Satyakala ..

Today 19 th morning visited Satyakala at Kollegal .The way to and fro from Mysore was flanked by rice fields in pretty green slabs . A very fertile area.

Nearly all boards  in towns and villages are only in Kannada so couldn't make out as to which building was ,what.
Satyakal is a small village amidst very lush paddy fields,being right besides river Kaveri.The purpose of our visit was to see the ancient deity of Sri Vardhrajar ,who was worshipped by Sri Desikan in 13 th cent AD when he took refuge in this tiny hamlet after fleeing persecution by invaders from north at his original place of residence at Sri Rangam.He stayed here for 12 years and went back when the threat was removed.It was also an exercise in tracing Sri Desikans trail across the south. 

The village reeked of prosperity but the roads were poor and  muddy and were turned to  sludge by a slew of tractors used in the farming operations.But the small temple is very well maintained thanks mainly due to the generous contributions of NRI 's ,mostly US based .The temple that was once said to be in a very bad shape has been  very well renovated  with halls, kitchens and toilets added for the convenience of pilgrims.The temple was empty save for the priest and a watchman's family.

The turtle like stone slab on which Desikan is said to have sat upon and meditated daily is housed in his sannidhi at the temple.Till 1920 it lay on the bank of the river a short distance away and was brought here for preservation.It made me pause and compelled me to sit before this humble seat of that wise and learned acharya and to meditate and try and  gather at least in a little measure the strength it must have absorbed by his sacred presence to see me through in my lonely battle.

The theertham --the taste of  the  holy water offered by the priest was  incredibly sweet unlike in any other temple i visited.What sweetened it? The fact that it was kaveri river water or simply something more?.

A short walk on a mud road flanked by banantrees , lush paddy fields right next to the gently flowing kaveri river is the fig tree under which Desikan sat and meditated .It is no longer in full spread as it is said to be in his days.But the trunk though dried and stunted seems to have survived  letting off few leaves to keep it going.
Desikan wrote 'abeedhitatva' a sloka to dispel fear and restore courage in this very scenic and serene spot and recited it several times.This sloka in later year inspired Harri hara and bukkha to establish the Vijayanagar empire that ruled the south for several centuries and its kings built several temples with great enthusiasm.
As and when Desikan wrote this sloka would he have foreseen such a tremendous event in the political history of  medieval India  ,that his heart felt sloka would sow ?Desikan was a scholar, poet, wise and seeped with bhakthi..A  man of religion alone who studiously avoided rulers and kings.Yet ,may be he did.Can't say.

As we passed over river kaveri its gentle unhurried flow seemed to murmur an assuring massage that any one will come and go but i will be going on and on seeing more and more . A detached witness to changes in human history and an affirmation of permanence and solidity amidst rapid changes and insecurities of life.

written on 19 .11.13   9pm in train from mysore to chennai

kattumannar koil-- tour diary --29.10.13

The next place of visit the next day was Kattumannar koil the birth place of Sri Nathamuni and Alavandar--Sri Vaishnavaite acharyas , former the grand father of the latter.

The 50 kms of the distance from cuddalore ,was a treat to weary eyes .Green fields of rice stretching on both sides was a balm .Thank god urbanisation hasn't as yet spread  its tentacles in these life sustaining lush pockets , though a few , very few concrete houses amidst green fields have appeared giving me a sour feeling.

The line of swarthy skinned peasants sowing or weeding  in  a single file in the hot sun stirred my gratitude. If not for them [ tho' it is their ancestral vocation for livelihood] who will supply me rice?It is also amazing how mother earth never tires of her bestowing her bounty though used and reused for centuries!

The town was medium sized and quite dirty like most such towns in India.When will they ever become neat and tidy as those in us or UK etc?

Vishnu is enshrined as Vasudevar in this ancient temple .It has two separate sannidhis for the  2 most important sons of that soil--Sri nathamuni and Alavandhar.Sri Nathmuni of 10 th cent ad , collected and compiled 4000 Tamil hymns of aazhwars-saints of preceding centuries ,that were scattered around and nearly forgotten.He revived Sri Vaishnavism by dint of sheer perseverance and tireless efforts and re established the eminence of Tamil hymns in Hinduism at par with Vedas.

