Srirangam Murari Bhattar

The Krishnapremi Anna Impact

Quitting a corporate job in Chennai a few years ago, he returned to this Divya Desam to perform archaka kainkaryam

These are interesting times at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. As seen earlier in many stories in this section, given the then scenario at TN temples, the next gen priests in many temples focused on academics and left their hereditary locations to work in corporates. The Srirangam temple was no different with many in the next gen taking to the corporate world. The uncertainty over the archaka kainkaryam was gaining momentum and the hereditary priests at Srirangam gave up their days of archaka service to the HR & CE as they looked for a career outside of the temple space. The outcome of this is that the HR & CE now has close to 500 days of archaka service in their fold relating to multiple sannidhis at the Ranganathaswamy temple, the Narasimha temple at Singar Koil and the Kamalavalli Nachiyar temple in Uraiyur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/bhattars-gurukals-move-away-from-temples.html).

He took to academics and a corporate job

Given the challenges that archakas have been facing in TN temples and the uncertain future, many of in the next gen at the Srirangam temple took to academics and saw the corporate world as their future after their graduation. Harish Bhattar joined a Bank after his Masters, Aravinda Bhattar, now into his 40s, is still in the IT sector in Chennai and there are others who continue to work in the corporate sector (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/03/srirangam-aravinda-bhattar-it-director.html).

Murari Bhattar, grandson of the revered SKR Bhattar, too was one such. After doing Civil Engineering, he worked on the high profile Metro Rail project.

Devotional Wave and opportunities back for the priests

But as things began to turn around financially following the devotional wave that is currently striking the TN temples, the next gen priests who had made their way to the Corporate sector have been returning back to the temple with Harish Bhattar being the first to quit a Bank job, a decade ago (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/08/srirangam-harish-bhattar.html). A few others have followed suit in the last few years. Murari Bhattar is one such.

ஏனாகி உலகிடந்து அன்று இருநிலனும் பெரு விசும்பும் 

தானாய பெருமானை தன்னடியார் மனத்தென்றும் 

தேனாகி அமுதாகித் திகழ்ந்தானை 

மகிழ்ந்தொருகால் 

ஆனாயன் ஆனானை கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே- Periya Thirumozhi- 5.6.3

During the work phase in Chennai, he began listening to the lectures of Krishnapremi Anna, among others. So moved was he by Anna's celebration of the greatness of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam that he took a sudden call to quit this job six years ago and returned to this Divya Desam when he was not yet 30, leaving his relatives shocked. 

As with Harish Bhattar who quit and returned to temple service a decade ago, the decision of Murari Bhattar too did not find acceptance among his well wishers. Sitting in front of the Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi, he told this writer that all of them thought that ‘I was making a stupid decision’ but he was clear in his mind after the wholesome influence of Krishnapremi Anna that his future lay in archaka Kainkaryam and completely trusted Perumal to take care of him.

Soon after his return, he learned the agamas and the pooja krama and the learning has been an ongoing process ever since.

                                               

A new traditional look 

He was not married then and his sudden decision left his parents stunned.  His new looks sporting a tuft and turning himself full time into a traditional attire made them anxious and apprehensive if they would be able to find a girl for him. But Krishnapremi Anna’s influence was complete and he was truly transformed. He had decided that he would spend the rest of his life serving the Lord at Srirangam irrespective of the financial outcome.

ஆறாத அருள் அமுதம் பொதிந்த கோயில் 

அம்புயத்தோன் அயோத்தி மன்னற்கு அளித்த கோயில் 

தொலாத தனிவீரன் தொழுத கோயில் துணையான வீடணற்கு துணையாம்  கோயில் 

சேராத பயன் எல்லாம் சேர்க்கும் கோயில் 

செழுமறையின் முதல் எழுத்து  சேர்ந்த கோயில் 

தீராத வினை அனைத்தும்  தீர்க்கும் கோயில் 

திருவரங்கம் எனும் கோயில் தானே - Athikaara Sangraham

As has been the trend over the last decade or so, it has been difficult for traditional men sporting a traditional attire to find a bride and this had left his parents worried at that time. But his unflinching faith in the Divine Couple paid dividend and a Srirangam bred girl agreed to be his life partner understanding fully well the traditional way of life he was getting into, away from the corporate work place.

It is the Poochatru utsavam for Ranganayaki Thayar this week and the 34 year old Murari Bhattar is at the procession supporting the main archaka of the evening. It has been six years since he returned to Srirangam after quitting his job but he still does not have a full time archaka service engagement at the temple.  There is a family from Hyderabad that seeks his blessings as an archaka of this Divya Desam. It is a transformed devotional feeling that did not exist previously when he was working in the corporate set up. The respect for him as an archaka performing kainkaryam at this legendary temple is unmatched but there are currently challenges relating to the number of days of service every month. 

SKR Bhattar, who performed service for several decades at the temple, had around 100 days of archaka service and that was split among his three sons a few years ago just prior to his death with Murari Bhattar’s appa Balaji Bhattar getting about 30 days of service as his share. Touching 70, Balaji Bhattar continues to perform service at the temple while Murari Bhattar is dependent on the archaka service assigned every month by the HR & CE. 

HR & CE assigns archaka service every month

Every month, it is the HR & CE that assigns these close to 500 combined days of service in the multiple sannidhis (including Singar Koil and Uraiyur) to different hereditary archakas who have expressed interest to perform (additional) Kainkaryam. With no Kainkaryam of his own as his appa is still performing service, Murari Bhattar has to look up to the HR & CE to see the number of days assigned by them to him every month. But currently there are easily over a dozen priests vying for this HR & CE assigned service engagement.

Also, with the advent of the social media and the instant uploading of photos and videos, the responsibility on the bhattars has increased manifold and the pressure is intense in large temples as was evident during the poochatru utsavam for Namperumal. A devotee raised an issue at the HRCE headquarters on the alankaram and flower garlands on perumal on the first day of the utsavam and this put pressure on them for the rest of the utsavam. Decades ago, priests waited for the next devotee to arrive but for the most part it proved elusive. Today, devotees are thronging temples in large numbers and the scrutiny on the priests following of the agama and traditions is ever increasing. 

It was a bold decision at a young age to let go of a financially lucrative corporate job. Murari Bhattar is happy that he took that early call and is ever grateful to Krishnapremi Anna for enlightening him (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/09/periya-vachan-pillai-senganoor.html). 

In the six years since his return, his average income has been a miniscule part of what he was earning in the corporate sector but he says he was prepared for this way of life including the challenges relating to meeting the devotees' expectations when he made the decision to quit the corporate life for ever. 

He has been living a contended life with his thoughts centered around Kainkaryam at the Ranganatha temple. Having decided to dedicate the rest of his life to Kainkaryam at this temple, he is hoping that sometime into the future, he will be provided with a lot more days of service every month through the HR & CE assignment but for the moment, he is left with just a couple of days of service every month and spends the rest of the time supporting the other archakas as and when needed including during the utsavam days as he has been this week at the Thayar Poochatru Utsavam.

Having taken the call to return to Srirangam, Murari bhattar is confident that the divine couple will shower their blessings on him and that he will be well taken care of by them, though there currently is an uncertainty on the service days.