Fwd: A TALE OF RENAISSANCE

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A TALE OF RENAISSANCE

Thu, 8 Nov 2001 00:58:50 +0530

X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200

A write up by PREMA NANDAKUMAR well

known writer in ' THE HINDU' dated 2nd Nov on her visit to PAUNDRIKAPURAM

is reproduced below:

A TALE OF RENAISSANCE

(History and Mythology merge at

the Paundrikapuram Rajagopala temple which is ready for Samprokshanam on

Sunday the 4th Nov. PREMA NANDAKUMAR writes...)

In her celeberated Telugu classic,

Mannarudasa Vilasamu, Pasupuleti Rangajamma, court poetess of

Vijayaraghava Nayak (1633-1673) has given an unforgettable portrait of

the royal perceptor, Satakratu Srinivasa Tatayyacharya. We see him seated

to the left of the king lecturing on the epics and the puranas. Then we

watch him take paternal interest in the king's love-lorn state and going

Chief Rajachandra to propose Princess Kantimati's marriage with

Vijayaraghava. The work concludes with Tatayyacharya reciting Andal's

Nachiyar Tirumozhi at the wedding festivities.

Certainly an unusually daring

picturisation of a contemporary Acharya of high eminence. It only goes to

show the high reverence and affection inspired by him. He must have been

immensely popular and because of his dignified bearing, he could be

depicted within the framework of a romantic tale. Vijayaraghava's

devotion to his guru Tatayyacharya (also known as Ayya Kumara

Tatadesikan) was total. For he was greatly indebted to the perceptor's

counsel that had helped him to hold the reins of power for four decades,

which was no easy task in the 17th century.

Tatadesikan who came in the line

of Lakshmi Kumara, the Rayaguru of Vijayanagara Kings, was deeply learned

in Vedic rituals, which had earned him the sobriquet, 'Satakratu'.

Among the yagas he conducted was

the Paundraka that took place at the Neelamega Perumal temple in

Vennatrankarai village. To commemorate the yaga, a piece of land in

Yenadimangalam area was built up and named Paundrikapuram Agraharam.

About 200 families, well versed in Vedic lore, lived here. A temple to

the Supreme Lord Rajagopala was also built in the village. Ample land was

provided for for the regular conduct of worship. Fed by three

canals---the Keerthimanaru, Nattaru and Arisillaru--- Paundrikapuram

village lay as a gem in the heart of the cauvery delta.

In less than 300 years, this

lovely rural paradise has become a deserted village. None of the Brahmin

families, except an odd two or three, live here any more. The canals have

gone dry and the Rettai Kulam tank in front of the temple is a hapless

spread of dirt and weeds. Greenery is still alive but wheb the writer

went to the village recently, she found some big trees being felled. When

will we stop axing trees indiscriminately and learn to guard our oxygen

apparatus.

Such a question must have

already passed through the minds of a few persons connected by ties of

ancestry to Paundrikapuram. They formed the Paundrikapuram Sri

Rajagopalaswamy Kainkarya Sabha and set to work under the guidance of a

retired judge, Mr K. S. Narasimhan. Within a year the sabha has generated

a modest financial base and an immense amount of enthusiasm to start

work, and now the temple is poised for Samprokshanam on Sunday, November

4th.

Paundrikapuram is within two

miles of Tirunageswaram and is easily accessible by bus. Leaving behind

the 21st century election posters and blaring mike systems behind, I find

myself transported to 18th century. Prabhara Bhattar, the temple priest,

leads me to the temple thrugh a narrow path overgrown with thorny bushes.

Suddenly the entrance gleams before me with bright paint. I can make out

the Dasavatara fugurines at the top. I am told the entire structure,

including the vast outer mandapam with

mosaic flooring, is new. The Bhattar introduces me to Velayudham

Sthapathi and the young artist Murali. The tale I hear is fascinating for

it is the tale of renaissance, a re-flowering of faith, devotion, art and

social comraderie.

Till less than a year

ago, the temple remained almost totally dilapidated with no proper access

to the entrance. Hardly any worship was possibleas the walls, the

gopurams and the prakara were covered by overgrowth. Thick roots had

pierced through the walls. Once popular for 'Ettam Thirunal Uthsavam'

when Lord of the Oppiliappan Temple would come all the way in the

morning of Ettam Thirunal of Panguni Uthsavam in a Palanquin and return

in the evening in his horse mount. It is now decades since this Uthsavam

took place. A special Hall was built for Oppiliappan to EZHUNDARULA.

