Thiru Pudai Maruthur Kannan Bhattar

The Narambu Nathar temple is housed on a huge complex right on the banks of Tamaraibarani in the historical temple town of Thiru Pudai Maruthur. Till about 50 years ago, there were 100s of Brahmin families in the Agraharam and a strong team of service personnel but with almost everyone leaving this historical temple town in search of jobs elsewhere, Kannan Bhattar has been left all alone taking care of the archaka service as well as doubling up as a cook at the madapalli. His grandfather Maharaja Bhattar as well as his appa Sankara Krishnan Bhattar had served as archakas for four decades each.

During the period of his Thatha’s service, the agraharam had been vibrant in line with what was once a Chaturvedi Mangalam, a town full of Vedic Scholars and Dikshithars.

47year old Kannan Bhattar is all smiles for he has just revived last Friday (July12) the 63 Nayanmar Utsavam after four decades with great support from Justice Ratnavel Pandian and his brother District Judge Subramanian who hailed from this town. After decades of doing it all alone, he has now roped in his cousin as a temporary daily wage archaka to support him in his service.

Sitting in front of the Ambal Sannidhi, he looks back at his financially challenged childhood “At the peak of my appa’s service, there were no devotees at all at the temple. There was no oil to light the lamp and most of the time, black oil was used to light up the Sannidhis but there was no choice as there was no income. My appa was paid a maximum salary of Rs. 170 for a major part of his service. He was provided some rice and it was with that we survived and had our daily food.”

Given the financial challenges, he could only afford a Govt school and he completed his class X at the school in Veeravanallur. He recalls the devotional message from his appa during those tough times when this family was the only Brahmin family left in the town “We were hard pressed for money but my appa’s message was always for me to continue the hereditary service. I was interested in academics but when I was 15, he sent me to the Patshala in Pillayarpatti where I learned the Saiva Agama and the Koil Pooja Krama.”

During that dark phase for the temple in the 1970s and 80s, almost all the utsavams had come to a halt except the ever popular Thai Poosam utsavam. But right from his childhood, the unique image of Lord Narumbu Nathar seen slightly tilted with scars on his head is ever in the minds of Kannan Bhattar.

Karur Siddhar, one of the 18 renowned Siddhars, reached this location after meeting Sage Agastya at Papanasam, at the foot of Pothigai Hills. When he reached the river bank, he was welcomed by flash floods in the Tamaraibarani. Seeing a temple of Lord Shiva and not knowing his name at this temple, he wondered how he could have darshan but was moved by the fragrance of ‘Maruthai’ flowers. Seeking darshan, he called out for him 'Poovin Manathil Naduvil Nirkum Naathaney'‘Narumbu Naatha Nalam Tharuvaayo.’ Moved by his devotion, the Lord moved a bit and is said to have looked out for the devotee who was reaching out to him. An invisible voice directed him to cross the river and come over. Much to his delight, the river gave way and allowed him to cross.

When he came here and asked as to why his face was tilted, the Lord said that he was moved by his devotion and wanted to see who this devotee was. The Siddhar prayed that the Lord remain so ever after to provide darshan to all devotees in the same tilted posture.

This legend has instilled the confidence in Kannan Bhattar that God listens to the devotee's voice and it is that belief he has tried to create in the minds of devotees towards offering their sincere prayers to Narambu Nathar.

When Veera Marthanda Pandya reached here on a hunting expedition, he found a scared deer hiding at the foot of the tree. He directed the cutting of the tree with a sickle. To his shock, he found a Shiva Lingam coming out of the Marutha Tree with a cut in the head and a deer form on his chest. Apologising for his action, he built the temple that one finds in its current form and structure today. To this day, the Lord is seen with a cut in the head and with a deer mark on his chest. 

