Thiruvellarai Maasi Theppam revival

Hundreds of devotees had darshan on Sunday evening of the grand revival after over a hundred years of the Theppotsavam at Thiruvellarai Divya Desam

After a gap of over a 100 years, the Theppotsavam was revived on Sunday (Feb 23) evening at the Pundarikakshan Perumal Divya Desam in Thiruvellarai. Excited at the prospect of having darshan of the Theppam that even their forefathers had not witnessed in the previous century, devotees began making their way to the temple through the eastern entrance just after 5.30pm. The main North entrance has been shut with the Raja Gopuram construction work under way in full swing.

 இந்திரனோடு பிரமன் ஈசன் இமையவர் எல்லாம்
மந்திர மா மலர் கொண்டு
மறைந்து உவராய் வந்து நின்றார்

சந்திரன் மாளிகை சேரும் சதுரர்கள் வெள்ளரை நின்றாய்
அந்தியம் போது இது ஆகும்
அழகனே காபிட வாராய் - Periyaazhvaar's Kaapidal

Revival of Theppotsavam in Maasi

Hereditary priest Kamala Malar Kannan Bhattar told this writer that even his thatha, the 90 year old Santhanam bhattar and the senior most archaka at Thiruvellarai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/10/thiru-vellarai-divya-desam.html), had only heard of his appa telling him about the Theppam at Thiruvellarai and that he himself had not experienced the Theppotsavam even in his childhood. 

In the last couple of years, in a bid to revive the Theppotsavam, the rock at the West end of the temple complex was cut cut and dug deep and thick mud removed to create the tank that devotees saw in its current form last evening. The sacred tank has secured back its historical name 'Ksheera Pushakarani' and the Theppotsavam revived after over a century during the krishna paksha ekadasi (Bandha Kaatchi) in Maasi.

While many have a first glimpse of the utsava deity, others climb the steep steps through the Utharaayana vaasal to have darshan of the Moolavar. As clock ticked past 6.30pm, devotees had gathered in large numbers ahead of the procession. Following the Veda Vinnappam, Pundarikakshan and Shenbagavalli Thayar began the procession to the Theppam with Prabhandham Ghoshti members who had come all the way from Srirangam presenting Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Madal.

மின்னி மழை தவழும் வேங்கடத்து எம் வித்தகனை

மன்னனை மாலின்ருஞ்ச்சோலை மணாளனை 

கொள்நவிலும் ஆழிப் படையானை, 

கோட்டியூர்....

The procession took one back to the historical days of Divya Desam processions as the divine couple made their way around the dark Eastern and Southern Mada streets of Thiruvellarai led by the ghee lit Theevattis. It is 8pm when Pundarikakashan and Shenbagavalli Thayar made their way through the South entrance to near the temple tank. 

The Prabhandham Ghoshti members followed their presentation of the Madal with Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Thiru Ezhu Kootrirukkai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/thiru-ezhu-kootrirukkai_22.html). By this time a good number of devotees had positioned themselves around the temple tank to welcome Pundarikakshan into the float.  

நால் திசை நடுங்க  அம் சிறைப் பறவை ஏறி

நால் வாய் மும் மதத்து இரு செவி

ஒரு தனி  வேழத்து அரந்தையை

ஒரு நாள் இரு நீர்மடுவுள் தீர்த்தனை- Thiru Ezhu Kootrirukkai

For the next half hour or so, the divine couple went around the temple tank in the colourfully lit float much to the delight of the several hundreds of devotees who had gathered to watch the Theppam. There were many who went as far as the western corner of the temple complex to have a close darshan as the divine couple made their way around the tank.

It was past 9pm when Pundarikakshan and Shenbagavalli Thayar made their way back from the float. It was a grand revival of the Theppotsavam at the Thiruvellarai Divya Desam on Sunday evening with devotees heading back home late into the evening delighted at having witnessed the Theppam that no one even in the previous generations had not.

For those like Kamala Malar Kannan (Vinodh) Bhattar, Sunday was a dream come true with the revival of the historical Theppotsavam in their life time.  Having thus seen the Theppam revival, the next big event for the priests of Thiruvellarai will be the completion of the construction of the towering 125 ft new Raja Gopuram on the Northern side.