Where can you have the deity when the Hall itself is gone, an aged

villager wonders.

"We are

planning to revive the festival from next year " says Mr Narasimhan.

"Applications are being drafted for the purpose. Look this is

the Hall which we have renovated completely for Oppilliappan's day-long

stay, same as before". The good old days are coming back then.

We move leftwards in the prakara where the kitchen that had been in ruins

had been rebuilt and a "balalayam" made. Niche for Nammazhwar,

Vedantha Desiakn and Ramanujar is also getting ready.

The temple to

Goddess Senkamalvalli( also known as Hemambujanayaki) stands austere. A

lovely image, but regular worship will begin only samprokshanm. The

temple has a striking vimanam which has been decorated with new figures

of Lakshmi. There are Garuda figures under preperation. They will be set

up on the four corners of the temple's fortwall. There is a Hanuman too.

The vimanam of

the main deity is to have representation of Vishnu(Lakshmi Narayana,

Paramapadanatha) on the four sides. The ardha mandapam is rather large

for a temple of this size. Velayaudha Sthapathi says: "Here it is

mosaic but inside it is granite. The temple was built as a brick

structure with the entire roof in the style of VAVVAAL THALALI or

"Bat's Head". That was a favourite with the Nayak Kings. We

have not changed it in the garbhagriha, mukha and ardha mandapams. This

was possible as with some extra effort the walls could be cleared of

weeds without affecting the roof structure. But the roof of the front

hall caved in so we had to pull down the entire thing."

In the

ardha mandapam there is a charming granite image of Krishna as a dancer

with a pot of butter in his hand.

A snake spreads

its hood above him. (Nagam Kudaipiditha Nadamadum Krishnam). One of the

villagers assures me that abhisheka for this Krishan gifts progeny and

saves the person from fear of serpents (naga dosham) There are also

images of Vishvaksena, Nammazhwar, Ramanuja and Vedantha Desika. From the

mukha mandapa we get a clear view of the moolavar image of Vasudeva. Tall

and well-wrought, he is flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi. So apt, the

goddess of wealth and earth worshipped by the hard working, sincere

village folk, seeking assurance of peace and prosperity. The temple

rituals follow the Vaikhanasa Agama. The circular vimana is known as

Karakkovil.

There is a small

square in front of the temple which might have been the Teerthavari

Mandapam, as it is directly above the steps leading to the

tank.

The tank is known as Rettai

kulam as there was a passageway connecting the temple with the agraharam

streets. It must have presented a wonderful sight to watch the path

connecting the steps slicing the spread of water into two portions. The

guardian deity of the village is Veera Makali. She is verily an image of

Mother Might, clad in red and carrying a gleaming trident. In an enclosed

place, all the utsava vigrahas have been arrayed. Rajagopala here is a

smaller but perfect replica of Mannargudi deity. The Chendu weapon in the

Lord's hand has flawless, curved hook. Ayya Kumara Tatadesikan's anxiety

to recreate a royal Rajamannargudi in the little village of

Paundarikapuram can very well be imagined. Such perfect images of

Senkamalavalli, Andal and Vedantha Desika.

Curiously there are

other images ----Ganesha, Somaskandha and a huge figure of a cosmic

dancer, tuned within the flaming tiruvasi, pulsating with movement as it

were the lips turned to an eternal smile. " They are from the

Someswara temple of the village. The temple built of stone is now

overgrown with weeds and anthills," says Prabhara Bhattar. "

But the renaissance begun in our temple may touch it also, and that would

be good for the village."

Here the Dalits

had there living area between the forward castes and Brahmins and all

lived in amity worshipping Veera Makali, Someswara and Rajagopala. The

importance given to the Dalits can perhaps be understood by the original

name of the village, Yenadimangalam. The Enadis are a tribal caste

generally found in hills. The Enadi Senchu tribe has given us the legend

of Senchulakshmi and Narasimha at Ahobilam. There is a possibility that

some members of fierce hill tribe from Andhra were brought to Thanjavur

by Nayak kings as soldiers and this area was ear-marked for them. It may

also be pointed put the Enadi was a title for army commanders used by the

Tamil kings. It may have been the idea of Tatadesikan too as he was after

all, a true Srivaishnavite. In this religion, one worships Tiruppan Alwar

and reveres Maraner Nambi. Does Rajagopala reject any living being from

his Grace?

