D Girish TN Wicket Keeper Entrepreneur@ 58

TN Wicket Keeper from the 1988 Ranji and Irani Trophy winning team has turned an Entrepreneur and is targeting sportspeople worldwide with a mental resilience app

D Girish, the TN wicket keeper who was part of the Ranji and Irani Trophy winning team in 1988, has turned an Entrepreneur at 58 and has launched a ‘mental resilience’ app for sportspersons. The app will go live next month with 200 players from the TNCA.  Girish, who is currently the Chairman of the Cricket Advisory Committee (he replaced former TN Captain S Suresh) that appointed the new TN coach and the state selectors, is all excited at the prospect of this first of its kind offering in the cricket space. His team mate from the University days and later VP at Microsoft, Sanjay Partharasathy and former India cricketer K Srikkanth’s brother and childhood friend Srinath have invested in this startup venture.

He is so pepped up that he forgets his Sunday lunch as he gets talking passionately to this writer about this new initiative that seeks to take care of the mental challenges of cricketers helping them  understand and evaluate their mental side better.

The First Big Cricketing Moment with Coach Audi Chetty 

Girish drew his first inspiration in cricket from his two uncles in Bangalore who played Junior State cricket in Karnataka. When he was not yet 10, he began playing cork ball cricket at the then famous Corporation ground in Nungambakkam. He recounts the first big moment in his cricketing life when the revered Audi Chetty, who later went on to coach Udumalpet's SVPB into a successful club, had a close look at him at one of his cork ball sessions “Audi Chetty was PSBB’s coach in the mid 1970s and he turned up at the corporation ground where the school team practiced. I was tense when I saw an old man looking at me closely and wondered as to what he would say of my batting.”

“Much to my delight, he asked me to come to the school nets the next day. When I said I had to ask my parents, he came home and did the ‘convincing’ talk for me and that landed me at the school nets. It was a great gesture from one of the most well respected coaches in city cricket. There was no looking back since and I had a great cricketing phase at PSBB with the school doing exceptionally well in cricket.”

Girish has the highest words of praise for Audi Chetty in shaping his cricketing career “Audi Chetty always kept it simple. He taught me all the basics that I still remember almost five decades later.  He was instrumental in spotting and nurturing me and gave me all the confidence that I needed in cricket in the starting phase.”

Accidental Keeper -Audi Chetty again!!!

Girish started off as a batting all-rounder who bowled a bit of off spin. He recalls the moment that led to him turning into a keeper “I would do everything at the school nets. That day I was keeping wickets. It so happened that the regular keeper turned sick and Audi Chetty impressed with my keeping asked me to do the same in the match. And thus I became a keeper by accident.”

Girish counts that as an important moment in his life “As a keeper I had to watch every ball closely including the bowler’s grip and release. This helped my concentration levels as a batsman and resulted in me playing the long innings in the years that followed.”

While he began to do well in cricket, academics was always top priority. Once when he got a lower rank, Mrs. YGP, who would personally hand out the report card, remarked “Not You Girish”.

A Great Cricketing year followed by Disillusionment

As a 14year old, he played for TN U16  under CS Suresh Kumar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/07/cs-suresh-kumar-india-schools-tn-opener.html). His performances there earned him a place in the South Zone team as the first wicket keeper ahead of Sadanand Viswanath. After a standout knock in the Zone match in Lucknow, he was chosen for the National camp in Bombay with the team set to go on a trip to Pakistan in 1979-80. It was in that phase that Girish had his first disillusionment with cricket, that in some ways almost four decades later has led him to develop a mental health app for cricketers.

Some age related issues led to a re-selection and another camp was held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Much to his dismay, he was not offered the batting opportunity at the camp and Sadanand Viswanath, who later went on to play for India and emerged a star in the WCC 1985, was chosen ahead of him. Girish had scored lots of runs in junior cricket that year both for the state and zone and had also kept wickets well. It had been his best year in cricket “If I had been picked for that tour, my cricket may have taken a completely different turn”, he says looking back at the series of events in 1979-80.

This had a lasting impact on him as a teenager on the unexpected twists life has in store. Four Decades later he is keen that every young cricketer is taken care and given a fair deal.

