Thiru Kannapuram Brahmotsavam Shiva Thiru Kolam

Sowri Raja Perumal provides darshan in a Once in a Year 'Shiva Thiru Kolam' this Saturday morning

The 7th day of the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam is a special one at Thiru Kannapuram Divya Desam for Sowri Raja Perumal provides darshan as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in three different processions.

It is 10.30pm on Friday May 29. There are no devotees inside the temple but the entire complex is abuzz with young sripatham boys carrying Sowri Raja Perumal on their shoulder with great excitement around the prakara. Having provided darshan earlier in the evening as Brahma, the Lord with his differentiated Sowri is in his usual Vishnu Thiru Kolam for this second procession of the evening. On the North Tank street, the prabhandham members are ready to start the recital of Periya Thirumozhi with the sacred verses on the Lord of Thiruneermalai. 

Residents of every home on the tank street come out to welcome the Lord. Close to 11pm, he is at the East street where a set of sripatham members await the arrival of Sowri Raja Perumal for them to mount him on to Periya Thiruvachi. A set of devotees have also gathered to pull the rope around the four long streets of Thiru Kannapuram. 

As the procession moved into the West street, the prabhandham members began the recital of the third canto of Periya Thirumozhi. It is a peaceful quiet procession with the resident devotees enjoying darshan of Sowri Raja Perumal in an unhurried darshan. Unlike till a decade ago, the roads have been relaid and it’s a smooth pulling of the rope. 

As the Periya Thiruvachi reached the end of the North street (that then extends itself to Thiru Marugal road), the power went off in Thiru Kannapuram allowing for an old fashioned traditional darshan with the entire street in darkness and the almost full moon right above the Lord lighting up the street along with the Ghee lit Theevatti.

Back near the chariot on the East street, the sripatham unmount Sowri Raja  Perumal from Periya Thiruvachi and carry the Lord on their shoulders.

At the South Tank street, 85 year old Koora Kulothama Dasa is still awake  and presents Thattu in front of his newly rebuilt house that looks like a mansion as described by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in the Periya Thirumozhi.

அரிவரவு முகில் கணத்தால் 

அகில் புகையால் வரையோடும் 

தெரிவு அரிய மணி மாடத்

திருகண்ணபுரத்துறையும் 

வரி அரவின் அணைத் துயின்று 

மழை மதத்த  சிறு தரு கண் 

கரி வெருவ மருப்பு ஒசித்தாற்கு 

இழந்தேன் என் கன வளையே   

Clock has ticked to midnight when Sowri Raja Perumal made his way back through the Eastern Raja Gopuram that is now covered for renovation works. The consecration was slated for Avani but a case filed in the court and a subsequent stay order has meant that this could be postponed. 

Devotionally committed Prabhandham Members

The Prabhandham members comprising of adyapakas from Thiruvallikeni and Kesava Perumal temple in Mylapore present the Satru Murai of Arimeya Vinnagaram verses. It is almost 12.30am when Sowri Raja Perumal is back at the alankara mandapam. The Sripatham personnel are presented with hot puliyotharai for their service and they take this back home for dinner. There are a few more service personnel left for whom rice is being boiled and they get their share of hot and fresh Puliyotharai at 1am.

Following in appa's footsteps

45 year old Murali Bhattar is following in the footsteps of his legendary appa Sowri Raja Bhattar and is all set for the differentiated alankaram of Sowri Raja Perumal as Lord Shiva. Having almost worked non stop for 24 hours, he is visibly tired with red eyes but one could catch a glimpse of happiness at the satisfaction of having decorated his favourite perumal in the Shiva Thiru Kolam at 3.30am on Saturday morning as he takes one final close look at the perfection of the alankaram.

He tells this writer  as to how the round chandanam on the forehead, the long white flower garland and white vastram are special features of this alankaram. His 15 year old son is learning the agama and pooja krama from Sowri Raja Bhattar while also focusing on academics.

Early morning Shiva Thiru Kolam Darshan

By 4am Kainkaryaparas and devotees start trickling in. Each of the Kainkaryaparas take up one instrument as they present devotional music with the beating of the drums and the big dumb bells  creating a positive vibration inside the temple at this early hour in the morning. As the clock ticks to 5am, the big door opens and the devotees have a first glimpse of Sowri Raja Perumal in the Shiva Thiru Kolam as the Sripatham make their way out of the Sannidhi presenting the Voyali that is so popular at the Kapaleeswarar temple during the Panguni Utsavam. 

Love filled devotees of Kannapuram

இணை மலி மருது இற  எருதினோடு  இகல் செய்து 

துணை மலி முலையவள் மணம் மிகு கலவியில் 

மணமலி விழவினொடு அடியவர் அளவிய 

கணமலி கணபுரம் அடிகள் தம் இடமே  

The 50 odd devotees who have gathered at the temple at this early hour enjoy both the voyali and the beating of the drums. In front of the Vibheeshana Sannidhi, the prabhandham members present Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Siriya Thiru Madal while the devotees have a close look at this once in a year Thiru Kolam of Sowri Raja Perumal and chat amongst themselves on the special features of the alankaram.

After 20 minutes of providing darshan in the Shiva Thiru Kolam, Sowri Raja Perumal made his way back to the alankara mandapam with the devotees expressing a blessed feeling at having had the opportunity to have darshan of their Perumal in this Thiru Kolam.

Unmindful of his recent ill health, 76 year old Sowri Raja Bhattar who has been performing archaka service for over six decades at this Divya Desam has stayed awake through the night supporting his son Murali Bhattar and overseeing the alankaram. He had been the one decorating his favourite Sowri Raja Perumal for many decades with this Shiva Thiru Kolam and is delighted and sports a smile on seeing his son take  the mantle of the alankaram expert (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/11/thiru-kannapuram-sowri-rajan-bhattar.html).