Thiruvayaru Sriram Pain Balm

The Boy who once stopped the legendary Musiri Subramania Iyer at the gate of the Thiruvayaru Music Festival runs a five decades old Successful Pain Balm and Tooth Powder business from the Traditional North Street 

Located on the Northern Banks of Cauvery, Thiruvayaru (the place of the Five Rivers) is renowned for the Pallava Period Pancha Naatheeswara temple, one where Saivite Saint Poet Thirunavukarasarar had darshan of Lord Shiva as seen in Kailasam and more recently for the Thanjavur King Saroboji’s Vedic School that over the last century has turned into Government Music School. This is also the starting place of the famous Sapthasthanam Utsavam in Chitrai when Nandikeswarar, on a horse Vahana, along with his wife Swayambirakaasai, on a palanquin go on a 7 city procession along with Ayarappar and Aram Valartha Nayaki. The four streets around the temple are referred to as Mada Vilagam. Behind these four streets are the four big streets where the Lord goes on a procession during the Brahmotsavam. On Mattu Pongal day, the cows and the temple elephant are decorated in a grand manner and go out on a procession to Thillai Sthanam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/10/thillaisthanam-neiyarappar-temple.html), 1km west of here on the road to Kallanai.

The name Thiruvaiyaru

South of this place towards Thanjavur is the river Cauvery and four of its tributaries – Kudamuruti, Vennar, Vettaru and Vadaaru. Sacred water from these five rivers is used to bathe the Lord. Hence this place came to be referred to as ‘Thiru’ ‘ai’ ‘aru’. When you are at the temple, do not miss trying this out. In the South Western corner of the third prakara, if you call out for ‘Aiyaaraa’ facing the Northern direction, you can hear it echo seven times.

In the last half a century, this historical temple town has come to be home to a popular medicinal solution for head ache.

Abound with Vedic Scholars

74 year old Sriram spent his first 15 years of his life on the North Street in the 1940s and 50s. He studied at the now over 125 years old Srinivasa School, that one of the most famous schools in the region. His father A Panchapakesan was the head of the Raja Patshala in Thiruvayaru, one that produced several Vedic Students in the 1st half of the 20th Century. 

During the 1940s and 50s, Vedic Pundits were present in big numbers at Thiruvayaru. The Vedic Scholars chanted the Vedas all the time. They lived a simple and contended life. The entire North Street was full of traditional Saivites and over a 100 households lived on this once vibrant Street. Sriram remembers the days from his school days when the grandly decorated Lord passed by his house on North street during the 13 day Brahmotsavam in Chitrai, the biggest festival of the year “Even though the priests were financially challenged, they did not go after money.  There was a religious fervour in those days. Values were very high. The priests performed pooja with devotion and residents were just as devoted to the Lord.”

Home to Sanskrit Education

Sanskrit was seen as an integral part of life in Thiruvayaru till the middle of the previous century. Sundaresa Shivachariar, an agama expert, taught Sanskrit free at home to all the students who were interested. "He was such an expert that even the popular Pichai Gurukal of Pillayarpatti would come here to clarify doubts on agama from him."

Sriram’s father was so engrossed with the Sanskrit teachings that he began to converse with his Guru in Sanskrit, such was the impact.“My father participated in promoting Sanskrit by including the language as a subject at the Patshala. Balakrishna Sastrigal was added a Kaavya teacher at the Patshala.” Another renowned scholar of those times Subramanya Shivachariar taught agamas. 

Despite the in depth knowledge in the Sanskrit knowledge and agamas, all of them lived a simple life. They were always seen with Rudraksham on their body and that was the only 'ornament' in the body. There was no financial desire in any of them. They were all dedicated to sharing their knowledge with students. Often one heard “Shana Karthavyaha”, asking for ‘everyone’s attention to be with the teacher’.

Sapthasthanam Utsavam

In those days, Thiruvayaru was renowned for the Palanquin. When the Lord passed his house on the North Street, he saw 32 Sri Patham Thangis carry the Lord on their Shoulders on their way to the Aabath Sahayeswarar temple in Thiru Pazhanam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/12/thiru-pazhanam-abath-sahayeswarar-temple.html). The way they carried the Lord, it almost seemed that the Lord was floating in the air, such was their devotion.

Serfoji Rajah on the Banks of the Cauvery

Tula Snanam was a popular occasion and the bathing ghats were full during the month of Aipasi. The mandapam near the banks was a popular relaxing spot for Prince Serfoji of Thanjavur. Also, the Lord used to make a trip here on the occasion of Vasanthotsavam.

The Young School Boy, Muddy Roads and the Chariot Festival

Back in the 1940s and 50s, there were no cement roads. Sriram was part of many 100s of boys who pulled the Chariot during the Chitrai Brahmotsavam along the mud roads. Often times, the Chariot would get stuck in the muddy roads. With the sheer numbers, they managed to pull the Chariot out and moved on with the procession around the four big streets of Thiruvayaru.

