30th April, Monday
We checked out of the hotel and
started a long journey. Due to last minute change of plans and rescheduling, we
could not cover a few areas which we had thought about which included En Kann (Description to come later)
& Brhadeeshwaram.
Bangaru Lakshmi
We reached one of the streets with
a line of temples. My teacher’s son knew the place and so without doubt we
reached there. However I missed out the route. The small temple that is, had
not yet opened and we were there almost at 6.00 am. The deity which was kept
inside the grills (What a usage!! And what a way the humans have degraded their
conduct!!!) could be seen from outside. Thus consoling ourselves, we decided to
circumambulate the prakaaram. There
was a small goshala and one of the calves
was so cute which pulled me to just run my hand over its head and between the
eyes. Seeing this, Rishi and the other kids in our party also did this. While
we were coming around the north western side, a Brahmin called out to me from
one of the small ways leading to the compound. There was a gate which was
bolted from the temple side. He requested to open this bolt. I did this and he
straight away walked to the main door of the deity. He was the main Archaka there!!!!
He opened the door and showed the
Arati for us. Some of us had already
reached back to the van, but for us who saw it, it was like Devi presenting
herself majestically for our full view. Lakshmi’s mother had kept some
jackfruit as ‘Kaazhcha’ for the devi.
The Archaka took the same and placed
it as Nivedyam. He then took the same
and placed it in my hand as Prasadam.
He also gave some flowers and should I say we were thrilled to have received
such grace.
The Devi is said to have been
brought from Kanchi when the Muslim invasion happened. Banagaru is for Gold and
the deity is supposedly in Gold. Whether it was the same vigraham or not, the
inner feeling was quite unique. This was also the place where Sri Shyama Sastri
had conducted the regular puja as he
was in the family of the Poojakas.
Just to think that due to the
time constraint we were planning to skip the temple. My teacher insisted that
since I had shown an interest before the start of the trip to visit the place,
this shouldn’t be missed.
Panchanadeeswarar - Tiruvayyar
We then went to Panchanadeeswarar Koil at Tiruvayyar, which was also the place
where Sri Tyagaraja had done his Rama
Mantra Japa successfully. My teacher said that there was a marble ‘sila’
where he used to sit. However we were unable to see the same now. During my
last visit to Kumbakonam in 2006, after visiting the Tyagaraja Samadhi which is
only about 200 mts away from the main entrance, we tried to go to the temple.
But the same was not opened then, since it was very early in the morning. I had
thought that maybe next time when I come, I may be able to see him. Strange are
the Lord’s ways as this darsanam came
into a reality while I was thinking it may not be possible due to time
constraint and the Devi made us wait a while until giving her Managala Darsanam since abhishekams were going on.
Tyagaraja House
Adjacent ‘veedhi’ or ‘Teruvu’,
pathway had the house of Sri Tyagaraja, where he lived later on. We couldn’t
enter the same as it would open only by 9.00 am - some one staying nearby said.
Tyagaraja Samadhi
Next we visited the Tyagaraja
Samadhi. The river bed was sandy and without water as the summer was peaking steadily.
We spent time doing our own prayers there. Also saw some of the Brahmins doing
the Sandhya Vandanams and japams there and were wondering whether
they were the Archakas or just living
there!
It is at this Samadhi that the
annual Tyagaraja Sangeetha Aradhana
Festival is done, which culminates in the Pancha
Ratna Krithi Alaapana by all the artists present. This is a famous
festivity relayed across the world and triggers a host of Tyagaraja Aaradhana across at various parts of the music world.
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