On 3rd July early morning we left Thanjavour and went to Thillaivilakam via Pattukkottai. This is a ramar temple and the beauty of the Rama is just beyond our expression. Even the moolavar is made of Pancha loka and this divya desam is located in between Pattukkottai and Vedaranyam. The vedaaranyam means the forest filled with Vedic seers. It is believed that great maharishis have lived here when Sri Rama was living exile in forest. The Thillaivilakam is considered as the place of Sri Bharadwaja maha rishi and Sri Rama landed here enroute HIS trip to Ayodhya after ravana samhara. The anjeyenar here is in standing posture, taking message for Sri Bharata in Nandigram near Ayodhya. He is not with traditional folded hands. One hand is near the mouth as if he is keenly listening to Rama’s order.

There are many such unique things in this temple. The moolavar’s arrow here is  “Rama charam”, unlike the artha chandra bhanam which is common in all other temples. It is said that this Rama charam was used only on three occasions in Ramavatara. One is against Kaksura and next was to kill Vali and third one was to kill Ravana. Futher you can see the scars on Sri Rama’s leg as if we are looking at real human beings. Any amount of such expressions will not be enough to describe the beauty of the Lord here. We have purchased garlands at Pattukkottai for all deities and reached the temple around 9AM.

It was time for morning pooja and we had wonderful darshan of SriRama with Sita, Lakshmana and Sri Anjeneya. One more thing about this temple that, there won’t be any crowd here. You can stand in front of the sannidhi for hours enjoying the divya thirumeni of the Lord inch by inch sorry millimeter by millimeter. Although we had a hectic program ahead, adiyen could not come out of this temple, remembering the adiyen’s visits during his school days. That day Sri Anjeneyar was getting ready for thirumanjanam but we couldn’t wait till then due to our other commitments.

When we left Thillaivilakam it was well beyond 10.30 AM and the driver has informed that the vaduvoor temple will be closed by 11.45 AM and only in the evening we can have darshan. The route leading to vaduvoor is not good and the car can’t reach there by 11.30AM. We were worried. In fact our original plan was to visit Rajagopala swamy temple in Mannargudi enroute vaduvoor. Now it appeared that we could have darshan at Mannargudi but not at vaduvoor.

We had another reason to go to Vaduvoor. We wanted to donate dhothis to the vidhyarthis (and teachers) of Veda patashala at Vaduvoor. We have purchased the required items from chennai itself and as such we have to go to Vaduvoor. The driver has suggested to phone the veda patashala and request them to wait for us. Adiyen did so but the temple is not under the control of the patashala. Sri Desikachchar swamy has told that he will inform the temple but he can’t guarntee that the temple will remain open.

Our Journey to Vaduvoor was like a thriller as it happened the earlier day while going to Thirupper nagar. The road was very bad and once we reached Vaduvoor it was around 12.30 PM. The bhattar was waiting for us patiently and we have apologised for our delay and he gave us good darshan. The Ramar here is very beautiful and to me the Ramar in each temple is looking different and to date adiyen has enjoyed the beauty of Sri Rama in Madhurantakam, Thiruvahendrapuram, Oppiliappan koil, Thillai vilakam and Vaduvoor. Each archa thirumeni is different and one can’t even feel like winking the eye for a second. The bhattar told that originally the temple was Venugopala swamy temple and this vigraha is very small now located in a separate sannidhi. There are many steps to the main sannidhi and he pointed out that, this was made thinking the small vigraha of Krishna. Now the Ramar is huge in size and he told that it is not easy to bring the utsava moorthy from sannidhi for utsavas. The archaka was very kind although he has to wait for more than an hour for our visit. After performing darshan, he also gave prasadam (curd rice). Since we were thirsty and hungry and very anxious throughout the journey, we have really relished the prasadam. He asked us to wait near the Hayagreevar sannidhi and told that he will ask the archaka of that sannidhi to come to open the sannidhi for our darshan.

The archaka for that sannidhi was a young person in early twenties. The tejas of face is still in my mind. His name is Sriram and he has completed poorna adhyayanam of vedam from the local patashala and this sannidhi kaimkaryam came to him from his ancestors. He was very kind and soft spoken and very knowledgable.

In the Hayagreevar sannidhi there were vigrahams of Bhagavad Ramanuja, Sri Nammazhvar and swami desika apart from Lakshmi Hayagreeva.After performing archana, Sriram swami has commenced his harati. It went for more than 30 minutes. He described the glory of Hayagreeva quoting swami desikan’s Hayagreeva stotram. Although we know stotram, the meanings given by him breaking each phrase of the stotra was enjoyable. Then he glorified Sri Nammazhvar with the famous taniyan “Bhaktaamrutham” and Bhagavad Ramanuja was glorified with Yatiraja saptathi. Finally he made us to shed tears while describing the divya thirumeni of Swami desika quoting phrases from Pillai andhadhi. He mentioned that he is not looking forward to make a living out this kaimkaryam, which has come down from his ancestors but doing it for the pleasure of serving acharyas and Hayagreeva. He also mentioned that the sannidhi was renovated from the offerings of the devotees after archana/harati. He was very enthusiastic and looking forward to perform more and more kaimkaryams to Hayagreeva over there.

