Gokulakrishnan DJ passes away at 50

Despite all his success in cricket, he always chose to take the backseat away from the limelight

On Wednesday evening too, he passed away quietly, unnoticed, in the backseat of an autorickshaw

He was ever willing to help cricketers and never restrained himself from sharing his knowledge

TN fast bowler from the 1990s J Gokulakrishnan passed away aged 50 on Wednesday evening on his way to the hospital after feeling ‘uncomfortable’ at the Gym. He was to leave on Friday to officiate as a Match Referee in the Syed Mushtaq Ali National T20 tournament. His brother and TN Ranji teammate from the 1990s J Madanagopal, now an international umpire, too was to leave Friday to officiate as an umpire in the same tournament. 

There was an even more interesting prospect awaiting Gokulakrishnan and only 24 hours earlier he had discussed at length with his brother “He had been asked this week if he would be interested to take up a coaching role in the US. He was visibly excited about this prospect and discussed the pros and cons of this. His sons were in Class XI and I was likely to travel a lot for my Umpiring. He was anxious as to who would take care of their parents”, Madanagopal told this writer on Thursday morning. It was one of the last things they had discussed (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/10/madanagopal-j.html).

Photo taken by this writer at a TNPL match in Natham several years ago

If all had been well, he would have taken a call on this pretty quickly and may have left his Indian cricketing friends for a while if he chose to take up the offer but unfortunately just a day later he has left behind the several thousands of cricketing friends, permanently never to return again. 

He was a GEM to almost all the cricketers. He never refused anything when asked and would always try his best to help out others especially in the cricketing space. He also never forgot his early years in cricket and the cricketers he played with in his teenage days and those that stood by him in that early phase. 

A long 3 hour meeting with 1980s cricketers

In July this year, when cricketer turned millionaire entrepreneur Promodh Sharma(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/05/promodh-sharma-cricketer-turned.html), now in Hongkong, came to Madras, he was keen to meet with Gokul. When this writer asked him if he would be available, his answer was unsurprising “Just let me know the venue and time and I will be there.” 

The No Ball Call in his first Ranji Season

Promodh chose a venue 100 yards from Gokul’s house in Gandhi Nagar for the Saturday luncheon. In that long almost three hour meeting, two incidents from Gokulakrishnan’s career took center stage. The first was about the chucking call in his very first Ranji match. Promodh had faced Gokulakrishnan many times in the late 1980s at the YMCA TSR nets and he had also kept wickets to him during the All India tournament in Bangalore conducted by Brijesh Patel and Imtiaz Ahmed. And he was certain that Gokul was far from chucking. He also rated Gokul as the fastest bowler he had kept to in that phase in the late 1980s and early 90s. 

The other person in this meeting was Vijay Nirmal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/09/vijay-nirmal-cricketer-don-bosco.html), who was in the Ranji probables in the 1990s. He had been Gokulakrishnan’s bunny in the city v districts matches falling prey to Gokul’s big inswingers. Vijay was particularly curious about the mental impact of the no ball call. As always, Gokul was candid in that meeting about the impact “I had had a couple of great seasons in league cricket in Chennai and the confidence was sky high. Expectations were also high but this call shattered my completely. I was just 20 at that time. Though I was cleared by Dennis Lillee, it took quite some time for the scar to go away”, he told the three of us at that meeting.

Gokul with Vijay Nirmal and Promodh Sharma at the Gandhinagar restaurant

Just when he was making his comeback, the comments by his mentor VB Chandrasekar(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/01/vb-chandrasekar.html?m=1)  with whom he had worked very closely in the first half of the 1990s to get India Cements back into cricketing fold, left him shell shocked “VB had been made the TN Captain that season. Soon after, he came up to and told me ‘Just because I am the captain, do not expect to be the TN team.’  The comment shook me a 2nd time and this unwarranted comment took time to heal.”

Both these incidents left him shattered for quite a while but he was always resilient and came back strong that decade going on to play close to 40 first class matches. Also, he never harbored any ill feelings towards anyone in life. He was on the verge of being picked for India A when he was playing for Goa but an on-field injury dashed his hopes of an India A debut.

(Detailed feature on these incidents in the link at the end of this story)

Always lent a helping hand

Earlier this year, when this writer asked if he could help out the Netherland league cricketer with bowling skills, his answer was the same “let know the time and the number of sessions and I will do it for you”.

The few sessions that Vidhvath Viswanathan had with Gokul led him to top the wicket taking chart in the league there this season, such had been the positive impact of those sessions (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/09/vidhvath-viswanathan-netherlands-best.html).

Vijay Nirmal told this writer on Wednesday night that Gokul immediately accepted his invitation to come to Prasad's league nets (Vijay owns Prasad CC - a 5th division league club) and had a look at the players. It did not matter if it was an ameteur cricketer in Netherlands playing for fun or fifth division league cricketers looking to further their cricket career. He always responded positively when old cricketing friends invited him. 

IIT Coaching for his twins sons

This writer had a long three hour chat with him earlier this year at the India Pistons ground during the end of season first division league match. In that meeting, he expressed anxiety at the choice of IIT coaching academy  for his twins sons and the big cost differential between different academies. He said that it was all quite confusing. He sought the thoughts of  left arm spinner Aushik Srinivas in that meeting (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2012/07/aushik-srinivas.html).

He was always friendly with those at office as well and mingled well with colleagues. 

Always placed Merit over everything else

He always wanted to be picked and given opportunities on merit and lived his entire life that way expecting no favours from anyone. Even when he was down in different phases in life including after his playing days, he refused to reach out to the powers that be to enquire about his future. He gave his best always and left the rest to ‘God’. Both on cricketing topics with this writer and on varied topics with his family members he did not mince words. Through his highs and lows, he stayed grounded and did not change one bit as a good human being that he was till the very end. His amma told this writer on Thursday morning that while Madan was the quiet, non controversial guy at home, Gokul would always discuss issues with her and express his views openly ‘even if I did not like to hear it’. He always spoke straight and did not leave anything to doubt. "That gave me a great comfort feeling. He would always call me to tell me  and seeking my blessings when he left on tours. But on Wednesday he went away forever without informing me."

He did not like to trouble others be it his relatives or his cricketing friends, in terms of seeking help out of the way. Interestingly, even on Wednesday evening when he felt uncomfortable during the Gym session, he did not reach out to Madan who was just a km away at his house and took an auto to the hospital leaving his two wheeler at the Gym. 

But he was never to return to pick his two wheeler.

