Article from The Hindu on 'pushpa kainkaryam'

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Here is an article from The Hindu on pushpa kainkaryam.

 

Sriram

 

 

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Harmonious blend of ecology and devotion

 

 

COME WORLD Environment Day on June 5, and we get busy

making speeches and writing articles. There has been a

global awareness regarding the manner in which man is fast

destroying his own residence, the earth. But the persons

who are actually trying to roll back the floods of danger

that threaten our ecological harmony do not get spoken

about. Perhaps they do not care to get talked about.

 

The remarkable temple culture that has been nurtured in

Tamil Nadu has innumerable facets apart from, of course,

religious ritualism and its vital component, the attached

garden, is verily the oxygen centre for any temple. Each

temple has to have a grove, a ``nandavana'', so that the

deity could be worshipped with fresh flowers daily. Great

Alwars and Nayanmars have been associated with such

wholesome service for enriching the physical environment.

Thirunavukkarasar, for instance, is always represented

carrying a hoe for he made it his life's mission to clean

weeds and thorns that happened to grow in holy places. The

``pushpa-kainkarya'' of Perialwar and Tondaradippodialwar

is well-known. The puranas which provide the major

mythological background for temple culture speak highly of

tree planting and the Skanda Purana give details of how to

nurture a Sacred Grove of Bilva, Banyan, Asoka and Amla

trees. These gardens and sacred groves were also meant for

growing herbs to heal the sick, like the one that was set

up by Garuda Vahana Pandithar at the Dhanvanthri temple in

the Srirangam complex.

 

The twentieth century was particularly cruel to temple

culture and its attempts to inculcate environmental

awareness. Today most of the gardens attached to temples

big and small remain untended, full of thorns and weeds.

 

However, devotees have been delighted in recent years that

Lord Varadaraja of Kanchipuram is accompanied by the

soul-elevating scent of ``Marikkozhunthu'' and Tulsi and

flowers which are fresh, literally dripping with honey.

This has been made possible because of Uthiyambakkam (a

village near Ponvilaintha Kalathur) Vedanta Ramanujacharya.

Meeting him is a lesson in humility. It is also an

inspiration. This Village Administrative Officer is

actively engaged in spreading a message of health and

devotion.

 

Quite a few devotees who have been going to Kanchipuram for

the ``Thottotsavam'', the ``Garuda Sevai'' and other

festivals have been remarking about the loveliness of the

fresh Tulsi and flower garlands with which the Lord is

being adorned these days. It is remarkable that you have

been able to offer so much single- handed. What made you

take up this service?

 

I am not sure about the real moment of awareness, but I was

unhappy at the careless manner in which Tulsi was grown in

all sorts of places and plucked carelessly and offered. It

seemed to be desecrating the image of Lord Varadaraja when

Tulsi offerings were made in such a way. I wished to go

through the entire process in very clean and pure

surroundings so that the Lord could receive the flowers and

leaves in a consecrated form. That must have been the

reason for attaching ``nandavanas'' to our temples in

ancient days. I began with Tulsi and proceeded to put up

flowering plants.

 

You have been able to do it in the temple land, I am told.

 

Yes, the authorities acceded to my request to give about

two acres that had remained unused and neglected. But

remember, this is only a small portion. Actually, the

entire ``nandavanam'' of Varadaraja is spread over 24

acres.

 

It must have been quite a task to get even two acres ready

for planting.

 

Certainly. But when there is sincere aspiration, I guess

help comes in automatically. I needed machines for clearing

up the place. Then we used seventy lorry loads of red soil

and had it all levelled. There were problems, but then

problems are everywhere, aren't they? I now have a tractor

and I have installed pump-sets too, and the garden is

glowing.

 

You have flower-varieties as well.

 

Tulsi is the main offering and I began with Tulsi. We have

two thousand Tulsi plants in the garden. What a pleasure it

is to offer baskets and baskets of the sacred basil leaves

(``kudalai kudalaiyaaha tiruthuzhaay''), plucked fresh from

the garden. I have also put in twenty-two varieties of

flowering plants, such as ``kanakambaram,'' roses and

``nandiyavattai''.

 

Trees?

 

Of course. Punnai, Panneer, Champak, Parijatham.

 

You say that daily several baskets of Tulsi leaves have to

be plucked carefully and the flowers gathered. You need a

lot of trained labour for that.

 

I am lucky. I have twenty volunteers who help me in the

maintenance as well as gathering of leaves and flowers in

the evening. Blessed with six sons, one grandson and two

nephews who are doing Veda Adhyayanam, I am able to receive

help from them. They are doing it purely as service,

``kainkarya'' as they would refer to it in Sri Vaishnava

parlance.

 

How about the finances to nurture the garden?

 

The garden prepared so far at a cost of around Rs. 80,000

needs about Rs. 4,000 a month for maintenance.

 

Sri Devadhirajan Nandavana Kainkarya Sabha is trying to get

together a sumptuous amount that can be deposited and the

interest used for maintenance.

 

Have you any plans to extend the services of the garden?

 

Yes, with the help of Govindan who was able to give more

than a lakh of rupees, a garden has been set up within the

temple premises of Madhurantakam Eri Kaatha Ramar Sannidhi.

 

 

This attempt also has proved to be a success. In fact, the

Jeeyar of Ahobila Math has been pleased with my efforts and

has asked me to set up a ``nandavanam'' in Ahobilam itself.

Accordingly I am in the process of creating a garden in the

Tirupati Devasthanam Complex to offer fresh flowers and

Tulsi leaves to Lord Prahladavardan. I do hope others will

also come forward and resurrect this service of ``pushpa

kainkaryam'' in our innumerable temples. I feel this would

also help purify the environment.

 

PREMA NANDAKUMAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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