Sriram stops Musiri Subramania Iyer at the Festival gate

Till the middle of the 20th Century, two different units conducted the Music Utsavam in Thiruvayaru. Finally the Thyaga Brahmma Sabha won a court battle against Nagarathna Trust and has since carried on the music festival. Sriram was part of the Volunteers team that managed the big crowd during the music festival. He was a strict volunteer and followed the rules. Once, he had the audacity to stop the legendary Musiri Subramania Iyer at the gate asking him for the pass only to be told that the entrant was the President of the Sabha but Subramania Iyer congratulated and appreciated the young boy on his commitment to his service.

The music festival itself was an elite gathering. For those that visited, mainly the high profile, it was an annual get together of friends from different fields. It was also during that phase when Nadaswara Vidwans fought for their rights and made their way into the committee. Over time, the funds of the trust have increased and coffers have now became FAT.

In those decades, with the facility of bathing ghats and a comfortable mandapam, Chettiars performed the final rites in Thiruvayaru.

Train Ticket from Madras to Thiruvayaru
Till the final quarter of the previous century, those who wanted to travel to Thiruvayaru from Madras would be issued train tickets till Thiruvayaru. At the Thanjavur Junction, a readily stationed bus would pick up the passengers soon after the train's arrival and drop them at Thiruvayaru, such was the service of taking the passenger to the final mile, what is now popularly referred to as 'Last mile delivery' in business parlance. Even with all the modern development, rarely do we see such connectivity these days.

Mass Exodus from the 1960s 

As seen with so many other ancient temple towns in Tamil Nadu, the 1960s saw the residents of Thiruvayaru move away from this temple town. Sriram himself moved out of Thiruvayaru in 1960 first to St. Josephs College, Trichy to do PUC and then for his Engineering degree at IIT Madras. After his PUC, he wrote the entrance examination for IIT Madras and secured a seat. His father was keen that he take up the legal profession and wanted him to do B.L but having got a seat at IIT Madras, Sriram came to Madras and then worked in different companies for over two decades. During his school days, politics was considered as a service to community. As he grew up and took to the corporate world, politics had transformed itself to a means of business.  

Not too many of the original inhabitants reside here these days with most of them having sold their traditional homes to outsiders. He bemoans the changed life style after the mass exodus of traditionalists from Thiruvayaru. He came back to Thiruvayaru in 1995 but there haven’t been too many others who have returned in the last couple of decades ‘Those days, even the headmaster of the school wore only a Veshti and Thundu. Both their internal and external appearance reflected a simplistic lifestyle. As the needs were limited, everyone found contentment in life. Now with the growing needs, problems have risen multifold.”

Sriram finds a drastic difference in the way Vedic Scholars and Priests conduct themselves across the state, though he finds that in his own Thiruvayaru things are not that bad. Even in their external physical appearance, the simplicity is gone and one finds them adorning glamourous jewels and golden bracelets. Even before they agree to a ritualistic event at home, money is discussed. It was not so then. Priests too changed with times. They began to seek money. The willingness to learn came down and the learning curve has seen a downside.

He is happy that the priests in Thiruvayaru still stick to tradition as much as possible. They remain committed to the Lord and continue to serve with devotion.

Tooth Ache results in a great business idea

Once in the mid 1960s, Sriram’s brother, himself a doctor had a severe tooth ache. Panchapakesan prepared a composition out of the blue and tried out a tooth powder that his son could use. He felt good using it to brush in the morning amidst his tooth ache. It worked well. Very soon, it became a hit with his friends and those in the town. Those that liked it came back to him for more. He began by just distributing to close friends. And suddenly through word of mouth, demand shot up. And his father had to increasing the production rapidly. It had instantly became a big hit and a successful business. For a long time, from the mid 60s, the production was done through the help of a ‘mixie’ and the sales has pre dominantly been through Sarvodhaya Sangam. 

After the tooth ache resulted in the making of a tooth powder, a head ache led to his father making a pain balm!!! And then when baldness became an issue for the mid aged, he also began making hair oil that helped in good growth of hair but this he made only for his friends and did not pursue for long.

For over 50 years, the family has now been making tooth powder and pain balm that has become very popular. After his return in 1995, he has been taking care of the tooth powder and pain balm business from the North Street. From the days of grinding the powder in a mixie, he has with his IITian skills mechanized the whole process. Customers still contact him only through the postal letter mode and a few through the phone and he caters to their demand. He does not go out of the way to market his product. Those that have used the pain relieving balm have remained loyal for several decades.

As a man who has been managing the business over these 25 years, he finds the recently introduced GST a great tax reform and a boon for manufacturers. He says that for decades, traders lived a life without paying tax and that all of them find the current tax reform challenging.

Sriram is happy that people have found their composition from the 1960s useful in their everyday lives and hopes to continue to service those that demand as long as possible. And he also continues to enjoy the procession of the Lord on the North Street even though he is saddened by the fact that the Lord now makes his way on Wheeled Tyres.

When here, also visit Kandiyur Brahmma Sira Kandeeswarar temple (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/09/kandiyur-brahmma-sira-kadeeswarar.html) 4kms South.