Below is a  story this writer wrote on Gokul in 2017:

https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/gokulakrishnan-j.html

Uthira Kosa Mangai Next Gen Yogeswara Shiva

25 year old Sthaanegam commits to staying back in a remote temple to carry forward the hereditary Kainkaryam that his forefathers have been performing for several generations

Plans to run a Patshala in this historical temple town 

It is refreshing to see the 25 year old Yogeswara Shiva move around the legendary Uthira Kosa Mangai temple. He is completely in a traditional attire with a huge tuft, a well grown beard, sporting a panchakacham and with a Rudraksha Malai around his neck. After completing MA in Sastras and learning the Shiva Agama at Pillayarpatti for six years, he had multiple options in life with the obvious one being to follow the current trend and move to a top city to leverage his knowledge, financially. His forefathers have been the 1st Sthaneegam for generations and he had no second thoughts about how he wanted his life to be. He returned to Uthira Kosa Mangai last year to continue the Hereditary Kainkaryam after taking Samaya Deekshai, Shivaya Deekshai and Acharya Deekshai. 

Draws devotees towards him

Yogeswara Shiva is highly devotional and draws devotees' attention through his mere presence. He counts being part of this hereditary clan as a great blessing. It was here that Shiva transferred the secrets of the Vedas to Ambal. Hence the name Uthira Kosa Mangai (Upadesam of the Secrets to Parvathi) “I could have gone to the cities and monetized my knowledge but I chose to be at the temple where Shiva Agama was created here. Every night, the God goes to sleep listening to Manickavachakar’s sacred verses praising Uthira Kosa Mangai”, Yogeswara Shivacharya told this writer at the temple.

His appa Ravi Gurukal had performed service at this temple for many decades through the period when devotees were very few in number and they had to encounter a financially challenging phase. In those days, the priests had a share in the daily Neivedyam.

“While the devotee numbers dwindled, those steeped in Veda, Agama and Thiruvachakam visited Uthira Kosa Mangai for they always knew the significance of this temple”, says Yogeswara Shiva.

Manickavachakar's Pon Oosal Verses on Uthira Kosa Mangai

It was in Uthira Kosa Mangai that one rishi out of 1000 failed to secure Mukthi at the Agni Theertham. When he asked the Lord, he was told that he would be born again to spread the glory of  the Saivite temples to the world at large. Thus was born Manickavachakar in Thiruvathavur. Sitting in Chidambaram, he sang praise of the greatness of Uthira Kosa Mangai, nine verses of praised that is presented every night by the Othuvars every night during the Artha Jaama Pooja to put the divine couple to sleep.

சீரார் பவளங்கால் முத்தம் கயிறாக

ஏராரும் பொற்பலகை ஏறி இனிதமர்ந்து

நாரா யணன் அறியா நாண்மலர்த்தாள் நாயடியேற்

கூராகத் தந்தருளும் உத்தர கோசமங்கை

ஆரா அமுதின் அருள்தா ளிணைபாடிப்

போரார்வேற் கண்மடவீர் பொன்னூச லாடாமோ  - Thiruvachagam

Nataraja's secret presentation to Ambal

It was also in Uthira Kosa Mangai that Nataraja showcased his dance prowess exclusively to Ambal. When asked as to where the devotees could enjoy his dance magic, they were directed to Chidambaram where he presented the Pon Oosal verses.

A life dedicated to Mangalanathar and Mangalambigai

Yogeswara Shivachariar says that he is blessed to be born in this clan and wants to dedicate this life to perform kainkaryam at Uthira Kosa Mangai “I see this role as being specifically assigned to me by the Lord and I want to perform the pooja with total devotional commitment and be a positive influence on the devotees."

Through his unwavering devotional pooja, he wants to reach out to the devotees and impress upon them the process of devotion once they enter the temple. He believes that the sincerity of the Deepa Arathanai has the power to transform people devotionally “I have to create great devotional interest in people who come all the way to have darshan of Mangaleswarar and Mangalambigai. My role is not to show off my intelligence but to take the devotees on a spiritual journey through my pooja wherein they forget everything once inside the temple and submit themselves completely to God.”

மாதாடு பாகத்தன் உத்தர கோசமங்கைத்

தாதாடு கொன்றைச் சடையான் அடியாருள்

கோதாட்டி நாயேனை ஆட்கொண்டென் தொல்பிறவித்

தீதோடா வண்ணந் திகழப் பிறப்பறுப்பான்

காதாடு குண்டலங்கள் பாடிக் கசிந்தன்பால்

போதாடு பூண்முலையீர் பொன்னூச லாடாமோ

Another Sthaneegam returns

Gnana Sekara Gurukal, 2nd Sthaneegam at the temple with five days Kainkarya Murai every month and belonging to the Mayil Swami Gurukal clan, looks back at how their forefathers performed Kainkaryam “They had moved to Paramakudi and would make their way to the temple on their Murai days.  They would walk along the railway track from Paramakudi to make it to the temple. And then later, they came on bullock carts. They were totally committed to performing their Kainkaryam even though there were very few devotees at this temple in those days.”

The second half of the previous century turned out to be a challenging time for priests, especially in remote temples. Against this backdrop, he studied Electrical Diploma and worked across the country in the corporate world for over two decades. He has been back at the temple over the last dozen years to perform alongside his younger brother Mangaleswara Gurukal. He is happy at the way the temple’s historical greatness has gained prominence in recent years “Devotees had dwindled in the 1970s and 80s but they are now thronging the temple in good numbers. While in the decades gone by, Thiruvathirai was when devotees visited the temple, we are now seeing a dramatic rise in devotees coming for darshan on Amavasai and over the weekend and even on weekdays. Also, those visiting Rameswaram and Thiru Pullani are making Uthira Kosa Mangai as part of their spiritual journey.”

Gnana Sekara Gurukal performs pooja at the Nataraja Sannidhi where Nataraja is seen in Sandalwood paste every day of the year except on Aruthra in Margazhi “The tall and handsome Maragatha Nataraja is a one of its kind idol and is even more special here for he displayed his exquisite dance exclusively to Ambal.”

The temple has a tall seven tier raja gopuram in the East and a separate sannidhi for Saivite Saint Poet Manickavachakar. There are also exquisite stone sculptures inside the temple. 

A Patshala in Uthira Kosa Mangai

Yogeswara Shiva plans to soon open a Patshala in Uthira Kosa Mangai with the aim of creating a set of spiritually inclined students who will take the Vedas and Agamas and spread its greatness among the devotees in the future. It is hoped that like minded devotees will support the setting up and the growth of the Patshala.

It is a devotionally delightful experience to watch the young Yogeswara Shiva move around this huge temple and perform the rituals. He believes, firmly, that the devotees should transform themselves into silence inside the temple and immerse themselves fully in thoughts of the Divine Couple. He seems himself playing an important role in taking them on this devotional process of those that visit this temple.

