Thiru Kannapuram Vibheeshana Amavasai Sevai

Sowri Raja Perumal presents his 'Walking Beauty' at his Eastern Home and provides Kaithala Sevai to the 'newly crowned' King of Lanka on Maasi Amavasai

It was a special day at the Sowri Raja Perumal temple in Thiru Kannapuram, this Thursday (Feb 27) for on this Maasi Amavasai afternoon at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Divya Desam, the Lord presented his special ‘Srirangam Styled’ walk and Kaithala Sevai to Vibheeshana.

75 year old Sowri Raja Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/11/thiru-kannapuram-sowri-rajan-bhattar.html) has been performing archaka service at this temple for over five decades and has been part of this special Amavasai Sevai on hundreds of occasions. He has recently lost his wife but unmindful of the setback, he is just as devotionally committed on this Thursday morning,  as he was decades ago ahead of the Kaithala Sevai. 

Surprisingly for a week day, scores of devotees walk into the temple past 10am. Everyone is looking forward to the Kaithala Sevai and enquire about the Thirumanjanam.

Sowri Raja Bhattar’s son Muralidharan performs a detailed archanai to all the devotees who have come there with the flowers, fruits and coconuts. There is a certain sense of satisfaction among the devotees on listening to this almost rare presentation of such detailed archanai in TN Divya Desams.

Have darshan of my walking beauty at my Eastern Gateway

In yet another long conversation, one of the many that this writer has had with Sowri Raja Bhattar in the decades gone by, he narrates once again the speciality of this day. “After being crowned the king of Lanka, Vibheeshana was presented by Rama with his Thiru Aradhana idol, Lord Ranganatha and he was to carry this from Ayodhya to Lanka. On the banks of Cauvery, in Srirangam, he asked Lord Ganesha to hold the idol so he could finish his morning bath. When Vibheeshana could not return within the limited time that Ganesha had provided, the latter placed the idol there and went atop the Rockfort."

"Lord Ranganatha consoled Vibheeshana that while he will have to remain in Srirangam, he will provide darshan facing Lanka in the South. When the disappointed king of Lanka expressed keenness to have a darshan of his special walk, Lord Ranganatha asked him to the ‘Eastern Home’."

It was on the Amavasai day that Vibheeshana reached Thiru Kannapuram, the Eastern Gateway and his wish was fulfilled for Sowri Raja Perumal presented him with a special walk.

By 11am, a hundred devotees had gathered in front of the Sannidhi to watch the Thirumanajanam of the moolavar as well as the utsavar. 

Muralidharan is in his 30s and has been fighting a battle to secure the hereditary archaka service that his forefathers have been performing at this Divya Desam for centuries but he has not yet got the official permission. Unmindful of this, this being his appa’s service day at the Perumal Sannidhi, he delighted the devotees with a patient presentation of Moolavar Neelamegha Perumal Thirumanjanam. 

Sowri Raja Bhattar then presented the Thirumanjanam for the utsavar deity, Sridevi, bhoodevi, neeladevi thayar and andal. 

Koora Kulothama Dasa, a descendant of one of the 74 of Ramanuja, is now 87 years old and has been performing service at this temple for over six decades. He sees this day as yet another opportunity for him to be at the presentation of the Vedas during the Thirumanjanam. He recites the verses of Periyazhvaar relating to sacred oil bath of the Lord (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/08/krishna-special-oil-bath.html). 

வெண்ணெய் அலைந்த குணுங்கும் 

விளையாடு புழுதியும் கொண்டு 

.....எண்ணெய் புலிப் பழம் கொண்டு 

எத்தனை போதும் இருந்தேன்

In 2016, he had had a long conversation with this writer on this Divya Desam in the decades gone by. He has now aged further but devotion is not lost on him. His thoughts are already on the Maasi Utsavam starting next week and he has conversations with those around on this utsavam.

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar scores a century at Kannapuram

Along with Nachiyar Koil, Thiru Kannapuram is  one of the two Divya Desams where Thirumangai Azhvaar has praised the Lord with a century of verses. The verses from the Saint Poets point to the vibrancy of this Divya Desam a 1000 years ago.Thiru Mangai Azhvaar travelled to temples across the length and breadth of TN to experience both the temple towns as well as the Lord. 