Fully Engaged with Cricket but still high marks in XII Board

Into his mid teens, he was already in the U19, U 22 and U25 state teams and his constant absence during the year at school led the Principal at St Bedes (he had moved to state board in Class XI) to withhold his hall ticket and it required his appa’s intervention to secure permission to sit for the exams. And when the results were out, everyone in the school management were in for a big surprise “It was my PD who went in to check my marks and he came back in a shocked state asking  how I had achieved this for I had not attended the regular classes at all that year and yet secured 92%.”

Lets go a big Cricketing opportunity

He was selected for the Indian U19 trip to West Indies close to the Boards but he chose academics over cricket and skipped that tour. He justifies that decision saying that 'cricket is always uncertain' and 'you do not know when you will fall from the cliff.'

The Best years in Cricket under Venkat

He played six years of league cricket (MCC and India Pistons) in the 1980s under legendary S Venkataraghavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/04/venkataraghavan75.html), who recently hosted a birthday party at the MCC for some of his old teammates from the 1970s and 80s, and considers it the best learning years in cricket “Venkat had gone through severe challenges at zonal and national levels but always remained tough and strong. He initiated in me ways of facing life and its twists and turns. He wanted me to succeed in the toughest of circumstances and prepared me for that."

"Once when a ball from him bounced high and hit my face (my cheek swelled beyond recognition), he came up to me and brushed aside the injury and asked me to continue. I could not even place ice on the swollen area. It strengthened my mental space and I became tougher and more resolute on the field. It also laid the foundation to face all the challenges that life threw at you and to face it with  a sense of confidence.”

He recalls the glorious years playing under Venkataraghavan “It was my biggest exposure in cricket and I am grateful to him for that. Keeping to Venkat for six years was a great learning experience, not just in cricket but for the life that was ahead of me. He helped me raise the bar and taught me toughness. It was from him that I learned never to get bogged down by failures.”

The University Days

Girish says that Venkat was kind enough to also hand out a personally written recommendation letter to the Anna University on his cricketing and academic credentials and his personality. He joined Anna University where TVS' Sanjay Parthasarathy was a cricket teammate. He played non stop cricket in that phase, one when he was also part of the Ranji camp. But  like at School, here too it was a big challenge to straddle between cricket and academics “I had begun playing first division cricket by the time I entered college. After the two  day matches over the weekend, I had to be back at the class at 8.30am on Monday with a tired body and the mind still recounting incidents from the weekend’s match. The problem with cricket is that it suddenly makes you a hero and it was easy for a teenager to fall prey to the praises from your friends and college mates after a weekend's star performance. Success in cricket led youngsters in  a path of fame that many did not get adjusted to easily.”

Great Time batting with TE

At India Pistons, legendary TN batsman TE Srinivasan shaped his batting technique with some simple tips “ Once when I was struggling against off spin, he asked me to move my guard from leg to middle stump. And suddenly I began middling the ball. On another occasion, when I refused a leg bye after the ball hit my thigh pad, he came up to me and said ‘always a single off the thigh pad’. It was  a revelation batting with TE as I imbibed the finer aspects from him.”

In his first year at college, Girish shared a big record breaking double century stand in the Vizzy Trophy against East Zone with PC Prakash (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/04/pc-prakash-tn-ranji-1980s.html), whose sister he was to marry later that decade when she was just 19!!!! 'It's all in the game' says a chuckling Girish. That phase around his marriage also turned out to be Girish's two best years in Ranji cricket.

However, he had had to wait it out before he made his Ranji debut. Despite a great batting season for MCC, he did not make it into the playing XI in Ranji that once again left him a bit disappointed and it was only veteran Bharath Reddy’s (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/11/bharath-reddy-players-man.html0 injury that led to his Ranji debut.

 

Vasudevan - A Shrewd Captain

After six years under Venkat, Girish moved to SPIC where he played under the Ranji Trophy winning captain S Vasudevan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/06/vasudevan-tn-ranji-trophy-retirement.html). He played two full seasons of Ranji Cricket before a severe back injury brought about a premature end to his playing career. While Venkat was a toughie, he calls Vasudevan as a soft spoken but shrewd captain “Vasu was very different from Venkat. While he was soft spoken, he was a very shrewd captain. He understood the match situations well and knew exactly the right field settings for every batsman. He was fair to everyone and every player in the team trusted him for that. Under him, there was no politics or groupism. He brought unity among the players and everyone enjoyed their cricket that season. He brought the best out of everyone”

Girish in the role of CAC Chairman

It was that great respect for his ‘captain’ that led him to have an open conversation with him earlier this year when Girish had to take the big call to sack the TN Selection committee led by Vasudevan. As has  been his model throughout his life, Girish had a straight talk with his former SPIC and Ranji captain reasoning out the thought process for the change.

