A long summer's day out for Parimala Ranganathar as he makes a trip to Malliyam on the third morning of the Panguni Brahmotsavam
It is the third morning of the Panguni Brahmotsavam both at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam and here at the Parimala Ranganatha temple in Thiru Indhalur. Contrasted with the hundreds of Kainkaryaparas carrying Namperumal in the villages of Jeeyapuram, Anthanallur and around, the Moolavar Sannidhi at Thiru Indhalur had not yet opened till 6am when the street procession had been scheduled to start at 5am.
There are just two full time priests at this Divya Desam praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar with two long time priests having been suspended in the past. Standing at the entrance of this temple Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his first verse says that devotees are thronging to having darshan of the Lord waiting to serve him. He asks the Lord to reveal himself and walk a few steps so the devotees could get enlightenment. On this morning, there were just a handful of devotees, most of them regulars at the temple and they waited patiently for the Sannidhi to open.
நும்மைத் தொழுதோம் நுந்தம் பணிசெய்திருக்கும் நும் அடியோம்
இம்மைக்கு இன்பம் பெற்றோம் எந்தாய் இந்தளூரீரே
எம்மைக் கடிதாக் கருமம் அருளி ஆ வா என்று இறங்கி
நம்மை ஒருகால் காட்டி நடந்தால் நாங்கள் உய்யோமே
One priest, Sukumaran Dikshithar (who had performed Kainkaryam at Andavan Ashramam administered temples in Bombay, MP, UP and Bihar in the 1990s and has been back here after the suspension of the above priests) performs Vishroopam at the Perumal Sannidhi, while Sridhar Bhattar, who now is the anchor priest and the face to devotees, does so at the Thayar Sannidhi.
A long day in the Sun for the Sripatham
It is a big day for the Sripatham Personnel led by the 65 year Kannan with Sugantha Vana Naathan, the Utsava deity, having to make his way out of Mayiladuthurai to the Village of Malliyam on the Kumbakonam highway. Kannan is there early in the morning and his team mates are slowly trickling in. Sripatham Kannan recalls the personnel carrying Parimala Ranganthar on their shoulders in the century gone by but with the slowdown in temple activities this long procession on the third morning had come to a halt in the second half of the previous century just under 50 years ago with the original inhabitants having left this temple town.
Indhalur Sripatham Head Kannan
The Theerthakar is also there by 6am and the ubayadarar of the day also arrive at the temple. The physical infrastructure of the temple wears a new look following the recent consecration. The ubayadarar takes a look at the kannadi arai where Perumal had taken rest in the night and expresses happiness at the beautifully laid out room with mirror all around.
Madapalli Cook Kumar who has been here for over a decade tells this writer that he was at the temple at 3am to prepare the sacred food ahead of the procession. Sukumaran Dikshithar hits out at his detractors telling them that he had been at the temple till past midnight following last evening’s Chandira Prabhai vahana street procession (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2026/02/thiru-indhalur-parimala-ranganathar.html).
Overload on the kainkaryaparas, shortage of service personnel is taking a toll on utsavams in remote Divya Desams. It’s the just the third day of the Brahmotsavam here but the kainkaryaparas are already having a worn out look on their face.
Selvar goes around the prakara inside the temple (no time for a street visit this morning as the activities are well behind schedule). Well past 6.30am, the Sripatham mount the pallakku atop the Wheeled chapparam and Parimala Ranganathar is ready for the procession around the four streets. At the east end of the Sannidhi street in front of the Hanuman Sannidhi, the prabhandham members have gathered for the thodakkam. At this Divya Desam, Periya Thirumozhi is recited on the mornings of the four street procession and the adyapaka accordingly begins the 9th decad of the first Canto with the verses on Thiru Venkatam.
For the next hour, the procession makes a slow progress around the four streets. Residents come out of their home to have a close look at the alankaram of Parimala Ranganathar presenting coconuts, flower garland and fruits.
It is 8am when back near the Hanuman Sannidhi, the prabhandham members present the Satru Murai with the verses on Thiruvallikeni and they consider it appropriate that the Ubayadarar is a current resident of that Divya Desam. It has been a slow paced recital and the Ghoshti have presented 50 verses of the Periya Thirumozhi on this morning.
The procession is behind by two hours and Sripatham Kannan has a worried look on his face. He has been performing this service for many decades with his teammates hailing from the nearby village of appankulam. The procession has to now make its way to the western outskirts of Mayiladuthurai to the village of Malliyam with the Sun having begun to beat down strongly.
சொல்லாது ஒழியகில்லேன் அறிந்த சொல்லில்
நும்மடியார் எல்லோரோடும் ஓக்க எண்ணியிருந்தீர் அடியேனை
நல்லார் அறிவீர் தீயார் அறிவீர்
நமக்கு இவ்வுலகத்து எல்லாம் அறிவீர்
ஈதே அறியீர், இந்தளூரீரே
When the devotional wave began striking the TN temples at the turn of the century, the procession to Malliyam was revived but by this time long processions in most Divya Desams had moved to the ‘Wheeled Tyre’ model from the sripatham previously carrying the Lord on their shoulders.