In India, history

always gets subsumed by myth-making genius of the nation. Thus the

revenue village of Yenadimangalam has become Yamanadimangalam in popular

parlance with the tank in front of Someswara temple being named Yama

Theertham. Yama performed askesis here and was blessed by Siva. Why

should we doubt it? After all, the clean and healthy breeze that blows

around in Paundrikapuram can keep Death away for very long!

......................................

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

 

Excellent piece of work from Chitra lakshmi.

 

I sincerely request you all to visit the agraharams or

the native place each one of us belong. These

Aghraharam were beaming with all the pride (in the

positive way) and the sounds of bajan every day

sending positive vibrations.

 

I wish and hope there is some one out there like

Chitralakshmi who would just go out and find their

roots and know how much of damage we have caused in

the name of Jobs, foreign travel and relocation and

getting lost from the rich tradition and culture

passed on to us.

 

I happened to be from a little village Called

Thaneerpalli in Trichy ( Tamilnadu).

 

Our ancestral house which had a huge back yard and

with all its natural splendour and settings was sold

by my grand father who came from Mumbai declaring that

the house is not fit for living. It was a huge house

with 20 or 30 cocunut trees, a mango tree and a jack

fruit and the house back yard was the cauvery canal.

 

"What more man can ask for".

 

This was sold for a paltry sum of 3000 Rs and with the

amount shared among two brothers and sisters the share

which came to my grandmother was used for buying a

hearing aid for her and a pair of reading glasses

which always was the center of contention between my

Grand father and Grand Mother as to who should use it

at what time. This was obviously the only pair of

reading glasses common to both of them.

 

Can we now look back and take stock as to how foolish

we had been. Hope bettere sense will prevail with at

least those of us who are lucky and retaining our

ancestral property like the one I had. Now when I went

out there for buying it back and trying to search and

reestablish my roots I was demanded a hefty sum of

Rs.10 lakhs for this property.

 

We should not only re establish our lost tradition but

make it a going tradition with a long term view and do

not repeat the mistakes we had comitted in the past

which has driven us out of this place. We can also

renovate the building and keep it as a summer holiday

resort and our children will remember us for ever for

what we have done to them.

 

Any comments on this are welcome...and suggestions

too.

 

Let us do our little part and do not let the richness

of the culture passed on to us by our dedicated

br>estors die an untimely and early death.

[Guest guest]

DEAR SURESH, I FULLY AGREE WITH YOUR OBSERVATIONS I BELONG TO A VILLAGE

CHETTIPPUNNIYAM NEAT SINGAPERUMALKOIL CHINGLEPUT DT WHERETHERE IS ATEMPLE

DEDICATED TO LORD DEVANATHA, THE IDOL HAVINGBEENRBOUGHT FRM THIRUVENDIOURAM

150 YEARS AGO AND IS DULY RECORDED IN GOVT PAPERS AS WELL AS AN WZQUISITE

IDOL OF LORD RAMA SITA AND ELAYAPWUMAL AND HANUMAN IN MY YOUNG DAYS I

HAVELIVED IN THE VILLAGE AND IN FACT EVEN TILL MY 45 TH THIS WAS OK BUT

TODAY ALL VAISHNAVITES HAVELEFT BUTFOR MY FAMILY AND ANOTHER ANDMOST HOUSES

SOLD AND INDILAPODATED CONDITION WE STILL TAKE CARE OF THE ARADANAM INTHE

KOIL IT ISTIMEPEOPLE START THINKING OIF THEIR NATIVEPLACES WHILE LIVING AWA

FOR BENEFITS GODBLESS U V R RAJAMANI 19 NACHIAPPAN STMAHALINGAPURAM MADRAS

34 PH 8272303

 

 

---

Make Unlimited phone calls from your PC to ANY phone in the World!

http://www.eboom.com/free/

-

Suresh Rajagopalan <sureshvr19

cln <chitralakshmi; <>

Thursday, January 10, 2002 3:47 PM

Re: Fwd: A TALE OF RENAISSANCE

 

 

> Hello all,

>

> Excellent piece of work from Chitra lakshmi.

>

> I sincerely request you all to visit the agraharams or

> the native place each one of us belong. These

> Aghraharam were beaming with all the pride (in the

> positive way) and the sounds of bajan every day

> sending positive vibrations.

>

> I wish and hope there is some one out there like

> Chitralakshmi who would just go out and find their

> roots and know how much of damage we have caused in

> the name of Jobs, foreign travel and relocation and

> getting lost from the rich tradition and culture

> passed on to us.

>

> I happened to be from a little village Called

> Thaneerpalli in Trichy ( Tamilnadu).

