Nachiyar Koil Kal Garuda Sevai 2023

After a break for a few years, first because of the Pandemic and then the year long Thiruppani works, the now popular Kal Garuda Sevai was back at the Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam on Tuesday much to the delight of the devotees. Only a few days earlier, the mandalabhisekam had been performed on the 48th day after the consecration. On Tuesday evening, there was a surprise visitor from the Netherlands to watch this grand enactment of Kal Garuda increasing in the weight and more sripatham personnel required to carry him at every succeeding stage of the procession from the Moolasthanam. 

32 year old V Vidhvath, who is into research and production of medicines for cancer treatment at a multi national firm in the Netherlands, had arrived in Chennai only on Friday evening and he immediately headed to Kumbakonam to watch Kal Garudar carrying Srinivasa Perumal on his shoulder as part of the fourth day celebrations of the Margazhi Brahmotsavam.

The prominence for Garuda at Nachiyar Koil began in the 1990s when Gopinathan Bhattar and his brother created a seven week prarthana model for devotees invoking the blessings of Garuda for their wishes to be fulfilled. Three decades later, this historical temple praised with a century of verses by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, has come to be famous worldwide for this twice a year Kal Garuda Sevai procession when Garuda’s weight is said to increase manifold during the procession.

It was the first time in his life that Vidhvath, who holds a P.Hd from the Delft University, was watching a grand enactment at a Brahmotsavam in a Divya Desam. And naturally his excitement was palpable. He told this writer late on Tuesday night following the street procession that he been really curious about the Kal Garuda procession and how the events would unfold in the evening “Expectation was high with a lot of energy among the devotees. There was a certain buzz inside the temple. I got early to the temple to capture a vantage position near the Garuda Sannidhi so I could get a close look at the start of the procession.”

As has been the trend at this utsavam, people began to trickle in just after 5pm.  “You could sense that something was happening as each corner of the temple was buzzing with activity.” 

With the Kal Garuda Sevai taking place after a few years, it was natural for the temple authorities to expect a huge crowd. Being one of the first entrants at the temple on this evening, Vidhvath saw firsthand every move of the priests, the service personnel and the devotees “Since I was there from 4.30pm, I could see the mood change with every passing moment.  I entered the temple with great anticipation and curiosity having read about the utsavam in the past. By 5.30pm, the police personnel had gathered in good numbers even as one could sense a bit of restlessness among the devotees, each being eager to get a first look of the beautifully decorated Garuda. Hot milk was presented to the devotees and with the passing of each minute, anticipation of that much awaited moment was on the rise. More and more people wanted to enter the sannidhi and get close to Garuda as possible.” 

By 6pm, the entire long pathway leading to the Garuda Sannidhi was packed with hundreds of devotees lined up on either side. Everyone was treated to a delightful presentation of Tavil and Nagaswaram. The entire mood had turned completely festive. And right opposite the sannidhi, there were scores of people waiting with bated breath for the unveiling of the decorated vahana. 

In a matter of minutes, the crowd extended right to the Eastern Raja Gopuram and there was not an inch of space left in the entire temple complex. 

 

And then it happened all too quickly. Garuda’s strode down the steep steps of this Mani Mada Koil built by Ko Chenganan Koil at a rapid pace. Flowers were thrown on Garuda during this procession. Folded hands went up invoking the blessings of Garuda while in line with the current trend phone cameras and videos too went to capture that magical moment of Sripatham carrying Kal Garuda. The Sripatham personnel treated the devotees to a fast paced Voyali going back and forth a few times before Kal Garuda made his way to the alankara mandapam at the Eastern entrance for Srinivasa Perumal to be mounted on the Garuda Vahana. 

While the utsava deity was mounted on to his Vahana, devotees made their way atop the Mada Koil for a darshan of  the Moolavar Srinivasa Perumal and Vanjula Valli Thayar. 

Inside the temple complex, Vidvath saw quite an energetic Namasankeerthanam concert with active participation from the audience.

It was almost 9pm when the screen opened for the second time this evening. Srinivasa Perumal provided darshan atop Kal Garuda. Shortly after Perumal along with Vanjula Valli Thayar made their way around the four streets on a wheeled procession which has become a norm in remote towns in Tamil Nadu. 

It was past midnight when Kal Garuda made his way back to the temple after the devotees were treated to a delightful darshan.

For Netherlander Vidhvath, it was a new experience that he referred to as a fantastic one. He even had unexpected tears rolling down his cheeks watching the magical moment of Moolavar Kal Garuda making his way down the steps from almost a touching distance. Only a couple of days earlier, he had had a 24 hour flight trip from Europe and had felt the jet lag. And soon after, he took a train to Kumbakonam. He says that Kal Garuda energized him dramatically “Everything changed once I was at the Garuda Sannidhi. The anticipation and the buzz among the devotees captivated me. I found that everyone had their reason to come to the temple and to pray. And each expressed his/her devotion in their own way.”

Clearly the Kal Garuda Sevai is gaining in popularity and is going global.

It has been a fulfilling couple of months for Gopinathan Bhattar ( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/nachiyar-koil-gopi-bhattar.html?m=1). After almost single handedly carrying out the renovation exercise for a year securing donor devotees in good numbers and organizing the consecration on October 27, he also anchored the mandalabhisekam on December 14. And then within 36 hours of the event, the Margazhi Brahmotsavam began last Friday. The successful presentation of the Kal Garuda Sevai on this Tuesday evening is a crown in his cap and he can enjoy some well earned rest.