Typewriting Institute Revival Mylapore

While the IT boom of the 1990s and 2000s spelt death knell for many a typewriting institute with even the manufacturers shutting shop, 69 year old Mylaporean Venkatasubramanian hung on passionately and is now reaping rewards for his persistence with a strong revival in demand for Stenos

He has been running Sri Karpagam Technical Institute for close to four decades on Mundakanni Amman Koil street

When S Venkatasubramanian of Nattu Subbarayan Street completed his SSLC, he had no inkling that he would become an entrepreneur for life and a highly successful one at that creating the next generation of stenos in the city. He is touching 70 but has just found a new vigour with the surprising revival in demand for typists and shorthand specialists driven by a Government push. His business is seeing a new high with students thronging his institute on Mundakanni Amman Koil street. Here’s the story.

A Brave Enterpreneurial Venture 

Venkatasubsramanian schooled at PS North. After his SSLC, he went through the then popular typewriting (lower and higher) and shorthand course while also graduating in commerce. Given the middle class background, he began his career early as a steno and worked for a few firms before joining Syndicate Bank as a steno. During this period, he also taught shorthand at a technical institute near Jammi Building in Mylapore. The students were so impressed with his teaching that they seeded the thoughts in him of starting an institute of his own. There were already a dozen institutes in Mylapore at that time and competition was stiff. However, his family was not thrilled with his entrepreneurial thoughts “I was warned that there would be no PF or Pension here as with a Government job and that such a venture was fraught with risks.”

Venkatasubramanian went against the tide and with an initial investment of Rs. 25000 (including sourced from the family) launched the typewriting and shorthand institute on Mundakanni Amman Koil street, next to PS North School in June 1984 at the age of 31. Given the location, he had to pay a high rent of Rs. 300 when he started. He also invested Rs. 10000 on setting up space in the terrace. A staunch devotee of Karpagambal, he named his venture as Sri KarpagamTechnical Institute. He set up 8 new typewriters to start with. 

For someone from his generation it was a brave move to quit a job and become an entrepreneur. But he foresaw the demand and was also confident of his shorthand teaching skills. Much to his surprise, students poured in and all the 8 machines came to be filled in no time. He charged Rs. 25 per month for typewriting and Rs. 20 for shorthand.

Challenges of the IT Boom

Though there was stiff competition, there was enough business for him to sustain. A decade later, soon after the liberalization initiatives in the country, IT took off in a big way and the next generation of students did not bet on typing as a career. Co-incidentally, the next gen of institute owners too saw the same way. They would rather make their way into IT than run a typewriting institute. Many of them shut shop in Mylapore leaving his institute as one of the only three survivors of the downturn.

Despite a slowdown, he says that he never contemplated closing down the institute “I was confident that I will be able to sustain the venture and that students would return sooner than later. My wife (Jaya Gowri) has been a big inspiration encouraging me to continue to run the institute.”

His wife herself worked as a personal assistant to a Chairman of a leading firm in the city for a few decades. “We did not have children and he saw the institute as his own child. It was his passion that has led him to remain in this business for close to four decades”, Jaya Gowri, who now jointly takes care of the institute, told this writer.

Almost 40years on, Venkatasubramanian has found a new wave that is driving students back in a big way into the institute. The Government’s recruitment drive for typists and shorthand specialists has led to a revival in the institutes in the state. And his decades of experience in helping students graduate in Junior and Higher courses is getting students in large numbers at his institute.

A Revival - Surge in Demand

With the early introduction of computers in schools, the Government has lowered the qualification limit for Pre Junior course to Class VI (pass) and to the Junior and Higher courses to Class VIII and Class X. Quite unexpectedly he has seen a surge in the students at his institutes. There are currently over 150students learning at his institute that just under a decade ago moved to another location on the same street, a couple of hundred yards North of Mundakanni Koil.

The Government’s Computer Office Automation course has also generated interest among students and he currently teaches around 15 of them as per the Government prescribed syllabus including on topics such Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

When he launched in 1984, he did not visualize that at 70 he would still be continuing to run the institute but his passion to teach students and the innate ability to instantly connect with students has helped him stay the course.

He does not see the demand surge abating anytime in the near future on the back of the current drive of the Government. Interestingly, with the severe downturn after the emergence of the IT wave, typewriters seemed to be becoming a thing of the past and most manufacturers shut shop citing lack of demand. Venkatasubramanian is now banking on good quality second hand typewriters to keep his institute going. While it is coming at a high cost (seconds in English cost Rs. 8000 while the Tamil ones cost as high as 25000), the demand from students has meant that he has tripled his machines to 24.

Jaya Gowri lauds the commitment of her husband “Not once in the last three decades has he taken off from the institute. He is there every morning just before 7am and again in the evening after 3pm. He has found great joy of teaching and hence has stayed away from all other external activities including attending functions. It is his passion alone that has kept this institute going while I was away at my work for decades.”

His experience also led the industry body to choose him as the General Secretary of the TN Commerce Institute.

Just over a couple of decades ago, one had thought that typewriters would become outdated. While most of the institutes in Mylapore moved away from this business, Venkatasubramanian hung on passionately and he is now reaping the rewards for his patience. 

Reversal of Trend

His has been a case of passion reaping rewards in life. It may have been tempting for him to shut shop when IT boom spelt doom to the typewriting industry but he believed in himself and was confident that even with the emergence of computers, there would be an important role for institutes such as his. He had the foresight and vision that if he hung on, good days would be back again. And that is exactly what he is seeing today - a reverse trend with young school and college students as well as IT professionals joining his institute for 3-6 months so they could get the typing speed which is helping them in their work on the computer. And the Government drive for stenos that is getting people back into institutes such as his.

For all his success, he continues to lead a simple life at Nattu Subbarayan Street with minimal requirements. His only passion in life is to create the next generation of stenos and that he has been able to achieve successfully for close to four decades with several thousands having graduated from the Karpagam Technical Institute.

Mahabaratha The origin of ROFL

Did you know that ‘ROFL’ dates back to an episode in the Mahabaratha!!!

 Yudhistra Installed Idol at Thondanur

Once the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas and Yudishtra was crowned King, he performed an aswamedha yagna. It was customary for everyone to be invited to this Great Horse Sacrifice. A weasel, half in gold, appeared at the venue and after 'Rolling on the Floor' burst out into laughter. 

The Weasel then narrated the story of the 'ROFL' to the large audience starting almost in a derogatory manner “There was once a poor brahmana in Kurukshetra who gifted a ‘flour’. This great horse sacrifice of Yudhistra pales into insignificance when compared to that simple gift of flour of the brahmana.’

