Back to roots – Covid's Second Wave drives renowned Prabhandham Presenter to his hereditary home at the historical Divya Desam
After 27 long years, Malola Kannan has packed his bags for good and headed back this month to Deiva Nayakan Divya Desam in Thiruvahindrapuram where his forefathers had performed daily service for several centuries
I am looking forward to offering my daily service to Devanatha Perumal and Hayagrivar for the rest of my life - Malola Kannan
In a sudden and unexpected development, the intense second wave and the consequent lockdown in Madras has driven 45 year old Malola Kannan, a world renowned Prabhandham presenter back to his roots at Deiva Nayakan Perumal Divya Desam in Thiruvahindrpuram to perform service to Moovaraagiya Oruvan and Hayagrivar at the historical temple. While reverse migration is currently being spoken about in the corporate world, this one is probably the first in the temple circles of a renowned full time city based Vedic Scholar returning to his hereditary temple town with his entire family. His father, TE Krishna Desikan, now aged 86, was a renowend scholar at this Divya Desam in his hey days and performed service till recently. However, his health has suffered in recent times, is currently immobile and needs personal care. It is great delight to the father that his son has returned to their hereditary home and is now commited to performing daily service at the temple for the rest of his life.
இருந்தண் மா நிலம் ஏனம் அது ஆய்
வளை மருப்பினில் அகத்து ஒடுக்கி
கருந்தண் மா கடல்கண் துயின்றவன் இடம்
கமலநல் மலர்தேறல் அருந்தி
இன் இசை முரன்றுஎழும் அளிகுலம்
பொதுளி அம போழிலூட
செருந்தி நாள்மலர் சென்று அணைந்து உழிதரு
திருவயிந்திரபுரமே -Thiru Mangai Azhvaar
After early Vedic Initiation from his father, Malola Kannan left the Divya Desam as an eighteen year old to pursue higher Studies in Sanskrit. In the mid 1990s, he studied Mimamsa at the Sanskrit College in Mylapore. Later he pursued MA Sanskrit at the Presidency College and M. Phil at the Madras University. Currently, he is in the final stages of his P. hd at the Tirupathi Vidya Peetam.
Talking to this writer from his historical home a few yards from the Devanatha Perumal Temple, Malola Kannan said that till the end of 2020, returning to Thiruvahindrapuram had not been in his plans.
"While I had come to the city to pursue my Sanskrit education, the need for financial stability led me to continue my life in Madras in the 1990s."
However, the intensity of the second wave and the extended lockdown led him to this sudden decision to return ‘HOME’.
“Even in January and February this year, when things were seemingly returning to normal and weddings were back in full swing, I had no plans to return to Thiruvahindrapuram. But finally, the Lord of Thiru Vahindrapuram has used the intense second wave of Covid-19 and the stringent lockdown in Madras to instill the thought in me that it’s time I returned to my roots and performed daily service here.”
He says he is delighted to return to his home town after close to three decades and to now be able to perform every day service to Devanatha Perumal and Hayagrivar.
Hayagrivar
Malola Kannan belongs to the tenth generation of Vedic Service Providers at this Divya Desam. His daily service at the temple includes presenting flowers to the Lord, reciting the Vedas every morning and evening both at the Perumal Sannidhi as well as at the Hayagriva Sannidhi atop the hill and being present at Satru Murai.
Popular Prabhandham CDs
Just over 15 years ago, it was Malola Kannan who roped in Navalpakkam Ranganathan (Rangappa) for the presentation of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham and for its launch in CD format at that time. Prior to that, he had already rendered the entire Vedantha Desikar Stotrams in a solo presentation. He has also presented with Rangappa the now globally popular Desikar Prabhandham and launched in CD format.
Over the last couple of decades, he has also been a much sought after 'Brihaspathi' at Weddings and other functions.
While this section has in the past written several stories on original inhabitants leaving their hereditary towns seeking greener pastures in cities, this move of Malola Kannan to his home town to perform daily service at the Deiva Nayakan Divya Desam.
Interestingly over the last decade, his elder daughter, Chandmaye, has developed great interest in football and is currently pursuing a worldwide course in Football Analytics (Chandomaye Football). For many years now, his son, Kosagan, just into his teens, has been a full time resident at the Karpagambal Veda Gurukalam in Mylapore and is being initiated into the Vedas by Kannan Ganapadigal.
Malola Kannan has a huge clientele in Madras and says will continue to perform wedding ceremonies “I am only three hours away from Madras and will continue to serve those who have used my services over the last couple of decades. But it is a great feeling to be back at the home where I grew up in the late 1970s and 80s. While I had been here for all the big utsavams in the decades gone by, the opportunity to serve every morning and evenings at the Sannidhi is devotionally exciting.”
Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi refers to the Lord of Thiru Vahindrapuram as ‘Moovaraagiya Oruvan’ (Thiru Vahindrapuram Divya Desam).
This move of Malola Kannan to Thiru Vahindrapuram is great news for historical temple towns. A few years ago, this section had written about original inhabitants of Therazhundur Divya Desam (Therazhundur) expressing intent to return to their roots. Hopefully, this move of Malola Kannan will lead a wave of traditionalists returning to their home town for good.
This section will track the developments on that front.