Kanchi Varadar Ranganathan Garland Maker

Varadar's Specialist Garland Maker

Since the mid 1960s Ranganathan has been making flower garlands for Varadaraja Perumal that devotees see as very special

The now 76 year old Ranganathan was all of 15years when he began his devotional endeavor in knitting a wide range of flower garlands for Varadaraja Perumal of Chinna Kanchi, a divya desam that he has been associated every day ever since. Soon after completing his SSLC, he quit school and immersed himself in this service to Varadar. But even prior to that as a 10year school boy in the late 1950s, he spent all his free time learning the art of making flower garland from appa Venkataswamy.

He says that the financial returns was very minimal in those days. “There was no income in temples and they used to buy garlands for 50 paisa. We were a big joint family and the income from the garlands just enough to sustain our everyday life. To me it was not the money but the opportunity to present garlands to Varadar, Thayar and Narasimhar round the year. The satisfaction from that has been unmatched for over six decades.”

From his shop in Poo Kadai Chatram near the bus stand, he would cycle six kms carrying the garland to the temple. In those early years, he hired a cycle for 1anna and cycled his way over 20kms carrying the garlands to the perumal temple in Manimangalam over 20kms away “Once devotees saw Varadar draped with this garland, they were so delighted that they would ask the archaka and thus the word spread. And more and more devotees approached us.”

Desikar Utsavam in Delhi

From the 1970s, he has been presenting garlands to the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Navalpakkam. A big high for him came when Balaji temple in Delhi placed an order for the entire Desikar utsavam and he sent the set of garlands by flight something he did not ever visualize. “They saw the quality of our work and asked us to present different garlands every day of the utsavam.”

All the way to Melkote and Ahobilam

Another big day for him was when an order came from that historical cheluva Narayana perumal temple in Melkote. And they presented garlands to the temple for two decades. From Karnataka, they moved to Andhra where at the Narasimha Divya Desam in Ahobilam, they present garland for Vana Bhojana Utsavam and for the Poo Pallakku on Narasimha Jayanthi. It is also his garland that is draped on Ananthazhvaan on his Satru Murai. Over the last decade, he has been associated with the annual avathara utsava at Thoopal.

While he feels blessed about presenting to so many historical temples, Ranganathan’s personal attachment is with Varadar. “Presenting a garland for Vishroopam for five decades has been a great devotional experience. For almost every utsavam at Varadar, devotees look up to me for that garland that makes the Lord look even more special on that day.”

His several decades of presenting to Varadar has led everyone to refer to him as the ‘specialist for Varadar’.

In 1977, he bought a small 600 sq. ft place in Poo Kadai with a bit of savings he had managed in the mid 70s.

Son joins him as a teenager

His son Mohana Varadan did a course at ITI but his mind too like his appa’s was always on garlands even as a young boy. While it may have been reasonable for him to have pursued a job after his ITI, he joined his appa the day after his course. “Throughout my school days I saw my appa performing this as a service to Varadar and this instilled in me a great sense of devotion to Varadar. Everyone who I interacted with in my teenage years told me not to go away from this service as very few get such an opportunity to be able to see their garland on Varadar every day of the year.”

He joined his appa in 1995 and since then several temples in Chennai have sought their flower garlands. Mohana Varadan’s speciality is Thaavadam and he takes particular delight in knitting those.

He says his appa’s brother Anand along with four others Manikandan, Mahesh, Dilli Babu and Umapathy are great help in this service to make it a success as they come together on all important occasions to work round the clock to get the garlands ready within the deadline. 

Sannidhi Paricharaka of Varadar temple M Krishnan says that Ranganathan’s measurements are on the dot. His garland just fits Varadar perfectly. He knows the deities inside out and thus makes the perfect one every time.  

Varadan is contended with what the Kanchi Perumal has given his family "We are happy financially with what Varadaraja Perumal has given us. It was the early encouragement from devotees like Wheels India’s Vasudevan that motivated us to keep this going at a time when it was not financially remunerative. Those like him helped spread the word about our quality."

The father son duo’s specialty includes Malli Periya Maalai, Srirangam Pathi Maalai and Navaratna Maalai. Mohana Varadan points to the Vasantha Utsavam at Varadar temple when they present 7 different varieties of garlands one on each day.

Ranganathan recalls the promise taken by Thoopul Maniyakarar Suresh’s grandfather took from him “He told me that I should not stop making flower garlands for Varadar and Desikar in my lifetime.” 

More than the financial rewards, it is the happiness on the face of the devotees and the feedback such as these that gives us the greatest satisfaction, says Ranganathan.