.”

Kasturi Rangan Bhattar has not received his salary from the HR &CE in the last two years. Since the start of the Pandemic, the devotee crowd has drastically reduced and with that the prospects of Thattu Kaasu too. But as with many long standing priests, Kasturi Rangan is not performing this service for financial remuneration. He considers it a blessing to be serving at a Divya Desam and has never entertained thoughts of moving elsewhere seeking greener pastures. In his very early days as a school boy, his parents initiated him into a life of service to the Divya Desam Lord. His amma was particularly keen that he continue the temple service through his lifetime. 

To this day Kasturi Rangan Bhattar has managed to keep that promise he gave her.

Quick Facts
Moolavar    : Vaiyam (Ulagam)Kaatha Perumal
Goddess     : Padmaasini (Pushpavalli)
Utsavar      : Jagathrakshagan

The temple is open from 730am-1230pm and 430pm-830pm. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar can be reached on 96598 80628/ 76678 86775
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Thiru Pazhanam Devotees' Neglect

February 2, 2022, 1:30 am
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The Saint Poets praised historical temple near Thiruvayaru finds itself neglected 
Brahmotsavam halted, Uriyadi Utsavam has lost its grandeur, Priest's salary has not been paid for years
Unmindful of the financial challenges, Swaminathan Gurukal continues the service that has been passed on to him from six generations
43 year old Swaminathan Gurukal (Raja to those in the temple circles) has been at the Abath Sahayeswarar temple, one praised by Thiru Gnana Sambandar and Thirunavukarasar (Appar), since the time he was a school boy in the 1980s. His appa Jeppeswar Gurukal performed archaka service at this Paadal Petra Sthalam for over five decades at a time when the temple was invaded by snakes, water logging a common feature during monsoon rains and power facilities not yet installed. As a young school boy, he would walk along with his appa from their home in Thiruvayaru to the temple for the morning pooja. Later his appa cycled to the temple with the young boy seated behind. After Swaminathan Gurukal discontinued his school education on completion of Class X, he began a stringent five year agama initiation under his appa.

Golden Period 
It was a practical initiation into the temple processes for him. Very early on, he learned the devotional process of an abhisekam as well as the specific pooja to be performed in each of the Sannidhis. In the evening after coming back from school, he would light oil lit lamp in the Sannidhis. Till the early 1990s, the temple was under the administration of the relatives of the Prince of Thanjavur.  Historically, the priest was handed 56 Kalam Paddy. It was a golden period when Jeppeswar Gurukal was at the temple, especially the early years of his service. There was a vibrant agraharam east of the temple and they were an integral part of the temple festivities. The Saptha Sthanam Utsavam in Chitrai was another big utsavam at the temple with devotees gathering in good numbers. The archakas were supported well by the service personnel – Mei Kavalar, Kothanar, Flower maker and Sirpanthigals. 

Jeppeswar Gurukal lived a contented life. For a large part the family lived in a hut house in Thiruvayaru. He did Japam each day of the year at the temple. He himself washed the vastrams of the Lord. Son Raja Gurukal recounts his childhood days with his appa at the temple “He used only well water for all the sannidhis throughout his five decades at the temple. He would carry one Kudam on his shoulder and one in his hand. He cooked food at the huge 2000 sq ft madapalli and presented Neivedyam to the Lord. The sacred food was distributed to the service personnel.”

A variety of food would be cooked in each of the Kaalams, presented to the Lord and distributed to the devotees, who all considered it a blessing to be here. Even as a 12 year old, Raja Gurukal himself  carried heavy weight Kudams with the well water to the Sannidhis.

“Appa’s lessons were the real lessons of my life. He had a cane and I would be whipped for any wrongs. He taught me everything – the temple processes, devotees, madapalli. More importantly he taught contentment. It was this early initiation that helped me stick to this temple. One week before his death in 2016, he took a promise from me that I will not leave this temple under any circumstances. He was my acharya and his words have been strongly inscribed in my heart” says Raja Gurukal.

Uriyadi Utsavam - Joint Shiva Vishnu Procession
There is a separate sannidhi for Venugopalan right behind the Moolavar Sannidhi. In centuries gone by, Uriyadi Utsavam was a popular festival here with Lord Venugopalan and Lord Abath Sahayeswarar providing darshan on a Sesha Vahana around the streets of Thiru Pazhanam. Hence there are two Sesha Vahanas here. 

Utsavams lost
Unfortunately as with most other agraharams in the state, the original inhabitants made their way out of this temple town in the 1970s selling away their traditional homes. Not a single one is left now. The vibrancy of the agraharam made a big difference. They took care of the temple mandagapadis and the priests. Soon after they quit the agraharam, the utsavams came to a halt. Devotee crowd began to dwindle. After a decade long case, the temple changed hands and the HR & CE has been administering the temple since the mid 1990s. The grand utsavams of the decades gone by have now become a thing of the past. The Brahmotsavam has come to a halt. Even the grandeur of the Uriyadi Utsavam has been lost with the going away of the agraharam residents.

Enter HR & CE, Gurukals off to Mauritius
A year after the HR & CE took over Jeppeswar Gurukal made his way to Mauritius to perform pooja there. After his return three years later and at the turn of the century, son Swaminathan Gurukal too went there for three years. He continued to get offers from overseas temples but has chosen to remain at Thiru Pazhanam.  Of Course, he was an active participant at Kumbabhisekam events and that made up for the financial challenges at the temple. Today, he makes his way from Thiruvayaru on a majestic Royal Enfield bike and says that God has taken care of him financially.

Like minded devotees can have a role to play at the temple. The Nandavanam does not resemble anywhere close to what it once was with thick bushes. The pandemic has led to shortage of oil to light the lamp. 

Original Inhabitants are looking to come back
As with many other historical temple towns, here too the original inhabitant are looking to make their way back to the town where they had spent their childhood all those decades ago. Raja Gurukal almost laughs at the new trend that one is witnessing “The original inhabitants are returning to the agraharam but most of them are above 60. They narrate old stories about their lively childhood days in the agraharam but that is of no use. They failed to initiate their next gen into a life around the temple. The traditional way of life is gone. Contentment is not there anymore.”

The role of an Adhi Saivar
Raja Gurukal is now taking on the temple from where his appa had left. He is looking to fulfil the promise handed to his appa just prior to his death of dedicating this life to the service at the feet of Abath Sahayeswarar. The trip to Mauritius and the income from Kumbabhisekams have kept him financially well off in the years gone by and the lack of income from the temple does not worry him much.

 His appa’s salary was pending for many years at the time of his death in 2016 and Raja Gurukal’s salary too has likewise been pending now. But he is unfazed.  He says that the role of the Adhi Saivars is to dedicate their lives to Shiva Kainkaryam. “I cannot do anything else. My duty is to perform pooja for the welfare of the world. I consider it my blessing to be performing service here at a temple sung by Saint Poets. Each day I remember the lesson that out of all those in this world, God has chosen me as the designated one to serve at this historical temple.” 
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Tiruvannamalai Veda Vidya Patshala

February 11, 2022, 6:38 am
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Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has taken to Veda Parayanam and service at the feet of Arunachaleswarar as his way of life
He is now initiating 17 students from across the Country into Vedic Education through the Gurukulam Model in Tiruvannamalai
As a young school boy in the 1980s he watched the Veda Parayanam presented by renowned scholars on the occasion of the Karthigai Brahmotsavam at the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The decade saw traditionalists moving away from their hereditary locations as well as the traditional services rendered by those from his forefathers’ generation being dispensed with in ancient temples. His two elder brothers pursued academics and went their own way - one to the Corporate World in Madras and the other as a research scholar in Chemistry. But this young boy not yet 10 was so devotionally inspired by the vedic chanting during those ten days each year that he took the call even before he entered his teens that service at the feet of Arunachaleswarar would be his way of life. 

S Hari Kumar was proficient in academics and earned a distinction in Class X. His amma was keen that he pursue academics and move into a life like his elder brothers into the corporate world especially given that the decades of the 1970s and 80s had seen a sweeping move away from devotion.  A century ago, his great grandfather Arunachala Sastrigal had performed daily parayanam offering the vedic presentation as his one kaalam kainkaryam each day at the temple. He used to feed visiting devotees. Satsung during utsavams was also a regular feature in the first half of the previous century. For close to 150 years, there had been Veda parayanam on the Ayyankulam Agraharam during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam.  That was the biggest early inspiration for Hari Kumar as a school boy. His appa Subramanian, who worked in the Court, took him during those 10 days to listen to the parayanam. The top notch scholars from TN were present on the occasion. He listened with great interest and that created an everlasting feeling in him. The vidwans were already into the 80s and the next generation was missing for they were all on their way to a life in the city. 