Rajaji explains this episode right at the end in his book ‘Mahabaratha’ under the title ‘Pound of Flour’.

This brahmana lived his life by gleaning in the fields. When the family did not find the grain, they would fast until the next day. When drought struck the area, they were left starving for many days. And finally when they managed to find a small quantity and were all set to eat, a guest arrived. Playing the role of a true host, he handed his share of the flour to the guest but his hunger did not subside. And as great hosts, the wife, the son and the daughter in law too presented their little share of the flour to the guest

The Guest remarked that even the pious when suffering the pangs of hunger, lose their steadfastness' but you have placed dharma above all else. And they were taken directly to Vaikuntam.'

Rolled on the Flour on the Floor

The Weasel who rolled on the flour that was on the floor of that brahmana’s house found one side of the body turning into gold. Unfortunately there was no more flour left in that house and thus just the one side stayed golden.

Since then the Weasel, in an effort to turn its other side into gold, had been rolling on the floor where great sacrifices had been conducted but even at Yudhistra’s Yagna when the Weasel rolled on the floor to see if the other side turned into gold, it was disappointed that this sacrifice too did not match the one of the Kurukshetra Brahmana from the past. 

And hence the reason for the Weasel’s sarcastic 'Rolling on the Floor (Flour) Laughter' (ROFL) in front of the huge audience present at Yudhistra’s Ashwamedha Yagna.

Iyyappan Sastrigal Muttam Kattu Mannar Koil

This Veda Sastrigal family from Muttam, now firmly entrenched in Mylapore, has remained traditional 

Hailing from a hereditary Veda Sastrigal family from Muttam agraharam near Kattu Mannar Koil, Iyyappan Sastrigal moved to Mylapore over 25years ago to explore opportunities in the heart of the city.  He had been stricken with poverty in his childhood as the decades of the 1960s and 70s turned sour for traditionalists. His forefathers had been involved in performing ‘Vaideeha’ activities and they had been leading a peaceful life until then.

His appa Ramanathan Sastrigal passed away young at a time when medical facilities were minimal. Iyyappan was just 8 years old and the death left him in a state of shock. At that time, his family could not pay even Rs. 15 as rent. 

“My appa had been ‘aachaaram’ in the true form. He did not go after money and was as straight forward as it could get in those days. We were in poverty but could hold our heads high as we led a dharmic life” says Iyyappan Sastrigal looking back at his early childhood.

Childhood in Poverty

Performing the role of a cook, his amma inspired him to continue the traditional way of life. She was everything to him and her motivation drew him into Vedic Studies. He quit school at 11 and moved into a Patshala in Kanchi and Kumbakonam to learn Yajur Veda. He later learned the Sastras at the Madras Sanskrit College.

He found the early phase of his life in Madras in the 1980s very challenging “There was no respect for vedic personnel in the 1980s. While minimal sambhavanai was presented for veda paranayanam, the fate of Brahmacharies was even worse as the Sambhavanai to them was just one third of what was paid to others.”

Though he wanted to stay in a traditional house in Mylapore, he could not afford the monthly rent of Rs. 350 (and an advance of Rs. 900) and spent the early years in Kotivakkam at a rent of just over Rs. 100.

Earns the respect of Mylaporeans

Being the grandson of Raju Sastrigal of Muttam gave him much needed credibility early on in his career. He joined as an assistant to Swaminathan Vadhyar and a few others and gained valuable experience. His sincerity impressed a number of the Mylapore residents and he began to perform daily Thiru Aradhanam in the house of many top personalities in Mylapore that fetched him a monthly Sambhavanai of Rs. 30 from each of them!!!

Rejects lucrative overseas offers

By the turn of the century, he had moved to Puthu Street in Mylapore and begun to perform Vaideeha activities for the top lawyers, doctors and auditors in the city. He had lucrative offers coming his way from South Africa and Singapore but rejected those as he believed he could gain the confidence of the traditionalists here and lead a peaceful life.

He reflects on his three decades stay in Madras with a great deal of happiness “Vaideeham is all about Aacharam and I have been able to perform it in the way my forefathers had done. I had decided early on that I would perform Vaideeha activities only for those who respected me for my dharmic nature and I have largely stuck to that.” 

Overcomes Challenges - Fullest faith in Kapaleeswarar

If his appa’s death was his first big shock in his life, he has had to encounter several other challenges later on. He survived a heart attack. And a road accident left him with a plate inside his leg. But he has had firm faith in Kapaleeswarar for the last 25years since the time he has come to reside in Mylapore. 

He wanted to remain traditional and chose a home that reminded him of his early days at Kaattu Mannar Koil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/01/kattu-mannar-koil-annan-srinivasan.html). Over a dozen years ago, he moved to East Mada Street and into one of few remaining traditional homes in Mylapore.

Youngest Daughter's hand to a traditionalist

His amma, who passed away at the age of 86, had a fulfilling life watching her son turn around the financial fortunes of the family while staying traditional. From a poverty stricken life in the 1970s and an uncertain start in the 80s, he became financially independent and carved a name for himself in the city. Just past 60, Iyyappan Sastrigal is contented at the way life has gone. One of his daughters is a CA. His wife, always seen in a Madisaar, and the youngest daughter continue to follow the practices of a traditional household. And unsurprisingly they have come to be devoted to Kapaleeswarar. Bringing back memories from the century gone by, the family members sit on the floor for a discussion in the evening. There is a Thinnai at the entrance and none in the family is ‘ashamed’ to be living an old fashioned life that has now lost its fancy among the city dwellers. 

Even more interestingly, much against the run of play, Iyyappan Sastrigal is looking to get his (youngest) daughter, a post graduate in commerce, married to a traditional ‘tuft attired’ Vaideeha. And that is great news in a world that is moving the corporate way (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/02/temple-priests-next-gen-mismatch.html). 

There are still those in the city who remind us of the traditional life that once was.

PC Prakash TN Ranji 1980s

Topped the TN batting charts in his first two Ranji seasons and gained an immediate entry into the Zonal squad but failure to convert solid starts into big hundreds in key matches including against visiting international teams dashed his hopes of a place in the Indian team

At 60, PCP is one of the very few in TN cricket to have been actively associated for five decades

"His delayed debut for TN slowed down his progress - An early break could have changed his cricketing fortunes" - Alwarpet and TN teammate WV Raman

In the first half of the 1970s, a No. 3 batsman who had been in prolific form for the varsities and included in the Ranji squad sat out for four years without playing a single match. Frustrated at this treatment, he quit serious cricket and headed back to Coimbatore to pursue his profession as a lawyer. Four decades later, he has earned a name for himself as one of the top lawyers in the Textile city (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/pr-ramakrishnan-coimbatore-cricketer.html). 

