Over the last two decades, Jagannathan Bhattar has transformed the temple with his selfless service and has made the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam a grand celebratory occasion for the devotees
At the turn of the century, he joined at Rs. 156 per month and his salary has increased to Rs. 2000 in 22 years!!!
While Varadaraja Perumal came out majestically at Chinna Kanchi on Sunday morning, a 52 year old priest was awake through the night on Saturday at Vada Kanchi decorating his favourite Varadaraja Perumal for the Garuda Sevai on the third morning of the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam at Minjur, about 25kms North of Chennai. He has not slept since the start of the Brahmotsavam on Friday morning with he and his wife doubling up as the cook at the madapalli as well preparing multiple dishes for the Lord each day of this annual festival. On Saturday night, the Prabhai did not return till after midnight and then Jagannathan Bhattar worked for over 2 hours till early in the morning decorating the Lord on the Garuda Vahana. By 6am, Varadaraja Perumal provided darshan at the Eastern Raja Gopuram.
It is one of the biggest days in the year at the temple. The Brahmotsavam had not been held in the last two years and hence the devotees in and around Minjur were all excited to have their first Garuda Sevai darshan since the summer of 2019. By the time Varadaraja Perumal made his way around the four Mada Streets and returned to the Raja Gopuram, it was 2pm on Sunday.
Jagannathan Bhattar joined the temple over two decades ago at a monthly salary of Rs. 156. In 2022, this has increased to Rs. 2000. He has been all alone over these two decades. On Sunday afternoon his eyes pleaded for rest but there was none. There was a Thirumanjanam soon after Perumal returned to the mandapam.
And he was back for another favourite of the devotees. The Hanumantha Vahana procession was slated for the evening and Jagannathan Bhattar was at it again decorating the Lord from scratch.
A Poverty Stricken Family in the 60s/70s
His appa was a hereditary priest at the Ramar temple in Vada Madurai near Periyapalayam (North Madras). He spent decades at the temple when he did not receive even a rupee in the Thattu on most days. He had worked at a salary of Rs. 4. It had been a poverty stricken life. Jagannathan Bhattar grew up in his aunt’s place. As was the trend in the 1970s and 80s, his parents driven by the financial challenges they had faced encouraged their son into a life away from temple. Jagannathan graduated in commerce and then completed Law as well.
He was headed to the court. He worked for 3 years as an accountant and a couple as a legal advisor under his senior. Just at the turn of the century, his father in law, who belonged to Kattur Village, a km from Minjur called on Jagannathan asking if he would be interested in taking up the archaka post. From a young age, he had seen his appa perform pooja and though he was discouraged from getting into temple services, he had developed bhakthi.
A Surprise call from the Minjur Temple
He was not particularly enjoying the legal work in Madras and though he was to be paid just over Rs. 150, he joined the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Minjur at the turn of the century. The family of the previous priests had taken care of the temple in the 2nd half of the previous century and he had to start from scratch.
He told this writer on a busy Sunday evening that he did not think he would last beyond a couple of years “The first 3-4 years were financially challenging. We had our first child in that phase. At just over Rs. 100 a month, it was difficult to run a family.”
But he was blessed with something big. He could connect with people and was a networking man. With his selfless service he grabbed the attention of the devotees. 66 year old C Rosaiah has lived all his life in Minjur and ran a rice mill in his prime and was a dealer of Aavin and Amul. He has been closely associated with the Varadaraja Perumal temple. “There was no oil to light the lamp. Devotees were almost non-existent. There was no vastram for the Lord. The arrival of Jagannathan Bhattar two decades ago has seen devotees become attached to Varadaraja Perumal. Any devotee who enters the Moolavar Sannidhi is awe struck and refuses to leave. And then they return again and again. We have not seen the temple in this positive state in the last five decades.”
Jagannathan Bhattar began connecting with the people in Minjur and around. With each Brahmotsavam, he received a boost from the devotees who saw him as one who was completely devoted to Varadaraja Perumal. He was an alankaram specialist and he decorated the Lord in a different Thiru Kolam in each session of the Brahmotsavam that captured the attention of the devotees. “Despite the financial challenges, I was clear that I would dedicate my life entirely to Varadaraja Perumal without any financial expectations.”
People from the villages came in for Ekadasi Sevai. He has added four Thiru Kalyanams in the year. Vaikunta Ekadasi and Puratasi Saturdays too have been days when devotees have thronged the temple in large numbers. The three day Pavitrotsavam has been revised over the last decade.
He had become so devotionally attached to the temple that he got his son initiated into the agamas at the Sankaracharya Patshala. “I am keen that he too performs service at the temple” says Jagannathan Bhattar.
