On 15the Saturday we left by (four of us myself, Saro, Sampath and his wife Geetha) by the Tiruchy passenger for Mayavaram (at 9.40 pm) we reached Mayavaram on Sunday morning and we had already arranged for a car for the whole day through Ramdurai mama and Badri (of  Kumbakonam). First we went to a hotel to have a quick shower and get ready for the temples.
The hotel is : Hotel Prince Tower, 133 M.G.Road, Mayiladuthurai Tel: 04364-226001 to 7.  The room rent for one day is INR 231 including taxes. They do not serve breakfast.  So we went to nearby restaurant to have tiffin for the morning and ithis one is also quite decent and reasonable.

After breakfast, we went first to Sirupuliyur KrupaSamudhra Perumal temple. This is about 17 kms from Mayavaram stn and town.  There is a  reasonably good market on the way to the temple and  we bought lot of flowers for  the Perumal and Thayar.  (one has to bargain a lot in this place). The temple is moderately big one and outwardly not in bad condition.   They were opening the temple  around 8.00 in the morning and just then we reached  the place.  We had the Viswarupa darshanam of the perumal (perumal is of  very small size and in sayana kolam).  I had vastrams to offer and the bhattacharyar was more then happy to receive vastrams in the early morning of a Sunday for Perumal and the Thayar.  The temple is not in bad shape comparatively, but he mentioned that there is practically nothing for  the Nithya Aradanai.  When  I offered good amount of money as sambavanai he requested me to help the kavalkaran also if it is possible.  The man  who is supposed to take care of the temple is a physically handicapped person  and I was surprised to see the enthusiasm of this person in taking us  around
the temple and showing each and everything about the temple.  I suppose  the very fact that he works in a holy premises gives him strength to carry  on this way.  Before leaving I called him to the car and gave him a dhoti  (I bought 5 dhotis from cooptex which were on very good sale  just to  give to some of the security people of the temples) and gave him some money  also. The joy on his face on receiving a new dhoti and money  cannot be  expressed in ordinary words ( I never knew that a simple act such as this (price  of dhoti is only Rs.30 each) could give someone so much of happiness and thereby I could also feel the satisfaction of a very simple act).   Later on I was speaking to Ramadurai mama about this temple and he mentioned  that Mr. Venkat is trying to arrange for something for this temple on a  regular basis.  I informed him that I can also contribute Rs.1000 for this  temple every month (certainly for the next two years and God willing depending  on my circumstances later on also).  I gave already a cheque to Father to be handed over to Ramadurai mama for the month of March.  I think more  then giving the money they need people to visit the temples whenever  possible.

These places are so isolated and I am sure there won't be many bhagavathas having the darshan in a day. I took Video here and also some  photographs in Saro's camera.  I will try to transfer them to my computer and do some videoediting to see if it is possible to get some images of the temple.

After this we went to Thirunallaru in Karaikal territory and from there  we went to Thirukannapuram around 11.00 am. This place is at about a distance of 25 Kms from Sirupuliyur. Unfortunately, the temple was not open at that time as the Utsavar had  gone to the sea shore for Theerthavari on the day of Masi Magam.  So we  could not have the darshan here.  This temple is big and also has a very  lovely pushkarini right in front of the front tower.  From here we went to Nagapattinam (from thirukannapuram to Nagapattinam is 22 kms exactly) and there also unfortunately we could not have the darshan as the utsavar  had gone for Theerthavari to the sea shore.  This is also a big and lovely temple with a huge pushkarini infront of the temple tower.  I hope  atleast next time I am lucky enough to have the darshan.  (It seems there is a Desikar temple here in the same town and I hope I will make my next  visit to these temples). After this we thought there is no point in going to Thirukannagudi as this Utsavar would have also gone for the  Theerthavari. We went from Nagapattinam via Thiruvarur to Thirukannamangai  with no hopes of having the darshan as it was well past the noon time.

