Thiru Kudanthai Soundar Bhattar

Chellappa Bhattar's Son Transforms Ramaswamy Koil - Brings back Grandeur to the Annual Utsavams

For over a decade, he has been Velukkudi Krishnan’s favourite  ‘Alankaram’ Bhattar on his national devotional trips

Contentment and Devotional Commitment a distinguishing feature of Soundar Bhattar's Kainkaryam at Thiru Kudanthai

The 1970s was a terrible decade for priests in Tamil Nadu temples. 1960s-80s marked the phase when original inhabitants moved from their hereditary locations to larger cities in search of greener pastures. For the priests who stayed back in the temples where their forefathers had performed archaka service, it was one of the most challenging phases. Devotees moved away from temples, Utsavams came to a halt and the priests were left waiting at the entrance of the Sannidhi for that elusive devotee. In the backdrop of this, with the financial scenario having turned sour, many among the priests sent their next generation into academics and a life away from temples. 

Sarangapani Koil’s Soundarrajan Bhattar, now 52, is one who belonged to the generation that was born in that phase. Interestingly, very early on his school life, he chose a life dedicated to archaka service despite having spent his entire childhood in a hut house on Iyengar Street behind the Ramaswamy Temple. Throughout the first 15years of his life, there had been no fan at home.  On most days, he only ate temple prasadam. On non festival days, Chellappa Bhattar would rarely get any Thattu Kaasu. However, despite the severe financial challenges of the time, Soundar Bhattar decided very early on that he would not move away from the hereditary service at the temple.  

Devotionally attached to Sarangapani from a young age

His grandfather Lakshmana Bhattachar had served at the temple as archaka for almost four decades from the 1930s. In the decades that he performed archaka service, there was a vibrant agraharam right opposite the Eastern Entrance with about 30 traditional families residing there. There were 200 scholars presenting Veda Parayanam and Divya Prabhandham recital on big festive occasions. Villagers walked from distant locations to be present for the big chariot festival. Leading into Thiru Kudanthai, one found greenery all around. He was also the Sthaanegam at the Ramaswamy Temple.

            Lakshmana Bhattachar

Chellappa Bhattar - A respected Priest in the 1960s/70s

From the time he was a five year old boy, he accompanied his appa, L Srinivasa Bhattar (Chellappa Bhattar), to the temple. Chellappa Bhattar performed service for three decades. In those decades over half a century ago, the temple comprised of 5 trustees - 3 Vadakalai, 1 Madhwa and 1 Konar- and they managed the Utsavams well during those decades. There were 16 Sri Patham Thangis who committed themselves to carrying the Lord on their shoulders on all the utsavams including the big Vahana processions during Brahmotsavam. During the early phase of Chellappa Bhattar, the Ghosti and Vedic scholars were in such large numbers that he often ended up with a swollen hand as he had to place the Shatari on 200 heads in a most traditional way on multiple occasions each day during these festivals. Back then, it was not like the current period when Bhattars rush through the Shatari process in a matter of minutes almost as an exercise to complete and the shatari process itself would take a long time.

      Srinivasa (Chellappa) Bhattar

Early Devotional Bonding with Lord Aaravamudhan

Even while he was studying at the Town High School in the 1970s, Soundar Bhattar's mind was ever focused on Aaravamudhan and he would often make his way to the temple in morning and evening to support his appa in the Kainkaryam.  Soundar’s elder brother Sudarshan (who passed away a decade ago in the flight tragedy at Salagramam) completed his collegiate education but not for him pursuing academics and a corporate job. He quit school before he was into his mid teens and moved to Guindy, Madras to be initiated in the Pancharatra Agama by the revered Mannargudi Yagnam Ramaswamy Deekshithar (Sona Deekshithar) later renowned for writing a letter to the then CM of TN MG Ramachandran to alter the date of the Raja Gopuram Samprokshanam in Srirangam in the 1980s.

Intensive coaching under Sona Deekshithar

For three years in the early 1980s, he spent every single day with Sona Deekshithar, who was then performing archaka service at the Ramaswamy temple in Guindy. Alongside agama initiation, he also gained invaluable practical experience at this temple. Unfortunately, Soundarrajan’s appa passed away while he was still a young boy suffering a heart attack and collapsing while in service at the Chakrapani temple in Kumbakonam. It was massive setback for Soundarrajan  and he returned to Thiru Kudanthai where he spent the next few years learning Agamas and Alankaram under Brahmma Koil Kannan Bhattar and the Vedas at the Raja Veda Patshala. The renowned Raghunatha Sharma, then 70, was an acharya at the Patshala and he took a special liking for the young Soundarrajan. Every day Soundar Bhattar would go there at 3pm and be initiated into Kaavyam and Sastras. "I consider it a great blessing to have learnt under the mentorship of Raghunatha Sharma."

He also learned the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham and Sastras under the guidance of Srivilliputhur Aravamudhan Iyengar.

In this mentally challenging phase for Soundar Bhattar, it was grandfather (amma’s appa), a priest at the Saranathan temple in Thiru Cherai Divya Desam, who served as the mentor “My patti would be with me almost every day and played a great supportive role” says Soundar Bhattar of his tough times in the 1980s.

