Sarangapani Koil Thai Amavasai Serthi Sevai

Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar provide Serthi Sevai at the HR & CE office

The speciality of this day is that Thayar is seen with a Kodukku Mudi Alankaram with her long Jadai knotted in such a way that the far end reaches out to Lord Sarangapani

It is just past 3pm on Wednesday (January 29). Two Bhattars are decorating Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar inside the HR & CE office near the towering Raja Gopuram at the eastern entrance of this Divya Desam in Thiru Kudanthai.  The erstwhile Ekadasi Mandapam houses the HR & CE office. 

For long it has been a tradition for the Perumal Koils in this region to open only at 5pm in the evening. Scores of outstation devotees have arrived at the Raja Gopuram at 4pm to have darshan of the moolavar Aravamudhan seen in a sleeping posture but are disappointed to hear that they have to wait out an hour for the temple to open and they head to the nearby Kumbeswarar temple.

ஆரா அமுதே அடியேன் உடலம்  நின்பால் அன்பாயே

நீராய்  அலைந்து கரைய உருக்குகின்ற நெடுமாலே

சீர் ஆர் செந்நெல் கவரி வீசும் செழு நீர் திரு குடந்தை

ஏர் ஆர் கோலம் திகழ கிடந்தாய் கண்டேன் எம்மானே  - Thiruvoimozhi ( 5-8-1)

It is just past 5pm when the Prabhandham Ghoshti members arrive at the HR & CE office for the Seva Kalam. A few among the first set of devotees are surprised to hear of the divine couple being present at the HR & CE office but Thai Amavasai is the one day in the year when Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar provide darshan in the evening at this location that was once the Ekadasi mandapam.

It is also the Shravanam day in Thai and devotees are delighted to have darshan of the Divine Couple as well as Vaishnavaite Acharya Vedantha Desikar.

ஆறாத அருள் அமுதம் பொதிந்த கோயில் 

அம்புயத்தோன் அயோத்தி மன்னற்கு அளித்த கோயில் 

தொலாத தனிவீரன் தொழுத கோயில் துணையான வீடணற்கு துணையாம்  கோயில் 

சேராத பயன் எல்லாம் சேர்க்கும் கோயில் 

செழுமறையின் முதல் எழுத்து  சேர்ந்த கோயில் 

தீராத வினை அனைத்தும்  தீர்க்கும் கோயில் 

திருவரங்கம் எனும் கோயில் தானே 

For an hour, the Prabhandham members present the sacred verses from the Tiruvoimozhi, Ramanuja Nootranthathi as well as Desikar Prabhandham. Just past 7pm, a sizeable crowd has gathered in front of the HR & CE office for the Satru Murai verses following which they have one more close look at Komalavalli Thayar providing Kodukku Mudi Sevai in its current form!!! While historically the speciality of the day was the Kodukkumudi Sevai with the long Jadai of Komalavalli Thaayar knotted in such a way that the far end reaches out to Lord Sarangapani. Today’s alankaram was of Thayar in a simple knotted style on the head.

Clock has ticked past 8pm when Sarangapani Perumal began his procession making his way around the Potramarai Kulam. At the Western entrance, Komalavalli Thayar and Vedantha Desikar welcome him back into the temple even as the Prabhandham members recite the first decad of the Periya Thirumozhi verses. Led by Vedantha Desikar, Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar make their way around the outer prakara to the eastern entrance listening to the presentation of the Thiru Neduthandagam by the Prabhandham Ghoshti.

By this time, a good number of devotees have gathered in front of the Thayar Sannidhi ahead of the ‘Maalai Maatral’ event. It is almost 9pm when after having bid goodbye to Vedantha Desikar at his Sannidhi, Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar enacted the Maalai Maatral drama with Paatrachar representing Perumal and the erstwhile Maniyakarar of the temple representing Thayar. Devotees were delightful dance of Paatrachar as he presented Perumal’s flower garland to Komalavalli Thayar.

