Scorer Mani – The Numbers man for Radio Australia

The man from Vellore strikes a ton with the ABC and is all set for his 6th and 7th Ashes series this year

Photo Above: Scorer Mani seen in the ABC commentary box at  the India v Aus test at Chepauk in Feb 2001

Almost 40years ago, in a first division match played at the University Union Ground in Madras, S Venkataraghavan, then playing for India Pistons gave a blank score sheet to a young 16year old boy and asked him to score for their team in that match.

This surprise call from the cricketing great was encouragement enough for the Vellore born Sankara Subramanian ( now popularly referred to in cricketing circles as Scorer Mani) to take up to scoring as a career very early on his life. There was no looking back for him, though the ride has  not always been smooth with his share of controversies.

During his school days (Muthialpet), Subramanian would go every weekend to the ground where Venkat was playing, to watch him bowl. And it turned out that Venkat himself would one day give him an opportunity that was to later become a career for this enthusiastic kid.

Born in Vellore, Scorer Mani lost his father when he was just four and moved to Madras to stay with his uncle.

He was a top order batsman in his school days (he practised at the Corporation ground in Nungambakkam and played for a team that was seeking to gain an entry into the TNCA league) but soon gave up playing to become a professional scorer.

He started full time scoring for first division teams in 1978 when he was just 20years old with India Pistons for whom he scored for 11years. He later moved on to India Cements for whom he took the job of scoring for their various teams for 12years.

Ranji Trophy

A couple of year later came another big moment for Mani. He made his debut in Ranji Trophy as a scorer in the match between TN (captained by none other than Venkat) and Hyderabad. He was paid a princely ‘Scoring Fee’ of Rs. 100per day that a decade or so later went up to Rs.2000 per day ( Radio Australia pays him several times that fee!!!).

Scorer Mani was there at Chepauk on the last day of the tied test between India and Australia that took place here in1986. A year later, he scored in another close finish between the very same teams, this time in the World Cup 1987 opener when Australia beat India by one run.

Almost a decade later came a big moment for Mani and his Scoring fraternity. In a Ranji match between Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad, Mani casually suggested to Azhar in Tamil ( yes Azhar and Mani converse in Tamil) for official recognition for Scorers. Within three months, there was an examination conducted in Ahmedabad for Scorers.

The biggest break-Radio Australia and his ton with them

In 1998, when Australia came to India, Radio Australia was looking for a scorer for the test match at Madras. Just one day before the start of the test here, All India Radio suggested Mani’s name and his career took a dramatic positive turn. Impressed with his scoring capabilities at the Chepauk test, ABC asked if he could go along with the Radio team to cover the entire series of 1998. And he did.

Overseas Tours

In 1999, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) asked if he could make it to Srilanka to cover the three test series. Thus, Mani, who did not even have a passport at that time, went on his first overseas cricket tour and covered the series for Radio Australia.

Following this series, ABC signed a three year deal with him as the official scorer for their tours which has since seen a couple of more three year extensions.

Mani’s Weekly Silence

What started off as a one off test match has now extended to well over a century of test matches for Radio Australia with Mani becoming a favourite of Jim Maxwell (the renowned Aussie broadcaster). In one such conversation, Mani asked Maxwell to take care of his voice as he was on the mike through the day including post day broadcasts.  James ( Maxwell) retorted if he himself could control talking. It was then that Mani decided to remain silent for a few hours every day.

That later expanded to his now famous ‘Complete Silence’ once a week. Every Thursday, even when there is a Radio Australia broadcast, Mani does not open his mouth using a chit (and these days text messages) as a communication tool.

To date, Mani has been a scorer for Radio Australia in well over a 100 international matches. He has also scored in 130other International matches played in India for the TNCA/BCCI.

Face off with India Cements

A controversy in a Hindu Trophy match in 2003 led to India Cements, for whom Mani had been the official scorer for over a decade, pulling the plug on him. And thereby ending his direct association with the TNCA.

