Thiru Koodalur Kasturi Rangan Bhattar

Kethu Parikara Sthalam

Kasturi Rangan Bhattar has been performing Divya Desam archaka service for 25years, the last 15 at a stagnant salary of around Rs. 1800

39 year old Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now into his 25th year in service at the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Jagathrakshagan temple in Aduthurai Perumal Koil located on the Thiruvayaru-Kumbakonam Highway. He began supporting his ‘blind’ appa as a teenager and then took full charge as the sole archaka in 2007. In the last 15years, his salary has remained stagnant much like that of Ananthu Bhattar of Thenthiruperai Divya Desam (Ananthu Bhattar Thenthiruperai). Kasturi Rangan Bhattar and his forefathers have been performing archaka service at the temple over the last century but through this entire period, the financial scenario has not improved. In his case, even the miniscule monthly salary of Rs. 1875 has not been paid for the last few years.

தாம் தம் பெருமை அறியார் 

தூது வேந்தர் காய வேந்தர் ஊர் போல் 

காந்தன் விரல் மென் கலை நன் மடவார் 

கூந்தல் கமழும் கூடலூரே -Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

His grandfather Srinivasa Raghavan had performed Thiru Aradhanam at the temple for several decades till 1980 at a salary of Rs. 13!!!  

Divya Desam Kainkaryam at Rs. 130

His appa Muthu Krishnan Bhattar, took over at a time when the scenario was as bad as it could get for an archaka. Similar to the scenario at Kapisthalam Gajendra Varadar Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/07/kapisthalam-seshadri-bhattar.html)10kms East of here, there were very few devotees here during the time Muthu Krishnan Bhattar performed service here. All the utsavams had come to a halt at Thiru Koodalur Divya Desam decades ago. The scenario was so bad four decades ago that Muthu Krishnan Bhattar would switch off the lamp soon after Thiru Aradhanam. There was not just shortage of oil or ghee to light the lamp but even the Thiri was not available in sufficient quantity. There were no street lights in those decades but that did not deter Muthu Krishnan Bhattar from his devotional endeavours. Unmindful of the challenges, he performed archaka service at Thiru Koodalur for over 25years including many years with blind eyes at a salary of Rs. 130. 

Muthu Krishnan Bhattar cycled every morning to Ayyampettai where he performed aradhanam in Rama, Krishna and Hanuman temples. He then cycled back to Thiru Koodalur for Thiru Aradhanam at the Divya Desam at 8am. From here, he cycled another 3kms to Puthur for service at the Perumal temple there and returned home at 12noon. He followed a similar process in the evening. This was his daily routine for close to two decades. From these four temples, he received a total of around Rs. 200 per month!!!

                   Muthu Krishnan Bhattar

Ganapathy Agraharam, 2kms West of Thiru Koodalur, the place where Kasturi Rangan Bhattar and his forefathers resided was once vibrant. There were a few cows at home as was the tradition in the century gone by. The smarthas in the agraharam bought milk and curd from his forefathers and that was how the family was run but with the passing of time there too traditional residents moved away to larger towns.

An accident takes away his eyes

In 1996, while returning after a bath in the Cauvery, Muthu Krishnan Bhattar was knocked down by a bus much like what happened later with Srikanthan Bhattar of Sirupuliyur Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/sirupuliyur-divya-desam.html). In the accident, he lost his eyesight but continued to serve for many more years “I would leave him at the temple entrance in the morning. On his own, he would make his way to the Sannidhi for he knew every wall and pillar at the temple. He would light the lamp and perform Thiru Aradhanam. He would also cook in the Madapalli and present Thaligai to the Lord. I would come back and pick him back” says Kasturi Rangan Bhattar on how he was devotionally inspired by his appa's attachment to the Divya Desam Lord.

