Sathyagala Madhya Rangam Ranganatha Temple

TS Krishna Bhattar served at the temple for 84 years 

Belief is that visiting Srirangapatna, Sathyagala and Srirangam on the same day will fulfill a devotee's wishes

Located on the banks of the Cauvery is the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Sathyagala, referred to as Madhay Rangam, a temple whose legend dates back to the Kretha Yugam. Belief is that one’s prayers will be fulfilled if one visits the three ancient Ranganathaswamy temples located on the banks of the Cauvery on the same day - Srirangapatna (Aadhi Rangam), Sathyagala (Madhya Rangam) and Srirangam (Anthya Rangam) on the same day. For long, the practice with the devotees in Karnataka has been to have Vishroopa Sevai at Srirangapatna at 730am, darshan at Sathyagala at 9am and the third darshan at Srirangam in the evening.

Glorious Times

Till the middle of the 20^th Century, the Ranganatha Swamy Temple was under the control of the Mysore Palace and it was glory days for the temple and its personnel. Several Villages around Sathyagala were donated by the Palace towards the upkeep and maintenance of the temple and the conduct of the Utsavams. The income from the 800 acres land was used to support over a 100 Vedic Pundits who lived here and chanted the Vedas each day of the year.

During the time of the Wodeyar, the Raja’s representative Ramaswamy Mudaliar ensured that the temple received paddy in large quantities and that there was no shortage of anything that was required for the conduct of the daily poojas and utsavams. There was a period in the middle of the previous century when cashews were presented in sack full as neivedyam for the Lord.

TS Krishna Bhattar, who passed away a few years ago at the age of 96, was one of the most respected priests in the region. He performed aradhana at the temple for 84years having begun service at the age of 12. Through his devotional commitment he earned the goodwill of the people not just in Sathyagala but across Karnataka.

He was a revered agama practitioner and was on the board of Sanskrit Institutions in Karnataka. During the decades of his service, he also performed aradhana in 5 temples in and around Sathyagala. Even at his old age, he would go around in an old cycle to perform the daily aradhana in these temples in addition to performing full time service at the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Madhya Rangam.

Krishna Bhattar was too committed to Lord Ranganatha and financial thoughts rarely crossed his mind. Throughout his life, his message to all his sons and family members was to safeguard the temple by being devotionally committed to the Lord. 

Historically, there were festivals around the year with devotees participating in good numbers. Brahmotsavam was a grand occasion celebrated end of January/early Feb with the Lord visiting the Cauvery for the Theerthavari Utsavam.

The 1970s and the downturn

When the ‘tiller becomes owner’ act came into force, the 800 acres land belonging to the temple began going away. Following the takeover by the HR & CE, the temple has seen dramatic fall in the supplies to the temple. The last four decades have been challenging times for the hereditary priests.

Renovation is due

Till this decade the Eastern entrance was only a Mottai Gopuram. Now idols of Lakshmi Narayana, Yoga Narasimha, Gopala Krishnan and Lakshmi Hayagriva have been installed under the newly constructed Raja Gopuram. One finds several cracks on the walls in many parts of the temple. A proposal for repair works has been sent to the HRCE and the temple is currently waiting for approval. There are no bath or toilet facilities in this temple town. There are also no public transport facilities to the temple. But Sridhar Bhattar the son of Krishna Bhattar is hopeful of the temple being revived to its historical glory sometime in the near future. 

The Legend

Following the boon by Brahmma that he could not be killed by any (existing) weapon, Vrithrasura created havoc among the rishis by constantly disturbing their penance. When the Saptha Rishis approached Shiva for a solution they were directed to Brahmma, as he was the one who had granted the boon of invincibility. On the grounds that he did not have the power to revoke the boon, Brahmma directed them to Vishnu who asked them to seek Indra for a solution to their issue.

When they reached Indra Logam and narrated the challenges they were facing, Indra expressed surprise at him being able to find a solution when the Tri Murthies could not. But since Vishnu suggested that he solve the problem of the rishis, Indra approached Dhathichi Rishi, who had become arrogant due to the extraordinary powers of his Tapas and asked him to sacrifice his life for the sake of protecting the rishis. When he sacrificed his body, Indra created a new Vajraayudham from the back bone of the dead rishi. After performing the final rites for the rishi, Indra took the new weapon and killed the asura.

However, Indra was afflicted with Brahmma Hathi Dosham for taking the life of a Tapaswi like Dhathichi Rishi. Vishnu asked him to bathe in the river and perform penance at Thakshaka Kshetram ( the historical name of this location) invoking the blessings of Ranganatha Swamy. He called upon Vishwakarma, the architect and installed the Saligrama idol of Lord Ranganatha in a sleeping posture as seen in Vaikuntam atop the hooded Serpant all carved on a single stone. A unique feature is the presence of Garuda, the sworn enemy of Adisesha on this stone carving signifying the unity of the people in this region. Historically, the Vadakalaiyars and Thenkalaiyars have lived in harmony in this location.

The temple is open from 730am-1230pm and from 430pm to 8pm. Contact Sridhar Bhattar @ 99012 72621.

How to reach

Sathyagala is about 40 kms South of Maddur on the Malavalli – Kollegal Highway. Buses ply every half hour from Maddur/ Malavalli.

When here also visit the Vedanta Desikar Kote Varadaraja temple, 2kms from Madhya Rangam.

Melkote Raja Mudi Sevai Aipasi

Selva Pillai Sampath Kumar at his resplendent best provides Raja Mudi Sevai on the fourth day of Aipasi Brahmotsavam

The crown was presented to the Lord by Raja Wodeyar, the first king of the Mysore Dynasty

One of the only two occasions in the year when he provides Raja Mudi Sevai

It is a rather quiet afternoon on Thursday (Nov 6) at the Pancha Narayana Kshetram of Melkote, home to Lord Cheluva Narayanaswamy with no indication of the special day and the grand procession that is to feature later in the evening. 

