Ayyur Varadaraja Perumal Temple Restoration

Following a story in this section in the first week of October last year on the dilapidated state of the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ayyur, near Katchanam (Tiruvarur) and the subsequent tweet of the story by TR Ramesh (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/02/tr-ramesh-temple-activist.html) directed at the HR & CE Minister and the Commissioner, the HR & CE department has acted swiftly in taking steps towards restoration of the temple.

Within weeks of Ramesh’s tweet, the four year salary of the priest Sowri Rajan Bhattar that had been pending was paid in full. The debris that had accumulated over a long period of time was removed from the Maha Mandapam. Later a bull dozer was brought in to remove the bushes around the prakara and to flatten the pathway. 

This week the HR & CE has approved a full fledged restoration exercise and fixed the Balalayam date for March 13. The restoration exercise is likely to be taken up by a devotee donor from Chennai and is estimated at around Rs. 1crore. HR & CE has directed the donor to complete the entire exercise within three months from the date of the Balalayam.

The devotee is roping in Vasan Bhattar of Therazhundur Divya Desam 

(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/09/therazhundur-vasan-bhattar.html) to perform the rituals relating to the Balalayam.

Once upon a time in the not too distant past there was a big sized Granary where Paddy was stored and measured. There was also a fully functional Madapalli to the South of the Raja Gopuram. Service Personnel including paricharakars were active at this temple. There was a huge Nandavanam in the outer prakara but with the lack of attention it had turned into a mini forest. In fact shortly after this story had featured in September, Sowri Rajan Bhattar had a huge snake next to him when he entered the temple. The devotees who had gathered at that time directed it away from the temple. 

The temple has been in a dilapidated state with Thiru Kottaram and Madapalli almost unrecognisable with fallen roofs and walls. The restoration will include building the outer walls on all the four sides, reconstructing the madapalli, rebuilding the Maha Mandapam from scratch and bringing back the huge granary to shape.

One will have to wait and watch as to what will happen to the dilapidated Raja Gopuram – if it will be brought down and reconstructed from scratch or if there will be a restoration of the existing structure.

Since October, devotees have made contributions towards oil to light the lamp every day at the sannidhi and to present Thaligai to the Lord. Some of the important days in the month such as Shravanam have also seen renewed sacred activities with Thirumanjanam being performed. Former corporate staffer SV Badri ( father in law of cricketer Abhinav Mukund) of Bombay also organised mega support bringing together devotees from across the Country.

Father and Son have performed archaka service at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Ayyur for six decades at a salary that has not topped Rs. 100 

86 year old D. Rajagopalan Bhattar, appa of the current Bhattar, who had performed service for over four decades cycling 7kms twice a day from Pinna Vaasal, had told this writer in October last that he wanted to see the  consecration of the restored Temple before he attained Moksham.  There was a 5 veli land belonging to the temple and the festivals and daily poojas were managed out of the income accruing from the temple land. Hereditary Trustee Pankaja Ammal took care of the temple management. “Utsavams were celebrated in a grand way, devotees came in from the agraharam for darshan and processions of Varadaraja Perumal around the four streets were well supported by the devotees. The hereditary trustee of the time well over 50 years ago ran the temple well.” 

While he is now enduring a poor eyesight, he expressed delight on hearing that a restoration exercise was taking place at the temple where he had performed service with such great commitment for several decades.

It is hoped that as part of the restoration exercise Sowri Rajan Bhattar’s salary will be increased from the current Rs. 100 per month. It is also hoped that with the consecration of the temple the once grand Brahmotsavam and Garuda Sevai on Vaikunta Ekadasi will be revived.  

Ayyur is 3kms South East of Katchanam off the Thiruvarur- Thithuraipoondi Highway. Regular buses ply every half hour between Thiruvarur and Thiruthuraipoondi. 

October 2021 story : https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/pinna-vaasal-sowri-rajan-bhattar.html