First Signs of Revival Support

In the late 1990s, Krishnapremi ‘Anna’, who transformed Shenganoor (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/09/periya-vachan-pillai-senganoor.html), began an ubayam for Thirumanjanam every month on the Vaikasi Day and also presented Thayir Saatham as Thaligai.  Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan provided pooja items to the temple for daily Aradhanam. He also anchored the renovation activities at the temple with the consecration taking place in 2003. 

Kethu Parikara Sthalam

This is seen as a Kethu Parikara Sthalam. Separated couples come to this temple and present Thaligai with butter and kalkandu for 16days. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar says that close to 200 couples have come together after visiting this temple. Childless couples too visit the temple and have found success after invoking the blessings of the Lord here at this Divya Desam.

தக்கன் வேள்வி தகர்த்த தலைவன் 

துக்கம் துடைத்த துணைவர் ஊர் போல் 

எக்கலிடு நுண்மணல் மேல் 

எங்கும் கொக்கின் பழம்வீழ் கூடலூரே

Brahmotsavam Revived and Discontinued

Following the 2003 Samprokshanam, Vaikasi Brahmotsavam was revived for the first time in several decades. When Kasturi Rangan officially took charge in 2007, Aippasi Pavitrotsavam too was revived. But the Brahmotsavam did not survive for too long and has been discontinued once again. In locations as remote as this, it has been a challenge in recent times to find Sripatham personnel to carry the Lord on street processions on the big Vahanas. 

Looking for new smaller sized vahanas

Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is now looking for small weightless vahanas so Brahmotsavam can be revived and for the processions to take place on these small vahanas. If devotees support this initiative, it is possible for the Brahmotsavam to be revived sometime in the future. Currently, Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan is anchoring his 2nd renovation at this temple. It is likely that the Samprokshanam will take place later this year but Brahmotsavam and the street processions on the big Vahanas may not resume anytime in the near future.

Interestingly contrary to the current trend, his wife refused prospective grooms from the corporate world and made her way back to Thiru Koodalur to marry the priest!!! His son is 5 ½ years old and the plan is to get him into a Patshala in the next few years. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar is hopeful of his son too continuing the Divya Desam Kainkaryam that has been passed on to him by his forefathers.

Unpaid Salary for the last two years

His appa’s message during his childhood was to have the fullest faith in Jagathrakshagan and the belief that Bhagawan would take care of Kainkaryapakas who performed service with sincerity “We cannot continue this service if financial interest is in our mind. Kainkaryam to Jagathrakshagam is what keeps us going. Our duty is to be as sincere as possible in devotion and service.”

Kasturi Rangan Bhattar's official salary from the HR & CE has remained stagnant for the last 15 years. Even worse, he has not received his salary in the last two years. 

Contrasted with this, just 15kms away, Prince Babaji Rajah Bhonsle of the Thanjavur Maratha Palace (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/thanjavur-palace-babaji-rajah-bhonsle.html) has orchestrated a turnaround and transformed the temples under his administration in the last 30 years. The salary he has paid the priests of the close to 100 temples under the Palace is almost ten times the salary paid to Kasturi Rangan Bhattar. And he has also provided medical insurance to the priests in his temples. Even during the Pandemic, despite the challenges of closure of temples, he has managed to take total care of the archakas and the service personnel.

Since the start of the Pandemic, the devotee crowd has drastically reduced at Thiru Koodalur Divya Desam and with that the prospects of Thattu Kaasu too. But as with many long standing priests, Kasturi Rangan is not performing this service for financial remuneration. He considers it a blessing to be serving at a Divya Desam and has never entertained thoughts of moving elsewhere seeking greener pastures. In his very early days as a school boy, his parents initiated him into a life of service to the Divya Desam Lord. His amma was particularly keen that he continue the temple service through his lifetime. 

To this day, Kasturi Rangan Bhattar has managed to keep that promise he gave her.

The temple is open from 730am-1230pm and 430pm-830pm. Kasturi Rangan Bhattar can be reached on 96598 80628/ 76678 86775