This 21 year old is dreaming big of becoming the next Othuvar at the Jambukeswarar temple where he has been performing different kinds of Kainkaryam since childhood
It is noon on a scorching hot Wednesday at Thiruvanaikaval. 21 year old Navarasu, who has just completed his Thevaram verses training at the Government Music School in Srirangam, is beating the drum leading the Uchchi Kaala Pooja procession of Pandithar from Jambukeswarar Sannidhi to Akilandeswari Sannidhi. Only last week, he received an award in Chennai from Krishna Sweets for the potential he holds in becoming a long standing Othuvar.
Through the first two decades of his life, Navarasu has spent most of his free time at the temple performing different kinds of Kainkaryam.
His love for cows
His appa had gained Deekshai from Raghavan, the uncle of Thiruvanaikaval Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan. It was Raghavan who named him as Navarasu. Right from childhood, he took to a liking for Appar’s verses and would often sing at processions alongside his mentor Raghavan. It was also Raghavan who got his appa to manage the Go Shala at the temple in Thiruvanaikaval. Navarasu would feed the cows, given them a bath and also bring a cow for the Vishroopam and Uchchi Kaala Pooja.
A leadership role as a Sripatham
Over the decades, there has been a shortage of service personnel at the temple. Five years ago, Navarasu, then still in his mid teens, took a leadership position and organised a group of like minded personnel for Sripatham service “We were all still studying but decided to commit ourselves to carrying the Lord during the processions. It is something I have really enjoyed and about 15 of us in the same age group have all worked together as a team to ensure that all processions take place in order” Navarasu told this writer on his association with temple Kainkaryam.
He had always been interested in the sacred verses having been initiated into it by Raghavan. After his class XII exams, he joined the Government run Music School in Moolathope in Srirangam where he learned the sacred verses for three years. He now proudly says that he can recite over 2000 verses by heart without the assistance of a book.
Opportunities to recite the sacred verses
Finding his great interest in the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets, many have invited him to temple utsavams and consecration events to present the sacred verses. “I have already presented the sacred verses in over 25 temples across the state and have been a regular at the street processions during utsavams at prominent Saivite temples in Trichy including Uchchi Pillayar, Uyyakondan and Uraiyur” he told this writer even as his eyes sway towards the cow standing at a distance ahead of the Uchchi Kaala Pooja.
நசையானை நால்வேதத் தப்பா லானை
நல்குரவுந் தீப்பிணிநோய் காப்பான் றன்னை
இசையானை எண்ணிறந்த குணத்தான் றன்னை
இடைமருதும் ஈங்கோயும் நீங்கா தேற்றின்
மிசையானை விரிகடலும் மண்ணும் விண்ணும்
மிகுதீயும் புனலெறிகாற் றாகி யெட்டுத்
திசையானைத் திருவானைக் காவு ளானைச்
செழுநீர்த் திரளைச்சென் றாடி னேனே – Thiru Gnana Sambandar
Othuvars have taken a liking to his devotional interest and his way of presentation and have invited him for the sacred recital during utsavams in temples such as Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Pudukottai and Avudayar Koil, among others.
To Chidambaram for a degree in music
Keen to master the subject, he is now taking to a degree in Music at the Annamalai University in Chidambaram. He is hoping that by the time he is 25, he will have gained quite a bit of understanding on the musical aspects of the verses in addition to its simple presentation.
From taking care of the temple cows to beating the drums, from carrying the Lord during processions to blowing the trumpet, Navarasu’s involvement with the Jambukeswarar temple has been devotionally intense.
Thiruvanaikaval's Ramani Srinivasan Othuvar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/thiruvanaikaval-othuvar-srinivasan.html) has been the sole Othuvar at the temple for well over two decades. He is now into his 50s. Navarasu is hoping that after completing his four year music degree, he will be able to join as Ramani Othuvar’s assistant at Thiruvanaikaval and learn under his tutelage before taking over from him after he retires.
For Navarasu, his entire life so far has centered around Kainkaryam at the Jambukeswarar temple and it is his dream to be an Othuvar of excellance at this temple singing praise of the Lord each day of the year. In each of his temple engagements, he has shown high devotional excitement and energy and has also taken to a leadership role in Sripatham. On a few occasions he has also fought for the tradition like was seen on Maasi Sathayam when he stood his ground for Ko Chenganan Chozhan to first return to his abode before the palliyarai procession could start.
He has a special liking for Appar and Ko Chenganan and his passion ran high during the street procession just a couple of months ago of the great Chozha king who built this temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2025/03/thiruvanaikaval-ko-chenganan-maasi.html).
கடல்வண்ணன் நான்முகன் காண்பரியார்
தடவரை யரக்கனைத் தலைநெரித்தார்
விடமது வுண்டவெம் மயேந்திரரும்
அடல்விடை யாரூராதி யானைக்காவே-Appar
His Thatha and appa have always dreamt of Navarasu being closely associated with Thiruvanaikaval temple as an Othuvar. If his own big dream comes true with Jambukeswarar’s blessing, Navarasu will have become an Othuvar by the end of this decade after he completes his four year degree, given that there already is an additional posting vacancy for an Othuvar at this temple. His lifetime wish is to render the sacred verses of the Saivite Saint Poets each day of the year as an Othuvar at this legendary temple in Thiruvanaikaval.
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