The late Nannilam Brahmashri Rajagopala Ganapadigal (who passed away all of a sudden a couple of years back) was a great source of motivation for the young Hari Kumar to take to Veda Parayanam. He asked the 14year old Hari Kumar to join the patshala in Mylapore in the early 90s but they rejected him as he was over aged to start Vedic Education. A dejected Hari Kumar returned to Tiruvannamalai but Rajagopala Ganapadigal had created a burning interest in him to learn the Vedas and this rejection motivated him to master the Vedas. 

The young boy had made up his mind when Mahadev Ganapadigal of Chidambaram made his way to yet another Karthigai Brahmotsavam Parayanam. Much to the acharya’s surprise, the teenager asked if he could adopt him as his disciple and initiate him into the Vedas. The acharya was not sure if this was just an instinctive reaction or if the young boy was indeed serious. 

The Chidambaram Nataraja Inspiration
When the boy remained steadfast in his pursuit through the ten days of the festival, the acharya told him that he would return to Chidambaram and think this through. Before Margazhi had been born, Hari Kumar received a surprise hand written letter from the revered Parameswaran Ganapadigal, Mahadev Gandapadigal’s appa appreciating his vedic interest and asking him to come over to Chidambaram. Hari Kumar did not take the Class XII exam and moved to Chidambaram. When he watched the Veda Parayanam in front of Nataraja during Margazhi Tiruvathirai, he told his acharya that he wanted to present similarly in front of Arunachaleswarar during Karthigai Brahmotsavam.

For the next dozen years, he stayed back full time in Chidambaram to learn Krishna Yajur Veda. The acharya was so touched by his devotion that he also initiated him into Maitrayani Samhita Hari Kumar recounts that great moment just over 15years ago “Maitrayani Samhita was facing extinction for there was just one scholar in Nasik in the second half of the last century. My acharya went to Nasik and learnt them. He was so convinced with my interest that he took the call to pass this on to me. And thus I became one of the very few in the country to be initiated into this at that time.”

In addition to learning Krishna Yajur Veda from Mahadeva Dikshithar, he was also initiated into Atharvana Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda and Maitrayani Samhita by legend Parameswara Dikshithar. “I consider it a great blessing that my acharya chose me as a student for Maitrayani Samhita initiation" says Hari Kumar Ganapadigal.

Exposure to Veda Parayanam
During this 12 year period, he made several trips with his acharya to Paadal Petral Sthalams and Divya Desams presenting Veda Paratyanam in those historical locations. Following these highly devotional trips, he was clear that he would not monetize his learnings that even left Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal stunned “When I gave my Ganam exam at the Kanchi Mutt, Periyava remarked that I was the first to do so from North Arcot. After I had taken the exam, Periyava asked me about my future plans and if I would be getting into a city life having done so well in the Vedic Exam. He was taken aback when I said that my objective in life was to present the Vedas in front of Arunachaleswarar and to share my knowledge with the next generation.”
Dramatic Revival of the Damaged Vocal Cord
In the middle of his tenure as a student his loud and nonstop recital had led to him damaging his vocal cord. Doctors in Chennai gave him no chance of recovery and suggested to discontinue the recital for the cord was deteriorating fast. He came back to Tiruvannamalai and with the fullest faith in Arunachaleswarar drank the abhiseka theertham invoking the blessings of his favourite Swami. His unflinching faith in Swami produced results beyond his wildest imagination. Two decades later he is still reciting the vedic verses and his vocal cord has been revived.  This episode brought him even closer to Arunachaleswarar.

Launches Gurukulam in 2008
In 2008, two students from Polur came up to him asking if he could initiate them into the Vedas taking him by surprise. Hari Kumar Ganapadigal looks back at this unexpected event,  one that he considers as Arunachaleswarar’s blessings “Years ago, their parents had watched my Veda Parayanam in various temples. They told me that they had decided then that if they were blessed with a son, they would send him to me for Vedic studies. It was a truly blessed feeling that two students came out of nowhere.” 

Tragic Death
And thus in 2008, he began the Gurukulam model of Vedic Education from his home on Ayyankulam Agraharam in Tiruvannamalai with two students. But he has had to face severe challenges in his life. In the same year of the launch, he lost his appa to ill health. And then an even bigger tragedy struck him. His elder brother Manikandan, a P. hd in Chemistry lost his life in 2016 at the Theerthavari utsavam drowning in the tank due to overcrowding right in front of his eyes. 
Hari Kumar recalls the role of Manikandan in the formative years of the Patshala and earlier “Manikandan had been a mentor to all the students and was a loved personality in the temple circles in Tiruvannamalai. It was he who performed lakshaarchanai on his own to support my endeavour in Veda Adyayanam helping me overcome the Vocal Cord issues. He presented Veda Parayanam at the temple each day till his death and performed daily Thiru Aradhanam with great devotion.  He could interact with Vedic Vidwans, with Kalpakkam atomic scientist (he himself was a P. hd in Chemistry) and equally well with financially challenged people. He touched everyone’s lives with his conduct.” 

Following the tragedy, his eldest brother Ganesan has been a pillar of strength. He credits Ganesan for helping wade through that challenging phase “Ganesan has been my guiding force all my life. While he may seem to be away in Madras, he is the one who has been the inspiration for all of us to continue our service to Arunachaleswarar. For decades, he has been a great source of motivation during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam. Soon after Manikandan's untimely death, Ganesan's contribution in terms of providing mental strength to all of us has been immense. Financially, he sends a lot of his earnings to my amma and that’s how we run the family. Without him, it would have been difficult for the Gurukulam to have survived this long.” 

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has been able to move since that tragic evening when he too was inside the tank and just about survived. He now has 17 students learning under him and is just as devotionally excited as the 17 students in this transfer of the vedic knowledge. The youngest of the lot Srinath has just joined from Delhi aged just 6 and it is a delight to watch him wake up early on a chilly morning to following the traditional processes that have been laid out for the students in the Patshala.

His elder brother Gurunath too had joined when he was six.  He is all of 11 but there is delight in his face as he talks about the Veda Parayanam in front of Arunachaleswarar “We play tennis ball cricket in the evening. Chess is another game we play during our free time. But the satisfaction from learning the Vedas and presenting it in front of Arunachaleswarar every Monday is unmatched."
The oldest of the lot at 17 is Sabararish from Karaikudi. Just like how he was taught the Maitrayani Samhita by his acharya, he has begun teaching 16 year old Tarun from Rajasthan into this. Two students have completed their full course in Atharvana Veda. There are three different batches running now. His five year old son too has joined in, though not full time yet.

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal himself follows a rigorous traditional practice each day of the year including a ritualist Thiru Aradhanam. There aren’t too many these days following all the traditional practices each day of the year but he has been a stickler for traditional practices all his life. He has been conducting Chaturveda Parayanam during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam over the last decade or so. 

Revival of Jata Ganam
During Aadi Pooram, he presents Jata Ganam following the message of Maha Periyava “During his time, Jata Ganam had reduced. He had wanted this to be revived at least in the temples that had four Raja Gopurams. At Tiruvannamalai this had been started over four decades ago and I am continuing that tradition during the Karthigai Brahmotsavam.”

No promotion of the Patshala
43 year old Hari Kumar Ganapadigal has never gone out of Tiruvannamalai seeking financial remuneration. Not once has he solicited money or donations for the Gurukulam. There are no brochures or pamphlets or a website to promote his Gurukulam. He has never had an income and expense statement at his Patshala.  He sees the future as being no different. The Patshala does not have a brand name like the ones run by bigger institutions and Mutts. Just his devotional commitment to Arunachaleswarar has brought in students from Rajasthan, Kasi, Delhi, Vijaywada and Hyderabad in addition to those from TN.  The next generation of Chidambaram Dikshithars is learning from him. 
Challenging Financial Situation 
He is not unduly worried that there is no monthly salary like that paid to acharyas in Patshalas run by Mutts and private institutions. Sishyas have come on their own accord and are all devotionally excited. Not for them watching TV or playing with the mobile phones. As they gather as a group, the happiness at being alongside their acharya Hari Kumar Ganapadigal is palpable and they feel the positive vibration at this place. His wife has become deeply attached to the Gurukulam on her own and has been showering her love and affected on his students. His amma too has been appreciative of his endeavour though she had been apprehensive during his teenage years. Despite all the challenges that life has thrown at him, he has been able to keep the Gurukulam going for almost 15years and the student strength has been increasing. He sees all these as God’s blessings. He has utmost faith in Annamalayar and believes that his way of life has always been decided by the Swami of Tiruvannamalai and that he will forever act as dictated by the Lord. Financial challenges remain but for now nothing matters other than engaging intensely with his students and rolling out the next generation of top notch students from this historical temple town. 

