Vasan Bhattar anchors a Grand Consecration on Friday
Srikanthan Bhattar the alankaram expert, Venkatesh Bhattar - the man for all seasons and the allrounder and Hari Sundar Bhattar, the Sthala Puranam expert turn able lieutenants
Aamaruviappan, in glittering jewellary and golden crown, provides all night Garuda Sevai around the streets of Therazhundur
Vasan Bhattar - 1.30am on Friday night at the street procession
Just over two decades ago, Vasan Bhattar had a worried look on his face. The electricity connection had been cut off at the Aamaruviappan temple in Therazhundur for non-payment of dues. The temple had gone through a challenging phase in the previous couple of decades with most of the original inhabitants having left their ancestral homes seeking greener pastures elsewhere. The kainkaryaparas too had left the temple with Vasan Bhattar and his appa, the revered Kannan Bhattar (who passed away a few years ago) being the lone hands at the temple. In the first decade of his archaka kainkaryam from the early 1980s, Vasan Bhattar experienced the dark side of temple service with no devotees in sight and no donors to fund the maintenance and improvement.
Late on Friday night, Vasan Bhattar, who celebrated his 60th birthday last year, enjoyed a quiet smile to himself. He had just anchored a second consecration in the morning, following a mega one a dozen years ago. Only last month, he had a fall at the temple dislocating his right hand and he could not even move the hand to present a shatari. Not many among the 200 + Kainkayaparas he had pooled in for the event knew that he was going through unbearable physical pain and could barely move his right hand. But all through the pain he reminded himself of the message from his appa in the early 1980s when he was taking over the archaka service at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Divya Desam “Perform kainkaryam as best as you can and as devotionally as you can and leave the rest to Aamaruviappan” he tells himself each day of his life and that has helped him overcome all pains.
A renovated outer prakara- Madal Prabhandham Ghoshti
The donors, who had been missing in the 1980s and 90s, had all come back contributing their might to the repair works that took place over the last 9 months. The Ahobila Mutt too supported the renovation exercise in a big way with Azhagiya Singar surprising Vasan Bhattar at the street procession presenting a cheque for a hefty amount for the archakas who had supported Vasan Bhattar around the consecration efforts.
Over 200 kainkaryapas were present each day of this week for different kind of service ahead of the consecration and on this Friday morning. There were over 30 Kundams at the Yaaga Saalai. He spoke to Mylapore Vedantha Desikar temple’s Prabhandham member Bharath to rope in 15 Adyapakas to present the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham. Veda Ghoshti came each day from Thiruvahindrapuram.
Vasan Bhattar’s long standing team of Venkatesh Bhattar of Thiru Cherai, Srikanthan Bhattar of Sirupuliyur and his own son Hari Sundar Bhattar had very little sleep over the last 4-5 days working tirelessly to make this event successful. Thaligai was presented in sumptuous quantity during the period of the Yaaga Salai Poojas and on the consecration day.
The entire flooring around the prakara has been redone. The temple tank has been refurbished and repair works took place on the vahanas. A new Nandavanam is likely to come up at the outer prakara where Thayar is to make a procession this evening.
It is ticking to 7pm and Shengalama Valli Thayar is atop the Golden Yaanai Vahana for a procession around the prakara. The Prabhandham members, who present the two Madals of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, are joined by the Head of the Poundarika Ashram on this procession. Devotees are all congratulating Vasan Bhattar for a grand consecration event at the Thayar procession.
Srikanthan Bhattar with Vasan Bhattar
A beautiful alankaram
The one-legged Srikanthan Bhattar, who lost a leg in a road accident a decade ago, is the alankaram experts, Vasan Bhattar tells this writer on the five hour long late night street procession as to how unmindful of his physical challenges, Srikanthan Bhattar is there for him whenever he needs him “Despite the challenges he has in his leg, he decorated Aamaruviappan atop the Garuda Vahana. He is an alankaram role model for all the young archakas in this region and he performs his alankaram service with the greatest of devotion every time he is assigned this responsibility.”
After exchanging garlands with Perumal, Shengamala Valli Thayar returned to her abode following the Madal Satru Murai in front of her sannidhi.
A 5 hour long street procession
It is past 9pm when Devathirajan atop the Garuda Vahana, Rama on the Hanumantha Vahana, Andal on the Hamsa Vahana and Vedantha Desikar make their way out of the Thiru Mangai Mannan Vahana Mandapa. Devotees line up on the North street next to the Vasantha Mandapam to present fruits and flowers to the processional deities.
Vasan Bhattar's brothers
At the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar Sannidhi on the Sannidhi Street, Azhagiya Singar is waiting with his disciples to receive the deities. Raman Bhattar, the elder brother of Vasan Bhattar and a Pancharatra Agama expert, presents Shatari to the Pontiff His Highness the 46th Jeer of the Ahobila Mutt even as the Prabhandham members begin the recital of the Divya Prabhandham.
Vasan Bhattar shares with delight to this writer as to how the Jeer surprised him with a big sized cheque for the archakas after experiencing their selfless Kainkaryam through this week. “It is a satisfying moment when the head of the Ahobila Mutt recognises your service and the effort put in by the archakas over the last few days.”
