Sarangapani Koil Pagal Pathu Utsavam

It (Dec 16) is the first day of Margazhi and that is a special one at the seven Azhvaars praised Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai. Special not just because of the birth of the sacred month of Margazhi, but every year, day one of Margazhi marks the beginning of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam. It is a unique historical tradition not followed in any other Divya Desam. While most other temples follow Vaikunta Ekadasi as the primary date for the Adyayana Utsavam with 10 days prior being the Pagal Pathu Utsavam and the following 10 days being the Era Pathu Utsavam, at the Sarangapani Koil it has been a centuries old tradition to start the Pagal Pathu Utsavam on the first day of Margazhi. While almost all the temples have created a Paramapada Vaasal opening for the Vaikunta Ekadasi Utsavam in the recent century, there is no Paramapada Vaasal at the Sarangapani Koil and the temple’s speciality is marked by the entrance from the South and North, coinciding with the Dakshinaya Punya Kaalam and Utharaayina Punya Kaalam.

The Adhyayana Utsavam is a 22 day event at the Sarangapani Koil with the conclusion marked by the presentation of Desikar Prabhandham. This utsavam will be immediately followed by the Thai Brahmotsavam.

The 10 day Oonjal Utsavam, celebrated in the evening, had just concluded the previous day. Soundara Raja Bhattar is one of the well respected Bhattars in the region for he is well versed in the agamas having learned from the then revered Raghunatha Sharma in Thiru Kudanthai. The Bhattar has performed Thiru Aradhanam at this temple for over three decades counts. His father L Srinivasa Bhattachar (Chellappa) too had performed selfless service at this temple for almost three decades including through the Challenging decades of the 1960s and 70s without a salary before collapsing one day at the Chakrapani Sannidhi and meeting with an untimely death when Soundara Raja Bhattar was just 9 years old. 

He is up at 3.45am at the temple on Thursday morning for the Vishroopam on day one of Margazhi and his morning session extends right up  to well past 1pm. There is an Margazhi Upanyasam slated for the evening at the Andal Sannidhi and he readies the huge garland for the Saint Poet.

Back at the Aaraavamudhan Sannidhi, all the azhvaar and acharya idols are being brought from their respective Sannidhis at the Eastern Entrance of the temple all the way to the Thirumaamani Mandapam by the service personnel of the temple. Just on day one of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam, the Thodakkam of the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham takes place in front of the Aaravamudhan Moolavar Sannidhi while on the rest of the days of the Utsavam, Sarangapani Perumal makes his way to the 100 Pillared Mandapam at the Eastern Entrance to listen to the Prabhandham presentation.

And hence it takes a lot of physical effort on the part of these limited service personnel of the temple to make almost 15trips back and forth to place the Azhvaars and Acharyas at their respective places at the Thirumaamani Mandapam. Starting at 11am, it is an exercise that takes well over an hour. By 12.30pm, there is a certain vibrancy in front of the Aaravamudhan Sannidhi with devotees to the Sannidhi having a once in a year darshan of all the Azhvaars and Acharyas at this mandapam. It is also the only day when they can go around all the Azhvaars and Acharyas in a Pradakshinam at this Sannidhi.

It is past 1pm when Soundara Raja Bhattar is able to lock the Moolavar Sannidhi having arrived there over 9 hours earlier!!!

It is a very long day and probably one of the most tiring for the temple’s lone cook Sudarshan. Paid a meager monthly salary for his tireless service by the HR &CE, Madapalli Sudarshan has been up at 3am this morning for the early morning Thaligai. He doubles up as the Sri Patham to carry the Azhvaars and Acharyas from their Sannidhis to the Thirumaamani Mandapam. He leads the presentation of the Uchi Kaalam Thaligai. In between he is also seen cleaning all the sacred vessels all by himself. He also has to anchor the Thaligai for the Pagal Pathu Thodakkam that is slated for 3pm. He has very little rest on the day. 

Shortly after 2.45pm, the Prabhandham Scholars arrive one by one at the temple each one of them decked in a Panchakacham. Kumar Bhattachar, who is playing the anchor for the Pallandu Thodakkam reaches the Sannidhi at 3.30pm.  There are a few traditional ladies of Thiru Kudanthai Divya Desam who are there for this sacred moment.

Just around 4pm, Kumar Bhattachar presents the Shatari to each of the Azhvaars and Acharya and after the introduction of each of them by Patrachar of Thiru Kudanthai, he begins the recital of Pallandu along with around 15 Prabhandham members. 

Unlike most other occasions in the year, the Adhyayana Utsavam is marked by a presentation at a very steady pace. It takes over an hour to present the first hundred verses of the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham. Many outstation devotees who reach the temple at 5pm are in for a surprise for they are not aware of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam starting here on day one of Margazhi. They are delighted to have darshan of all the Azhvaars at this mandapam along with the darshan of Lord Aaravamudhan, seen in a Uthaana Sayana Kolam.

It is 6.30pm when the second Canto of Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi is nearing its completion with the members presenting in a slow and loud chorus the Vennai Vizhingi set of verses where child Krishna’s neighbours complain about his various misdeeds to his mother. Around a hundred devotees have congregated inside the Thirumaamani Mandapam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/09/krishna-neighbours-complain.html). 

It is a once in a life time opportunity for these outstation devotees to both have a darshan of all the Azhvaars at this mandapam as well as to listen to the devotional presentation of  Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi narrating Krishna’s childhood activities.

15 minutes later, the scholars present each of the Vedas followed by the final decad of the Second Canto of Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi. In the previous decad, the neighbours had complained about the misdeeds of Child Krishna. And now in this Satru Murai decad on the first evening of Pagal Pathu Utsavam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/09/krishna-gopis-complain.html), the members present the complaints of the Gopikas.

It is well past 7pm and it has been a highly devotional 3hours at the Thirumaamani Mandapam. Madapalli Sudarshan makes an announcement to the Prabhandham members to head to the madapalli for ‘Arisi Upma’ Thaligai. The day’s Ubayadharars have a special darshan at the Moolavar Sannidhi while the hundred odd devotees finally manage a darshan of Lord Aaravamudhan having enjoyed the final couple of decads of the Prabhandham over the previous hour. Damodara Dikshithar too makes his way to the Moolavar Sannidhi on this first evening of Pagal Pathu Utsavam and is welcomed by Soundararaja Bhattar with his differentiated and unique presentation of the archanai praising Lord Aaravamudhan. He explains to the Dikshithar the legend of the Lord and his special sleeping posture acceding to the request of Thirumazhisai Azhvaar. 

At 8pm, the Sri Patham Thangis, the service personnel at the temple, are back to carry all the Azhvaars and Acharyas back to their respective Sannidhis.The long day for Soundara Raja Bhattar ends shortly after 9pm with a visibly tired looking Madapalli Sudarshan, who has been working nonstop for over 15 hours, bringing in the Sayana Thaligai. Both of them sign off with the message that they will be back early morning for day two of Margazhi!!!