Sri Arunachala Veda Vidya Patshala is located on Ayyankulam Agraharam very near the Eastern Rajagopuram of the Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

Hari Kumar Ganapadigal can be reached on 99940 46545
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Rajesh Kannan Ranji Debut

February 11, 2022, 9:47 am
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His State ambitions remained unfulfilled as a player but he is now set for a long second innings in Cricket

In the mid 90s, after a terrific start to the 1st division league season, Rajesh Kannan was on the verge of a debut in the Buchi Babu and had nourished dreams of making it to the Ranji squad but his name was knocked out at the last moment. Just over 25 years later, he is set to make his Ranji debut in his second innings in cricket later next week.  Over the fortnight, he is likely to umpire three Ranji matches in the group phase including at the Eden Gardens, Calcutta. It is a great recovery of sorts mentally for him after having gone through a tumultuous phase in the last two years. 

Rajesh kannan had slogged for over two decades first as a player and then as a manager of the Bank’s team. Later when he took to umpiring and began officiating in lower division league matches, he would get back to his branch at the end of a long day on the cricket field to complete his bank work for the day though he was on leave that day. That was his commitment to the bank. 

The passion that existed while playing continued once he took to umpiring. His love for the game once again took over and with great sadness he called it a day at the Bank. This writer was also present at his farewell function (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/bcci-umpire-quits-iob-after-25years.html). 

But as luck would have within six months of him quitting the bank, the Pandemic struck and he had to make do with long walks with this writer at the Nageswara Rao Park (the above photo was taken during one of those walks). For the best part of two years, most of the age group matches had been cancelled leaving Rajesh Kannan wondering often in his terrace about his decision to quit the bank. He was literally counting the stars.

However for a man who had always placed his employer above everything else and the kind of feedback he received from the customers of the bank over a long period of time, good luck had to come back. And his patience and perseverence has been rewarded this February with the call from the BCCI and the posting for the league phase of this year’s Ranji matches. 

A couple of years back he had moved into the top  80 in the BCCI list of umpires and after a clean chit in the few matches he did in 2020-21, his performances warranted a move further up on that list leading to this Ranji call.
Though he cherished dreams of playing for the state, he had to be contented with match winning performances for the bank in a phase when they won the Palayampatti shield and were strong contenders in the one day format. 

He need not any longer rue his decision to quit the bank and wonder if it was an (in) appropriate call. Rajesh Kannan continued to dream big in cricket and the call to officiate in the Ranji Trophy is the first big moment in his umpiring career. If the commitment that he showed as a player for IOB over a long two decades period is any indication, it is likely that he (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/06/rajesh-kannan-bcci-board-umpire.html)will go up the ladder in his umpiring career. 

Rajesh Kannan has come up the hard way slogging his way to the top. His graduation to the Ranji Panel is a reward for his commitment to cricket over the last thirty years.

This section will track his performance this Ranji season.
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Thiru Kudanthai Maasi Magam Utsavam

February 17, 2022, 11:04 pm
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It was an eventful day at three Perumal temples on the occasion of Maasi Magam
Grandeur back at Sarangapani Koil Theppam
It is just past 5am on Thursday (Feb 17). Chakrapani Perumal has already made his way to the East end of the Raja Gopuram and mounted atop the decorated Chariot. Following the Horse Vahana procession that went late into Wednesday night, the priests spent a couple of hours well past mid night decorating the Lord for the Chariot Procession as part of the 10 day Maasi utsavam at the Chakrapani temple in Kumbakonam. Kannan Bhattar and his son Sathyavasan, who has joined the temple recently after Patshala education, welcomed the early morning devotees to the Chariot.

A few hundred yards west of the Chakrapani temple, hereditary priest Kumar Bhattar, who also takes care of the Parthanpalli Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/10/parthanpalli-nangur-divya-desam.html) in Thiru Nangur and his son in law Baradwaj Deekshithar are performing the formalities ahead of the Theerthavari utsavam at the Aathi Varaha Perumal temple. 

At the Sarangapani Koil, Soundarrajan Bhattar after visiting Chakrapani Perumal atop the Chariot just after 5.30am, is decorating the Lord at the Mandapam North of the Sanctum for the final day of the Theppotsavam, one on which Sarangopani Perumal is inside the Potramarai tank, west of the temple, for almost 12hours, a unique feature for a Divya Desam. 

Back at the East Street of the Chakrapani Temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/02/kudanthai-chakrapani-koil.html), devotees stream into a final glimpse of the beautifully decorated Chakrapani before the Chariot begins its two trip around the four street just after 8.30am. Several hundreds of devotees have lined up to pull the chariot with the announcer atop the chariot making period announcements on the protocol for the procession and guiding the devotees as they pull the chariot on to the South Street. 
                            Chakrapani Ther

Sarangapani to the Theppam to Koil Periya Thirumozhi Verses
Following the presentation of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Vadinen Vaadi Paasuram, Sarangapani Perumal made his way through the towering Eastern Raja Gopuram for his street procession. Only a handful of devotees were in for the start of the procession. By the time, Sarangapani, led by the Prabhandham members’ recital of Koil Thirumozhi verses, made his way to the entrance of the Theppam just after 10.30am, there were a few more devotees to welcome him but not enough and there were murmurs on whether there would be a good crowd for the Theppam in the evening.

Kumbeswarar on a procession to the Maha Magam
It is a big day for devotees in Thiru Kudanthai with Saivite Lords from over 15 temples making their way to the Maha Magam Kulam for Maasi Magam Utsavam. There were traffic diversions around the popular kulam. While the initial word had been that the devotees would not be allowed entry into the tank for the sacred bath, they were finally allowed much to their delight as several thousands of them witnessed the processions of Saivite Lords from across the temple town.

Just after 11am, with Sarangapani in the float, at the South end, Kumbeswarar made his way to the Maha Magam Kulam. A few devotees moved out making their way for a darshan of the Theerthavari at Aathi Varaha Perumal(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/12/aathi-varaha-perumal-kumbakonam.html). There were also those who were keen on a darshan of Chakrapani at the Chariot.
                   Aathi Varaha Perumal

After an hour of the float, Sarangapani Perumal took to the Neeraatam Mandapam with Soundarrajan Bhattar presenting Kadamba Saatham and Dhadhyonam to the Lord just after 1pm. If one thought he would return home for a well earned rest on a day that had begun for at 5.30am, he had a different role to play in the next few hours. 

It is the duty of the Bhattar of the day to take care of Perumal inside the Neerattam Mandapam. This Magam day, each year, there is the Chariot festival at Chakrapani temple and Theerthavari at Aathi Varaha Perumal. Also, with the Magam Utsavam at Maha Magam Kulam, each of the Perumal Sannidhis are usually crowded on this day and hence no substitutes are available for the Bhattar. 
                       Chakrapani Perumal

Soundarrajan Bhattar's day out at the Theppam
Having started out at 5.30am, Soundarrajan Bhattar continued to remain all alone inside the Neerattam Mandapam through the 2nd half of the day while all the devotees and other service personnel had left after the morning session. And then after 4pm, he began another hour long Alankaram of Sarangapani for the evening Theppam. At 6pm, the Prabhandham members gathered at the Mandapam and as the screen unveiled, they began their presentation of Thiru Kurunthandakam and Thiru  Nedunthaandakam.

Devotee Crowd back again at Temple Fest
While there was minimal crowd in the morning for the traditional one round on the float, the evening crowd took everyone by surprise. Devotees were allowed into the float for a closer darshan of Sarangapani and several hundreds of them queued up for this at 8pm taking the float managers by surprise. For over an hour, the devotees took turns to have darshan and the float did not start on the first of the three rounds till after 9pm on Thursday.
After the unlocking of the temple festival restrictions, it was the first big day of devotee crowd at Sarangapani Koil utsavam. Clock had ticked past 10pm and devotees streamed into the float, unabated. This time for the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the float devotees were allowed to remain inside the float and it was packed with people on all four sides. Soundarrajan Bhattar was kept on his toes presenting prasadam to all the devotees who entered the float.

For those that stayed through the evening, prasadam comprising of Puliyotharai and Dhadhyonam was presented at the Andavan Ashram.

Saivite Lords meet with Sarangapani
On the second round of the float, the Saivite Lords who were making their return trip from the Maha Magam met with Sarangapani with them providing a joint face to face darshan. Devotees were delighted to have darshan of the exchange of garlands between the Saivite Lords from the Kumbesawarar South Street and the Sarangapani inside the Theppam.

The presentation of devotional songs for over 3 hours by the Nagaswaram troupe was much appreciated by the devotees who finally at 11pm made their way out of the temple tank.