Following this, Thayar made her way to her Sannidhi while Sarangapani made his way to his abode through the northern entrance bringing to end the Thai Amavasai Kodukku Mudi utsavam. 

Srirangam Sripatham Kannan

Transformation Change from Software Engineer to Sripatham Thangi

The devotional Sripatham experience through the Vethal service in his teenage years led this Software Engineer to quit an IT job and move full time as a Sripatham Thangi in 2022

The Pandemic came as a blessing in disguise for SA Kannan as it paved the way for his transformational change from a Software Engineer in a Multinational firm to a Sripatham Thangi at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. After six years in the IT firm in Chennai, the national lockdown in March 2020 got him to head back to Srirangam for a Work from Home model and that phase deepened his involvement with the temple service. A year after the lockdown, when the temple was looking for a Sripatham Thangi, Kannan grabbed it with both hands and became a full time Kainkaryapaka at this Divya Desam. It has since been a devotionally fulfilling 2 ½ years for him and he now spends his entire time in temple Kainkaryam in Srirangam.

Early Vethal Service drives his devotional interest

His appa, SNR Arangarajan, was into civil construction in Chennai but when an opportunity came up in Srirangam during one of his visits to Dasavatharam Sannidhi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/12/dasavatharam-temple-in-srirangam.html) he took to it and later settled down here. While there was no family background in temple service, Kannan had a devotional attachment to carrying the Lord on his shoulders right from his early teens. 

Sitting in front of the Ranganayaki Thaayar Sannidhi on the fourth day of the Pagal Pathu utsavam for Thaayar, Kannan told this writer on the man who was a major influence on him taking to Sripatham “N. Vainadeyan taught me the finer aspects of Sripatham service during my initial days as a Vethal Kainkaryapaka. It was during that phase that I promised to myself that I would dedicate my entire life to Sripatham Kainkaryam. I was also influenced by the way Pichu Kutti performed his role as a Sripatham.”

Moves to Chennai and the Corporate world

But as has been the trend over the last few decades, he too graduated as a software engineer and moved to Chennai after a campus placement in 2014. He rejected many of the overseas onsite opportunities that came his way for his mind was fixed on temple service as a way of life. Namperumal's blessings seemed to have been with him even in that phase. He is grateful to his boss for being flexible with him all through his work life in Chennai “I had a Christian boss but he was very understanding of my devotional interest in temple service and always allowed me to go to Srirangam to carry Namperumal on my shoulder especially during the four big Brahmotsavams. That brought me even closer to the divine couple and my interest in Sripatham service increased manifold during the years I was in the corporate world though I continue to don the role of a full time software engineer in Chennai.”

This section has featured many stories over the last decade on how traditional service personnel in temples are finding it challenging to lead a family life and how that is leading them into the corporate world away from temple service (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/bhattars-gurukals-move-away-from-temples.html). In line with that trend, most of his friends including those within the temple warned him against quitting a high paying corporate job and moving into an uncertain temple environment but Kannan found an unlikely support in his wife and he counts that as his greatest blessing “My wife had spent her first two decades in Chennai and was used to the fast-paced city life. But she has been fully supportive of my interest in temple service and it was her backing that led me to take the big call to quit the IT job and move into Sripatham service.”

In September 2022, Kannan received the official appointment order as a Sripatham Thangi and quit the IT job for good.  He says that  it has been his most enjoyable phase in his life “Since my entire thoughts lay centered around carrying Namperumal and Thayar, the financial aspect has never been an impediment to my service. I was also clear in my mind that if your entire mind is focused on and dedicated to the Lord, then he would take care of you. My Sripatham team members have been fully supportive and taught me the finer and technical aspects.”

