After 75 years
In a historic revival, Kallarpiran of Srivaikuntam and Vijayaasanar of Varagunamangai Divya Desam visited Thiru Pulingudi for a Joint Garuda Sevai procession on Wednesday
49 year Gopalakrishnan Bhattar has been serving as an archaka at the Kaisina Venthar Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Pulingudi for close to three decades. He also doubles up as the madapalli cook through the year. His joy knew no bounds and was in happy tears late on Wednesday evening when he was two nearby Divya Desam Perumal join his own Lord at Thiru Pulingudi on a three Garuda Sevai procession. He was particularly delighted for it was an unexpected turn of events that led to Kallarpiran and Vijayaasana Perumal from Srivaikuntam and Natham Divya Desam make this trip on the fifth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Thiru Pulingudi.
He recounted to this writer on Wednesday as to how he counted as his Perumal’s blessings for his over 25 years service at the Thiru Pulingudi Divya Desam, where his appa too had served for several decades “Earlier in March, when Gopalakrishnan Bhattar was exploring the possibility of a Theppotsavam, much to his delight, he came to know of the presence of the Lords of Srivaikuntam and Varagunamangai at Thiru Pulingudi. The historical register of records in the middle of the 20th century contained entries relating to expenses of the visit of the Perumal from these two Divya Desams to Thiru Pulingudi.”
And this led to a historic revival after over seven decades of the three Garuda Sevai on the fifth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Thiru Pulingudi.
Nam Azhvaar's praise of these three temples
In the 2nd decad of the ninth canto of the Thiruvoimozhi, Nam Azhvaar refers to these three Perumals as being in Sayana Kolam at Pulingudi, a seated posture at Varagunamangai and providing darshan in a standing posture at Srivaikuntam.
புளிங்குடிக் கிடந்தது வரகுணமங்கையிருந்து வைகுந்தத்துள் நின்று
தெளிந்த என் சிந்தை அகங்கழியாதே என்னயாழ்வாய் எனக்கருளி
நலிந்த சீருலகம் மூன்றுடன் வியப்ப நாங்கள் கூத்தாடி நின்றார்ப்ப
பளிங்கு நீர் முகிலின் பவளம் போல் கனிவாய் சிவப்ப நீ காணவாராயே
In the week leading up to this revival, there were debates and discussions in the Nava Tirupathi region on this trip and the challenges around the procession. As has been his way over the last couple of decades, Gopalakrishnan Bhattar remained calm and unfazed “It has been a challenging fortnight for me especially given that I also had to make annual arrangements for the Brahmotsavam. In addition, since this was a revival for several decades, there were many questions raised but I have always looked to Kaisina Venthar Perumal for solution. And this time, I turned to him for his blessings”, he told this writer even as he moved on to get his Perumal ready for the fifth day utsavam.
Directional Programme Schedule
The Trust Board and the HR & CE at Srivaikuntam laid down the schedule for the day and communicated to all concerned. Kallarpiran was to start after 8am on Wednesday morning and along with Vijayaasana Perumal of Varagunamangai (Natham), they were to reach Thiru Pulingudi before 10am.
While it would have been a quiet mid week morning at Srivaikuntam, this Wednesday morning was an action packed one. By 8.30am, everything was in order and Kallarpiran was ready for the procession in the pallakku to Varagunamangai, 2kms east of this Divya Desam.
Thaligai was carried afoot from Srivaikuntam for presentation at Thiru Pulingudi. Vijayasana Perumal was ready at the eastern entrance of the Varagunamangai Divya Desam to welcome Kallarpiran. Shortly after 9.15am following the mariyathai and deeparathanai, the two made their way to Thiru Pulingudi, a km east of Natham.
