Kariya Manikkam Perumal Tirunelveli Vijayaraghava Bhattar

Vijayaraghava Bhattar served at the Kariya Manikkam Perumal temple in Tirunelveli for 45years. After learning the Vaikasana Agama from Alankara Bhattar of Srivilliputhur, he joined the temple in 1975 at a salary of Rs. 45 and performed Thiru Aradhanam for 45years till the Pandemic. It was challenging times for temples in TN in that phase and the Bhattar found the going tough financially. But he fought through the times with devotion and served till his retirement when his salary had gone up to Rs. 2600 though it too had remained unpaid for many years. After all the decades of service, there is no pension too for the Bhattar and his son in law, Raghuraman Bhattar who has taken over now is hoping that they would be able to recover that from the HR & CE someday in the future. 

His appa had served at the temple for six decades till the time he was 80. In those decades, the Panguni Brahmotsavam was grand, recalls Vijayaraghava Bhattar, who at 67 is now hard of hearing. There had been a Laksharchanai in Thai on the Varushabishekam day when Kariya Manickam Perumal also provided Garuda Sevai darshan. Also on the Fridays in Thai, Perumal and Thayar provided Sevai on the Oonjal. On Puratasi Saturday too, there had been a Garuda Sevai.

Into his 60s, Vijayaraghava Bhattar faced health challenges and wanting the hereditary service to continue, he roped in his son in law who was serving at a temple in Coimbatore. 

This section had featured a story on the temple in December 2009 when it still sported a fresh look following the consecration in 2006. The Lord is seen in three different postures- Neela Mani Nathar in East Facing Standing Posture, Lakshmi Narayana in South Facing Kalyana Thirukolam and Anantha Padmanabha Perumal in an Uthara Sayana Kolam.

Being a temple that has the name of both Saturn and the Sun God- Kari (Sani- Saturn) and Manikkam (Aditya- Sun God) - it is believed that this temple is a Prarthana Sthalam for liberation from all curses/doshams. Belief is also that the Lord answers the prayers of devotees who have problems with eye sight/vision.

NamAzhvaar in his Pasuram refers to Kariya Manikkam Perumal

The Padmanabha Theertham of this temple finds a mention in the second Adhyayam of the Tamaraibarani Mahatmiyam. Hence, this temple's idol and Theertham are said to be at least 5000 years old, while the construction of the temple complex is believed to have been completed at least 1500years ago. Later, Pandya Kings are said to have made contributions to improvements in the temple.

The previous consecration had taken place in 2006 and it’s been 17 years now. Finally the repair works are under way including some relocation of sannidhis as per the agama. Currently the Brahmotsavam and Puratasi Saturdays are the only income generating utsavams at the temple. However, following the consecration that should take place soon, there is hope that more utsavams will be revived and the salary of the priest too will be revised upwards in line with the current cost of living.

Vijayaraghava Bhattar has served devotionally at the temple for close to five decades and he continues to make his presence felt at the temple even though he has handed over the official reigns to his son in law for him to take forward the service into the next phase of development.