Thiru Kurungudi Nambi Panguni Garuda Sevai

Five Utsava Nambi Deities provided through the night darshan atop the Garuda Vahana around the streets of Thiru Kurungudi on Wednesday

It was a once in a year night at the Azhvaars praised Vaishnava Nambi Divya Desam in Thiru Kurungudi on Wednesday (March 19). The occasion was the fifth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam and devotees thronged the temple in large numbers to have darshan of the Five Nambi Garuda Sevai.

It was almost 2pm when Dhadhyonam and Puliyodarai Thaligai was presented to a couple of hundred devotees following the presentation of Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi and Thiruvoimozhi led by Sri Perarulala Ramanuja Jeer, who has been the Pontiff of the Thiru Kurungudi Mutt.

எங்கனேயோ அன்னைமீர்காள் என்னை முனிவது நீர் 

நங்கள் கோலத் திருக்குறுங்குடி நம்பியை நான் கண்ட பின் 

சங்கினோடும் நேமியோடும் தாமரைக் கண்களோடும் 

செங்கனிவாய் ஒன்றினோடும் செல்கின்றது என் நெஞ்சமே - Namazhvaar

Sripatham Thangis - The traditional way

A most distinguishing feature of this temple town has been that despite all the changes that have taken place over the last century, the traditional activities continue in rich vein unlike many other Divya Desams. The traditional Sri Patham Thangis, who were in large numbers in the early part of the previous century, continue to carry the Lord on their Shoulders on all the festive occasions. Commendable is the service of the Sri Patham Thangis who patiently and with a great deal of devotion carry the Lord through the night on that occasion. There were over a 100 of them on the night and each one of them showed great devotional energy despite having to stop in front of every house around the four Mada Streets and the Sannidhi street.

                Palli Konda Nambi

48 year old Murali Sthaneegam who was sacked from service about a decade ago by the Thiru Kurungudi Mutt, was bringing together Sripatham personnel to carry the five Garuda Vahanas from the vahana mandapam to the Purappadu mandapam. He continues to anchor the Sripatham service pooling in locals for the Panguni Brahmotsavam processions over the ten days. While he expressed sadness to this writer on being away from Sthaneegam service for such a long period of time, his face lit up talking about the Sripatham support he has been rendering for decades at this temple. He is at his dominant best as the clock ticks past 3pm getting his team members to get the vahanas to the eastern side of the temple.

From Thenthiruperai to support the five Garuda Sevai

There were quite a few interesting service personnel on this fifth day of the utsavam. The young Venkata Srinivasan (Rahul) Bhattar from Makara Kudai Kaathan Divya Desam in Thenthiruperai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thenthiruperai-rahul-bhattar.html) had arrived at Thiru Kurungudi on Tuesday night ahead of the fifth day festivities. Against the current trend, Maniyakarar of over two decades at the Thiru Kurungudi Divya Desam agree to present his graduate daughter to a Divya Desam Bhattar and thus Rahul Bhattar, despite performing archaka service in a remote perumal temple married a girl who spent all her life having darshan of Nambi at Thiru Kurungudi. With the severe shortage of service personnel at such remote divya desams, Rahul Bhattar provided the much needed support to the archakas of this temple through the day including during the alankaram.

Sudarshan has just been appointed as a Sannidhi Parichakar after he quit a high paying corporate job and moved back to his hereditary location on the North street in Thiru Kurungudi earlier this year. He was one of the most active on this day presenting huge quantities of Dhadhyonam to devotees after the Seva Kaalam Saatru Murai in the afternoon.  And then for an hour in the evening, he lit the ghee lamp at all the Sannidhis in the temple. Later in the night he doubled up as a Sripatham and also presented the sacred Theertham to the devotees during the street procession.

The devotee crowd gathered steam after 6pm with several hundreds of them visiting the Nambi Sannidhis inside the huge temple. There were groups presenting Bhajans at the eastern entrance while residents drew large sized kolams in front of the temple ahead of the procession. The temple and the surroundings have been largely undisturbed. The mada streets are still inhabited by Vaishnavites and remain largely clean, something that one does not find in most other Divya Desams. There is certain freshness in the air that is missing in the larger towns and cities. 

Meanwhile, inside the closed screen, the archakas were busy decorating the five Nambis on the respective Garuda Vahanas. Devotees also sought the blessings of the Jeer while the Lords were getting ready for the procession. By 8pm, the scheduled time of the start of the Garuda Vahana procession, the entire eastern entrance was packed with devotees with not an inch to move as they awaited the screen to open. 

Why is the Garland so long and till Garuda's feet?

The Jeer arrived at 9pm and on his very first look at Vaishnava Nambi spotted the huge colourful garland hanging well below Garuda’s hands, something that is not the norm during the Garuda Sevai. Visibly upset, he immediately brought this to the notice of Ramanujam, the Maniyakarar at the temple and enquired with the priests of the day on the size of the garland.

Prabhandham Ghoshti

The Ghoshti presentation of Thiruviruttam marked the start of the procession. The first big moment of the evening was the Padi Erakkam Sevai at the Eastern Entrance with the devotees having a first close look of Nambi. Vaishnava Nambi led the procession followed by Veetriruntha Nambi, Palli Konda Nambi, Thirupar Kadal Nambi and Thirumalai Nambi.

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi refers to Lord Shiva being present near Nambi at Thiru Kurungudi.