On the new Selection committee, he says his message has been for them to be fair to the boys. “No cricketer should feel that he was deprived of a fair opportunity.” He has known UR Radhakrishnan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/03/ur-radhakrishnan.html) for over three decades and is confident that he will be a ‘straight talker’.

Give Kulkarni time to turnaround the TN fortunes

He is also of the view that the new TN coach Sulakshan Kulkarni will need to be given 2-3 years as 'nothing can turnaround just like that'.  He is happy with the way Kulkarni has shaped up in the first few months “His contract starts only from June but he has been here from March watching the first division league matches and the camps that we have held. He has been able to spot players who previously were nowhere in the reckoning.”

Premature End to his playing days

Back injury dealt a serious blow to Girish's cricket and instead of taking to a surgery, he decided to end his cricket early by the end of the 1980s, probably sooner than one would have expected. He counts winning the Ranji and the Irani Trophy in the same year as his big cricketing moments. He particularly remembers the belting that VBC (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/01/vb-chandrasekar.html) handed out to Hirwani and Gopal Sharma at Chepauk as one of the most memorable innings he had seen during his playing days. 

A Mental Resilience app for cricketers

Despite the performances on the cricket field - he played 16 matches for TN, the incident in Bangalore remained at the back of his mind and he understood early on that a cricketer’s life was always unsteady and that they could fall any moment. Just over four decades later, he is now launching an app to test the mental health of cricketers and help them keep their anxiety under control. 

"The pandemic phase got me thinking. I found that the players were lost in their own thoughts most of the time. There was very little one on one communication with them from the administrators or selectors or coaches. There is always an anxiety within players and most are at wits end in expressing their mental challenges to others and sorting those out."

Equilii App

Girish says he spoke to a number of sports psychologists on this and most of them suggested counselling sessions as a solution. But he was not convinced. He interviewed several cricketers and found that there was a stigma attached to sharing the psychological challenges. Many of them were not even aware of the mind's role in a sporting success or failure. And that feedback led him to launch a mental health self help app- Equilii- and he convinced the RCB psychologist Sanjana Kiran to be part of this exercise.

Equilii, he says, is a digitized mental resilience enhancement app, that makes sportspeople self-reliant, through self-awareness and mind skills training and facilitates peak performance. Through the app, he is looking to provide a comprehensive model of mental care for cricketers and players in other sports as well.

"During my playing days, there was not much focus on physical training and fitness. A few rounds around the ground and a 5-10 minute exercise was all that constituted a fitness reigme. While the physical fitness aspect has caught on in the last couple of decades, the importance of the mental aspects in sport has not been given its due importance. Mental well being is an aspect that should get just as much importance as physical training and from the early years of a sports person's life," says Girish.

He has listed a number of parameters on which the players will be tested and analysed. The app offers psycho education and has an emotion tracker. 

Girish is delighted two of his old teammates have placed their trust in him in this venture by investing. He says that Krishnamachari Srinath was a great childhood friend and a genuine guy. The two of them played together at the U19 level and for MCC in the first division.

And he has remained in touch with his University classmate Sanjay Parthasarathy (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanjay-parthasarathy-south-zone-u19.html) who is now getting back into cricket with financial investments . He is likely to invest further in Girish's venture. It is also likely that Girish will go for first round external funding in the near future as he looks to expand his presence into overseas markets like the Middle East and the US. He says that he sees US as a big market for his app in the future.

Signs up the first deal with the TNCA

The TNCA has just signed up with him for 200 players and he is in talks with the Super Kings Academy to install the app among the students there. Head Coach of SKA Sriram Krishnamurthy (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/11/sriram-krishnamurthy-head-coach-super.html) who for a long time has been a strong believer on the importance of shaping the mental side of young players and who has been a High Performance Coach for a decade in Australia, England and New Zealand told this writer last month that he found the app interesting and believed that it could play a critical role in helping youngsters understand themselves better. Sriram continues to believe like Girish that academics has to form an important part of the learning process for any budding cricketer.

