Following in Thenthiruperai Rahul Bhattar's footsteps, this 21 year old Bhattar has resisted tempting offers to join a remote Divya Desam in Nava Tirupathi where his appa has served for over two decades
The combination of two young highly devoted Bhattars augurs well for the Vaitha Maa Nidhi Perumal temple in Thiru Kolur
Four years ago, this section had featured a story on a 23 year old who after completing his Vedic and Agama education declined lucrative offers from the city to move back to his hereditary town in one of the Nava Tirupathi temples to join as an archaka at a Divya Desam. Rahul Bhattar has since been an integral part of Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan temple in Thenthiruperai. Much against the current trend, he also found a life time partner in the daughter of the Maniam of Thiru Kurungudi Divya Desam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2025/06/thiru-kurungudi-maniam-ramanujam.html).
About six kms West of Thenthiruperai and in one of the Nava Tirupathi temples, a 21 year old has just joined the Nam Azhvaar praised Vaitha Maa Nidhi temple in Thiru Kolur, once again refusing tempting financial offers from the Chozha region soon after completing his Vedic and Vaikanasa Agama initiation (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2008/09/thiru-kolur-vaitha-maa-nidhi-perumal.html).
வைத்த மா நிதியாம் மதுசூதனையே அலற்றி
கொத்தலர் பொழில் சூழ்
......
அவன் சேர் திரு கோலூற்கே
சித்தம் வைத்துரைபார் நிகழ் பொன் உலகாழ்வாரே
கொத்தலர் பொழில் சூழ்
......
அவன் சேர் திரு கோலூற்கே
சித்தம் வைத்துரைபார் நிகழ் பொன் உலகாழ்வாரே
Amid a lot of controversies surrounding the Thiru Kolur Divya Desam, Vikanasa Bhattar has been donning the role of an archaka with 15 days service at the Perumal Sannidhi and another 15 days at Madhura Kavi Azhvaar Sannidhi.
Quits school early to join Patshala
Vikanasa quit school after class VII and moved to Srirangam for Vedic Education at the age of 12. Though his amma was not keen on the prospect of him being away from home for many years in a patshala, he himself did not feel out of place in a patshala and enjoyed the traditional way of life.
At the Srirangam Patshala, he says he became frustrated with those in power forcing him to perform samasrayannam “I did not like the fact that I was forced into something like that and hence quit the patshala. There were other subdued friends of mine who underwent samasrayanam after being forced by the Patshala head.”
After being initiated into the Krishna Yajur Veda, he moved to Senkalipuram to learn the Vaikanasa Agama. Even as he was undergoing the Agama education, he gained practical experience participating in homams and consecrations alongside his Guru. He also performed pooja at the Parimala Ranganathar temple in Senkalipuram in that phase (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/senkalipuram-perumal-temple.html).
Vikanasa Bhattar can converse in Sanskrit and has found a liking for the language. After completing class XII in NIOS, he is hoping to do BA Sanskrit to further his interest in the language.
Resists Lucrative Offers
Impressed with his devotional commitment, he was offered a highly lucrative offer to perform archaka service at the flourishing Govindapuram Vittal temple and the prospects elsewhere in the Chozha region were bright as well but his mind was all with Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan. As with Rahul Bhattar, those around him did not think going to a remote temple rejecting a safe, secure and a financially high returns service in the Chozha region was a good idea (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thenthiruperai-rahul-bhattar.html).
He is saddened at the trend of many parents in remote towns not wanting the next gen to get into temple service. They feel that the future is uncertain. In addition the fact that parents with girl children are not anymore keen to hand their daughter to a Bhattar family is serving as a deterrent to the next gen entering temple service.
Appa Srinivasan Bhattar, aged 61
For a 21 year old, Vikanasa Bhattar has great clarity on where temple Kainkaryam is headed currently “Those that have been initiated into the Vedas and Agamas and have had a solid foundation are going North in the direction of Homams and Consecrations where there is good money to be made. And those that have not mastered these are coming to temples as a last resort!!! My friends too told me that after having learned both the Veda and Agama, I should not be going to a remote temple as it would be struggle for me both physically (shortage of service personnel) and financially. But I have seen with my own eyes as to how Vaitha Maa Nidhi Perumal has taken care of our family and I do not want to do anything other than perform archaka kainkaryam here at this Divya Desam.”
High on Devotional Confidence
He exhibits extreme confidence in his abilities and says that he has several options in front of him. "I taught younger students while I was still at the Patshala and enjoyed the teaching experience. I am confident in performing service at consecration events and with the big opportunities on that front, that is always an option I can consider. There are also vedic events that I can be part of. But my only focus at the moment is to be a full time archaka at this Divya Desam performing service at the feet of Vaitha Maa Nidhi Perumal", he told this writer even as a few devotees make their way to the temple.
After almost 25 years of his appa's kainkaryam at the Thiru Kolur Divya Desam, the family is still living in a rented house. "15 years ago there was minimal income at the temple and even Rs. 10 in Thattu was a big thing in those days when I was a young boy. Despite this, my appa has been repeatedly conveying the message that it has been this temple that has provided taken care of the family for the last 25 years and hence whatever be the financial repercussions I should not leave the archaka service at this Divya Desam.
Isssues galore at Thiru Kolur
Vikanasa Bhattar is devotionally excited at the prospect of performing archaka service at the Thiru Kolur Divya Desam. But he has entered the temple in a controversial phase with long serving Balaji Bhattar, son of the late Seshamani Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/02/seshamani-bhattar-erettai-tirupathi.html), who had been the face of Thiru Kolur temple to all devotees being packed off to Erettai Tirupathi following some issues at this temple and the young Balu Bhattar moving into this temple alongside Vikanasa Bhattar . Questions hang in the balance if Balaji Bhattar will make efforts to come back to Thiru Kolur for this has now gained popularity as a Kubera sthalam and devotees are thronging in for Prarthana and Parikara Sevai. There is also the over hanging pressure of Bhattars having to secure additional contributions from devotees for the utsavams (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/erettai-tirupathi-sundara-rajan-bhattar.html).
Lifetime commitment to Thiru Kolur Divya Desam
Its been three months since Vikanasa Bhattar joined the temple but there is still no update on his appointment as an archaka and he is there only as a support priest helping out his appa at the Thiru Kolur Divya Desam. He says that the Vaitha Maa Nithi Perumal has served as an inspiration to him all through his teenage years. Every moment he remembers his appa's message that this is the Perumal that has taken care of them in the most difficult of phases in their life.
The combination of two young highly devoted archakas – Balu Bhattar and Vikanasa Bhattar- augurs well for the Vaitha Maa Nidhi Perumal temple and the long term future looks good though one hopes that Vikanasa Bhattar will get his official archaka posting from the HRCE sooner than later for he has committed himself to dedicating his entire lifetime in archaka kainkaryam at this Divya Desam resisting the temptations of many other financially lucrative offers.
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