It is a wonder how some persons from somewhere arise and is a spark to revive and re vitalise Hinduism or  a branch there of.

The next spark is Alavandar, his grand son.who awoke to his real vocation --that of propagating Sri Vaishnaviam after a stint  as a very successful and prosperous ruler & householder ,the kingship that was gifted to him due to his precocious scholarship,and relinquishing his kingdom  and taking up sanyas ,after being gently reminded of true lineage by his late grandfather's loyal disciple.

He settled at Srirangam and wrote commentaries on shastras , gita, and so on and has written a beautiful Sanskrit's sloka known as strotramala which has all the ideas and seeds that helped Desikan few centuries later to work upon.

The priest pointed out to the nathamuni's sannidhi abutting the sanctum,  as the place of his original residence .
What propelled him to undertake such a onerous and daunting task? The proximity of the deity within coupled with the deep grief of losing his only and youthful married son  ?

If not for his single pointed devotion to restoration i wouldn't be enjoying the poetry's and hymns of saints/azhwars of yore and deriving strength and solace from them ,by mere thumbing through pages .
I registered my gratitude silently before his and his grandson's idols in unspoken words.

written on 30.10.1`3 1 pm

Wish and hope.

A draft of chilly wind brushed my shoulders reviving the freshening of the senses , an comforting earthly feeling as isat on the terrace that had a clear view of the tirumala temple and the exact place where Srinivasar is enshrined , meditating and reciting slokas in praise of the supreme being.early in the morning.

The chirping of a tiny bird in all probabiliy one f that flock of birds that had danced in crazy exhilaration ,in perfectly synchronised circles yesterday evening over the place[just outside the temple] where the processional deity of Srinivasa and his consorts were lodged ,on a gently swaying swing in a mandap lit by one thousand oil lamps , in step with the acomppaniment of vedic chantsand bhakthi songs , like as if on a signal unmindful of the huge congregation of devotees ,reminding me of the belief of Sri vaishnavas once again that the deity of the sacred 7 hills is visited by nitya suris everyday to pay their obeisance to their master in deified form, the eternal blissful lord of the universe ,from their usual residence at vaikuntum where they are said to be for ever at service of Narayana, free from all earthly contamination's , mainly the insurmountable lure of the senses .The bells chiming at the temple and the gently re assuring rustle of the leaves of nearby arasamaram --sacred fig tree as the wind bounced off each one of them , the multitude  echos of which, synchronised to form the symphony ,brought an element of peace  and calmed the hankerings  and the restlessness wrought in their relentless pursuit.What a moment! Is this the definition of spiritualism?Were those few seconds an small trailer to the breath taking breadth of eternal calm that awaits one?  

As i looked at the  vimanum glistening in golden splendour, it seemed to be radiating very silently but very emphatically the essence of gita.That the moment i was luxuriating in was due to my senses .How can this be spiritual? The gentle touch of the cool breeze and the sweet chirping of that tiny bird were all pleasurable 'feelings ' even if it is a unique oasis in the arid desert of life.The one who is enshrined there is beyond the senses , its dualities and as gita tells us has transcended it and is therefore always unperturbed and free and thereby holds the hope for each one of us to acquire , if not the same at least ,near about equanimity.

Easily said than done Very, very few can reach such a state.

Were those birds flying in exhilaration and in gratitude over srinivasar 's image  yesterday evening such souls, the mukhta's ,who are said to have the power to assume any form and shape as they will as per srivaishnavaites faith? 
It is my fond hope that they were the mukhtas ,with a wishful thinking that one  in that sacred flock is also the one who had brightened my life and lightened its burdens and has successfully overthrown the shackles of this worldly life and has gone beyond pain and pleasure and has become absorbed in that infinite and eternal bliss .
A mother's fond hope.--------14.8.13     8 am 

photo.Srinvasa temple at tirumalai 

Athigiri mantap.at Sri Vardaraja Perumal temple at Kanchipuram

sri Vardarajar with His consorts Sri Devi, Bhu Devi and PerunDevi Thaayaar at Varadarajar Temple

Two arasamarams/aswath trees/ flanked the  still greenish waters of the temple tank that has in its depths the wooden idol of Sri Varadharajar ,immersed to be taken out only once in 40 years and then worshipped for a month and then to be lowered into the watery sanctum till the next cycle .
One of the trees was in fullsome prime ,covered by huge swathes of green leaves through which it was impossible to see their support--the tawny branches.The other tree was quite bare and lean ,having shed the year old fatigued and worn out leaves and was unfurlng copper coloured leaflets all over its crown that was a perfect foil to its lush green companion as well as the leafy green pond below.