At a time when most of the the next gen are making their way either into the corporate world or to performing Vaideeha activities in larger cities, Yogeswara Shiva has made a bold devotional call to stay back at his hereditary temple. He is confident that he will be able to create a positive impact in the minds of the devotees on the way they should engage with God and as to how they should lead their life, the dharmic way.

Uthira Kosa Mangai is located around 15kms west of Ramanathapuram off the Madurai Highway and about 10kms from Thiru Pullani. The temple is open from 6am - 1pm and 4pm to 9pm. Contact: Yogeswara Shiva@75388 18062/ Mangaleswara Gurukal @ 99529 14119/ Gnana Sekara Gurukal @ 89035 62628

Thiru Indhalur Divya Desam Priests

The two dominating priests of the last two decades at Parimala Ranganathar temple in Thiru Indhalur have had to take a back seat in recent times 

Sridhar Bhattar, who played second fiddle for two decades, takes over the reign at this historical temple

Hailing from Thiru Nangur, Sridhar Bhattar quit school when he was ten years and went to the Patshala in srirangam to learn the Pancharatra Agama. He also learned the agama in the Patshala in Kanchipuram. Given the challenging times in Indhalur, he spent his early years at temple in Bombay and other locations. His uncle had no son and handed over his archaka kainkaryam to him. For almost two decades, Sridhar Bhattar played second fiddle to Ranga Mapillai Bhattar and Muralidhara Deekshithar until things turned for the worse for this Divya Desam last decade. First, Ranga Bhattar and more recently Muralidhara Deekshithar had to make their way out following court cases against them.

சொல்லாது ஒழியகில்லேன் அறிந்த சொல்லில் 

நும்மடியார் எல்லோரோடும் ஓக்க எண்ணியிருந்தீர் அடியேனை 

நல்லார் அறிவீர் தீயார் அறிவீர் 

நமக்கு இவ்வுலகத்து எல்லாம் அறிவீர் 

ஈதே அறியீர், இந்தளூரீரே 

In this same phase, Muralidhara Deekshithar’s uncle R Parimala Ranganathan (Sukumaran) Dikshithar from Mannargudi who had been away in Bombay and other temples across the country for three decades made his way back to Thiru  Indhalur. The suspension of Muralidhara Deekshithar led to Sukumaran Bhattar returning to pick back his archaka service at Parimala Rangan Divya Desam that had until then been taken care of by the former.

It was Ranga Bhattar who brought in devotees to the temple at the turn of the century and revived interest in this divya desam.  Muralidhara Deekshithar slogged his way at the temple and everything seemed in order until the court case against them took a turn for the worse.

Sridhar Bhattar now plays the lead role

While Sridhar Bhattar was present all through these two decades, he remained in the background. And now for all his silent service, he has become the lead priest at this Divya Desam performing 15days service at the Perumal sannidhi and another 15days at the Hanuman Sannidhi opposite the temple. He says that his responsibilities have suddenly increased for he has to now rope in devotees for utsavams and to support the Go Shala at the temple but he is geared for this role. It has been over two decades since the last consecration and Balalayam has just been performed. Sridhar Bhattar will also have to bring in devotees for the renovation exercise. He is confident that he will be able to handle this as well. His son who has completed his graduation and is currently undergoing agama initiation at the Nangur Patshala, decorates Parimala Ranganathar during the Utsavams. Sridhar Bhattar is hopeful that his son will soon join him at the Divya Desam Kainkaryam. He himself wants to spend the rest of his life at this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised temple. 

Sukumaran Dikshithar  goes North in the 1990s

Parimala Ranganatha ‘Sukumaran’ Dikshithar underwent agama initiation at Tirupathi and Srirangam Patshalas before learning the practical lessons from the revered Kannan Bhattar (Vasan Bhattar’s appa) of Therazhundur Divya Desam. Following these, he joined Thiru Indhalur Divya Desam in 1969 a couple of years after the Samprokshanam and performed archaka service for close to 25years. It was a financial struggle in that phase “There were no devotees but all the priests were devoted to Parimala Rangan." 

He had to take care of five daughters and the financially situation was getting extremely challenging at Thiru Indhalur. In the early 1990s, he moved to Thiruchanur to perform service there and then later performed service at Andavan Ashramam administered temples in Bombay, MP, UP and Bihar and was thus away from this Divya Desam for over 25years. 

எந்தை தந்தை தம்மான் என்றென்று 

எமரேழ்  ஏழளவும் 

வந்து நின்ற தொண்டரோர்க்கே வாசிவல்லீரால் 

சிந்தை தன்னுள் முந்தி நிற்றீர் 

சிறிதும் திருமேனி 

இந்த வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே- Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

Back at the Divya Desam after almost three decades

Now in his 70s, Sukumaran Dikshithar is back at this temple to perform archaka service once again. A lot has changed at the temple from the time he first took over in the late 1960s. Most of the original inhabitants have left this Divya Desam. There are only a couple of adyapakas and theerthakarars who are now permanent residents. Ranga Bhattar and Muralidhara Dikshithar are under suspension. The popular Tula Utsavam in Aippasi will not see street processions this year as the renovation exercise is on.

It is interesting times for this Divya Desam praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi and one would have to wait and watch as to how the court case unfolds and if the suspended priests will make a comeback someday. Until then, Sridhar Bhattar will enjoy a full-fledged role at this Divya Desam with all the responsibilities bestowed on him. He had been serving silently since the time he joined this temple over two decades ago. His elevation and now playing the lead role is a way of Parimala Ranganathar blessing a sincere kainkaryapaka who performed his archaka service for a long time almost unnoticed.

Sirkazhi Thadalan Temple Sudarshan Kainkaryapaka

Sudarshan joined Badri Narayanan Bhattar at Kazhi Cheerama Trivikrama Divya Desam from Kalyanapuram and has been his right hand man for the last 20 years

Two decades ago, the then 20 year old Sudarshan was sent by his appa Kannan to Nachiyar Koil in Thiru Naraiyur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/12/thiru-naraiyur-nachiyar-koil-utsavam.html) to perform support services at the consecration event. Hailing from Thuraiyur near Thiru Vellarai Pundarikakshan Divya Desam and having had his education at the Oriental school in Madurantakam, he was performing service at the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Kalyanapuram at that time along with his appa. 

In those few days, Gopinathan Bhattar of Nachiyar Koil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/nachiyar-koil-gopi-bhattar.html) was impressed with the selfless service efforts of Sudarshan at the Samprokshanam and directed him to Thadalan Divya Desam where Badri Narayanan Bhattar was performing archaka service all alone without any support.

