The Vadakalai Vaishnavita Acharya goes to 9 different locations on this 9th day of the Avathara Utsavam Celebrations - Energetic and Highly Devotional Sudarshan Bhattar gives it his all for his Acharya
A special feature of the Desikar Utsavam at the Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai is that it is celebrated for ten days from Puratasi Shravanam with street procession every morning and evening of the festival.
It is a very quiet Friday (October 10) morning at the temple. There are just a handful of devotees on this ninth day of the Desikar Utsavam. Sudarshan Bhattar, the archaka at the Desikar Sannidhi as well as the Maniyakaarar of the Sarangapani temple is one of the first to arrive ahead of a long day.
ஆரா அமுதே அடியேன் உடலம் நின்பால் அன்பாயே
நீராய் அலைந்து கரைய உருக்குகின்ற நெடுமாலே
சீர் ஆர் செந்நெல் கவரி வீசும் செழு நீர் திரு குடந்தை
ஏர் ஆர் கோலம் திகழ கிடந்தாய் கண்டேன் எம்மானே - Thiruvoimozhi ( 5-8-1)
Contrasted with the huge Kainkaryapara support last week at the Devanathaswamy temple in Thiru Vahindrapuram Divya Desam, there is a severe shortage of personnel at the Sarangapani temple. Sudarshan Bhattar himself takes the Thaligai to the Thayar and Perumal Sannidhi before coming back to the Desikar Sannidhi. The alankaram for the Vaishnavite Acharya has already been done and he is ready for the long procession.
The Prabhandham members arrive at the temple at 9am but they split themselves!!! All of them head to the Perumal Sannidhi for the daily presentation of Thiruppavai while Patrachar alone stays with Vedantha Desikar.
Sudarshan archakar anxiously awaits the arrival of the Sripatham Personnel and about 5 of them turn up after 9am!!! Ramanujam Patrachar heads to the Ramaswamy temple for the first Mangalasasanam on his two wheeler while Sudarshan Bhattar comes along with his acharya on the procession. Over the next few hours he dons multiple roles such is the shortage of personnel.
During the procession from Sarangapani Koil to Ramaswamy temple, he carries Desikar on his shoulder while on arrival at the Ramar temple, he turns a prabhandham member alongside Patrachar presenting the mangalasasanam with the verses of Kulasekara Azhvaar on Thiru Chitrakoodam.
செந்தளிர்வாய் மலர் நகை சேர் செழுந்தண் சோலைத்
தில்லை நகர் திரு சித்திரகூடந் தன்னுள்
அந்தணர்கள் ஒரு மூவாயிரவர் ஏத்த
அணிமணி ஆசனத்து இருந்த அம்மான் தானே- Kulasekara Azhvaar
Given the shortage of sripatham personnel, the pradakshinam around the prakara is done away with and Desikar heads to Andavan Ashram after receiving a flower garland and parivattam from Ramar.
Sudarshan Bhattar - Desikar Sannidhi archakar
Sudarshan Bhattar now turns an aradhakar and performs Thiru Aradhana at the Sannidhi at Andavan Ashram before the Mangalasasanam there. Kesari and hot Dhadhyonam is presented to the few Kainkaryaparas and the sripatham personnel before Desikar makes his way to Ahobila Mutt.
It has been an hour and the Sripatham Personnel leave for a cup of tea after placing Desikar inside the Ramanuja temple on Bazaar street. The ninth day is the Mangalasasanam procession of Desikar but there are no devotees in sight. Tirelessly, Sudharshan Bhattar anchors the event on his own in return for which he receives brickbats from the few kainkaryaparas who are in service today with impatience gaining steam at each destination.
The Patrachar Street - Thiru Kudanthai
The procession moves on to Krishna temple on Patrachar street. On this street, which was once upon a time one of the traditional streets of Thiru Kudanthai, there is some cheer as the residents come out of their home to present thattu and have darshan of Vedantha Desikar.
Desikar moves on to the Aathi Varaha temple after a procession around the temple tank. More prasadam is presented. At this temple, there are a few devotees who have darshan of the Vadakalai Vaishnavite Acharya.
Govindan Theevatti
Periyazhvaar's verses at Chakrapani temple
It is 11am and heat is taking its toll on the sripatham personnel. Govindan who has performing Theevatti service for decades and retired recently, continues to perform his service. He is too tired to carry as he turns in the opposite direction to the Chakrapani temple and has to be pulled back by Sudarshan Bhattar.
After the presentation of Azhvaar’s verses on ‘Chakrapani’, Desikar heads to his final Mangalasasanam destination – The Rajagopalan temple on Bazaar street, a temple that was renovated by Karunakarachariar.
He is already present inside the temple. It has become a tradition now for him to organise a Sadas at the Rajagopalan Swamy Sannidhi when Vedantha Desikar makes his way to the temple on this 9th day of the utsavam in Puratasi. Patrachar is keen for the mangalasasanam event to be completed but Karunakarachariar has his way with Patrachar heading back home citing health reasons – he had been at the temple since 8.30am this morning. But before leaving, he had a request for Karunakarachariar. Desikar’s Chariot procession is to take place only after Komalavalli Thayar’s purapadu for this is a Friday. He asked for Karunakarachariar to finish the Sadas early so Desikar could head back to the Sarangapani temple for preparations to be made for the Chariot procession.
The Sadas lasted till 1pm following which Vedantha Desikar made his way back to the Sarangapani temple after a four hour Mangalasasanam outing.
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
After the huge Saturday crowd at Oppiliappan Koil and the Thursday crowd at Thiruvahindrapuram temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2025/10/thiru-vahindrapuram-puratasi-desikar.html) at the utsavams there over the last two weeks, this 9th day fest of Vedantha Desikar proved to be a dampener. Shortage of personnel, splitting of the Prabhandham group (one taking care of the recital inside the temple and the other going with Desikar on the procession), high pressure on Sudarshan Bhattar to manage everything and a non existent devotee crowd for this Mangalasasanam procession to 6 temples and two Mutts left one to wonder if prarthana and parikara events are the ones that receive attention in temples in smaller towns.
Kudos to the young 32 year old Sudarshan Bhattar ( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/09/sarangapani-koil-desikar-sannidhi-new.html) for taking a lot on his shoulders and seeing through the entire Mangalasasanam event with a smile.
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