The mid day sun shone directly overhead burnishing the tender leaves on the top to gleaming deep red tassels whilst the dazzling reflection of the fiery sun from the tanks surface lit up those leaflets at the lower branches that were overshadowed by the ebullient red canopy that did not allow the rays to penetrate below, to a delicate rose  .
All this i watched from the steps of the steel enmeshed enclosed mantap built by Vijayanagar emperors that lies just outside the main temple of Sri Varadharajar at kanchipuram,when i took a short break from my leisurely and detailed examination of the wealth of sculptures adorning the huge and tall and numerous  pillars ,from its very top to its  base.Is it the unique shape and the feathery light weight of the leaf of the sacred fig tree/arasamaram that makes it catch the slightest whisper of wind ,to sway and dangle individually from its stem though growing in bunches like other trees, that makes it so enticing, attractive and eye catching?

Does its exalted status in Hindu belief since time immemorial apart from the various legends associated with it ,stem from this simple fact?That unlike other trees ,each leaf of Arasamaram is an individual in its own right and has an independent identity of its own, though they look alike and are dependant on the branches and roots of a single primary tree for its growth,stability and sustenance?

Now back to the highly sculpted mantap which according to a very sleepy watchman manning it is nearly 2000 years old!One familiar with history would put it to only 700-500 years ,since each sculpture bears the clearly artistic and unique signature of Vijayanagar emperors who ruled the Deccan from near about13 th cent --16 th cent ad. The temple however could be 2000 years or even older.Since all visitors and devotees are not familiar with history a notice board with a brief history would help in dispelling the ignorance shrouding the facts.

An leisurely examination by moving the head from the base to the high ceiling ,since every inch of every pillar has been painstakingly carved led to the conclusion that the mantap is more or less a dedication or a memorial of sort to the 11 th cent Sri Vaishnava acharya Sri Ramanuja--[1017--1137]His familiar seated form with the staff of a sanyasi held inbetween his folded hands adorns the base, mid section and the capitol of most of the pillars along with those of Vishnu, varahar, Narsimhar, Krishna , Hanuman Vyasa,Rama Sita and Lakshmi,carved all over .
AS the arsamarams leaves dangled in  a delectable dance and quivered in a rosy reflection over the green waters housing Varada ,the deity worshipped by Ramanuja who lived in Kanchipuram for decades, i couldn't help wondering at the energy and force that impelled him to carry on tirelessly to revive Hinduism that had become vague due to the wrong interpretation of Maya philosophy of Adi Shankara,[years after his departure], that dismissed every thing as mere delusions .

Sri Ramanuja established that life is real and Iswara is full of good qualities and is worthy of worship in any form and that archa  or deity form is  the easiest and tangible way of paying obeisance to the ultimate .

He was also an extra ordinary  revolutionary  In those early centuries viz 1000 AD when caste barriers were strictly upheld and its transgressions punished immediately with ostracisation ,undeterred by societal pressures to conform ,he honoured knowledge and devotion where ever he found it on whom so ever it may be and thus pestered a Sudra , a very pious man to become his guru and was overcome with such a rage at his wife's treatment ,[customary demeaning but the norm those days] whilst serving food to his guru that he immediately expelled her to her parents and instantly took up sanyasa .  Ramanuja was a brahmin.  
--
And when he learnt the closely guarded mantra for moksha from a Brahmin to be passed only to Brahmin's with repercussions for transgressions he chose to climb a nearby temple tower and to proclaim it loudly to all those interested to the way to moksha .His guru's fury abated with his reasoning that he didn't mind going through the vicious cycle of birth and death if 1000 others are enabled to gain entry into Vaikuntum or  attain moksha!

A rare , bright individual whose personality overcame all hurdles thrown by society and authorities.