Move on to the 1980s, history seemed to repeat itself in TN cricket with another No. 3 batman, going through the same heartburns. His special fielding skills meant that he was the preferred ‘12th man’ for Venkat (Venkataraghavan@75) and the slightest injury to a player brought him on to the field. Unlike the lawyer, this Engineer was a local Madras lad and with a cricketing family to back him, he continued his cricketing pursuits. He finally made his Ranji debut at 24 five years after having been inducted into the squad and went on to top the batting aggregate for the state in the first two Ranji seasons. His strong performances earned him a place in the Zonal team as well as opportunities against international oppositions. If he had converted a couple of the starts into big hundreds, it was likely that he would have made it into the next level.  But he did not and faded out in subsequent years after playing over 35matche. In the next three decades, he has continued his association with cricket in many modes – running /managing multiple clubs in the TNCA league, being a state selector for five years and a coach for a decade. At 60, he is one of the very few in the state who have had an uninterrupted five decades run with cricket. Here is the story.

Pathamadai to Kollam to Madras

PC Prakash (PCP) hailed from a cricketing family. His forefathers belonged to the temple town of Pathamadai, infamous now for a priest who has been receiving Rs. 19 per month as salary for decades from the HRCE (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/10/pathamadai-kariya-manikkam-perumal.html). His grandfather moved to Quilon in search of greener pastures. His father PS Chandrasekaharan (Chander to those in the cricketing circles) settled down in Madras.  

                  Karisulntha Mangalam, Pathamadai

Mambalam Mosquitos - To nurture budding Talent

His father and uncle were cricketers of merit and played for the Junior state. In the 1940s, Chander made an important contribution to the society at large by launching a cricket club ‘Mambalam Mosquitos’ with the objective of nurturing budding talent. Thus PCP grew up in familiar cricketing territory with the talks throughout his childhood centering almost entirely on cricket. Playing street cricket in Kamaraj Avenue, where his father had moved to from West Mambalam, the school boy refused to get out even in tennis ball cricket angering his Adyar friends. His motto right from the age of five was to never get out when he had a bat in hand even if it was the friendliest of games. That temperament held him in good stead in later years when he went up the cricketing ladder though his extended defense did earn boos from the Chepauk crowd  on many occasions. 

      Appa PS Chander

The Great DB years with KS Kannan

Though he grew up in Adyar, his amma suggested that he move to Don Bosco in Egmore from the local school that he had started out with. He would board No. 23 (PTC bus) to reach Egmore before 6am to be in time for legend KS Kannan’s coaching session, one that made a big early impact on his cricket. He recalls the phase from the late 1960s/early 70s “I grew up watching The Hindu’s K Balaji (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-blossoming-cricket-career-was-cut.html). He was the big name at Don Bosco at that time along with Ashok Thambuswamy and was a rock star in school cricket. The biggest blessing in that phase was to be coached by KS Kannan. He was a fantastic coach and taught me the basics of batting and fielding. Even way back then, 50 years ago, the net sessions were very well organised and it was a joy to wake up at 5am to be part of his nets every morning.”

His strong defensive technique was harnessed by hours of the 'throw downs' from his appa and uncle who spent hundreds of hours during his childhood throwing tennis balls at him at good pace. PCP also credits Vaai Vasu and R Pattabhiraman, who played first division cricket in the late 1980s, for the years of selfless bowling on the streets of Adyar and at CLRI and Anna University.

An important league break - Youngsters' Sashikanth

Aged 14, he signed up for his first league team on June 30, the last day for the registration process. When every other club gave this teenager a pass considering him too young for league, it was that passionate cricketer Sashikanth, another cricket maverick, who gave him his first break in league cricket and the much needed early league boost. (Sashikanth once took all 10 wickets in a league match!!!)

PCP made lots of runs at the Sub Junior and Junior levels and was in the city and State schools teams. He was also selected for the South Zone Schools captained by Arshad Ayub.  After playing forù in the controversial year when the bank was relegated to division two after being found guilty of match fixing!!! 

During PCP’ college days, KS Ramanujam (this writer umpired his first league match with the former RBI fast bowler who passed away a few years ago) played a great mentoring role bowling at Somasundaram ground. Prakash recalls the great contribution of Tunga “He would bowl to me for a couple of hours every morning at Soma.  He loved to bowl and just never seemed to tire. His spells on that open field helped me sharpen my batting skill.”

Two Good years at Viveka

Just past mid teens, there had been significant developments on academics side of his life. Though his entire childhood was spent with a bat in hand, he was good on the academics front as well and was in the top ten ranks all through his schooling days. Cricket continued to be his only priority and he joined PUC at Viveka. When it came to the choice of the graduation degree, he went in for B.Sc Physics having already tasted cricketing success at Viveka under S Srinivasan. 

Engineer PCP

There had been a seat on offer at the Guindy Engineering college but the high in cricket at Viveka meant that he chose B.Sc over a professional degree. It was Nedumaran (who later joined him at Alwarpet) who came home and convinced his mother to get him to join Anna University “I had no interest to do Engineering for I had this psychological feeling that Engineering may restrict my cricketing progress and hence continued at Viveka after PUC. I was also enjoying my cricket with the likes of TS Mohan/ TS Mukund, VBC, KAK and captain Srinivasan but Nedu managed to convince my amma that led me to discontinuing B. Sc to join Engineering a year late.”

The famous words of the GEC PD still rings in his ears “You are the only one who rejected this prestigious engineering seat when it was handed to you on a platter.”

Alongside Ranji Stars at Alwarpet

After a year at RBI, he was roped in by Alwarpet, a start studded team that included Ranji Stalwarts Satvinder Singh, S Vasudevan and captain P Mukund. Satvindar recalls PCP from the early 1980s “When I think of PC, I am always reminded of him as a serious cricketer who would slip in a witty remark once in a while. I liked his batting and he made some good scores for Alwarpet. He was a very likeable person.”

His younger brother PC Naresh too continued the cricketing tradition and went up to the Junior State level. Unlike his elder brother, he chose the safety of a bank job and has been with SBI for over three decades.

Following in Ramki’s footsteps

He captained the Junior State team and did well. He continued to score a lot of runs in the league for Alwarpet. He was picked in the TN Ranji team when he was just 19. While he was delighted to be picked early and the sense of excitement was palpable, it soon turned into frustration much like it had for PR Ramakrishnan a decade earlier “It was an amazing feeling to be sharing the TN dressing room with four international players and TN legends such as S Vasudevan and Abdul Jabbar. As time went by, I found myself to be a permanent fixture as a 12th man. The initial excitement of being in the TN squad faded away when I found that I was donning the role of a substitute fielder. Venkat had a particular liking for good fielders and I found myself on the field most of the time.”

