Thiru Pulingudi Panguni Garuda Sevai 2025

After 75 years

In a historic revival, Kallarpiran of Srivaikuntam and Vijayaasanar of Varagunamangai Divya Desam visited Thiru Pulingudi for a Joint Garuda Sevai procession on Wednesday 

49 year Gopalakrishnan Bhattar has been serving as an archaka at the Kaisina Venthar Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Pulingudi for close to three decades. He also doubles up as the madapalli cook through the year. His joy knew no bounds and was in happy tears late on Wednesday evening when he was two nearby Divya Desam Perumal join his own Lord at Thiru Pulingudi on a three Garuda Sevai procession. He was particularly delighted for it was an unexpected turn of events that led to Kallarpiran and  Vijayaasana Perumal from Srivaikuntam and Natham Divya Desam make this trip on the fifth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Thiru Pulingudi.

He recounted to this writer on Wednesday as to how he counted as his Perumal’s blessings for his over 25 years service at the Thiru Pulingudi Divya Desam, where his appa too had served for several decades “Earlier in March, when Gopalakrishnan Bhattar was exploring the possibility of a Theppotsavam, much to his delight, he came to know of the presence of the Lords of Srivaikuntam and Varagunamangai at Thiru Pulingudi. The historical register of records in the middle of the 20th century contained entries relating to expenses of the visit of the Perumal from these two Divya Desams to Thiru Pulingudi.”

And this led to a historic revival after over seven decades of the three Garuda Sevai on the fifth day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Thiru Pulingudi.

Nam Azhvaar's praise of these three temples

In the 2nd decad of the ninth canto of the Thiruvoimozhi, Nam Azhvaar refers to these three Perumals as being in Sayana Kolam at Pulingudi, a seated posture at Varagunamangai and providing darshan in a standing posture at Srivaikuntam.

புளிங்குடிக் கிடந்தது வரகுணமங்கையிருந்து வைகுந்தத்துள் நின்று 

தெளிந்த என் சிந்தை அகங்கழியாதே என்னயாழ்வாய் எனக்கருளி 

நலிந்த சீருலகம் மூன்றுடன் வியப்ப நாங்கள் கூத்தாடி நின்றார்ப்ப

பளிங்கு நீர் முகிலின் பவளம் போல் கனிவாய் சிவப்ப நீ காணவாராயே

In the week leading up to this revival, there were debates and discussions in the Nava Tirupathi region on this trip and the challenges around the procession. As has been his way over the last couple of decades, Gopalakrishnan Bhattar remained calm and unfazed “It has been a challenging fortnight for me especially given that I also had to make annual arrangements for the Brahmotsavam. In addition, since this was a revival for several decades, there were many questions raised but I have always looked to Kaisina Venthar Perumal for solution. And this time, I turned to him for his blessings”, he told this writer even as he moved on to get his Perumal ready for the fifth day utsavam.

Directional Programme Schedule

The Trust Board and the HR & CE at Srivaikuntam laid down the schedule for the day and communicated to all concerned. Kallarpiran was to start after 8am on Wednesday morning and along with Vijayaasana Perumal of  Varagunamangai (Natham), they were to reach Thiru Pulingudi before 10am.

While it would have been a quiet mid week morning at Srivaikuntam, this Wednesday morning was an action packed one. By 8.30am, everything was in order and Kallarpiran was ready for the procession in the pallakku to Varagunamangai, 2kms east of this Divya Desam.

Thaligai was carried afoot from Srivaikuntam for presentation at Thiru Pulingudi. Vijayasana Perumal was ready at the eastern entrance of the Varagunamangai Divya Desam to welcome Kallarpiran. Shortly after 9.15am following the mariyathai and deeparathanai, the two made their way to Thiru Pulingudi, a km east of Natham.

காய்சின பறவைஊர்ந்து பொன்மலையின் மீமிசைக் கார்முகில்போல் 

மாசினமாலி   மாலிமானென்று அங்கு அவர் படக்கனன்று முன்நின்ற 

காய்சின வேந்தே கதிர்முடியானே கலிவயல் திருப்புளிங்குடியாய் 

காய்சின வாழி சங்குவாள் வில்தண்டேந்தி எம்மிடர் கடிவானே

Inside the Kaisina Venthar Perumal temple, devotees had gathered in good numbers to have an early darshan of Kallarpiran and Vijayaasanar.  The nagaswaram and melam bands had begun performing even as Gopalakrishnan Bhattar made his way to the entrance of the temple to receive the Perumal from the two Divya Desam. 

After the welcoming event, Kaisina Venthar made his way around Mada Streets in a Pallakku as part of the fifth morning procession of the Panguni Brahmotsavam with two Prabhandham members reciting the sacred verses.

Around a 100devotees placed themselves in front of the three Lords ahead of the Thirumanjanam. Periyazhvaar’s decad on Krishnan’s oil bath was presented by the Prabhandham members while the respective temples presented the Thirumanjanam oil to the devotees. 

Following the Thirumanjanam, the prabhandham members of Kaisina Venthar temple presented the sacred verses on this fifth day of the Brahmotsavam after which Kadamba Saatham and Dhadhyonam was distributed to the devotees. It was well past 1pm when the events of the first half came to an end.

The word had spread among the residents of Nava Tirupathi on the revival of the three Garuda Sevai procession and shortly after 6pm, devotees thronged the Thiru Pulingudi Divya Desams coming by auto, car and van. Outstation devotees who were making a trip to the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam on this Wednesday expressed surprised at this blessing they received with them being able to witness a three Garuda Sevai that was coming alive after a break of several decades.

Support archakas including from Varaha Perumal temple Kallidakurichi had arrived in the evening for the alankaram of each of the three Perumals and they began decoration of Garuda and Perumal even as devotees made their way to have a darshan of the Moolavar seen in a Sayana Kolam and then went around the Sannidhi to have a darshan of the feet of the Lord from the northern wall of the sanctum. 

By 8pm, the entire eastern entrance was packed with devotees waiting for the first glimpse of the Lords atop the Garuda Vahana.

The big door at the eastern entrance was shut for a few minutes while the Sripatham Personnel carried Kaisina Venthar on their shoulders and much to the delight of the devotees, the doors opened even as Gopalakrishnan Bhattar presented the deeparathanai. Soon, after the three Perumals provided joint Garuda Sevai in front of the Eastern Entrance.

For the next two hours, the three Lords made their way, first around the four Mada streets and then around the outer streets of Thiru Pulingudi with residents welcoming the Lords to their homes with fruits and garlands. The schedule had been for Kallarpiran and Perumal to return to their respective temples by 10pm but this was a historic occasion with the residents of Thiru Pulingudi bursting fire crackers and rocket shots along the procession and devotees turning out in good numbers at every street. It was past 10pm when the three Lords made their way back inside the Kaisina Venthar temple. 

