Finally, a financial and a devotee turnaround
After waiting for close to 20 years, Subramanian Gurukal is happy that Lord Shiva has answered his long time prayer of restoring the Sannidhi at its original location
Subramanian Gurukal was not yet 40 when he landed up at the Shiva Sannidhi early in the morning middle of Vaikasi in 2004 only to find it in tatters. The entire Sannidhi had been brought down in a single night and there was no resemblance of what had existed the previous night and for the many centuries prior. Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his praise in the Periya Thirumozhi referred to Lord Shiva as ‘Pakkam Ninraar’.
அக்கும் புலியின் அதளும் உடையார்
அவர் ஒருவர் பக்கம் நிற்க நின்ற
பண்பர் ஊர்போலும்
தக்க மரத்தின் தாழ் சினாய் ஏறி
தாய் வாயில் கொக்கின் பிள்ளை
வெள் இற உண்ணும் குறுங்குடியே
On this Ashtami morning in Aippasi, the Gurukal tells this writer as to how he spent close to two decades in sadness at not being able to perform pooja at the Sannidhi that had been handed to them in the 1980s soon after the consecration. “There was opposition from a lot of the local residents with Sokkalingam Pillai (he is no more) being the most vocal” recalls Subramanian Gurukal.
His long time prayer was to get Shiva back to his original location. Finally in 2023, his prayer was answered and Shiva Sannidhi was consecrated again at the same place from where it had been displaced.
Till 1980s, the pooja at the Shiva Sannidhi had been performed by the Pothies from Kerala. Subramanaian Gurukal’s appa ran a school in Thiru Kurungudi and this was vibrant with over 500 students and close to 20 teachers but with passing of time, students have stayed away from Government aided school and moved on to more modern sophisticated schools in the region. At that time, the Mutt was in a poor state financially with recovery of tenancy monies being a serious issue. The temple itself was in a bad shape and the original inhabitants had moved away from their ancestral town in search of greener pastures in large cities. For a large part, the temple was deserted and there were very few devotees at the Shiva Sannidhi in the 1980s and 90s.
Subramanian Gurukal joined the temple service in his late teens in the 1980s and learned from his appa and uncle by watching them and serving alongside them. In 1994, he joined the temple as the official archaka at a monthly salary of Rs. 60. A few years later, when TVS’ Venu Srinivasan began restoration of Divya Desams in this region, Subramanian Gurukal was paid a monthly sambhavanai of Rs. 500 which was a solid amount at that time.
He had a Masters degree in History and a DTE. He tried his hand at teaching in the local school but he ended up without a salary for many years.
VOA at Vaanamaamalai Mutt
Interestingly, the Vanamaamalai Mutt in Nanguneri offered him the role of a VOA that involved supervising a team in collection of rent from temple lands and depositing that in the Mutt account. That service helped him with an additional income to sustain and run his family.
He has been full time at the Shiva Sannidhi over the last two decades. With the restoration of the Sannidhi and the consecration of the temple earlier this year, the crowd has increased especially over the weekends. With the taking over by Ramanuja Perarula Jeer just over 15 years ago, things have turned around financially for the Mutt through his proactive initiatives in focusing on recoveries (this section featured a story on that earlier this year). This meant that the salary of the Gurukal has risen manifold.
He also performs homam and participates in consecration events in the temples in the region.
It has been a satisfying last few years for Subramanian Gurukal after the restoration of the Shiva Sannidhi that had been in Balalayam for close to two decades. Devotees who visit the Nambi Sannidhis at this temple reach here to listen to the temple legend. To each of them, the Gurukal refers to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Pakkam Ninraar verse and how the Thaligai comes from the same madapalli and is presented to both Nambi Perumal and Lord Shiva.
நின்ற வினையும் துயரும் கெட மா மலர் ஏந்தி
சென்று பணிமின் எழுமின் தொழுமின் தொண்டீர்காள்
என்றும் இரவும் பகலும் வரி வண்டு இசை பாட
குன்றின் முல்லை மன்றிடை நாறும் குறுங்குடியே
Thiru Mangai Azhvaar asks the devotees to come to Thiru Kurungudi and offer their worship here. He says that by serving the Lord here, they would be elevated and their past Karmas would be destroyed.
Even as he completes the conversation with this writer, poja items are coming in for Ashtami. He also sounds out the Madapalli Paricharakar and the Maniam, Ramanujam, on the Thaligai. His phone doesn’t stop ringing with calls to fix him for a consecration event.
It has been a positive turnaround for the Gurukal whose app and uncle had endured financial challenges in the 1980s. He is now enjoying his role as the Gurukal at this Azhvaars praised temple with the Shiva Sannidhi housed inside the Divya Desam. Devotees who visit the Sannidhi are reminded of the Kanchi temples where Perumal is housed inside the Shiva temple. They are told that this is similar to the Divya Desam in Thiru Koshtiyur where Shiva Sannidhi is located inside the Azhvaar praised Perumal temple.
Devotees continue to throng the Shiva Sannidhi on this Sunday with many of them wanting an archanai at the Bairavar Sannidhi housed next to Shiva and Subramanian Gurukal heeds to their call and moves on to present the archanai much to their delight. It is now just over three years since the restoration of the Shiva Sannidhi and for Subramanian Gurukal it has been a glorious phase in his life serving the devotees. When he joined the temple, there were very few devotees, the salary was low and then soon after the Sannidhi was brought out. Now it is a complete turnaround. The devotees have increased manifold, the Salary has risen under the management of the current Jeer and the restoration of the this sannidhi and the large scale consecration of the larger temple complex is drawing people in big numbers to this Divya Desam. And that is bringing the 'previously missing' smile back on to the Gurukal's face.
Shiva Sannidhi restored in 2023: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/07/thiru-kurungudi-pakkam-ninnaar-shiva.html
No comments:
Post a Comment