He vividly remembers being on the field through an entire day watching two brilliant knocks by Ashok Malhotra at Chepauk in the knock out game against Haryana in February 81.

After his professional Engineering degree, he joined Sundaram Industries but rarely put his Engineering brains at work for he spent almost all his life on the cricket field.

It turned out to be a frustrating five years for him and he felt exactly the same way as Ramki had in the mid 70s. “I was thrilled with the fielding opportunities and watching Venkat and Vasu bowl from close quarters but I realized I had to be more than just a ‘substitute’ fielder. Being on the sidelines helped me strengthen mentally and I fought it out through big runs in the first division league and Buchi Babu tournament.”

In the summer of 1985, he had one of his best cricketing experiences – a month long tour to the UK organised by Bharath Reddy “It gave me great exposure and was an enjoyable tour, one that was funded by TVS’ Ratnam.”

When he came back, he began in a brilliant fashion including scoring a century against the Championship side SPIC that his former college captain S Srinivasan (Bombay and TN Ranji) remembers. “He scored a classy century against SPIC at Marina against TA Sekar, K Arun Kumar and S Vasudevan.” 

Finally at 24, he made his Ranji debut under Bharath Reddy in the 1985-86 season. “I had always done well under Bharath having started out in the 1970s for Madras Varsity. Once again, I started out under him in my debut season in Ranji.”

PCP had to make up for lost time and that he did very quickly. In both his first two seasons, he topped the batting charts for TN, quite a significant achievement.

An early break could have turned his cricketing fortunes

Alwarpet and TN teammate Raman looks back at those early years in the 1980s and feels a little sorry for PCP "He was absolutely obsessed with cricket. It was unfortunate that he did not get a break for five years. It slowed down his progress. LS and I made our debut very early on in our cricketing lives and we could correct some of the mistakes that we made. PC was a determined sort of cricketer and completely dedicated to the game. But by the time, he made his debut, age was not on his side and he could ill afford to make mistakes. Against this backdrop, I think he performed really well in the opportunities that he got. He clearly showed that he was of a different mould." 

The Debut season - Jabbar’s gracious gesture

It was December of 1985 when he played his first Ranji match against Kerala, a rain affected match that TN won in two days. Prakash is grateful to Abdul Jabbar for a noble gesture from the veteran in his debut season “I was slated to bat only at No. 6 but it was the gracious gesture of Jabbar that helped me move a slot up and it made a big difference. He sacrificed his slot for me and I am ever grateful to him for that. His decision gave me a lot of confidence and I wanted to prove to him that his sacrifice would not go waste.”

Talking to this writer from Hyderabad, Jabbar, who rarely talks about his own self, recalls those moments in 1985 “I had already played for well over a decade. PC had been in the squad for a few years but had not made his debut. It had been a frustrating period for him and I was sensitive to the feelings of a young cricketer all excited to make his debut. I volunteered to move to No. 6 so he could have more opportunities to showcase his batting skills and seal a permanent place for himself in the TN team.”

And that Prakash did brilliantly with successive centuries in his debut season. In his very second match, he shared a century partnership with Jabbar in the process also scoring a century. He followed this up within a week with another century, this time against a strong Karnataka team in front of one of the biggest crowds he had seen at Dharwar. “Abhiram and Khanwilkar had run through our top half and we were struggling at 40odd for 6. It was mind blowing with 20000 crowd rooting for the home team and the pressure was really high. They all wanted to bundle us out quickly. My century helped us to a score of 200+. It gave me a lot of satisfaction and confidence.”

PCP continued his rich vein of form in the league stage into the knock outs and scored half centuries against UP and Bombay (in an inconsequential 2nd innings).

Misses a Century on Duleep Trophy Debut

His aggregate of close to 500runs in the first season earned him a place in the South Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. He had a terrific debut in October 1986 scoring 81in the Semi Final against North Zone in the process being involved in a big partnership with Test star Azhar but he failed to convert that into a big century “I was bowled by Maninder playing across the line. I had a century for the taking and missed the opportunity to convert that start into a big century that would have brought me into immediate limelight.”

Last minute exclusion 

In the final against West Zone, he once again had a good start and was looking good when he was stumped down the leg side of Mokashi. These two knocks earned him a place in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy against Delhi at Jodhpur that followed within days of the Duleep Trophy Final. PCP was sure of a place in the XI until Vengsarkar decided very late to make this a practice match for his comeback. Vengsarkar had not played in the Duleep Trophy final and was not in the original squad in the ROI team but he expressed a late interest to showcase that he had indeed recovered from the injury. The India batting legend joining the squad on the eve of the match meant that PCP had to make way for him the next morning and he lost out on an opportunity to showcase his skills at a time when he was in prime form. 

This was not to be the only last minute exclusion in that phase. A month later, he was slated to play in the XI for India U25 against Sri Lanka at Gwalior when at the last moment, captain Chandrakant Pandit decided to play as a batsman and handed the keeping role to Saba Karim. This meant that Prakash was left out just a few minutes before the toss. He lost out on two big opportunities in the space of a month - a major setback for him in his cricketing life in terms of proving himself on the big stage when in the form of his life.

Opponent GRV’s advice

In his second season in Ranji cricket, in 86-87, having tasted early success in Duleep Trophy, he moved to the No.3 spot which he was to hold till the end of his Ranji career. He scored his 2nd successive ton against Kerala in two years and it looked like he would follow exactly the same trend as the first year with another century against Karnataka. 

When Karnataka came to Salem in December 86 in the week following his century against Kerala, PCP was once again in top form though TN was struggling chasing Karnataka’s 500+. Three decades later, he recalls the great words from the batting legend GR Viswanath “He was fielding at slip. While we were not going to get the first innings lead, we chased 300 to secure the additional bonus point. I was taken aback when the batting legend came up to me and asked me to go for my second successive ton against Karnataka instead of the bonus point as he felt that we would not be able to get that bonus point.”

GRV had gone out of his way  to seed the thought of a century in the youngster  but  PCP  lost his wicket going for a big shot chasing that bonus point.

If he had scored a century, it would have been two successive back to back centuries against Kerala and Karnataka in both his first and second Ranji seasons. Like in a few other important games in his life, he did not bat through to the century.

Prakash was even more startled when GRV came up to him in a match in Gwalior a year later and recalled as to how the ‘youngster’ did not heed to his advice and lost out on a century “It was amazing that a legend like him cared and encouraged me unmindful that I was in the opposition. Not only did he suggest to go for the century but also remembered it a year later and reminded me as to how I let go a great opportunity to score a century.”