Girish is also in talks with other cricket associations to take the mental resilience app to its players there. Interestingly the app has found interest in the athletic space with Meghanatha Reddy of SDAT keen to implement this with the athletes  at the association. He is also in talks with Gopichand Academy to take this app to the Badminton players.

Entrepreneurial Excitement at 59

Even as a youngster, Girish had wanted to become an entrepreneur but hailing from a typical middle class family and having married early (at 23!!!), he had to have a secure salary and thus worked at SPIC and HCL for close to two decades. It is not an age when one would expect a typical Madhwa to venture into a sports startup but D Girish, now 59, has always been passionate about cricket and believes that not much attention has been placed on the mental aspect of young cricketers. With this app, he is hoping to fill that gap. 

While one part of Girish will focus on doing everything as the Chairman of CAC to help TN lift the Ranji Trophy, this passionate entrepreneurial side will see him spend just as much time on helping aspiring cricketers take care of their mental health. He is looking to play this entrepreneurial role with just the same intensity as he did when he was a player.

This section will track the progress he makes on this front.

Kanchipuram Brahmotsavam Prabhandham Ghosti Thathachar

The 'Brahmotsavam' Prabhandham dispute over the 'Dhaniyan' Rights

We are okay to Prabhandham Ghosti at the Brahmotsavam with or without both the Thenkalai and Vadakalai Dhaniyans – Sampath Kumar Thathachar 

Following the story that featured last week wherein Thenkalai Prabhandham leader MA Venkatakrishnan of Thiruvallikeni (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/05/kanchi-varadar-brahmotsavam-mav.html) had suggested for a compromise solution led by two independent credible leaders (he was okay to not being part of that compromise discussion) from the two Sects, this writer had a long conversation with TK Sampath Kumar, a descendant of the Thathachariar clan at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram. His appa Kannan Thathachariar (in the photo below) has been part of the Veda Parayanam for several decades.

Sampath told this writer that the Vadakalayars of Kanchipuram are okay to being in the Prabhandham Ghosti from the third or fourth row as per the court order of May 17, 2022, a copy of which (7 page order) is available with this writer. Following the appeal by the Thenkalayars, this order has been kept in abeyance.

He said that as per that court direction, the Vadakalayars are okay to reciting the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham with the dhaniyans of both the Sects with Thenkalayars leading the Ghosti from the front two or three rows and reciting first the Thenkalai Dhaniyan. 

As an alternate option and as a compromise solution, the Vadakalayars, he said, are also okay to recite the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham without the dhaniyans of both the sects and to try this out during the Brahmotsavam. The court had pointed out that a majority of the Saint Poets did not belong to either of the ‘Kalais’ and that it was important to go ahead with the presentation of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham during the Brahmotsavam.

But Sampath is clear that with both the Sects in the Ghosti, the Dhaniyan cannot be just the Thenkalai Thaniyan.

He said that the Prabhandham Ghosti during the Brahmotsavam could take place only if both the Dhaniyans are recited or if both the Dhaniyans are done away with as part of a compromise solution and just the Prabhandham verses are recited.

On the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham, it seems that both sides are okay to Thenkalai leading the Ghosti from the front row and Vadakalai being from the third or fourth row, but the issue relates to the Dhaniyan with Thenkalayars claiming sole right to the presentation of the Dhaniyan and Vadakalayars wanting to recite their acharya’s Dhaniyan or doing away with both the Dhaniyans.

                               Kannan Thathachariar

Veda Parayanam

As regards the Veda Parayanam, he said that the Thathachars are the sole right holders of the Vedic Recital and the question does not arise of the Thenkalayars being part of that. He said that even as part of the compromise solution, the Thenkalayars cannot be part of the Veda Parayanam as it is the sole rights of a family and not even one of the (Vadakalai) Sect.

Desikar Prabhandham

On the issue relating to the recital of Desikar Prabhandham, he said at least during the birthday celebrations of Vedantha Desikar in Puratasi, the Desikar Prabhandham will have to be recited, especially if Upadesa Ratna Maalai is recited by the Thenkalayars during the Manavala Maamani Utsavam.