At 4pm, as the temple opened again, 50 odd devotees  enter the temple for a darshan of Cheluva Narayanaswamy blissfully unaware of the Special Sevai that's on offer later in the evening, one of the only two occasions in the year of Utsava Deity Selva Pillai Sampath Kumaran providing Raja Mudi Sevai around the streets of the ancient temple town of Thiru Narayanapuram. 

Earlier in the afternoon, the chief priest of the temple left for the District Headquarters at Mandya to secure from the Treasury the Raja Mudi, the King's Crown that was presented to the Lord by Raja Wodeyar, the first king of the Mysore Dynasty. 

Just after 5pm, the Tahsildar arrived with her retinue to inspect and certify the Raja Mudi. With the development in technolgoy, this entire episode of opening the sealed bag and inspecting every ornament in the Raja Mudi is now Video Recorded. Satisfied with the content, the Tahsildar gives a sign off for the procession.  Soon the priests get on to an hour long alankaram of Lord Sampath Kumaran for this special occasion, with the devotees lining up the Sanctum to have a first glimpse of the Lord in this rare attire.

More devotees from across the region started to trickle in at around 6.30 pm to witness the Raja Mudi purapadu.

Committed Adhyapakars, though few in number

The adyapakas, not in great numbers but ones who have committed to spending their lifetime at Melkote to present the sacred verses of the Azhvaars, wait at the Eastern Entrance for the Lord to arrive.  To the beating of the drums and to the accompaniment of the musical instruments, the screen opens just after 7pm to an aarthi as devotees get a first darshan of Selva Pillai Sampath Kumar adorning the grand Raja Mudi (King’s Crown).

Sri Patham, 12 in number, most of whom working in the nearby fields in Melkote arrive to carry the Lord on their shoulder. They are paid a meager amount for carrying the Lord on several processions through each month of the year. 

Prabhandham Recital 

As the Lord reached the Eastern Gopuram, he is welcomed with the Prabhandham Scholars’ recital of Nanmugan Thiruvanthathi. 
நான்முகனை நாராயணன் படைத்தான் 
நான்முகனும்  தான் முகமாய் சங்கரனை தான் படைத்தான் 
யான் முகமாய்  அந்தாதி மேலிட்டு அறிவித்தேன் ஆழ் பொருளை 
சிந்தாமல் கொள்மின் நீர், தேர்ந்து 

These days, the Panguni Utsavam has gained momentum in Melkote when several 1000s congregate for the Vaira Mudi Sevai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2012/04/vaira-mudi-utsavam-melkote.html). Yet this fourth day of the Aipasi Brahmotsavam has been special for the centuries old Raja Mudi Purapadu. The traditional residents, who have remained in Melkote over the decades, stood in front of their homes to have darshan of the Lord in Raja Mudi attire.

Pits and Hard Stones - Challenging times for the Temple Town

The West Street is full of hard stones with the adyapakars and the Sri Patham having a tough time negotiating the pits. In such remote locations, despite its rich heritage, the powers that be do not pay attention to such difficulties that one has to undergo during the processions. 

There are a few devotees on the North Mada Street who await the arrival of the Lord into their homes. And so do the ones in the East street.

Araiyar Sevai - Padi Etram

Just after 8pm, the Prabhandham Scholars complete the rendering of the sacred verses in the West corner of the temple as the Lord goes around in the prakara.
இனி அறிந்தேன் ஈசற்கும் நான்முகற்கும் தெய்வம்
இனி அறிந்தேன் எம் பெருமாள்  உன்னை இனி அறிந்தேன்
காரணன் நீ கற்றவை நீ கற்பவை நீ

நல் கிரிசை நாரணன் நீ  நன்கு அறிந்தேன் நான்

And shortly after as the Lord makes his way back, Parthasarathy Araiyar, son of the renowned Sri Rama Sarma Araiyar (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/09/melkote-araiyar-sri-rama-sharma.html), dressed in a red cone shaped sacred hat, takes over with his cymbals seeing the Lord through the Padi Etram back into this sanctum. 

In the not so distant past, when the original inhabitants remained at this historical town, Raja Mudi in Aipasi too was a grand celebratory occasion with devotees in several hundreds witnessing the procession of Selva Pillai Sampath Kumaran but now the Panguni Utsavam is the one in the year when the crowd swells to unmanageable proportions while the Raja Mudi in Aipasi is restricted to local devotees and those from the neighbouring villages with the Lord coming back into the temple within 45 minutes (The Vaira Mudi procession takes around 7 hours and is immediately followed by the Raja Mudi).

A Selfless Kainkaryapaka - Thirumal

The occasion is enriched by the presence of a Kainkaryapaka, Thirumal, who spends the entire length of the Aipasi Brahmotsavam selflessly serving the Lord through the processions and at other times during the day. He spends the fortnight consuming the Thaligai from the madapalli, bathes in the pushkarani and sleeps in a small room near the temple. Truly, it is the service mindedness of such devotees that help the smooth conduct of these big annual utsavams. Sometimes he dons the role of a Sri Patham, at other times he carries the Theevatti and does so many seemingly small activities in the whole process of an Utsavam but without each of which, the conduct would face hurdles. By the end of the utsavam he would have moved on to another Divya Desam in Tamil Nadu to perform similar service there.

Despite the lack of a large crowd, it was a devotional delight to watch the Lord at his resplendent best in the Raja Mudi.  The few that remained to witness seemed a happy lot.

