Kanchipuram Divya Desams Delayed Renovation works

The only set of Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu where the old black and white Raja Gopurams and Vimanams remain

Will the temple authorities and Venu Srinivasan come to an agreement on the restoration exercise at the Varadaraja Perumal temple ahead of Athi Varadar Utsavam in 2019

There are around 10 stand alone ( a few of them are housed inside larger temple complexes) Divya Desams in Kanchipuram praised by Saint Poets – Azhvaars. Each of these are at least a 1000 years old. The Azhvaars provide insights into how these temples were in the period all those centuries ago. The verses also describe in-depth the physical features of the Lord in these temples. Vedanta Desikar in his Prabhandham has showered praises on the Perarulaalar of Thiru Kachi Athigiri. However, sadly, unlike the Divya Desams in the Pandya and Chozha regions, the ones here in the erstwhile Pallava region have remained largely ignored on the renovation front.

It is only here in Kanchipuram among all the Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu that one still finds the historic ‘black and white’ Raja Gopurams and Vimanams. The modern colour coating has engulfed all the other Divya Desams in the State over the last two decades.

While a large temple like Srirangam saw renovation and restoration costs go up to around Rs. 25      crores in the exercise that was undertaken a few years ago, most of the other temples have seen renovation expenses in the order of a few crores over the last decade, almost all of which has been funded by the donors. It has become an unwritten policy for the HR & CE to not spend on renovation from the income generated at the temple with the priests in recent times doubling up as marketing agents sourcing the requisite funds from the devotee donors from across the globe.

It has been the practice in Vaishnavite temples to perform Samprokshanam once in 12 years, though the Agamas do not prescribe this. Historically, repair works used to be a continuous process but in recent decades, renovations have become a mega exercise and Samprokshanams have been conducted once in 12 years. In fact, it has been a big income source Bhattars that has provided the much needed financial assistance to a number of them across the state especially in the Chozha region for their daily sustenance over the last couple of decades.

Pandava Thoothar

Going by this timeline followed in most Divya Desams, it should have been time now for the 3^rd Samprokshanam at Pandava Dhoothar temple in Thiru Paadagam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/10/108-divya-desam-thiru-paadagam.html) since 1984. But the trustee managed Divya Desam has found the going tough all around.  For the conduct of the utsavams, the cost of the Sri Patham has shot up dramatically forcing them to abandon the Brahmotsavam. It has been over 15 years since the last Brahmotsavam was seen at the temple and over three decades since any large renovation exercise has been undertaken here. 

There are no more grand street processions at this Divya Desam. Even more challenging has been the effort to organize the finances for the renovation at the temple. The Raja Gopuram and the Vimanams wear an old look and the huge Lord, whose legendary tale dates back to the Mahabaratha has been waiting for a long while to see if any like minded devotee would turn up to take up the restoration of the temple and its utsavams to its glorious past. But thus far it has remained largely elusive.

Pachai Vannan Pavala Vannan

Just a few kms North lie two temples, a few hundred yards of each other – Pachai Vannan and Pavala Vannan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/10/108divya-desam-kanchipuram-pavalavannan.html), praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar. The Vimanams and Raja Gopuram at Pavala Vannan temple makes one wonder as to why devotees go for construction of new temples when Azhvaar praised temples remain in such state. The madapalli wears an old world look. The previous samprokshanam took place well over two decades ago.

Here too the Street Processions have come to a grinding halt as the exorbitant Sri Patham cost has become too much to bear - the costs have more than trebled from the past.  The priest who has been there for almost three decades at this ancient Divya Desam is paid a monthly salary of just over Rs. 1000 leaving one to wonder as to how one could survive with this kind of low monthly remuneration. The only reason why such priests continue to remain is for historical, hereditary reasons – to  not let go the service to the Lord that their forefathers had rendered at the temple through the 20th century. 

வங்கத்தால் மா மணி வந்து உந்து முந்நீர் மல்லையாய்

மதில் கச்சி ஊராய் பேராய்

கொங்கத்தார் வளங் கொன்றை அலங்கல் மார்வன்

குலவராயன் மடப்பாவை இடப்பால் கொண்டான்

பங்கத்தாய் பாற்கடலாய் பாரின்மேலாய்

பனிவரையின் உச்சியாய் பவள வண்ணா

எங்குற்றாய் எம்பெருமான் உன்னை நாடி

ஏழையேன் இங்ஙனமே உழிதருகேனே - Thiru Nedunthandagam

The sacred tank outside the Pavala Vannan temple also presents a deplorable picture.

