Aravoor Karkodakeswarar Temple

Sarpa Dosha Nivarthi

The Centuries old temple with brick constructed outer walls has been in a dilapidated state for a long time - Kumbabhisekam has not taken place in a century

The HR & CE, which is trying to force its way into the temple, has issued a show cause notice to the private trustees and has called for a meeting on Dec 14 to discuss the take over of the temple

In the first week of October this year, this section had featured a story on the dilapidated state of the HR &CE administered Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ayyur near Katchanam, Tiruvarur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/pinna-vaasal-sowri-rajan-bhattar.html).  This story is about a private trustee run temple in ruins. In the last couple of months, the Varadaraja Perumal temple has seen improvements with immediate action initiated by the HR & CE and devotees alike. 

The Mangalambika Samedha Karkodakeswarar temple in Aravoor, 4kms East of Nidamangalam has not seen a Kumbabhisekam over the last century, almost similar to the scenario that existed at the Ayyur temple. The private trustees, who were also Zamindars in Aravoor, have been managing the temple through the 20th Century. Over the last fortnight or so, the HR & CE has issued a show cause notice to the trustees and a meeting has been fixed for next Tuesday (Dec 14) at the temple where the JC is expected to have a discussion with the owners on the take over of the temple by the HR & CE.

The temple has centuries old inscriptions both at the Mangalambika and Swami Sannidhis. Thiru Gnana Sambandar is believed to have visited the temple on his way from Nidamangalam to Alangdi but did not sing a verse of praise on this Lord. 

Interestingly, there are also idols of Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman inside this temple. Historically there seemed to have been a perumal temple as well in Aravoor as was the tradition in the centuries gone by but the dilapidated state of the perumal temple seems to have led the idols into the Karkodakeswarar temple. 

Sarpa Dosham Parikara Sthalam

Karkodakeswarar is East Facing while Mangalambika Sannidhi is South facing. There are also separate sannidhis for Pillayar and Murugar on the Western side of the temple. As the name of the Swamy suggests, this is a parikara sthalam for Sarpa Dosham. The village is named as Aravoor (aravam for snake in tamil).

There is a strong belief that sincere prayers at this temple will relieve one of Kaala Sarpa Dosham. There are devotees who visit the temple on Pradosham, Sangaabhisekams on Karthigai Mondays, Aipasi for Anna Abhisekam. On Fridays, devotees from the village come to light the lamp and on Pradosham evenings they turn up to watch the abhisekam. 

Owners of the Temple

The temple was owned by Rathna Sabhapathi Udayar and then passed on to his sons Ramalinga and Panchapakesan Udayar. From them, it has now passed on to their sons who are currently responsible for the upkeep of the temple. The forefathers of the current trustee had owned almost the entire village in the century gone by. They were not just owner of the temple but of the entire Aravoor Village, says Mayil Udayar Santhanam, whose team has taken up restoration work of several temples in the Nidamangalam region in the last many years.

Current State of the Temple

The temple is currently in a dilapidated state and has been in a neglected state for a while. The outer walls of the temple are in bad shape. There is no electricity inside the temple and hence it is a challenge to visit the temple after 6pm. The Vimanam of Ambal and Swami Sannidhis have had trees atop that only recently were cut. The Pillayar and Murugar Sannidhis on the Western side too are in a bad state. There are huge bushes across the prakara similar to the one seen at the HR &CE administered Ayyur Varadaraja Perumal temple  a couple of months back. The madapalli has been dysfunctional for decades and is in ruins now. The worst of the lot is the big tank at the East end with even the pathway to it being cut off with the presence of huge bushes. Thick shrubs, bushes and trees inside the temple puts safety of the priest at peril. Both inside the temple and near the tanks, there is the risk of snakes making this their home. Of course this is a temple relating to relief from Sarpa Dosham.The consecration of the temple has not taken place in a century.

          Madapalli in Ruins

Mayil Udayar Santhanam, who belongs to a team of Temple Service Personnel under the leadership of former Chief Election Commissioner Gopalswamy, has restored a 100 temples in the region and is currently pushing the owners to hand over the restoration exercise to his team. It was this team of service personnel that had supported and undertaken the renovation exercise at the Santhana Ramar temple in Nidamangalam where the consecration took place in 2006 (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/12/nidamangalam-santhanaramar-temple.html).

  Mayil Udayar Santhanam

A devotee whose Kaala Sarpa Dosham was relieved after invoking the blessings of the Lord at this temple offered to take up the entire restoration exercise but Mayil Udayar Santhanam says that the owners did not agree to it. He says that HR &CE is now pushing hard to force the transfer of ownership from the private trustees. For the moment, the owners are hanging on. Santhanam feels that the temple is better off in private hands but is keen that the current trustees take up the immediate restoration for its been delayed for far too long.

Five Decades Serving Santhanam Gurukal

G Santhanam Gurukal is 68 years old and has been serving as an archaka at the temple for the last five decades. His father Ganesha Gurukal, who passed away in the late 1960s, had served at the temple for several decades and prior to that his grandfather as well. 

    G Santhanam Gurukal

Santhanam Gurukal, who hails from Aravoor, studied till class VI at the school in Nidamangalam. He then learned the temple related archaka work from his uncle and joined the temple in 1970. Santhanam Gurukal also performs archaka service at two other village temples – Mariamman temple in Kiliyur and Pillayar temple in Vadamangalam for some financial returns. His relatives have been asking him to move to the city but he says that if he was motivated financially, he would have made the move decades ago. He says he feels blessed to be handed the task of archaka service through his forefathers at this temple and he is keen to continue for as long as possible. 

Historically the priests were handed paddy for their service. About three decades ago, Santhanam Gurukal was handed over a large tract of land by the Trustees in lieu of the Paddy that his forefathers were given during their service. No more does he get Paddy for his monthly service. Thattu Kaasu is almost non-existent at the temple. He rides a TVS 50 to the other two temples for daily pooja. He and his wife live in a small self constructed house opposite the temple.

He says that there is a lot of investment that needs to be made for him to generate income from the farming land. “Without periodic investment, one cannot get returns.”

Mayil Udayar Santhanam has been talking to the owners regarding the restoration exercise but has not got positive feedback yet. He wonders as to why such an aristocratic family would not perform periodic Kumbabhisekams at the temple. Both the owner descendents confirmed to this writer that the HR&CE had indeed sent them a notice indicating its intention to take over the temple.

There are two big tasks on hand for the owners - One, they would have to organize, quickly, a restoration exercise and prevent further ruins. Two, they have to keep the HR & CE away from the temple. 

While the HR & CE take over is a real threat to this privately managed temple, Temple activist and President of the Temple Worshippers Society TR Ramesh had a question for the HR &CE officials “If the dilapidated state of the temple is the reason for the private trustees to be sent out of the temple, then should the HR & CE not get out of the Ayyur Varadaraja Perumal Temple (managed by the HR & CE) that too had been in a dilapidated state for decades. And several other HR & CE administered temples that are in a state of ruins.”

The meeting between the HR &CE and the Private Trustees on Tues Dec 14 will give an indication on the likely next steps at the temple. Either way, this temple requires an immediate restoration exercise and that cannot wait any longer.

Aravoor is four kms North East of Nidamangalam off the Tiruvarur highway. There are very limited buses to Aravoor and access to the temple is not easy. An auto from Nidamangalam costs Rs. 150.  One can call Santhanam Gurukal on @ 88705 60573 before visiting the temple.