A surprise additional Kainkaryam

15months ago, he was blessed with another great Kainkaryam opportunity that he had not foreseen. He was given the additional responsibility of taking care of the Azhvaar Sannidhi and this has provided a new and unforgettable opportunity "I was initially apprehensive and shy of some of the Kainkaryam involved in managing the Azhvaar Sannidhi but over these last 15 months I have gained a lot of confidence. I now decorate Nam Azhvaar during the annual ten day utsavam in Vaikasi as well as during every Visakam and these have given me a great deal of satisfaction.”

But what has given him the biggest happiness in this Sannidhi Kainkaryam has been the fact that it is he who has been donning the role of Madapalli cook at the Nam Azhvaar Sannidhi and preparing the sacred food each day of the year, one that includes Chakkarai Pongal, Ven Pongal and Puliyotharai.“It has been a great learning experience to start from scratch and now be blessed as the one who presents the sacred food every day to Azhvaar. There is a divine and unmatched feeling in preparing this and presenting to the Azhvaar every morning” says Kannan, even as the Sun gets hotter on this mid afternoon in January.

Family delighted at his Sripatham Service

His young school going daughter is delighted watching her appa carrying the Lord on his shoulder. His amma proudly tells everyone that his son is a Sripatham Thangi. Kannan is particularly happy that his in-laws too have been supporting “I did consult my in laws before taking the call to quit the corporate job and they felt really happy that their son in law would be a Sripatham Thangi at the Ranganathaswamy temple. The family support has been a big boost to me in performing this Kainkaryam."

He and his wife are particularly happy that their daughter is growing up in a traditional temple town environment and imbibing all the positive aspects relating to a traditional way of life, something that would have been unlikely in a larger city.

To further his devotional interest, he is also now learning the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham.

Kannan is hoping that more corporate staffers would consider temple kainkaryam as a way of life and make their way back to their hereditary location. But for the moment, Kannan is preparing himself for the procession during the five day Era Pathu utsavam for Ranganayaki Thayar that starts this Sunday evening and for the upcoming Thai Brahmotsavam next week.

Veenai Ekantham Ranganathan CA rank holder

The All India CA rank holder is looking to take forward the historical Kainkaryam assigned by Ramanuja into the next phase at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam

He is keen to turn a Veenai Teacher to inspire the young ones to take to this mesmerizing instrument 

It is just past 10pm on Pongal evening and a few hundred devotees have gathered inside the Nazhikettan Vaasal to watch the one hour Veenai Ekantham presentation by the Veenai Vidwans of Srirangam. G Ranganathan was just ten years old when this writer wrote a story on the unique standing Veenai presentation during the Era Pathu utsavam in 2009 (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/12/veena-ekantham-at-srirangam-ranganatha.html) and last night he was alongside his appa Govindan and his uncles to present this sacred Veena Ekantham in front of Namperumal. The devotional mind of this All India CA rank holder, who is currently with ICICI, is all on continuing the kainkaryam assigned to the Sathya Koota clan by Ramanuja and taking over, along with his cousins, the historical service from his appa and uncles.

Early Veena Initiation by his Thatha

Ranganathan had a great mentor in his thatha, the revered and respected G Rangarajan, the former principal of National College. Late into the 2nd half of the previous century, as was the larger trend in those decades, two of Rangarajan’s sons had moved from Srirangam to Chennai into the corporate world, the first in the family to move away from this Divya Desam. To generate an early interest, Rangarajan would often travel to Chennai to initiate Ranganathan into the art of playing the Veena.

        Renowned Veenai Rangarajan

Sitting at the Sesha Rayar mandapam, the morning after he had presented the Veenai Ekantham, Ranganathan recounts those early years of his life and how his Thatha created an ever lasting bond for him with the Veena “I was just four years old when my Thatha initiated me into the Veena. Having been a lecturer and later the Principal, he was so understanding of the young mind. He would allow to play with my friends to my heart’s content and when I was in the right frame of mind, he would begin his Veenai lessons. We had a small veenai in those days and it was with that I first started my practice. Every weekend I would practice together with my appa.”