A new bus stand has been inaugurated. On a busy Thursday morning, moffusil buses were making their way in and out of Mayiladuthurai and Parimala Ranganathar had to wade through heavy traffic to reach Gandhiji Road where an Iyengar family is waiting to welcome to welcome the Lord into their home. The family serves hot Pongal and coffee to the kainkaryaparas including the Sripatham personnel. On to the next house, Perumal makes another stopover this time to bless a young couple who have just had their second child.
Past 9.30am, the Sripatham gather all their strength to push the chapparam atop the steep railway overbridge near the Mayiladuthurai Railway station. There are short stopovers at Sitharkadu and Moovalur even as the feet of the sripatham personnel are already burning.
The trustee of Purushottamar temple in Thiru Nangur stops by to have darshan of Parimala Ranganthar and presents sambhavanai to the Kainkaryaparas before he moves on towards Oppiliappan Koil.
Welcoming Perumal at Malliyam
It is close to 11am, a full four hours after leaving the temple in Indhalur when Parimala Ranganthar reaches the Government Coconut Farm in Malliyam. The Villagers come in large numbers to welcome the Lord on this hot morning.
And then as Sripatham Kannan predicted it was time for a trip around the streets of Malliyam. He recounts to this writer the sad development over the past few years “Long ago, Perumal would reach Malliyam and head directly to the Asthana Mandapam near the coconut grove. But in the recent past, the villagers have made this trip a collection exercise for them. In the hot sun, the Lord has to go around the streets of Malliyam while the Village Chiefs collect donation from every home and shop providing receipt to them.”
Its well past 1pm and the Sripatham on bare foot have been out in the Sun for over six hours. Finally, the Lord came to a rest at the Asthana Mandapam in Malliyam, where he experienced a Thirumanjanam.
Unfortunately for the Sripatham personnel, much of this collection by the villagers in the name of Parimala Ranganathar does not translate to their kitty in a big way, though this time around late on Thursday evening, they fought for their rights with the Malliyam villagers and secured a reasonable sambhavanai for their service from the donations collected. Sripatham Head Kannan told this writer that the Ubayadarar of the day too took good care of the Sripatham Personnel recognising their commitment ferrying the Lord from Indhalur to Malliyam in the hot sun. njanam with the Prabhandham Ghoshti presenting Iyarpa and Tiruvoimozhi verses at Malliyam.
Back in Srirangam too, Namperumal made his way from Jeeyapuram having spent the whole day there on the Southern Banks of Cauvery. With the Prabhandham Ghoshti presenting Moonraam Thiruvanthathi from the North Chitra street and a whole host of Kainkaryaparas cheering each other through the return procession and with the devotees staying back in good numbers late on Thursday evening, Namperumal made his way back into the South entrance well past 10pm (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/03/srirangam-namperumal-jeeyapuram-utsavam.html).
At Thiru Indhalur, the shortage of service personnel is impacting utsavams with a few people having to manage the entire workload. All those centuries ago, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his praise says that for generations the devotees have been serving him and are yearning for his darshan. Contrasted with that, Perumal takes the trouble now to provide darshan through the day in the hot sun but the original inhabitants have long gone from remote temple towns as these.
எந்தை தந்தை தம்மான் என்றென்று
எமரேழ் ஏழளவும்
வந்து நின்ற தொண்டரோர்க்கே வாசிவல்லீரால்
சிந்தை தன்னுள் முந்தி நிற்றீர்
சிறிதும் திருமேனி
இந்த வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே- Thiru Mangai Azhvaar
Madapalli cook Kumar made it to the Iyengar's house in the morning to serve Pongal to the Kainkaryaparas. A physically challenged Kainkaryapara cycled all the way to Malliyam along with Perumal. An original inhabitant from the century gone by who now resides in Chennai having moved on to the corporate space made his way to the procession this morning to assist Sridhar Bhattar. It is with the help of these select Kainkaryaparas that Sridhar Bhattar is now managing processions during the Brahmotsavam.
It was late in the evening when Maruviniya Mainthar began his procession back from Malliyam to reach Thiru Indhalur at 10pm. Kudos to Sridhar Bhattar, who having remained unnoticed for several years, for taking responsibility for the conduct of these utsavams including this Brahmotsavam. The shortage of personnel does not make it easy for him and there are big challenges along the way but with patience, he engages with all the kainkaryaparas and devotees trying his best to make them happy. It was a big achievement for him to ensure that Perumal made it all the way to Malliyam on this hot day and the villagers who gathered in large numbers there were happy that they could have darshan of the Divya Desam Lord at their doorstep.
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