The Raja Mudi will make its way on Nov 13 to the Treasury in Mandya till the Panguni Utsavam.

Ariyakudi Thiru Venkatamudayan Temple

Devotional Vibrancy marked the Utsavams in the 1930s and 40s

87 year old S Aravamudhan began performing service at the Thiru Venkatamudayan Temple in Ariyakudi in 1943 when there were at least 40 Vaishnavite families in the agraharam. His family had the Sthaneegam rights at the temple. His father Srinivasa Gopalachariar was both a Vedic and a Nalayira Divya Prabhandham scholar and served full time at the temple through the first half of the 20^th Century including taking care of the Vedanta Desikar Sannidhi. 

The  temple is the biggest in the Chettinad Region with a lofty 7 Tier Raja Gopuram welcoming the devotees at the Eastern Entrance. Through the first half of the previous century, the entire town reverberated with Vedic and Prabhandham recitals during the two big annual utsavams. 

There was great devotional vibrancy in the agraharams with over 200 Vaishnavites watching the Lord make his way on grand Golden and Silver Vahanas decked with glittering jewellary during the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam and Puratasi Desikar Utsavam. The temple was well staffed with over 25 service personnel including 5 archakas dedicating themselves to Srinivasa Perumal and Alarmel Mangai Thayar.

Puratasi Thiruvonam

The story goes that when Sevukan Chettiyar fell ill during one of his annual walks to Tirupathi to celebrate Puratasi Thiruvonam, an invisible voice told him that the Lord himself would provide darshan at Ariyakudi. He installed the idol of Srinivasa Perumal and built the first prakara. Subsequently, the 120ft Raja Gopuram was built along with a separate Sannidhi for Alarmel Mangai Thaayar.

Every Puratasi Thiruvonam, Chettiars congregate in large numbers at the temple to invoke the blessings of the Lord chanting the name of Govinda continuously for several hours through the night.It has been a long tradition in Ariyakudi for Srinivasa Perumal and Lord Shiva (from the temple opposite) to go on a day long joint procession around the town on Vijayadasami (this year, this Utsavam co-incided with Puratasi Shravanam) providing darshan to devotees at their door steps. In the evening, Srinivasa Perumal provides darshan to devotees on a Horse Vahana procession across the four streets. 

Even as a young boy, Aravamudhan would grind the sandalwood on a big stone inside the temple for 3-4 hours at a stretch. He took special interest in decorating Desikar during the avathara utsavam. His devotional involvement also extended to Ramayana Parayanam on the Rama Navami day and the presentation of Bhagavatham on the occasion of Krishna Jayanthi.

He has happy memories of spending his childhood at the temple “The biggest day of the year was on the occasion of the Chariot Festival. 1000s gathered from all the neighbouring villages to pull the chariot around the four streets. This was followed by a grand Theppotsavam. The agraharams were vibrant and there was joy all around with people mingling with each other. Renowned Vaishnavite scholars also presented Upanyasam during the period of the utsavam.  Music and Dance were an integral part of the Brahmotsavam celebrations.”

In additional to the local experts, he remembers his father bringing in Veda Parayanam and Prabhandham Scholars from Kanchipuram and Srirangam for the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam and Puratasi Desikar Utsavam. The entire 4000 sacred verses were presented on these occasions.

Carnatic Music legend Ramanuja Iyengar resided just two houses from Aravamudhan’s on the Sannidhi Street. An archival record dating back to 1937 features a kutcheri presentation by him here at Ariyakudi “As a young boy, I have seen him and my father spending several hours sitting on the Thinnai discussing various topics including music.”

He also has vivid memories of DK Pattammal presenting a Kutcheri at Ariyakudi.

A Grand Brahmotsavam

The Brahmotsavam in Vaikasi had been a grand event till the 1950s and 60s. Thirumalai Bhattar, whose forefathers had served at the temple for well over a century says that for his father, who did aradhana for over 65 years till his death a couple of years ago, the biggest motivation came from the devotees who thronged the temple to get a first glimpse of the ‘alankaram of the day.’ The jewellary that the Lord and Thayar wore on processional days has always been a specialty at the temple “My father would carefully choose the original jewellary to go along with the decoration and the vahana. During each of the days of the Brahmotsavam, he would spend hours in the alankaram of the Lord.” 

Till very recently, the Lord provided Vaira Mudi Seva on the fifth day of the Brahmotsavam, an event that attracted devotees from all the neighbouring locations. However, this has been done away with for safety reasons.

Prabhandham recital was so special that often the comment to a young upcoming scholar was to direct him to Ariyakudi and participate in the devotional recital during the Brahmotsavam. There is a plan to start a Veda Patshala to encourage young children to get into tradtional learning.

On the fourth day of the Brahmotsavam marking the Golden Garuda Seva procession, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar would begin the presentation of the Pancharatna Keerthanai at the start of the procession and carry on till the end.

Lord decked with Jewels on Street Processions

Aravamudhan and his forefathers also had custody of the temple jewellary “We were in possession of the keys and maintained the inventory. During the two big utsavams, we would hand over the jewels to the archakas. As the Lord made his way around the streets, one could feel the happiness among the devotees watching him in a grand alankaram and decked in glittering jewellary.” 

Unfortunately, by the 1970s, the financial situation at the temple had turned sour and most of the traditional residents including Aravamudhan had begun leaving the agraharam in search of greener pastures in the city.  Now, the agraharam bears no resemblance to the decades gone by, with just a few Vaishnavite families, mainly archakas, remaining in Ariyakudi.