He said that this (Kanchipuram) is the birth place of Vedantha Desikar and he has presented verses in praise of Varadaraja Perumal and hence his Prabhandham will have to be recited here on the occasion of Desikar Utsavam.

Thennachariars' view

TAP Srirangachari, Secretary, Perumal Koil Thennacharya Sabha Kanchi told this writer late on Monday evening that the Thengalayars of Kanchi have been doing this service from time immemorial without any interruption till 2018 and that they are the right holders with respect to the Divya Prabhandham service and that the Vadagalayar Thathachariars are doing Veda Parayanam service. But nowhere the mirasu is attached to the Thathachariar family even according to court judgements.

"During the last Vaikasi festival, the temple EO issued orders as per previous High Court judgements and according to custom and usage. He said that the Vadagalayars should follow the Thengalayars and abide by their mode of worship  and join as ordinary worshippers. But the Vadagalai went on appeal against the EOs order and the Division Bench has kept the order in abeyance in which EO states categorically how both Vedam and Divya Prabhandham services should be carried out. When that order is kept in abeyance,it is applicable to both the services." 

But the temple allows Vedam and does not provide the opportunity to the Thengalayars for performing Divya Prabandham service without any interference by the Vadagalayars as per the court judgement. This is the present position.

Srirangachari said that the Vadagalai Thathachar claims that the Vedam service is their family right and  other Vadagalais can take part but at the same time he is not prepared to give in a bit by allowing Thengalayars in the Veda Ghosti for which Thengalayars had got three High Court bench orders in their favour (that the Thengalayars can join the Veda Goshti as ordinary worshippers just as the Vadagalais are allowed to join the Divya Prabhandham Gosti as ordinary worshippers).

Only if good sense prevail upon the persons to honour the judgements and age old customs, the services can be performed peacefully says the Secretary of the Thennacharya Sabha, Kanchi.

Will things turn for the better this fortnight

It is now exactly a fortnight to go for the commencement of this year’s Vaikasi Brahmotsavam with the Grand Garuda Sevai on the morning of Friday June 2. 

Last year, following the court order referred above, the Prabhandham Ghosti compromising of both Thenkalayars and Vadakalayars, presented for a few days before the dispute led to the suspension even before the conclusion of the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam. And has not taken place since.

It is hoped that the ‘Dhaniyan’ dispute can be sorted out among the two sects this fortnight so the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham Ghosti can take  place during this Brahmotsavam.

Kanchi Varadar Brahmotsavam MAV Arbitration Offer

I am okay to two credible Vadakalai and Thenkalai leaders discussing this issue threadbare and arriving at a fair solution - MA Venkatakrishnan

If there is no solution within the next fortnight or so, devotees will not be able to enjoy the Prabhandham Ghosti and Vedic Recital at Kanchi Varadar Brahmotsavam

Last week this section had featured a story on HR & CE minister PK Sekar Babu where he expressed anguish at the open fight between the Thenkalai and Vadakalai Sects at the Varadaraja Perumal  temple in Kanchipuram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/05/hr-ce-minister-sekar-babu-on-roll.html). He told this writer that he had tried to mediate between the two at the Secretariat but to no avail.

Thenkalai Prabhandham Ghosti leader MA Venkatakrishnan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/05/ma-venkatakrishnan-thiruvallikeni-divya_16.html) told this writer just ahead of the Chariot procession on Wednesday morning in Thiruvallikeni that since this section has earlier referred to him as a Fanatic Thenkalai, which he says he is neither ashamed of nor embarrassed and is infact proud to protect the fair rights of his Sect, he is even willing and open for an independent and credible Thenkalai (in case the Vadakalai leaders are not okay to him being part of the discussion) and Vadakalai personality to sit and discuss this issue over the next fortnight and arrive at an amicable solution that is fully fair to both sides.

This way, he says, the Prabhandham Ghosti and the Veda Parayanam can take place at the forthcoming Vaikasi Brahmotsavam that starts on May 31.

