Thanjai Maa Mani Divya Desam

Thanjai Maa Mani Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/01/thanjai-maa-mani-koil-divya-desam.html), praised by Thirumangai Azhvaar in his very first decad in the Periya Thirumozhi as one with walls and groves, is located three kms from Thanjavur on the banks of Vennaar, a tributary of Cauvery.

Till 60 years ago, Thanjavur despite being a district headquarters comprising of Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam, was largely an underdeveloped town. One of the few landmarks, the Thanjavur Palace was in a dilapidated state. The finances of the Palace were in a terrible state. There was not a single college in town. Less than 10 cars plied on the roads of Thanjavur. Bullock Cart was the main form of transport within the town.

Sangeetha Mahal was used as a Storarge House of Fertilizer Urea.  There was nauseating smell when a visitor went inside and hence most stayed away. Saraswathi Mahal was only slightly better.  The now famous Big Temple was not tourist place and was also not one of devotional destination for the sannidhis were inhabited by bats that rushed out in large numbers on human entry. There were just three Gurukals to take care of the entire temple, one each for the Swami and Ambal Sannidhi and a third who took care of all the other sannidhis. Except for Thursday, there was very little crowd at the temple.

It was only after brothers TK Sankara Vadivelu and Palaniappan became Collector, in successive terms, in the 1950s that development initiatives were undertaken says the 88 years K Ramanarayanan, who served for decades in the revenue department in Thanjavur.

Logically they began by focusing on the revival of the Palace. During Sankara Vadivelu’s time as the Collector, he renovated the Sangeetha Mahal and brought the acoustics to old glory. His brother Palaniappan who was previously in Hyderabad succeeded him. Palaniappan had experienced the beauty of Safdarjung Museum and was shattered to see the Palace in bad shape. After a terrible cyclone struck the district in the 1950s, he sent a circular to all Tahsildars to collect pieces of art neglected and not in worship in different temples in the district. A number of idols were brought to the palace and showcased in the art gallery.

He also organised an annual art exhibition in Thanjavur. SS Vasan, whose movie Avvayar was run at that time, promoted the film in Thanjavur district and passed on some of the collections to help with the repairs at the Palace. The exhibition gave a face lift to the town. In 1965, Veda Narayanan handed over the collections from the last of the annual exhibitions to the Government clearing all the debts of the Palace.

Sarfoji College was started and shortly after the Kundavi Nachiyar Girls College, the first for women. A medical college too was opened in the 1960s. Thus began the development of Thanjavur. Because of the presence of the Cauvery and  her Tributaries in the North, the town saw a lopsided development with growth skewed towards the South.

The first real fillip to the Big Temple was when the Bats were driven out after Periyava suggested the lighting of 500 Ghee lamps every Friday. Over a decade later, Periyava was the inspirational force behind the conduct of the Kumbabhisekam after a gap of 177years, with the previous large scale repair works having been undertaken in 1803 by Sarfoji.10 lakh devotees visited the Big Temple on the occasion of the Kumbabhisekam and after. It was the biggest event for decades in a temple in Tamil Nadu. Later that decade, one saw another event of a grand scale with the construction of the Raja Gopuram in Srirangam.

The state of and the development of Thanjai Maa Mani Divya Desam is to be seen in light of scenario that existed in Thanjavur, especially at the Big Temple, at that time.

Srinivas Bhattar, popularly referred to as ‘Pichai’ joined the temple in the early 1960s and served for almost 55 years till his death a couple of years back. For a large part, he received a salary of a few hundreds. When he received Rs. 20 a month as Thattu Kaasu, he saw it as a big bonus. To take care of the family, he also managed a few other temples in the nearby villages.

Till the 1960s, agraharam was vibrant at this Divya Desam and two at that – one in the South and the other North of the temple. The traditional residents at the agraharam financially supported the festivals. But beginning the 60s and more into the 70s, a lot of them sold the property in the agraharam and went away seeking greener pastures. During those decades, when the agraharams were vibrant, the Lord was carried on shoulders around the four streets of the Divya Desam. But in recent times, as with most other remote temples in Tamil Nadu, there has been shortage of staff here as well and the Lord now moves on wheels even during the annual Brahmotsavam. In those years, Veda Parayanam too was a regular feature at the temple, especially during Desikar Utsavam.

