Sirkazhi Thadalan Divya Desam Badri Narayanan Bhattar

Badri Bhattar’s forefathers hailed from Thiruvali Thirunagari Divya Desam about 10kms east of the Trivikrama temple. When they were in need of a priest, Chola Simhapuram Koil Kanthaadai Chantamaarutham Swami Dhoddayacharyar(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/03/sholingur-narasimha-at-thiru-kadigai.html), who are the hereditary trustees of the temple, reached out the Great Great Grand Father of Badri Bhattar asking if he would take charge as the priest. And that’s how he has come to be the fifth in their generation to perform archaka service at this Divya Desam. 

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, who was about ten kms from here at Thiru Kuraiyalur, referred to the Lord as Thaadalan in his ten verses of praise in the Periya Thirumozhi.

He learned the Tharka Sastra at the Oriental school in Madurantakam and later Vaikanasa Agama from his appa who certified scores of archakas across the region on the agama. Badri Bhattar’s anna Pichumani Bhattar was the one, along with Gopinathan Bhattar, who created the special seven time parikara pooja for Kal Garuda at Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack in the 1990s. Badri Bhattar took charge of the Trivikrama Sannidhi in his late teens.

The trend from the 1970s and 80s continued into the decade when he took over. There was no crowd and no Thattu Kaasu. The streets around the temple was full of Vaishnavites but they had all long gone. They sold their ancestral homes in the agraharam and went away seeking greener pastures. Financially well off now, they want to buy back their traditional homes but there are no sellers!!! 

When this priest family took charge, the Doddacharyas, who hail from Sholingur Divya Desam had given them a house on the South Street. The temple prasadam was also in good quality in those days and thus the priest family lived a contended life. "Doddacharyas have been very kind to our family. Though there is not much income from the temple, they have taken good care of us over the last 150 years" says Badri Bhattar.

His appa was a legend in Vaikanasa Agama and every budding priest looked up to him for training. He had anchored over fifty Samprokshanams during his lifetime.

Badri Bhattar’s clan have been the Vaideeha Archaka at Thiruvali Thirunagari Divya Desam and all the big Utsavams there have been anchored by Badri Bhattar over the last two decades. He also dons the role of Vaideeha archaka in around 20 temples in the region and the Sambhavanai from those annual utsavams keeps him going financially. He has also anchored over 50 consecrations in Perumal temples.

It’s a Thursday and there are not more than two devotee families since the time he entered the temple in the morning. Badri Bhattar points to this writer that this has been the trend for the last three decades since the time he took over but he continues the Thiru Aradhanam and presentation of Thaligai in a devotional way “Till under two decades ago, there were not even those who visited ‘Divya Desams’. Now there are devotees on Friday and Saturday but for rest of the week there only is very minimal crowd and I sit in front of the Sannidhi waiting endlessly for the next devotee. That for most part remains elusive on weekdays.”

Thai Amavasai, the day of the 11 Garuda Sevai in Thiru Nangur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/thiru-nangur-11-garuda-sevai.html), Vaikunta Ekadasi, the only day when the devotees are able to have darshan of the Standing Perumal's feet, the enactment of Vedu Pari at Thiruvali Thirunagari (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/04/vedu-pari-thiruvali-thirunagari.html) and Puratasi Saturdays are the big days in the year when there is a sizeable crowd at this temple.

Interestingly, unlike many other remote Divya Desams, he has had a long standing Paricharaka, Ravi, who has been here for the last dozen years undertaking the sacred role at the madapalli. Badri Bhattar is delighted that cooking continues to take place in the traditional way using the firewood. After performing his kainkaryam in the morning at this temple, Ravi Paricharakar goes around in his two wheeler to ten other nearby village temples before returning to this Divya Desam for Uchi Kaalam Thaligai.

Badri Bhattar narrates an episode from the decades gone by to reiterate the power of Thadalan “Govindarajan Bhagavathar was most devoted to Trivikrama Perumal and performed pushpa kainkaryam for over five decades. He would go around in his cycle every morning and bring back flowers that he would knot and present to the Lord. A day before his death, the TVS family had darshan here and presented huge garlands. When his grandson came that morning and informed about the death, I presented that huge garland to be placed on him. It was Thadalan’s way to recognize his decades long Kainkaryam.”

He married the sister of Gopi Bhattar of Nachiyar Koil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/nachiyar-koil-gopi-bhattar.html), who is single handedly anchoring the renovation exercise there, when he was still in his late teens. He says that she has been a great support in his devotional endeavour and motivated him to remain committed to Thaadalan Perumal even during the financially tough times. She told this writer that they are also encouraging their teenage daughter to be as traditional as possible and devoted to the Perumal.

Despite the financial challenges, the utsavams had continued without a break through the second half of the previous century. In addition to the Brahmotsavam, the avatharam days of all the azhvaars and acharyas are celebrated at this temple. Badri Narayana Bhattar expresses delight at this "This temple and Thiruvali Thirunagari have been the only two temples in this region where the Brahmotsavam had not come to a halt even during the lowest phase. Doddacharya's message has always been that every historical utsavam should take place without a break."

Its been over two decades since the last consecration. The Raja Gopuram wears a faded look. The huge tank at the West end too is in a poor condition. The repair works at the temple will cost well over a crore. The entire flooring has to be replaced. The refurbishing of the sacred tank alone is expected to cost around Rs. 30Lakhs. The Chariot had become dilapidated and stopped running around the four streets a few decades ago. A new chariot is currently being built and hopefully the Chariot Festival will be revived in the near future. Velukkudi Krishnan is a disciple of Doddacharya.  Badri Bhattar says that he is hopeful that the Popular Upanyasakar will take care of a large part of the restoration exercise that is expected to start in early 2024.

It is 12noon and he performs the Uchi Kaalam Pooja at Perumal, Thayar, Andal and Manavala Mamuni Sannidhis. There is no devotee in sight as he shuts the door at the temple and heads back home. He has long got used to this daily routine. But as committed to his appa three decades ago, crowd or the lack of it, praise or criticism, Badri Narayanan Bhattar goes about his Kainkaryam without any fuss. In many remote temples, the priests have made their way away from their hereditary locations and many are feeling a shortage of quality archakas. Right from his childhood, Thaadala Perumal had meant everything to Badri Bhattar. In a couple of years, he will turn fifty and would have served full time at this sannidhi for three decades. He says that till the time his body allows him, he will carry out this Kainkaryam in the same devotional way his forefathers had for well over a century.