He attracted followers from all strata of the society as well as castes and he embraced them all into his sect --Sri Vaishnavisim by following the earlier aazhwars--mystic vaishnavaite saints dictum that a devotee of Vishnu was more dearer than Narayana himself1But he did all this with missionary's zeal .He made 74 families--his followers [and not any mutt ]responsible to carry on vedic, sri vaishnavaite traditions ,visishta dwaita  philosophy  as well as the thorough reading of the Ramayana and the Gita compulsory , with clear injunction to never stray away.And i have descended from one such family.

Sri Ramanuja lived in times when royal patronage was necessary to practise and propagate one's religious convictions and beliefs.As Brithrahari had observed in 1 cent AD itself that there were only two gods  --Siva or Vishnu , the same was true in the times of Ramanuja a 1000 years later as well .

The Tamil king was a staunch saivite who couldn't tolerate the popularity that Ramanuja was acquiring , hence went on the path of persecution that made Ramanuja to leave Sri rangam and live in karnataka in exile for more than a decade,returning after his son ,who wasn't all that dogmatic suceeded to the throne.  .Another religion that was in dominanace was Jainism to which the ruler of karnataka subscribed to,which he relinquished to embrace Sri Vaishnavism , overwhelmed by the ministering abilities of Ramanuja who cured his daughter of her hitherto incurable ailment and gave him his full patronage.

However Ramanuja had to face stiff resistance to his all embracing policy to his fold and in his quest to standardise the form of ritualistic worship in temples  in neighbouring kerala  as well as, orissa ,where the priests couldn't stomach such ideas and literally beat him and left him for dead .The Brahmins of Kashmir were also equally jealous in guarding their own ways of worship and unwilling to share their philosophical thoughts  ,when Ramanuja visited that place .He was driven away overnight.

Was the rapid spread of Islam an factor in the relentless endeavour of Ramanuja to throw open the spiritual secrets guarded jealously by Brahmins for centuries to all irrespective of caste and creed, to keep the drifting flock intact?By now Ghaznivadis were established at Delhi and were spreading their power, influence and religion in the principalities of their conquests.He might have wanted to consolidate all Hindus under one banner --Sri Vaishnavism as a bulwark against the rapid spread of Islam in Bharat,

There is a story held to be factual that when Ramanuja requested the Delhi sultan to hand over the processional deity of the main deity of the temple at Melkote, karnataka , which was heaped along with other idols raided by the marauders , the king's daughter was so attached to that idol which was her favourite doll that she wouldn't let go ,though her father acceded to Ramnuja's request ,and followed him to Melkote and remained there till her premature expiry.

In commemoration of this unique attachment and devotion  of that young Muslim girl an idol known as Bibi nachiayar,   standing in supplication at the feet of the idol ,was installed at the sanctum of the vishnu temple at Melkote and it remains there till date.There is also a sannidhi for this 'Tulaka Nacchiayar' at the second prakara [circumbulatory passage] of Sri Rangam temple .And the daily prasad cooked at the temple kitchen and offered to Sri Ranganathar includes chappathi, butter and dhal ,in honour of that  muslim girl's devotion to the idol of Narayana.This practise is continuing till today.

Sri Ramanuja's sphere of influence endures till date  in Tamilnadu, Andhra pradesh and Karnataka.


 

Mangalore.

The city reminds me of Mysore but as a newer and modern version.The main roads are in concrete..It also reminds of Varkala with its winding inner streets with a lot of ups and downs.
The temples are just like the one's i visited at Kerala .The construction and layout with broad tiled roof's, the tiles known as Mangalore tiles that once denoted prosperity when it was laid on roof's of dwellings in Tamilnadu and Andra  in lieu of the locally made small sized tiles.

The tiles have stuck on forming the roof of several houses  side by side with spanking new multi storeyed buildings and  flat roofs.What struck me was the abundance of banyan trees  on the road side exuding solidity and continuity.

At night however the city took a altogether new look as we took another route,with blazing lights over shops , malls and gym's that looks out on to the traffic laden road with the exercisers visible to every passerby through the transparent huge glass windows ,exactly like some of those gym's at Chennai.A country wide phenomena of gyming in confines but visible to the public, a deliberate design?

Mangalore is a mini modern metro like those dotting South and Gujarat --my recent visits being confined to these places so are my observations.

