In a remote location near Pullam Bhoothangudi within a single complex is the Brindavanam of five heads of the Ahobilam Mutt
The Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan Temple had been in dilapidated condition for several decades and was renovated under the leadership of the 45th Jeer
Just over 200 years ago, the 25th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt, HH Srinivasa Yatheendra Maha Desikan made a trip to the then vibrant Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Valvil Rama temple at Pullam Bhoothangudi. To seek his blessings, the Prince of Thanjavur Serfoji visited Pullam Bhoothangudi. Soon after, he handed several villages around Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam in donation to the Mutt. Over time, this location a couple of kms North East of Pullam Bhoothangudi came to be named as Narasimmapuram. It is here that one finds a beautiful Brindavanam of five Heads of the Ahobilam Mutt.
All those centuries ago, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Pullam Bhoothangudi as a well laid out city with huge Mansions and Mandapams (much in contrast to what it is now), Pullam Bhoothangudi was home to scores of Vedic Seers who in their chants through the day spread the message of forgiveness and patience as part of one’s lives. The temple was surrounded with beautiful red lotuses that seemed to bloom all through the year in the water tanks, where one also found bees drinking nectar and humming sweet tunes. He makes a specific reference to Punnai Trees that sprinkled golden turmeric like pollen. Water, he says, gushed from the Cauvery with gems being washed ashore on to the banks in Pullam Bhoothangudi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/05/pullam-bhoothangudi-divya-desam.html).
The first Brindavanam was for the 25th Jeer who secured these lands for the Mutt in the late 18th Century from Serfoji. Soon after he passed away, in 1811, the first of the Brindavanams came up in Narasimmapuram. Over the next century, Brindavanam for the 26th, 30th, 37th and 38th Jeers of the Mutt was also built within this beautiful complex. Half a km South of the Brindavanam is a small temple for Lakshmi Narasimhan also on the piece of land handed to the Mutt by the Thanjavur Prince(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/thanjavur-palace-babaji-rajah-bhonsle.html).
However, with the infrastructure development in the 20th century skewed towards certain locations, this entire region including the Divya Desams of Pullam Bhoothangudi and Athanur turned ‘remote’ in the new scheme of things. And for several decades, the two Divya Desams as well as the temple and the Brindavanam in Narasimmapuram remained in dilapidated condition.
While the devotional wave saw improvements in the two Divya Desams (another renovation exercise is currently on at Athanur Aandalukku Aiyan Divya Desam with the Samprokshanam expected shortly), the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple in Narasimmapuram continued to remain deserted and unattended. Broken walls and big bushes were seen inside the two complexes.
The revival in Narasimmapuram
It was during the period of the 45th Jeer HH Narayana Maha Desikan that a complete renovation exercise was initiated at the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimha temple and consecration performed earlier last decade.
Three years ago, the Mutt in a formal directive handed over the maintenance and organizing of festivals at Narasimmapuram to the trustees of the Brindavanam. The 46th Jeer of the Mutt instructed that the Trustees of the Narasimmapuram Brindavanam Trust, who are related to the 38th Head of the Mutt, Srinivasa Satakopa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (Mutt’s head - 1905-09) to maintain the two properties.
Currently Kannappan, a resident of Sannidhi Street in Pullam Bhoothangudi for the last 25years and the trustee of the temple, has been rendering service all alone performing daily aradhana at both the Brindavanam and the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple.
For centuries, his forefathers had taken care of the Athanur Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2010/04/athanur-divya-desam.html). Given the challenging financial conditions of the time, his father who had been managing the temple services all by himself handed over the temple to the Mutt in the 1950s.
Both at the Lakshmi Narasimha temple and the Pancha Brindavanam, Kannappan meticulously lights lamps every morning and performs aradhana. He also presents Thaligai at the Lakshmi Narasimhan temple.
The Brindavanam of the 19th Head of the Mutt is also in this region, very near the Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam.
Kannappan can be reached on: 99446 30182
The story on the Brindavanam of the 40th Jeer of the Mutt at Thuvariman (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/01/thuvariman-rangaraja-perumal-temple.html)