From Kalyanapuram to Thadalan Divya Desam

And thus quite unexpectedly and out of the blue, he moved to Sirkazhi for Divya Desam kainkaryam. Since then he has been the right hand man for Badri Bhattar. Sudarshan credits Badri Narayanan Bhattar for everything in his life “He taught me the agamas and the Thiru Aradhanam Kramam. I have stayed in his house for the last 20 years and he has seen me as an integral member of his family. ”

He takes care of the daily aradhanam at this Divya Desam whenever Badri Bhattar is away at Utsavams and consecrations in other temples. During this phase, he has also become an alankaram expert and takes great pride in decorating Thadalan Perumal during the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam. When he was in his teens, Sudarshan did not visualize a lifetime of Kainkaryam at a Divya Desam. Today, at 40, he does not have a life outside of Kainkaryam at the feet of Thadalan Perumal for he is fully immersed in his service at this Divya Desam.

Sirkazhi Thadalan Divya Desam Badri Narayanan Bhattar

Following in the footsteps of his forefathers, Badri Bhattar has been performing archaka service for almost three decades at the Trivikrama temple

Right from his childhood, Badri Narayanan Bhattar had become devotionally attached to the Kazhicheerama Vinnagaram Divya Desam. His appa the legendary Seshadri Bhattar had performed Kainkaryam through the dark decades in financially challenging times but despite that gave him a stern message before he took the call to don the role of an archaka “Remember that Trivikrama had crushed Bali in a fraction of a second. Perform kainkaryam with sincerity all through your life and always remember that Perumal is watching over you from not far. There may be ups and downs in life. This is a public place. Devotees may criticize you sometimes even unfairly but you should continue to perform your service to the Lord in the same way unmindful of praises and criticisms that come your way. If you are ready to follow this all through your life, I will hand the keys to you. Else, you can find another field to work” Badri Narayanan Bhattar told this writer on a weekday when there were just a couple of devotees through the entire morning session. 

"I was just a teenager and this strong message from my appa had a big positive impact on me. I nodded to him that I would follow his instructions. From the time I took up the role of an archaka at this Divya Desam, I took the oath in front of Perumal that I will perform my Kainkaryam sincerely every day of my life and that I would take the highs and lows in my stride", he says looking back with great delight on the day his appa handed over the reigns to him.

Forefathers took over in the 19th century

Badri Bhattar’s forefathers hailed from Thiruvali Thirunagari Divya Desam about 10kms east of the Trivikrama temple. When they were in need of a priest, Chola Simhapuram Koil Kanthaadai Chantamaarutham Swami Dhoddayacharyar(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/03/sholingur-narasimha-at-thiru-kadigai.html), who are the hereditary trustees of the temple, reached out the Great Great Grand Father of Badri Bhattar asking if he would take charge as the priest. And that’s how he has come to be the fifth in their generation to perform archaka service at this Divya Desam. 

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's praise

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, who was about ten kms from here at Thiru Kuraiyalur, referred to the Lord as Thaadalan in his ten verses of praise in the Periya Thirumozhi.

ஒரு குறளாய்  இரு நிலம் மூவடி மண் வேண்டி 
உலகு அனைத்தும் ஈர் அடியாள் ஒடுக்கி ஒன்றும் தருக
ஏனா மாவழிய சிறையில்  வைத்த 
தாடாளன் தாள் அணைவீர் 

தக்க கீர்த்தி அரு மறையின்
திரள் நான்கும் வேள்வி ஐந்தும்
அங்கங்கள் அவை ஆறும் இசைகள் ஏழும்

தெருவில் மலி விழா வளமும் சிறக்கும்
காழிச்சீராம வின்னகரே சேர்மின் நீரே  Periya Thirumozhi 3- 4-1

Early initiation into Vaikanasa Agama

He learned the Tharka Sastra at the Oriental school in Madurantakam and later Vaikanasa Agama from his appa who certified scores of archakas across the region on the agama. Badri Bhattar’s anna Pichumani Bhattar was the one, along with Gopinathan Bhattar, who created the special seven time parikara pooja for Kal Garuda at Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack in the 1990s. Badri Bhattar took charge of the Trivikrama Sannidhi in his late teens.

Doddacharyas take good care of the archaka and paricharaka

The trend from the 1970s and 80s continued into the decade when he took over. There was no crowd and no Thattu Kaasu. The streets around the temple was full of Vaishnavites but they had all long gone. They sold their ancestral homes in the agraharam and went away seeking greener pastures. Financially well off now, they want to buy back their traditional homes but there are no sellers!!! 

When this priest family took charge, the Doddacharyas, who hail from Sholingur Divya Desam had given them a house on the South Street. The temple prasadam was also in good quality in those days and thus the priest family lived a contended life. "Doddacharyas have been very kind to our family. Though there is not much income from the temple, they have taken good care of us over the last 150 years" says Badri Bhattar.

His appa was a legend in Vaikanasa Agama and every budding priest looked up to him for training. He had anchored over fifty Samprokshanams during his lifetime.

                                      Seshadri Bhattar

Badri Bhattar’s clan have been the Vaideeha Archaka at Thiruvali Thirunagari Divya Desam and all the big Utsavams there have been anchored by Badri Bhattar over the last two decades. He also dons the role of Vaideeha archaka in around 20 temples in the region and the Sambhavanai from those annual utsavams keeps him going financially. He has also anchored over 50 consecrations in Perumal temples.

No Crowd but he has a Thiru Aradhanam to perform

It’s a Thursday and there are not more than two devotee families since the time he entered the temple in the morning. Badri Bhattar points to this writer that this has been the trend for the last three decades since the time he took over but he continues the Thiru Aradhanam and presentation of Thaligai in a devotional way “Till under two decades ago, there were not even those who visited ‘Divya Desams’. Now there are devotees on Friday and Saturday but for rest of the week there only is very minimal crowd and I sit in front of the Sannidhi waiting endlessly for the next devotee. That for most part remains elusive on weekdays.”

Thai Amavasai, the day of the 11 Garuda Sevai in Thiru Nangur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/thiru-nangur-11-garuda-sevai.html), Vaikunta Ekadasi, the only day when the devotees are able to have darshan of the Standing Perumal's feet, the enactment of Vedu Pari at Thiruvali Thirunagari (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/04/vedu-pari-thiruvali-thirunagari.html) and Puratasi Saturdays are the big days in the year when there is a sizeable crowd at this temple.

A devotionally committed Madapalli Paricharakar

Interestingly, unlike many other remote Divya Desams, he has had a long standing Paricharaka, Ravi, who has been here for the last dozen years undertaking the sacred role at the madapalli. Badri Bhattar is delighted that cooking continues to take place in the traditional way using the firewood. After performing his kainkaryam in the morning at this temple, Ravi Paricharakar goes around in his two wheeler to ten other nearby village temples before returning to this Divya Desam for Uchi Kaalam Thaligai.