Against Pakistan - Fails to convert the start

However, he did get to play in the XI against the Visiting Pakistanis in January 1987, a team that included Wasim Akram.  “I batted for over 2 1/2 hours and had posted a half century partnership with Rajput when I got out to Mansoor Ilahi. Manjrekar scored a century in that match and soon after was drafted into the Indian squad. In those days, the match against the international teams was crucial for youngsters. Big runs against them got the next gen into the Indian squad. I missed out on converting my start into a bigger knock against Pakistan.” 

He continued his form into the one day cricket scoring a half century on debut in both the Deodhar Trophy and Wills Trophy tournament in early 1987.

Joins SPIC

By this time, he had joined SPIC after six years at Alwarpet, though he also had an offer from his Varsity captain Bharath Reddy who was by then making waves at Chemplast. During the initial years there, the then budding left armer Charan Singh spent a lot of time bowling to PCP at the nets getting him used to 'left arm over'.

1987-88 Ranji winning season

A lot of youngsters emerged during the season. PCP was in good form that season but once again he failed to convert the starts into big knocks. He had multiple scores in the 40s. In the final, he remembers encountering a fine spell from veteran left arm spinner “Hyder was almost unplayable for a period. Decades later, VBC and I continued to discuss as to how we overcame that spell. We put on 140runs that laid the foundation for the 700plus runs that TN posted in the final."

Misses out on Irani Trophy

Despite scoring a half century in the final and forging a century partnership with VBC( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/01/vb-chandrasekar.html?m=1) Prakash did not find a place in the playing XI in the Irani Trophy.

One of the things that had been held against him in that phase was that he did not get things to move on. PCP himself felt the 'scoreboard' pressure coming as he did after two belligerent openers. Right from his childhood, he had grown with the idea of safeguarding his wicket and that was sometimes overbearing on him while batting. He says that there was pressure on him to push the score along and many a time he walked into boos from the crowd, especially at Chepauk, as they felt they were going to encounter a boring phase in the game. But really, he was the one who steadied the ship and it was around him that the middle order batted. 

Former India fast bowler TA Sekar(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/08/ta-sekar-fastest-indian-bowler-of-1980s.html), who played alongside him at RBI and later for TN, says that he was technically very sound and had a good temperament and was particularly suited for the longer version (3day/4day games). But there was a tendency for him to get bogged down as he seemed to 'admire' his own batting.

Raman's Eden Gardens Knock-PC's role

When the Ranji winning team went to Western Australia in November 88, PCP top scored with 37. Within a week, he once again top scored for TN this time against the visiting New Zealanders with a knock of 71. A few months later, in March 89, he was involved in a mammoth chase against Bengal in the Ranji Semi Final. Chasing 595, he put on a partnership of over 250 with WV Raman, who played one of the best innings seen at the Eden Gardens. PCP scored 75 holding one end up and the two seemed to be taking TN to a record run chase. 

Raman found the call for PC to play more shots quite paradoxical "There was often this criticism that he did not play shots more often. He was asked to develop his stroke play. As a sincere cricketer, e worked hard on developing this ability as well."

"It was paradoxical that one with a compact technique and a strong defense was asked to play more shots. With VBC and Srikkanth at the top, one simply did not have a clue either about the pitch or the opposition bowlers for they slammed the good balls and the best of the bowlers. It was PCP who actually provided solidity at No. 3 and brought a sense into the proceedings. He showed some decorum in batting.  He was good at leaving the ball quite in contrast to the two openers of the time. Unfortunately for him, the crowd too often had high expectation of the No.3, the one following the dashing VBC and Srikkanth but slowly they understood the value he brought to the team. He was a courageous cricketer and had the guts to face the fastest bowlers with spectacles (those days you did not have the contacts). He simply did not flinch while batting and that's the character he showed in that huge run chase against Bengal."

Raman recalls that partnership “I still remember that partnership against Bengal. We were in the game though we were chasing close to 600. He was rock solid taking care of one end. It needed a snorter to get him that day. The moment he got out to that unplayable delivery, I knew the final day would be difficult as the pitch was getting worse.”

"Players like PC Prakash, R Madhavan and NP Madhavan were real nice guys on and off the field. Unfortunately, being a ‘nice guy’ did not always work in their favour in TN cricket."

When Western Australia came back for the return leg in September 1989, PCP forged big partnership with VBC twice in succession prompting Graeme Wood to pronounce that Prakash was the most difficult batsman to dislodge but by this time he was on a downward curve. He failed miserably in the Ranji season that year and gave way to the new generation of cricketers.

A new addition to the cricketing family

If there was not already enough chit chat in the family on cricket, he added another cricketing member with TN wicket keeper from the 1980s D Girish marrying Prakash's sister. And ever since, there has been nothing other TN cricket discussion at home. Girish now heads the TNPL council.

S Srinivasan played for Bombay and TN in the Ranji Trophy. He was PCP’s captain at Viveka and shared many good partnerships for SPIC in the late 1980s “PCP was a highly dependable top order batsman. His batting & fielding techniques were picture perfect. He played as straight as possible. To excel in any Sports at the top level, it is advantageous if one is an athlete first & then a good player. He comes under that category of athletic players. His fielding was always brilliant due to his athleticism.”

"Despite not making it to the top (playing for India), he was at peace with himself & easily approachable to others. His great love for the game was seen in the way he has continued to associate himself with the game in various capacities. He is a well respected teacher who is still a great student of the great game."

It would have been a different story had he converted the starts in key matches into big hundreds but surprisingly long hours of concentration that had been a hallmark of his batting gave way at crucial moments in his career. He continued to play for SPIC for ten years till the mid 1990s. When an offer came from HCL to promote a cricket team in the league, he took that up and played for two years building a team. It had always been appa’s dream to get Mambalam Mosquitos into the first division. When it entered the top league in 2000, he formed a strong team investing a lot of money. PCP had just left for the US after his Engineer wife found an IT job there. But PCP’ mind was on cricket back home and he headed back to the city grounds to play at the start of the season. 

For five years from 2002, he was a state selector under VBC’s Chairmanship. With an eye of coaching, he went through the levels and has for the last 15years been engaged in coaching assignments including donning the role of the TN batting coach just over a decade ago. 

A Master Class at SPIC - past 50

Over the last decade, he was back at the SPIC ground that had been his home for over a decade. Well past 50, the passion at the batting crease had not diminished one bit. He had been a regular in the T20 in ter club circuit, something that you would not easily associate PCP with. He may have seemed a bit out of place but his philosophy remained unchanged- "Do not give away your wicket, Do not hit ball in the air and find the gaps in the field to strike your boundaries". He could not be dismissed even in those T20 matches and contributed with the bat in no small measure for the Alumini club playing delectable square drives and flicks bringing back memories from the 1980s. 