A Team Photo - One for the Album
The day was not yet done though for Soundarrajan Bhattar as formalities remained for him. He presented flowers to the float personnel who had worked tirelessly through the day in helping manage a smooth sail. In a great gesture, Soundarrajan Bhattar brought all the priests, many of them from the next gen, who worked along with him through the five days of the Theppotsavam for a photo shoot inside the theppam making it one for the album.

A unique through the day presence at Potramarai Kulam
Unlike most other Divya Desams where the Theppam takes place only in the evening, Sarangapani Perumal stays within the Potramarai Kulam through the day for almost 12hours on the occasion of the Theppotsavam with one round in the float in the morning and three rounds late in the evening. It was almost 11.30pm when Sarangapani began, led by the Prabhandham members in the front and the Vedic recital at the back, his return trip to his abode through the TSR Big Street (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/tsr-co-legendary-enterpreneur_19.html). After the Prabhandham members completed their recital as the clocked ticked past midnight, it took another hour for Soundarrajan Bhattar and his team to finish their kainkaryam  and return home bringing to end the five day Theppotsavam at the Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai!!! It had been a great team effort on the day and the contribution of the next gen, most of them having joined after completing the Patshala studies, was particularly commendable and augurs well for this historical Divya Desam.
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Thiru Kudanthai Soundar Bhattar

February 19, 2022, 4:11 am
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Chellappa Bhattar's Son Transforms Ramaswamy Koil - Brings back Grandeur to the Annual Utsavams
For over a decade, he has been Velukkudi Krishnan’s favourite  ‘Alankaram’ Bhattar on his national devotional trips
Contentment and Devotional Commitment a distinguishing feature of Soundar Bhattar's Kainkaryam at Thiru Kudanthai
The 1970s was a terrible decade for priests in Tamil Nadu temples. 1960s-80s marked the phase when original inhabitants moved from their hereditary locations to larger cities in search of greener pastures. For the priests who stayed back in the temples where their forefathers had performed archaka service, it was one of the most challenging phases. Devotees moved away from temples, Utsavams came to a halt and the priests were left waiting at the entrance of the Sannidhi for that elusive devotee. In the backdrop of this, with the financial scenario having turned sour, many among the priests sent their next generation into academics and a life away from temples. 

Sarangapani Koil’s Soundarrajan Bhattar, now 52, is one who belonged to the generation that was born in that phase. Interestingly, very early on his school life, he chose a life dedicated to archaka service despite having spent his entire childhood in a hut house on Iyengar Street behind the Ramaswamy Temple. Throughout the first 15years of his life, there had been no fan at home.  On most days, he only ate temple prasadam. On non festival days, Chellappa Bhattar would rarely get any Thattu Kaasu. However, despite the severe financial challenges of the time, Soundar Bhattar decided very early on that he would not move away from the hereditary service at the temple.  

Devotionally attached to Sarangapani from a young age
His grandfather Lakshmana Bhattachar had served at the temple as archaka for almost four decades from the 1930s. In the decades that he performed archaka service, there was a vibrant agraharam right opposite the Eastern Entrance with about 30 traditional families residing there. There were 200 scholars presenting Veda Parayanam and Divya Prabhandham recital on big festive occasions. Villagers walked from distant locations to be present for the big chariot festival. Leading into Thiru Kudanthai, one found greenery all around. He was also the Sthaanegam at the Ramaswamy Temple.
            Lakshmana Bhattachar

Chellappa Bhattar - A respected Priest in the 1960s/70s
From the time he was a five year old boy, he accompanied his appa, L Srinivasa Bhattar (Chellappa Bhattar), to the temple. Chellappa Bhattar performed service for three decades. In those decades over half a century ago, the temple comprised of 5 trustees - 3 Vadakalai, 1 Madhwa and 1 Konar- and they managed the Utsavams well during those decades. There were 16 Sri Patham Thangis who committed themselves to carrying the Lord on their shoulders on all the utsavams including the big Vahana processions during Brahmotsavam. During the early phase of Chellappa Bhattar, the Ghosti and Vedic scholars were in such large numbers that he often ended up with a swollen hand as he had to place the Shatari on 200 heads in a most traditional way on multiple occasions each day during these festivals. Back then, it was not like the current period when Bhattars rush through the Shatari process in a matter of minutes almost as an exercise to complete and the shatari process itself would take a long time.
      Srinivasa (Chellappa) Bhattar

Early Devotional Bonding with Lord Aaravamudhan
Even while he was studying at the Town High School in the 1970s, Soundar Bhattar's mind was ever focused on Aaravamudhan and he would often make his way to the temple in morning and evening to support his appa in the Kainkaryam.  Soundar’s elder brother Sudarshan (who passed away a decade ago in the flight tragedy at Salagramam) completed his collegiate education but not for him pursuing academics and a corporate job. He quit school before he was into his mid teens and moved to Guindy, Madras to be initiated in the Pancharatra Agama by the revered Mannargudi Yagnam Ramaswamy Deekshithar (Sona Deekshithar) later renowned for writing a letter to the then CM of TN MG Ramachandran to alter the date of the Raja Gopuram Samprokshanam in Srirangam in the 1980s.

Intensive coaching under Sona Deekshithar
For three years in the early 1980s, he spent every single day with Sona Deekshithar, who was then performing archaka service at the Ramaswamy temple in Guindy. Alongside agama initiation, he also gained invaluable practical experience at this temple. Unfortunately, Soundarrajan’s appa passed away while he was still a young boy suffering a heart attack and collapsing while in service at the Chakrapani temple in Kumbakonam. It was massive setback for Soundarrajan  and he returned to Thiru Kudanthai where he spent the next few years learning Agamas and Alankaram under Brahmma Koil Kannan Bhattar and the Vedas at the Raja Veda Patshala. The renowned Raghunatha Sharma, then 70, was an acharya at the Patshala and he took a special liking for the young Soundarrajan. Every day Soundar Bhattar would go there at 3pm and be initiated into Kaavyam and Sastras. "I consider it a great blessing to have learnt under the mentorship of Raghunatha Sharma."

He also learned the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham and Sastras under the guidance of Srivilliputhur Aravamudhan Iyengar.

In this mentally challenging phase for Soundar Bhattar, it was grandfather (amma’s appa), a priest at the Saranathan temple in Thiru Cherai Divya Desam, who served as the mentor “My patti would be with me almost every day and played a great supportive role” says Soundar Bhattar of his tough times in the 1980s.

At the Andavan Ashramam, Dombivili
A Brahmachari could not perform service at the Sarangapani temple and hence he could not immediately take over there following the death of his appa. After completion of his agama and vedic education, he was roped in by Patrachar (Theerthakar of the Sarangapani Koil) who was then the Chief Priest at the Andavan Ashramam, Dombivili and Soundarrajan Bhattar moved to Bombay to perform archaka service there.  While it was a great experience there and financially self fulfilling as well, his mind was on continuing the service that his forefathers had performed at the Sarangapani Koil.
Soundar with Patrachar, former Chief Priest, Andavan Ashram, Dombivili

Back to Thiru Kudanthai for lifelong service 
Following his wedding, he moved back to Kumbakonam in the late 1990s. After obtaining Deekshai from the revered Seshadri Bhattachar of Parthanpalli Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/10/parthanpalli-nangur-divya-desam.html), he joined the Sarangapani Koil just under 25years ago. The 1990s had been a tumultuous period at the Sarangapani Koil. Following the Balalayam, there was a dispute relating to the renovation exercise and for a large part of that decade there were no processional utsavams at the temple. Coincidentally, the utsavams returned only after Soundarrajan Bhattar joined the Sarangapani Koil to continue the hereditary service.

Alankaram Specialist
Even as a teenager, he had taken to special interest in decorating the Lord and his alankarams have always had a differentiated feel. Velukkudi Krishnan, who visited Divya Desams at the turn of the century, was so impressed with the alankaram for Sarangapani, that he made Soundarrajan Bhattar as his Asthana Alankaram archakar during his devotional trips across the country. Soundar Bhattar recalls with devotional delight his experiences "When he has narrated Divya Desam stories on his long trips, I decorated the Lord on that day in the way that specific Divya Desam Lord would look so devotees are able to relate to the tale narrated by Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy.”
Over the last decade, Soundarrajan Bhattar has made several trips to Ayodhya and Brindavan accompanying Velukkudi Krishnan as the alankaram specialist. The devotional engagement with God has led to several opportunities for him. Krishnapremi Anna, who has a special liking for Aaravamudhan, has used Soundar Bhattar as the anchor at many temple consecrations. So has Velukkudi Krishnan. 

