Anbil Sathya Vageeswarar temple Hereditary Priests

For several decades, during a phase when remote temples in TN went through severe challenges, Appadurai Gurukal stuck it out at the Sathya Vageeswarar temple, on the banks of Kollidam in Anbil, one praised by Saint Poets Thiru Gnana Sambandar and Thirunavukkarasar. 

He is now 94 years old but those dark days in the second half of the previous century at this historical temple is still fresh in his memory. He began performing archaka service from the time he was in his mid 20s  in the 1950s and for a long time his monthly salary did not top Rs. 30 “There was no income at the temple. There were minimal devotees. We were a big family and it was a financial struggle. We have been performing hereditary service for many generations and hence wanted to continue this despite the lack of income”, he told this writer at his house in a long conversation looking back at the decades when priests in TN faced severe challenges.

Chitra Pournami was the one big day in the year at the temple with devotees coming in bullock carts from surrounding villages for the Pancha Moorthy procession and the Thiru Kalyana Utsavam. It was the day when the entire temple town turns completely festive.

In the not too distant past, there had three vibrant agraharams in Anbil but almost all of the original inhabitants have left this temple town seeking greener pastures elsewhere leaving only the temple priests and a few service personnel as the only remaining traditionalists in this town.

Appadurai Gurukal popularised the traditional utsavams. Pradosham gained traction and devotees flocked to the temple on these days every month. Big devotee crowd gathered on the occasion of Guru and Sani Peyarchi. He proudly says that he brought in Ubayadarars from across the state for the utsavams and that lifted the devotional spirit at the temple. He credits JC Munuswamy Naidu for increasing the salary of the archakas from the real low levels that existed at the time he joined the temple. He also receives a solid pension now for the decades of service he rendered at this temple and is happy that Sathya Vageeswarar has rewarded him with financial security in the second half of his life.

His son Muthu Swaminathan Gurukal has been in charge over the last couple of decades at a time when the devotee crowd has increased on the back of the devotional wave that is sweeping TN temples. With plans to continue the hereditary service, he quit school after 7th class in the mid 1970s and began learning the agamas by cycling 6kms every day to Manakkal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/05/manakkal-vedic-patshala-130-years.html). The family also performed pooja at the Sivan temple in Manakkal.

He recounts the troubled times during his childhood "It was a financially challenged childhood. The uchchi kalam prasadam was our food every day. Despite the challenges, I never thought of leaving the temple and exploring opportunities elsewhere as we wanted to follow in the footsteps of our forefathers. Temple service was our way of life and had complete faith in God that he would take care of us. We lived a contended a life keeping the expenses to the minimum. Once in a while, the outstation devotees would visit the temple and surprise us with a good Sambhavanai.”

“When my two sons were born, I dedicated them to this temple and was keen for them to continue our hereditary service. Both of them have shown great interest in temple service and I am grateful to God for taking this service into the next generation” says the 60 year old Muthu Swaminathan Gurukal.

He says that the Paadal Petra Sthalams have gained popularity once in recent times with devotees looking to visit the temples praised by the Saint Poets. He is happy with the trend of those visiting the Anbil Perumal Divya Desam making it to this temple. That has added to the devotee crowd at this temple in recent years, says Muthu Swaminathan Gurukal.

With temple Kumbabhisekams and Homam gaining momentum, he has seen a surge in income over the last decade or so and there has been a positive financial transformation for the family so much so that he now owns a ‘Scorpio’ car and multiple cows at home. He says that the faith in God and the archaka service with unflinching devotion has borne fruits for the family and they are finally well settled now, a far cry from that phase in the 1960s and 70s.

It has been over a couple of decades since the last Kumbabhisekam at the temple. Srirangam temple JC Mariappan has just visited the temple to finalise the repair works and renovation activities. TVS Motors’ Venu Srinivasan is currently in the process of completing the mega restoration exercise the Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Divya Desam in Anbil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/04/venu-srinivasan-anbil-nambi-temple.html). 

Nonagenarian Appadurai Gurukal is hoping that he will take this up as well after he completes the consecration at the Perumal temple, which is half a km west of this temple. "If Venu Srinivasan takes up the restoration activity, the temple will be in safe hands and the repair works will take place as per tradition in the same way as the Perumal temple in Anbil", says Appadurai Gurukal with a twinkle in his eyes.