எங்கள் கண்முகப்பே உலகர்களெல்லாம் இணையடி தொழுதெழுந் திறைஞ்சி 

தங்களன் பாரத் தமது சொல்வளத்தால் தலை தலைச் சிறந்து பூசிப்ப 

திங்கள் சேர் மாடத் திருப்புளிங்குடியாய் திருவைகுந்தத்துள்ளாய் தேவா 

இங்கண் மாஞாலத்திதனுளும் ஒருநாள் இருந்திடாய் வீற்றிடன்கொண்டே

After unmounting the Garuda Vahana, Kallarpiran and Vijayasana Perumal began their return trip to their respective temples after 11pm. 29 year old Ramanujam Bhattar has been at the Srivaikuntam temple for a decade and he too was happy taking this procession as the will of his Perumal. It was past midnight when a Thirumanjanam was performed for Kallarpiran at Srivaikuntam following the procession.

The happiest man on the night was Gopalakrishnan Bhattar. It had been a momentous day for him. He has been performing service all alone at the temple in the last many years and the joint Garuda Sevai darshan of his perumal alongside the other two Divya Desam Perumal was a high point in his almost three decades long Kainkaryam at the Kaisina venthar temple as he took a well earned rest after reaching home at 1.30am recalling the glorious Garuda Sevai procession of the evening.

Azhvaar Tirungari Nam Azhvaar Maasi Utsavam 2025

On Friday morning, Nam Azhvaar visited his avathara sthalam at Appan Koil before making his way to Erettai Tirupathi to meet his parents on Maasi Anusham

                                          Devapiran

It is just past 5am on Friday (February 20) morning and the occasion is Maasi Anusham when Nam Azhvaar makes his annual trip to Erettai Tirupathi. A day earlier - Maasi Visakam - was the day when Madurakavi Azhvaar found the idol of Nam Azhvaar on the banks of Tamarai Barani and in memory of this episode, Nam Azhvaar had made a trip to the Tamarai Barani on Thursday morning for the Theerthavari utsavam.

Early on Friday morning, the Aathi Nathar temple in Azhvaar Tirunagari is abuzz with a large contingent of Sripatham Thangis at the entrance ready to carry Nam Azhvaar on their shoulder to Erettai Tirupathi on this final day of the Maasi Utsavam. Inside the temple, Bhagavathas and women devotees have lined up for Thiruppavai Ghoshti Theertham and Prasadam with Araiyar Nathan leading the Satru Murai verses. Soon, the Sripatham enter the temple to carry Nam Azhvaar on this long fast paced procession. 

Recalling this day from the 1970s

Govindan Bhattar, who was joined by colleague Ramakrishnan Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/thiru-mogur-kalamegha-perumal.html), is present this morning from Thiru Mogur and walks all the way to Appan Koil. He recalls this trip from his childhood days in the 1970s “This was a big day in the year for me. I was keen to walk alongside Namzhvaar crossing the Tamaraibarani in knee deep water to reach the birth place of Nam Azhvaar at Appan Koil, one that was surrounded by big bushes.”

                           Govindan Bhattar, Thiru Mogur

“Those were glorious days with the presence of hundreds of Vaishnavas at Azhvaar Tirungari and the entire Divya Desam was vibrant during this utsavam but most of them have since left the hereditary location. And it is no more the same.”

Nam Azhvaar sees Devapiran as his parents

Legend has it that Thiru Mangai Azhvaar came to Azhvaar Tirunagari to invite Nam Azhvaar to witness the Adyayana Utsavam in Srirangam in Margazhi, one that had been created and organized by the former in recognition of the contribution of the latter. Having enjoyed the presentation of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham by the Araiyars at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, Nam Azhvaar is believed to have reached Tholai Villi Mangalam on the Anusham day in Maasi to invoke the blessings of his parents. As described in Tiruvoimozhi (6.5.10), Nam Azhvaar saw Lord Devapiran of Erettai Tirupathi at Tholai Villi Mangalam as his mother and father.

சிந்தையாலும் சொல்லாலும் செய்கையினாலும் 

தேவ பிரானையே 

தந்தை தாய் என் று அடைந்த 

வன் குருகூர் அவர் சடகோபன் சொல் 

முந்தை ஆயிரத்துள் இவை 

தொலை வில்லி மங்கலத்தை சொன்ன

செந்தமிழ் பத்தும் வல்லார் 

அடிமை செய்வார் திருமாலுக்கே 

In the decades gone by, prior to Venu Srinivasan's transformation restoration of the twin temples (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/02/erettai-tirupathi-transformation.html), this annual trip of Nam Azhvaar to Tholai Villi Mangalam was the only festival celebrated at Erettai Tirupathi and hence assumed great significance.

The first stop at Appan Koil

Thiruvenkata Mudayan of Appan Koil was the aradhana idol of Nam Azhvaar’s father. Hence on his way to Erettai Tirupathi, Nam Azhvaar made a halt at this temple evoking memories of his father's sincere devotion rendered to the Lord at this temple. There is a Nam Azhvaar avathara mandapam inside this temple.

Nam Azhvaar was welcomed at Appan Koil by Araiyar Sarangan, the 27 year old son of Nathan Araiyar who has taken over the performance of daily Thiru Aradhana at this temple. There are a couple of mandagapadis in this historic birth place of Nam Azhvaar and it is 8am when he entered the temple for his first stop over on the day.

                         Nam Azhvaar at Appan Koil

It is a temple that has been restored to its historic glory and Govindan Bhattar says that it bears no resemblance to what it was in the 1970s “In addition to the restoration of Nava Tirupathi temples, TVS’ Venu Srinivasan has transformed this temple beyond recognition. From the dark, unlit days in the decades gone by, this is now beautifully maintained” Govindan Bhattar, who performed the role of Ekanki at Tirupathi for a decade and a half before his role as archaka at Thiru Mogur, recalled to this writer at the Appan Koil madapalli on Friday morning.

Hot Pongal is served to the Sripatham Thangis for their early morning 90 minute effort. The Vaishnavas and Bhagavathas too are presented the sacred Thaligai from the madapalli, that too has seen a transformation.

A grand welcome by Aravinda Lochanan 

The energised Sripatham are back to carry Nam Azhvaar to Erettai Tirupathi and first to Aravinda Lochana Sannidhi. The Prabhandham Ghoshti are present in good numbers and for 45minutes they present the tenth canto of Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi led by Araiyars Nathan and Sarangan. For the first time, the entire pathway from Aravinda Lochana Sannidhi is decked with pushpa alankaram.

