He saw the mass exodus of Agraharam residents in the late 1970s and early 80s but committed himself to a lifetime service at the Varadaraja Perumal temple as per his appa's wish even rejecting a lucrative archaka service offer from a Singapore temple four decades ago
This family has performed the archaka service for seven generations at the centuries old Varadaraja Perumal temple in Melattur, now famously known for the Bhagavatha Mela. 61year old Seetharama Bhattar has spent over four decades performing Kainkaryam since the time he was a teenager when his appa designated him for archaka kainkaryam and directed him to perform this as a lifetime service. While his elder brothers made their way into the corporate world, Seetharama Bhattar who had developed a devotional attachment to Varadaraja Perumal right for his school days stayed back in Melattur to perform Kainkaryam at the temple.
He discontinued academics after class X and joined the Patshala at Mangudi to learn Vaikanasa Agama. Soon after, his appa, Gopalan Bhattar, asked him to join the temple as support to him. Seetharama Bhattar recounts those early years of his life at Melattur in the 1960s and 70s. “The Agraharam was vibrant with Smartha families forming a major part of the North, South and Sannidhi Street. We were provided paddy for our service and our service each day of the year at the temple provided a lot of satisfaction.”
And then, as with many other small towns in TN, the original inhabitants began leaving their hereditary locations to larger cities in search of jobs that served as a dampener to the spirit of the archaka family. 100s of traditional families left the Agraharam and by the 1990s, only a few families were left. “Devotees dwindled into single digit, there was minimal thattu kaasu and survival became a challenge”, Seetharama Bhattar told this writer looking back at the dramatic turnaround in fortunes at the temple in the later part of the previous century.
Following the mass exodus of the Agraharam residents, Saturdays and the No Moon day have been the only days in the month when there is a reasonable devotee crowd at the temple. “I perform Thirumanjanam for Anjaneya on Saturdays and for Perumal on Amavasya. There is some Thattu Kaasu on these days but otherwise even on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day, there is not more than Rs. 150” says Seetharama Bhattar on how there is very minimal income from the temple.
Rejects Overseas archaka offer
The temple became dilapidated with no financial support to undertake the repair works. With no devotees in sight and father and son jointly performing archaka service, there was not enough income from the temple. Seetharama Bhattar received a lucrative offer for archaka service from the Balaji temple in Singapore but he resisted the financial temptation and stayed back in India.
For a few years, he provided archaka service support as and when required at the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Royapettah, Chennai and at the Devanathan Divya Desam in Thiru Vahindrapuram. “Neela Megha Bhattar, then in his 70s and 80s (he passed away a few years ago) would call me for support on high crowd days and I would go there for a few days every month to perform the role of a support priest for which I was paid some fixed amount by the Bhattar. But after the passing away of my appa over a decade ago, I have not been able to go out of Melattur for there are no substitute priests available here.”
The Fridays in Aadi and Thai too see some crowd and that contributes to some income for the priest. There is some kind of crowd only in Puratasi and Margazhi says Seetharama Bhattar sitting at the Verandah of his traditional house behind the temple. For a large part of his life, he lived in a mud house. Only recently, has he been able to see cement flooring at his house. The roof continues to be the old styled Agraharam modelled house.
On the positive note, one of his elder brothers has returned recently to Melattur after his retirement and his sister too has made her way back to Melattur with her husband, who offers archaka support service to Gopalan Bhattar at Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam.
Newly constructed temple
After several decades, Samprokshanam took place in 1980, one that Seetharama Bhattar remembers well “I was not yet 20 at that time. It was a consecration after a long time but it was limited in repair works given the financial scenario of the time. After that for almost three decades, the temple was in troubled times and reached a dilapidated state at the turn of the century. It was then that the original inhabitants who had settled down in larger cities took to the rebuilding of the temple after bringing it to ground.”
A long time provisions shop owner at Melattur bemoans the demolition of the centuries old temple “The old structure was beautiful with a dome shaped roof typical of some of the temples in this region. Unfortunately, the traditional infra has been replaced by tiles and the temple has lost its old flavour.”
Brahmotsavam in the last 15 years
Following the new construction, Brahmotsavam was initiated and a ten day utsavam including vahana procession takes place every year with Theerthavari on Akshaya Trithiya day. For his Thirumanjanam and Purapadu services during the Brahmotsavam, he is presented with the largest Sambhavanai of the year.
Despite the minimal income, his appa performed archaka service for over six decades till his death last decade when he was 84. His amma has been bedridden for the last few years and the medical bills have been mounting. Seetharama Bhattar continues to ride the 15+ year old TVS 50XL to buy the medicines from Thanjavur every month and remains committed to taking care of his amma in this phase of her life.
Like his elder brothers, he could have chosen a lucrative financial path had he accepted the offer from the Singapore temple. But despite the financial challenges arising out of living in a remote village, Seetharama Bhattar committed himself to devotional service at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Melattur as per his appa's wish. That financial offer in the 1980s looks a far time back now for he has served at the Melattur temple for over four decades. He has no regrets at rejecting that lucrative offer for he sees acting as per his appa's wish as the greatest blessing and he sees himself serving at the feet of Varadaraja Perumal for the rest of his life at the temple that has meant everything for him right from his childhood.
Seetharama Bhattar can be reached on 9944994691
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