'Thalai Maruthur' Mallikaarjuna at Srisailam, Idai Maruthur Mahalingeswarar at Thiru Idai Maruthur  (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/12/thiruvidaimaruthur-mahalingam-temple.html) signifying the mid part and Pudai Maruthur Narambunathar, signifying the ‘patham’ sthalam are three temples seen in an equidistant triangle.

Indra was inflicted with Brahmma Hathi Dosham for having ignored his original Guru and then later having killed his 'adopted' asura Guru. Indra and his wife had bath in the Surendra Theertham and undertook penance to be liberated from the dosham. He had darshan of Lord and Ambal in Kalyana Kolam.  In memory of this episode, Thiru Kalyanam is celebrated on Aippasi Visu. The temple is also abound with historical inscriptions dating back several centuries.

Reminding the devotees of this legend, Kannan Bhattar says that they now have belief that this is a temple for relief from Brahmma Hathi Dosham and Manthi Parikaram. Crowds have started coming in good number to perform this parikara pooja.

This is a Triveni Sangamam with Tamarai Barani, Manimutharu and Kadana rivers meeting near here. There is an old world feeling about this historic location with green paddy fields all along the road from Mukoodal which is 4kms away. The greenery continues off the Thirupudaimaruthur- Attalanallur road as well with banana plantations in large numbers.

He says that his Vathyar at Pillayarpatti had asked him to go to Malaysia where there was a lucrative opportunity waiting for him but his appa’s health had deteriorated and the responsibility to manage this temple had fallen on him. “I remembered my appa’s early advice to never leave this temple irrespective of the financial scenario and hence I said no to my acharya”, says Kannan Bhattar

In an important phase in his life when he was all alone at the temple, Justice Ratnavel Pandian and his brother District Judge Subramanian supported him financially and encouraged him to continue his archaka service and to revive utsavams. 

The Kumbabhisekam in 1995 brought back crowd into the temple. Soon after he took over after the passing away of his appa, Kannan Bhattar promoted this temple as a parikara sthalam for the unmarried and childless.  Over the last decade or so, he has organised celebrations for Pradosham, Thei Pirai Ashtami and Pournami Vilakku Pooja and these have attracted good crowd. He has also revived the Vinayaka Chathurthi utsavam and Sahasranama archanai during Navarathri. The  annual 12 day Thai Poosam utsavam sees a grand celebration including the Chariot procession on the 9th day.

The daily neidevyam presentation to Narambu Nathar is one thing that he has ensured each day over the last three decades. Right from the time he took over in the mid 1990s, he has asked the HR & CE to not reduce their contribution of rice towards this daily Neivedyam. He says he has been lucky that through this entire period, they have provided the provisions towards this Neivedyam for the Lord.

For a long time, it has been a lonely journey for Kannan Bhattar who started off at a salary of just Rs. 175 in the 1990s!!! But he has shown that performing pooja with sincere commitment will pay off in the long run and that God will always reward a sincere archaka. He is now much better off financially with crowds returning to this historic temple on festive occasions. His 10 year old son has already begun supporting him at the temple and Kannan Bhattar is hopeful that his son too would continue the archaka service that several generations of his family have performed at this temple.

He has found great happiness in performing archaka service and continuing this tradition that his forefathers had undertaken albeit all alone during a major part of these last three decades. For the moment, he is on a devotional high having revived the 63 Nayanmar Utsavam and seeing it become a big success with big devotee participation in the procession last Friday. It is probably one of his biggest achievements in his three decades service as an archaka to pull off such a large procession in a remote temple town and to create that excitement among the devotees.

He is also a standing example of priests in remote temples in Tamil Nadu continuing hereditary archaka service even if its not that financially lucrative all the time.

An auto from Mukoodal (4kms) will cost Rs. 120. One can also reach the temple from Veeravanallur (auto Rs. 150). Contact numbers: 96295 42614 / 94427 14547

The temple is open from 6am to 11am and from 430pm to 8pm. Contact: S Kannan Gurukal @ 96262 90350