The garland of Aravinda Lochanan is presented to Nam Azhvaar and following the Theertham Prasadam, Nam Azhvaar went South to the Northern banks of Tamaraibarani where Devapiran himself, who Nam Azhvaar saw as his own father and mother, came out of the temple to welcome and receive him. After Nam Azhvaar went around the temple complex, both stationed themselves at the alankaram mandapam bringing to end the morning session.

திருந்து  வேதமும் வேள்வியும்

திரு மா மகளிரும் தாம் மலிந்து 

இருந்து வாழ் பொருநல் வடகரை 

வண் தொலை வில்லி மங்கலம் 

                               Aravinda Lochanan

The TVS touch to Erettai Tirupathi

The devotees are treated to a sumptuous lunch at the Devapiran temple following which quite a few take rest at the office of the TVS. The entire Erettai Tirupathi, the biggest restoration of Venu Srinivasan, has been truly transformed. The cleanliness around the temple, the maintenance of the entire area around the temples, the sign boards at various locations make it a pleasant experience for the devotees.

It is past 3 pm and the devotees are back at the temple to have darshan of the Thirumanjanam for Nam Azhvaar. Araiyar Sarangan presented the sacred sandal wood paste and the Thirumanjanam oil to all the devotees who witnessed the sacred bath of Nam Azhvaar. 

The Prabhandham Ghoshti are present in good numbers and they render the tenth canto of Tiruvoimozhi after the arrival of the Thaligai brought all the way by walk from Azhvaar Tirunagari. To this day, the traditions have been upheld and the sacred food is carried on the head to the beating of the drum all the way from Aathi Nathan temple in Thiru Kurugur (6 kms away) across the Tamarai Barani to the Devapiran temple. While easier options like bringing the food by modern means of transport are possible, it is great credit to the team at Aathi Nathan temple that short cut options to quicken the conduct of the evening utsavam have not been exercised to-date.

                   Father and Son Araiyar at Devapiran Sannidhi

So touched was Devapiran with NamAzhvaar’s sacred verses that he presented his entire garlands to the Saint Poet. By now, Sundararajan Bhattar from Aravinda Lochana Sannidhi, a priest who quit a corporate job to take up archaka kainkaryam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/erettai-tirupathi-sundara-rajan-bhattar.html), has arrived at the Devapiran temple to participate in the presentation of mariyathai to Nam Azhvaar with Araiyars presenting the sacred verses relating to Erettai Tirupathi.

The entire temple resonated with positive vibrancy following the Prabhandham presentation with all the devotees eagerly looking forward to the Theertham and Tulasi prasadam.

It is past 7pm when Nam Azhvaar after an entire day at Erettai Tirupathi bid goodbye for yet another year. In a final emotional move, Devapiran after providing darshan in a grand alankaram presents all his garlands to the ‘son’ and even as Nam Azhvaar makes his return to Azhvaar Tirunagari, Devapiran waits till as far as he can see the great Saint Poet at the western exit of Erettai Tirupathi. Late on Friday evening,  Devapiran returned to his sanctum amidst the chanting of Ramanuja Nootranthathi by the Prabhandham Ghoshti members.

Devotees including Bhagavathas in big numbers enjoyed the experience of the enactment of the legendary episode of Nam Azhvaar making his way to the Northern banks of Tamarai Barani at Erettai Tirupathi after witnessing the Adyayana Utsavam in Srirangam to meet and invoke the blessings of his parents. The series of events on Maasi Anusham also signifies the conclusion of the Adyayana Utsavam in Erettai Tirupathi. 

Erettai Tirupathi Sundara Rajan Bhattar

Next Gen Quits High Paying Corporate Job to head back to hereditary Divya Desam

32 year old K Sundara Rajan has a professional engineering degree and was working as a Network Engineer at Airtel (prior to this he was at Aircel) when one day in the last quarter of 2020 his Periappa Seshamani Bhattar asked him to return to Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam to don the role of the hereditary archaka.

Seshamani Bhattar who passed away in January last year was the one who anchored the revival of the twin temples of Aravinda Lochanan and Devarpiran in Erettain Tirupathi when it was in ruins in the 1980s.  He withered the presence of dangerous snakes and waded through chest high water in the Tamaraibarani to reach this Divya Desam from his home in Thiru Kolur over three decades ago. It was only in the 1990s that Venu Srinivasan took up the restoration of the temple and revived the entire region.  Through that dark phase prior to Venu Srinivasan’s restoration initiatives, it was Seshamani Bhattar who performed Thiru Aradhanam at these two temples and kept it going.

Seshamani Bhattar’s younger brother Kannan performed archaka service at the Anjaneya temple in Tirunelveli but returned to perform kainkaryam at Varagunamangai Divya Desam in Natham. 

When Seshamani Bhattar asked for Sundara Rajan to quit the corporate world, where his prospects were looking up, he did not think twice. Sundara Rajan looks back at his decision to return to Erettai Tirupathi “ My appa was not keen on me to quit the corporate world. I had become an engineer and my growth prospects were bright in the corporate world. I also had a young family with the birth of my 2nd son in Puratasi of 2020. But when my periappa, who had lived through the struggles of the 1980s and 90s at Erettai Tirupathi, asked me to return I could not say no to him.”

Even as a teenager, both during his school and college days, he had learned the Vaikanasa agama from Govindarajan Bhattar of Thiru Kurungudi Divya Desam. And hence he was equipped with the process relating to Thiru Aradhanam and the conduct of festivals.

Prior to the call from Seshamani Bhattar, the plan had been to continue in the corporate world. He had even taken the initial steps to get his first son admitted into a school in Aruppukottai where he was working at that time. Sundara Rajan is surprised that in the last 15 months, his wife has not asked once as to how he quit the corporate world and what the financial future was going to look like for him. Erettai Tirupathi is the kula deivam temple of his amma as well as his wife. He says that like him considering getting an opportunity to serve at the Divya Desam where his uncle had seen the toughest of times for any Bhattar, his wife too considers it a blessing for her husband to be serving at her kula deivam temple. 

Unfortunately for him, within a few months of his joining the Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam, Seshamani Bhattar passed away. And then adding to the woes, wave two of the Pandemic struck and temples were closed to devotees for a period of time. 

No HR & CE Salary/ No Thattu Kaasu 

From a high paying job, Sundara Rajan joined Erettai Tirupathi at ‘No Salary’.  Venu Srinivasan’s monthly Sambhavanai of Rs. 3000 was his only source of income for the first six months. He joined the temple in late 2020 at the end of wave one and then spent a large part of his initial phase in this Divya Desam in ‘Temple Lockdown’ with no devotees. There was no salary from the HR & CE and there was no thattu kaasu as the temple was closed to devotees. 

