Thiru Koodalur Kasturi Rangan Bhattar

39 year old Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now into his 25th year in service at the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Jagathrakshagan temple in Aduthurai Perumal Koil located on the Thiruvayaru Kumbakonam Highway. He began supporting his ‘blind’ appa as a teenager and then took full charge as the sole archaka in 2007. In the last 15years, his salary has remained stagnant much like that of Ananthu Bhattar of Thenthiruperai Divya Desam. He and his forefathers have been performing archaka service at the temple over the last century but through this entire period, the financial scenario has not improved. In his case, even the miniscule monthly salary of Rs. 1875 has not been paid for the last few years.

His grandfather Srinivasa Raghavan had performed Thiru Aradhanam at the temple for several decades till 1980 at a salary of Rs. 13!!!  

His appa Muthu Krishnan Bhattar, who performed archaka service at Thiru Koodalur for over 25years including many years with blind eyes at a salary of Rs. 130, cycled every morning to Ayyampettai where he performed aradhanam in Rama, Krishna and Hanuman temples. He then cycled back to Thiru Koodalur for Thiru Aradhanam at the Divya Desam at 8am. From here, he cycled another 3kms to Puthur for service at the Perumal temple there and returned home at 12noon. He followed a similar process in the evening. There were no street lights in those decades but that did not deter Muthu Krishnan Bhattar from his devotional endeavours. This was his daily routine for close to two decades. From these four temples, he received a total of around Rs. 200 per month!!!

Unfortunately there were very few devotees in any of these temples. All the utsavams had come to a halt at Thiru Koodalur Divya Desam decades ago. The scenario was so bad four decades ago that Muthu Krishnan Bhattar would switch off the lamp soon after Thiru Aradhanam. There was not just shortage of oil or ghee to light the lamp but even the Thiri was not available in sufficient quantity. 

In 1996, while returning after a bath in the Cauvery, Muthu Krishnan Bhattar was knocked down by a bus much like Srikanthan Bhattar of Sirupuliyur Divay Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/sirupuliyur-divya-desam.html). In the accident, he lost his eyesight but continued to serve for a few more years“I would leave him at the temple in the morning. On his own, he would make his way to the Sannidhi for he knew every wall and pillar at the temple. He would light the lamp and perform aradhanam. He would also cook in the Madapalli and present Thaligai to the Lord. I would come back and pick him back” says Kasturi Rangan Bhattar.

In the late 1990s, Krishnapremi ‘Anna’, who transformed Shenganoor(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/09/periya-vachan-pillai-senganoor.html), began an ubayam for Thirumanjanam every month on the Vaikasi Day and also presented Thayir Saatham as Thaligai.  Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan provided pooja items to the temple for daily aradhanam. He also anchored the renovation activities at temple with the consecration taking place in 2003. 

This is seen as a Kethu Parikara Sthalam. Separated couples come to this temple and present Thaligai with butter and kalkandu for 16days. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar says that close to 200 couples have come together after visiting this temple. Childless couples too visit the temple and have found success after invoking the blessings of the Lord here at this Divya Desam.

Following the 2003 Samprokshanam, Vaikasi Brahmotsavam was revived for the first time in several decades. When Kasturi Rangan officially took charge in 2007, Aippasi Pavitrotsavam too was revived. But the Brahmotsavam that was only revived in 2003 has been discontinued once again and has not taken place for the last six years. There are no Sripatham personnel at the temple to carry the Lord on the big Vahanas. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now looking for small weightless vahanas so Brahmotsavam can be conducted and for the processions to take place on these small vahanas. If devotees support this initiative, it is possible for the Brahmotsavam to be revived sometime in the future. Currently, Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan is anchoring his 2nd renovation at this temple following the Samprokshanam in 2003. It is likely that the Samprokshanam will take place later this year but Brahmotsavam and the street processions may not resume anytime in the near future.

Ganapathy Agraharam, 2kms West of Thiru Koodalur, the place where Kasturi Rangan Bhattar resides was once vibrant. There were a few cows at home as was the tradition in the century gone by. The smarthas in the agraharam bought milk and curd from his forefathers and that was how the family was run but with the passing of time there too traditional residents moved away to larger towns. In addition to the Divya Desam service, Kasturi Rangan Bhattar also performs Thiru Aradhanam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ganapathy Agraharam.

His appa’s message during his childhood was to have the fullest faith in Jagathrakshagan and that he would take care of Kainkaryapakas who performed service with sincerity “We cannot continue this service if financial interest is in our mind. Kainkaryam to Jagathrakshagam is what keeps us going. Our duty is to be as sincere as possible in devotion and service.”