Parimala Ranganatha provides Garuda Sevai on the fourth day of the Tula Utsavam
Tula Utsavam is one of the two big utsavams in the year at Parimala Ranganatha temple in Thiru Indhalur, a Divya Desam praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar. The utsavam is marked by vahana procession every evening like the Brahmotsavam in Panguni with Theerthavari in the Cauvery following the Chariot Procession on the 9th day (next Monday- Nov 16).
Just over six decades ago, the entire Sannidhi Street was filled with traditionalists who spent all their time in temple related activities. Divya Prabhandham and Vedic Recital was an integral part of this Divya Desam. There were full time Adyapakars and Vedic Scholars who performed daily service at the temple. Prabhandham Scholars from across the state made it to the Tula Utsavam such was the sanctity of the festival here in Aippasi. This year the Tula Utsavam coincided with the Manavala Mamuni Avathar Utsavam. The prabhandham members have dwindled in remote temple towns but the Theerthakarars of Thiru Indhalur have kept the recital going during these big utsavams. Early evening on Wednesday (Nov 11), they presented two cantos of Periya Thirumozhi and one from Namazhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi.
Thiru Indhalur is a Pancha Ranga Kshetram where the Lord is seen in a grand Veera Sayana Posture displaying his four hands with the entire moolavar Lord carved on a single stone, an exquisite piece of architecture. The other Pancha Kshetrams are Srirangam, Srirangapatnam, Koviladi and Kumbakonam. There are several other sculptures inside the temple depicting historical episodes. Also, there are Navagraha stone carvings atop the roof at 6 different locations within the temple. Most of the structures are architecturally appealing.
Sridhar Bhattar at the forefront
As mentioned in a few of the stories on this temple earlier in this section, two of the longstanding priests have remained suspended for many years with no signs of them coming back. Sridhar Bhattar who had been sidelined for a long time has become the face of the temple over the last few years and is the one most active at this temple moving around from Sannidhi to alankara mandapam and then for the Satru Murai on this 8th day of Manavala Mamuni utsavam in front of the azhvaar-acharya Sannidhi.
With the clock ticking past 7pm, the prabhandham members began Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s final verses on Sowri Raja Perumal of Thiru Kannapuram and followed it with the final verse of the 8th canto of Tiruvoimozhi. Theertham, Shatari and Prasadam were presented to the Kainkaryaparas and the few devotees who were present for the Satru Murai.
Ahead of the Garuda Sevai, Sridhar Bhattar roped in the young Madhavan Bhattar from Thiru Cherai Saranathan Perumal Divya Desam for the alankaram of Parimala Ranganatha atop the Garuda Vahana and the 20 year old Patshala student Varada Gopalan from Kaarappankaadu for the alankaram of Senai Muthalvar. He himself decorated Andal atop the Anna Pakshi vahana.
Most of the original inhabitants have left this historic divya desam in search of greener pastures and thus there are very few devotees or kainkaryaparas for the start of the Garuda sevai procession. The sripatham service has been outsourced and they have arrived on time in good numbers. Following the Deeparathanai and the presentation of Puliyotharai Prasadam, they are all set to carry Parimala Ranganatha to the Eastern Entrance where the big door beneath the Raja Gopuram shuts.
There are a handful of devotees waiting outside on the Sannidhi street in anticipation of the opening of the Raja Gopuram door for them to have a first glimpse of Parimala Ranganatha Perumal atop the Garuda Vahana. Even as the deeparathanai is presented at this eastern entrance, the devotees are awestruck at the beautiful decoration and they cant take their eyes away from the handsome looking Lord with whom Thiru Mangai Azhvaar had expressed his anger at not welcoming him into the temple.
ஆசை வழுவாதேத்தும் எமக்கு இங்கு இழுக்காய்த்து
அடியோர்க்குத் தேசம் அறிய உமக்கே ஆளாய்த் திரிகின்றோமுக்கு
காசின் ஒளியில் திகழும் வண்ணம் காட்டீர் எம் பெருமான்
வாசி வல்லீர் இந்தளூரீரே வாழ்ந்தே போம் நீரே
The devotees were even more delighted on seeing Andal atop the Anna Pakshi Vahana in a beautiful green saree holding a veena in her hand.
Solo Madapalli Cook
In the century gone by, during the Tula Utsavam, devotees and service personnel at the temple were served so much food and in such varieties that on most days they had to reject the servings for there was no more space (in the stomach) to consume. Madapalli was packed with cooks and parijarakarars in those decades. Madapalli Paricharakar Kumar is busy preparing hot Puliyotharai for the Sripatham personnel. It is a solo act and there is no support even during this utsavam period. The onus is on him to prepare the sacred food for the daily pooja, for the manavala mamuni utsavam as well as the Tula Utsavam. It is a physically tiring job working in challenging conditions with the firewood burning inside the madapalli. But he is up for it. He considers it a great opportunity to be the one donning the hat of a cook multiple times in the day for different occasions- cooking for the utsavam as well as for the daily pooja. Unmindful of health issues, he is devotionally engaged inside the madapalli, all alone.
