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.