Srirangam Temple K Srinivasan Sripatham to Vedas

The former Sripatham Head of Ranganathaswamy Temple is spending his post retirement years presenting the Vedas at the Street Processions of Namperumal and during the daily Thiru Aradhanam

It is a transition he least expected but sixty two year old K Srinivasan, who performed Sripatham service at the Ranganathaswamy temple for over three decades, has adapted himself to his new role with ease. For the last couple of years, ever since his retirement as the Chief of the Sripatham Service, he has been a regular member of the Veda Parayanam Ghosti. It is not often that a Sripatham member of many decades makes a full fledged move into Veda Parayanam at a Divya Desam but this West Adayavalanjan resident has quickly made the transition that has left even his own self  surprised. 

A Financially Challenging Childhood in the 0s and 70s

Srinivasan lost his appa, who had performed Madapalli Kainkaryam, when he was just a year and a half and it was his amma who toiled hard as a cook to bring him up. However, financial challenges led him to discontinuing studies after school and he had to work in a couple of firms, first in a printing press on South Chitrai street and then in an industrial unit in Thuvakudi on the outskirts of Trichy to meet the financial requirements of the family. He did not enjoy the industrial work for it involved late shifts and travelling long distance every day. When an opening came up at the Srirangam temple, he took to the post as a Sripatham at a salary of a few hundreds.

Adapted well to the Sripatham Service

He was in his 20s and had not performed that service until then but he learned it quickly on the job. Just ahead of the Adyayana Utsavam, the entire Sripatham team went through a rigorous training exercise and that helped Srinivasan understand the special steps of carrying Namperumal. As time passed, he became adept at the Sripatham service and for many years leading to his retirement in 2021, he donned the role of the Head of Sripatham service at the Srirangam temple.

From Sripatham to Vedic Recital

In an interesting development, out of devotional interest, fifteen years ago, he began learning the Vedas from Kundala Vathyar. This has held him in good stead now, as soon after his retirement he has become an integral part of the Veda Parayana team during every street procession of Namperumal and the daily Thiru Aradhanam reciting the Upanishad, Acchidram and Surya Namaskaram.

He told this writer after the morning procession of Krishna around the four Chitrai streets that he has become fully engrossed in the Vedic Recital and the daily chanting of the sacred verses has helped him to continue his service to Namperumal that he has so devotionally cherished for decades.

A Devotional Transition

It has been an interesting transformation in the life of Srinivasan. While carrying Namperumal on his shoulders for decades gave him one kind of satisfaction that of a physical Kainkaryam to the Lord, reciting the Vedas during the street processions is turning  out to be a completely different experience and he has found it intellectually stimulating. Unlike the physically strenuous Sripatham service, where the members engage in talks during a procession, Vedic recitals offer no such luxury. It requires extreme concentration and the Vedic members at the Ranganathaswamy temple do not often chat amongst themselves or with others. It requires an undistracted mind and he is fully geared for this role. He sees this as his way of life in the foreseeable future as the daily recital is giving him a special devotional experience. 

Srinivasan wants this to present the Vedas as long as his voice permits him to.