Renovations at the temple
Rosaiah along with a group of likeminded devotees have come together to make the big utsavams a grand one “We built the Raja Gopuram, the Kodi Maram, two new mandapams, the Chakrathazhvaar Sannidhi and a mandapam at the Andal Sannidhi. Similar renovation has been undertaken at the nearby Ekabareswarar temple as well.”
A new common chariot for the Ekambareswarar temple and the Varadaraja Perumal temple too has been constructed.
He says that there has been a big transformation at the temple since the time Jagannathan Bhattar has taken charge. He has inspired bhakthi among the devotees. Varadaraja Perumal is still carried on the shoulders by the Sripatham.
Jagannathan Bhattar talks as one with the flower vendor as well the Sripatham personnel. Many from the next gen have become devotionally interested to carry the Lord during the procession. And that is a welcome change.
Rosaiah says that an archaka has to be kept happy for him to create a positive vibration for devotees “hence I decided to support the construction of his house near the temple.” He says that on the big Chariot day in Vaikasi, 50000 people participate in the procession.
78 year old R Raghunathan, who worked at Enfield in his younger days, is part of this devotional group that is trying to revive the temple to its historical glory “During my childhood days, there was a theerthakar and the archaka families lived in the agraharam that was vibrant. Former CM Bhaktavatsalam who is the hereditary trustee of the temple took great care of the temple.”
"There were no transport facilities in those days. Hence devotees flocked in large numbers and stayed here through the entire Brahmotsavam. The night processions used to start well past midnight. On the third evening, Hanuman used to carry Varadaraja Perumal well past 2am and return only after 5am."
Thiru Kanchi Nambi Utsavam - Revival??
He says that a grand utsavam used to be conducted to celebrate Thiru Kachi Nambi but that had come to a halt in the 2nd half of the previous century. There was also a Davana Utsavam in the century gone by. In those days, the entire Garuda Sevai procession used to be organised at just Rs. 20. With Jagannathan Bhattar's devotional commitment, these could be revived sometime in the near future.
Doubles up as cook as well
Jagannathan Bhattar searched around for a cook at least for the Brahmotsavam to prepare and present the various dishes to Varadaraja Perumal but they have been in great demand and the financial expectations of these cooks have become too difficult to meet. Hence he, along with his wife, manage the madapalli as well through the Brahmotsavam.
But the non stop work both in the morning and evening session has meant that he does not get time to even taste these varieties of dishes. The overload on this single individual has meant that he has had to face health issues. “During these utsavams the BP shoots up beyond permissible limits but there is no choice. Work has to go on in the temple" says the priest.
While his relatives turn up at the utsavam in good numbers to support him on all the ten days, both Rosaiah and Ranganathan are keen that he takes care of his health for they believe it is only then that he will be able to discharge his duties in the same way that he has over the last two decades.
Its Consecration time again
They are also looking forward to the renovation exercise that is expected to follow the Brahmotsavam. The Vahana mandapam is in a dilapidated state and they are looking to get that back in order. The madapalli too is damaged and extensive repair work is expected to be undertaken.
Its just after 9.30pm on Sunday evening. At the alankaram mandapam, Jagannathan Bhattar is providing the finishing touches to the special Thiru Kolam of the evening – Varadaraja Perumal in a Kothandaramar Thiru Kolam with a bow and arrow seated atop the handsome looking Hanumar.
Rockets shoot up into the sky on this full moon night to alert the residents that Varadaraja Perumal is all set for the Hanumantha Vahana procession on this Pournami evening on the first day of Vaikasi. It has been non stop 24 hours of work for Jagannathan Bhattar but the happiness on the faces of the devotees is that matters to him.
100s of devotees who have stayed back through the night chat among themselves on the minute aspects of the alankaram. A young girl has just sung the entire Ramayanam at the moolavar sannidhi. Hot Pongal is served to all the devotees and at 10pm Varadaraja Perumal made his way from the alankara mandapam to the Raja Gopuram for the start of another long procession around the four Mada Streets.
Jagannathan Bhattar is physically tired but there is an enlightened look on his face after the devotional alankaram. He says it is the devotion of the people of Minjur that has kept him going these two decades. He is paid just Rs. 2000 as salary but in his mind the goodwill he has generated among the devotees is a lifetime award that Varadaraja Perumal has provided him something that he did not quite expect in his teenage years for he was looking to a life in the corporate world.
But he has become so devotionally attached to Varadaraja Perumal at Minjur that he rarely has left this town in the last two decades. Even during the Pandemic when the Brahmotsavams were cancelled during the two years, he placed his utmost faith in the Lord, His is a story of financial returns not being everything in life. For him, the entire life centers around performing selfless service to Varadaraja Perumal. And he believes there is no greater delight than that.