Following the Prabhandham Thodakkam in front of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar Sannidhi, HH Azhagiya Singar welcomed the deities in front of the Ahobila Mutt on the Sannidhi Street.
Balaji Bhattar has made it here all the way from Thiru Ninravur Bhakthavatsala Perumal Divya Desam. He hails from Therazhundur and he told this writer that this week’s service around the consecration event was a great blessing for him to be associated with Aamaruviappan and to also be able to add strength to Vasan Bhattar’s team.
Snakes taken out of the temple prakara!!!
Clock has ticked past midnight with the Prabhandham Ghoshti leading the procession on to the West Street. Vasan Bhattar recounts the challenges around the 9month renovation exercise “The outer prakara was thick with bushes and was home to dangerous snakes. He had a man assigned for this service as well. The Palavelai person is a master at handling snakes and he took every snake by hand and out of the temple. The entire outer prakara has been cleaned up and we are hoping to have a Nandavanam there.”
Devotees come out of their homes on the West street to have a darshan and to invoke the blessings. Vasan Bhattar and his nephew Sriniketan are there all through the long procession.
Glittering Jewellery
Two decades ago, there was minimal jewellery. On this consecration day, the deities were seen at their resplendent best, courtesy the devotees of Devathirajan who are now making up for the dark decades of the 70s and 80s.
Vasan Bhattar tells this writer as to how original inhabitants of Therazhundur have come forward to support this temple over the last decade or so "Those that hailed from Therazhundur have been most forthcoming in terms of giving back to Devathirajan. The moolavar has been anointed with grand golden ornaments over the last decade. The golden crown and the shining golden necklaces that Aamaruviappan displayed during this procession too have been presented by devotees who wanted their Perumal to be back at his glorious best."
Venkatesh Bhattar with his mentor
Venkatesh Bhattar of Thiru Cherai had a week long Brahmotsavam service at a Rama temple in Rajasthan that he performed in freezing cold when the temperatures went down to almost zero degrees. To support his mentor Vasan Bhattar, he has been here all week working day and night to make the consecration event a success. Past 2am, he is at the vahana mandapa to get Perumal off the Vahana and for the Ekantha Sevai procession back to the Sannidhi.
He says he owes everything he is today for the mentoring that Vasan Bhattar and his now late appa Kannan Bhattar initiated during his teenage phase when he spent a lot of time at Therazhundur under their tutelage.
The Sripatham members did a great job staying awake all through the night and Vasan Bhattar presented each member with a Sambhavanai for their effort. And they are handed a wide ranging prasadam for they had started their work at 7am with the Thayar purapadu.
It is past 3.30am on Saturday morning. The consecration event exercise had started on Monday and Vasan Bhattar and his team members have had very little sleep this week. But they are a happy lot having seen through a high-profile event with this renovation and event exercise costing almost Rs. 2crores. There is not much time left for the Vishroopam and Vasan Bhattar goes in for a well earned rest. But he hastens to add to this writer that his rest is likely to last only a couple of hours for he will be anchoring the consecration exercise at the Perumal temple in nearby Komal where the event starts at 8am on Saturday.
Hari Sundar Bhattar
It has been unbelievable turnaround in the life of Vasan Bhattar and this Divya Desam. Soon after he joined the temple service in the early 1980s, his appa handed him a message that has stood with him to this day. Every night before he goes to sleep, that is the message Vasan Bhattar reminds himself of – to be able to perform this Kainkaryam in the same way he did four decades ago when he started off. From the time he waited endlessly for the next devotee, one that proved futile on most days in the 1980s, Vasan Bhattar has come a long way. This consecration was yet another testimony to how God rewards those who perform service with the greatest commitment. His team members - Srikanthan Bhattar, Venkatesh Bhattar and son Hari Sundar Bhattar- are all near him at 4am as they head into the late night sleep.
Hari Sundar Bhattar is the Sthala Puranam expert. A decade ago, following the day long Garuda Sevai procession at Vaduvur, where too he has hereditary service, he stunned the visiting devotees with the description of Perumal and his greatness. All through the day following the consecration, it was he who delighted the devotees narrating the legendary tale of Devathirajan.
Tail Pieces: A highlight of the late night street procession was the commendable highly devotional presentation of the Vedas by the members who had come in from Thiru Vahindrapuram. They were vocal and their voices did not drop any time of the procession. Past 2am they had a darshan of the Moolavar deity decked in glittering jewellery. And they then headed back in multiple vehicles to Thiru Vahindrapuram. The Vedic Presentation delighted Vasan Bhattar and he congratulated and thanked each of the members for their recital.
A unique feature of this HRCE administered temple is that the EO of the temple, Sundararajan, is a Vaishnavite!!! Hailing from Madurai and with a law degree on hand, he is keen to be associated in temple service and administration. His presence at this Divya Desam for almost the last four years has been a great asset to Vasan Bhattar to carry out his activities without any external hinderance.
Srikanthan Bhattar : https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/08/sirupuliyur-divya-desam.html
Venkatesh Bhattar: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/thiru-cherai-venkatesh-bhattar-next-gen.html
Therazhundur in the century gone by : https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/10/therazhundur-divya-desam.html
