84 year old Sethuram Iyengar rides a TVS motorcycle every morning from Killiyanallur to light the lamp and perform pooja but HR & CE has completely ignored this ancient temple that is lying in dilapidated condition for several decades
Snakes and Bats welcome him inside the dark temple but his devotion has led him to fearlessly perform pooja
Growth of trees around the Vimana has led to the ancient stone structure falling off
The Utsava Idol has been in safety locker at the temple in Kodiyalam on the Southern Banks of Cauvery
It is one of those temples that not been benefited by the overall infrastructure development and lays in a dilapidated condition in a remote location in the midst of large barren piece of land.
The Centuries old Gopalakrishnan Temple in Shozhanganallur, about 5kms North of Sirugambur near Mukkombu is reminiscent of the state of many of the ancient temples in Tamil Nadu in the 1970s and 80s. While many, especially the Azhvaar praised Divya Desams, saw a restoration starting from the 1990s, this one remains ignored. With restoration in mind, Balalayam was done 50years ago but the repair works haven’t even started in the five decades that has passed.
84 year old Sethurama Iyengar stays in Killiyanallur (on the Trichy – Namakkal highway) about 10kms from the temple. His forefathers had performed pooja at this temple for many years in the 20thcentury. His grandfather walked all the way bare footed from Killiyanallur in the hot sun to perform pooja at this temple. There was a Madapalli too in those decades that was fully functional. ‘Amuthu Parai’ stands as proof of the existence of the Madapalli at this temple.
In the later part of the 20th Century, the temple found no takers and remained in a locked condition for several years till finally the Villagers joined hands and approached Sethurama Iyengar to take care of the temple. Over two decades ago, he re-opened the temple and has been performing pooja every day.
Notwithstanding his old age, he starts his TVS XL motor cycle (gifted to him by his son!!) and rides through the pit filled road via Sirugambur to reach the temple every morning to light the lamp.
Similar to what happened in many temples (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/02/erettai-tirupathi-transformation.html) in the dark days of the 70s and 80s, Sethurama Iyengar enters the temple cautiously watching out for the snakes that have been crawling around in the corner. Every morning, he has to undergo this trauma. He says that there were times when the snake would hiss when he entered. For a while he has not heard that hiss but is always worried that it might turn up one morning in that dark little sannidhi. There are bats as well. It is truly scary to enter the temple even during the day.
His daily route includes lighting the lamp and presenting an arathi to Lord Gopalakrishnan. If there are devotees coming the way of the temple, he stays back. Else, he returns carefully maneuvering the two wheeler through pits along the muddy road to Sirugambur.
There was a sacred well as well inside the temple complex but that too has remained untouched for decades.
As seen in the story on Uthamar Seeli (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/10/uthamar-seeli-venugopalan-temple.html), the processional deity here too has been kept away at the Perumal Temple Kodiyalam for several decades. The moolavar deity, Gopalakrishnan, looks handsome but has been left alone in this remote village in the company of snakes and bats.
Historically, he says that the Lord of Shozhanganallur used to send annual gifts to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam and that the service personnel at this temple used to carry the gift on a long 20km trip, with a couple of the personnel holding the Theevatti in the front to light the path. But that was a thing from the past.
Dilapidated State
The temple is currently in a badly damaged condition now. The path leading to the temple is full of thorns. Every devotee who enters the village is welcomed with the same message “Will the temple finally see the light.” But the villagers point out that the talk of renovation and restoration of the temple has been going on for several years and that they don’t believe this story any longer. The prakaram is full of sharp stones. The roof is in danger of falling any time. The outer wall is broken. The entrance to the temple is bereft of any wall. Utsavams have not taken place for several decades, with the processional idol in safe custody at Kodiyalam on the Southern banks of Cauvery. The Vimana is surrounded by a thick growth of trees that has caused damaged to the ancient stone structure, that is now falling off .
There is even talk of ASI taking over this heritage structure.
The temple is administered by the HR & CE but as is the case with ‘revenue-less’ temples, the department is not too eager to undertake any repair works. The Villagers are hoping that some enlightened soul will turn up one day and restore this small temple.
Sethurama Iyengar @ 97875 72556 is readily available through the day to take the 10 km ride to showcase the state of the temple to any interested devotee.