Thenkalai lead Prabhandham, Vadakalai the Vedic Recital

MAV says that the earlier tradition was for the Thenkalayars to lead the Prabhandham Ghosti and for the Vadakalayars to lead the Veda Parayanam. Each of these will have to be led as per the respective Sampradaya. The Vadakalayars are allowed to follow the Thenkalai Prabhandham members after the first couple of rows and similarly the Thenkalayars are allowed to participate in the Vedic Recital after the first few rows.

1915 Decree favouring the Thenkalayars in Prabhandham Ghosti

MAV points to the Decree, a copy of which is available with this writer, of over a century ago dated 13th January 1915 wherein the court declared that only the Thengalai mantrams of Srisailesa Dayapatram may be recited within the temple during any ceremonial worship or by any ghosti and that the Vadagalayars are only entitled to join the Thengalai Adyapaka Ghosti as worshippers by reciting the same portion of the Prabhandham that is being recited by the Adyapaka mirasidars.

The order of January 1915 also restrained the Vadakalayars their own mantras and prabhandhams during the pooja period and during any ceremonial worship, whether the service of adyapakam is going on or not.

With regard to the procession, the order restrained the Vadakalayars from reciting their own mantrams and prabhandham by forming a separate ghosti in front of the deity or by interposing between the deity and the Vedic Ghosti.

He says that the Prabhandham Ghosti had gone on peacefully for over a 100 years till 2018. 

After Pon Jayaraman, the former EO of Ranganathaswamy temple Srirangam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/srirangam-ranganathaswamy-renovation.html), took over as the EO of Kanchi Varadar temple, he told this writer that he too tried a resolution to this dispute but his sincere attempts to bring the two sects together failed at that time. He has since moved to head the Thiruppani committee at the HR & CE.

The High Court then directed the two sects to sort out the differences amongst themselves and get back with the solution for the court to then direct the final order.

Ready for a Credible independent solution

With 20 days to go for the start of the Brahmotsavam, MAV pointed to the fact that most of the Paadal Petra Sthalams (Saivite Saint Poets praised temples) don’t present the Thevaram verses as a Ghosti anymore and it is only in Vaishnavite Divya Desams that this tradition (Prabhandham Ghosti) still continues. He told this writer that both sides should go all out to find an amicable solution so the Prabhandham and Veda Parayanam tradition can take place during this Brahmotsavam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple “The judgements and customs should be followed by all the parties. If it is a fair and amicable solution that offers fair rights to both sects, the Thengalayars will be open to following it" MAV told this writer on Wednesday right in front of Parthasarathy Perumal on the Chariot.

There are many credible leaders in both sects and they can sit and sort out the differences as Prabhandham and Vedic recital are integral part of the processions, he said.

On the seventh morning of the Brahmotsavam at Thiruvallikeni, the mada streets reverberated with the loud recital of the sacred verses with around a fifty Prabhandham members led by MAV presenting the first canto of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Periya Thirumozhi even as Parthasarathy Perumal made his way around the four streets on the 90 minute chariot procession.

                           

Photo: Insurance Sampath

Over the last many decades, MAV has anchored and led the Prabhandham Ghosti at Thiruvallikeni and ensured that the team stays strong and united in the recital(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/thiruvallikeni-prabhandham-ghosti.html). An example of his leadership quality was seen at the recently concluded Ramanujam Utsavam when in a fraction of a few seconds he silenced two fighting members of his team at the end of a procession. 

This morning on the auspicious occasion of the Chariot Procession he has openly declared that he is up for an amicable solution between the Thengalayars and the Vadakalayars of Kanchipuram that is fair to both sides. 

Will the Vadakalayars including the Mutt Head and the Thennacharya Mutt Head be open to a discussion within the next fortnight to find an amicable solution so the devotees at Kanchipuram can enjoy both the Prabhandham as well as the Vedic Recital over the ten days of the festival.  Will someone like a Venu Srinivasan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html) who has seen many a Union issue in his four decades at the TVS Group, take the lead on this and come forward to the discussion table to find a workable solution that both sides are happy with.

It is not an impossible task and with willingness from both sides, it is an issue that can easily find a solution. Thenkalai Prabhandham leader MAV has expressed intent  from his sect to seek a fair solution and to make both Prabhandham and Vedic Recital a reality at the forthcoming Brahmotsavam. It is hoped that Vadakalayars will reach out and make yet another serious attempt to find a solution to this longstanding issue between the two Vaishnavite Sects.

