Huge crowd, beautiful alankaram, glittering jewellery and tireless effort from the sripatham personnel mark the Garuda Sevai on Friday evening but Theppotsavam at the end of this margazhi festival remains a question mark with sewage water seeping into the sacred tank
Will the HRCE Minister take corrective steps before the Panguni Utsavam Theerthavari???
Gopinathan Bhattar, who has been at the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Nachiyar Koil in Thiru Naraiyur for the last three decades, makes repeated announcements that this is a one of its kind Kal Garuda Sevai on Friday evening for it was the third one in 2025 following the ones in early January and during the Panguni Brahmotsavam.
High Devotional Vibrancy on Garuda Sevai evening
Prabhakaran, the Executive Officer of the temple, finds it hard to believe that the crowd has increased so dramatically. He was very happy in January this year on the Kal Garuda Sevai evening when this writer met him at exactly the same time – 10pm soon after Srinivasa Perumal and Vanjulavalli Thayar had made their way out of the Eastern Raja Gopuram for the through the night street procession. Watching the crowd swell to several thousands on this Friday evening, there is tears in his eyes for he had seen some earlier photos of the temple in the years gone by when there were very few devotees. The entire temple complex was jam packed through the evening till the start of the procession.
As the clock ticked to 11pm, Srinivasa Perumal atop Kal Garuda and Vanjulavalli Thayar on the Anna Pakshi vahana mounted on to the Ther like Chapparam. Devotees came out of their homes with flower garlands and coconuts and invoked the blessings of the divine couple of Thiru Naraiyur Divya Desam.
Prabhakaran makes it to the South street where Gopinathan Bhattar presents special mariyathai to the police personnel. It required a humungous effort from the police to manage the huge crowd ahead of the procession of Kal Garuda from his abode to the alankara mandapam. To make sure that the procession was in order, the EO makes another visit at 1am this time to the West street. There are the usual issues like the protruding of trees blocking the path of the Chapparam and a Kainkaryapara climbs the tree to cut the branches. There are some overhead wires to be avoided as well as pits on the streets.
It is past 2am when Srinivasa Perumal makes his way through the North Bazaar Street. In front of the Chariot at the east end of the temple, Gopinathan Bhattar presents mariyathai to the personnel who ensured that the chariot ran smooth and safe with the clock having ticked to 3.30am, a good 5 ½ hours after the procession began.
மாண் கொண்ட தோல் மார்வின் மாணியாய்
மாவலி மண் தான் கொண்டு தாளால் அளந்த பெருமானே
தேன் கொண்ட சாரல் திருவேங்கடத்தானை
நான் சென்று நாடி நறையூரில் கண்டேனே
Devotees stayed back in good numbers through the night long procession to pull the Chapparam Chariot to the East street of Nachiyar Koil. Gopinathan Bhattar wears a happy look at having organised yet another Kal Garuda procession. He repeats once again that this has been the third one in 2025 with this seeing the biggest crowd of all, in the three decades he has been involved in this archaka kainkaryam.
It has been a big revival on the back of a huge devotee following for Garuda. Thursdays have been witnessing big crowds at this temple with the devotees believing a prarthanai sankalpa archanai on this day every week will help fulfil all their wishes.
Sewage Water into the Sacred temple tank
Thus far, it has been all positive at this Margazhi utsavam. Huge crowd, beautiful alankaram, glittering jewellary and tireless effort from the sripatham personnel. Unfortunately there has been a serious issue that has been bogging the temple for the last many years with EO Prabhakaran taking serious cognizance of the events from the past.
The last day of this utsavam marks the Theerthavari followed by Theppotsavam in the evening. While the temple tank itself was refurbished with Neeraatti Mandapam restored to its old glory as part of the Thiruppani works that took place a couple of years ago that culminated in the grandest of consecrations at the Nachiyar Koil. However, this historic temple has been fighting a battle with the Governmental authorities on the issue of sewage water that has been entering the temple tank for many years.
Of course, in the decades gone by, the state of the temple tank was deplorable and the restoration has revived the tank and the mandapam inside and there was hope that Theppotsavam would be conducted inside the tank that is North of the temple complex.
This section had featured a story on the Theppotsavam in December 2018 (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/12/thiru-naraiyur-nachiyar-koil-utsavam.html). Once Prabhakaran took over as the EO, he has remained firm that he will administer the temple in a Dharmic way and that he would not do anything that goes against the sanctity of the temple and its utsavams.
முருகிலங்கு கனிதுவர்வாய் பின்னை கேள்வன் மன்னெல்லாம் முன்னவியச்சென்று
வென்றிச் செருக்கழுத்துத் ததிறலழிய செற்ற வேந்தன் சிறந்துணிந்தான் திருவடினும் சென்னிவைப்பீர்
இருக்கிலங்கு திருமொழி வாய் எண்தோள் ஈசற்கு எழில் மாட எழுபதும் செய்து உலகமாண்ட
திருகுலத்து வளச்சோழன் சேர்ந்த கோயில் திரு நறையூர் மணி மாட சேர்மின்களே
Construction of public toilets near the temple complex has led to drainage water being let into the temple tank. Despite the issue being taken up at the Collector level, this issue has remained unsolved in the recent past. While the sacred tank is brimming with water and it would be a delight to watch the Theppotsavam at the end of the Brahmotsavam next week, the EO has taken a bold call that he would not approve of the Theppotsavam until the sewage water flowing into the tank is stopped permanently. And so next week too, the Theppotsavam will not take place in this sacred tank and even the Theerthavari will take place inside the temple at the Vasanthotsavam tank.
HRCE Minister promises corrective steps
While as the HRCE’s representative, the EO of the temple has ensured restoration of the tank complex, he has been helpless with the lack of response from the local authorities who have not taken steps to streamline the drainage system in the streets around the temple complex.
BJP’s H Raja visited the temple on the Kal Garuda Sevai day on Friday and has threatened serious action if the Governmental authorities in Nachiyar Koil do not find a permanent solution redirecting sewage water appropriately away from the tank before the Panguni Brahmotsavam when Theerthavari is slated to take place inside this sacred temple tank.
While EO Prabhakaran looks back with great delight at the Thiruppani works and the consecration and the huge crowds during the Kal Garuda Sevai, he is pained at the unresolved issue relating to the temple tank.
This writer spoke to the HRCE minister Sekar Babu late on Friday night and he has promised to look into this issue and to resolve this at the earliest. While the minister has claimed credit for thousands of temple consecrations in the last few years, this seeping of sewage water into the sacred tank in a historic Divya Desam, one where Thiru Mangai Azhvaar sang a 100 verses of praise will be a black mark in his books. It is hoped that he will personally oversee the corrective steps and ensure that the sacred temple tank in Nachiyar Koil is clean and free from sewage water before the Panguni Utsavam’s Theerthavari.
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