Devotional Archanai Presentation
In October last year, Paravakottai Chinna Andavan Swamy of Poundareekapuram Ashram was completely moved by Soundar Bhattar's archanai presentation at the Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi on the occasion of the birthday celebrations of the Vaishnavite Acharya that lasted almost ten minutes, such is his devotion. Every time he stands at the feet of Lord Aaravamudhan, he takes the devotees back in time to the period of Thiru Mazhisai Azhvaar and his experience at this temple presenting his paasurams on Thiru Kudanthai Lord and explaining the significance of the sleeping posture.

Transforms Ramaswamy Koil
The historical Velli door at the Sarangapani Koil had remained in a broken state. It was Soundar Bhattar who organised the restoration of the door  through Chaturvedi  Swami who he says is one of the few people who he has seen converse fully in Sanskrit. Alongside his hereditary role at the Sarangapani Temple, Soundarrajan Bhattar also took charge of the Ramaswamy Temple in Thiru Kudanthai and has anchored all the prominent utsavams at that temple in the last two decades. While like Sarangapani Koil, the Ramaswamy Koil too is administered by the HR & CE. However, it is Soundar Bhattar who has almost single handedly managed all the utsavams there.

If Utsavams such as the 10 day Rama Navami and Navarathri have transformed into Grand events at the Ramaswamy temple, almost the entire credit goes to Soundar Bhattar. During the 10day Rama Navami, he has carved a niche for himself with an alankaram each day based on a story from the Ramayana. Devotees have gathered in large numbers just to look at the ‘Alankaram of the Day’.

Contented Selfless Service
The tireless nature of his service has kept the archakas together as a well knit unit in Thiru Kudanthai, all of whom look up to him for guidance. This week on Thursday on the occasion of the Theppotsavam at the Sarangapani Temple, he was with the Lord for almost 18 hours without a break. 
Soundar Bhattar is a contented man today and happy at the way the last 25years has gone for him. He says that God has given him everything that he could have asked for. Soundar Bhattar lived in a hut house without a fan during the first 15years of his life and it would have been understandable had he moved away from Thiru Kudanthai given the financially challenges that his family had undergone in the 70s and 80s but the devotional attachment right from his childhood kept him tied for life to Sarangapani Perumal. In his almost 25 years of full fledged service at Thiru Kudanthai, Soundar Bhattar has never sought financial glory instead focusing all his attention on archanai and alankaram. He has also made it a practice to perform Japam when ever time permits. Every time a devotee praises him for his archanai or alankaram, he fondly remembers the teachings of his mentors - Sona Deekshithar and Raghunatha Sharma.

His selfless service, the rendition of the archanai and a special liking for alankaram has created a strong bonding with the devotees over the last two decades. He has already initiated his son into the traditional learning process and the 14year old is currently learning the Vedas at the Raja Patshala in Kumbakonam.  Soundar Bhattar's message to his son is clear "You have to continue the hereditary service at Sarangapani Koil where our forefathers have been performing Kainkaryam for generations." 

That's real good news for the three historic temples in Thiru Kudanthai.
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Ayyur Varadaraja Perumal Temple Restoration

February 21, 2022, 8:46 pm
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The dilapidated temple is set for a complete restoration exercise
Maha Mandapam, Madapalli and Outer Walls set to be rebuilt - Balalayam fixed for March 13 on Maasi Punarvasu
Will the Priest's salary be increased from Rs. 100 after the Consecration?
Following a story in this section in the first week of October last year on the dilapidated state of the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ayyur, near Katchanam (Tiruvarur) and the subsequent tweet of the story by TR Ramesh (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/02/tr-ramesh-temple-activist.html) directed at the HR & CE Minister and the Commissioner, the HR & CE department has acted swiftly in taking steps towards restoration of the temple.

Pending Salary paid
Within weeks of Ramesh’s tweet, the four year salary of the priest Sowri Rajan Bhattar that had been pending was paid in full. The debris that had accumulated over a long period of time was removed from the Maha Mandapam. Later a bull dozer was brought in to remove the bushes around the prakara and to flatten the pathway. 

This week the HR & CE has approved a full fledged restoration exercise and fixed the Balalayam date for March 13. The restoration exercise is likely to be taken up by a devotee donor from Chennai and is estimated at around Rs. 1crore. HR & CE has directed the donor to complete the entire exercise within three months from the date of the Balalayam.

The devotee is roping in Vasan Bhattar of Therazhundur Divya Desam 
(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/09/therazhundur-vasan-bhattar.html) to perform the rituals relating to the Balalayam.
Once upon a time in the not too distant past there was a big sized Granary where Paddy was stored and measured. There was also a fully functional Madapalli to the South of the Raja Gopuram. Service Personnel including paricharakars were active at this temple. There was a huge Nandavanam in the outer prakara but with the lack of attention it had turned into a mini forest. In fact shortly after this story had featured in September, Sowri Rajan Bhattar had a huge snake next to him when he entered the temple. The devotees who had gathered at that time directed it away from the temple. 

The temple has been in a dilapidated state with Thiru Kottaram and Madapalli almost unrecognisable with fallen roofs and walls. The restoration will include building the outer walls on all the four sides, reconstructing the madapalli, rebuilding the Maha Mandapam from scratch and bringing back the huge granary to shape.
One will have to wait and watch as to what will happen to the dilapidated Raja Gopuram – if it will be brought down and reconstructed from scratch or if there will be a restoration of the existing structure.

Since October, devotees have made contributions towards oil to light the lamp every day at the sannidhi and to present Thaligai to the Lord. Some of the important days in the month such as Shravanam have also seen renewed sacred activities with Thirumanjanam being performed. Former corporate staffer SV Badri ( father in law of cricketer Abhinav Mukund) of Bombay also organised mega support bringing together devotees from across the Country.

Father and Son have performed archaka service at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Ayyur for six decades at a salary that has not topped Rs. 100 
               Rajagopalan Bhattar

86 year old D. Rajagopalan Bhattar, appa of the current Bhattar, who had performed service for over four decades cycling 7kms twice a day from Pinna Vaasal, had told this writer in October last that he wanted to see the  consecration of the restored Temple before he attained Moksham.  There was a 5 veli land belonging to the temple and the festivals and daily poojas were managed out of the income accruing from the temple land. Hereditary Trustee Pankaja Ammal took care of the temple management. “Utsavams were celebrated in a grand way, devotees came in from the agraharam for darshan and processions of Varadaraja Perumal around the four streets were well supported by the devotees. The hereditary trustee of the time well over 50 years ago ran the temple well.” 

While he is now enduring a poor eyesight, he expressed delight on hearing that a restoration exercise was taking place at the temple where he had performed service with such great commitment for several decades.

It is hoped that as part of the restoration exercise Sowri Rajan Bhattar’s salary will be increased from the current Rs. 100 per month. It is also hoped that with the consecration of the temple the once grand Brahmotsavam and Garuda Sevai on Vaikunta Ekadasi will be revived.  

Ayyur is 3kms South East of Katchanam off the Thiruvarur- Thithuraipoondi Highway. Regular buses ply every half hour between Thiruvarur and Thiruthuraipoondi. 

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Temple Priests Next Gen Mismatch Societal Impact

February 24, 2022, 3:05 am
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Temple Priests sending their daughters to Engineering Colleges and sons to Agama Patshalas is creating a severe mismatch and will hurt our society big time in the coming decades
If corrective steps are not taken now, it is likely that the Patshala bred boys in the next gen will not find acceptance among the next gen corporate girls even from traditional temple households
         One of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalams

A trend has been emerging in the temple circles in Tamil Nadu in recent years which is likely to have a  massive societal impact in the coming decades. Almost without fail, the female descendants of the priests have been getting into Engineering colleges while a good number (though not in large percentage) of the male descendants of the priests have joined the agama patashalas for initiation into traditional pooja processes.

With the trend unfolding, the female descendants after four years of professional degree have been getting into corporates including many taking the overseas offers.  As contrasted with the above, the boy after completing 8-12 years of Patshala education joins his father in continuing the hereditary archaka service in a remote temple location

It has emerged that almost none of daughters of the archakas are agreeing to marry a boy from the traditional archaka household for they are now well settled in the corporate world. 

2021-22: Daughter heads Madras Engg College, Son to Remote Agama Patshala
This academic year, a priest from a famous Saivite Saint Poet praised temple location in a bid to fulfil the academic wishes of his daughter searched across the state and finally managed to find a seat in a private engineering college in Madras. His son not yet into his teens has discontinued his school education and moved into 8 year agama patshala education in a remote location.
                      
In the last couple of years, a priest with over four decades of service in a Paadal Petra Sthalam (one of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalam) approached a priest of his age in one of the most famous Saivite temples in Tamil Nadu asking for the hand of the latter’s daughter for his son. This was summarily rejected by the girl’s priest father. 