Around 12.45 we reached Thirukannamangai and even from a distance we  could see a few vehicles in front of the temple and some movement of people inside the temple premises and so we rushed.  Luckily Bhakthavatsalar  was waiting to give darshan for us.  To our luck that day some businessmen  from Thiruvarur had arranged for a Thanga Garuda sevai for the Utsavar and
they had performed Thirumanjanam also.  So they were doing the alangaram  after the Thirumanjanam and we were very lucky to have the darshan even at  that time.  Rather  Bhakthavatsalar was waiting with good prasadams for us ( we were so terribly hungry at that time).  Coincidentally we could have darshan only in Thirukannamangai after Sirupuliyur.  This perumal is  really very big in size and so beautiful that we don't feel like leaving the sannadhi at all.  It seems they do the Moolavar Thirumanjanam only once  in a year; no wonder given the size of the perumal it must be extremely  tough to prepare and do the thirumanjanam.  In this place we saw the Then  Koodu (beehive) which is inside a pirai in the Thayar Sannidhi.  This temple  is something that which will remain inside our eyes and our mind for ever. Here also there is a huge pushkarini infront of the temple tower.  The Bhattachariyar said that they perform the Utsavar Thirumanjanam for Rs.750/- and that we have to inform them a week in advance to prepare  for it.  Next time when I go, I hope to do this as this is something tobe  seen
really.  I could have taken the video if only I reached the temple a  little bit earlier as they allow Utsavar Thirumanjanam to be taken on videos. (Distance From Nagaipattinam to  Thirukannamangai is exactly 33 kms.)
From here we went to Thirunageswaram via Kudavasal  (the distance from Thirukannamangai to Thirunageswaram is 29 kms), where arrangements had  been made already for the lunch (after having prasadams in Thirukannamangai actually there was little need for a lunch).  Unfortunately  Mr. Badri  had lost his father in the recent past and so he had made arrangements with another family for our stay and food etc.  After having lunch we went to  the room which is infront of Andavan ashramam (it is the house of Sridhar bhattacharyar of the Oppiliyappan temple).

In the evening, we went to Thirucherai (which is at a distance of 16 kms). The roads from Thirunageswaram to Alangudi and then to Thirucherai are  in very bad condition and even  travelling in car is really hectic.  Thirucherai temple is also very big and the Moolavar is also very big and the perumal is extremely beautiful and the temple is so big and very well maintained.  We had good prasadam here as well.  The bhattacharyar of  the Thayar sannadhi asked whether we can help for the next days thaligai in anyway and so I gave him some money.  But the  Bhattacharyar in the  Perumal sannadhi said that it is enough if I pay only Rs.50 and that there were other bhagavathas who have already given  some money for the same.   It is surprising to see that even in their poor conditions they are so honest  and do not want to ask or take more than what is required for the purpose eventhough I would have happily paid little more if they had asked me. Maybe this is one of the reasons why it still rains in the country and  one of the reasons why this Kaliyugam has not come to an end yet.  I  called the madapalli mama to the car to give him a dhoti ( and I realized that that particular bag I had left behind in  Thirunageswaram) and I was so  very upset that I could not give him the dhoti and instead gave him some  money. Maybe my sincere feelings and apologies were heard by Saranathan
Himself and that He decided to make me visit Him the next day evening also  (this was totally unforeseen and unplanned).
We were late to have darshan at Nachiyar koil and so went to Thirunageswaram and rested for the night there.

One very wrong thing happened during this time.  After the visit to  Ragu  temple we were supposed to go back to the Chathram and take Ramadurai mama (who had planned to reach Kumbakonam on Sunday evening instead of  Monday morning ). There was some communication gap and it slipped my mind totally. Only on my return in the night when we met him there I realized that it  was my fault and I felt so awkward about it.  I apologized sincerely.  Of  course in the usual way he gave a smile and just brushed it away.

The second day experiences are below

On Monday, 17 Feb -  We got ready rather very early in the morning.  So Ramadurai mama arranged for an auto for us to go to the Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam.  Around 7 am in the morning there was practically noone in the temple and we had excellent darshan of Sarangapani.

The Bhattar was doing his morning Sandhya Vandhanam and getting ready for his day.  Just when I decided to return without having the darshan of Moolavar, he saw me going and stopped and brought me to the Moolavar Sannidhi.   He seems to be a very good person.  The way he did the aarathi to the Moolavar was of very high order and with so much of "bavyam" that it
is something which cannot be forgotten.  He was so oblivious of the surroundings and the people and appeared as if he was having his own dialogue with Perumal only.  He did not even look at the sambavanai given by anyone there.  This man is simply someone great.  Thanks to him that I had a very good darshan of Sarangapani.

Then we returned to the room around 7.45 and had breakfast and left for Nathan Koil around 8.30 am.  By this time Father, my Mother-in-law, Narasimhan and his brother had arrived from the station and were ready for the days trip.
In Nathan Koil, the arrangements were simply superb.  Thanks to all the efforts of Badri and Ramadurai mama.  Everyone was rather waiting for us for the poojai for the generator.