While he relives those happy moments of a vibrant agraharam from his childhood days, Aravamudhan is also conscious of the need to support the temple and get it back in some form to the good old days. His son, Srinivasa Gopalan, who runs a technology firm in Chennai, initiated the process of clearing the debris along the canals in Ariyakudi to allow rain water to flow into the farming land as well as into the temple tank. He has also been financially supporting the temple during the utsavams. 

Funding Support from Devotees

In the not so distant past, there was a separate chariot for Vedanta Desikar and he provided darshan as part of the Avathara Utsavam. The chariot is no more functional. The temple is looking to build a new chariot for Desikar and to resume the chariot festival during the Desikar Utsavam. The temple also has plans to revive some of the historical utsavams including the Pavitrotsavam. Given the rising costs, managing the Brahmotsavam is becoming increasingly challenging and the temple is looking for devotees to fund the utsavams. The good news is that the Lord continues to be carried on the shoulders during all the vahana processions despite all the challenges relating to service personnel. It is hoped that more such original inhabitants will come back to support the temple.

Those interested to support can contact 94866 34228.

The temple is open from 730am-12.30pm and 430pm-8pm

How to reach

The temple is about 3 kms from the Karaikudi Railway Station. An auto from the station costs Rs.80. Mini buses ply from Karaikudi bus stand to the temple.

( A version of this story featured in The Hindu Friday Review)

Manavala Mamuni Utsavam Thiruvallikeni

Aipasi Moolam is the biggest day in the year at the Thiruvallikeni Divya Desam with a Grand Celebration of the birthday of Vaishnavite Acharya Manavala Mamunigal

18 Sacred Umbrellas signifying his 18 works during the street procession add a devotional flavour to the festivities on Friday morning 

Upadesa Ratna Malai and Tiruvoimozhi Nootranthathi presentations mark the sacred recitals by the large Prabhandham Ghosti on the final day of the ten day utsavam

     (Photo Credit: Shri. 'Insurance' Sampath)

It is just after 930am on Friday (Nov 1) morning. Over a 100 members of the Ghosti team have lined up on either side of the Namazhvaar Sannidhi at the eastern entrance of the Parthasarathy Perumal Koil at the Thiruvallikeni Divya Desam. With the traditionalists having moved away in the 1970s and 80s from their hereditary locations seeking greener pastures in bigger cities, the presence of a strong Prabhandham Ghosti is now more an exception than the norm at most Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu. Even considering the move of the Vaishnavites to cities and the consequent large presence in a city like Madras, this line up presented a rare sight for a Divya Desam, with a few 80+ Adyapakars standing alongside boys who were still not into their teens. The monsoon had set in and rain had played spoil sport the previous two evenings leaving everyone worried about the prospects of this big day. And this was a working day one that followed the long (Deepavali) festival weekend and the procession had been postponed by two hours from the originally scheduled 7.30am. But it seemed nothing would deter either the office goers or the school and college boys of Thiruvallikeni from a grand celebration of the birthday of the revered Vaishnavite Acharya, Manavala Mamunigal. And even the Sun seemed to support this celebration for it turned up on Friday morning in full vigour quite unlike the earlier days in the week.

For long, the Moolam day in Aipasi has been the biggest occasion in the year at this Divya Desam with the morning procession of Manavala Mamunigal along with Parthasarathy Perumal amidst 18 Grand large sized umbrellas being a sight to behold. This is the only day in the year and it is only during the celebration of  the Acharya's birthday when the entire range of Umbrellas is on display at the street procession in Thiruvallikeni.

The Periya Veethi Purapadu

The devotees would simply not take just the Siriya Mada Veethi procession on this day as had been murmured the previous evening following an untoward incident in one of the sacred streets. With the co-operation of the Prabhandham Ghosti members (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/thiruvallikeni-prabhandham-ghosti.html), it was decided to finish day 4 celebrations of the Pey Azhvaar Avathara Utsavam in the morning so as to give the temple an opportunity to decide on the Big Streets procession. And to the delight of everyone, the green signal was given for the 3 hour long procession around the Four Big Mada Streets and the temple tank.

By 6.30 am scores of young photographers had gathered at the temple entrance (this is a recent trend – of amateurs photographers picking up different festivals – both religious and cultural - in the city to capture images) excited at the challenging photo opportunity that was on offer - getting to shoot all the umbrellas along with the Lord and Acharya.

Upadesa Ratna Malai and the Grand Procession

While crackers have become part of celebrations of this Utsavam (it went on for almost 4 hours on Sunday night during the day 5 procession), the loud bursting noise to announce the beginning of the procession marred the opening verses of the Upadesa Ratna Malai in front of the Nam Azhvaar Sannidhi. And shortly after, as Manavala Mamunigal led the way into the South Mada Street, followed by Parthasarathy Perumal in a glittering Ratnaangi, barrage of photographers raised their hands to click the first photographs of the Lord and Acharya under the large sized umbrellas.

Upadesa Ratna Maalai describes the greatness of the Azhvaars and Acharyas providing details of their birth stars, dates and locations, the vyakyanam for Azhvaars’ verses and the greatness of these Vyakyanams. The verses end describing the greatness of Pillai Lokacharya and the greatness of his Sri Vachana Bhoosanam.

His 18 works and the 18 Kudais Procession

18 Umbrellas on this procession signifies the 18 works (including original works and commentaries) of Manavala Mamunigal through which he spread the Vaishnavite Sampradaya, says MA Venkatakrishnan, the leader of the Prabhandham Ghosti at this Divya Desam. He is also delighted at the support of the Prabhandham Ghosti members “Not only have they come in good numbers through the ten days of the festival but have also presented the verses, especially the Tiruvoimozhi presentation late at the end of long days through the Utsavam, in an unhurried manner.”