One of a kind - Pazhur Patshala's Neelakanta Sastrigal
Five years ago, Neelakantan Sastrigal who quit a high paying patshala in Madras to move to Pazhur on the western outskirts of Trichy to restore the Patshala that was lying in a dilapidated condition told this writer that he would lead his two daughters in the traditional path and hand them to a traditional household. That is a big step in the right direction but Neelakantan is a rare exception in every aspect of life(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/09/pazhur-patshala-revival.html).
Despite being fully aware of the likely mismatch and the negative impact for their own sons, the priests of many historical temples have over the last few years taken the step to send their daughters into Engineering Colleges. While we are just beginning to see the trend of priests’ daughters exploring the corporate path in their lives and consequently rejecting boys from a temple background, an environment that they had grown up with during the first 17years of their lives. 

In light of this scenario, the male descendants too have in recent times been pursuing academics and the engineering path to overseas jobs. 

But for those male descendants who are pursuing patshala education, it is likely that even the daughters of the traditional priests will give them a pass when it comes to marriage.

If a large percentage of the daughters of priests in historical temple locations make the move this decade into engineering colleges, it is likely that by the turn of the next decade the sons of the priests, if they take to agama education and join the hereditary temple service, will have little hope of finding a bride. Some of the priests in remote temples in TN have in recent times gone searching for bride in other states including in the temple towns of Karnataka and the North.

There is an increasing trend towards daughters of priests getting into corporates and sons continuing the hereditary temple service.

As yet another service to the society and in the interest of their own sons, it would make sense for all the priests in Divya Desams and Paadal Petra Sthalams to send their daughters into traditional education say Sanskrit, Art and Crafts, Vaishnavite and Saivite Courses. That way the women from the next gen of the priests’ family can stay back in temple locations and their hand given to the next gen priest.

Else, it is likely that most of the next gen priests will remain unmarried in the decades that follow.
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PS School Ground now Kapaleesawarar Play Ground

February 28, 2022, 9:55 pm
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Mega Cultural event is set to take place tonight right in the middle of the ground where some famous matches had been played in the century gone by
For the first time in several decades, the once famous PS School cricket ground on RK Mutt Road will host a mega all night cultural event as part of the Maha Sivarathri celebrations of Kapaleeswarar temple. The ground that had provided a platform for upcoming players to showcase their cricketing skills has now been converted into one where several thousands of people will be seated in the middle of this huge ground to watch artistes perform from 6pm this evening through till 6am on Wednesday morning. With the HR & CE department focused on using this ground for non cricketing purposes, this may be the final nail in the coffin for cricketing activities at the place where many top cricketers performed with glory in the century goneby.

In September 2021, Kapaleeswarar temple took back possession of the PS School Ground on RK Mutt Road. Some famous league matches had been played on that ground for well over 8 decades. PS School had taken over the ground on lease in 1928 and TNCA League matches were played on this ground till just under a decade ago when the TNCA league matches came to a halt following the ongoing dispute between the school management and the temple over the payment of rental arrears. Outside of the league matches, there were school matches and some memorable old v new club matches played at the PS school ground including one in 1979 between BRC Past and Present teams with legendary S Venkataraghavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/04/venkataraghavan75.html) featuring in that match. State cricketer from the 70s R Prabhakar used to regularly hit the ball on to the RK Mutt Road. It was a delight to watch a young TA Sekar bowl at this ground from his long run up.

TNCA's letter to Kapali Temple
Once the temple took possession, this writer had initiated for the TNCA to hold matches once again at the ground and after a letter from the TNCA to the temple, approval had been got for the league matches to be held over the weekend. However, no further progress had been made in the last quarter of 2021 when league matches are not usually held in the city due to the monsoon rains.
On Tuesday morning, the erstwhile PS School ground now renamed as Kapaleeswarar Karpagambal play ground  was all set for a mega cultural event with a big stage set right in the middle of the ground. Thousands of chairs have been placed in the ground. The Eastern Pavilion that had been used for the lower division matches now wears a dilapidated look. 
The cement pitch at the North end that had been used for the net practice sessions still remains but it will now take a lot of effort now to relay the center pitch after such a mega event where several thousands of people are expected to take part in the all night cultural programme organised by the Kapali temple as part of the Sivarathri celebrations.
With HR & CE keen on gaining publicity through mega religious events, league cricket at the PS ground may be the last thing on their mind. The HR & CE minister Sekar Babu is also keen that the huge space be used for public events including sports as against being handed exclusively to one association for league matches.

We may have seen the last of league cricket at this once famous cricket ground in the heart of Mylapore.
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Rayanallur Varadaraja Perumal Yathulan Bhattar

March 9, 2022, 12:58 am
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At 30, Vaduvur Patshala trained Yathu Kula Thilakan Bhattar has already rejected several lucrative overseas offers instead choosing to dedicate himself to a remote temple suggested by his mentor Vaduvur Govindan
In the 3 years at the Rayanallur temple, he has been actively engaging with the local residents in creating a devotional environment and reviving historical utsavams
Displaying great devotional perseverance, he has reduced his weight by almost half to 90kgs from the 160kgs that he was at the peak of the Pandemic 
Yathu Kula Thilakan (R Srinivasan) Bhattar, who had gone through a traumatic childhood losing both hsi parents before he was ten, has chosen to serve at a remotely located temple that not too many would easily take up. He had spent a dozen years at the Vaduvur Patshala and like almost all his classmates had the option of moving to cities chasing financially lucrative temples. But he has chosen a remote temple in Rayanallur, 20kms from Mannargudi and dedicated the last three years to the development of the temple that had been in a dilapidated state till the middle of the last decade. He is all of 30 but his devotional commitment to the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Rayanallur as well as several other Perumal temples in the region has been of the highest order, especially at a time when the next gen even in most Divya Desams have been  going away from hereditary temples. Since the completion of his Patshala education five years ago, he has received offers from across the country and overseas as well, but Yathulan Bhattar has stood firm that he will stay rooted to the temple suggested by his mentor and he will stay as close to his favourite Vaduvur Ramar for the rest of his life. Here is the story: 

A Traumatic Childhood
Yathulan lost his amma when he was just three years old and then his appa seven years later. Hailing from Ezhuveri, a small village near Tiruvarur, he spent a majority of his first 25years at Vaduvur where he studied till Class VIII. His  uncle was a cook at the Andavan Ashramam Patshala in Vaduvur. Even as a young school boy, he had begun to perform kainkaryam at the Ramar temple in Vaduvur and his mind had become devotionally attached to Ramar. 

Vaduvur Patshala
He quit school to join the Patshala at 13. For the next dozen years, he underwent intense agama and vedic education under the renowned Vaduvur Desikachariar and Vaduvur Govindan. Over a decade ago, the patshala was still vibrant and there were over 50 students undergoing vedic education. Yathulan,  was highly committed to vedic studies as well as service to his acharyas. His commitment to everything he did made him a favourite at the Patshala (years ago, when this writer wrote a story on the Brahmotsavam at the temple as well as the Patshala, it was Yathulan who took writer around the Patshala and the temple and stayed through the night)  - https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/05/vaduvur-rama-navami-utsavam.html.
During the period of his vedic education, he also performed different kinds of service through the year at the Rama Temple in Vaduvur including during the Brahmotsavam.

12 year Vedic Education and Divya Prabhandham
By the time he was 25, he had completed Kramantham. Alongside Vedic studies, he was also initiated into the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham. Almost all his fellow classmates had left Vaduvur after the completion of the course and Yathulan alone stayed back.  He too had received several offers from elsewhere but his mind remained with his acharyas and he began to teach at the Patshala. Having been there for a large part of his first 25years, Yathulan had become devotionally attached to Vaduvur Ramar and was keen to serve the Lord for the rest of his life. It was he who took care of his acharya Vaduvur Desikachariar performing daily aradhanam at his Thiru Maligai and serving him in the final years of his life with utmost devotion.

His first experience at Rayanallur temple
As part of his Vedic initiation, he had presented Veda Parayanam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Rayanallur. He felt good  The 900 year old temple had remained dilapidated for a long time with the Moolavar idol buried under the earth. The Hindu Group’s director Vijaya, daughter of former Publisher S Rangarajan, along with her entrepreneur husband Arun, was a regular at the Kasturi Ranganatha Perumal temple in Vilakudi, about 1km west of Rayanallur.  It was they who anchored the restoration work at the temple and have been the trustees over the last 8years. 

