Madhurai Kavi Nandavanam - Sreerangam

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Kalvettu Sonnai Kathai

Madhurai Kavi nandavanam - Oru Varalarattu parvai

http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=527 & threadParent=9

 

Superb Article

 

 

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Dear SriVaishnavites

 

Thank you very much for all the feedbacks provided to Sri Madhurakavi Story. For

the benefit of those who cannot read Tamil, I'm providing the account written by

my father Sri D Seshadri. My story was fully based on the details he provided.

 

Also, I've filed a public appeal to HR & CE commissioner highlighing the

importance of preserving this Nandhavanam.

 

Please read :

http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=923

 

Namaskarams.

Gokul.S

------------------------

 

An Ordinary Man's Extraordinary Story

 

Had you an occasion to wander about in the

Ammamandapam, Mambazha salai road? If not do so;

Just a half a km from the river ghat, the road meanders

with the left side replete with coconut and other trees

and on the right side a board beckons you with the

letters Sriman Madhurakavi Nandavanam. Just out of

curiosity I stepped in , to be greeted by one of the

Ehankis(those who have dedicated their life to the Lord

and remain brahmacharis) - Sri Venkata Ramanuja

Dasar. At present there are 4 such who do mainly

service of supplying garlands to the Srirangam Temple .

The others are Sri Gopala Dasar,Sri Ramanuja Dasar

and Sri Rengamannar Dasar. The last said is ripe with

age and is living in the cottage opposite this

nandavanam.

 

I had some conversation with Sri Venkata and the

following were the main information I could collect from

him: Hailing from a small Andhra village, he had

rendered services at Kaddapah and Tirupati,solingar,and

as the Lord of srirangam beckoned him has settled here

from 1975. He is 69 years of age.

 

I made a tour of the garden and there were mango,

coconut trees besides flower beds. Mainly there was

Krishna Thulasi and beds where many flowers were

raised. Based on the season these are some of the

flowers that are raised here: Padhiri, Othai and Irattai

Nandiavatti, Virutchi in different colours such as white,

yellow and red and,sambangi. He informed me besides

this place there are other areas in which flowers are

raised mainly in the river side. He compared this with

the Kurathazwan Thirunandavanam at Srivilliputtur

famous for Andal-Sudikkodutha Sudarkodi.

 

There were photos of Ehankis of yester years, the

trustees who manage in the present day and a photo of

the person whom we will be talking about shortly-

Sriman Madhurakavi. There is a separate room with the

Lord of Srirangam in the backdrop for making the

garlands for the temple (called Thiruppoo Mandapam).

The garland themselves are called in pure tamil as

Thirupallidamam; the land is called Thirumalaipuram

and the cultivators of the flowers are called

Thirunandavana Kudihal.

Are you aware that except during the flower decking

Thirunal called in Tamizh as Poo Sathu Thirunal, no

flower outside this Nandavanam is used in the temples

mainly that of Lord, Ranganayaki and Chakrathazhwar?

Around 18 garlands are submitted on a normal day; 24

nos during Uthsava periods and around 40 during

Telugu, tamil and Deepavali Thirunatkal. The adorned

garlands by the Lord and Thayar fetch fabulous prices!

The Ehanki took me to the other side of the road and

there was the Pallippadi (or Samadhi) of Sriman

Madhurakavi Pillai.

My interest in this person arose because of a casual

reading of two inscriptions in tamil just as you enter the

Renga Vilas-the main shopping centre inside the temple.

It is on the left side just outside the Veli Andal

Sannadhi. In case you have time go through them; they

make interesting reading. The inscription is dated 6th

June, 1959 .

And let me come to the story mainly based on these two

inscriptions. Here was a man not much lettered in the

formal sense who lived for 58 years(1846-1904) and did

what only emperors could dream about. He had the

vimanam of the Lord called the Pranavakara Vimanam

gilded with gold at a cost of Rs 80,000. The

samprokshanam costed another Rs 20,000. All this were

done in 1903. Having done the Lord's mission, he

reached the divine abode the next year.

We learn that Jatavarman Sundara Pandian(1251-1268

AD) whose munificence was extraordinary, had done this

during his reign. An interesting note on the vimana is

254 «è£°™ «êû£ˆK

available in Hari Rao's masterpiece in Page 50, " The

Srirangam Temple " . Having provided an idea on this

gentleman, let me go into the inscription proper and

have a feel of what it has to say:

Sriman Madura Kavi was born in the Tamil year

Viswavasu, (1846),Thai month, in the Puram star to Sri

Renga Pillai and Smt Renganayaki. With basic education

completed he was mainly doing kainkaryam of offering

flowers to the Srirangam temple from the age of nine.

