Thiru Putkuzhi Srinivasan Bhattar

Among the Divya Desams in and around Kanchipuram, the Vijaya Raghava Perumal temple in Thiru Putkuzhi is the odd one out. In the infra development over the century, this Divya Desam remained left out. Located on the Chennai Bangalore NH, express buses did not stop here. In the century gone by, bus service was infrequent and devotees found it difficult to reach this Divya Desam. While Kanchi developed as a tourist centre and crowd thronged Divya Desam in that temple town, there were minimal devotees at Thiru Putkuzhi. It was against this backdrop that Srinivasa Bhattar took charge of the temple as an archaka in 1977 after he completed his agama education.

He had lost his appa when he was only 10 years. He had school education at Kanchi till class VII and then went to Thirumalai for a five year Pancharatra Agama initiation. Soon after completion, despite the financially challenging scenario at Thiru Putkuzhi, he chose not to explore opportunities elsewhere and began performing kainkaryam here. He also had hereditary archaka service at Ulagalantha Perumal Divya Desam in Kanchipuram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/11/thiru-ooragam-ulagalandha-perumal.html) and he alternated every fortnight between the two Divya Desams to keep the finances in order.

Not once during those times did he think of moving away from temple service. With no devotees around, there was no fixed time at the temple till the turn of the century. He says that it was after the Samprokshanam at Thiru Putkuzhi in 1998 the then EO Lakshmikanthan asked if he could serve exclusively at the Vijaya Perumal Divya Desam and issued an appointment order as the hereditary priest.  It was then that a time was fixed for the opening and closure of the temple in the morning and evening. 

Srinivasan Bhattar says the crowd has improved especially on amavasya day where devotees come and offer their prayers with prarthana to Maragadavalli Thayar for wedding or child birth. During the Brahmotsavam, devotees from all the neighbouring villages congregate at the temple for the procession especially Garuda Sevai, Chariot Procession and the Horse Vahana that is unique to this temple,. Theppotsavam takes place in a grand way in Thai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/02/thiru-putkuzhi-maasi-brahmotsavam-horse.html). 

Sripatham personnel turn up in good numbers from Kanchipuram for all the utsavams. Ghosti members too are present for all the utsavams. 

His son Sesharaghavan underwent Agama initiation for 8 years at the Patshala in Thiru Nangur and returned to Thiru Putkuzhi recently. Srinivasan Bhattar is pleased that his son has committed himself to service at this Divya Desam “He had no second thoughts on continuing the hereditary service at this Divya Desam and has joined me here.”

Having served as the lone archaka at this Divya Desam over the last 25 years, Srinivasa Bhattar now has his son for support. A year ago, Sesharagavan Bhattar married the daughter of Mangai Nallur Varadaraja Perumal temple Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/12/mangai-nallur-temple-priest-veda.html). And last week, at the Maasi Brahmotsavam, for the first time, he tied Kaappu much to his appa’s delight. 

To Srinivasan Bhattar, contentment in life has helped find peace of mind in this kainkaryam even when there had been financial challenges during the initial phase of his temple service. 

With the devotional commitment of the next gen, this remote Divya Desam is safe in the hands of the devotional father – son duo for the foreseeable future.