Thadalan blesses decades long Bhagavathar

Badri Bhattar narrates an episode from the decades gone by to reiterate the power of Thadalan “Govindarajan Bhagavathar was most devoted to Trivikrama Perumal and performed pushpa kainkaryam for over five decades. He would go around in his cycle every morning and bring back flowers that he would knot and present to the Lord. A day before his death, the TVS family had darshan here and presented huge garlands. When his grandson came that morning and informed about the death, I presented that huge garland to be placed on him. It was Thadalan’s way to recognize his decades long Kainkaryam.”

Family Support

He married the sister of Gopi Bhattar of Nachiyar Koil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/nachiyar-koil-gopi-bhattar.html), who is single handedly anchoring the renovation exercise there, when he was still in his late teens. He says that she has been a great support in his devotional endeavour and motivated him to remain committed to Thaadalan Perumal even during the financially tough times. She told this writer that they are also encouraging their teenage daughter to be as traditional as possible and devoted to the Perumal.

Utsavams Continue without a break

Despite the financial challenges, the utsavams had continued without a break through the second half of the previous century. In addition to the Brahmotsavam, the avatharam days of all the azhvaars and acharyas are celebrated at this temple. Badri Narayana Bhattar expresses delight at this "This temple and Thiruvali Thirunagari have been the only two temples in this region where the Brahmotsavam had not come to a halt even during the lowest phase. Doddacharya's message has always been that every historical utsavam should take place without a break."

Thirumangai’s 8 different names referred here at this place

From the sacred verse in the Periya Thirumozhi relating to this Divya Desam one gets the eight different names of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar - Aali Naadan, Arul Maari, Aratha Mukki, Adayar Seeyam, Kongumalar Kuzhaliyar Vel, Mangai Venthan, Parakaalan and Kaliyan.

“…..ஆலி நாடன் அருள் மாரி  அரட்டு அமுக்கி 

அடையார்  சீயம் கொங்குமலர்க் குழலியர் 

வேள் மங்கை வேந்தன் 

கொற்ற வேல்

பரகாலன் கலியன் சொன்ன………" Periya Thirumozhi 3-4-10

Thiruppani Works

Its been over two decades since the last consecration. The Raja Gopuram wears a faded look. The huge tank at the West end too is in a poor condition. The repair works at the temple will cost well over a crore. The entire flooring has to be replaced. The refurbishing of the sacred tank alone is expected to cost around Rs. 30Lakhs. The Chariot had become dilapidated and stopped running around the four streets a few decades ago. A new chariot is currently being built and hopefully the Chariot Festival will be revived in the near future. Velukkudi Krishnan is a disciple of Doddacharya.  Badri Bhattar says that he is hopeful that the Popular Upanyasakar will take care of a large part of the restoration exercise that is expected to start in early 2024.

Devotionally Committed to Thadalan

It is 12noon and he performs the Uchi Kaalam Pooja at Perumal, Thayar, Andal and Manavala Mamuni Sannidhis. There is no devotee in sight as he shuts the door at the temple and heads back home. He has long got used to this daily routine. But as committed to his appa three decades ago, crowd or the lack of it, praise or criticism, Badri Narayanan Bhattar goes about his Kainkaryam without any fuss. In many remote temples, the priests have made their way away from their hereditary locations and many are feeling a shortage of quality archakas. Right from his childhood, Thaadala Perumal had meant everything to Badri Bhattar. In a couple of years, he will turn fifty and would have served full time at this sannidhi for three decades. He says that till the time his body allows him, he will carry out this Kainkaryam in the same devotional way his forefathers had for well over a century. 

Thiru Kurungudi Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi

Into his 40s, Ananthan (Mani) Bhattar is back at the Thirumalai Nambi Sannnidhi where his forefathers had performed archaka service and is now committed to spending the rest of his life here

Garuda Sevai every Saturday; New pathway built by Venu Srinivasan has made it easier for the jeeps to traverse this previously treacherous path

Belonging to the Periya Nambi clan, Ananthan Bhattar is delighted to be back at the Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi in Mahendra Giri Parvatham 9kms West of Thiru Kurungudi Divya Desam, whose legend relates to the great devotion of Nambaduvan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/12/kaisika-puranam-in-thirukurungudi.html). This is also the location where Hanuman is believed to have invoked the blessings of Nambi before his trip to Lanka. Ananthan Bhattar's forefathers had performed service for well over a century at this temple where once wild animals inhabited. As with many priests in remote temples, his appa too found it extremely challenging and moved into the corporate space. Ananthan Bhattar too focused on academics completing his Masters in Maths and later M. Phil as well.

Quits lecturer post to take up Sannidhi Kainkaryam

While he was earning well as a lecturer, his mind was constantly on continuing the Kainkaryam of his Thatha at the Thirumalai Sannidhi. His appa’s ill health led him to return to Thiru Kurungudi in the middle of the previous decade and at the same time a shortage of service personnel at the temple presented him with an opportunity to perform archaka Kainkaryam at this Divya Desam. While he had found satisfaction in teaching Maths to students at the Sattur College, he saw this new found opportunity as a gift from Nambi, quit the job as a lecturer and returned to Thiru Kurungudi to take up the Sannidhi Kainikaryam that his grandfather had performed here for many decades.

He has ten days of Kainkaryam every month at Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi and leaves early morning from his house on West Mada Street in Thiru Kurungudi on the long 9kms trip to the top of the temple. The path to the Sannidhi from the check post continues to be rugged and he walks all the way up the stony route. He also doubles up as the cook at the madapalli.

Good Times after Covid

While it was a lonely period during Covid when he made his way to the Sannidhi all alone, he says that the crowd is back in good numbers now “While there was a certain amount of satisfaction in teaching next gen students, the happiness in performing Kainkaryam at the feet of Thirumalai Nambi is special and unmatched. I consider it as a divine blessing to be able to touch the Lord and perform Thirumanjanam. The Lord has taken good care of me and I feel really good performing Kainkaryam at this Divya Desam.”

Garuda Sevai takes place every Saturday at the Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi and attracts a sizeable crowd.

For about ten days in the month when he is off service the Malai temple, he also performs madapalli kainkaryam at the Azhagiya Nambi Sannidhi back in Thiru Kurungudi.

New found peace and happiness

Ananthan Bhattar (more popularly known as Mani in the temple circles) is now 46. While he missed a couple of decades of service at the temple when he was in teaching profession, he is delighted to be back performing the Kainkaryam that his forefathers had carried out at this Divya Desam. It is a new found peace and happiness performing this service that is simply unmatched and he is committed to carrying forward the service as an archaka, madapalli cook and a prabhandham ghosti member (even as a school boy, he had been initiated into the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham by his Thatha) for the rest of his life.

Like the young devotee, Sindhu, who has made a move to Thiru Kurungudi in an early phase in her life, the return of Ananthan Bhattar, previous decade, is good news for the historical Divya Desam as it adds to the strength of the service personnel in this remote temple. 