Paramechura Vinnagaram

At the monumental ASI maintained heritage temple of Parameswara Vinnagaram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/10/108-divya-desams-kanchipuram-thiru.html) so highly praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi, many of the ancient sand stone sculptures are in dilapidated state. While many improvements in the outer prakara are being undertaken including the installation of LED lamps around the temple zone, the historical sculptures have undergone erosion over the last 50 years that are now beyond repair. Thus using chemical wash, these are being maintained to the extent possible without further deterioration.

தூம்பு உடைத்தின் கை  வன் தாள் களிற்றின்

துயர் தீர்த்து  அரவம் வெருவ முன நாள்

பூம் புனல் பொய்கை புக்கான் அவனுக்கு

இடம் தான் தடம் சூழ்ந்த அழகா ஆய கச்சி

தேம் பொழில் குன்று எயில் தென்னவனைத்

திசைப்ப  செருமேல் வியந்து அன்று சென்ற

பாம்பு உடைப் பல்லவர் கோன் பணிந்த

பரமேச்சுர  விண்ணகரம் அதுவே - Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

Such Bhattars do still exist - Trivikrama Perumal

At the Ulagalandha Perumal Divya Desam, the Dharma Kartha and Head Priest Kannan Bhattar provides a truly refreshing experience to devotees who throng the temple to take a look at Maha Bali, seen crushed on the ground under the foot of the gigantic Trivikrama “No amount of money can satisfy us. We always want more” is how the head priest addresses the long crowd of devotees on a Friday morning at the temple.  He goes on "you are so lucky to have such a peaceful darshan today for on most other Fridays especially the ones just passed by in Puratasi there would be queue that stretched far to the entrance of the temple".

“Let us just surrender to him without asking for more and more monetary returns” says the priest as he calls out for the service personnel at the temple and hands them a share of the morning Thattu Kaasu, leaving them a delighted lot.

Restoration Exercise at Varadar Temple

At the biggest Perumal temple in the region, the Varadaraja Perumal Divya Desam in Chinna Kanchipuram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/11/108-divya-desam-thirukachi-athigiri.html), a temple praised in several verses by Vedanta Desikar,  the once in a 40 year Athi Varadar event is just 9 months away. The temple authorities are keen to refurbish the Potramarai Kulam at the Eastern entrance of the temple that has been crying for help for decades. All the hotels and guest houses have already been book almost a year ahead of the event. Lakhs of devotees are expected to take part in the event. There are many zones in the temple that are in terrible shape. The area around the Davana Mandapam, where the Lord makes an annual trip for the Davana Utsavam is thick with bushes. 

The huge area around the Potramarai Kulam is dense with thick bushes and is abound with large snakes. There are other areas  in the temple including the tank at the Western entrance that require restoration. The Eastern entrance to the temple has remained shut for historical reasons.

Temple authorities are keen to secure the assistance of Venu Srinivasan to restore the temple ahead of  the Athi Varadar Utsavam but the modalities have not yet been worked out with the temple also being caught recently in a sea of  Vaishnavite Sect fights with matters being taken to court. Time is running out. There is an opportunity for the temple to be seen in good positive light in terms of restoring it to old glory across the entire temple complex, come next June/July.

வம்மின் புலவீர் அருளாளப் பெருமாளென்றும்

அருளாழி அம்மானென்றும்

திருமகளை பெற்றும் என் நெஞ்சம்

கோயில் கொண்ட பேரருளாளரென்றும்

வியப்பா விருது ஊதும்படி
கரை புரண்ட கருணை கடலை

எவ்வண்ணம் பேசுவீர்,
ஈதென்ன பாங்கே - Athigiri Mahatmiyam, Vedanta Desikar

There is a donor with a proven track record of 25 years willing to contribute to the restoration, though he is known to work on his own terms that is resented by a few. Some voices of dissent is heard within the temple.

If the authorities do not act fast, time may run out and many of the current infrastructural issues may continue to remain at the time of the huge utsavam next year. As seen above with so many other Divya Desams in Kanchipuram, there may not be too many others easily willing to give time, effort and money into renovation exercise to get these ancient temples back into shape. 

The Athi Varadar Utsavam presents itself with an opportunity to spruce up a number of the ancient Divya Desams in Kanchipuram. It is unlikely that Pandava Dhoothar, Pachai Vannan and Pavala Vannan will see light before the utsavam but there is a credible donor waiting to contribute to the restoration of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple. It would make sense for the trustees of the other Divya Desams in Kanchipuram to see if it is possible for Venu Srinivasan and his trust to also restore those temples prior to the mega event in Kanchipuram next year.

One has to wait and watch as to how this story pans out over the next few months.