But putting that behind him, Mani has over the last decade taken the responsibility of managing the club tournaments that are becoming increasingly popular in the city. While many in the club cricket circle wonder about his lack of attention while scoring in these matches and the errors that creep in every now and then, Mani is a lot more serious in the international matches and is adored by his team mates in the ABC box for his immediate stats data that he pulls out. From maintaining it manually in the past, Mani now has a lap top where he logs in all the scores of international matches spending about 2-3hours every day for this data collation.

 Into the future, Scorer Mani is hopeful of playing an integral role in the successful conduct of these tournaments.

Over the last four decades, Mani has played varied roles- from Sales man at school and college to a Journalist (and a Photo Journalist) writing and sending in photographs for Dinamalar and Kalki. 

His association with VB Chandrasekar started well over two decades ago in a first division match (VB was playing for Chemplast at that time) at the end of the season. Seeing VB not wanting to open in that 2^nd innings, Mani called in VB and informed him that he was just 35runs short of reaching a landmark achievement of 1000runs for the season (even though Mani was not the official scorer of Chemplast that year).  A decade later, VB roped in Mani as an administrative person to manage his Nest academy for a few years.

However, the role he has most cherished has been the one of being the official scorer of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation covering international matches played by Australia all over the world.

Mani’s best matches as a scorer

Tied Test in 1986

Kumble’s 10wicket match at Delhi

Saeed Anwar’s 194 at Chepauk

VVS’s 281 at Kolkata

Highlights of his Scoring career

5 Ashes Series

5 World Cups

Overseas Assignments in South Africa, Australia, Srilanka as part of Radio Australia Team

110tests for Radio Australia, 130tests for TNCA/BCCI

Losing Peter Roebuck in South Africa

One of his not so happy moments was the loss of ABC’s Peter Roebuck in November 2011 during the test series in South Africa when Scorer Mani was part of the Radio Australia team.

In the last couple of years, Mani has been engaged as the official scorer for the Chemplast Group. On the overseas front, Scorer Mani is looking to continue his engagement with Radio Australia and is all excited to cover a couple of more Ashes series later this year, first in England and then in Australia.

With BCCI’s controversial move to keep Radio Australia away for the current India v Australia series, Mani has been seen of late at Amir Mahal ground in Royapettah ( Madras) rather than being at the Ferozshah Kotla alongside his favourite team mate James Maxwell of the ABC.

For a man from Vellore who lost his father at the age of four, this truly has been a remarkable career to be the man that Radio Australia goes to for all the numbers!!!

 

Vempathur Sundararaja Perumal Temple

Kulasekara Pandya Period Temple

Great Poets like Kambar visited this place and composed poems

Located about 35kms East of Madurai and 4kms North of Tiruppachetti is the Sundararaja Perumal Temple in Vempathur. The temple in its current form is said to date back to the 13^th Century AD and to the rule of Kulasekara Pandya. The Moolavar deity is a Mooligai idol and is seen in a Abhaya Varada posture blessing the devotees

Scholars from Thiruvellarai

Several Centuries ago, over 500 Vaishnavite scholars and priests had been brought in from Thiruvellarai (near Srirangam) to the Pandya Kingdom to spread Vedas and Vaishnavism. About 150 of them had moved into Vempathur with just as many going to Sikkal and hundreds of them had stayed back at Perunkarunai, the Avathara Sthalam of Selva Nambi.  All of them had a kudumi in their head and hence were referred to as ‘Poorva Sikha Sozhiya Srivaishnavas’.

Conversion to Saivism

Over a period of time, all of them at Vempathur had converted to Saivites. Hence, the priests at this Perumal temple are Saivites. Also, an interesting feature here is that Vibhuthi is provided as the sacred prasadam every evening after a presentation of Sahasranamam.

It is also believed that Lord Bhoo Varaha emerged from the earth and was installed here inside the temple to the North of Sundararaja Perumal Sannidhi. Belief is that Lord Bhoo Varaha fulfils the wishes of those devotees who place their prayers on a white paper at his feet.

