Thiruvenkadu Somu Gurukal

The Octogenarian has served at the temple for over 70 years having begun service at the age of 8 in the early 1940s - Refused to apply for Govt Pension citing that the very service to God was reward enough for him

His unflinching devotion to Swetharanyeswarar helped him withstand severe financial challenges in the 1960s and 70s when there was no income at the temple and distribution of Paddy to Gurukals stopped

86 year old Somu Gurukal has rendered service for over 7 decades at the Saint Poets praised Swetharanyeswarar temple in Thiruvenkadu, now more popularly referred to as Budhan Sthalam, a temple located 3kms off the Northern Banks of Cauvery and 1km South of Manni River. A decade after he retired from his service and with his eyesight fading, the temple authorities still look up to him for important clarifications regarding agamas.

Three Lords (Swetharanyeswarar, Natarja and Agora Murthy), Three Theerthams (Soma, Surya, Agni), Three Sthala Vriksham (Vadalal, Konrai,Vilvam) and Verses of Praise by Four Saint Poets are special features of the temple.

‘சபபாத கரோ பூமன் தஹ்யமான சராக்னி
நருத்ரேநேவ வினிர்தக்த
சுவேதாரண்யே யதாந்தகஹா’

When Thiru Gnana Sambandhar made his way into Thiruvenkadu, he was swarmed with Shiva Lingams all over the place. He was anxious and wondered as to how he could step on to the Lingams to reach the temple. Answering his prayers, Ambal Periyanayaki carried him on her hip and brought him to the temple. In memory of this episode, Ambal is seen with the Saint Poet at this temple, a unique feature. As she carried the Saint poet on her hip, she is referred to as ‘Pillai Idukki’ Amman.

No Formal Schooling but strong in Agamas

Somu Gurukal was born in Manikaram, a village a few kilometers from Thiruvenkadu that has a historical connection dating back to the period of Silapadikaram. On the streets of Manikaram, gems and diamonds used to be traded.

Somu Gurukal never attended a formal school.  His forefathers had performed service at the temple during the 19^th Century and the early part of the 20^th Century. When he was just 8 years, he moved to Thiruvenkadu to support his uncle at the temple. He learnt the Agamas, Vedas and Sanskrit from his Grand Father as well as from Ramaiah Ganapadigal.

His entire childhood and teenage life revolved around the temple and he has happy memories of life at the temple in the 1940s “The entire temple was stacked with Paddy. There would be no space for us to even move within the temple such was the abundance of Paddy in this region. We would plead with the Mill owners to take away the Paddy and give us some money which was then used to conduct the Big Utsavam in Maasi. Izhuppu Tree was in abundance in this region. Extract from the tree was converted to Oil and this was used to light the lamp in all the sannidhis.”

As per the custom at the temple, a bachelor is not allowed to perform pooja at the Swamy and Ambal Sannidhis. After having supported his uncle for 8 years, he began full fledged service at the temple in the late 1940s, after his marriage at the age of 16. During the first decade of his service, he received a monthly salary of Rs. 2/50. He also received 20 Kalam Paddy each month as part of the service remuneration.

The Big Maasi Utsavam

For long, the most differentiating feature at the temple has been the presence of the tall 7 feet Lord facing South  seen in a Destructive Posture and referred to as Agora Murthy, a manifestation of Shiva’s anger.

Every Maasi, Villagers from the entire region congregated in several 1000s for the Aghora Murthy Utsavam on Day 5 of the Brahmotsavam, the biggest day in the year. It was customary for one village to take up a day’s utsavam during the Brahmotsavam. During the entire period of the Utsavam, the villagers donned the role of Sri Patham and carried the Lord on their shoulders around the Mada Vilagam.

Chariot Festival and Thiru Kalyana Utsavam too were grand at the temple. Historically, Neivedyam used to be presented in large quantities to the Lord and later distributed among the  strong 75+ Sirpanthigals at the temple.

A rare Five Posture Display
At this Thevaram Sthalam, Lord Shiva provides darshan here in five different postures. In the ‘Easaanam’, a posture representing purity, the Lord is seen facing the sky. Other postures include Vaamadevam facing the Northern Direction and representing Nourishment, Tatpurisha facing the East and representing Spirituality and Destruction of ‘Ego’. Sadyojatam is a West facing posture representing Creation.

Similar to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praising Thiru Vellakulam, a Vaishnavite Divya Desam a few kms from Thiruvenkadu by its sacred tank (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/12/annan-perumal-koil.html), Thiru Gnana Sambanthar refers to the three sacred tanks providing relief from mental disease in his praise of this temple

பேயடையா பிரிவெய்தும் பிள்ளையினோ டுள்ளநினை
வாயினவே வரம்பெறுவ ரையுறவேன் டாவொன்றும்

வேயனதோ ளுமைபங்கன்
வெண்காடு முக்குளநீர்
தோய்வினையா ரவர்தம்மைத் தோயாவாந்

Vedic Learning
Thiruvenkadu was a center of Vedic learning with students coming in from across the country to be initiated into the Vedas.  There was even houses exclusively dedicated to them in the long Agraharam and was referred to as ‘Rameswaram Shastry home’, ‘Kasi Shastry home’ and so on indicating that scholars had come from afar to pursue their knowledge here. Veda Parayanam was an integral part of the temple till the 1940s and 50s. To encourage Vedic Chanting at the temple, King Sarabhoji set up an agraharam and brought together young boys who were initiated in the Vedas.