From favourite Vaduvur to Rayanallur
Three years ago, when Ramesh Bhattar, who had been performed archaka service at the temple, decided to quit, Yathulan received a surprise call from his Vedic Acharya. Vaduvur Govindan who managed the patshala for many years, made a polite enquiry to his student if he would be interested in taking up the archaka service at Rayanallur. Yathulan Bhattar recounts that moment "My mentor knew about my attachment to Vaduvur Rama and expected me to negate the offer. But when he asked and having also been part of the consecration of the Varadaraja Perumal temple a few years prior, I agreed instantly to my acharya's call and made the move to Rayanallur."
Transformation in remote temples
In the three years that he has been here, Yathulan has started Vedic recital in the morning and Divya Prabhandham and Satru Murai in the evening while presenting Thaligai to the Lord. The utsavams too have been revived in this period. A five day utsavam for Vedantha Desikar in Puratasi, Rama Navami, Andal Kalyanam on Bhogi and Thayar Oonjal during Navarathri have now become integral to the annual celebrations at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Rayanallur.
He says that 'Govindan Anna' has been his guiding force over the last two decades. "He has got me a good temple with highly devoted and committed trustees. They have been here at least once every month in the last three years." 

Rejects lucrative overseas offers
Yathulan Bhattar has had offers pouring in during the last few years from across the country and overseas but his has been a stern NO to all of them. He has decided in his mind not to go overseas even if one of the most financially lucrative offers come his way. 

Revival of Festivals
His devotional interest in serving the Lord has led to an increasing number of devotees coming into the temple especially on Saturdays when he decorates Hanuman with Vennai kaappu. Thirumanjanam on specific star days each month has been a new addition in recent years with this becoming a feature on 18 days every month. Asthana Garuda Sevai on Puratasi Saturdays, a procession to the North West end of the town on Chitrai day in Panguni have helped create devotional interest in the local residents. 

Archaka, Cook, Vedas and Prabhandham reciter
Yathulan also doubles up as the madapalli cook presenting a different menu every evening to Varadaraja Perumal. At the Patshala he had managed the accounts for years and with that experience, he has streamlined the processes at the temple in Rayanallur making timely payments to the flower vendor, the milk man and the like. He has also been taking Nalayira Divya Prabhandham classes for the local residents creating the devotional interest in them. 

An inspirational leader in the region
Yathulan Bhattar has already played an inspirational role in the utsavams at the Kalyana Ranganathar temple in Vilakudi. He has led Veda Parayanam for 20 days during the Adyayana Utsavam. Veda Parayanam is also now an integral part of the Pavitrotsavam and Adyayana Utsavam at the Perumal temple in Panaiyur, while Vedic recital has also begun during the Pavitrotsavam at the Adhi Rangam temple. For over a decade,  he has been a regular member of the Veda Parayanam team at the  leading utsavams at the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannargudi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/09/mannargudi-rajagopalaswamy-temple.html) as well as the Ramar temple in Vaduvur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2008/12/vaduvur-kothandaramar.html) including during the Brahmotsavams. He also supports the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Kottur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/kottur-srinivasa-perumal.html), 6kms east of Rayanallur, in their utsavams. He is currently guiding the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kadanthethi for their consecration.  

Devotional Perseverance and dramatic reduction in physical weight
At the peak of the Pandemic, he undertook a promise to reduce his weight that had shot to almost 160kgs. In the last 12months, through sheer devotional perseverance, he has dramatically reduced this by almost half to 90kgs. He has not had rice or tiffen for a large part of the last year and still remained completely energized in discharging his temple duties leaving everyone wondering if it was humanly possible to reduced 70kgs in a year without medical intervention but Yathulan Bhattar has proved in the years that he has been here that transformation in life is possible with devotional commitment to God and seemingly impossible things can be achieved with the Lord’s blessings.
It is not easy to be alone in a remote town and be performing service to the Lord through each day of the year. Both at the Rayanallur temple and in the ones around, a devotional vibration can be felt in the presence of Yathulan Bhattar. For such remote temples, devotional commitment of priests is of utmost importance and Yathulan Bhattar has that in abundance. For 14years, he used only well water at Vaduvur, something not common these days.  He has still not forgotten the very first Sambhavanai of Rs. 20 he received from VS Karunakarachariar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/09/karunakaran-swamy-president-award.html) several years ago. He does not spend lavishly and lives a contented life. He passes this message to other priests his age trying to impress upon them the importance of focusing on devotional service to God and to create that devotional interest among devotees as an archaka's way of life. He has in his vision building a compound wall around the temple complex, a Raja Gopuram, a Go-Shala and to revive some of the bigger utsavams at the temple including the Pavitrotrasavam and Brahmotsavam. With his devotional commitment at this young age, it is likely  God will bless him in his endeavours.

Rayanallur is about 20kms from Mannargudi on the Thiruthuraipoondi route. Yathulan Bhattar can be reached on 70943 57172/95782 89842
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Kapali Devotee Aparna Panguni Utsavam Rishabha Vahanam

March 14, 2022, 3:30 pm
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While the next gen is moving towards a 'modern way of life', this teenager from Mylapore has turned the clock back in time devotionally bonding with Kapaleeswarar
On Sunday Night, Aparna had her childhood dream fulfilled as she experienced Kapaleeswarar all through the night around the Mada Streets on the Rishabha Vahanam
Kapaleeswarar draws true devotees towards him and binds them for life. This section had in 2020 featured a story on a long time devotee and a staffer at Sundaram Finance, S Harini Yogalakshmi, who missed her favourite Rishabha Vahanam for the first time in her life after the Pandemic led to the cancellation of the Panguni Utsavam. As a Mylapore resident during her entire school and college days in the 1990s and the 2000s, she had been devotionally engaged with the Lord each session of the grand annual utsavam.

She had told this writer in April 2020 that for a true Kapali devotee, the Gopura Vaasal darshan each morning and evening during the Panguni Utsavam is pure bliss. Marriage had taken her to Erode and she had been away from the city for 5 years but that did not deter her from being part of the Panguni Utsavam. She would take the Yercaud Express to watch her favourite Lord on the Rishabha Vahanam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/04/kapali-panguni-utsavam.html).

Aparna's Devotional Initiation
Like Harini, long time Mylapore resident S Aparna, a first year student at MOP Vaishnav College (Electronic Media), too has been devotee of Kapaleeswarar all her life. Right from the time she was a three year old, her parents, hailing from Mangudi, near Kumbakonam, had initiated her into a devotional way of life. She has been a regular at the annual Panguni Utsavam ever since and has never missed a single Utsavam. Through the early phase of her schooling days, she would be taken to the Kapaleeswarar temple by her appa, and the daily darshan of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal gave her a devotional bonding with the divine couple and the Panguni Utsavam had become the one utsavam that she did not want to miss. 

Saddened by the Procession on Wheels
This section has also featured stories on remote temples where the Lord is now carried on wheels during the annual utsavams. Aparna recalls with a tinge of sadness as to how that trend has caught up at the Panguni Utsavam as well “In my early schooling days, I remember all the deities being carried by the Sripatham and it was a sight behold. There was a certain devotional charm about it. I remember a few Brazilians visiting the utsavam several years ago and being completely taken over the grandeur of the utsavam and the majestic way the Lord was carried around the Mada Streets. Unfortunately in recent years, the trend has been to carry the deities other than Kapaleeswarar on Wheels and that has caused for a bit of the charm to be lost.”

Naga Vahana - A Favourite
Like with Harini, for Aparna too, the Naga Vahana holds a special place in her heart and she never misses being at the start on the fourth evening of the utsavam.

A Childhood Dream - Through the night procession 
During her schooling days, Aparna used to walk along the procession till the end of East Mada Street. Later on, into her teens, she made it to the Western entrance of the North Mada Street on the late evening procession. While she has been an integral part of the Panguni Utsavam as a devotee for over a decade, it had always been at the back of her mind to be part of a procession ‘end to end’, especially on the Rishabha Vahanam night.

Through the night processions are a regular feature in historical temple towns in Tamil Nadu. This year, on April 16, Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari will go on a night long Pancha Prakara procession at Thiruvanaikaval https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/04/thiruvanaikaval-pancha-prakara-utsavam.html). This month will see the handsome Kothandaramar at Vaduvur go on a non stop 15 hour procession as part of the Brahmotsavam  (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/05/vaduvur-rama-navami-utsavam.html). But in the fast paced city life, the processions are run through at a fair clip. The Rishabha Vahana procession at the Kapaleeswarar Temple as part of the fifth day celebrations of the Panguni Utsavam is one where the Pancha Moorthies are there around the Mada Streets all through the night with the procession culminating on the 6th morning with Ekantha Sevai sacred verses recital of the othuvars inside the temple complex.