Solo Presentation at 13 in front of Ranganatha

He was just in class VIII when he got an unexpected opportunity to perform at the Vishroopam in front of Ranganthaswamy “My patti had passed away and my appa and uncles could not perform and all of a sudden I was all alone (without appa or uncles by my side) in front of Lord Ranganatha with a big devotee crowd around me at the Vishroopam early in the morning. I realised that morning that actual presentation in front of a crowd is quite different from practicing at your home. I was quite nervous and felt like a duck out of water but that morning went on well and that solo presentation when I was just 13 years old gave me a lot of confidence.”

After the early initiation and mentoring, his thatha sent him to Mudikondan S. N. Ramesh for indepth lessons in the Veena. “My Guru taught me with Sahityam for seven years and my knowledge of the Veena deepened and expanded thanks to his teachings.”

                  Mudikondan Ramesh

During his learning phase, he also had a carnatic music tutelage for 12 years from Vidhwan Senthagudi Jayaraman at Krishna Gana Sabha, T.Nagar which helped shape his initial understanding of music. 

He says that the foundation laid by him has been crucial in his development. 

Also, for a few years, he learnt songs from Vidwan Akila Siva, an initiative that helped him connect with the Veenai presentation.

Utsavam Keerthanais and Paasurams

He also learned the utsava sampradaya keerthanais and the sacred verses of the Azhvaars that his forefathers usually presented. He made his debut at Veenai Ekantham at the Era Pathu Utsavam when he was just 16 years old “That experience of presenting Veenai Ekantham was such an eye opener. The standing presentation meant that we cannot see the Veenai and perform. Our great grandfather was a disciple of Mysore Veena Seshanna and we follow his finger splitting style of presentation. In the standing posture, there is a weight to handle, the duration is quite long (one hour in standing posture with Veenai tied to you) and we are looking at Namperumal through our presentation. It was an unforgettable experience.”

10 year old Ranganthan seen in the middle ahead of the Veenai Ekantham in Dec 2009

While his Thatha and his parents did not push into securing high marks, they were keen for him to explore a professional degree. "My thatha seeded the thought in me that a professional degree would give me the flexibility to alternate between an income generating profession and continuing the Veenai Kainkaryam. I liked commerce and hence thought CA would be a good option.”

All India 10th Rank in CA

In 2019, he prepared hard for four months ahead of the CA final with his intention being just to clear the exam and be certified as a CA.  He looks back at that tense phase “I did not want to let anyone down and did not want to be the one black mark in the family as my relatives were all academically well qualified. And despite the preparation and efforts, I was quite nervous ahead of the Direct Tax exam though I liked this subject a lot. In that phase (and I still have it to this day), I had a message written on my white board which read ‘God gives those who deserve and not those who desire’. That gave me a lot of confidence that my hard work of four months would not go waste.”

A couple of days after Pongal of 2020 and just a couple of months before the Pandemic hit the world, he was on a train when he heard the news that he had cleared CA “I was relieved that I had passed and did not pay too much attention to the marks I had scored. But it was my appa’s firm’s auditor who remarked that it was likely that I would have secured a rank based on my marks.”

Looking back on that day when he found that he was ranked tenth all India and second in TN, he says that it was a humbling experience “When I prepared and wrote the exam, I did not aim for any rank. My focus was on becoming a CA. I would have been happy with a 400+ but I ended up with close to 500 marks. I felt that the Divine Powers had played a role in my life.”

There was a campus placement for rank holders and he was picked up by ICICI in early 2020. It has been a roller coaster ride ever since for Ranganathan in the last four years at the bank.

Into the future, Ranganathan is keen to don the role of a Veena teacher to pass on this art to the young ones. And to this end, he is fine tuning his own learnings from his appa Govindan and uncle Srinivasan who he counts as a great teacher and a role model.