Took a  trip to nearest beach that was 15 kms away to watch the locally famed sunset.The beach is clean and the sun set dramatically as a  delicious orange candy within a wink of the eye.Like signal most of the shops -eateries closed and nearly all the visitors emptied the the sands walking towards their parked vehicles!
The beach reminded me of Elliot's beach as it was a couple of decades back, forlorn and empty.Now one has to jostle for even an inch of space ,especially after sun down!

The auto driver was bent on pointing out the manufacturing units like that of fertilisers, cement, iron and it companies  lining the way to our bleary eyes begging for sleep  from the tiring, long train journey.

I noticed earlier in the day that  a lot of women  were on the street on their own from middle class .I found a kindred spirit with all those carrying a parasol --many of them as a protection from the heat to their fair and sensitive skins.
Side by side with tip to toe black bhurka clad gils a sizable number are those In jeans , 3/4 th leggings  and mini shorts!

 Earlier we could not have darshan of Sri Venkataramana since a local holi festival  as  a part of Rath yatra was in full swing with crowds of youth and kids  milling around having a whale of a time splashing water and smearing colours.But had  a peaceful darshan of Mangala devi the deity of an ancient temple from whom the city derives its name. 

T he beach near Mangalore.

Koiladi.Temple

After visiting koiladi in the morning for a darshan of Appala Ranganathar[27.1.13] and on returning to our lodgings i was in a dilemma .Should i write or not write?Since if i write i'll write as it is and i am sensing strongly that whatever i write about my observations on the land ,people , temples, life etc , is torn to bits by politicians and journalists, in minutes and is gleefully carried off for themselves the bits that suits their ends best .

After packing up to return to the stables i stood on the balcony and the Raja gopuram towered majestically into my view with Ranganathar in his calm repose in the central niche .The lord of all.The personification of truth who presides over all equally and existing eternally.

Seeing him my dilemma dissolved as i decided that if what i write can bring about some good to some nameless, faceless and voiceless persons and does not cause harm to any one ,why not go ahead and just do it.so i have done just that.
Earlier as we left the lodge to the temple a  group of men in the white and white the attire of politicos stood around talking in the veranda The cabbie explained that the lodgings was a favourite spot for  political workers of all hues to congregate for a chat and that this group belonged to the one ruling this state.Tamilnadu.
The way side to koiladi  from Srirangam has retained its rural character with rolling fields of rice, sugarcane and plantains,. much as in times of those saint poets..A board said Ponni  [kavery]delta .
In some places land was cleared and clay bricks were shaped and dried and in several others huge concrete machines and lorries were stationed and at few other spots sand was heaped in huge dunes and were scooped up by bull dozers ,as lorries lined its sides.All these activities on the land that looked too fertile to be so trifled with.

Passed kallanai dam that was as bare as a bone picked clean .Just 2 years back on my last visit ,it was filled to the brim and was gushing out of the sluice gates in frothy fury !

As we neared koiladi 20 kms away from Srirangam banana fields were drying in the early growth and not as it does when it is fully mature .Obviously the water from borewells were being saved for the rice crops.

The temple however was a pleasant surprise, Gone are its dilapidated run down appearance,that it presented  2 years back on my last visit.
The gopuram had a fresh coat of paint and the walls of the temple were no longer crumbling.The cracks had not only been filled but the entire building was strengthened .Several workers were busy in the renovation work which i hear was speeded up in the past one year mainly due to the diligent efforts of Sri Vellukudi with  also the govt pitching in.

Two year back Kavery had worn a glittering deep blue coat and flowing merrily in full swing and full of life near the Kallanai as well as in the canals by the side of the fields  and on the side of this koiladi temple whist the temple had looked old and lifeless.Now the temple is glowing in its new lease to life but the river on its side is supine and dry!

The priest of this small but very ancient and sacred temple was bent on clarifying and rectifying the defects in Divya deasam guide books that the main deity of this temple --Ranganathar 's right hand lay on the head of Markandeya rishi seated on the floor and not on the appam[sweet delicacy] pot ,as is wrongly mentioned in those books.He wanted the devotees to know the exact traditions and not fall prey to hearsay.

Srirangam.and Uraiyoor Temples

As i sipped the filter coffee counting the number of kalasams on top of the gopuram[13 in number] ,the deathless moving winds carrying its early morning chill stroked me gently reminding me of Tondaradi azhwars description of dawn in Srirangam in the early 9 th centAD.
The swans and picturesque landscape as described no longer exist yet the dawn freshened the jaded night with the same mysterious power of cleansing ,a jealously guarded secret all through the rumbling centuries ,perhaps from the dawn of time itself.

