Enthralling Archa - I

Last winter, I was blessed with an opportunity of visiting 20 divyadesams, with pleasing sevai in a some places, mere through-the-grill peeps in a few, half closed sevai in a couple of places because of pagal-patthu eNNai kaappu and just gopuradarsanam outside closed doors elsewhere. Most unforgettable thing was being "alaya-vittufied" all around by Swami Desikan without offering his sevai in all important places.

The most pleasing Sevai in a divya desam was at Koviladi.

My biggest plan for the last vacation was to visit my native village, Konerirajapuram, and do something for our temple. After having had a wonderful sevai of PeriyaperumaL on 23rd Dec night, was eager to go to the Koil again the next morning. My chittappa, who still lives in Koneri, missed the last night sevai as he joined us late after finding a parking spot. Me, my dad, Chittappa and chitti left to Srirangam after breakfast, and dropped chitti in her brothers' place and went to the temple through Vadakku vaasal, Thayar Sannidhi. We had a wonderful run around many sannidhis, and most memorable were Kothandaramar, Pattabiramar, Emperumaanar, Chakkarathazhwar and Andal Kannadi arai. I so wanted to go to Dasavathara sannidhi, but was too late by then, and so was the reason to leave disappointed against closed doors at Desikan Sannidhi. After sevai, we went to a textile store in therkku vaasal, and bought vasthram for our village temple perumal and azhwar-acharyas.

We had good lunch at Padma chitti's brothers' place, and left towards Koneri, picking chitti's mother from Srirangam. Chittappa was keen to take me to Appakudathaan sannidhi on the way. We took diversion at KallaNai and reached Koviladi. Temple was closed then, and we had to wait for half an hour more for the afternoon nadai thirappu. In the meantime, we went for a brief stroll across Kudamurutti, and came back to wait at the Gopuravasal. Appa and Chittappa went around looking for the Bhattar, and braught him. The temple was similar to Sri Ranganathar sanidhi atop of Thiruneermalai. The shrine was on a small hillock (like Hastigiri) and the Dwajasthambam was half way up the stairs.

It was pitch dark inside the mahamandapam, and Bhattar came out with a small ghee-lamp in hand, telling that there was a routine powercut. We were lead in with the light of the lamp and reached the sanctum, and got to see Him -

definitely the most blissful sevai ever, lit only by the oil lamps inside the sanctum and His thirumeni sevai through the light of bhattar's hand lamp. The bhattar was in height of his enthusiasm in showing us each and every detail in the sannidhi, right from the appa-kudam to the dasavathara oddiyanam that Appakudathaan wears, each of the panchaberams, Bhoomi piratti and Markandeyar. Chitti, who intially was disappointed with the powercut, was picked on by the bhattar and in the end convinced that this traditional way of Sevai carried the real bliss and not with artifical lightings. After Theertham and Satari, the power came back and I thanked Appalarangan for having delayed it till then! :)

After going to Thayar sannidhi and visiting the vahana mandapam, we left Koviladi to reach Koneri. Chitti was very much pleased with the sevai but for her take that Bhattar did talk a little too much ;-).

Titbits -

1) Many divyadesam guides say that Bhagawan embraces an appakudam with his right hand, but there is atleast a yard distance from his right arm to the pot. Appam is the special offering just like Tirupathi Laddu, Srirangam Adirasam and Hasthigiri Idly. Appam is offered on a silverplate that covers the pot and the pot is filled with milk.

2) Markandeya Maharishi stayed in this Kshetram before he went to Thiru Vinnagaram.

3) This temple is located in a "adi-kall" distance from Srirangam and hence called "Koviladi"

4) Among the many Sri Ranganatha kshetrams, this is the closest to Koil and hence the presiding diety is called "Appaalarangal", the first Rangan after Periyaperumal.