He is particularly interested in Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s Keerthanais, especially those containing the Kshtram Paadals and Thyagarajar’s Pancha Ratna Keerthanais on Srirangam. He is excited about presenting these during the Vishroopam in the years to come. 

Ranganathan flanked by Anna and Appa

The veena vidwans also present Veenai ekantham at the Thayar sannidhiand at Uraiyur during the Era Pathu utsavams there.

Full time Daily Kainkaryam at Srirangam

His appa went the full distance in the corporate world and retired at 60. But 26 year old Ranganathan is hoping that he will get back to Srirangam lot earlier, so he, along with his brother and cousins, can taken over from his appa and uncles for the daily presentation as well as during the Era Pathu utsavam and continue this kainkaryam at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam for he believes that no amount of money in the corporate world can equate with the opportunity to present in front of the Lord of Srirangam. He is happy his brother and cousins are all keen and interested to continue this service.

Ranganathan, the 48th descendant of the Sathya Koota clan, will soon tie the wedding knot and this section wishes him a happy married life.

Nachiyar Koil Kal Garuda Sevai 2025 January

Beautiful Alankaram, a Delightful Voyali by Sripatham, Unprecedented crowd and a through the night street procession mark the Kal Garuda Sevai at Thiru Naraiyur Divya Desam

It is just past 4pm on Monday evening and a big day for the young 34 year Mechanical Engineer P Prabhakaran, who is the EO of the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam in Thiru Naraiyur. Along with long standing priest Gopinathan Bhattar, Prabhakaran was instrumental in ensuring that the Thiruppani works were completed in a record period of just 9 months and the consecration took place at this historical temple after 18 years.

A big crowd has already gathered around the Dwajasthambam and Prabhakaran expects this to swell in the next hour or so. It is a highly challenging task for the EO  to both manage the huge crowd and help them enjoy a good darshan of the popular Kal Garuda procession while at the same assist the Sripatham Thangis to have an smooth path from the moolavar Sannidhi through the steep steps of this first Mada Perumal Koil built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/ko-chenganan-and-nachiyar-koil-divya.html).

வம்பு அவிழும் செண்பகத்தின் வாசம் உண்டு

மணி வண்டு வகுளத்தின் மலர்மேல் வைகு

செம்பியன் கோச் செங்கணான் சேர்ந்த கோயில்

திருநறையூர் மணிமாடம் சேர்மின்களே

While Prasanna Bhattar is decorating Kal Garuda inside the Sannidhi, EO Prabhakaran is having conversations with the police personnel who too have gathered in good numbers to manage the crowd and finalising the plan for the procession from the Garuda Sannidhi to the Vahana Mandapa.

No VIP Tickets- a welcome initiative

From earlier years, he has initiated a big change in plan in terms of crowd presence during the procession. While there was ticketed service (including Rs. 500) that allowed devotees to come up to the Garuda Sannidhi, this EO who has been at this temple for just over a couple of years has done away with paid tickets foregoing the collection for HR & CE on this crowded evening. Instead, he devised a plan whereby only the Ubayadarars, Mutt Kainkarayaparas and high end VIPs were allowed in front of the Garuda Sannidhi. Prabhakaran is seen going up to every devotee inside the Sannidhi to enquire about their well being and comfort on this crowded evening. He is keen for the devotees to have a happy experience despite the seemingly unmanageable crowd inside the temple complex.

An hour ahead of the procession, a few hundred devotees were allowed to stand in front of the Rama Mandapa while the majority of the crowd were stationed in front of the Dwajasthambam to have a long view of Kal Garuda making his down the steps. 

A Delightful fast paced voyali

Past 6pm, the District Judge makes his way to the Sannidhi and soon after the Sripatham Thangis dressed in bright yellow shirts make their way to carry Kal Garuda out of the Sannidhi. By 6.30pm, thousands of devotees have made it to the temple. Unlike in the past, the path from Garuda Sannidhi to the Dwajasthambam is clear thanks to the crowd management and the Sripatham personnel stride away majestically carrying the heavy Kal Garuda on their shoulder. And as they near the Dwajasthambam, they present several fast paced voyali much to the delight of the devotees before placing Kal Garuda inside the vahana mandapa.  

