Kannamangai Ramaswamy Bhattar Grandsons

Next Gen set to take over archaka service at Bhakthavatsala Perumal Divya Desam from April 

Sudarshan (left) and Srivathsan

If you are at this year's Brahmotsavam at the Bhakthavatsala Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Kannamangai, it is likely you will find two youngsters, one just past 20 and the other still in his teens, anchoring the Annual Event for the next gen is set to take over the baton from the Grand Old man  PK Ramaswamy Bhattachar who has served there for six decades.

In 1959, a vacancy arose for a Vaikanasa Agama Archakar at the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Kannamangai, a Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised temple about 7kms from Thiruvarur. As directed by his appa, PK Ramaswamy, then just out of his teens, joined  the temple as a young archaka. He performed service for almost six decades, a lot of it in the most challenging time for temples. Having started at a two digit salary, his financial remuneration had increased only to Rs. 1000 by the turn of the century!!! In the first two decades of his service, even Rs. 2 as Thattu Kaasu was a rarity. He would cycle to Thiruvarur to get the monthly provisions as and when he received some money. 

The scenario at the temple was so bad that the Chitrai Brahmotsavam had to be discontinued. The once vibrant agraharam saw original inhabitants leave for cities seeking greener pastures. As with many other Divya Desam Bhattars of the time, Ramaswamy Bhattachar too directed both his sons to focus on academics much against the wishes of his wife.  She had wanted them to continue the temple service but the financial scenario of the time did not make even for a basic living. His elder son Pakshirajan took to ITI while his second son Venkatesan too went into a life away from the temple. Ramaswamy Bhattachar himself took care of the archaka service and utsavams at the Divya Desam till he was almost 80. 

Go to Kanna Mangai for the Lord's Full Version

When Thiru Mangai Azhvaar came to the Chozha region and moved from one temple to another seeking darshan of the Lord in a full and gigantic posture, he was directed to Thiru Kannamangai. Ramaswamy Bhattachar considers it a great blessing to have been serving such a ‘wholesome’ Lord  for the best part of 60 years.

எங்களுக்கு அருள் செய்கின்ற  ஈசனை

வாச வார் குழலாள் மலை மங்கை தன் பங்கனைப்

 பங்கில் வைத்து உகந்தான் தன்னை

பான்மையை, பனி மா மதியம் தவழ் மன்குலை

கடரை வட மா மலை உச்சியை

நச்சி நாம் வணங்கப்படும் கங்குலை

பகவைச் சென்று நாடி

கண்ணமங்கையுள் கண்டு கொண்டேனே – Periya Thirumozhi 7-10-3

Ramaswamy Bhattar initiates the Grandsons

It was only in the last decade when his health gave way that the two sons returned to the temple to support their appa.  Having allowed both his sons into a life away from temples, Ramaswamy Bhattachar was keen that their sons get back into the temple mode to continue Divya Desam Kainkaryam. He instilled the devotional interest very early on into Srivathsan, the elder son of Pakshirajan. 

21 year old Srivathsan who joined the Swami Dayanand Patshala in Kudavasal in 2014 recounts his school days “Even when I was in class III, I was present for the entire Brahmotsavam along with my Thatha. He had created such an interest in me in Divya Desam Kainkaryam that my interest was to be at the temple all the time. I would get away from the class and support my Thatha on the Brahmotsavam days.”

Intense Vaikanasa Agama Training

His cousin brother Sudarshan, son of Venkatesan, then aged 11 too joined Srivathsan at the Patshala in 2014. Over the last 8years, both of them have been initiated into intense Vaikanasa Agama training. The two have been trained fully in the process of conducting Pavitrotsavam, Samprokshanam and Kalyana utsavam and are into the final final lessons learning the complete process of conducting a Brahmotsavam.

In April this year, the two of them will be undertaking an examination with a top Vaikanasa Agama Judge testing their knowledge before they get certified. 

