Thiruvallikeni Prabhandham Adyapaka Sekar

Elevation on the back of his over four decades Devotional Prabhandham Ghosti Service 

On the 10th day of the Narasimhar Brahmotsavam, this Thursday (July 6) at the Parthasarathy Perumal temple, even as all the Lords, Azhvaars and Acharyas congregated at the West end of the temple, there was a visible and refreshing addition to the Adyapakars team. P Lakshminarasimhan (Sekar to those in the temple circles) was seen alongside Adyapaka members to receive the Muthal Theertham and Shatari. Along with Singan Srinivasan, another long standing Ghosti member, Sekar was inducted into the Adayapaka team on this Dwadasa Aradhanam day following the instruction from the newly appointed EO to the Maniyakaarar. 

Hailing from Pilappur, near Chengalpet, Sekar’s forefathers moved to Thiruvallikeni. As seen in several stories earlier in this section, the 1960s and 70s marked a slowdown in the devotional movement and original inhabitants moved to cities in search of jobs (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/10/therazhundur-divya-desam.html). It was the beginning of the reduction in strength of the Prabhandham and Vedic members in most temples in TN. Sekar’s early childhood was no different and he had no inclination towards the sacred verses until the transformational change brought about by MA Venkatakrishanan in the 1970s. 

Inspired by MAV's teachings

A couple of days after his induction as an adyapaka into the popular Thiruvallikeni Ghosti team, 64 year old Sekar recounts the memorable contribution of MAV “My amma’s appa was a Maniyakaarar at the Sriperambudur temple. During the annual holidays, when I went there, he would carry me and have me seated beside the Vahana during the Brahmotsavam. That created my first interest in processions but even then being initiated into the Prabhandham was not in the plans. I learned the Thiru Kurungthaandagam and Thiru Nedunthaandagam from Vijayaraghavan Swami (Kanchi) but it was then that MAV Swami took over and the entire experience turned transformational.”

This section had earlier featured a story on how MAV was the architect the Divya Prabhandham revival at Thiruvallikeni (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/thiruvallikeni-prabhandham-ghosti.html). Sekar was a student from that first batch and one of those who stayed the entire course.

While Sekar was disinclined towards the sacred verses end of the 1960s, by the 2nd half of the 70s, he had become greatly interested in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham that even he could not believe the transformation that MAV had brought in him. By this time, he had also stood first in the Iyarpa recital competition organized by Southern Cultural Academy and proudly received the away from Annankarachar Swami.  “MAV Swami was a great motivator. He would take us on trips and make us recite the sacred verses in those Divya Desams. Every morning, the classes would start sharp at 6am. He began with the Moonraam Thiruvanthathi and even as a teenager, I had begun reciting these verses in street processions”, Sekar told this writer extolling the greatness of MAV and how he created an everlasting interest in him in the sacred verses of the Saint Poets.

                 Photo Courtesy: Insurance Sampath Kumar

Declines a lucrative Job offer from TVS

It was that extraordinary interest in arulacheyal that led to Sekar declining a lucrative job offer away from Madras “In the mid 1980s, I received an offer from TVS for their plant in Hosur. My interest in Prabhandham had become so intense that I told my appa that I wanted to be part of the Ghosti through my life and that I did not want to go outside of Madras.”

Adyapaka rights remain intact

The adyapaka service has seen several twists and turns in the century gone by. Leader MA Venkatakrishnan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/05/ma-venkatakrishnan-thiruvallikeni-divya_16.html), who has ensured that the Prabhandham Ghosti at Thiruvallikeni has remained strong and united, told this writer ahead of the procession on the 9th evening of the Narasimhar Brahmotsavam that despite all the challenges that they have had to face, the rights and powers of the Adyapakas of Thiruvallikeni have remained intact and has in fact become stronger and clearer with each court verdict. 

He said that exactly a 100 years ago, when the then trustees of the temple sought to get the Adyapakas under their control and also to appoint the Ghosti members, the Thengalai Sri Vaishnava Brahmin residents secured a decree (a copy of which is available with this writer) that only they had the right to initially appoint the Ghosti members.  This order restrained the trustees of the temple from interfering in the appointment of the Ghosti members.

While this went on well for several decades, half a century later in 1972, a few members of the Prabhandham Ghosti went to court seeking powers for the Thengalai Vaishnava Brahmins to appoint Ghosti members. Further adding strength to the Adyapakas, the court restrained the Thengalai Vaishnava Brahmins from having such rights and directed that the rights to appoint or add Ghosti members lay solely with the senior members of the Adyapakas and not with the general body of the Thengalai Vaishnava Brahmins.

Later soon after MAV began creating the next gen of Prabhandham members, the Bhagavathas took to the court for rights in Theertham and Shatari. Once again, the court conferred the special first rights to the Adyapakas followed by others.

Emoluments to the Adyapakas 

The Adyapakas have an exclusive right in the emoluments attached to their service. Among other benefits, they are entitled to one fourth Pongal Thaligai for the morning service, Iyalpadi two cakes offered at Thiruvanthi Kaappu, Holi water, Sri Sadagopam, Thulasi, Sandal, Manjal, Garlands, betal leaves and dakshinas. On the Yaanai Vahanam days during the Brahmotsavam, two Umbrellas are to be taken in advance of the Adyapakas at the street procession. They are also entitled to sweet cake during the Manavala Mamuni Utsavam, Oil on Thiru Karthigai and Emperumanar Satru Murai days and One Thaligai of Chakkarai Pongal on Thiru Pallandu Thodakkam day. The leader of the Ghosti for that day also has the right to receive the Swathanthrams kept apart and separated to be appropriated for the said Adyapaka service.

Each Adyapaka is assigned certain dates in the month for 'Thodakkam' service.

Eligibility criteria

The  appointment itself goes through a process with the senior members of the Adyapaka team discussing within themselves. At the moment, among a few other conditions, only those that have not travelled overseas, those that have resided for a certain period of time in Thiruvallikeni and ones with recital knowledge of a certain minimum number of verses from the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham are eligible to become an Adyapaka.

No Ice Creams/ Cold Juices

Sekar joined a local firm in Parrys working on import billing in the shipping sector. His interest in Prabhandham recital and an eagerness to be part of the ghosti during the processions led him to take auto from his office in the evening so he could be on time. He felt he had been blessed with a special voice and  protected his voice by letting go of ice creams or cold juices for a major part of his life. 

It has been that over four decades long commitment to the devotional recital that led MAV to push him into the Adyapaka team. 

“While my office offered me an extension and asked me to work even during the Pandemic, MAV Swami was keen to recognize my contribution and he asked me to sport a tuft. When he broke the news to me that the Senior Adyapaka members had agreed to add him to their team, I felt it a great honour.”

                       Photo Courtesy: Insurance Sampath Kumar

A Special feeling - Darshan as an Adyapaka from close range

On Friday and Saturday, he was part of the Ghosti at the Thirumanjanam and felt a completely different experience “Suddenly as an Adyapaka, I was standing so close to Perumal and could see him from almost touching distance. It gave me a great feeling. I immediately thanked MAV Swami for providing me with such an opportunity to experience Narasimhar from close range.”

Sekar has been part of the Thiruvallikeni Ghosti from the 1970s and his elevation, this week, to the post of an Adyapaka is a great reward for his devotional commitment and service over these 4+ decades. 

This section wishes Sekar the best in his new role as an Adyapaka at the Thiruvallikeni Divya Desam.