The Electrician was also there.  He showed around all the work which he had done and Narasimhan had checked all the things and was very happy that he had done a good job of wiring and all the lighting arrangements etc., He mentioned that they could not fit the light as you had asked because the person to do the work was not available.  Anyway that day this person was
also there and they mentioned that the innerside of the temple tower is hollow and so they have to make arrangements to climb and fix the lamp.  I am sure they must have done it afterwards, even we had paid separately for the person who had to climb the innerside as it is a very difficult work to do.  We had taken a number of photographs and also video.  Here also I took
the vastrams for the Perumal and Thayyars and the Bhattar was very happy. Badri had arranged for "Sarkarai Pongal Thaligai" for that morning and he had arranged even for a cook for this purpose from Thirunageswaram as there is no separate cook in the Nathan Koil temple and in the normal days the Bhattar himself does all the things.  I took with me some of my old sarees
which were in good condition and gave it to the cleaner lady there and she was very happy about it.  I gave dhoti to the security man also. (the same cooptex Rs.30 each dhoti).  They were all very happy.  I told my My mother-in-law to turn the switch on for the generator.  Everything went on well.  It seems there was some little bit of work still to be done and it would have been finished afterwards.  The prasadam Sarkarai Pongal was so good that even my Mother-in-law mentioned that she has never tasted such a good sarkarai pongal anywhere.  They gave even a steel bucket full of sarkarai pongal for us as prasadam which we ate even on the next day in Madras and gave it to all our relatives and it was still good. (Ramadurai mama mentioned to me that Badri went personally to check the completion of the work after finishing of all ceremonies for his Father)

After all this, we reached around 11.00 hrs Oppiliyappan koil for the Thirumanjanam.  This went on very well.  Of course you know that it is a big temple and they have lot of people to do all the things.  All were very happy to watch the Thirumanjanam for the perumal Moolavar.  They gave us lot of prasadams.

After this we had lunch and went to Thirukabistalam around 3.45 pm.  The Bhattar was more than happy to see so many of us together visiting the temple.  Ramaa had bought new vastram for Perumal and Thayyar and also a new Thiruman (but this was found to be small for His size and so later on we changed it and by now the new one also must have reached Kabisthalam).
Bhattar did a Sahasranama archanai for the perumal and everything went on well.  The temple is still in bad shape.  The only solace being that at least there is something available for the Nithya Aradanai.

I am glad that Ramaduria mama takes the pain of going to the temple everymonth to hand over the money and thereby there is atleast some watch.  I am not blaming the Bhattar.  Poor man he cannot do anything in this matter.Only their son ( My God ? atleast this Perumal should not have been so cruel to someone who is doing him kaimkaryam everyday anyway we are not the ones to judge His actions and maybe He has something better in store for them) was very happy to take a dhoti which I offered him and happily showing it to his Mother and also showing that he earned so much of money that day.  (Sometimes I am unable to understand the Divine Justice ? Is He just at all with these poor people??).  Here also the Bhattar had prepared a lot of prasadams for all of us and we were rather over-fed that day.

After this we went to Papanasam station to see-off Father and Ramadurai mama as they were taking the train earlier to reach Madras in the early morning of the next day.  From here we went to Thirukarugavur temple around 6.00 pm and had a good darshan there as well.

After this  as my Mother-in-law mentioned that she had never been to Thirucherai temple and if it is possible she would like to have darshan, we decided to go to Thirucherai.  This journey was really scary as the driver had to take the car through the inner roads of the villages that too in the night time and there was absolutely no traffic at all.  My Mother-in-law was really scared and worried about the drive.  Anyway by the time we reached Thirucherai, it was Koil Kalam and once again we were lucky to have prasadam from Saranathan perumal.  I was very happy as I could visit this temple again and this time without fail I offered the dhoti to the Madapalli mama and he felt very happy to receive it.  He even offered to Saro that if we can inform him one day in advance he can arrange for any type of sevai like Utsavar Thirumanjanam or any other thing. The Bhattacharyar was very happy to receive us for the second day.

After this as there was sufficient time, we thought we will give a try for Nachiar Koil also and luckily there also we could have darshan.  It was the last poojai of the day and it was really grand.  The Bhattar in this temple has changed recently and the new Bhattar who is a young person is very active and enthusiastic in explaining the things and doing a good pooja.  Even the temple's maintenance has improved.  I don't know whether you had time to visit this temple.  This is really huge temple and the pillars of this temple are really something.  The speciality of this temple is that even from the entrance from the main road you can have a straight view of the Moolavar with Thayyar in Kalyana kolam and Thayyar is more towards the centre than the Perumal as Perumal has given way to his wife in this temple and Thayyar has first place in everything done in this temple.
After this we went to the station around 9.30 pm.  The train was late (as per the schedule) and it came around 11 pm.  We had all the prasadams of Oppiliyappan and Nathan Koil for the dinner.  I must say that it was remarkable trip for all of us.

Written by:
Smt Subhashini Narasimhan
Geneva.