>

> Our ancestral house which had a huge back yard and

> with all its natural splendour and settings was sold

> by my grand father who came from Mumbai declaring that

> the house is not fit for living. It was a huge house

> with 20 or 30 cocunut trees, a mango tree and a jack

> fruit and the house back yard was the cauvery canal.

>

> "What more man can ask for".

>

> This was sold for a paltry sum of 3000 Rs and with the

> amount shared among two brothers and sisters the share

> which came to my grandmother was used for buying a

> hearing aid for her and a pair of reading glasses

> which always was the center of contention between my

> Grand father and Grand Mother as to who should use it

> at what time. This was obviously the only pair of

> reading glasses common to both of them.

>

> Can we now look back and take stock as to how foolish

> we had been. Hope bettere sense will prevail with at

> least those of us who are lucky and retaining our

> ancestral property like the one I had. Now when I went

> out there for buying it back and trying to search and

> reestablish my roots I was demanded a hefty sum of

> Rs.10 lakhs for this property.

>

> We should not only re establish our lost tradition but

> make it a going tradition with a long term view and do

> not repeat the mistakes we had comitted in the past

> which has driven us out of this place. We can also

> renovate the building and keep it as a summer holiday

> resort and our children will remember us for ever for

> what we have done to them.

>

> Any comments on this are welcome...and suggestions

> too.

>

> Let us do our little part and do not let the richness

> of the culture passed on to us by our dedicated

> br>estors die an untimely and early death.

>

>

>

>

> Srirangasri-

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Captain Desikan,

 

Thanks for your wishes and your views.

 

I think the vaishnava community should look at not

only the recital of hymes and performing rituals but

also take stock of what state we are today.

 

I have been observing the pictures of Divya Desams

being released in this group. I am thankful and happy

that some one is doing it. I would be further happy if

the same persons does a little more than just visiting

these divya desams.

 

To quote an incident:-

 

I was fortunate to visit the temple at Tirupallani..(

During July - 2001) What a sad state of affairs...

 

The temple I was told had no money to pay the

electricity bill... and there was no electricity in

the temple.We have to visit the temple before 6.00 PM.

The day I went I was lucky since Ramakrishna mission

was performing a "Villaku Pooja" and a big batch of

local members of the mission were there from a

neighbouring village and with the generator the lights

were on in the temple and the bajans went on until

8.00 PM ( a lucky day for the temple and archakas).

 

This generator I was told was gifted to the temple by

TVS but since the temple does not have adequate

resources they could not afford to either pay the

electricity bills or run the generator filling

kerosene.

 

The reasons are ofcourse obvious.

 

1) There are a fewer devotees visiting the temple and

contributing to the welfare of the temple.

2) Most of the deveotees who visit the temple have

limited objective of being there for maximum one hour

( some behave like tourists visiting a museum )and

they do not bother to extend their service to the

temple, spend a little more time inquiring the welfare

measures of the temple

3) The lands and properties which once belonged to the

temple gifted by those with good intention have all

been misappropriated and there is no good trustee who

can make it a working mechanism.

 

We can put tel conference, we can do bridge lines and

also we can sit and mediate at home reciting all the

slokas but I wish to remind you all that if this basic

system of temple, priests and temple revenue is not in

place we know what we can expect in another 50 years

and what we will be passing on to our children.

 

Let us act wisely...

 

we are a gifted community by our intelligence but our

contribution to Microsoft and Intel is a thousand

times more than ensuring a simple thing like ensuring

the temple lights are burning and rich legacy is kept

flowing unadulterated..

 

Any one out there listening can share your views..

 

sureshvr19

 

Let us do our little part..

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI Suresh Rajagopalan,

 

I agree with your views.Supporting Divya Desams ,so that at least the

basic minimum services are carried out in ALL DIVYA DESAMS should be a

matter of highest priority.To ensure that this happens in a sustained

basis one of the ways is to set up a corpus fund managed by responsible

people in the area for such divya desams which do not yet have such a fund

and are struggling to maintain basic services.Apart from manpower and

logistics problems a decent amount has to be raised as a corpus fund so

that the interest received from it is reasonable.Sporadic donations once

a while will not help and a collective effort with contributions from

all bhagavathas according to their ability in a focussed manner for

the temples in question may be a possible answer.let us hope that

Emperumaan continues to guide us and bless us in our small efforts so that

the conditions of the temples is made better in the future.