At the Andavan Ashramam, Dombivili

A Brahmachari could not perform service at the Sarangapani temple and hence he could not immediately take over there following the death of his appa. After completion of his agama and vedic education, he was roped in by Patrachar (Theerthakar of the Sarangapani Koil) who was then the Chief Priest at the Andavan Ashramam, Dombivili and Soundarrajan Bhattar moved to Bombay to perform archaka service there.  While it was a great experience there and financially self fulfilling as well, his mind was on continuing the service that his forefathers had performed at the Sarangapani Koil.

Soundar with Patrachar, former Chief Priest, Andavan Ashram, Dombivili

Back to Thiru Kudanthai for lifelong service 

Following his wedding, he moved back to Kumbakonam in the late 1990s. After obtaining Deekshai from the revered Seshadri Bhattachar of Parthanpalli Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/10/parthanpalli-nangur-divya-desam.html), he joined the Sarangapani Koil just under 25years ago. The 1990s had been a tumultuous period at the Sarangapani Koil. Following the Balalayam, there was a dispute relating to the renovation exercise and for a large part of that decade there were no processional utsavams at the temple. Coincidentally, the utsavams returned only after Soundarrajan Bhattar joined the Sarangapani Koil to continue the hereditary service.

Alankaram Specialist

Even as a teenager, he had taken to special interest in decorating the Lord and his alankarams have always had a differentiated feel. Velukkudi Krishnan, who visited Divya Desams at the turn of the century, was so impressed with the alankaram for Sarangapani, that he made Soundarrajan Bhattar as his Asthana Alankaram archakar during his devotional trips across the country. Soundar Bhattar recalls with devotional delight his experiences "When he has narrated Divya Desam stories on his long trips, I decorated the Lord on that day in the way that specific Divya Desam Lord would look so devotees are able to relate to the tale narrated by Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy.”

Over the last decade, Soundarrajan Bhattar has made several trips to Ayodhya and Brindavan accompanying Velukkudi Krishnan as the alankaram specialist. The devotional engagement with God has led to several opportunities for him. Krishnapremi Anna, who has a special liking for Aaravamudhan, has used Soundar Bhattar as the anchor at many temple consecrations. So has Velukkudi Krishnan. 

Devotional Archanai Presentation

In October last year, Paravakottai Chinna Andavan Swamy of Poundareekapuram Ashram was completely moved by Soundar Bhattar's archanai presentation at the Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi on the occasion of the birthday celebrations of the Vaishnavite Acharya that lasted almost ten minutes, such is his devotion. Every time he stands at the feet of Lord Aaravamudhan, he takes the devotees back in time to the period of Thiru Mazhisai Azhvaar and his experience at this temple presenting his paasurams on Thiru Kudanthai Lord and explaining the significance of the sleeping posture.

Transforms Ramaswamy Koil

The historical Velli door at the Sarangapani Koil had remained in a broken state. It was Soundar Bhattar who organised the restoration of the door  through Chaturvedi  Swami who he says is one of the few people who he has seen converse fully in Sanskrit. Alongside his hereditary role at the Sarangapani Temple, Soundarrajan Bhattar also took charge of the Ramaswamy Temple in Thiru Kudanthai and has anchored all the prominent utsavams at that temple in the last two decades. While like Sarangapani Koil, the Ramaswamy Koil too is administered by the HR & CE. However, it is Soundar Bhattar who has almost single handedly managed all the utsavams there.

If Utsavams such as the 10 day Rama Navami and Navarathri have transformed into Grand events at the Ramaswamy temple, almost the entire credit goes to Soundar Bhattar. During the 10day Rama Navami, he has carved a niche for himself with an alankaram each day based on a story from the Ramayana. Devotees have gathered in large numbers just to look at the ‘Alankaram of the Day’.

Contented Selfless Service

The tireless nature of his service has kept the archakas together as a well knit unit in Thiru Kudanthai, all of whom look up to him for guidance. This week on Thursday on the occasion of the Theppotsavam at the Sarangapani Temple, he was with the Lord for almost 18 hours without a break. 

Soundar Bhattar is a contented man today and happy at the way the last 25years has gone for him. He says that God has given him everything that he could have asked for. Soundar Bhattar lived in a hut house without a fan during the first 15years of his life and it would have been understandable had he moved away from Thiru Kudanthai given the financially challenges that his family had undergone in the 70s and 80s but the devotional attachment right from his childhood kept him tied for life to Sarangapani Perumal. In his almost 25 years of full fledged service at Thiru Kudanthai, Soundar Bhattar has never sought financial glory instead focusing all his attention on archanai and alankaram. He has also made it a practice to perform Japam when ever time permits. Every time a devotee praises him for his archanai or alankaram, he fondly remembers the teachings of his mentors - Sona Deekshithar and Raghunatha Sharma.

His selfless service, the rendition of the archanai and a special liking for alankaram has created a strong bonding with the devotees over the last two decades. He has already initiated his son into the traditional learning process and the 14year old is currently learning the Vedas at the Raja Patshala in Kumbakonam.  Soundar Bhattar's message to his son is clear "You have to continue the hereditary service at Sarangapani Koil where our forefathers have been performing Kainkaryam for generations." 

That's real good news for the three historic temples in Thiru Kudanthai.