There is a Nadaswaram Kutcheri and a Namasankeerthanam performance in a specially erected stage opposite the vahana mandapa and devotees spend the next two hours listening to these (wish the volume of the speakers was turned down a bit for it was too loud for one’s liking especially inside a temple complex!!!) while the Bhattars are busy decorating Srinivasa Perumal atop Kal Garuda. Thousands of devotees have also lined up (and this went up past the Raja Gopuram) to have darshan of Moolavar Perumal and Thayar and this goes on till well past 9pm. On this special evening, the temple has organised a sumptuous dinner for the Sripatham Thangis ahead of the long street procession.

It is almost ten pm when Vanjula Valli Thayar on an Anna Pakshi Vahana followed by Srinivasa Perumal atop Kal Garuda make their way out of the vahana mandapa. As is the trend these days, phones and go up for the first pictures and videos of this popular event. The huge crowd has stayed back for the start of this joint procession and it is 10.30pm when they make their way into the Sannidhi street.

End of the street, there is a chapparam waiting and Perumal and Thayar are mounted on to that and the rest of the procession takes place with the divine couple moving around the streets providing darshan on a wheeled chapparam. The procession around the streets of Thiru Naraiyur goes on through the night as the residents stay awake late into the night welcoming the deities to their homes and presenting them with coconuts and flowers.

A sleepless night for EO Prabhakaran

Like with Gopi and Prasanna Bhattar, it is a sleepless night for  EO Prabhakaran too. It is an unprecedented decision and one not seen in any other Divya Desam. EOs in the past have not stayed back past the start of the procession. Prabhakaran told his family that he would not be returning home till the deities are safely back at their abode and thus spends the entire night at the temple.  Srinivasa Perumal and Vanjula Valli Thayar are foremost in his mind and he credits their blessings for a most successful consecration that took end of 2023, the scale of which has not been seen at this Divya Desam.

Late into the night, he tells this writer about the satisfied feel after having ensured that every single devotee had a happy darshan on this evening. In and around Nachiyar Koil, he has anchored restoration of 25 temples where consecration have taken place in the last year or so.

He is keen to take up next the thiruppani works at the historical Siddanatha temple in Thiru Naraiyur, a temple that is in poor shape. 

Engineer Prabhakaran also has a Masters degree in Social Work and in line with that degree, he has passionately involved in the planting of saplings for the last many years. At Nachiyar Koil, he has made it a point to plant one new sapling a day and the huge Nandavanam in the outer prakara wears a beautiful look.  He has thus far planted over one lakh saplings in his life including in every temple location in the last seven years where he has been an EO. He sees this environment protection as an integral part of his life and he and his wife have made a separate financial allocation every month for this green exercise. 

He also feels blessed that he has had a proactive priest as Gopi Bhattar to work with at Nachiyar Koil as he has been able to implement many of his ideas and initiatives through the experienced and enterprising Bhattar.

As the EO of this historical temple, he has seen as his duty to push for collection from temple lands and over the last couple of years, he has taken it upon himself to visit every lease holder to collect all the pending payment relating to the temple land. And his relentless endeavour on this front has helped boost the income at this temple.

For the moment, Prabhakaran is thankful to Srinivasa Perumal and Vanjula Valli Thayar for having presented him with the opportunity to participate in the huge Thiruppani works and the consecration in 2023 that has seen the crowd swell at this temple. He also feels blessed as an EO to be a tool in helping devotees have a happy darshan on the Kal Garuda Sevai darshan at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Divya Desam. 

Young and energetic EOs like Prabhakaran at HR & CE administered temples offer positive hope to devotees for the future.