On the Sannidhi street, the residents come out to present the Thattu. By this time, Satish Narayana Bhattar from Narayana Perumal temple in Thiru Nangur has arrived after completing his daily pooja at the Nangur Divya Desam to don the role of the priest for the procession. He collects the Thattu from each of the residents and presents deeparathanai to Perumal and Andal.
The prabhandham members have begun the recital of Nanmugan Thiruvanthathi while four vedic members from Chennai follow perumal on the procession with their vedic recital. It is past 9pm when Parimala Ranganatha is mounted on to the Olai Chapparam followed by Senai Muthalvar and Andal.
While there is a dearth of kainkaryaparas and devotees even at the Garuda Vahana procession, there is no shortage of arguments and fights. At the end of the Sannidhi street, next to the Anjaneya Sannidhi, the chief of the Sripatham wants to burst the crackers to signify the commencement of the Olai Chapparam procession around the four streets but the fruit vendor who has fig leaves atop his shop objects to the crackers being burst in front of his shop fearing the spark igniting the leaves. Finally better sense prevails and the fire crackers and the rockets go up at the intersection of the East and South Mada streets.
The Bhagavathas are an integral part of such processions and this group presents bhajans and sacred songs with great devotion. Their participation adds a devotional flavour to the procession.
சொல்லாது ஒழியகில்லேன் அறிந்த சொல்லில்
நும்மடியார் எல்லோரோடும் ஓக்க எண்ணியிருந்தீர் அடியேனை
நல்லார் அறிவீர் தீயார் அறிவீர்
நமக்கு இவ்வுலகத்து எல்லாம் அறிவீர்
ஈதே அறியீர், இந்தளூரீரே
Octogenarian Priest from yesteryears
Residents of the Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised Divya Desam come out of their homes on the South and West Mada streets to have darshan of the Trio. Satish Narayana Bhattar is full of patience while the young Varada Gopalan is at his energetic best delighted at securing this opportunity to perform kainkaryam on the Garuda Sevai evening.
On the West Street is 85 year old SK Bhattar who is lifted by two Sripatham persons with his chair to seat him in front of Parimala Rangantha. Sridhar Bhattar who is now carrying forward the Murai of SK Bhattar at this temple explains the features of this evening’s alankaram to the Octogenarian who once upon a time performed Kainkaryam at this temple.
Archaka Ramesh has been performing Thiru Aradhana for over 25 years at the Srinivasa Perumal temple, an abhimana sthalam a couple of kms north of this Divya Desam. He too joins in the kainkaryam and holds the canopy atop Andal.
In 2019, this section had featured a story on the Tula Utsavam when the North Street was full of pits and it was quite a challenge for Parimala Rangantha to wade through that street. Things have improved a lot on the infra front with the four roads now in good shape leading to a smooth procession.
Well past 10pm and on to the North Mada street, there are two surprise visitors from two Saivite temples in the region. Agneeswarar Gurukal of Kanjanur and Thyagarajan Gurukal of Thiru Kodikkaval have made it to Mayiladuthurai for the Rishabha Vahana procession at the Mayuranatha temple, 2 kms South of here but that procession has not yet started. On this North street, they have darshan of Parimala Rangantha. They are a popular duo with all the kainkaryaparas of Thiru Indhalur exchanging pleasantries with them.
In front of the Anjaneya Sanndhi, they move on in their Innova car towards the Mayuranatha temple even as Parimala Ranganatha makes his way out of the Olai Chapparam back to the temple. In front of the Eastern Rajagopuram, the prabhandham members present the Satru Murai verses of Nangaam Thiruvanthathi followed by the conclusion of the Vedic verses. It is past 11pm when Perumal and Andal make it back to the alankara mandapam while Senai Mudhalvar goes back to his Sannidhi.
எந்தை தந்தை தம்மான் என்றென்று
எமரேழ் ஏழளவும்
வந்து நின்ற தொண்டரோர்க்கே வாசிவல்லீரால்
சிந்தை தன்னுள் முந்தி நிற்றீர்
சிறிதும் திருமேனி
இந்த வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே
The madapalli cook distributes the huge quantity of Puliyotharai that he has prepared to the Sripatham personnel for them to take back home for their service on the evening. Past 11.30pm most of the kainkaryaparas have left the temple with Sridhar Bhattar and Satish Narayana Bhattar engaging in mounting Perumal and Andal from their vahanas and to removing the jewels and the alankaram. This is quite a laborious task and takes a few hours. They are at the temple into the wee hours of Thursday morning before they are finally done with this task and keeping the jewels back in safe custody.
For Sridhar Bhattar it is a very satisfying experience. For a couple of decades, he had played second fiddle to Mappilai Bhattar and Muralidhara Deekshithar but he patiently held his ground in that phase. And he is now reaping the benefits of that great devotional commitment that he had exhibition in that earlier period. He considers it Parimala Ranganatha’s blessing for bestowing this great responsibility on him to organise this Garuda Sevai procession during this sacred Tula Utsavam and is ever grateful to the Lord who he served from far in the decades gone by.
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