HR & CE EO's Gesture

When S Ajith (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/01/azhvaar-tirunagari-vaikunta-ekadasi.html) who took as the EO of Erettai Tirupathi in 2021 visited the temple, he was shocked to know that Sundara Rajan was not paid any salary even during the Pandemic. ‘It was the EO who immediately directed for a temporary posting at Aravinda Lochanan Sannidhi and organised for Rs. 2000 as my salary.’

While many are surprised as to how Sundara Rajan, who had then just turned 30, quit the corporate job and headed back to a remote temple where there is no assured income, he has second thoughts on this association with this Divya Desam “Even the EO enquired if I was planning to be here long term. I came back here responding to the direction of my uncle Seshamani Bhattar. I did not think of the financial prospects here. The only reason to take this up was to continue the hereditary archaka service that Seshamani Bhattar had so devotionally performed for many decades.”

It was Sundara Rajan who tied the ‘Kaappu’ for both the big annual utsavams in 2021 and he is committed to staying here for the rest of his life. He and his wife are also clear that their preference is for their children to be in the traditional line.

It has come as a big surprise that when many in the next gen have made their way into cities and the corporate world, Sundara Rajan has opted for the reverse and returned to the hereditary archaka service at Erettai Tirupathi.  It is also interesting that this is the second instance of a youngster letting go of financial prospects in larger cities and returning to hereditary locations. A couple of years ago, Venkata Srinivasan (Rahul Bhattar) joined Nigaril Mugil Vannan temple in Thenthiruperai Divya Desam at the age of 20 while all his classmates at Madurantakam Patshala moved to Chennai seeking greener pastures (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thenthiruperai-rahul-bhattar.html).

For Sundara Rajan, Kainkaryam to Aravinda Lochanan and Devapiran seemed more important than furthering the financial interests in the corporate world. And hence the financial lows such as the period during Wave two did not impact his mind negatively and he continued to perform daily Thiru Aradhanam through 2021 unmindful of the financial challenges that the Pandemic has brought to archakas in remote temples. When devotional intent is high, no amount of financial pressures will shake a human being. Sundara Rajan is an example of how that devotional feel drew him back to the Divya Desam and bound him for life with Lord Aravinda Lochanan.

Nava Tirupathi has now become stronger with the presence of two highly committed Bhattars - Ananthu of Thenthiruperai and Sundara Rajan of Erettai Tirupathi

Seshamani Bhattar will be delighted for his nephew and showering his blessings on the 32year old from Sri Vaikuntam.

Seshamani Bhattar: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/02/seshamani-bhattar-erettai-tirupathi.html

Erettai Tirupathi Restoration: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html

Nava Tirupathi Garuda Sevai: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/06/nava-tirupathi-garuda-sevai.html

Azhvaar Tirunagari Vaikunta Ekadasi

S Ajith - A HR & CE EO who is making a positive difference in a historical Divya Desam

Paramapada Vaasal Procession takes place 'On-Time' after several decades - He is now looking to restore the third prakara to historical glory and to recover the temple properties in this temple town

S Ajith, EO

(THIS STORY WAS EDITED ON APRIL 12,2022 AFTER A THREATENING PHONE CALL FROM SHRI VARADARAJAN(SUPERVISOR, SAINT GOBAIN), SON OF THIRU VENKATAMUDAYAN BHATTAR)

Historically, especially in the pre motor vehicle days, Vaikunta Ekadasi was the biggest day of the year  with devotees walking to each of the Nava Tirupathi temples and having Azhvaar Tirunagari as their final destination of the day. 

Those who have visited Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam in recent decades would know that the Paramapada Vaasal Procession on Vaikunta Ekadasi day used to take place on ‘Dwadasi’ morning. Polintha Ninra Piraan in the previous day’s Sayana Kolam was kept through the Vaikunta Ekadasi day for darshan and the Paramapada Vaasal procession on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day took place after 4.30am the next morning i.e the Dwadasi day. 

Last week, the EO of the temple, S Ajith, who has been known to be a stickler for discipline and processes, directed for the Paramapada Vaasal procession to take place at 5.30pm last Thursday (Jan 13) as against it being almost a Dwadasi procession in the decades gone by. Of course, the Pandemic helped and there were no tickets issued on the day and the crowd was not as high as it would have been during normal times. But the message was clear from the EO that the historical practice had to be brought back on this day. He has used the Vaikunta Ekadasi utsavam to ring in the change to traditional practices.

Two Mandapams restored for Ekadasi Procession

In addition to getting the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession done on time, Ajith also ensured that the two mandapams that had remained unused for decades at the West end of the temple were revived. It had been historical tradition for Polintha Ninra Piraan to visit each of these two mandapams on the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession but with the procession taking place only on Dwadasi day, this practice had been dispensed with and the two mandapams had remained in ruins. 

This year, ahead of the Vaikunta Ekadasi procession, he ensured that these two mandapams were redone and a facelift was given to them through Venu Srinivasan's trust (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html). With the procession starting on time, the Lord stayed for a while in each of the two mandapams much to the delight of the devotees.

A 'threatening' Paricharaka shown the door

Sticking to his practice of following the processes, Ajith stood up to the threat from a three years experienced Paricharaka at the Athi Nathan temple who was keen to turn into an archaka on the back of seeing the big turnaround in fortune of the priests at this Divya Desam. Threatening to let go the paricharaka keys if he did not get the archaka posting, he reached out to the EO. And later to the politicians as well including the minister. Not succumbing to the pressure, Ajith accepted the key and asked him to leave. Seeking greener pastures, the Paricharaka has moved to a temple in Bombay!!! In every temple that he has been in, Ajith has been clear that he needs people whose focus is on serving the Lord.

Reviving the Third Prakara

Ajith is now in the process of reviving the third prakara in the temple which has remained in a dilapidated condition for many years. He has sought grant from the Government and is hopeful that this will be granted soon and is confident of starting work in this prakara soon. He is also looking to restore the historical building near the Golden Chariot. This too has been in a dilapidated state for long.

Recovering  the temple properties

He is also taking up an even more challenging task in the Namazhvaar born Divya Desam. In the century gone by, the sthalathars and acharyas had given away their historical temple lands at dead cheap price. This also includes the Periya Nambi Thirumaligai  that has now been converted to a Kalyana Mandapam. He is hoping to recover these temple lands and get it back in the possession of the temple. Interestingly, Ajith had earlier served at Kulasekara Azhvaar Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannar Koil, which is home to the one of the very few vibrant Thiru Maligais of Periya Nambi ((https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html). 