 

I have recently added a page on 'supporting divya Kshetrams' with a

couple of appeals(Includes the thiruppulanai temple) which can be

accessed at www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/divyas.html

 

regards

adiyEn Ramanuja dasan

Úkenkat s iyengar

[Guest guest]

Sri:

SrimathE RangarAmAnuja MahAdEsikAya Namaha

SrimathE Vedanta RAmAnuja MahAdEsikAya Namaha

SrimathE NigamAntha MahAdEsikAya Namaha

SrimathE BhAshyakArAya Namaha

Sri RanganAtha Divyamani PadukAbhyAm Namaha

 

Dear SrI Suresh swAmin and other SrI VaishnavAs,

adiyEn vEdAntam's anantakOti dhandavat pranAmam. Like various SrI

Vaishnavas, adiyEn had also been a witness to the state our divyadeshams

have been pushed to. adiyEn inclusive had contributed to this state.

 

adiyEn is more than sure that every one of the SrI vaishanva in this forum

is quietly contributing to such causes without the other hand knowing. To

make this kainkaryam very effective adiyEn would propose the following

action plan.

 

1) Divya Desham catalogue:

a) The financial position of each divya desham

b) The financial position of the family of the bhattar

c) rough/approximate information about the number of bhaktas paying

obeisance to the Divya dhampatis at the divya deshams in a year

Note: All this information could well be gathered from the bhattar/temple

related staff.

d) Approach and route documents to the divya desham

d) Compile a comprehensive list of information thus collected

e) Set a target date for completion of this activity.

 

2) AchArya's blessings and directions:

a) Approach the AchArya sArvabhowmas of ubhaya kalais for their blessing

b) Submit the details of temple

c) Request for direction on the renovation of divya deshams

d) Propose a plan to 'rehabilitate' (sorry to use such a term), the

families of the bhattars. (Proposal in the form of a regular monthly income

for the family, education to atleast one child in the family (boy/girl),

education to the boy (if any) on the philosophical side besides mainline

education to make sure he can eke out a living (very important).

e) Seek advice from the AchAryas on the above plan

f) Set a target date to achieve this (this would be a long term plan

unlike #1)

 

3) BhAgawatOttamA's contribution:

a) Organise a group of volunteers to carry out task

b) Divide responsibilities for acting on the above plan

c) Based on plan, arrive at the sum that would be needed

c) Set aside a portion of the salary to divya desham kainkaryam every

month (adiyEn is sure that every other bhAgavatOttama is doing this)

d) Setup a corpus fund for the needed sum (trust?)

e) Commit to the contribution on an annual basis (yatA shakti)

e) Contribute from this fund to the families and the temple

f) Influential bhAgawattas to involve industrial houses such as TVS et al

to contribute towards this fund

g) Educate children and relatives (young and old alike) on the kainkaryam

being carried out

h) Create a SrI Vaishnava network/database (very important)

i) Learn/teach/propagate sri sookthis of such giants as swAmi Desikan and

others to the sri vaishnavas to sustain the above kainkaryam. This will help

in continuity of the kainkaryam

j) Resolve to visit a divya desham at least once a year (outsiders such

as adiyEn) and as often as possible for bhAgavatOttamAs in India

k) Work out a date for the above

 

The above task can be done on an experiment basis with one or two divya

deshams (which are in dire need of finances) and can be carried to other

divya deshams with the blessings of AchArya sArvabhowmA and divya dhampatis.

 

This is adiyEn's 'over-ambitious' suggestion. However should the divya

dhampati will, this would become a very small job. After all, HE lifted the

mountain with his pinkie!

 

NArAyana, NArAyana

adiyEn

vEdAntam rAmAnuja dAsan

 

**********************************************************************

Purpose of life is to transform your ability to experience living, so that

the situation you have been 'trying to change' or have been 'putting up

with' will clear in the process of life itself )

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI VedaAntam swAmin,

 

Excellent piece of contribution from you.Your thoughts

are in the right direction and the approach document

addresses everything that needs to be done.

 

One more thing I wish to add would be to set up a

university specialising in the following aspects..

 

1) Vedas

2) Temple science

3) Temple rites

4) Temple management and finance

 

This would be the umbrella under which all the divya

desam's should operate...

 

this with the blessings of all the divya desa perumals

should spin like the sudharshana chakram...integrating

all the divya desams and scholars exchanging views and

happening all over..the divya desams..

 

This will also give a common platform for all the

divya desams to stand on....and adress issues

affecting each other...and will give a unified

approach...

 

I am adding to your over ambitious suggestions but I

am sure with the blessings of all the divya desam

perumals this effort will see the light at the end..

 

Let us do our little part..

 

suresh