If ego gets the better of the Vaishnavites at this point of time, it will be a matter of time before others enter this domain. And that will not be pleasing to the Vaishnavite ears!!!( A majority of the Azhvaars were anyway non Vadakalai or Thenkalai!!)

HR & CE Minister Sekar Babu on a roll

Mannar Koil Archaka case: Will not revise salary upwards, will appeal to the High Court

Will fight every activism boldly and without fear, says P.K. Sekar Babu

Dramatic increase in renovation exercises in TN temples in the last two years, cites all caste Archakas, Lady Othuvars and Tamil Archanai as significant milestones

Over the last two years, there has been a refreshing change at the HR & CE, something that one had not seen in the last two decades. A vibrant and a highly devotional minister who is seen at some temple or the other every day of the year. No HR & CE minister has been as active as P.K. Sekar Babu. A distinguishing feature of his engagement since the time he took charge exactly two years ago is his feet on the ground. Clearly he has established himself as someone who is not an armchair minister sitting in the comforts of the AC room and dishing out orders from the HR & CE headquarters.

At Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, his visits for darshan in the last year or so would have overtaken the combined number of trips made by all the HR & CE ministers over the last two decades. When there was an allegation against the Board of Trustees at the Adhi Kesava Perumal temple in August 2021, he was physically present at the temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/09/kesava-perumal-temple-mylapore-nc.html?m=1). Last week he was in Madurai ahead of the Chitrai Utsavam to ensure that the preparations were in order. 

After an hour long video call with his team members, he sat down for an exclusive chat with this writer at the HR & CE headquarters late on Wednesday evening ready to take up any kind of questions and as he has always been with this writer over the last two years providing straight in the face answers to hard hitting questions.

Mannar Koil Archaka Salary Case

This section had featured a story last month on the Madurai High Court’s order directing the HR & CE to fix up a pay scale for PS Narasimha Gopalan, the archaka at the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannar Koil near Ambasamudram and the service personnel at the temple meeting at least the requirements as per the minimum wages act and this within 8 weeks of the order. A month has passed and the archaka had told this writer earlier this week that there had been no update on the revision in salary (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/04/mannar-koil-archakar-wins-salary-case.html). 

When queried on this, Sekar Babu clarified the HR & CE’s stance on this issue. Every temple is independent and the salaries of the staff would have to come from the income of the temple. When queried further on using financial resources from the ‘Contribution fund’, he said that the fund could not be used to provide salary to each and every archaka in temples across TN and the salary will clearly have to come from each of these temple’s income. He confirmed to this writer that the HR & CE would not be revising upwards the salary of the archaka and that they would soon go on appeal against the order of the High Court.

Unfazed by Temple Activists

Temple Activists have been aggressive over the last few years and those like TR Ramesh (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/02/tr-ramesh-temple-activist.html) have been moving with clear intent to get the HR & CE out of temples. The most recent development has been of Ramesh working with Subramaniam Swamy to move the Supreme Court on issues relating to the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. Sekar Babu is simply unfazed with such activism “We are ready to face the toughest of challenges as we are clear that we are working towards the development of temples. We will face the cases boldly without any fear.”

'Own Your Temple' Campaign sees a Silent Death

When the temple activists called for a mega launch of their ‘Own Your Temple’ Campaign on the Vinayaka Chathurthi day last year at the Kapaleeswarar temple, they probably underestimated the strength of Sekar Babu (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/08/kapali-temple-own-your-temple-launch.html). While the event attracted a sizeable crowd and went on for about an hour with the organisers announcing that they would hold similar events at the Parthasarathy temple, Madhava Perumal temple, Mundakanni Amman and Muppaathamman temple in the near future, Sekar Babu and the HR & CE responded with FIRs. Soon the organisers were asked to report at the Kutcheri Road Police Station. This section featured two long stories on the campaign but six months have since passed and not a word has been heard since, on the campaign.

Grand Allocation for Renovation in TN Temples

He points to  developmental initiatives  undertaken by him in the last two years. There has been a significant recovery of temple lands under his reign. The number of listings for consecrations has shot up dramatically to over 650. 

