Veera Raghava Bhattar Kesava Perumal Temple

‘Chellapillai’ of Mylapore Passes away after 70 years of Service

It was the Gandhi Jayanthi day in 2013 that I had a long chat with the then 77 year old K Veera Raghava Bhattar at his home adjacent to the Adhi Kesava Perumal Temple in Mylapore. He belonged to the 11^th generation of his clan who performed Thiru Aradhanam at the Kesava Perumal Temple. He was an expert in Vaikanasa Agamas and was also initiated into Sanskrit Kaavyams at a very young age. At that time in 2013, he had spent over six decades of continuous service performing Thiru Aradhanam for Lord Adhi Kesavan having joined the temple in Panguni of 1950 as a 14 year old. He had seen many ups and downs during his long service at the temple but he had decided very early on in his life that he would not leave the temple even under trying circumstances. 

His grandma called him as Chellapillai after the Lord of Thiru Narayanapuram, Melkote (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2012/04/vaira-mudi-utsavam-melkote.html?m=0) and that name stuck to him till the very end. 

As I sat down with him at the first floor of his house, his devotion to this Lord and the Saint Poet Pey Azhvaar was immediately visible. It was the week of Pey Azhvaar’s annual trip to Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni and it was his favourite trip of the year (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/10/pey-azhvaar-parthasarathy-koil-annual.html). He was devotionally attached to Lord Parthasarathy and would often walk to Thiruvallikeni. Another favourite of his was the Avathara Utsavam of Pey Azhvaar. 

He went on to explain the special powers of Mayuravalli Thayar and how seeking her blessings on Friday would fulfill one’s wishes. Over the last decade or so, devotees have swarmed the Thayar Sannidhi on Friday evenings at this temple much to his delight. 

Recognition for his Service

As he turned 80, he was anointed with the ‘Kainkarya Sriman’ crown by Velukudi Krishnan of Kinchitkaram Trust. 

Service even during Lockdown

And past 80, he was one of the oldest priests in the state to perform service. Even when others were away, he was always seen at the temple performing Thiru Aradhanam. To all in the temple circles, he was their favourite ‘Chellapillai’ of Mylapore. Right till the end, he remained an integral part of the grand Brahmotsavam celebrations at the temple.

Even during the lockdown this year when the devotees have been kept away from the temple, Veera Raghava ‘Chellapillai’ Bhattachar continued to perform Thiru Aradhanam and was present every day at the temple. 

When the lockdown seemed to extend beyond the initial period, his relatives suggested to him to spend the period of the lockdown in a remote village near Chengalpet where their relatives lived. But he rejected the idea reasoning out that he could not stay away from performing service at the Adhi Kesava Perumal temple and thus he was seen at the temple even this month at the age of 84. 

Pey Azhvaar in 2013

However, the death of his nephew the 64 year old Kumar Bhattar, just under a fortnight ago left him in a shocked state. It was an event that was difficult for him to digest. 

He was admitted at the Ramachandra Medical College Hospital last week. On Saturday evening, he spoke to his grandson Srinivasa Raghavan in a cheerful tone and chanted slokas of Lord Rama. Since the age of 19, he has been reciting the entire Ramayana and he completed one such reading of the entire Ramayana last year as well. 

He had been a diabetic for a while and during the early hours of Sunday, the pulse gave away and much to the shock of the entire family, he passed away on Sunday (June 28) morning aged 84 after having performed service at the Adhi Kesava Perumal Temple for seven decades.