Kapali Temple EO Kaveri passes away

Kaveri withstood scathing attacks from the activists but finally lost her health battle

She was the best EO I have seen, hard working and always valued our Traditions -Jayakanthan Shivachariar

The longstanding Executive Officer of Kapaleeswarar temple, D Kaveri, passed away this morning following a brief illness, aged 51. For many years, she withstood the scathing attack of the activists but her health finally gave way and she succumbed at the hospital after a week long battle.

Much like the engagement with Pon Jayaraman, former EO of the Ranganathaswamy temple Srirangam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/srirangam-ranganathaswamy-renovation.html), this writer had an enjoyable professional engagement with Kaveri. If Jayaraman told this writer that the sleeping Lord was keeping a close vigil over him from a couple of hundred yards away and that no one could cheat the Lord, Kaveri’s conversations with this writer was even more engaging and straight. In the last few years, she always asked this writer to write the truth. Not once did she ask for a favour even on the most negative of stories.

Demolition of Kapali Annex

When this writer wrote strongly against the demolition plans of the houses next to the temple in July last year, she stopped the demolition even though the sketch of the new plans of the complex that were to come up in that zone had already been presented (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/07/kapali-temple-surrounds-large-scale.html).

Electric Carts

In June this year, when this writer put out a story on the electric carts meant for senior citizens to be ferried to the temple being dumped at the Kalyana Mandapam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/06/kapali-temple-battery-cars-dumped-in.html), she took action within 24 hours of the story and revived the electric carts. She told this writer that "she has assigned one of her staff to play the role of an exclusive driver of the cart.”

PS Ground to the TNCA

Soon after the temple took back the PS School ground, this writer initiated with her the idea of handing the ground over the weekend for the league matches of the TNCA. Once again, she was prompt in her action and immediately after the TNCA handed her a letter requesting for the ground, she got approval from the Commissioner for letting out the ground for TNCA’s league matches (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/09/ps-school-ground-kapali-temple.html).

She was an ardent devotee of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal and her devotion could be seen in the undistracted way she stood before the deities and invoked their blessings. She rarely missed the Tuesday noon Abhisekam of Singaravellar, who was close to her heart.

A Tough Person

Beneath the soft exterior was a tough lady who could not be easily shaken. When the activists launched the ‘own your temple’ programme at the Kapaleeswarar temple on the Vinayaka Chaturthi day, she took stern action at such an event being organised without her approval. FIRs were filed against the organisers and her action sent shock waves both among the devotees and the organisers. Though the launch was to be followed up with events at many other temples, her action ensured that the much hyped series was nipped in the bud (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/08/kapali-temple-own-your-temple-launch.html). In the two months that have passed since, there has not been a word on this series from the activists, such has been the impact of her action.

Former Editor of The Hindu Friday Review Geetha Venkataramanan had several interactions with Kaveri and had known her for a long time “She was soft and yet firm. I found her to be a very friendly person and one could always reach out to her. She helped the Friday Review with useful pieces of information when we put out a story during the previous Kumbabhisekam just under a decade ago.”

Geetha points to the swift corrective action taken by the EO when an issue was brought to her attention "When the temple premises was crawling with cats and someone was feeding them with branded Cat food, it left the place filthy. I drew her attention. It was a sensitive issue but she dealt with it. Not that she was unaware. She had issued instructions to forbid cat feeding but this particular activity was something she didn't know. As always, there was much ado but the place was cleaner after she intervened."

Activists' action taking a toll on her

Kaveri had told this writer earlier this year that she was fed up with the constant court cases and that it had taken a toll on her. "I am hoping to head back to the Madurai region away from this constant unjustified criticism of me by the activists" she had told this writer in an exclusive chat in her office room earlier this year.

Jayakanthan Shivachariar, the hereditary priest at the temple, has always had high words of praise in the way she has managed the affairs of the temple. Soon after hearing the news of her death, he told this writer at the temple that she was the best EO he had seen. “She was hard working and always looking to revive the traditional practices that had come to a halt in the past. When she took over, many of the staffers were in retirement phase and it was very challenging for her to manage. But she handled it with confidence. Her message to us was always to perform all the poojas as per agama. She did not want us to compromise even one bit on the traditions. Everyone in the temple respected her for that.”

He said that when she was the EO at the Thiruverkadu temple, she was instrumental in the revival of the utsavams at a nearby remote temple that had been in a dilapidated condition. She ensured that many utsavams that had become a thing of the past were revived and her proactive initiation has led to those utsavams continuing to this day.

She was easily the best EO I have come across, Jayakanthan Shivachariar told this writer on Wednesday afternoon.

Revival of Traditions

In fact, only last month, she revived the Veda Parayanam during the Kantha Sashti Utsavam that had come to a halt decades ago. Sri Venkata Ganapathy Ganapadigal told this writer last month that it was solely because of her initiative that the Veda Parayanam was being revived. 

World Bank Consultant Ramkumar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/07/kapali-v-ramkumar-world-bank-to-sanyasam.html), who is taking up Sainthood, met her only a month ago and found her to be a true professional at work. He told this writer soon after meeting with her that he was taken aback by the courtesy extended to him, who she was meeting for the first time "The reality of her personality was in complete contrast to the external world's perception of her. She was respectful and listened to the issues I narrated with great patience. Within three hours of my meeting, she had initiated corrective action. She also expressed intent to hear out any issues at the temple and to improvement ideas, which was quite heartwarming."

Thiruvallikeni resident Ravi Sundar, who is an integral part of the Prabhandham Ghosti at the Parthasarathy Perumal temple has been with AC firm Voltas for over two decades. He recalls his association with Kaveri “It was during her reign as the DC of the Parthasarathy temple that the ACs were first installed at the temple. She was very helpful with the entire process including handing the AMCs.  I found her to be an able administrator, very straight forward and a decent lady, who handled our engagement very professionally."

“Once she became the EO at the Kapali temple, I once again interacted with her for revamping of the AC units there. In the decade that had passed by, she had not changed at all and remained the same professional administrator who minced no words in the interactions.”

The HR & CE has lost a noble soul, he said.

She had been seriously affected by COVID in 2020 and was never the same again. She had been very cautious in her approach ever since. In fact, she was so taken over by the health hazard that the Kapali temple was one of the last to open up for devotee darshan at the end of Wave 2, much after the Parthasarathy temple had opened. 

Chairman of Trustees Vijayakumar Reddy was a broken man this morning and is lost for words "It is a depressing feeling having lost such a tireless worker. I have nothing to say", he told this writer soon after her passing away.

For a temple beset with controversy from the non appointment of the hereditary trustee to the transfer of funds to the new college in Kolathur to the non recovery of dues from the tenants, this writer's abiding memory of Kaveri in the many years of one on one discussions with her remains this statement "Write any story on this temple and the administration with utmost honesty. Write the Truth."

And true to her word, every time this writer pointed out the wrongs, she immediately took corrective action.