In his life, Ajith has himself had a few suspensions but he is unmindful of the risks of being straight forward and has always held the view that it is a blessing to be posted in a temple to serve the Lord and  that whichever temple he is posted in, he would always have serving the Lord and sticking to traditional practices at the forefront.  Ajith has no two ways about how he will go about his work. With him at the helm as EO at  the Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam, one can expect a lot of positive developments this year at this birth place of Nam Azhvaar.

Thenthiruperai Ananthu Bhattar

In Silent Service of Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan

He joined the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam in Puratasi 1999 at a monthly salary of Rs. 200. 22 years later, he gets Rs. 950 with his salary having remained static at this level for 16years

As known to the regulars at the Nava Tirupathi temples, Ananthu Bhattar has not raised the issue of his financial challenges with the HR & CE, TVS’ Chairman Venu Srinivasan or with any devotee in the last two decades

Hailing from the Tiruvoimozhi Pillai clan, 47 year old Thiru Venkatam (Ananthu) Bhattar is acknowledged widely across the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam as the most sincere and devotionally committed priest in that region. After 22 years of archaka service at this renowned Divya Desam, he still has not got an official posting with the HR &CE and his life as an archaka has been hanging in the balance for over two decades. Many service personnel have come after him in Nava Tirupathi at a much higher remuneration but this priest has remained a 'Silent Archaka' focusing on performing his duty and leaving the rest to Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathar.

வெள்ளைச் சூரி சங்கொடு ஆழி ஏந்தி 

தாமரைக்கு கண்ணன் என் நெஞ்சினூடே 

புன்னைக் காடாகின்ற ஆற்றைக் காணீர் 

என் சொல்லிச் சொல்லுகேன் அன்னைமீர்காள் 

வெள்ளச் சுகம் அவன் வீற்றிருந்த 

வேத ஒலியும் விழா ஒலியும் 

பிள்ளைக குழா விளையாட்டு ஒலியும் ஆறாத் 

திருப்பேரெயில் சேர்வான் நானே 

The Lord (Makara Nedun Kuzhai Kaathan) who is seen with a crown, conch and discus was so happy on hearing about the happy and playful state of the children that he asked Garuda to move to his left so he could watch their games. To this day, Garuda is seen away from the line of the Lord, a unique feature of this Divya Desam.

Well Versed in the Agamas

As a youngster, he had been initiated into the daily Thiru Aradhanam process by Periya Thiruvadi Bhattar of Srivaikuntam Divya Desam (Kallarpiran Temple). In the 1990s, he learned the Pancharatra Agama for four years from Varada Ramanujam, Retired Principal of Tirupathi Patshala. He came back from Tirupathi to his native Azhvaar Tirunagari and served as a Paricharaka for three months at Sri Vaikuntam Kallarpiran Divya Desam. 

Joins Thenthiruperai at Rs. 200!!!

He was to be appointed as the Archaka at Kallarpiran temple in Srivaikuntam when almost on the eve of his appointment, the archaka at Thenthiruperai quit and he was asked to take charge at Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan Divya Desam on the first day of Puratasi in 1999 at a monthly salary of Rs. 200. 

He performed 15days archaka service at the Moolavar Sannidhi while for rest of the month, he performed Thiru Aradhanam at the Thaayar Sannidhi. In 2002, the other archaka (Raja Mannar Bhattar) at the temple quit and Ananthu Bhattar was left all alone to serve at the Divya Desam including taking care of all the utsavams through the year.

Salary remains static at 944 for 16years!!!

Six years after he joined Thenthiruperai, his monthly salary was increased to Rs. 950 in 2005. His wedding took place three years later in 2008 and he now has two school going daughters. However, for the last 16 years, the salary has remained static at that same level, quite unthinkable in any other service.

Margazhi in Thenthiruperai

Margazhi was a special month for the residents of Thenthiruperai. On each of the 10 first days of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam, the Lord would go to the Thayar Sannidhi in the South and a parvam (phase of life) of the Lord would be narrated as a tale through the pillai songs of Periyazhvaar.

On the 2nd set of 10 days, the Lord would go the Thayar Sannidhi in the North (Thiruperai Nachiyar).

Silent Service has been his way of life

As is known to anyone who has visited Nava Tirupathi, he has not raised a word on this issue in these two decades including to the TVS officials, who have been paying Sambhavanai to the service personnel of all the temples in the region. Unlike many priests of Divya Desams in the Chozha region, Ananthu Bhattar has also not pursued activities such as temple consecration events that would been a source for some additional income and has instead stuck to archaka service at the Divya Desam. In the two decades of his service, he has rarely gone outside the Nava Tirupathi Divya Desam either to support utsavams in other temples or even on personal visits to temples, such has been his devotional commitment to Lord Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan. His long standing devotional dream has been to visit Badri Divya Desam but his life has been such that he has not been able to make time for his devotional endeavour. He is hoping that one day in his life he would be able to visit the historical Divya Desams including Naimisaranyam.

Over the last two decades, he has also performed Kainkaryam during utsavams in Vaitha Maa Nidhi Divya Desam in Thiru Kolur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2008/09/thiru-kolur-vaitha-maa-nidhi-perumal.html) and at Periya Nambi (Periya Nambi Mannar Koil) and Koorathazhvaan Sannidhis in Azhvaar Tirunagari but each of these as a non financial service. His services are also sought at Thiru Venkatamudayan Sannidhi (a private temple run by Tiruvoimozhi Pillai clan) in Azhvaar Tirunagari where too he performs Kainkaryam without any financial returns.

TVS  presented him with a monthly Sambhavani of Rs. 2000 in 1999 which was increased to Rs. 3000 in 2007.

Anchoring the Big Utsavams

Over the last two decades, he has been the one who has anchored the annual Brahmotsavam as well as all the major Utsavams at the Thenthiruperai Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/09/thenthiruperai-divya-desam.html). During the Brahmotsavam, since he is also the alankaram specialist, he has stayed back late into the night after the evening procession for the next morning’s vahana procession alankaram. It is known to most in this temple town that he does not return home in the nights to Azhvaar Tirunagari during the period of the Brahmotsavam.

Last decade, he had Krishnaswamy Bhattar (AK), who joined the Divya Desam after retirement from his corporate service, for support. In the last month or so, AK too has returned to Kanchipuram after facing health challenges during the Pandemic. In the last couple of years, he has been joined by the young Venkata Srinivasan (Rahul) Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/10/thenthiruperai-rahul-bhattar.html), whom he has been mentoring at this Divya Desam. 