How to reach Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi

Private vehicles are allowed only till the check post and from there only jeeps are allowed to the topof the hill. Till about a decade ago, there were just around five jeeps to take devotees from Azhagiya Nambi Sannidhi to the Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi. In the century gone by the archakas, service personnel and devotees walked all the way up the treacherous path in the midst of wild animals. With the devotional wave striking the Divya Desams, crowd has shot up quite a bit. On the Saturdays in Puratasi, devotees throng the Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi in thousands. In recent years, in line with this devotional wave, the jeeps too have shot up in number and gone up to 30. 

For a long time this had been a very challenging journey from the check post to the Sannidhi but recently industrialist Venu Srinivasan led a renovation of this rugged path and has built a smoother pathway for these jeep rides that the drivers are now grateful for. 

Like in historical times, many devotees continue to walk up the hill carrying a stick along to protect them from the hundreds of monkeys that line up through the entire route. And they have a sacred bath at the falls that is said to have medicinal value before they have darshan at the Sannidhi. 

The jeeps are available till 2pm in front of the Azhagiya Nambi Sannidhi. Charges - Rs. 1500 per trip with six devotees allowed in a jeep. 

Thirumalai Nambi Sannidhi is open from 9.30am to 3pm.

Thiruvallikeni Thiru Kurungudi Sindhu Devotee

In a one of its kind reverse move, this young devotee from Thiruvallikeni has spent a major part of the last 2 ½ years in Thiru  Kurungudi experiencing and enjoying the Utsavams and becoming involved in Kainkaryams in this remote temple town 

(Unfortunately, soon after this story, she made her way to Hosur and has also begun working there in a company)

This section has featured stories on the reluctance of prospective brides in cities to go back to historical temple towns in remote locations and how the trend over the last decade or so has increasingly been on boys moving away from their ancestral locations leaving the ancient temples deserted for a large part, except during the big utsavams.  The daughters of priests in remote temples too have been getting into professional degrees and that too has contributed to their expectations of the groom to be located in cities. This story is about a long standing devotee of Parthasarathy Perumal in Thiruvallikeni who has bucked this growing trend and chosen to relocate to a remote temple town to spend the rest of her life there (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/bhattars-gurukals-move-away-from-temples.html).

Childhood and Teenage Life around Parthasarathy Perumal

S Sindhu did her schooling at the Hindu School in Thiruvallikeni and went on to complete her graduation in Commerce from Ethiraj College. Throughout her first twenty years, her life outside of academics was spent at the Parthasarathy temple experiencing and enjoying the round the year utsavams at this Divya Desam.

Her appa, Suresh, has been an integral part of the Prabhandham Ghosti at Thiruvallikeni for several decades. He told this writer a few years ago during the Era Pathu Utsavam that he has lived in a traditional way all through his life and that he wanted his daughter too to live the same way dedicating herself to Perumal. That evening, he also expressed his intention to get her married to a boy from a traditional location.

A wedding in Thiru Kurungudi between Wave 1 and 2

Wave 1 of the Pandemic had brought the utsavams and street processions to a grinding halt in Thiruvallikeni in 2020. Towards the end of Wave 1, her appa suggested to her about a prospective groom who was in faraway Thiru Kurungudi and within the next six months she married Sudarshan, a staffer at a Tier 1 IT firm, at the Periya Nambi Thirumaligai in that Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html).

                                        Photo Credit: 'Insurance' Sampath

Delighted to move to a traditional temple town

Most in the current gen may have put their foot down on relocating to Thiru Kurungudi after having spent the first 20 years of their lives in a city like Chennai but not Sindhu. A day after visiting the Thirumalai Nambi temple atop the Mahendra Giri Parvatham on the rugged jeep, she told this writer at her traditional looking home on the North Mada street in Thiru Kurungudi as to how she had no second thoughts on moving to this temple town, from Thiruvallikeni “My entire life has centered around temple activities. I took a special liking to the sacred verses at a very young age and did not like to miss any of the Seva Kaalam sessions. While I knew I would miss Parthasarathy Perumal and the vibrant Prabhandham Ghosti of Thiruvallikeni, the prospect of being a few hundred yards away from another Divya Desam Lord was exciting and something I was looking forward to.”

She makes an interesting point about her lifestyle during the first two decades “Even though we lived in the heart of Chennai, I never watched TV and rarely ventured outside of the temple zone. We led a simple lifestyle at home much in the way one would in a traditional temple town. Our thoughts were always on Parthasarathy Perumal and utsavams. Even much of the conversations with my anna was on Prabhandham and the sacred verses.”

Devotionally Inclined

Early training by her appa led her to not engage in unnecessary gossip within the temple complex and she was always seen with folded hands in front of the Lord with her entire focus being on a devotional engagement with Perumal. Unlike most of her friends in the same age group in Thiruvallikeni, Sindhu did not foster thoughts on leading a life in large cities in India, let alone going overseas “My thoughts were always on having daily darshan of Perumal and performing Kainkaryam for him. I was particularly keen on being involved in Nandavanam Kainkaryam.”

Wave 2 and the First Phase in Thiru Kurungudi

Soon after her wedding, Wave 2 struck and it was challenging times for people all around. She recounts as to how she missed her favourite Lord from Thiruvallikeni “The first six months were challenging. I had got so used to spending all my free time with Parthasarathy Perumal that I missed him badly. So too the devotional recital of the large Prabhandham Ghosti there.”

In challenging times in life, she is always reminded of the message that her appa shared during her childhood days “Have full faith in God. Thank God for everything and accept all that comes your way as His gift. In your difficult times, trust Him to take care of you.”

Her Favourite utsavam

She counts the Vasantha Utsavam as being one of her favourite fests in Thiru Kurungudi “Watching Nambi’s procession to the Nandavanam and him providing darshan around the ‘Solai’ has been a memorable experience. Similarly, I have begun to like the Manjal Neer Chapparam during the Brahmotsavam. Darshan at 3am on the west street on the Garuda Sevai night in Panguni has been another special moment for me.”

She has found the recital of Thiruppavai every day during the Navarathri Utsavam, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in Pachai Pattu and Nambi in a different Thiru Kolam during the return procession of the  Era Pathu utsavam as positive memories since the time she came here in early 2021.`

Araiyar Sevai and Kaisikam too have been enjoyable occasions for her at Thiru Kurungudi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2009/12/kaisika-puranam-in-thirukurungudi.html).

Divya Desam Trips

She had always wanted to visit Divya Desams as part of her spiritual journey and to experience Lords in different temples. In the last couple of years, she has been to visit Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam and had darshan of Aathi Nathan for the first time in her life (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2011/06/nam-azhvaar-garuda-utsavam-in-azhvaar.html). Since then, she has made multiple trips to Nava Tirupathi. Similarly she has also visited some of the Malai Nattu Divya Desams such as Thiruvattaru, Thiruvanparisaram and Thiru Ananthapuram and says that she found a special liking for the Lord of Thiru Vithuvakodu.