Great Poets and their compositions from here

Great Poets like Kambar, Avvaiyar and Oththa Koothar (contemporary of Kambar) have visited this temple and composed poems. Rajendra Chozhan built the front mandapa here so the great poets could sit in peace and compose their works and spread their Tamil poetry. There is a Hayagriva Sannidhi in front of whom it is believe that Poet Kamban sat and composed songs.

U Ve Swaminatha Iyer in his Thiruvalayadal Purana makes a detailed reference to this place and the vedic recitals that used to take place here.

Festivals

Aavani Thiruvonam

Vaikunta Ekadesi

Procession in Karthigai

Hanuman Jayanthi

Quick Facts

Moolavar         : Sundararaja Perumal with Sri devi and Bhoo devi

Time                : 6am-11am and 530pm-8pm

Contact            : 98409 35113/ 97915 83169/97903 25083

How to reach

One can take the Madurai-Rameswaram Bus from Maatuthaavani Bus Stand in Madurai. Get down at Tiruppachetti (about 30kms from Madurai) after Tiruppuvanam. From Tiruppachetti, an auto to Vempathur (about 6kms) will cost about Rs. 75/-.

There are also mini buses/share auto from Tirupachetti.

Vilacheri Rama Temple

15^th Century AD Pandya Period temple in Madurai where Lord Rama is seen in a Yoga Posture

An early 15^th Century AD Rama temple on the outskirts of Madurai is in a dilapidated state. The idols were donated by Rudravathi Ammal in 1416AD with the temple built during the Pandya period.

Lord Rama is seen in a Yoga Sitting Posture with Sita to his right (while in a Pattabhisheka posture, she is seen to his left) Lakshmana is seen a standing posture to his left.

Anjaneya and Garuda are seen protecting the Lord with their presence at the entrance as dwarapalakas.

The temple was last renovated 110years ago in 1903.

While the outer walls are in a terrible state, the base structure of the Sanctum and inner prakara around the Sanctum looks solid with the strong Granite Structure dating back several centuries.

The Gopuram has been refurbished and has a new fresh look. Efforts are on to bring the temple back to its historical shape.

Currently there is no bhattar to perform the daily poojas. There are no festivals at the temple.

The street leading to the temple may have been a traditional agrahara with a Saivite temple (which has been recently renovated) to the east of the Rama temple.

Moolavar : Rama in a Yogic Sitting Posture with Sita and Lakshmana

Speciality : Anjaneya and Garuda as Dwarapalakas

History     : Built in the 15^th Century AD during the Pandya Period

Inscription: 1903 inscription of a renovation done that year with public support

Contact: 97888 54854

How to reach

Vilacheri is about 8kms from Madurai Junction off the Tiruparankunram Highway. Take Periyar- Thirumangalam bus and get down at Moolakarai bus stop. An Auto from Moolakarai to the temple ( 2kms) will cost Rs. 30/-. 

Perunkarunai Varadaraja Perumal Temple

Avathara Sthalam of Selva Nambi

It was on the advice of Selva Nambi that Pandya King Vallabha Deva announced a debate that Peri Azhvaar of Srivilliputhur won and sung Pallandu verses of praise, in his lap of honour

Located 75kms from Madurai off the Manamadurai-Paramakudi highway is an ancient Varadaraja Perumal temple in Perunkarunai that dates back to the period of PeriAzhvaar.

Perunkarunai assumes special significance as it is the avathara sthalam of Selva Nambi, the Vaishnavite acharya and the preceptor of the Pandya King Vallabha deva.

The Story

Vikrama Pandya who had no children invoked the blessings of his kula deivam Paramaswamy of Azhagar Koil and was directed to the Sethu Sea Shore for a darshan of Paravasudevan at the Aathi Jagannatha Perumal temple in Thiru Pullani and that he would have a son who would be instrumental in the upkeep of dharma. Following his trips, he was immediately blessed with a son Sri Vallabha. On one of his Pilgrimage trips, he stayed overnight at Kotraval Kudi Village.

2kms away from this village, at Perunkarunai there resided around 500vaishnavite scholars who had been brought in from Thiruvellarai (near Srirangam) to spread the Vedas and Vaishnavism in this region. All of them had a kudumi in their head and hence were referred to as ‘Poorva Sikha Sozhiya Srivaishnavas’.