He found something truly special in the people, the festivals and the beauty of the Lord at Thiru Kannapuram for he dedicated a century of verses to Sowri Raja Perumal. He provides great insights into Thiru Kannapuram as a location by the Sea Shore, the unflinching devotion of the people who visited the festivals, the green fields around the temple and the handsome features of the Lord.

Unforturnately, now in remote divya desams such as Thiru Kannapuram, there are not a lot of Kainkaryaparas to support the Chief Priest and those like Sowri Raja Bhattar scout around to get at least a few to support him with preparing the panchamirtham and the like on days like this.

துன்னு மா மணி முடிமேல் துழாய் அலங்கல் 

தோன்றுமால் என்கின்றாளால் 

மின்னு மா மணிமகர குண்டலங்கள் 

வில் வீசும் என் கின்றாளால் 

பொன்னின் மா மணி ஆரம் அணி ஆகத்து 

இளங்குமா என்கின்றாளால் 

கன்னி மா மதில் புடை சூழ் 

கண்ணபுரத்து அம்மானை கண்டாள்கொலோ 

A Grand decoration as described by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

It is just past 1pm on this Maasi Amavasai, when the screen opened and to the delight of the devotees, Sowri Raja Perumal decked in glittering jewellery and a colour flower garland presented the special Kaithala Sevai and his ‘Srirangam Lord’ walk in memory of the historical episode. Four Kainkaryaparas along with Sowri Raja Bhattar and his son standing on each side made a slow and inch by inch walk to the front mandapam carrying Sowri Raja Perumal by their hand.

This amavasai afternoon was one of great happiness for Vibheeshana for he had just had a look at this special walk of Perumal and the Kaithala Sevai, with the Lord keeping to his promise of providing him with the ‘Ranganatha’ walk every Amavasai. With Sowri Raja Perumal standing in front of Vibheeshana, the Lord presented his mariyathai to the King of Lanka blessing him with his Shatari and providing him with a Deepaarathanai.

                          Vibheeshana - Darshan of the Walking Beauty of Perumal

Sowri Rajan - Darshan with a special plait

Also, on this afternoon, devotees were thrilled to have darshan of the special plait on Sowri Raja Perumal's hair.

Legend has it that a king's presentation of a flower garland did not reach Thiru Kannapuram. To save himself from the king's wrath, the priest organized a garland from his house and placed it around the Lord. When the king found a extra hair in the garland, the priest defended saying that the Lord’s own and promised to show the king the next morning as well. In a gesture of the priest's committed service, the Lord saved the priest by displaying his long plait to the King. Hence, the name Sowri Rajan.

This Thursday afternoon was another occasion when Sowri Raja Perumal provided darshan with that special long plait.

Special Pongal every night

A devotee who used to have his daily food only after presenting to the Lord could not present one evening as the temple was closed and hence presented the food from outside the temple. When the temple doors opened the next morning, the entire temple smelt of Sweet Pongal. To mark this episode, Pongal is served every night to the Lord - another special feature at this temple.

The day had been made for the good number of devotees who stayed till past 1.30pm for this special darshan on this Amavasai day. Many aged Senior Citizens too had made their to Thiru Kannapuram this afternoon specially to have darshan of the Kaithala Sevai, this special walk for the sake of Vibheeshana and long plait on the back of Sowri Raja Perumal's hair.

By the time Sowri Raja Perumal made his way to his abode, the cook at the madapalli had prepared a sumptuous meal and the devotees lined up the outer prakara to be served with Chakkarai Pongal, Puliyotharai and Dhadhyonam even as they discussed among themselves the historical episode and the legend relating to this Amavasai Sevai.

It had been a devotionally intense day for the devotees who had come afar for this special Amavasai darshan and they went back after a satisfying darshan and a stomach filling meal.

Sowri Raja Bhattar and his son Muralidharan head back to their home on North Street happy to have presented the Kaithala Sevai to Vibheeshana on this Maasi Amavasai day.