தறுதுயரம் தடாயேல் உன் சரணல்லால் சரணில்லை

விரை குழுவும் மலர்பொழில் சூழ் வித்துவக்கோட்டம்மானே

அரிசினத்தால் ஈன்றதாய் அகற்றிடினும் மற்றவள் தன்

அருள் நினைந்தேயழும் குழவி யதுவே போன்றிருந்தேனே - Kulasekara Azhvaar

Kulasekara Azhvaar compares the surrender sought by him with the Lord of Vithuvakodu  to a child who despite being kept away by an angry mother as punishment for some wrong doing comes back to the mother for solace. Despite all the troubles inflicted upon him by the Lord, he says he has nowhere else to go but to surrender to him and to seek his blessings.

Kainkaryam as a way forward in life

In recent years, she has also been teaching Divya Prabhandham to students and wants that to be an integral part of her life.  She is also being initiated formally into the Vaishnava Sampradayam and is undergoing Kalakshepam sessions. She has already learned a number of stotras and continuing to do so. 

She says that the Kainkaryam she had wanted to do for Perumal has been offered to her at Thiru Kurungudi “I have been involved in Pushpa Kainkaryam and Kolam Kainkaryam at this temple during the utsavams and that provides a lot of peace to the mind.”

She is delighted with the fact that she has found her husband traditional in his outlook. "He performs Sripatham Kainkaryam at all the big utsavams. He sings well and one of my wishes is for him to get back to presenting the sacred songs during the Oonjal Utsavam, as a Sthaanegam.” 

An old world devotional charm at Thiru Kurungudi

As has been the trend in recent decades, the new gen girls at Thiruvallikeni have all stuck to a city life and many have gone overseas after marriage. When Sindhu announced her move to Thiru Kurungudi, almost all her friends wondered as to how she could live in such a remote location having spent all her life in Chennai. 

 

Into her graduation years, she had no inkling that she would end up in a historical Divya Desam such as Thiru Kurungudi that is still steeped in tradition and has a certain old world devotional charm about it “I was devotionally attached to Parthasarathy Perumal and now I am getting ever closer to Nambi.” 

There is still a lot of the agraharam feel to the streets around the temple Having experienced the utsavams at Thiru Kurungudi and found the four sacred streets quiet and peaceful, Sindhu is keen to spend the rest of her life in this temple town celebrating and enjoying the greatness of Nambi and performing Kainkaryam to Him all through the year.

Shenbagaramanallur Gopalan Bhattar

The Octogenarian continues to perform archaka service at the Jagannathan Perumal temple having started out in 1976 when the temple had been in a deserted and dilapidated condition

He has built new Vahanas, anchored Thiruppani works, performed a Consecration all on his own and revived Utsavams

Hailing from the historical temple town of Mannar Koil near Ambasamudram, Gopalan Bhattar moved to Shenbagaramanallur, about 10kms east of Nanguneri Thothadri Nathan Divya Desam, in the  mid 1960s as a 25 year old to take care of the Government school there as the Head Master. He had spent his entire schooling days at Mannar Koil watching the utsavams including the celebration of Kulasekara Azhvaar who had attained Moksham there (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html). He became a Government school teacher in 1963 and served at various schools for close to four decades.

Begins Archaka Service in the most challenging phase

In the mid 1970s, at a time when the 14th Century AD Jagannathan Perumal temple in Shenbagaramanallur was deserted and lying in a dilapidated state, he was asked by the locals to take care of the daily Thiru Aradhanam. He acceded to their request and for the last 47 years has been the sole archaka at the temple. 

Gopalan Bhattar is 82 years old and has just lost his wife to a stroke. Despite the loss, he remains committed to archaka service at the feet of Jagannathan Perumal, to whom he has dedicated a large part of his life. He recalls those early years at the temple “There was famine in this region and most of the original inhabitants had begun leaving the village seeking greener pastures in the cities. There were minimal devotees at the temple and Thattu Kaasu was non existent. It was dangerous to enter the temple in the late evening as it was dark and scary. There was no ghee to light the lamp. Having accepted this Kainkaryam, I performed Thiru Aradhanam every day with devotion despite the lack of financial returns. After close to five decades of service, I dedicate everything that has happened in my life to Jagannathan Perumal. He has taken great care of me and left me with no shortcomings.”

No income at the temple, No salary to the Priest

The temple like many historical ones has huge lands in its custody handed out several centuries ago by the kings but for decades the rent from these have not been forthcoming.  He was to be given paddy for his service but with the leaseholders not paying the temple the dues, he was rarely paid for his service.

Follows appa’s message

In those dark days, his appa, who was the right hand of Gomathi Sankar Dikshithar, presented to him a devotional message that he continues to follow to this day "if you perform archaka service sincerely each day of the year, Jagannathan Perumal would shower his blessings on you and the temple will one day see a revival of the utsavams and the Thiruppani works will lead to a consecration." 

As predicted, the dilapidated temple has indeed seen a restoration and a revival of the utsavams. Gopalan Bhattar anchored the Thai Brahmotsavam that begins every year on the Hastham day. In 2003, almost single handedly, he performed the consecration of the temple for the first time in several decades. There are exquisite sculptures inside the temple and Gopalan Bhattar has played an important role in protecting them and seeing through the temple in its most testing phase. At the main Eastern entrance are artistic sculptures of Rathi and Manmatha, similar to the ones found at Krishnapuram temple, 13kms east of Tirunelveli (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/07/non-divya-desam-temple-tale.html).

As was the tradition in the centuries gone by, Gopalan Bhattar has had cows at home right from his childhood. Though he is now into his 80s, he continues to take care of them and currently has 7cows. He says with a great deal of satisfaction that he has managed hundreds of cows in his lifetime.

The Theevatti man 

Through this journey, Chidambaram has been supporting him inside the temple carrying the Theevatti during the processions over the last 25years. He also maintains the cleanliness within the temple complex. On many days, it is a lonely life but he has been performing his service cheerfully.  

Grand Samprokshanam this year

Just under a decade ago, this section had featured a story on the Jagannathan Perumal temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/03/shenbagaramanallur-jagannathan-perumal.html). His several decades of service bore further fruits this year when for just the second time in over half a century, the temple saw a consecration, this time quite a grand one with archakas from across Divya Desams participating in the event. The temple now wears a fresh look. LED lights shine bright inside the temple quite a transformation from the dark days in the 1970s. The Vahanas too give a festive look to the temple.                                

