Grand Revival of Utsavams - It will be a big three days for Narayanan Bhattar who has anchored the revival
Santhanaramar will provide Garuda Sevai on Monday evening, be atop his favourite Hanuman on Tuesday and enjoy the marriage celebrations with Sita Devi on Wednesday
Narayanan Bhattar, then in his 30s, had been performing Thiru Aradhanam at the Rama temple in Tambaram (Sanatorium) and was enjoying a financially healthy life. When his appa, Santhanaramar Bhattar was getting on age, Narayanan Bhattar decided to move back to Nidamangalam to continue the hereditary archaka service that his forefathers had performed at the centuries old Santhanaramar temple and thus made his way back to Nidamangalam in 2012.
தெரிந்த கருங்குழல் மடவாய்
நின் அடியேன் விண்ணப்பம்
செறிந்த மணி முடிச்சனகன்
சிலை இறுத்து நினைக் கொணர்ந்தது
அறிந்து அரசு களைகட்ட
அருந்தவத்தோன் இடை விலங்கச்
செறிந்த சிலைகொடு தவத்தைச்
சிதைத்தும் ஓர் அடையாளம் - 3.9.1 - Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi
The 2nd half of the previous century had been a dark phase for this temple with many of the utsavams had come to a halt on the back of an anti-devotional movement. When Narayanan Bhattar took charge as the archaka, his first focus was to revive all the historical utsavams. The original inhabitants of Nidamangalam had long gone but that did not deter Narayana Bhattar from making an attempt to revive the utsavams.
This week is a big one for him in the year with Garuda Sevai on Monday, Hanuman carrying Santhanaramar on Tuesday evening and Thiru Kalyanam on Wednesday evening one that attracts a big crowd as part of the Panguni Brahmotsavam that began on the Rama Navami day on March 27.
For a large part of the year, he is all alone straddling between Thiru Aradhanam and devotee darshan at the Moolavar Sannidhi and cooking Thaligai at the madapalli. This solo effort for many years took a heavy toll on his knees and he had to undergo a surgery a couple of years back. But he is now fully fit and back to his old devotional energy and excitement.
Chozha Period temple
The Santhanaramar temple is said to date back to the Chozha period with the sanctum having existed then but the current structure goes back to the late 18th century and the construction by the Thanjavur king Pratap Simha. The Lord appeared in the dreams of the King and asked him to look for an idol of Ramar at this location. The King and his wife Rani Yamunambal were childless. He came here and found the idol beneath the earth. After invoking the blessings of the Lord, she gave birth to a child. Hence the Lord is referred to as Santhana Ramar, a unique name for Lord Rama.
Prarthana Sthalam for childless couples -Rohini Star Pooja
This location was historically referred to as Yamunambal Puram. The belief is that those who invoke the blessings of Lord Rama and Sita Devi will be blessed with a child. Every Rohini, there is a Putra Santhana Gopala homam. This is a very special event at the temple and devotees visit in good numbers on the Rohini day every month.
Muthuswamy Dikshithar has presented a song in praise of Santhanaramar in Hindola Vasantha Ragam. The famous Tavil Vidwan Meenakshi Sundaram belonged to this place.
On Sunday evening, Narayana Bhattar was a bit more relaxed than he would be on the next three evenings. It was the day of the big Chariot Procession at the Thiruvarur Thyagaraja Swamy temple and the devotee crowd from this region had all made their way to the legendary Saivite temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/12/thiruvarur-thyagaraja-temple.html).
Sesha Vahana Procession
On this third evening of the Brahmotsavam, Santhana Ramar was decorated atop the Sesha Vahana. Narayana Bhattar is an alankaram specialist and takes great pains paying attention to minute details of the alankaram. It had been his dream to get the grand alankaram back on his favourite Ramar that had been missing for a few decades previously given the slowdown in temples at the end of the previous century.
Also, over the last decade, he dreamt of colourful serial lights across the temple complex and atop the Raja Gopuram like is seen in many temples during the Brahmotsavam. And this Brahmotsavam, he has been able to fulfil that long cherished dream with the entire temple complex wearing a bright look.
மண்ணு புகழ் கௌசலைதன் மணிவயிறு வாய்தவனே
தென் இலங்கை கோன் மமுடிகள்
சிந்துவித்தாய் செம்பொன்சேர்
கன்னிநன் மா புடைசூழ் கணபுரத்து கருமணியே
என்னுடைய இன்னமுதே ராகவனே தாலேலோ - 8-1-1 - Kulasekara Azhvaar
A couple of Prabhandham members had made their way from Mannargudi and they present the Satru Murai of Moonram Thiruvanthathi and the third canto of Tiruvoimozhi. The Vadakalai members then presented the Satru Murai of the Desikar Prabhandham.