When we have mentioned him that we would like to go to Veda patashala to distribute the dhothis to vidhayarthis over there, he came with us and told that he is also teaching the young children there. He first went to Sri Desikachchar swamy house, which was just two blocks from the patashala and returned in a minute. When he came, he first requested us to have prasadam. It was well beyond 1 PM, and we were exhausted by that time. Our original plan was to reach Oppiliappan  koil and we have made arrangements for afternoon prasadam there.But we got delayed. We have politely refused, as it is not fair for five of us to go to patashala without prior intimation for having prasadam. Sriram must have read our mind and told that it is the order Sri Andavan swami that the prasadam should not be cooked just for the vidhyarthis but have little extra, since some parents may drop in to their wards and they should be served with prasadam. So don’t worry. When you all came, adiyen has ensured that there is enough food and just went to Sri Desikachchar swamy to take his permission. So don’t hesitate and please come, he told.

It was as if Sri Ramachandra moorthy came in the form of Sriram to take care of us on that day. The long journeys weren’t pleasent and we haven’t planned the trip properly trying to cover too much distance in a day. The unexpected rest and food at Vaduvoor was a great relief although it was in the back of our mind that we should reach Oppiliappan koil before 4 PM for Kalyana utsavam. They can’t wait for us, as there will be continous sevas for Utsavar after kalyana utsavam. appa made a phone call to Oppiliappankoil and the Executive officer told that, we have to be there by 3.45PM for doing sankalpam.

Sriram and other students served us traditional south indian food in a plantain leaf. Then he arranged the students to sit and we have distributed the dhothis to all of them. They have recited some Upanishad passages (can’t remeber now) and then went to Sri Desikachchar swamy to take his blessings. Sriram was with us till we left the place and he is still living in our heart. Later during our Thirunangur trip we have met another young lad by name Vedarajan who was like another Sriram. We will meet him later and now get to our current trip to Oppiliappan koil.

The driver at the time of starting at Vaduvoor itself told that the road between Needamangalam and Kumbakonam is under renovation and it is NOT possible to reach Oppiliappan koil by 3.45PM. He was true. The stretch of 15 –20 kilometers from Needamangalam and Kumbakonam was worst road we have travelled in our entire journey. It appears that the different contractors are working on this project and it was funny to note that you will enjoy a good ride on a newly laid road for a kilometer and then the next couple of kilometers will be terrible with deep pits and uneven surface. The driver has to to be extremely patient. Even before reaching the Kumbakonam it was 4PM and we thought that the Kalyana utsavam must have already started. Since we have performed many kalyana utsavams in this temple, which used to take place exactly on time, we felt that it was not correct to organise such utsavam when we have to many temples to visit in the day.

By 4.30 PM, we went to the temple and rushed to the Kalyana mandapam but alas, it was empty and there were no signs of Kalyana utsavam. What happened? Then we went to main sannidhi to have darshan of Moolavar. Since there was a Moolavar thirumanjanam on that day, all the temple proceedings got delayed it seems. The utsavar was just getting ready with his lone consort Sri Bhumidevi thayar to the Kalyana mandapam. This is the first time, adiyen is seeing that any utsavam is getting delayed by more than an hour. Is that HIS plan, to delay it for the sake of our participation from the beginning? Tears rolled on adiyen’s cheecks and we did not miss any part of the Kalyanan utsavam.

If you want to witness a traditional, Vedic way of marriage, then come to Oppiliappan koil and enjoy. There is no hurry in the proceedings and the Veda parayanam and other mantras are recited loudly, in a majestic voice and it was indeed a treat to be there. We were blessed to perform marriage to the never separated divine couple. The majestic look of the perumal and the kind look of the thayar will ever remain in our mind. My father runs to Oppiliappan koil from chennai for every sravanam and we have been to this temple many times and still every time we go on a south trip we don’t want to miss the sevai of Sri Oppiliappan. Sri Nammazhvar has choosen the apt name for HIM Oppar il appan. Who can match his gamberam? The beauty is that even from dhwajasthambam we can see the thirumuka mandalam of the Moolavar. Although it gets crowded at times, still you can have a peaceful darshan from close quarters.

Coming back to Kalyana utsavam, after sankalpam we were watching the divine marriage sitting close to the divine couple. Once it was over we were given the uththiriiyam and a silver dollar with the inscription of the perumal plus prasadams. We went again to the Moolavar and finally left the temple by 6.30 PM, as our train to Chennai was at 8 PM.

adiyen had planned one more trip to Oppiliappankoil on 18th July on the Sravanam day. We will meet HIM once again.

After our memorable trip of three days visiting Srirangam, Anbil, Thiruppernagar, Thanjai mamanikkoil and Oppiliappan koil we have returned to Chennai on 4th July morning.

adiyen will cover our trip to Thirumala and Thiruppathi in the next posting.