It is unlikely that a corporate staffer at any level would remain silent if his salary remained static for 16years and also if he did not receive a confirmation of his posting after two decades of every day service. But Ananthu Bhattar is one of a kind Bhattar. He has not raised the financial issue with the HR & CE, TVS’ Chairman Venu Srinivasan or with any devotee in the last two decades. He has accepted life’s offerings and performed archaka service as best as he could at this Divya Desam. 

Government Rules - For its workers

Those that have served a HR & CE temple for over 5 years have to get a confirmation and a Government posting as per the rules. Many EOs have come and gone in the last 22 years but not one has been able to get Ananthu Bhattar a confirmation of his job and he continues to serve almost as a temporary staffer without the Government staffer benefits. Whenever he gets (if he ever gets) the confirmation order as the official archaka of Thenthiruperai Divya Desam, one wonders if the 22 years (and more) of service will be taken into consideration for Pension and other benefits that accrue to a Government staffer for he has officially served at this Divya Desam since 1999.

Venu Srinivasan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html) has made many trips in the last two decades to the Nava Tirupathi temples and there have been several archakas and service personnel who have placed requests before him that have been acceded to but not once has Ananthu Bhattar brought his precarious financial situation before the man who restored the entire Nava Tirupathi Divya Desams in the second half of the 1990s. And thus it has largely remained unattended to.

Firm Faith in the Doctrine of Bhagavad Gita

This writer has known Ananthu Bhattar for over 20 years and during this long period he has rarely spoken about the financial challenges in his life or the issues at the Divya Desam. When he came back from his agama initiation in the late 1990s, he had an option to go to Thiru Mogur Kaalamegha Perumal Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/thiru-mogur-kalamegha-perumal.html) where his cousins were performing service but decided to stick to his home town of Azhvaar Tirunagari and headed back to Nava Tirupathi soon after his agama initiation at Tirumala. When the opportunity came to perform archaka service at Thenthiruperai, he had no second thoughts even though it came at a monthly salary of Rs. 200!!! If ever there is to an example in TN Divya Desams of ‘Serving in Silence’, Ananthu Bhattar would fit that bill.  

Placing Utmost faith in Thenthiruperai Lord

His wife of the last 13years has been supportive playing a role of mental strength in the background. She too has placed her entire faith in Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan. It has been a long wait for the archaka service confirmation order from the HR & CE and for several years he has lived in the hope that the coming year would be the one when he gets that order from the HR &CE. But that has remained elusive todate. As another calendar year turns around, Ananthu Bhattar lives to serve another year with that same hope. It’s likely that one day the Lord of Thenthiruperai Divya Desam will open his eyes and shower his ‘financial’ blessing on Ananthu Bhattar. Till then, he will continue to follow the doctrine prescribed by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita of ‘Do your work as sincerely as possible without expecting results’.

Ananthu Bhattar can be reached on 96889 51429/ 93605 53489

Thenthiruperai Rahul Bhattar

A 23 year old priest’s LIFE TIME COMMITMENT to his favourite Divya Desam

After a high quality Vedic and Agama Education at the Ahobilam Mutt College, Madurantakam, this youngster refused a lucrative move to the city and headed back to his hereditary location to join the Thenthiruperai Divya Desam as a priest at a Three Digit Salary 

With a Long Term Vision to serve the Lord at Thenthiruperai, he has just reconstructed his dilapidated ancestral home and delighted his parents with his deep sense of responsibility at such a young age 

Surely you cannot find another like Venkata Srinivasan Bhattar (Rahul Bhattar in the temple circles). He had gone through a financially challenging phase in his childhood with his appa serving as an archaka in a remote temple near Thenthiruperai that offered very little financial returns. His interest in temple service began at a very early age. Even as a school boy, he had supported Ananthu Bhattar, the lead priest at the Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kathan temple by carrying the torch during the street processions at the big utsavams. Pleased with the devotional conduct of the young boy, Ananthu Bhattar encouraged and motivated him into temple service through his teenage years.  That constant motivation inspired Rahul and created the devotional spirit in him to serve the Lord of Thenthiruperai. 

Sanskrit, Vedic and Agama Initiation at Madurantakam

After completing his early schooling in Thenthiruperai, he moved to the Oriental School in Madurantakam aged 11 and then did his graduation and Post Graduation in Sanskrit at the Ahobilam Mutt Sanskrit College there. In addition to becoming proficient in Yajur Veda, he also learned the Pancharatra Agamas tutored by Annadhur Rajagopalachariar. During his teenage years, he also showed interest in Divya Prabhandham, the sacred verses of the Azhvaars and learnt those as well. In his late teens, he was initiated into the Sama Veda by Kalpakkam Kannan, who hailed from Thenthiruperai. During a period of 10 years, he also performed kainkaryam at the madapalli in the Patshala. 

Early days at the Madurantakam Patshala

A Life Time Message from Agama Guru

The message from his Patshala Guru Annadhur Rajagopalachariar through this phase was clear “The learning should fructify into developing our Sampradayam, spreading Sanskrit and most importantly taking care of your parents at their old age. Do not succumb to financial temptations and the lures of a city life.”

He has remembered that message each day over the last many years.

The current generation is clearly not bullish on the prospects of an archaka and that too in a remote location and as expected, on completion of his education at Madurantakam, almost all his classmates made their way to the city to pursue a non temple career.  But Rahul was very clear even when he had left Thenthiruperai a decade earlier that he would return to the Divya Desam after his eduaction. 

Follows the Guru's message - Heads back to Thenthiruperai

While all friends pushed him to join them in Madras and get into Vedic related work, one that they said would fetch him big financial returns given the high demand for Vathyars, 20 year old Rahul did not fall prey to the financial lure and took one of the boldest steps seen in recent years in Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu. As one looks around all the remote Divya Desams in the state, there are not too many in the next gen that have chosen the path of becoming a temple priest given the many challenges that priests in the earlier generation had faced and the current turbulent scenario that exists. 

S Ramani Bhattar - Krishnan Garudan Sannidhi

Rahul Bhattar was undeterred for he had been very clear even as a teenager that his future was at the Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kathan Divya Desam and not away from this temple even if other lucrative financial offers came his way. His friends did not appreciate his decision and many warned him early on the challenges that lay ahead of him but Rahul remained firm. His appa, S Ramani, has been an archaka in a Krishnan-Garudan Sannidhi, a temple in a village near Thenthiruperai for the last three decades or so with minimal financial returns and life continued to be financially challenging even as Rahul came out of his teens.