Last year, in 2021, the Rishabha Vahanam procession began at 12.30am and there were only a handful of devotees at the procession after 2am (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/03/maruvur-vedic-ramesh.html). When Aparna saw Kapaleeswarar atop her favourite Naga Vahana on Saturday evening, she was suddenly inspired to try out the all night procession on the fifth evening of the Utsavam. She recalls those moments on Saturday (March 12) evening “I spoke to my parents on the evening of the Naga Vahana asking for permission to be through the night at the Rishabha Vahanam procession. To my surprise, they immediately agreed. I was quite excited at the prospect of being up through the night with Kapaleeswarar around the Mada Streets for the first time in my life.”
While she spent the Sunday afternoon visualizing Kapaleeswarar on the Rishabha Vahanam, she did not prepare too much ahead of the procession except taking an hour’s nap. It is an interesting that in an age of gadgets leading to devotees’ limited patience in temples, this teenager chose to give this all night presence a try very early on in life. The early start to Rishabham this year meant she had to be around the Mada Streets for well over 8 hours and that could prove to be tiring for anyone.

Rishabha Vahanam Sunday Night
She was at the Kapaleeswarar temple just after 9pm on Sunday for the Pancha Moorthy procession inside the temple ahead of the Vahana procession. While there were thousands at the start of the procession for the Gopuram Darshan, most had left by the time Kapaleeswarar was on to the Sputh Mada Street. 

12 hours after the Rishabha Vahanam procession, she recounts sitting in a corner of the Kapaleeswarar temple her experience of Sunday night“It was a very different and a devotionally exciting experience. Right from my childhood, it had been a dream to be part of an entire procession. While it would have been normal to have been extremely tired on Monday morning, I found to my surprise that I felt positively energized. I almost felt like I had received a special boost to my devotional spirit. While the real feeling has not still sunk in, it has been an overwhelming experience and very satisfying to the mind. I never knew that I could pull it off. No one in the family has been at a procession all through the night. It feels fulfilling that I could do it this early in my life and has given me renewed confidence that I can do things that don’t necessarily seem easy in life.”

The devotional atmosphere around the Mada Streets
Kapaleeswarar’s walking style, the gala atmosphere with a packed crowd running into thousands, the nagaswaram and the beating of musical instruments of the Shiva Adiyars, the Vedic recital and the Sacred Verses of the Othuvars have made Sunday night very special for Aparna.

The Bonding with Rishabham right from childhood
Rishabham has always been special to her and this all night experience with Kapaleeswarar has lifted her devotional spirits “While Adhikara Nandi provides a majestic and a dominating look, Rishabham is very close to my heart. I cherish the Rishabham a lot and have a special bonding with him. As you have a close at him from just a few yards away as he arrives on to the Raja Gopuram, the devotional level increases manifold. He is pleasing to the eye and you are suddenly struck with a ‘very calm devotion’. It is something one has to experience to get the real feel. Rishabham’s eyes are so beautiful, ones that you do not find on any other day of the utsavam. And this time having been with him all through the Sunday night, I am on a devotional high with a feeling that he is one with me.”

Back home with Positive Energy
When she came home after 6.30am on Monday morning, her parents were curious to understand her all night experience with Kapaleeswarar “They wanted to know if I had enjoyed the experience and they could sense the positive energy I came back with. They were happy that I could stay with devotion through the night.”

Parents' Significant role
Her parents have had a big role to play in her devotional way of life. She credits them for her bonding with Kapaleeswarar “Instead of taking me to movies, they created a big interest for me in temples by making this my daily destination. Even the tours that we did outside of Chennai were to temples like Gangai Konda Chola Puram, Sarangapani and Chakrapani (Kumbakonam), Big Temple (Thanjavur) and Swami Malai. Thiru Meyachur Lalithambigai was a special favourite. They never forced me into temples but inculcated the devotional values and bhakthi in my childhood and allowed me to take a call on my way of life.”

“In my early years, my appa used to take me to the Utsavams at the Malleeswarar and Karaneeswarar temples in Mylapore and that made me look forward to Utsavams and the Grand Processions every year."

The Next Devotional Wish
For a girl from the new gen, it is pleasing to hear that she is never bored of temples. Through the 10 days of the Panguni Utsavam, she is there every morning and evening at the Kapaleeswarar temple well ahead of the procession. Sunday night saw her devotional dream come true. With this experience behind her, she is now even more devotionally thirsty and longing for more “My next devotional wish is to be part of an all night Aruthra Utsavam and watch the abhisekam after mid night and the Deepaarathanai early in the morning staying inside the temple all through the night.”

Also, she has a few more devotional wishes up her list even at the Panguni Utsavam, things that she has not experienced to date “On the night after Arubathumoovar, I want to be part of the late night Pancha Moorthi procession (2am/3am), one that does not see too many devotees.”
At a time, when the next gen has been moving into what is now fancifully termed a ‘modern way of life’, Aparna has moved the clock back in time and is leading a life that those from the previous generation would be delighted with.  Outside of her educational endeavours, a lot of her life over the last decade or so has revolved around temples and particularly with Kapaleeswarar. "Even when we planned a trip, I preferred a pilgrimage than a vacation to a tourist destination."

As she heads back to take yet another look at her favourite Lord on the Yaanai Vahanam on the sixth day of the Utsavam, one thing is clear - this teenager has been blessed by Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal to have such a close proximity with the divine couple at this young age.
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Ranganathapuram Mannargudi Jambunatha Temple Vignesh Gurukal

March 20, 2022, 2:01 am
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Keeping to the promise he made to his grandfather as a school boy, Vignesh Gurukal is dedicating his lifetime to this remote temple despite no income 

Referred to in historical times as Visweswarapuram, the centuries old Jambunatha Swamy temple in Ranganathapuram is located amidst greenery about 15kms from Mannargudi. The sixth generation priest 30 year old Vignesh Gurukal is now performing archaka service at the temple. His Great Great Grandfather Jambu Gurukal had performed service in the latter part of the 19th century. 

Through the previous century, his grandfather Panchapakesa Gurukal served at the temple till the age of 92 seeing through really challenging times, though in the 1st half the town was prosperous with the priest receiving 80 kalam paddy. The Zamins of the period took good care of the temple and the priest. Joint family system was still in vogue and the large family of the priest lived in the small house opposite the temple. With the traditional residents in the once vibrant North and South Agaraharam moving away to cities in the decade starting 1960, the temple’s infrastructure deteriorated and by the latter half of the century it had fallen into a dilapidated state. There was no income at the temple and devotees turned up in very few numbers and that on select occasions. All the utsavams had come to a halt. There were no processions inside or outside the temple.

With the 2nd half of the 20th century being really terrible for the temple towns in TN, more so the remote ones, it would have been justified for this family to have moved away from the hereditary service. However, Panchapakesan Gurukal took a promise in the late 1990s from the then school going grandson Vignesh that he would carry forward the tradition irrespective of the financial challenges he has to face in life. “Appa’s philosophy was that we are blessed to be performing abhisekam for Jambunathar and irrespective of the financial situation, we should continue the pooja” recalls 62 year old Santhanam Gurukal, who served as a postman in the village while also performing archaka service at the temple.
A Life Time Commitment
When Vignesh was ten, he was keen to pursue academics for he was doing well at school but by then he was already supporting his grandfather in the daily pooja and that had created a devotional interest in him in archaka service. When his grandfather asked him to continue the service, he agreed and kept to the commitment. At 11, he moved to the patshala in Pillayarpatti where he was initiated into the Saiva Agama for six years.  

Message from his Guru
When he was in Pillayarpatti, his acharya at the Patshala Pichai Gurukal handed him a strong devotional message “You have learnt the agamas for six years.  Do not forget your grandfather’s temple. You should perform at least one kaala pooja every day during your lifetime.”

Vignesh Gurukal was initiated into the consecration processes by the now famous Avarani Sundar. He received the Shiva Deekshai at the historical Thyagaraja temple in Thiruvarur and joined the temple when he was just 17years old.  He has been performing archaka service at the temple for just over a decade for which he gets a salary of Rs. 1000 once every three months from the HR & CE.In addition to the Akilandanayaki Jambunatha Swamy temple, he also performs pooja at the Ayyanar and Kali temples in Ranganathapuram. 
In the decade he has been at the  Jambunatha temple, he has received lucrative offers from across the country but he is committed to continuing the service at this temple. He is currently anchoring the restoration exercise. He is keen to revive the Nandavanam that was once integral to the temple.  The last Kumbabhisekam took place three decades ago. He is keen to perform the consecration sometime in the near future.

“The income may be low and original inhabitants may have left the town but I have promised a commitment to this temple and performing service here gives a lot of satisfaction” says Vignesh Gurukal. 

He is fully aware that if he leaves the temple seeking greener pastures, the lights will not burn at the temple. “My heart does not permit to allow the temple to get into that state.”

Vignesh Gurukal can be contacted @ 96559 88448
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