In addition to playing a bit of T20 cricket, he has also been a coach of a TNPL team. For a man who rarely hit the ball in the air throughout his playing days, this was an interesting experience to be around coaching boys for whom fanciful shots was an integral part of their armoury.

Not often do you find someone living a cricketing life day in day out for over five decades. But for this 60 year old Engineer his entire life has centered around cricket. He currently manages three cricket teams in the TNCA league in addition to donning the role of the coach at the TNCA Academy. With the new season of TNPL likely to start end of June after a Covid break, PC Prakash could well be back this year as a coach. The hair may have gone blonde but one simply cannot keep this maveric away from a cricket ground!!!

Madhava Perumal Temple Next Gen Bhattar

A 22 year old Bhattar displayed his special alankaram skills during the ten days of the Rama Navami utsavam

Soon to complete his Masters in Commerce, Ashwin Bhattar is all set to take full charge at this ancient temple in Thyagarajapuram, Mylapore

It has been a refreshing ten days at the ancient Madhava Perumal temple in Mylapore. For two years, all the utsavams had come to a halt. The atmosphere inside the temple had been down through this period. The annual Brahmotsavam that takes place in Chitrai coincided with the peak of Wave 1 and Wave 2 leading to cancellation in both the years. The devotee crowd had dwindled, archanai was restricted. Overall it had been a gloomy two years.

The ten day Rama Navami celebration was the first big utsavam at the temple. A positive outcome of the Pandemic is that a young priest is all set to take charge at the temple. Ashwin Bhattar is just 22 years old and will shortly be completing his Masters in Commerce from the Madras University. While the trend has been for the next gen among the priests to move into the corporate world given the challenges the previous gen has faced in temples, Ashwin Bhattar has decided to join his appa Sundar Bhattar full time at the Madhava Perumal temple.

During the ten days of the utsavam, he showcased his devotional attachment to Lord Rama with delightful alankaram on each of the evenings. The big episodes and the multiple turning points in the Ramayana were presented as Thiru Kolam through the utsavam.

The utsavam began on April 1 with Ashwin Bhattar presenting the episode of a young handsome looking Rama protecting Sage Viswamithra’s Yaagam. While every evening after 5.30pm the devotees were stunned with the beautiful decorations, very few knew that it was the solo hand of the 22 year old whose had spun a magic on Lord Rama.

Through this week, Ashwin Bhattar worked on alankarams relating to different episodes from the Ramayanan including Ahalya Curse liberation, Rama breaking Shiva’s bow, Sita Kalyanam, Baratha meeting with Rama in the forest and the killing of Mareecha.

 

Three differentiated Thiru Kolams stood out during the week that created devotional excitement in the people who visited the temple. 

Kulasekara Azhvaar as Hunter King Guha

It is not often that a hunter king and a boat specialist is given importance in an utsavam relating to the historical epic. When Rama was banished to the forest for 14years by King Dasharatha following the redemption of the two boons he had given earlier to his wife Kaikeyi, it was under the leadership of hunter king Guha that Rama, Sita and Lakshmana went past the Ganges in a big sized boat for a life to be spent in the forest. Much later, when brother Bharata came to know the background to Rama’s 14 year exile and his departure from Ayodhya, he left the capital city to try and locate Rama in the forest and get him back to the kingdom. Once again it was Guha, an expert boatman, who created a special boat for Bharata to cross the Ganges to meet with Rama in the Chitrakoota forest.

Ashwin Bhattar brought alive this great contribution of Guha on the fifth day of the Rama Navami utsavam at the Madhava Perumal temple. Seated on a boat, Kulasekara Azhvaar decorated as Guha was seen ferrying Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

The Nose Cut Thiru Kolam

On the 7th day of the Utsavam, the Soorpanaka ‘Nose Cut’ episode from the Ramayana was presented to the devotees.While Rama was spending time in exile at Panchavati along with Sita and Lakshmana, Ravana’s sister Soorpanaka, who had the magical power to transform herself to a beautiful woman, was overcome by the handsome features of Rama. When despite her pleas, Rama refused to accept her love, Soorpanaka seeing Sita as the hurdle, attempts to kill her.

It was then Lakshmana intervenes and chops off her nose. It is this episode in Panchavati that led the angry Soorpanaka to head back to Lanka to describe the beauty of Sita and create the lust in Ravana to attain her.

Till this episode, Rama and Sita ably assisted by the dutiful Lakshmana had been leading an enjoyable life in the beautiful Panchavati, almost forgetting that they were in exile in the forest. It was as a consequence of the chopping off of Soorpanaka’s nose that Ravana came to the forest to carry off Sita back to Lanka leading to the battle between Rama and Ravana.

With Rama and Sita watching, Lakshmana giving Soorpanaka a nose cut with his sword and she lifting her left hand writhing in pain left the devotees glued to this beautiful decoration.

Following Soorpanaka’s nose cut, she sought revenge on Rama by describing the beauty of Sita to her brother Ravana leading him to seek the help of his uncle Maareecha who was now living the life of an ascetic in a far away ashrama after having been given a 2nd life by Rama when he had tried to disrupt Sage Viswamitra yaagam (day 1 Thiru Kolam). Maareecha saw that his end was near. If he did not listen to Ravana, he was likely to be killed by him. Hence he found it fit for his life to end in the hands of Rama and took the form of a never been seen Golden Deer to take Rama and Lakshmana away from Sita. This episode of the Maareecha turned Golden Deer was presented to the devotees on the eighth evening by Ashwin Bhattar.

                                    

The Grand Finale

As the summer heat clocked its peak for the month, Ashwin Bhattar had a long day at work on Sunday. It was Rama’s birthday and he had a dual task on hand. It was going to be the only procession of the ten days of the utsavam. Later in the evening, Rama was to provide darshan in the Hanumantha Vahanam and Ashwin Bhattar began his twin alankaram shortly after noon. 

When the screen opened at 5.30pm, the devotees who gathered ahead of the procession were treated to a twin delight. Rama was seen in a grand green silk vastram with a beautiful glittering necklace across his chest. The young priest added beauty to the decoration with a special ‘Kodi Sampangi’ flower garland that caught the attention of the devotees.

Through the ten days of the utsavam, the Prabhandham members, though in small numbers, showed great devotional commitment in presenting the entire Iyarpa and Tiruvoimozhi verses. 