For centuries, Perunkarunai was home to the loud early morning chanting of Vedas and Divya Prabhandham. In later period, many of these Vaishnavites moved to other places in the region – ‘Sikkal Perunkarunai, Senthathor Vembathur Okka Oru Kulai Kaai’. It was from Perunkarunai that these Vaishnavite Scholars moved to Vembathur and Sikkal. Currently, only the 80 year old Shri. Narasimha Narayana Bhattar resides here at Perunkarunai with all other Vaishnavite families having moved out for better prospects!!!

Birth Place of Acharya Selva Nambi

Selva Nambi, the renowned Vaishnavite acharya and the advisor to Pandya King Vallabha Deva in Madurai, was born  and brought up here at Perunkarunai. His father Sowmya Narayanan performed poojas for the Lord at Thiru Koshtiyur. His mother hailed from Perunkarunai village. Staying here at Perunkarunai, Selva Nambi learnt the Vedas from his uncle scholar Varadarajan before he became the preceptor of the Pandyas in Madurai.

Kotta Kudi Village

Coming to know about the presence of the Pandya king at Kotraval Kudi, Selva Nambi made his way there and recited the Bhagavatha Purana to the king and concluded that those who listen to this will be saved from all evils and that this dharma should be understood by everyone in the future.  Having listened to this recital, the Pandya King who had previously heard that there were some troubles in his kingdom during his absence was  reassured from his  ministers that in a dramatic turnaround all the issues had been sorted out overnight and that all was well in Madurai. This place where the Bhagavatha Purana recital took place - Kotraval Kudi - exists to this day and is now called ‘Kotta Kudi’ near Perunkarunai.

The delighted king built the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Perunkarunai.  He also donated several villages for the maintenance and upkeep of the temple and the festivities at the temple. ( There is also a Rama temple opposite the Varadaraja Perumal temple)

The moolavar deity is a Varna Kala idol. There is a separate Sannidhi for Perundevi Thaayar. Currently the outer prakara is full of bushes and is seeking attention!!

Selva Nambi's Fame

Sri Vallabha Deva had Selva Nambi as his preceptor and his most trusted counsellor. The king looked up to Selva Nambi for the right direction whenever he was in doubt. When Vallabha Deva was in doubt as to how to attain Moksha and who was best suited to provide salvation, it was Selva Nambi who suggested the idea of a debate of Scholars in his royal court in Madurai which was attended by Vishnu Chittar of Srivilliputhur.

(Vishnu Chittar – PeriAzhvaar- won the debate- he pronounced that Lord Narayana was the Supreme Lord and one who could provide salvation- and was carried around the streets of Madurai on an elephant top, from where he sung his famous Pallandu verses).

later Period Renovation - Sethupathi Kings

In later periods, the Perunkarunai Varadaraja Perumal Temple was renovated by Sethupathi Kings of Ramanathapuram. A few years ago, Thiru Koshtiyur Charitable Trust and Vijayawada Thirudhandi Sriman Narayana Jeer Swami contributed to the renovation efforts and performed the Samprokshanam. The temple has been taken care of the Sethupathi Maharani of the Ramanathapuram Devasthanam.

Quick Facts

Moolavar: Varadaraja Perumal East Facing Standing Posture with Sri and Bhoo Devi

Thaayar   : Perundevi Thaayar

Contact   : S Narasimha Narayana Bhattar @ 99440 45347

Time      : Contact the Bhattar on the above number before going

How to reach

From Manamadurai drive about 7kms towards Paramakudi on Rameswaram NH to reach Parthibanur. Take the right at Parthibanur and drive 10kms South on the Parthibanur- Kumuthi-Aruppukottai road. Just after Abhiramam, take left and head East about 4kms to reach Perunkarunai.

Bus Number 26 from Paramakudi

From Parthibanur, one can take the Kumuthi-Aruppukottai bus and get down at Abhiramam, from where one can take an auto to reach the temple. 

Taxi from Madurai and back will cost around Rs. 1000