In fact this section had featured a story in February 2019 (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/02/renovation-issues-in-tn-temples.html) as to how renovation exercises had dropped dramatically after the High Court order restraining repairs work. Sekar Babu rolls out numbers endorsing the surge in Kumbhabisekams and Samprokshanams in the last two years. 

He is proud on the huge allocation of over Rs. 100crores that had been made for the renovation and consecration of 1000+year old temples. Over a 100 such temples had seen consecration in 2022-23 and close to another 100 is on the anvil this year, he said. 

He said that over 700 other temples have now been listed for renovation exercises and consecration and those will take place over a period of time. 

Multi Crore Budget for Remote Temples

He said that since the time he took charge two years ago, he went around remote temples in Tamil Nadu and provided a multi crore allocation for temples without oil and where archakas had no salary. He specifically pointed out that over a 100 temples in the Kanyakumari district had received an allocation of Rs. 15lakhs each for renovation and that another 100 temples in that region will receive a similar amount this year. 

He said that the Pudukottai Devasthanam had received an increased outlay from the HR & CE.

His ministry has made a first of its kind move in history relating to the temples under the Thanjavur Palace. “A majority of the close to 90 temples in Thanjavur were struggling for funds and even daily pooja. For the first time in history, we have allocated over Rs. 3crores for the running of these temples.”

Kanchi Varadar - Thenkalai vs Vadakalai

In January 2019, this section had featured a story on the ugly battle between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects of Vaishnavites at Pazhaya Seevaram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/01/pazhaya-seevaram-battle-for-vaishnavite.html). It is now just under a month to go for the start of this year's Vaikasi Brahmotsavam at Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram.

The ongoing battle between Thenkalai and Vadakalai sects has taken an even uglier turn in recent years leading to the suspension of the Ghosti. This writer put the question to Sekar Babu if he could moderate the issues and find a solution to the raging issue and if the Prabhandham Ghosti could be revived at the Brahmotsavam later this month. He once again comes back strong narrating what he experienced at the meeting he personally anchored "I anchored a three hour meeting at the Secretariat between the two sects personally trying to solve the differences. But I was shocked to find that it was like a street fight. What more can I do? The court has asked them to sort out the differences amongst themselves. If they do that over the next fortnight or so, it will be good to have the Prabhandham Ghosti and the Vedic Recital."

Thiruvalluvar Temple in Mylapore

In Mylapore, he said that the Thiruvalluvar temple will see a Rs. 15crore renovation that will start within the next three months “It was Kalaignar Karunanidhi who initiated the previous renovation of this ancient temple. It was also under his leadership that Valluvar Kottam and the stature of Thiruvalluvar was built in Kanniyakumari. The temple in Mylapore will receive a never before seen facelift and the technicians and engineers have already begun the background work.”

New Long Term JC at Kapali Temple

Temple Activist TR Ramesh has often been vocal on the Kapaleeswarar Temple and how he is keen to get the EOs out of such temples. Sekar Babu remains defiant on such calls and said that a new permanent Joint Commissioner will be appointed for the Kapali temple before the end of this month. Following the demise of D Kaveri, R Hariharan, Verification-DC, had taken temporary charge as the EO in December last.

A Highly Devoted Minister

Sekar Babu has no qualms about moving around with the common man especially devotees inside temple. Two years ago, when a Sripatham person at Kapaleeswarar temple tried to stop a devotee from approaching the minister, Sekar Babu issued a stern warning asking him to refrain from such moves in the future. He listens to the issues of people, is simple as a person and very high on devotion. A couple of weeks ago during the Ramanuja Utsavam, he was at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/thiruvallikeni-prabhandham-ghosti.html) and moved around sannidhis almost unnoticed. After darshan at the Sannidhis, he sat in front of the Dwajasthambam and went into a silent prayer for almost 10 minutes with his eyes closed invoking the blessings of Lord Parthasarathy. 

He counts decisions on all caste archakas, lady othuvars and archanai in Tamil as significant milestones under his leadership over the last couple of years.

Time will tell on the outcome of temple activism in Tamil Nadu but for now HR & CE minister is on a roll moving each day from one temple to another personally monitoring the action on the ground. Many bouncers may come his way in the future but Sekar Babu is a determined man and a gritty fighter. More than anything else he is devotionally inclined and offers his prayers at temples all the time he as a simple devotee.