While the celebratory evening began with a 90 minute recital of Kulasekara Azhvaar’s verses in praise of Rama followed by the final canto of Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi, the devotees’ eyes were all on the presentation of the handsome Rama atop Hanuman. Just after 7pm on Sunday evening, the Prabhandham members were back to lead the procession with their presentation of the Ramanuja Nootranthathi. Devotees were delighted to watch Lord Rama take a majestic princely walk around the temple complex carried effortlessly by Hanuman. A bunch of young vedic students followed the Lord chanting the Vedas.

It was a grandeur they had not seen for two years and the devotional fervour was back at the Madhava Perumal temple.

At 22, Ashwin Bhattar is clearly turning out to be an alankaram specialist at the Madhava Perumal temple and that augurs well for this ancient temple. One now looks forward to his alankarams during the annual Brahmotsavam that starts on the 24th of this month.

N Kamakodi City Union Bank Tippirajapuram

Blessings of Kumbeswarar for whom his grandfather had started an Anna Abhisekam during World War II brought him back to Kumbakonam to continue his devotional engagement with temples in the Chozha region

Kamakodi has been quietly contributing to the transformation of temples and revival of utsavams around Kumbakonam over the last decade

The 60s and 70s saw a mass exodus of original inhabitants from the hereditary locations that led to a 'dark' couple of decades for temples in Tamil Nadu. Tippirajapuram that is home to two historical temples was also part of this wave of movement into cities. The succeeding decades too saw the continuing of this move of traditionalists away from their hereditary locations into larger towns in search of greener pastures. It was likely that N Kamakodi, current MD of City Union Bank, too would have been part of that wave. Having spent his entire childhood in the agraharam in Tippirajapuram, he had developed a close devotional association with the twin temples as well as those in and around Kumbakonam but like most others, he too made his way out of Tippi. But, Kumbeswarar, to whom his grandfather had begun an anna abhisekam during World War II, had other plans for him. Having been away from Kumbakonam for many years, his appa, V Narayanan, the then Chairman and  CEO of the bank directed him to come back and take charge of the bank. It was clear that Kumbeswarar had nominated  him to continue the noble activities that his forefathers had carried out through the 20th century. In the last 15years, Kamakodi has quietly been creating a transformation in remote temples in the Chozha region restoring many a temple to its historic glory while also ensuring that the century old banking brand is protected and grown. Here is the story.

A Vibrant Agraharam

The agraharam at Tippirajapuram has remained vibrant despite the next gen leaving the temple town in the 1970s/80s. The traditional Thinnai still remains. Many of the retired have returned to Tippi to keep the traditions going and this number is likely to rise in the coming years.

Kamakodi remembers waking up every day to the vedic recital of the students next door where several students graduated out of the well run Patshala. Vedas was always in his ear during his childhood. It created an ever lasting positive impact in the then young boy on the need to protect our traditions and culture. Marudanallur, a nearby village, was home to Naama Sankeerthanam and this led to an early exposure to music and bhajans. During the holidays, for two hours every afternoon, he learned the stotrams. This became a normal way of life for him. 

Restoration of Varadaraja Perumal Temple

It was his grandfather Venkatrama Iyer who rebuilt the Varadaraja Perumal temple at the West end of the North Agraharam in early part of the previous century (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thippirajapuram-vikrama-choleswarar.html). When Kanchi Periyava created a Mudra Adhikari Scheme appointing a representative of the Mutt to ensure the vibrancy in historic locations, Tippirajapuram became the first of those to be assigned "A system was created to collect Re.1 from each of the residents. It was on the Thinnai of our house that this Sambhavanai was presented by the residents of Tippirajapuram. To this day, this tradition is followed and we go and hand over the Sambhavanai to the Mutt office in Kumbakonam. Rice too was presented for Mantra during Chaturmasya pooja” says Kamakodi.

Kamakodi's grandfather had been the trustee of the temple for a large part of the 20th century and he ensured that all the utsavams were conducted in a grand way, despite the challenges that they had to face during different phases. As the trustee, Venkatrama Iyer anchored three consecrations of the Tippi Perumal temple in the 20th century. While the coming together of the agraharam residents ensured that the two temples had been well managed and protected through the 20th century including during the 2nd half, many other larger temples in and around Kumbakonam did not find survival easy in that phase. Kamakodi has an interesting reason for the survival of the Tippi temples “The entire ecosystem was established in such a way that everyone respected one and another. There was no battle for supremacy. The relationship was cordial with the lessees of the farming land. It is no surprise that all dues from the lessees of the temple lands here have been paid till this year.”

A well knit community

Venkatrama Iyer, who lived till the age of 95, was active right till the end. “He made it a devotional practice to visit both the temples every day of the year. He kept a close watch on the activities at the two temples in Tippirajapuram. He was a stickler for time. He would address any issue immediately” says Kamakodi of the devotionally active life led by his grandfather.

A special medical gesture

In those early decades, when transport facilities to Kumbakonam were not readily available, Venkatrama Iyer would prepare a list of all the basic tablets medicines and keep stock at home. “When anyone in the agraharam fell ill, they would walk into our house to check the relevant medicine for that particular health issue. All the residents cared for each other in the agraharam” recalls Kamakoti

World War II and the association with Kumbeswarar

As early as the 1940s, when there was shortage of rice at the Kumbeswarar temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/02/kumbeswarar-temple-maha-magam.html) arising out of World War II, it was Venkatrama Iyer who committed to the annual Anna Abhisekam at the temple. “We have continued that tradition for almost eight decades” recounts Kamakodi of the devotional engagement with Kumbeswarar temple.

Neglected State of temples

In the 1970s and 80s, the now popular Thiru Nageswaram, Oppiliappan and Sarangapani temples saw a devotional decline arising out of the exodus of traditionalists of these historical temple locations. Kamokadi remembers the pitiful state at Thiru Nageswaram(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/02/thiru-nageswaram-naganathaswamy-temple.html) that he witnessed as a school boy “When we went to the Thiru Nageswara temple (it was a period when it not yet marketed as a Rahu Sthalam), we had missed taking the Thiri along with the Oil that we usually carried. The scenario was so bad that there was no Thiri at the temple and the priest actually tore a part of his veshti and converted it into a Thiri.”

It would be difficult for those in the current generation to visualize that a temple where devotees now throng in several thousands everyday was in a neglected state in the not too distant past. 

Appa's Temple association

Narayanan, who took over as the Chairman and CEO of City Union Bank in 1980, carried forward the deep temple association of Venkatrama Iyer (his appa). He played an active part in the consecration of these historical temples in the 1980s/90s. In most cases, it was the first big restoration for decades that also marked the revival of these temples. For those in and around Kumbakonam, Narayanan had become the focal point of contact on temple related issues. He brought together like minded people in the society, and through public involvement restored temples in the region, ones where consecration had not taken place for decades.