After making their way to Pey Azhvaar Sannidhi, the two provided darshan to devotees for well over two hours on a surprisingly hot day with the ‘Kudai’ being the much talked about subject among the residents. Photographers went atop high rise buildings to capture the scores of Umbrellas along the sacred streets of Thiruvallikeni. 

A refreshing rejection 
As Parthasarathy Perumal reached the entrance of  Narasimha Raja Gopuram, an old lady handed her smart phone to a young lady devotee to capture a photograph of the Lord amidst the Grand Umbrellas. Quite refreshingly, the young lady refused to take the photo shot informing much to the disappointment of the old lady that she does not take photographs of the Lord on processions. If we had more of such youngsters, the procession will become a lot more devotional as against the current scenario of hands going up as one at all places during the street procession with devotees' focus on capturing the Lord with their phone forgetting the importance of the  'folding of hands' in front of the Lord.

Just after noon, the Prabhandham Ghosti presented the final verses of Upadesa Ratna Malai at the Eastern Entrance of the temple bringing the once in a year grand procession to an end.

      (Photo Credit: Shri. 'Insurance' Sampath)

Mangalasasanam Vs Kaithala Sevai

Earlier in the day, the proceedings had begun at 530 am with the Mangalasasanam - Manavala Mamunigal visiting each of the sannidhis within the temple complex. During the earlier 9 days of the Utsavam, this was an important occasion for the residents of Thiruvallikeni as they gathered in large numbers to listen to the stotrams by and on Manavala Mamunigal. 

But not so this morning, for one had to decide between the sacred Mangalasasanam and the once in a year ‘Kaithala Sevai’, that of the priests carrying Parthasarathy Perumal by hand to provide an early morning birthday gift to Manavala Mamunigal. And most of the residents of Thiruvallikeni opted for the latter as they took vantage positions inside the Moolavar Sannidhi ahead of the Kaithala Sevai from the Sanctum.

    (Photo Credit: Shri. 'Insurance' Sampath)

The mangalasasanam presentation is broken up into two parts – 20 slokas (Ethiraja Vimsathi) of Manavala Mamunigal on Ramanuja and then a few of the important ones from the 100 slokas of Manavala Mamunigal’s disciple Erumbi Appa’s Vara Vara Muni Shatakam. In his praise, Manavala Mamunigal refers to the process of saving oneself from the sins committed.

During the Mangalasasanam, Ameena Seshadri, the time keeper of the Utsavam, showcases to a Bhagavatha Kainkaryapaka on the way to present the two Cymbals - a service that he had learnt four decades ago from his Acharya at Sriperambudur.

By the time Manavala Mamunigal positioned himself in front of the Parthasarathy Perumal Sannidhi, he found much to his surprise 100s of people already there. Those few that accompanied Manavala Mamunigal on the mangalasasanam were left behind at the Kaithala Sevai as they could not wade their way through the packed Maha Mandapam.

While this is one of the only two Acharya utsavams in the year when the 4000 sacred verses are presented in full at the Thiruvallikeni Divya Desam, the other being the Ramanuja Utsavam, the Kaithala Sevai of Parthasarathy Perumal on Aipasi Moolam is the only one in the year presented to an Acharya or Azhvaar.

Adyapakars' contribution to the Utsavam

For well over a Century, the Manavala Mamunigal Kainkarya Sabha has been contributing to the celebration of the ten day utsavam at Thiruvallikeni, with the Adyapakars allocating a specific sum from their  round the year Seva Kaalam Sambhavanai for this Utsavam. Last year, the adyapakars contributed close to Rs. 20000 to the Sabha for this Utsavam.

Venkatakrishnan says that historically it was contribution from this Sabha that helped conduct the Manavala Mamunigal utsavam (times have changed now and devotees pour in with contributions for this festival). It has also been a historical practice for the Madapalli to present a separate “Ishta Vinaiyogam” exclusively to the Adyapakars as part of the Tiruvoimozhi Seva Kalam. Venkatakrishnan says that during the debate in the Madras High Court that handed them the rights for Prabhandham presentation, this Ishta Vinaiyogam was brought to the notice of the Judge as a historical practice at the temple.

Tiruvoimozhi Nootranthathi – A unique Composition

 After the 18 Kudai procession, a few of the Adyapakars continued their devotional engagement on the day with the Thirumanjanam proceedings that lasted an hour. The Prabhandham Ghosti in real good numbers for a Friday afternoon presented the final Cantos of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s verses followed by Manavala Mamunigal’s Tiruvoimozhi Nootranthathi, a very unique composition presenting in Quintessence every 10 verses of Tiruvoimozhi in a single verse with some complex ingredients in it such as the naming of Nam Azhvaar being a pre requisite, the first and last words to start and end in the same way as in Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi and at the same time to be in Venpa.

(During the Thirumanjanam on each of the previous 9 days, the adyapakas present Vadivazhagiya Kattiyam describing the personality of the Acharya from top to bottom. Among the Azhvaars and Acharyas, only Ramanuja and Manavala Maamunigal are presented with the Kattiyam during the Thirumanjanam).

Manavala Maamunigal
Vaishnavite Acharya Manavala Mamuni spent his early childhood days in Sikkil Kidaram (his mother hailed from here - now referred to as Kotham Kulam) before moving to Azhvaar Tirunagari. He took it upon him to propogate Ramanuja’s philosophy. At Srirangam, Lord Ranganatha listened to his Bhagavad Vishaya Kalakshepa explaining the meaning of and providing insights into the Tiruvoimozhi verses. As Guru Dakshina to Manavala Mamuni, the Lord is said to have presented the Dhaniyan ‘Srisailesa Dayapatram…’ which to this day is recited at prominent Divya Desams ahead of the Prabhandham recital. His contribution includes Vyakyanam, in Manapravalam, for Pillai Loka Charya’s Sutras

ஸ்ரீசைலேச தயா பாத்ரம்

தீபக்த்யாதி குணார்ணவம்

யதீந்த்ரப்ரவணம் வந்தே

ரம்ய ஜமாதரம் முநிம்

Tireless Prabhandham members
Soon after the Thirumozhi Satrumurai, the ghosti members were back in front of the Nam Azhvaar Sannidhi for the final procession of the 10 day Utsavam. Manavala Mamunigal and Parthasarathy Perumal made their way through the four big streets and the temple tank listening to the recital of Ramanuja Nootranthathi. 

