The hereditary priest at Rajagopalaswamy Temple has created 40 Next Gen Agama specialists over the last decade
When he completed his schooling in the early 1990s, Prasanna Venkatesa Dikshithar, now 46, had no inkling to become an archaka. His forefathers belonged to the hereditary archaka clan at the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannargudi. His grandfather Krishnaswamy Dikshithar had served as an archaka for over five decades at the temple but like in most remote temples in TN, the scenario in the 1960s and 70s had turned sour. Original inhabitants moved away from the temple towns to cities. There was an oversupply of archakas at the temple and the number of days of service per year was minimal but devotees were few and Thattu Kaasu was pretty low.
The scenario in his childhood days led him to focus on academics during the first 15years of his life. Prasanna Dikshithar recalls his childhood “My grandfather would come back home by 9am as there were no devotees. He would go back and wait in the huge temple complex but most often devotees were elusive. There was absolutely no income in terms of Thattu Kaasu.”
Transformational late teens - Academics to Agamas
Till he was into his mid teens, it was likely he would get away from the hereditary temple service for the future did not seem bright. But a dramatic turn of events led him into continuing the hereditary service “I had just joined B.Sc in the Poondi College when the revered Chempakesavan Dikshithar suddenly took me under his fold and initiated me into the agamas and pooja kramams. It lasted a full three years and revitalized my interest in temple service.”
He then went to Tirupathi where he learned Sanskrit and Divya Prabhandham for two years. At the turn of the century, he learned Rig Veda for a couple of years in Kumbakonam from the current head of Ahobilam Mutt.
At 23, he got married (a pre requisite to perform archaka service there) and joined the Rajagopalaswamy temple to continue the hereditary service.
A surprise call to teach Agamas
In Thai of 1998, when he was 21, he had gone to Thiru Nangur for the 11 Garuda Sevai. Muralidhara Swami had seen him then and much to Prasanna Dikshithar’s surprise called on him over a dozen years later with an invitation to teach the students at the Nangur Patshala. “I was a young then in 1998 and surprised that he remembered me from that trip. I was hesitant to take this up as it was a big responsibility and not sure if I would be able to discharge this given my other engagements.”
By this time, he had also begun to perform consecration events and was a regular at utsavams at the Banaswadi Perumal temple, where his appa Sridhar Dikshithar had been the chief priest for over three decades. The consecration events - annually about 5 large ones - that he has anchored over the last decade has helped bring out his leadership qualities and he has been able to carry and build his agama team members.
Creating the Next Gen Agama Specialists
He wanted to give himself six months to see if he would fit into this role. A decade later, he is delighted that he had taken the call to continue “Soon after I began taking the agama classes, I found I connected well with the students and the engagement has now lasted a dozen years. Not only was I sharing my learnings, but also my knowledge has improved dramatically as I have often been challenged by the students with inquisitive questions.”
He has spent a week to 10 days at the Patshala every month over the last decade. 40 students who have undergone agama initiation have graduated from the Nangur Patshala and that is something that he is particularly pleased with and one that has given a special satisfaction.
It has been a dramatic transformation for Prasanna Dikshithar in every way. From the financially challenging times that his grandfather experienced in the 1960s and 70s when there were no devotees at the temple outside of the big utsavams, he has had a rewarding life and says that Rajagopalaswamy has been very kind to him and given him all that he could have asked for from this life. In terms of devotional service, he has come to be well respected for his alankaram capabilities and in the way he manages the utsavams and the devotees. He has been sought after for consecrations from across geographies including outside Tamil Nadu. The biggest happiness for him though has come from the opportunity to teach young students and help them graduate. The creation of the next generation of agama specialists has been the most fulfilling experience for Prasanna Venkatesa Dikshithar.