When he was seventeen the parents wanted him to

marry. He declined to marry saying that it had no taste

for him and requested them to give him the money they

would otherwise be spending on the marriage. With

that, he purchased 10 powns of gold and offered a

Kadalaikkai Malai to the Thayar.The parents also divided

the family property and with his portion he purchased

gardens where he raised flowers to be offered to the

temple.

He had panchasamaskara at the hands of Sri

Vanamamalai Jeeyar Swamigal and had kalakshepam in

the Pillai Lokacharier temple also. He also learnt

Nalaayiram and Rahasya granthas. With the help given

by his abhimanis such as Sri Srinivasa and Venkatachala

Ramanuja Dasar, he collected monthly subscriptions in

Tiruchy and Madras. With the money thus raised he

purchased wet lands and flower gardens in Cholamadevi

village.

While he was continuing to do the offering of garlands to

the temple without interruption, the call came. Call for

repairing and rectifying the Pranavakara Vimanam of

Srirangam which needed urgent repairs. The temple

authorities, who knew his selfless services to the Lord

intimately, requested him to take up this work. Humble

as he was, he politely declined it saying that all he knew

was only Pushpa Kainkaryam and the request was too

tall for him to carry out.

 

In the year 1892, he had a dream. The Lord ordered him

to do the work and he will get it done.

" Aarambiyum;Naam Thailaik kattik kodukkiroam " .

Those were the divine words. Madurakavi thus would be

only an instrument. An executor of Lord's work.

He was also persuaded by his Acharyan and Andarangar

Kuvalaikudi Singamaiyangar. Taking it as a divine order,

he toured to places as far as Vanamamalai, Hyderabad

and with the help of many devotees, was able to collect

a sum of Rs 80,000 in five years (1897). Meanwhile, the

work was started in 1895 itself and " for the eight big

Kalasams, for each Kalasam 3 sear gold which required

16 polishes(Poochchu), for the eight small Kalasams

same 16 polishes and for Padmams 12 polishes " and the

work was completed in 1897.

Good things are bound to attract problem as flower

attracts bees. The saaram(scaffolds) meant for joining

the Kalasams and sheets was to be dismantled at the

behest of one trustee, who was delaying the execution.

In 1901 another trustee, (possibly on rotation) Sri

Alavandarayya took charge. While the deputy Collector

was inspecting the Thirunandavanam, he appraised

about the obstacles on the way of completing the

Vimana work.

On being given the go ahead signal from the deputy

Collector, the Saaram was raised again and works

completed. And in April, 1903 the Samprokshanam was

completed much to the jubilation of the devotees.The

entire samprokshanam costed around Rs 20000. With

the balance amount available, Madurakavi Pillai felt

there must be a permanent arrangement to perpetuate

this garden kainkaryam. So he formed a Trust with 9

persons.

Among them were:

1. Tiruchy Sadagopa Naidu.

256 «è£°™ «êû£ˆK

2. Rengasamy naidu.

3. Elder brother-Sri Perianna Pillai.

4. Madura Nayaham Pillai.

The functions of the Trust was also spelt out in detail:

1. To make garlands for submission to the Lords.

2. For the use of Pickles for the Perumal and

Thayar,supply of mangoes.

3. For the Visakam supply of Paal Mangai

4. For the Jestabishekam supply of mangoes and other

fruits.

As the trustees were to be only for their life time , the

temple Devasthanam should continue the work.

After fulfilling the task given by the divine hand, it was

time for him to depart from the scene. The inscription

continues thus: On the month of Ayppasi Kurodhi

Aandu(1904 AD) on the 7 th day of Oonjal Uthsavam

after the night Ghosti were given prasadam at 11 pm he

attained the feet of the Lord.

Thus ends the story of this ordinary man who did

extraordinary work that could be done only by

emperors.

After worshipping the temple if you have time and the

inclination, take a quick walk to the Madurakavi

Nandavanam and who knows? You may have some more

surprises!

-

D.SESHADRI

 

, " Krishna " <Krishna wrote:

>

>

> Kalvettu Sonnai Kathai

> Madhurai Kavi nandavanam - Oru Varalarattu parvai

> http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=527 & threadParent=9

>

> Superb Article

>

>

> Krishna

>