Kutralanathar Temple Hereditary Priests

This section had earlier this month featured stories on two remote temple priests continuing to serve with the greatest devotional commitment even at very minimal salary for three decades. This story is about another very remote temple that dates back over a 1000years but interestingly this is one of the richest temples in TN and the four hereditary priests have been having a glorious run, financially.

Sankara Narayana Othuvar is just 34 years old and has been performing service at the Kutralanathar temple for the last 8 years. Hailing from this historical temple town now famous for the Courtallam falls, he is also working on in-depth research on the temple trying to trace out the historical scriptures relating to the legend of the temple. 

He is devotionally attached to this temple and extols with great clarity the legend relating to this temple "When Sage Agasthya was not allowed inside the Vishnu temple, he went to Ilanji, near Kutralam, and created a Shiva Lingam with sand and performed pooja. He then took the form of a Vaishnavite, entered what was then a Perumal temple and placed his hand on the Moolavar idol and transformed it to a Shiva Lingam with his powers. To this day, one can see the marks of Agasthya’s hand on the head of Kutralanathar. He also transformed Sridevi to Kuzhalvai Mozhi Amman (Parvathi) and Bhoodevi took the form of SriChakra (Sakthi). Agasthya had darshan of Kalyana Thiru Kolam of Shiva and Parvathi."

He says that in memory of this episode, the Thiru Kalyana Vaibhavam is played out in front of Agasthya Sannidhi on Aippasi Pooram and is an event that the devotees should not miss.

The temple is in the shape a Conch. Five Chariots and Five Theerthams are special features of this temple. The Chariot runs on the 5th day of the Chitrai and Aippasi Utsavams. The Chariot also runs in Margazhi carrying Lord Nataraja on the occasion of Arudhra.

Lord Muruga is in the form of performing pooja to Lord Shiva and Parvathi with a flower in his hand. Arunagirinathar has praised this temple in three verses in his Thiruppugazh.

In a special rendering, Thiru Gnana Sambandar praises the Sthala Vritcham of the temple in his Thiru Kurumbalam pathigam with the leaves, fruits and branches seen as the four Vedas and Shiva Lingams such is the greatness of the Sthala Vritcham here.

Othuvar Sankara Narayanan says that a most significant feature for devotees is that as per the legend a day’s prayer at the Kutralanathar temple has the positive effect of doing pooja for a 1000years at a Shiva temple. This is as compared to a year’s pooja at Kasi, 6months pooja at Thiruvannamalai, 3 months pooja at Thiruvarur, 2months at Kedarnath, 1 month at Gokaranam and 1 week at Nellaiappar. Such is the speciality of this temple.

The sthala puranam comprising of 33 sargams narrates as to how one should do shiva pooja, where and what to do at this temple. He is delighted that this is one temple where the legend has laid out a process for the devotees to invoke the blessings of the divine couple. 'One has to first have bath at the sacred falls, then go around the Conch shaped sacred streets before invoking the blessings of Kutralanathar and Venuvaarvaathini amman. Such a devotee will have the blessings of a lifetime."

46year old Kannan Bhattar has been at the temple for over two decades. His appa and thatha had served at the temple for over 70years prior to his taking over. As with most temples in TN, the period of his appa’s service was marked by a ‘slowdown’ and that prompted him to push his son into academics.

With a cool sprint shower striking Courtallam in the evening, Kannan Bhattar, sitting in front of the Ambal Sannidhi, told this writer as to how his appa wanted him to focus on academics “He wanted to me to get into Polytechnic but I joined the Patshala in Pillayarpatti and learned the agamas for 7years. My mind was focused on continuing the hereditary service.”

He joined the temple at the turn of the century and has been performing archaka service ever since. Interestingly, he has let out a property south of the Kasi Viswanathar temple in Tenkasi and gets big rental income from that.

Ganesan Bhattar, now 55, is one of the four hereditary priests. He too studied the agamas at the Pillayarpatti Patshala after completing his Class X at Tenkasi Easwaran Pillai School. Right from a young age, he had been supporting his appa during the utsavams at the Kutralanathar temple. He also performed one kalam archaka service at 10 small temples around Tenkasi while his appa was still performing service at the Kutralanathar temple.

While he joined at a monthly salary of Rs. 250, it has shot up to over Rs. 30000 now on the back of the huge income that the temple has been able to generate because of the rental income from its properties.

He has been residing in Tenkasi and making four trips back and forth between his home and the temple every day. He is happy with the financial stability that this temple service has provided him. On this Tuesday evening in July, he is at the Parasakthi Sannidhi and recounts to this writer as to how devotees have regained their lost speech after invoking the blessings of Sakthi“There have been many instances where physically challenged children who could not speak have regained the voice after invoking the blessings of Parasakthi.” 

In memory of this episode, one still finds a separate Sannidhi for Perumal and Agasthya inside the temple complex.

He feels blessed to be performing pooja in a temple that is home to one of the five Sabhas in TN temple “North of the temple is the Chitra Sabhai with Mooligai Paintings. There are five Chariots and a big temple tank where the Theppotsavam takes place on Thai Magam. It is also a great devotional feeling to be performing Abhisekam with the ‘Aruvi’ Theertham from the Kutralam falls.”

Jayamani Sundaram Bhattar is 50 years old. He completed his Class X at Ilanji School and like the above two priests went to Pillayarpatti for initiation into the agamas at the Patshala there.  

After completion of the course, he engaged himself in consecration and homam events before joining the Kutralanathar temple 15 years ago.  “My appa – Krishnamurthy Bhattar – served here for 35 years and my son too has joined the Patshala in Thiruparakundram after Class XII. I am hoping that he will continue the hereditary service.

With tourists thronging the waterfalls in Courtallam, the temple too has experienced a surge in devotee crowd. And with that the Thattu Kaasu too has gone over the roof as has the salary of these hereditary priests.

Each of these priests have service at the temple each day of the month alternating between different sannidhis. Unlike those in remote temples in TN, these priests at the Kutralanathar temple have been having a great time, financially. As the devotional wave continues unabated in TN temples, the future looks bright for these priests with devotees coming in large numbers for Parikara and Prarthana pooja.

With the passing of time, many of the Othuvars in remote towns in TN have made their way out of temples. But Othuvar Sankara Narayanan has a great devotional attachment to Kutralanathar having experienced him right from his childhood.  At this young age, he is focusing on deep research on this Lord and is hoping to secure all the historical records about the temple that would have even greater insights into the temple and those that have gone missing. He is keen to dedicate his life in service to the Lord of Courtallam singing the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets each day of the year.