Around 10pm, they began the presentation of the final Canto of Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi inside the temple. The devotional commitment of the Prabhandham Ghosti members towards their Acharya is truly commendable for on almost all of the ten days of the Utsavam, they were present in large numbers.

Concluding Events
While the gift from the Lord in the morning was a special 'Kaithala Sevai', Parthasarathy Perumal presented his own garland to  Manavala Mamunigal just after 11pm marking the conclusion of the 10 day utsavam.

It was past midnight when the two made their way back from the Tiruvoimozhi Mandapam bringing to end the grandest day of the year at the Thiruvallikeni Divya Desam.

It was invigorating to find Octagenarian Adyapakarsen  who have been presenting the  verses here at this Divya Desam for over six decades present on the final morning the Upadesa Ratna Maalai verses alongside young boys  who have just begun their initiation. The devotional  commitment0 of the Prabhandham members of Thiruvallikeni towards the recital of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandam as well as the stotras of Manavala Mamunigal will be hard to beat.

While the commitment from the Ghosti members was highly commendable, the Manavala Mamuni Utsavam has historically been one of the toughest for the Bhattars at this Divya Desam. While the two Brahmotsavams are challenging, this one puts to test their physical and mental commitment to the fullest for unlike the Brahmotsavam, there is a Thirumanjanam and Prabhandham recitial in the afternoon and a Tiruvoimozhi presentation much after the evening street procession. So while most of the devotees return after the sacred verses (around 11pm), the Bhattars have at least an additional hour of service late into the night ( the historical practice also is to shut each of the sannidhis at the temple only after return of the Lord/Acharya after the Tiruvoimozhi presentation in the night). And then the next morning, they have to return early for Vishwaroopam Sevai. For many, there has been very little sleep during the ten days of the Utsavam in the decades gone by. However, in the last year or so, with the increased devotee crowd at the temple, a few additional Bhattars have been posted and thus the work amongst the Bhattars have been split between the routine daily service and the specific utsavam service making it a little more relaxed for them.

PS: A paragraph has been subsequently removed from the story after the original posting

Parthanpalli Nangur Divya Desam

VS Lakshmana Dikshithar was rewarded with a diamond ring for his 'musical' archanai but he converted that into a Pathakam for the Lord - Such was the commitment of this archakar who performed Selfless Service for 60 years at Parthanpalli Divya Desam

With Seshadri Bhattar and his forefathers, the hereditary trustees of the  Parthasarathy Temple in Parthanpalli for the last 250 years, having moved to service at temples in Kumbakonam, it was the revered Pancharatra agama expert VS Lakshmana Dikshithar (their relative) who performed aradhana at the Parthanpalli Divya Desam for over 60 years till his death earlier this decade at the age of 85. His selfless service for very little financial returns over a long period of time had to be experienced for one to believe that such people existed in the  not too distant past. 

In the days of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, Parthanpalli was home to tall mansions.

கவள யானை கொம்பு ஒசித்த

கண்ணன் என்றும் காமரு சீர்

குவளை மேகம் அன்ன மேனி

கொண்ட கோன் என் ஆனை என்றும்

தவள மாட நீடு நாங்கைத்

தாமரையாள் கேள்வன் என்றும்

பவள வாயாள் என் மடந்தை

பார்த்தன்பள்ளி பாடுவாளே

No Income, No Thattu Kaasu

However, for much of the 60 years of his service, the agraharam had become a thing of the past. There were few devotees who visited Parthanpalli and Thattu Kaasu was almost non existent. The temple was in a dilapidated state with a muddy Prakara and high thorny bushes all around. There were no lighting at the temple in those days. Ghee lit lamp provided the only source of light to the temple complex. It was generally dark all around. As with most other ancient temples, Parthanpalli too had in its possession lands the income from which was not only sufficient to conduct utsavams and pay the sirpanthigals but also to deposit in a bank. But in the 2nd half of the 20th century, the income dwindled and the inflow came to almost nil.

But none of these mattered to Lakshmana Dikshithar for his was a life of devotional connect with the Lord. Lack of income did not alter his approach at the temple. For decades, he woke up early and began the daily aradhana for the Lord each day of the year in the calm of this ancient temple town.A unique feature at the Parthanpalli Divya Desam is the presence of two Utsava Deities- Parthasarathy and Kolavilli Rama, not seen elsewhere in the Thiru Nangur Divya Desam.

The tank, one whose legend dates back to an episode from the Mahabaratha, remained dry and unattended to for several decades was the state of the temple all through that period. Thirsty after a long pilgrimage, Arjuna hoped to quench his thirst at Agastya’s ashram who was undertaking penance here but to his dismay he found that the Sage’s Kamandala too had gone dry. Answering Arjuna’s prayers, Krishna appeared here as Parthasarathy and presented Arjuna with a sword. As instructed by Parthasarathy, Arjuna struck the ground with the sword and to his surprise water poured out of that place helping him quench his thirst.  This location, south of the temple, became the sacred ‘Katka’ Pushkarani.  To mark this event, Arjuna is seen here at this Divya Desam with a sword.

