Thoothukudi Sankara Rameswaram Koil Shanmugham Gurukal

From Dindigul to Thoothukudi to continue hereditary archaka service

43 year old Shanmugha Sundara Bhattar is one of the only two priests at the centuries old Sankara Rameswaram Koil in Thoothukudi and while the work load is quite high, it has been an enjoyable 15 years for him as a full time priest with the reversal in fortunes. While once upon a time, they performed as hereditary service passing on from generations, over the last five decades or so, this has become a HRCE appointed post. Like in many other temples in TN, the devotional wave is bringing in big crowd into this temple and the income has shot up in recent years. While the second half of the previous century had been challenging for Shanmugham Gurukal’s uncles who performed archaka service at this temple, things have turned around, financially, with the return of the devotees.

From Dindigul to Thoothukudi

He had his schooling in Dindigul where his appa has been performing archaka service at the Abirami temple. Into his late teens, he began learning the Saiva Agama and undertook that for five years. His uncle who had been performing archaka service at the Sankara Rameswaram temple was looking for a successor to take over the reigns from him, he reached out to Shanmugham Gurukal who agreed to move from Dindigul. For a few years from 2005, he performed service without salary and then officially joined the temple as a temporary archaka in 2009. Two years later, he received a permanent posting and has since been performing service here. His relatives support him both in daily service as well as the utsavams like during the Chitrai Brahmotsavam that is currently on at the temple.

Pandya Period Construction

The story goes that Kashyapa Muni installed the lingam while king Sankara Rama Pandya built the temple in its current form with his brothers Kulasekara Pandya and Parakrama Pandya having built the Sankaran Koil and Kasi Viswanathar Koil (Tenkasi) respectively. To the south of the Siva temple is the Vaikunta Natha Perumal temple.

Shanmugham Gurukal’s forefathers had worked at a sub Rs. 100 salary that later went up to Rs. 3000. He is pleased that while they had served in challenging times, their selfless Kainkaryam of many decades is now paying rich dividend with him now getting a monthly pay of Rs. 30000 given the rapid rise in the fortunes of the temple.  

Thiru Kalyana Utsavam in Aipasi, Kantha Sashti Utsavam and Margazhi Thiruvathirai all attract big devotee crowd at this temple as has the current Chitrai Brahmotsavam. As with most other temples, Kainkaryaparas are in short supply given the work load but that is something the current generation of priests have to live with for many in the previous generation have moved far away from temple service and even those undergoing Patshala Agama initiation are looking at outside events as a career as against full time archaka service in historic temples. For the moment, Shanmugha Sundara Bhattar is enjoying his role as the lead priest at this temple anchoring the daily pooja as well as the utsavams.