காய்சின பறவைஊர்ந்து பொன்மலையின் மீமிசைக் கார்முகில்போல்
மாசினமாலி மாலிமானென்று அங்கு அவர் படக்கனன்று முன்நின்ற
காய்சின வேந்தே கதிர்முடியானே கலிவயல் திருப்புளிங்குடியாய்
காய்சின வாழி சங்குவாள் வில்தண்டேந்தி எம்மிடர் கடிவானே
Inside the Kaisina Venthar Perumal temple, devotees had gathered in good numbers to have an early darshan of Kallarpiran and Vijayaasanar. The nagaswaram and melam bands had begun performing even as Gopalakrishnan Bhattar made his way to the entrance of the temple to receive the Perumal from the two Divya Desam.
After the welcoming event, Kaisina Venthar made his way around Mada Streets in a Pallakku as part of the fifth morning procession of the Panguni Brahmotsavam with two Prabhandham members reciting the sacred verses.
Around a 100devotees placed themselves in front of the three Lords ahead of the Thirumanjanam. Periyazhvaar’s decad on Krishnan’s oil bath was presented by the Prabhandham members while the respective temples presented the Thirumanjanam oil to the devotees.
Following the Thirumanjanam, the prabhandham members of Kaisina Venthar temple presented the sacred verses on this fifth day of the Brahmotsavam after which Kadamba Saatham and Dhadhyonam was distributed to the devotees. It was well past 1pm when the events of the first half came to an end.
The word had spread among the residents of Nava Tirupathi on the revival of the three Garuda Sevai procession and shortly after 6pm, devotees thronged the Thiru Pulingudi Divya Desams coming by auto, car and van. Outstation devotees who were making a trip to the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam on this Wednesday expressed surprised at this blessing they received with them being able to witness a three Garuda Sevai that was coming alive after a break of several decades.
Support archakas including from Varaha Perumal temple Kallidakurichi had arrived in the evening for the alankaram of each of the three Perumals and they began decoration of Garuda and Perumal even as devotees made their way to have a darshan of the Moolavar seen in a Sayana Kolam and then went around the Sannidhi to have a darshan of the feet of the Lord from the northern wall of the sanctum.
By 8pm, the entire eastern entrance was packed with devotees waiting for the first glimpse of the Lords atop the Garuda Vahana.
The big door at the eastern entrance was shut for a few minutes while the Sripatham Personnel carried Kaisina Venthar on their shoulders and much to the delight of the devotees, the doors opened even as Gopalakrishnan Bhattar presented the deeparathanai. Soon, after the three Perumals provided joint Garuda Sevai in front of the Eastern Entrance.
For the next two hours, the three Lords made their way, first around the four Mada streets and then around the outer streets of Thiru Pulingudi with residents welcoming the Lords to their homes with fruits and garlands. The schedule had been for Kallarpiran and Perumal to return to their respective temples by 10pm but this was a historic occasion with the residents of Thiru Pulingudi bursting fire crackers and rocket shots along the procession and devotees turning out in good numbers at every street. It was past 10pm when the three Lords made their way back inside the Kaisina Venthar temple.
எங்கள் கண்முகப்பே உலகர்களெல்லாம் இணையடி தொழுதெழுந் திறைஞ்சி
தங்களன் பாரத் தமது சொல்வளத்தால் தலை தலைச் சிறந்து பூசிப்ப
திங்கள் சேர் மாடத் திருப்புளிங்குடியாய் திருவைகுந்தத்துள்ளாய் தேவா
இங்கண் மாஞாலத்திதனுளும் ஒருநாள் இருந்திடாய் வீற்றிடன்கொண்டே
After unmounting the Garuda Vahana, Kallarpiran and Vijayasana Perumal began their return trip to their respective temples after 11pm. 29 year old Ramanujam Bhattar has been at the Srivaikuntam temple for a decade and he too was happy taking this procession as the will of his Perumal. It was past midnight when a Thirumanjanam was performed for Kallarpiran at Srivaikuntam following the procession.
The happiest man on the night was Gopalakrishnan Bhattar. It had been a momentous day for him. He has been performing service all alone at the temple in the last many years and the joint Garuda Sevai darshan of his perumal alongside the other two Divya Desam Perumal was a high point in his almost three decades long Kainkaryam at the Kaisina venthar temple as he took a well earned rest after reaching home at 1.30am recalling the glorious Garuda Sevai procession of the evening.
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