The annual vacation at Mudikondan

Throughout his schooling days, the annual vacation was spent at his grandfather’s (amma’s appa) place at Mudikondan, famous for the Kothandaramar temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/12/mudikondan-jawahar-bhattar.html). Kamakodi remembers the vibrancy at the temple that has been sorely missing in recent decades “Devotees congregated in good numbers for the Rama Navami and Navarathri utsavams. It was a delight to see scores of cows in each house in the agraharam.”

Even as a young school boy, Kamakodi had a great experience of being blessed by the Periyava after he went to Kurnool (AP) for Chaturmasya. When he was 13, he went to Kanchipuram to seek Periyava's blessings (his grandfather’s uncle had taken Sanyasa after receiving blessings from Periyava). 

Temple Trips - an ongoing feature during the growing up phase

As part of the devotional upbringing, the family went on regular trips to temple destinations with his appa educating school boy Kamakodi on the historical aspects of the Paadal Petra Sthalams and Divya Desams. “Alangudi and Thiru Karugavur were two temples that I visited regularly throughout my childhood.  We would take Kozhakattai on Aadi Friday and present it to Pillayar at the Alangudi temple. However, what struck me in those times was that there very few devotees in any of these temples and most remained deserted in that phase.”

           Thiruvayaru Pancha Natheeswarar Temple

Protecting our heritage and culture

While the Thyagaraja Utsavam in Thiruvayaru (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/11/thiruvaiyaru-pancha-natheeswarar-temple.html) has become hugely popular in recent decades, it was not so in the century gone by. It was Narayanan who was keen to protect this annual festival and contributed significantly to help keep the tradition going. So too the Maha Maham festival in Kumbakonam that now attracts lakhs of devotees. When the times were challenging, Narayanan contributed his might to protect the historical festivals.

Destiny leads Kamakodi back to Kumbakonam

After graduating in Chemical Engineering from REC Trichy, Kamakodi did his Masters in Hongkong, one where he received a prized scholarship. At that time, a reunion with Vikrama Choleswarar and Sarangapani temple seemed way off the radar for him and it was unlikely for him to head back to his hereditary location anytime in the near future. However, God carved a different path for him and a highly devotional one at that. 

One day in 2002, his appa called on him and asked him to take charge of the bank, a call that took him by surprise. A nod would have meant a move to the headquarters on TSR Big Street in Kumbakonam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/tsr-co-legendary-enterpreneur_19.html). He had married just a year earlier. In line with the trend of the time, it was unlikely that a move back to Kumbakonam would have been acceptable for an overseas Masters Grad but many things worked towards the move. “My wife too was from Kumbakonam.  The bond with this historical temple town was too strong for both of us. That made for an easy call. In any case, we were brought up in a way to respect our parents’ words and I could not have said 'No' to my appa.”

Not yet 30, he back to Kumbakonam to lead CUB

And thus Kamakodi returned to Kumbakonam to join City Union Bank in 2003, something that he had not visualized anytime during his growing up years. His grandfather, with whom he had been very close right from his childhood, died in that phase. And his appa too passed soon after in 2004. It was a double setback for Kamakodi who had not yet turned 30. But he has faced life bravely ever since and in the last decade and a half expanded the bank’s presence. In 2011, he took charge as the MD of the bank. Despite its strong performance over the last decade, he is not too buoyed by this constant talk of ‘aggressive growth’. “A century old bank was handed to me. It had enjoyed a great reputation among the depositors and customers. My task was to protect the brand that my appa had built in the previous decades. While it is fanciful to talk about fast paced aggressive growth, it may not always be the right thing to do for a bank that should see itself as a custodian of customer’s hard earned money.”

He is happy that the bank, that had been set up in 1904 as part of the Swadeshi Movement to fight the British Banks, has been in the top bracket on many of the key metrics over the last decade but his feet are grounded and he considers it a blessing to be handed the reigns of the bank that has seen sustained growth over the 100 years.

Renews the Temple Engagement

While he has been anchoring the growth of the bank over the last decade, returning to Kumbakonam also gave him an opportunity to participate in activities that have been closer to his heart right from his childhood. “When we grew up, devotion and temples were a way of life. Whenever my grandfather and appa found a requirement at a temple, they organised it without a buzz. They saw it as a blessing to be able to be associated with temples through their lifetime. I am grateful that God has also given me an opportunity to participate in such temple activities.”

               Parthanpalli Divya Desam - A decade ago

Restoration of Dilapidated Temples

Just under a decade ago, this writer had written a story in The Hindu Friday Review on the dilapidated state of Parthanpalli Divya Desam in Thiru Nangur (https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/shrine-dedicated-to-arjuna/article4558178.ece) and the deplorable condition of the huge tank south of the temple. It was Kamakodi who single handedly restored the tank that has now led to the revival of the historical theppotsavam at the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar Praised temple.

கண்ணன் என்றும், வானவர்கள்
காதலித்து மலர்கள் தூவும்
எண்ணன் என்றும், இன்பன் என்றும்
ஏழ் உலகுக்கு ஆதி என்றும், 

தின்ன மாடம் நீடு நாங்கைத்
தேவ தேவன் என்று என்று ஓதி
பண்ணின் அன்ன மென் மொழியாள்
பார்த்தன்பள்ளி பாடுவாளே 

Water Management System in Temples

He has also been closely involved in the restoration of the water management system at Vaitheeswaran Koil, Thiru Kadayur and Chidambaram. The Viraja Theertham at the Narayana Perumal temple in Thiru Nangur too was restored by him. Just under two decades ago, he also took over as the Trustee of the Tippi Perumal temple and has since ensured that all the historical utsavams continue to see the same grandeur as from the past.

Devotees who have been to the Paadal Petra Sthalams or the Divya Desams in the Chozha region in recent years would easily relate to the silent contribution made by Kamakodi.

His elder N Sriraman, Head of Diesel Finance at Sundaram Finance, has been his guiding force on all his temple endeavours.

A renaissance in temples around Kumbakonam

While TVS' Venu Srinivasan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html) has restored several temples South of Pandya Capital over the last 25years, Kamakodi and his forefathers have played a stellar role in the transformation of remote temples in the Chozha region. Kamakodi considers it a blessing to have grown up in a thriving agraharam in Tippirajapuram that instilled in him the importance of protecting our rich heritage and culture. That early initiation has stuck with him right through and he seems to have made a lifetime commitment to restoring historical temples and helping in revival of utsavams.