While the temple was vibrant in the first decade of his service, the 1960s and 70s sounded death knell for priests and service personnel at this temple. It was a financially challenging period for the Gurukal and his family. Income from the lands dropped drastically. Paddy to Gurukal became a thing of the Past. Salary from the temple did not rise through two decades. Post school holidays and festival periods, the temple went into a complete lull. There would not be any devotees at the temple for days together. Thattu Kaasu was non-existent. It was a phase that broke many a heart in temples across Tamil Nadu. With the financial difficulties, Brahmotsavam was stopped for a couple of decades. There was no repair or maintenance work done at the temple for decades. And the Vedic Pundits too moved away from Thirvenkadu in search of livelihood. Even for the functions at home, there remained no Vedic Scholars in and around this ancient temple town.

In those financially tough times, not once did Somu Gurukal think of moving away from the temple for he had committed himself to spending his entire lifetime at the temple dedicating himself to service of Lord Swetharanyeswarar.

No Money to pay daily cycle rentals

Somu Gurukal’s son Babu Gurukal, now 52, began supporting his father in SangaAbhisekam from the age of 5. For over 100 years, his father and grandfather did pooja in nearby temples. He remembers his father cycling 10 kms every day to perform pooja in those two temples “My father did not have money to pay the rent for the cycle and hence would keep the cycle for two extra days till he managed to earn the money to pay the rental, such was the financial state of the family in the 1970s and 80s.”

There were no lights in any of the streets. It was so scary that Babu Gurukal would wait for his mother to come to the end of the street to accompany him back home. Even availability of food was a challenge for a couple of decades. 

His amma’s message was the greatest strength of his life “Never do wrong to others even in the most difficult of times, even if others wrong you.

Sudden Devotional Transformation of his son

The youngest son of Somu Gurukal, Rajappa Gurukal, grew up in the 1980s. He was frustrated at seeing the financial challenges of his father and was keen to move out of temple service. After finishing class X, his mind was focused on joining ITI. He was also interested in cricket and played tennis ball cricket in school days. 

But devotion to the Lord drew him near. He dropped the idea of ITI and moved to the Ravi Patshala in Mayiladuthurai. Shortly after, he joined the temple at 17 to support his father, who has been an inspiration for him. His father’s sole message to him has been to serve the Lord with devotion irrespective of financial returns. Deciding to continue the temple service has remained his best decision in life. He gets immense satisfaction from performing the 6 kaala pooja every day. He has now been at the temple for 25 years.

Budhan Sannidhi

Till the 1940s, the idol of Budhan was behind the Ambal Sannidhi, which was historically a cave temple. As with most other Navagriha temples, this too was popular and known by the legend of Lord Shiva. It was during the Kumbabhisekam in the 40s, that Devokkatai Chettiar moved the idol of Budhan into a separate sannidhi in front of Ambal Sannidhi.  Those days very few visited the Budhan Sannidhi. Even though astrologers existed even at that time, rarely did they suggest a parikaram for Budhan.

Did not apply for Govt Pension

Things have improved at the temple, financially, over the last decade with the prominence as a Budhan Sthalam. Every Wednesday there are 25 abhishekams for Budhan. Even after the scenario changed, with the prominence as a Navagriha Sthalam, none of the family members ask for Thattu Kaasu or Dakshinai or perform differentiated pooja based on the finances of the devotees. That is why even today wherever they go they are respected as the Gurukals of Swetharanyeswarar temple.

During his time, Somu Gurukal has led multiple Kumbabhisekams at the Thiruvenkadu temple. He also performed Kumbabhisekam thrice in 24 other temples over the last 70 years. His flair for the Tamil language made him a big hit at Pattimandrams. For over 6 decades, he and his family lived in a hut house in the South Agraharam. When almost the entire agraharam vacated their hereditary homes seeking greener pastures elsewhere, only three Gurukal families remained in the South Street. After six decades of service, Somu Gurukal even refused to even apply for pension saying he was happy to have got the opportunity to serve the Lord in this life time and that alone he sees as the greatest gift from God. Never did he or anyone in the family go to the temple with financial returns in mind. They looked at it as a devotional service and kept rendering it through their life time.

His has been a very contented life. Performing 6 Kaala Pooja for the Lord has been his sole way of life. Somu Gurukal is truly a Divine Personality!!!