As we neared the raja gopuram for a early morning darshan the sounds of school children in white singing patriotic songs at front of  Ghandhi's bust,whose back was turned to the main entrance and the main sanctum within, caught my attention.
The processional deity popularily known as Nam perumal was being taken in a huge wooden chariot around the temple that was pulled  by all those present  with great vigour ,enthusiasm and bhakthi.A festival that occurs but once a year.

There was a large crowd of people.which is by no means unique since as early as in 8 th centAD Kulasekara aazhwar,Tondaradi podiazhwar  and Periyaaazhwar have referred to the deep devotion of devotees in 8and 9 th cent's itself in their pasurams,with lesser population and fewer and slower means of communication.

What was amusing was that every person chafed at the presence the teeming crowd that stood on their way for a peaceful and quick darshan  forgetting that to others they were very much part of the  crowd contributing to its  swelling and as much an hindrance for a smooth passage to the sanctum!

In the evening after an excellent and peaceful darshan of Sri ranga who has evoked tremendous outpouring of bhakthi by a galaxy of saints and scholars down the ages ,visited the Nachiar koil at nearby 
Uraiyoor.Unlike Srirangam it had very few in attendance and the temple very quiet since its processional deity who is also namperumal was busy at Sriranagam. In here the main deity is Thayar --Lakshmi and  festivals are  chiefly centred around her and at times together only when namperumal visits her premises,which is once in a while.

The hall housing Namaazwar -saint  has paintings of puranic lore adorning the entire walls.Unfortunately every available space within hand reach are liberally scribbled with initials of visitors marking their attendance and with signs of heart and arrows!To think that namaazhwar was a bachelor,spurned publicity and attention and was filled only with love for the divine and for none other,it is truly ironical.                                                    

Srirangam Temple

It is purely a co incidence and quirk of fate that i find myself at Tirumalai on our Independence day and at Srirangam on the Republic day.

The hotel we are lodged in, is right in front of the Rajagopuram which is visible from the windows and balcony.
The image of Sri ranganathar in the Central niche of the first tier of this huge and aesthetic gopuram that towers over 20 other gopurams erected in the vast complex since ancient times ,calmed my nerves frayed by the ear splitting noise and unbelievable violence indulged by both hero's and villains of  Tamil films played on the late noon video bus to Srirangam from Chennai .

The calm radiated by Sri ranga was also in direct  contrast to the noisy town bustling with activities in and around the temple .

Srirangam is the very place that was touched by the sacred feets of all the 12 aazhwars from 5 th cent AD onwards as also by noble column of acharyas with Ramanujar in 11 th AD down to Desikan 14 th AD and several other saints till date.

That each aazhwar has sung hymns in praise of the deity testifies to the fact of their visit and the great importance accorded to Sri ranga and the unstaunchable springing of a  flood of bhakthi.As per even more ancient traditions ,the deity was personally handed over to Vibheeshan by Rama ,in his own memory at his coronation ,who refused to budge when vibeeshan placed the deity, at a stop over at this place on his return to Lanka.Since then it has been consecrated and worshipped with the lankan king extracting a promise that Sri ranga would face southwards, towards his realm.

The poetic  description of Sri rangam by aazwars of the swans swimming in placid lakes and  rivers with sweet chants of vedas floating in the air and the atmosphere submerged in  thick layers of bhakthi came to my mind and was startled back to reality by the acrid smoke spewing from chimneys of nearby hotels that   spread rapidly and lay  thick and hovering, over the place.

This idyllic island did have moments of horror when Turkish invaders from north wrought death and destruction in 14 th AD when a wall was raised to hide the main deity from the marauders and the processional deity parcelled off for safe keeping at Tirumala  and Sri Desikan who lost several of his friends and disciples was forced into exile in a forested  area of Karnataka[ Satyakala and melkote].

Things were back to normal when the invaders withdrew after few decades and the ghastly memories overcome by reviving the temple activities as once before and it is continuing till date uninterrupted.

A very sacred and a historic place .

                     The Raja gopuram.