Revival of Utsavams 

Despite the remoteness of the village, Gopalan Bhattar has been able to rope in devotees to build four new Vahanas. On the Thiruvonam star day every month a good number of devotees visit the temple. On the second Saturday of Puratasi, he is at the temple early to welcome the devotees. He told this writer with great delight that there are at least 500 devotees at the temple on this day, a real transformation from his early decades when he waited at the entrance to see if there would be any devotees, a wait that for most part proved futile. While that's been a big positive for the temple, he is saddened by the fact that like many other remote temples in TN, the HR & CE has taken away the idols of all the Azhvaars and Acharyas and kept it in safe custody far away in another temple. 

His son, Srinivasan, who has spent almost all his life at Shenbagaramanallur,  has been supporting him in recent times.  Like his appa, he too is committed to taking forward the archaka service at this temple.  

A FINAL WISH

Gopalan Bhattar is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife for she had been a pillar of support for him in his temple endeavours. He has one final wish for the temple - he is hoping to build a towering Raja Gopuram. He says that Jagannathan Perumal has fulfilled almost all his wishes at the temple over the last five decades and is confident that he will be able to see the consecration of the Raja Gopuram and the celebration of the acharyas and azhvaars during his life time as he heads back to take care of the devotees on the Saturday morning.

Nanguneri Thothadri Nathan Temple Venkat Kainkaryapaka

In his 20s, this IT staffer quits a lucrative job to perform service at the Thothadri Nathan Divya Desam in Nanguneri

This section has featured stories in the past on how kainkaryapakas in historical temples have been moving away from their ancestral locations to larger cities in search of jobs in the corporate world. By and large that has been the trend over the last decade or so with more and more service personnel letting go Kainkaryam opportunities especially in remote temples. In March 2018, this section had featured a story on how the service personnel at the Thothadri Nathan Divya Desam in Nanguneri had experience challenging times in the 1970s and 80s and how industrialist Venu Srinivasan resurrected the dilapidated state of the temple and a consecration was performed after almost a hundred years(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/03/nanguneri-vanamamalai-divya-desam.html?m=1). This story is about one who in his 20s has quit his job in the IT industry and come back to Nanguneri with an intention to perform service at this historical Divya Desam.

Six years in the IT industry

L Venkatasubramanian completed his schooling at the Government school in Nanguneri and then graduated in Computer Science from the Madura College. The financial scenario at home had not been great back in Nanguneri and soon after his graduation he joined a BPO firm in Madurai. Over the next six years, he moved to a renowned IT Hardware firm and then to another IT firm.  

The Pandemic - A blessing in disguise

For eight years from his college days, he had been away from home. When the Pandemic struck, he moved back to Nanguneri to WFH and it allowed him time to ponder over what he wanted to do with this life. That was he found a transformational change within himself. Sitting in the outer prakara at the Thothadri Nathan temple praised by NamAzhvaar, Venkat recounts to this writer the phase that saw him transform into a Kainkaryapaka at this temple “I felt isolated at the work place. There was a rat race for money and promotions and I had no job satisfaction. I saw my IT colleagues buying a lot of luxurious items which they never used for they had no time to themselves away from work. These physical assets were like dolls and we human beings functioned like Robot. It seemed to me that we were leading meaningless lives.”

When I came home during Wave 1 and started working from home, I found a certain peace around the Sannidhi street and within the temple complex. I had begun to have darshan daily at the Moolavar Sannidhi in that phase. I suddenly felt like wanting to perform Kainkaryam at this Divya Desam.

ஏனம் ஆய் நிலம் கீண்ட என் அப்பனே 

கண்ணா என்றும் என்னை ஆளுடை 

வான நாயகனே  மணி மாணிக்கச்சுடரே 

 தேன மாம் பொழில் தன் சிரீ வரமங்கலத்தவர் 

கை தொழ உறை 

வானமாலையே அடியேன் தொழ வந்தருளே - NamAzhvaar

Venkat reached out to Srikanth, the Srikaryam at the Mutt asking him if it would be possible for him to perform Kainkaryam at the temple. There were opportunities for him but the monetary compensation was unlikely to be anywhere near his IT salary, he was told.

“I thought about it for two months and then took this big call to quit the job.”

During the Pandemic phase, he had begun to understand the functioning of the temple. When utsavams were revived, he had insights into those as well including the Brahmotsavam "I was delighted when the Jeer of the Vanamamalai Mutt expressed happiness at my decision and welcomed me wholeheartedly." 

At that time, Venkat says that there was not much of a bank balance and his earnings in IT had gone towards the expenses of the family that included his parents and grandmother ( his patti passed away recently).

Given Venkat's IT background, the Srikaryam thoughtfully offered him a systems admin work at the Mutt Office and he has been involved in the process of assisting the digitisation of all temple records that have been in physical form until now.

Over the last year, he has been enjoying the temple Kainkaryam and has found a fulfilment that had been hitherto missing “I worked 15 hours in the IT firms and came back tired every night. Here too on the utsavam days, I stay back till well past midnight, but the feeling is completely different. I have gone back home refreshed and with renewed energy.”

The Mutt has provided him with a place to stay at a service quarters within a few minutes from the temple.  He also has meals at the Thathiyarathanam provided by the Mutt after noon. His amma too has begun to perform Kainkaryam at the Mutt and she too has found it very fulfilling.

He performs Sripatham service during the street processions, gets the Chapparam ready for the procession and supports the priests in certain services. 

As part of this transformational shift to a traditional way of life, he has also begun to learn the Sukthas from the acharyas at the Patshala at the Eastern end of the Sannidhi street, one where about a dozen young boys are learning the Vedas and Sastras. His external appearances too have changed. From having sported a corporate attire in the not too distant past, he is now seen in Veshti and Angavastram and a sacred ash that is prominent on the forehead.

He says that from carrying the Lord on his shoulders to supporting the priests, it’s been a most enjoying experience "It has brought about a contended feeling that was missing when I was working in IT.”

Courageous Move, Positive Development

At 29, Venkatasubramanian is beginning to lead a new life that is giving him a great deal of satisfaction and a peace of mind that he had not experienced in his short corporate life. His mind is now focused on donning the role of a Kainkaryapara at this Divya Desam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2010/04/vanamamalai-thothadri-nathan-nanguneri.html?m=1)and participating in as many services as possible. The salary here is less than one fourth of what he earned in the IT industry but the satisfaction of the Kainkaryam is unmatched. And that is what matters to him. He has taken a big call to let go a high paying corporate job and a career that had been in front of him to move full time into temple Kainkaryam, one that he now sees as his only way for the rest of his life. 

At a time when everyone is looking to move North into a corporate career, the return of Venkat to Nanguneri and his availability for full time Kainkaryam through the year is a positive development and good news for this historical Divya Desam.