            With his mentor Ananthu Bhattar

Given the first two decades of his life and the way he has seen the fortunes of his appa, it would have been acceptable for him to have taken the Northern direction to Madras from Madurantakam. But aged 20, he headed South to Nava Tirupathi to join his mentor Ananthu Thiruvenkatam Bhattar at Thenthiruperai. Soon after, Ajit, one of the most well respected EOs in the HR & CE, handed him the archaka post, albeit a temporary one at Thenthiruperai. Of course, the salary, that was handed based on voucher signature, was only in the three digits. And not a rupee has increased in the last three years. But that does not matter to the devotionally inclined Rahul Bhattar.

Venu Srinivasan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/venu-srinivasan-historical-temples.html), who restored all the Nava Tirupathi temples in the 1990s and who has been handing monthly Sambhavanai to all the service personnel in these temples, organised a monthly Sambhavanai for Rahul Bhattar that was four times his salary. And that has really helped him sustain this early phase at Thenthiruperai as an archaka.

And as luck would have it, within two years of his joining Thenthiruperai Divya Desam as an archaka, he had to face the wrath of the Pandemic that kept devotees away for a large part of 2020. It was once again Venu Srinivasan who offered multiple rounds of ‘emergency’ Sambhavanai that kept Rahul Bhattar (and others in Nava Tirupathi) afloat last year.

Financial Institutions refuse Home Loan

While the Pandemic hit his finances hard, there was more trouble brewing for Rahul Bhattar, this time on the physical infrastructure front. The close to a century old ancestral home, a few hundred yards from the Divya Desam temple, was in a dilapidated state with the roof falling off. His parents have been a great source of strength in supporting his decision to lead his life in temple service as against leading one in the city. Committed to taking care of his parents, Rahul Bhattar went around banks and home finance companies late last year but the absence of a salary certificate and one with a three digit voucher based salary meant that these institutions refused a home loan. Earlier this year, he sought the help of likeminded devotees who reached out to lend him the necessary finances for the reconstruction. However hard his financial challenges, he was to keen to hand them a decent house to live and hence took it upon himself at such an early age to reconstructe the dilapidated house against all odds.

A house reconstruction is not something that a youngster would do in his early 20s but  just a month ago, Rahul Bhattar completed the entire reconstruction of his house from scratch, an exercise that delighted his parents. He has his eyes set on serving the Lord at this Divya Desam till the end of his life and that devotional conviction gave him a lot of clarity to have a ‘permanent’ roof over his head. 

15 years ago, he was the 'Torch' bearer during utsavams at Thenthiruperai, now he has become an integral part of everyday life at this temple. Over the last three years, he has been initiated into the temple pooja processes by Ananthu Bhattar, from whom he continues to learn the art of alankaram of the Lord and Thayar.

Life Time Commitment to Thenthiruperai

His friends continue to frown on his decision to move to a remote location at such a young age instead of leveraging financially his Vedic learning. One might have thought that the challenges of the Pandemic would have forced him to rethink. But those high on devotion are taken on a different path that is not easy to understand. Financial challenges do not concern this youngster. In a world that is clearly moving towards materialistic pursuits, this youngster has bucked the trend and taken the bold devotional step of moving back to the ancient temple town despite knowing that this may not be financially remunerative, at least in the near term. However, he sees richness in a lifetime service to the Lord of a Divya Desam and not the financial growth.  He is also keen to spread Sanskrit among the villagers over the next decade by educating them during his free time.

It is devotionally inspiring to find a youngster refusing such luring financial opportunities and staying back at his hereditary location as a priest. At 23, he has promised to Makara Nedung Kuzhai Kaathan that he would serve him with devotion for the rest of his life for that has been and continues to be his only motto in life. He has the fullest faith in the Lord that he would take care of his Kainkaryapaka.

Rahul Bhattar can be reached on @ 79048 37116

Seshamani Bhattar Erettai Tirupathi passes away

From wading through the high tides at Tamaraibarani to be welcomed by Snakes and Bats at Erettai Tirupathi, Seshamani Bhattar was one who served with devotional fearlessness in the dark days of the 1970s and 80

No money to pay sons’ school fees, No money to buy new dresses for the sons for Deepavali, and yet his mind did not waver away from the Lords of Three Divya Desams

Decades ago, YG Mahendran’s amma helped reconstruct a dilapidated house and bought him a cycle to go to Erettai Tirupathi from Thiru Kolur 

The priest, who withstood personal threats to his life in the 1970s and 80s and performed service of the most devotional kind at Erettai Tirupathi passed away recently at his home in Thiru Kolur aged 69.

Well over 40 years ago, G Seshamani Bhattar then in his 20s, took charge of the archaka service at the twin temples of Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam, the Lords of which Nam Azhvaar saw as his father and mother. While he had been serving, on and off at the temple even as a teenager, it was his father in law, Venkatakrishnan, who had been performing pooja at Erettai Tirupathi since the 1940s at a low two digit salary, who roped him in for a life time service. Like his father in law earlier, Seshamani Bhattar too performed archaka service in the twin temples of Tholai Villi Mangalam at a miniscule salary that never crossed Rs. 70 per month for much of his first two decades.  In those decades, with no income at the temple, even this salary would be handed to him at infrequent intervals.

சிந்தையாலும் சொல்லாலும் செய்கையினாலும் 

தேவ பிரானையே 

தந்தை தாய் என் று அடைந்த 

வன் குருகூர் அவர் சடகோபன் சொல் 

முந்தை ஆயிரத்துள் இவை 

தொலை வில்லி மங்கலத்தை சொன்ன

செந்தமிழ் பத்தும் வல்லார் 

அடிமை செய்வார் திருமாலுக்கே 

A Dark Era

Through that dark period (literally) in the 70s and 80s, there was no electricity in the entire Erettai Tirupathi region. While historically many Divya Desams and ancient temples have been described as being in the middle of a forest or being surrounded by huge forest like groves, Seshamani Bhattar was an actual witness to it. The Erettai Tirupathi region was a dense forest inhabited by poisonous snakes. Also, the dark Sannidhi inside the temple proved a perfect abode for hundreds of bats. Seshamani Bhattar would enter the temple every morning to the fizzing noise of the serpents and the flapping of the wings of the bats.

In the early part of the 20th century, there had been a few Brahmin families in the agraharam but they too had to be evacuated following several floods the most severe of which struck in the first quarter.

There was not even a mud road to the twin temple from any of the Nava tirupathi temples. And there were no bridges as well to reach the temple crossing the Tamaraibarani River. The only option to reach the temple was to wade through the chest high water at the river, and then through the dense thicket to the temple.

                 Erettai Tirupathi in the early 1990s

After he managed to reach the temple, the plight of Seshamani Bhattar was quite miserable. With no power facilities, it was largely pitch dark in and around the sannidhis. The temple complex itself was in a dilapidated state. There was hardly the required quantity of ghee to light the lamp on a regular basis. Worse still, his wait for that odd devotee almost always proved a futile one. 25 paise thattu kaasu per week was a luxury in that first decade of his service.