With Ramaswamy Bhattachar encountering age related problems, Pakshirajan Bhattar has been leading the temple activities in the last few years along with his younger brother Venkatesan. He has built a solid devotee network to support the Utsavams but it has been challenging in the last couple of years with the Pandemic. The financial remuneration is not commensurate with the time and effort spent by the two of them each day at the temple.

        Pakshirajan Bhattar

Last year, Srivathsan anchored the Pavitrotsavam formalities at Thiru Kannamangai Divya Desam, while Sudarashan has taken a special liking for Jeshtabhisekam and Brahmotsavam. They have also been performing Thiru Aradhanam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kudavasal in the last few years and been on training programmes to assist in Samprokshanam events in a few temples to gain early experience. 

Sudarshan takes early inspiration from his Thatha

18 year old Sudarshan's entire inspiration to take to Divya Desam kainkaryam came from his Thatha “When I was a young school boy, I watched him perform service during processions. His performance of the aarathi and his presentation of Mantra Pushpam were truly devotional and it created great interest in me to take to temple service.”

                V Sudarshan

As part of the patshala initiation, they have also learned the Nithya Anusanthanam Paasurams of the Azhvaars as well as the Tiruvoimozhi verses of Nam Azhvaar. Their plan is to pursue Shiromani courses in Sanskrit sometime in the future.

Srivathsan is clear in his mind as to why they are  taking to the temple service “Both of us are entering the temple in the same way our grand father took this up when he was a young boy. It is a great gift to be given an opportunity to perform Divya Desam kainkaryam and to take forward a service that our grandfather had performed for several decades earning the respect of all the devotees.”

Ramaswamy Bhattachar is delighted that in a world where the next gen has been moving into cities and work in the corporate space, his two grandsons have taken a devotional interest in Divya Desam Kainkaryam. “Given the scenario that existed then, my two sons were not able to get into Patshala education. I was keen for my grandsons to continue this Divya Desam service and they immediately took to it with devotional intent by learning the theory with sincerity for 7 years.”

      P Srivathsan

Srivathsan says that he sees Divya Desam Kainkaryam as his way of life. “My patti wanted my appa and chithappa to learn the agamas in a patshala but circumstances then did not permit them. She was always saddened by that, we are now fulfilling our Patti’s wish that we should continue archaka service at the feet of Bhakthavatsala Perumal.”

Having performed service at this Divya Desam for over 50years, Ramaswamy Bhattachar is delighted that his two grandsons will be taking over charge from him this summer to carry on the service at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised temple. The EO of the temple has confirmed that the two youngsters will be given permanent HR&CE posting as the archakas of this Divya Desam and that should ensure the financial security to the two of them.

Ramaswamy Bhattar's Biggest Moments coming up

Ramaswamy Bhattachar is still seen by his contemporaries as a stickler for perfection in the conduct of thiru Aradhanam and Utasvams. He was a very strict archaka and laid clear rules for the conduct of the devotees at the temple. Over the period of his service, he has helped fulfilled the wedding prayers of over 500 devotees at this temple through his sincere aradhana to Garudaazhvaar. With impatience now a stand out feature and with everyone looking at finishing things quickly, he remains a traditionalist and does not compromise in the way temple service is to be performed. He had earned the respect of all the priests in the region as one of the best Vaikanasa Agama archakas and has for a while been looking to pass the baton. Finally, his long time wish is being  fulfilled and the next gen is now ready to take over from him at this Divya Desam.

Earlier this week, this section had featured a story on another in the next gen quitting a corporate job to take up the hereditary archaka service in the Pandya region inspired by his uncle (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/erettai-tirupathi-sundara-rajan-bhattar.html). This one in the Chozha Kingdom is of two cousins promising to their grandfather as teenagers that they will perform lifelong service at the Divya Desam where he had so devotionally served for over five decades.

In April this year, his two grandsons will officially take charge at the temple and for the 86 year old Ramaswamy Bhattachar it will be one of the biggest moments of his life to watch them conduct the Brahmotsavam all on their own.