As seen from the Praise of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, Vedic Seers recited the Four Vedas in this ancient location - செஞ்சொலாளர் நீடு நங்கைத் - In line with the praise, Lakshmana Dikshithar, a Pancharatra Agama expert, taught students at the Nangur Patshala. Earlier, he also initiated students in Parthanpalli.

Devotee gifts a diamond ring
He had a unique rendering of the archanai, not seen in any other Divya Desam in Tamil Nadu. His specialty was the Ramayana Archanai based on a Raagamalika tone. Once a devotee was so moved with the experience of listening to his archanai that he instantly, in a moment of devotional happiness removed a diamond ring from his finger and  handed it to Lakshmana Dikshithar as his gift. But Lakshmana Dikshithar would have none of it. He soon converted the personal gift into a pathakam for the Lord and placed it on his chest. Such was his devotional commitment even at the time of extreme financial difficulty.

Watchman for 25 years

53 year old S Govindarajan has been a watchman at the temple for the last 25 years. His wife sweeps the floor and helps in maintenance including cleaning the vessels. 

When he joined in 1993 there was no other person willing to come and work at this Divya Desam "When I joined, this was a brick temple. Soon, the Raja Gopuram, which too was a brick construction, developed cracks. Most parts of the outer wall  were in a broken condition. Madapalli was a small old structure with a low roof and many took a hit while entering. But the finances were so poor that there was no money to do even basic repair works, let alone major renovation."

The Name Parthan Palli
It was here that Arjuna was initiated with ‘Knowledge Education’ by Lord Parthasarathy to make Arjuna understand who he really was and what his real powers were. Since Arjuna had this Knowledge initiation here and played the role of a student, this temple came to be known after him as ‘Parthan Palli’.

Poigai Azhvaar’s praise
Poigai Azhvaar in his Thiruvanthathi verse refers to the moolavar deity Thaamarai Aal Kelvan:
பெயருங் கருங் கடலே நோக்கும் ஆறு ஒண் பூ
உயரும் கதிரவனே நோக்கும் உயிரும்
தருமனையே நோக்கும் ஒண் தாமரையால் கேள்வன்
ஒருவனையே நோக்கும் உணர்வு


Hereditary Trustee returns

After the death of Lakshmana Dikshithar just over 5 years ago, the now 80 year old Seshadri Bhattar has returned to his hereditary temple at Parthanpalli. With  a devotee network built through his service at the temples in Kumbakonam, he collected the funds to renovate the temple and conducted Samprokshanam a few years ago. The temple has no indication of the days from the century gone by. A cement flooring around the prakara, mosaic in a few places within the complex, new outer walls and a colourful Raja Gopuram. The tank too is being refurbished with walls built on all the four sides. But devotees remain elusive on weekdays.

It is a Thursday morning in Puratasi. There are no devotees at the temple. It  has been a quiet morning as is the case on most week days. As with Lakshmana Dikshithar, the lack of devotee crowd does not matter to Seshadri Bhattar. For almost close to two hours, he is seen performing aradhana for the Lord in a most traditional way that takes one to the good old days of archakas spending devotional one on one time with the Lord. He then presents Thaligai to the Lord and Thayar. Just around noon, there is a family from Hyderabad that has made a long trip to this Divya Desam. They are treated to a sumptuous curd rice. 

But the scenario changes over the weekend, Devotees in good numbers visit Parthanpalli as part of their Thiru Nangur Divya Desam trip on Saturday and Sunday. The devotional wave that has struck Tamil Nadu temples in the last decade or so has helped Parthanpalli as well with weekend devotee crowd resulting in an increase in Thattu Kaasu. 

In a way, Seshadri Bhattar is now in the right place but not so Lakshmana Dikshithar who faced through the toughest of times  in the 2nd half of the 20th century with the greatest of devotion. Finally, the fruits of his devotional commitment that lasted over six decades is now bearing fruits with the temple wearing a refreshing look, infrastructure wise, and the Bhattar now energised with the ever increasing devotee crowd. 

Festivals
In the early part of the previous century, Brahmotsavam was the period when villagers congregated at the temple in good numbers. A certain community also took it upon themselves to carry the Lord on their shoulders during the Vahana processions.

The No Moon Day in Aadi was another big occasion at the temple for Lord Parthasarathy made a long trip to the Poompuhar Sea Shore for the Annual Theerthavari Utsavam. 

On the No Moon Day in Thai, Thirumangai Azhvaar visits this temple followed by the trip to Thiru Nangur for the annual Garuda Sevai that has now become a popular.

The temple is open from 8am-1230pm and 5pm-830pm. Contact Seshadri Bhattar @ 99948 37326

How to reach
From Sirkazhi, take Poompuhar bound bus (buses every half hour) via Thiruvali / Mangai Madam and get down at Thiruvenkadu. From here, Parthanpalli is about 2kms (auto will cost Rs. 50). From Mayiladuthurai, take Poompuhar bound bus (every hour) to Thiruvenkadu (20kms). Also, local buses (Numbers 4A, 12, 28 and 34) ply from Mayiladuthurai to Thiruvenkadu.

Auto from Thiruvenkadu will cost Rs. 50/-. Contact auto natarajan@ 9095313304

Srirangam Elephant

Andal gets a New Home within the Srirangam Temple Complex

The modern construction that had come up in 2005 adjacent to the Vellai Gopuram has been finally demolished restoring the Grand Old Look of the historical Eastern Tower - a new Nandavanam will come alongside the East Uthira Street

Dungeon to Heaven - The new home provides for High Ventilation, Free Air Circulation, Hygienic Environment  and a Peaceful surrounding to Andal

Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangam is a delighted man for he has finally managed to demolish the new modern type construction that had come up adjacent to the Vellai Gopuram in the middle of the previous decade on the East Uthira Street and restore the  Eastern Tower to its grand historical old looks.  As part of yet another restoration initiative undertaken over the last 15-18 months at the Srirangam Temple, a new home has been found for Andal, the sacred elephant of the temple within the temple complex, next to the Ul-Andal Sannidhi.