One Bhattar- Three Divya Desams every day

For two decades from the 1970s, Seshamani Bhattar arrived at the twin temples every morning at 11am after performing pooja at Thiru Kolur Divya Desam. He would perform aradhana here at the twin temples and leave by 4pm so as to be in time at Thiru Kolur for the evening pooja there. This was a daily routine for him. Decades earlier, his father in law used to engage bullock cart once in a while to move around but once Seshamani Bhattar joined Erettai Tirupathi his only mode of transport was the long 6 km walk across the Tamaraibarani from Thiru Kolur. 

In those decades, no one dared to perform service at these two temples. It was the devotional mindset of Seshamani Bhattar that alone ensured that pooja was not stopped anytime at the twin Divya Desams.

வைத்த  மா நிதியாம் மதுசூதனையே அலற்றி

கொத்தலர்  பொழில் சூழ்.... 

அவன் சேர்  திரு கோலூற்கே 

சித்தம் வைத்துரைபார் நிகழ் பொன் உலகாழ்வாரே

His son the 40 year old Balaji Bhattar, who is now in charge of Thiru Kolur Vaitha Maa Nidhi Divya Desam, recounts the financial challenges from his childhood days in the 1980s “There was no money to pay my school fees. The income from the temple was no sufficient for us to buy new clothes even for Deepavali. With no salary and thattu kaasu, even daily sustenance was a challenge. But it did not deter him from selfless service at three Divya Desams for two decades. To him, serving at these three temples came above everything else.”

True devotion to the Lord kept him going and he considered it a great blessing to perform every day service at three Divya Desams. During that dark phase of life, while priests from many ancient temples sought other financial opportunities such as Samprokshanams and other vedic events, Seshamani Bhattar rarely went outside of these temples in search of additional sources of income. He was completely committed to the Lords of Erettai Tirupathi and Thiru Kolur.

திருந்து  வேதமும் வேள்வியும்

திரு மா மகளிரும் தாம் மலிந்து 

இருந்து வாழ் பொருநல் வடகரை 

வண் தொலை வில்லி மங்கலம் 

And then things turned for the worse in the early 1990s. Ravaged by floods in Tamaraibarani, the temple had reached a state of total dilapidation. Water levels reached Knee deep inside the Moolavar Sannidhi. It seemed to be a helpless state for the Bhattar with nowhere to turn to. 

While on one side there was very little financial security with a low two digit monthly salary, on the other there was always the threat of physical attack by animals including the real possibility of snake bites. Encountering Snakes inside the temple was a regular feature for both Venkatakrishnan Bhattar as well as Seshamani Bhattar. His wife stood by him all through his life and was a pillar of strength during the decades of the financial stress. Soon after he passed away, she too followed him to Vaikuntam. 

Large shrubs had come up on the Vimana and the inner walls. The prakara was covered with huge bushes and no devotee could go around the sannidhi in either of the temples. The only time the temple really lit up was on Maasi Anusham when Nam Azhvaar made his way across the Tamarai Barani for a day long stay here. That brought in groups of devotees from Azhvaar Tirunagari and around.

Temple on the Verge of Collapse - Seshamani remains strong

Following the floods in the early 1990s, the twin temples seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Unmindful of the risk to his health, he waded through the water to light lamp at the twin temples.  Decades long resident of Azhvaar Tirunagari, Octogenarian Appu Sadagopachari had told this writer a few years ago on the state of the temple in the decades prior to Venu Srinivasan taking up the restoration work “The roof could have fallen off any time at Erettai Tirupathi. There were pillars hanging around. Water had seeped in right to the sanctum.”

Seshamani Bhattar had tears rolling down his cheeks when he narrated a few years ago to this writer the struggles in that phase of life “The temple structure itself seemed to be going down as a result of the floods and there was a real threat of one of the Divya Desams being lost to the Vaishnavite world.  The entire temple complex was stuck with dirty water and filth.’

Mrs YGP buys him a cycle and helps reconstruct his house

When floods struck Tamaraibarani, Seshamani Bhattar would take the long over 10 kms route through the Sri Vaikuntam bridge. Balaji Bhattar recalls one of such trips from his childhood days “Cine Personality YG Mahendra’s amma was on a trip to Nava Tirupathi Divya Desams. When she saw my appa walking all the way from Thiru Kolur to Erettai Tirupathi, she came home to meet him at Thiru Kolur. She was shocked  on seeing the house in a dilapidated condition. Immediately, she helped with the construction of a brick house from the ‘Koorai’ that it was. She also purchased a cycle so my appa could ride to the Divya Desam. We still live in that same house and my appa used that cycle till the very end, over three decades after it was presented to him.”

On such days, Balaji Bhattar recalls his father taking food from home to for neivedyam for the two Lords in Erettai Tirupathi. 

It was after TVS Motor’s Venu Srinivasan’s transformational restoration exercise in the mid 1990s that the annual Brahmotsavam including all the Vahana processions was revived at the twin temples of Aravinda Losana and Devapiran.

Seshamani Bhattar who performed daily pooja in these three temples for over two decades at a salary of less than Rs. 100 per month was assigned the Devapiran Sannidhi as an exclusive temple with a monthly Sambhavanai from Venu Srinivasan that was several multiples of what he had received over the previous two decades. The Bhattar’s monthly income touched four digits for the first time in 1998.            

Seshamani Bhattar continued to serve at the Devapiran temple almost till the very end including during the COVID period in 2020. He told this writer in a conversation before his death that he was pleased to have both his sons ( Raghu and Balaji Bhattar) sticking to temple kainkaryam despite the financial plight of his father and grandfather over the 2nd half of the 20th century. The monthly Sambavanai presented by Venu Srinivasan and the increased ‘Thattu Kasu’ had provided great financial security to the sons of Seshamani Bhattar.

For the devoted Seshamani Bhattar, it was finally happy times to be seeing human faces around him through the day from the previously lonely life at the temple spent alongside reptiles and mammals!!

While he had to encounter decades of financial challenges, his life was largely fulfilling serving at the feet of three Divya Desam Lords, an opportunity unlikely to have been available to many priests in the country. And he lived all his life in the memory of that service to these Lords. Never once did he complain about the financial challenges and his mind was always focused on his duty of serving the Lord at Erettai Tirupathi and Thiru Kolur.

Truly an exceptional Divya Desam Bhattar.

(Seshamani Bhattar passed away on January 2, 2021 of Kidney failure and wheezing related ailment at the age of 69. Shortly after, his wife too passed away)