Narayanan Bhattar has built a great relationship with the devotees in the time he has been there in Nidamangalam and he goes to each of the visitors to the temple on this evening to take sankalpam and performs an archanai much to their delight. He presents each of them with a banana, flowers and Tulasi and one could instantly see the happiness in the faces of the devotees. He announces to all of them that the special occasion of Garuda Vahana procession is to take the next evening and asks all of them to take the blessings of Santhana Ramar at the Garuda Sevai.
He was also keen for a good quantity of Thaligai to be presented during the Brahmotsavam and he ensures that every visitor to the on this Sunday evening enjoys Upma and Sundal.
A delighted amma
Narayanan Bhattar’s amma, who has been a resident of the East Raja Veethi for the last 55 years, watched the way his son was carrying out the activity at the temple on this Sunday evening and expressed happiness to this writer about his son having returned from Chennai to continue the hereditary archaka service, even though there is not much of a salary at this temple. She said that he placed more importance to continuing the service than the financial returns and that drove him back to the temple here.
As is the case in many remote temples, Perumal was ready for the street procession by 7pm with the presentation of Thaligai, Satru Murai and Selvar procession inside the temple but the Sripatham personnel were missing.
It is a day of utsavams at three temples in Nidamangalam and the Sripatham Personnel are busy at the Mariamman temple. Narayanan Bhattar makes frenetic calls to them asking them to come so the street procession could start. The clock had ticked to 8pm when the Sripatham Personnel presented a Voyali walk towards the Raja Gopuram carrying Santhana Ramar on their shoulders.
Narayanan Bhattar had performed Thiru Aradhana at the Ramar temple in Tambaram Sanatorium and after his departure, another priest replaced him. Jagan Bhattar made his way for this utsavam from Tambaram and was the one who accompanied Santhana Ramar atop the Sesha Vahana taking Thattu from the residents of Nidamangalam who invoke the blessings of Santhana Ramar. Narayanan Bhattar's brother, who performs Thiru Aradhanam at the temple inside the SSN School in Perangalathur is a pillar of strength as he is here for all the utsavams - this section had featured a story on that's school owner supported Kurugai Kavalappan temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/07/kurugai-kaavalappan-koil.html) though it took a different turn later.
தளை அவிழும் நறுங்குஞ்சித் தயரதன் குல மதலாய்
வலய ஒரு சிலையதனால் மதில் இலங்கை அழித்தவனே
களை கழுநீர் மருங்கலரும்
கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே
இளையவர்கட்கு அருள் உடையாய்
ராகவனே தாலேலோ
The railway gate remained locked for 20 minutes with the Chemmozhi Express having arrived from Mannargudi on its way to Coimbatore with the engine having to be moved to the west end. Those at the gate had a surprise darshan of Santhana Ramar cooling them instantly from their anger of the longish closure of the gate.
A Grand Revival of the Brahmotsavam
Narayanan Bhattar is now a known face to every resident and at every shop in Nidamangalam and each of them exchange pleasantries with him during the procession as he walks ahead of the deity. Santhana Ramar moves on to the North Raja Veethi even as the train leaves the Nidamangalam station for Thanjavur. It is almost 10 pm when the Lord makes his way back to the temple after providing darshan around the temple tank.
Jagan Bhattar from Tambaram Ramar Koil
On each of these three evenings, it has been a pretty late night for Narayanan Bhattar for there is work for the archakas long after Perumal has returned to the temple from the street procession. He once again alerted the Sripatham personnel that every delay from their side for the start of the procession would take him that much longer in the night to complete his post procession work and asked them to be on time for the Garuda Sevai Procession on Monday evening.
It is because of the devotional commitment of those like the now 53 year old Narayanan Bhattar that remote temples in Tamil Nadu are able to continue the historic traditions such as conducting the centuries old utsavams. There is a sense of satisfaction that one can see in the face of this Bhattar in the way the Brahmotsavam has taken of this year but for the moment he is not basking in that glory for there are three big days coming starting with Garuda Sevai on Monday evening even as he heads back home late on Sunday night with his thoughts centered around the alankaram for the Garuda Sevai.
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