From Coffee Manufacturing to Archaka Kainkaryam at the feet of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s favourite Narasimha idol
Karthigai Procession - Sudarshan Bhattar is seen in the middle
It has been three years since Sudarshan Bhattar took over the mantle as the sole archaka at the Dasavathara temple in Srirangam, one where Thiru Mangai Azhvaar performed Thiru Aradhana for Lord Narasimha. In his five decads of praise on Srirangam, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar has reserved a decad for the Dasavatharam Lords with a verse each for them in his Periya Thirmozhi. This phase following the Pandemic has been a most satisfying one for Sudarshan Bhattar with him being bestowed the responsibility of carrying out the year-long renovation works that concluded earlier this year at this Ahobila Mutt administered temple.
ஏனாகி உலகிடந்து அன்று இரு நிலனும் பெரு விசும்பும்
தானாய பெருமானை தன் அடியார் மனத்தென்றும்
தேனாகி அமுதாகித் திகழந்தானை
மகிழ்ந்து ஒரு கால்
ஆனாயன் ஆனானைக் கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே
Electronics Engineering
With his appa Srinivasan working in the Defence sector in Bangalore, Sudarshan took to his early education at the Sainik School in the Cantonment area. After class X, he underwent a three year diploma course in electronics and telecom engineering and then pursued a two year pharmacology course. In that phase, he also learned the agama at the Sripuram Andavan Ashram in Bangalore under the mentorship of Vadugu Nambi.
Right from an early age borne out of disciplined education at Sainik School, Sudarshan was enterprising and energetic. Out of his teens, he set up a coffee manufacturing unit and ran it for a few years in Bangalore before he migrated to the Sannidhi street in Kanchipuram.
Enterprising Personality
On this Swathi morning in Puratasi, he was up at the temple early morning for Thiru Aradhana for Narasimha swami at the Dasavathara temple following which he told this writer as to how he shifted to Kanchi after spending the first 30 years of his life in a very cosmopolitan environment in Bangalore “My appa retired from defence service and was keen to move to a temple town. I was under the PM employment generation project and that meant I could move only within a 350 km radius and hence we chose Kanchi.”
At Kanchi, he continued the coffee manufacturing business for 8 years before having to shut shop following the Pandemic in 2020. He also encouraged and promoted women entrepreneurship organising micro finance for them and getting them to produce traditional food products.
Into Temple Kainkaryam
During that phase in Kanchi, he began performing full fledged Kainkaryam at the Vaikunta Nathan perumal Koil, a remotely located abhimana sthalam in Magaral, about 15 kms from Kanchi. He also performed Kainkaryam at the Parakala Mutt in Thoopul, Kanchi.
வளர்ந்தவனைத் தடங் கடலுள் வலி உருவில் திரி சகடம்
தளர்ந்துதிர உதைத்தவனை
தரியாது அன்று இரணியனைப் பிளந்தவனை
பெரு நிலம் ஈர் அடி நீட்டிப்
பண்டொருநாள் அளந்தவனை
யான் கண்டது அணி நீர்த் தென் அரங்கத்தே
He then founded a Trust (FEDSED) in an endeavour to convert semi skilled workers to skilled workers with support from the Central Government. Over the next one year, he is hoping to launch a Vocational training institute in Srirangam (Trichy) to fulfil this dream of his. He says that it will serve as an incubation center, Train them on business and help prospective entrepreneurs set up a small scale business.
Oriental Coaching for Patshala Students
For the Vedic Patshala students, his dream is to provide oriental training to educate them on Science, Maths, Astrology and Astronomy. He says there is a Central Government thrust towards this and he wants to do his bit on this front as well.
His aunt lived in Srirangam and during his childhood years he would often visit this legendary temple town. Those trips created an early liking for him for Srirangam and following the Pandemic he moved to the madapalli at the Ranganathaswamy temple.
And then in 2023, came the opportunity at the Dasavathara Sannidhi. He told this writer that he considers it a great blessing to be performing Thiru Aradhana for Lord Narasimha, one for whom Thiru Mangai Azhvaar had performed.
தம் சினத்தைத் தவிர்த்து அடைந்தார்
தவ நெறியை
தரியாது அன்று உலகம் உண்டு உமிழ்ந்த கற்பகத்தை
வெம் சினத்த கொடுந் தொழிலோன்
விசை உருவை அசைவித்த
அம்சிறை புள் பாகனை யான் கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே
The walls of the Dasavathara Sannidhi, the Prakaras and the structure of the tower are an indication of the history of this temple. The rectangular shaped Vimana is special. Also, there are 10 Kalasam for the 10 Dasavathara Idols, another unique feature at this temple. In the 2nd tier below the Vimana, there is a sculpture of Lakshmi Narasimha as well as an Oonjal Chain- an indication that there may have been an Oonjal Utsavam at this temple. Beginning Kaisika Ekadasi, there are five festive days in the Karthigai month. On the Thiru Karthigai day, the Lord is taken on a procession around the 8 streets- 4 Chitra streets and 4 Uthara streets.
Since his arrival at the Dasavaratha temple, he has created a two kaala full fledged Thaligai and a sumptuous Thathiyaaraathanai at least twice a month (Dwadashi). When it was time for Thirupanni works to start in 2024, the CEO of the Ahobila Mutt in Srirangam assigned Sudarshan Bhattar the entire responsibility to undertake the repair works that culminated in a grand consecration earlier this year.
நீரழலாய் நெடுநிலனாய் நின்றானை
அன்று அரக்கன் ஊர் அழலால் உண்டானை
கண்டார் பின் காணாமே
பேரழலாய் பெரு விசும்பாய்
பின் மறையோர் மந்திரத்தின்
ஆரழலால் உண்டானைக்
கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே
He says that him being the chosen one for the renovation works and taking on the mantle as the anchor person for the consecration event gave him a great bit of satisfaction. The devotee crowd has increased at the Dasavathara Temple this year following the consecration and there is a steady stream of devotees having darshan each day. He is quiet most of the time and goes about his Kainkaryam without attracting attention. Through his service, he has attracted a few devotees in Srirangam who are at the Dasavathara Sannidhi every morning to support him in every way possible. Over these three years, he has doubled up both as the archaka as well as the cook at the madapalli. The sacred food presented to the Lord has been at its peak at this temple reminding one of the decades gone by in temples in Tamil Nadu.
When he was manufacturing coffee 20 years ago and running a hugely successful business in Bangalore providing employment to several people, he may not have foreseen a phase when he would perform Kainkaryam in a legendary Thiru Mangai Azhvaar related Sannidhi. But its been a transformational phase with him being the sole Thiru Aradhaka at the Dasavathara Sannidhi in Srirangam. For the 45 year old Sudarshan Bhattar, it has been an enjoyable three years so far at Srirangam and he says that he will continue this Kainkaryam as long as possible and as long as the Ahobila Mutt wants him to. It had always been his appa’s dream to create an entrepreneurial culture in this country and he says that he will continue to work on the social development initiatives that he has embarked on.
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