Appan Koil Sarangan Araiyar

27 year old Sarangan Araiyar is confident of reviving the fortunes of this Avathara Sthalam of Nam Azhvaar

The Thiru Aradhana idol of Nam Azhvaar will provide darshan on the new Golden Garuda Vahana around the streets of Appan Koil during the Panguni Brahmotsavam

It is just past 7am on Friday (Feb 21) morning. 27 year old Sarangan Araiyar of Azhvaar Tirungari is riding his Royal Enfield Bullet to Appan Koil ahead of Nam Azhvaar’s annual visit to the temple on the occasion of Maasi Anusham. Thiru Venkatamudayan, the presiding deity at the temple, is decked with glittering jewellery, a far cry from the decades gone by when this temple was in a dilapidated state. The flower garlands are long and colourful. 

Hailing from Azhvaar Tirunagari, a lady devotee who has dedicated her life to Nam Azhvaar is playing Vishnu Sahasranamam loudly on her mobile phone even as she guides devotees on the event that is set to unfold that morning. The madapalli that has now been restored to its historical glory smells of ghee pongal while Saranga Araiyar is running around to ensure that everything is in order with Nam Azhvaar just a km or so away from reaching the temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2025/02/azhvaar-tirungari-nam-azhvaar-maasi.html). 

Takes charge of Appan Koil from his appa

Saranga Araiyar was not yet 25 when he took over the reigns of Appan Koil from his appa Nathan Araiyar, who had some health issues at that time. He underwent 8 year patshala education in Srirangam where he learned the Vedas and Agamas in addition to Nalayira Divya Prabhandham. He has also been initiated into Tiruvoimozhi Kalakshepam. To further his interest in Vaishnavism, he is planning to take to MA Vaishnavism this year. 

Appan Koil is under the one kalam pooja of the HR & CE and Sarangan Araiyar is paid an accumulated salary once  (around Rs. 3000) every three months for the daily pooja services he performs at this temple.

 

Revival of Panguni Brahmotsavam 

He is all excited about the upcoming Panguni Brahmotsavam when there will be a kalasa Thirumanjanam. This historical temple reverberating once again with Prabhandham Ghoshti is something that Sarangan Araiyar is looking forward to.  The Pavitrotsavam too has been revived and the three day utsavam takes place in Aani. 

New Golden Garuda Vahana

The temple bears no resemblance to what it was 50 years ago.Govindan Bhattar of Thiru Mogur was a regular at Nam Azhvaar's annual Maasi trip to Appan Koil and is delighted in the way Appan Koil has been transformed by Venu Srinivasan from the dark days when he first visited the temple during the Maasi Utsavam in the early 1970s.

In the couple of years since his taking charge, Sarangan Araiyar has used his devotee network to initiate positive developments at this temple. All the vahanas have been refurbished. He has played an active role in building a new Golden Garuda Vahana. At the Panguni Brahmotasvam next month, Thiru Venkatamudayan will provide darshan around the streets of Appan Koil atop this new golden garuda vahana. And in Vaikasi this year, the Moolavar Lord will shine bright with a new Silver plated kavacham. He is also keen to revive the Chariot Festival and the Theppotsavam in the near future.

Venu Srinivasan restores Appan Kol in the 1990s

Venu Srinivasan told this writer on Sunday morning that along with the restoration of the 11 Nam Azhvaar praised Divya Desams in this region in the second half of the 1990s, he was keen to take up the restoration of Appan Koil, for it was here that Kaali Maaran attained Moksham (hence the name Appan Koil). Like his commitment to Nava Tirupathi temples (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/02/erettai-tirupathi-transformation.html), Venu Srinivasan is delighted to have had the opportunity to be associated with this historical Avathara Sthalam of Nam Azhvaar. 

A major Thiruppani exercise after 25+ years

It is now time for another Thiruppani for which the HR & CE has sanctioned Rs. 6crores. This is expected to commence in May this year and the rebuilding work should see the temple in a new avatar over the next 12 months or so.

Located a few kms off Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam, Appan Koil comes to life thrice a year when Nam Azhvaar from Azhvaar Tirunagari visits this temple. In addition to Maasi Anusham, Nam Azhvaar stays through the day at Appan Koil in Chitrai and Vaikasi. 

Chariot and Theppotsavam to be revived

While continuing to perform the Araiyar Sevai at Azhvaar Tirunagari along with his appa Nathan Araiyar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-family-disputein-azhvaar-tirunagari.html), the young Sarangan Araiyar is committing himself to a lifetime of service at Appan Koil and is hopeful that this once neglected temple will start attracting devotees once again like the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam temples following the large scale Thiruppani this year.  Sarangan Araiyar is also confident that very soon after this Thiruppani, the Chariot will run around the streets of Appan Koil. In the near future, it is likely that Thiru Venkatamudayan will provide darshan on the Theppam.

Soon after the departure of Nam Azhvaar from Appan Koil to Erettai Tirupathi, Sarangan Araiyar dashes off on his Bullet to Aravinda Lochanan sannidhi for the Tiruvoimozhi Prabhandham Thodakkam on Friday morning while his mind continues to work on the revival of historic utsavams at Appan Koil.