Srinivasa ‘Pichai’ Bhattar was the man who was the vital link between the Lord and the devotees even in the financially tough times. As a single Bhattar, in the 1960s and 70s, he would shuttle between the three temples – Singa Perumal Koil, Manikundram Perumal and Neela Megha Perumal - helping devotees with darshan. This continued much into this decade as well and till the very end was devotionally committed to the Lords of this Divya Desam.

In a verse in the Periya Thirumozhi, Thirumangai Azhvaar refers to the Lord (Narasimha) who tore open the chest of Hiranyakashipu as residing in Thanjai Maa Mani Koil. He also refers to the second of the temples as Manikundram.

சூழ்கடல்சிறைவைத்து  இமையோர்தொழும்

His son Narasimha Bhattar began supporting his father from the age of 15. He has now been at the temple for the last 35 years. But for someone committed to serving the Lord in three temples at this Divya Desam, there was no girl who came forward to marry him and thus at 50, he remains unmarried living in a small ''few 100s sft' house opposite the Manikundram Perumal Temple.

Rukmini Maami is 85 years old and has been a resident of this Divya Desam for close to 60 years having come here with her husband in 1962. She and her husband are the only couple to have remained in the agraharam through this period.

She remembers the huge quantity of Thaligai comprising of Kadambam rice and Chakkarai Pongal that was presented to the Lord during the big Utsavams such as the Brahmotsavam and the Desikar Utsavam. The doors of the house that stretched from the agraraham in the South to the Eastern entrance of the temple were always open. Relatives and friends would come from afar for these utsavams. 100s of devotees would enjoy the sacred food after the procession of the Lord around the four streets. 

Her family supported these utsavams in a big way and ensured that the festivals at the Singa Perumal Koil did not stop for want of funds. However as with others in the agraharam, most of her relatives too chose the corporate world as their future and left this Divya Desam over a period of time leaving her and her husband as the sole long standing couple here.

Sadly, the Brahmotsavam and street processions have come to a halt at the Manikundram Divya Desam after the flag post was damaged a decade ago. The authorities are hoping that this will be revived soon. After the death of Pichai Bhattar, the Prince has appointed a separate Bhattar for Neelamegha Perumal temple, the first in several decades.  Within a matter of 12 months, one finds a dramatic change in the temple with the Lord seen in glittering jewels and Gold Kreedam and Kavacham, thanks to the interest taken by the new priest.

Paricharaka Sampath Iyengar too served at the Thanjai Maa Mani Divya Desam for four decades from the early 1960s, also at a monthly salary in the 100s. In a rare turn of event, his grandson 25 year old Sridhar has joined the temple after completing his graduation, purely in a gesture of continuing the service. 

Right from his school and college days, he had been supporting his grandfather at the temple. He had also taken special interest in decorating the Lord even as a young boy. Now he is actively involved in alankaram during Brahmotsavams and also during the now popular 23 Garuda Sevai in Thanjavur. The good news now is that both Narasimha Bhattar and Sridhar Paricharakar are well paid by the Prince.

An integral part of the survival of this Divya Desam was the Mei Kavalar P Varadarajan, like the one in Athanur Divya Desam not too far away from here. Now 61, he joined the temple about 25 years ago at a salary of Rs. 310. His was the role to open the temple door at the scheduled time in the morning and evening. He was also responsible for the cleanliness of the temple. He also carried the Lord on his shoulder when required and also carried the torch lamp – Theevatti- during processions. Coming off from farming in the village of Perumagalur, he is delighted to have got the opportunity to serve the Lord in a Divya Desam. 

It was not the financial lure but the devotional attraction and to be with the Lord all days of the year that helped him stick like a glue these two and a half decades. At the time of his retirement, he secured a healthy Rs. 13000 as monthly salary. Subsequent to this retirement, he now serves as the watchman at the temple.

Almost the entire service personnel are in synch when it comes to the role played by the Rajah of Thanjavur in preserving these ancient temples (88 of them are under their administration). Both in difficult times and now when things are much better, the Palace has done its best for these service personnel. And that is truly commendable, especially at a time when the HR & CE continues to pay in 100s to priests in the several 1000s of temples administered by them in Tamil Nadu.