The last decade and a half had been a torrid time for Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple’s other ‘Andal’, the sacred elephant who wakes up early every morning and brings water for the Lord ahead of Vishwaroopam. In 2005, a new modern building was constructed adjacent to the famous ‘Vellai Gopuram’. While on the one hand, the new building destroyed the architectural beauty of the historical Tower on East Uthira Street, for the view from the Northern side of the East Uthira Street was completely blocked, on the other, it made for a dungeon like stay for Andal. 

The  Tall Modern Complex that had come in 2005 

blocked the visibility to the Vellai Gopuram

With road traffic having increased substantially over the last 15 years, there has seen a rise in vehicles from the Northern side of Srirangam passing through the East Uthira Street. With the new large sized construction having coming up right next to the Vellai Gopuram, Elephant Andal had to endure many a sleepless night amidst the noisy movement of vehicles late into the night. The auto stand was just opposite the home. The tall building was also constructed alongside the towering Eastern wall and this prevented ventilation into Andal’s Home. There was minimal air circulation within this complex for the building was flanked on two sides by the Huge Temple Wall and the Vellai Gopuram. The building was also a RC based construction.  There was no drinking water facility inside. And bathing too was an issue.

The location after the demolition

 of the big modern building

The new large building also posed a challenge during the processions in Thai and Maasi when the Lord provides darshan around the four Uthira Streets for it consumed a lot of space restricting movement of devotees around the Vellai Gopuram.

Overall, it was a challenging phase for the elephant. With the devotional wave striking temples in Tamil Nadu over the last decade or so, the focus of the temple had largely been on devotees and issues relating to them with the welfare of the elephant remaining sidelined.

Finally as part of the larger restoration exercise of the Srirangam Temple, Venu Srinivasan was insistent on the demolition of the modern complex. As with the removal of many of the ugly constructions (that had come up over the last 50-75 years) within the very many Sannidhis  of this huge temple, he was keen that this high rise building too be removed. 

The authorities went through the process of securing the approval of the Commissioner and the Committee. A plan was rolled out to move the residence of Andal into a comfortable zone within the temple complex. A number of unauthorized constructions leading to the Ul-Andal Sannidhi had been removed as part of this restoration programme that began in 2014-15.  And the huge open space adjacent to Goddess and Saint Poet Andal was identified as the new home for Andal, the temple elephant.

Features of the New Home

As has been the case with the larger restoration at the Srirangam Temple, the focus of this new home for Andal has been on Ventilation, Free Air Circulation, a Hygienic Environment, constructing a Traditional Structure  and most importantly on providing a peaceful environment for the elephant to help her perform the daily service to Lord Ranganatha in an energized manner. 

                                

Venu Srinivasan’s Trust which has undertaken this activity has spent around Rs. 30 Lakhs on the construction of this new home for Andal. The entire complex is a Granite construction using similar stones that one finds across other parts of the temple. The East facing home provides for a lot of sunlight into the complex both from the East and the West (in the evenings). There is enough breathing space for Andal with large open spaces at this new residence. There is a new shower coming inside the complex that will allow for bathing of Andal every morning. Very soon, only is likely to find a small nandavanam in the outer precincts of this complex. Drinking water facility has also been taken care of for Andal.

Mahout Rajesh, who takes care of Andal almost as a parent would of a child, says that in the fortnight after the move, Andal has found this new home very peaceful “After 9pm, there is almost no noise for about 8 hours and this provides for a solid sleep. Very often, over the last 15 years, vehicular movement in the night and during the day disturbed the rest patterns. There is now a solid sleep pattern and Andal seems lot happier at this new home.”

He jocularly remarks that while this new home is good news for Andal, it is challenging for him. While earlier he stayed in the temple quarters, with the moving of the elephant into the temple complex, he too has moved in along with Andal. And thus he spends well over three fourths of the day (and night) in the same complex.  But the peace and happiness that he now finds in Andal far overshadows the personal challenge of him having to spend almost his entire time at this new home away from his family.

Joint Commissioner of the Srirangam Temple, Pon Jayaraman says that given the attention that was paid to keeping the traditional looks of the temple, the new home for the temple elephant took around a year to construct with granite stones used for construction “We went through the whole approval process and hence did not hurry this move. Once we set up the Nandavanam, we will allow devotees to visit the new home of Andal.” 

While he monitors the demolition work and the removal of the final rubble this Tuesday afternoon amidst the light drizzle that has been falling in Srirangam, he outlines the new plan for the Northern side of the East Uthira Street ‘The removal of the huge modern construction will provide for a lot of open space on this street. Very soon, you will find traditional flower bearing plants and this entire zone will be cordoned off as a Nandavanam.”

Devotees of East Uthira Street are delighted at the demolishing of the tall complex that they say took away the sheen from the Vellai Gopuram. For the first time in almost 15 years, we are now able to view the Gopuram in its entirety from our home on the Northern Side of the East Uthira Street.

While a number of the previous restorations at this temple over the last 5 years were focused on devotees and bringing back the architectural beauty of the temple, this one is particularly commendable for it has attended to the long standing needs of the sacred elephant and has provided a peaceful home for Andal within the temple complex. 

Interestingly, there has been a space allocated for another elephant in this new home and the word is that the Srirangam Temple could very soon have a 2^nd elephant under its fold.