அக்கும் புலியின் அதளும்  உடையார்

அவர் ஒருவர் பக்கம் நிற்க  நின்ற 

பண்பர் ஊர்போலும்

தக்க மரத்தின் தாழ்சினையேறி 

தாய் ;வாயில் கொக்கின் பிள்ளை 

வெள்ளிர உண்ணும் குறுங்குடியே  -Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

For over four hours, the five Nambi Perumals provided darshan around the four Mada streets with devotees in every house presenting the Lord with huge garlands, coconuts and fruits. The Ghosti led the procession and completed the presentation of Thiruviruttam at the Eastern Entrance an hour into the procession with the five Lords still at the East Mada Street. 

In the century gone by, the Prabhandham Ghosti and the Veda Parayanam presented a devotional treat to the residents with the numbers crossing a 100 during the Brahmotsavam Procession. With the exit of the traditionalists from their hereditary location in Thiru Kurungudi, the number of Prabhandham Ghoshti members has dwindled to 10-15 during the Garuda Sevai with a few coming in from other Divya Desams for this specific occasion including from Nanguneri (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/03/nanguneri-vanamamalai-divya-desam.html) and Srirangam.

Ananthan (Mani) Bhattar who now performs archaka service at the Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/10/thiru-kurungudi-thirumalai-nambi.html) up the hill was also present for the recital of the sacred verses at the procession.

Araiyar at the Prabhandham Ghoshti

It was here at the Azhagiya Nambi temple that Araiyar Sevai was introduced just over a 1000 years ago by Natha Muni. The South Mada Street was exclusive to the Araiyars. But that's now a thing of the past. For the Prabhandham Ghoshti, the 27year old Saranga Araiyar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2025/02/appan-koil-sarangan-araiyar.html) made it from Azhvaar Tirunagari for the recital during the Street Procession

 Sarangan Araiyar seen next to Jeer

Ghee Lit lamp lights up the South Mada Street

With the moon in the backdrop, the entire South Mada Street wore a traditional festive look with Thee Pandham lighting up the Lord as he made his way stopping at each home on the street blessing each of the resident devotee. Through this streets, devotees including young girls sang and devotionally danced their way behind the five nambis at the procession. It was a coming together of different people in the society and on this night they forgot all their differences as they immersed themselves in devotion amidst the five Lords.

It was past 11pm when he made his way to the West Mada Street. Clock had ticked past midnight but devotees on the North Mada Street stayed awake and waited at the entrance of their homes to have darshan of this once in a year Five Garuda Sevai procession. Almost close to mid night, a set of devotees came in from Mannar Koil, Ambasamudram. For years, they said they have been making their way to Thiru Kurungudi for this Five Garuda Sevai procession and they walked along with Nambi to the Eastern entrance.

The service personnel at the Srinivasan Services Trust of Venu Srinivasan too kept the office open and presented garlands to the Nambis as did the disciples of the Andavan Ashram at the Eastern end of the North Street. 

Great burst of fire crackers

It was past 1am when Murali (ex Sthaneegam) ran in to ask the Sripatham Personnel, who had also  come in from Srirangam and Azhvaar Tirunagari, for a big round of fire crackers had been planned at the Eastern entrance of the temple.  For about ten minutes, it was a celebration outside the temple complex of the five Nambi Procession with fire crackers lighting up the sky much to the delight of the devotees.

Murali- Bringing together the Sripatham

The temporary road side stalls continued to make big business on the night with devotees taking a liking to the Sharbath and fruits.

The moon that was right above hid herself a bit under the clouds as Vaishnava Nambi turned on to the outer South Street with the clock ticking past 2am. Slight rain drops worried the service personnel as the five Nambis made their way on to the South Street.

Rain Drops past 2.30pm and Sripatham make a rapid run to Moksha Kaatchi

As Vaishnava Nambi made his way past the TVS Government School and the clock ticked to 2.30pm, harder rain drops led Murali to get the priests to skip the Thattu and directed the Sripatham personnel to make their way to West end of the South Street. The police personnel from the Police Station were waiting with the Thattu but they too were given a go by as in a fraction of a minute Vaishnava Nambi made a fast paced run to the middle of the Outer West Street where he was joined by the four other Nambis. 

Moksha Kaatchi- West Street towards Mahendra Giri

About a hundred devotees had already gathered there for the 2nd big moment of the night, something that every resident of Thiru Kurungudi looks forward to every year during the Panguni Brahmotsavam. The Moksham darshan provided by the five Nambis to the Devas and Gandharvas on the historic Mahendra Giri Parvatham is an enactment that delights the devotees but unfortunately with the sudden decision to skip the Thattu on the South Street and the rapid sprint on the West Street, many of the devotees missed the Moksha Kaatchi where the Five Nambis face the Western side towards the Mahendra Giri and a Deeparathanai is presented to all of them. 

         Moksha Kaatchi

The Thattu was skipped on the Outer North Street as well and Vaishnava Nambi made his way back to Theradi before the clock had touched 3am leaving many of the residents stunned at the sudden turn of the events on the night caused by the rain drops.

Five Nambis Darshan

All those who missed presenting the Thattu on South and North Streets made their way to the Theradi and for well over an hour the archakas received the Thattu from these residents.  The next moment of the procession came past 4.30am when the five Nambis presented themselves alongside each other facing the Eastern Entrance for a glorious darshan for the devotees who had stayed awake through the night. For an hour, he stayed put here on the Sannidhi street before Thiru Kurungudi Jeer arrived at 5.30am marking the return of the Five Nambis back to the temple.

After almost 9 1/2 hours on the streets of Thiru Kurungudi on this special fifth day Panguni Brahmotsavam procession, and following the Saatru Murai of the sacred verses by the Prabhandham Ghoshti members, Theertham, Shatari and prasadam was presented bringing to end the Five Nambi Garuda Sevai in Thiru Kurungudi.

Soon, it will be time for the next round of Thiruppani and devotees will not be able to have moolavar sevai for close to a year once the repair works begin.