A dream fulfilled

 Srirangam, a dream fulfilled

“It is well known that I am 85-year old man. At this age Ranganatha gets into my heart and goes on dictating, non-stop”: who was that old man what was the Lord nagging him about? It was Srimad Srivansatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikan, the 44^th head of Sri Ahobila Matam. Ranganatha appeared in his dreams and asked him to construct, or complete the incomplete “mottai gopuram” at Srirangam. The tallest temple gopuram that has become an iconic symbol of the most important Vishnu temple, and the largest functional Hindu temple in the world happened only in the 1980s and it was the Jeeyar’s dream and the word he gave to Ranganatha that made it possible.

Srimathe Srivansatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikan

 The 44^th head of Sri Ahobila Matam

Srirangam temple despite its importance and size was not a money spinner. In fact, people in the know say how till the time the Rajagopuram happened the salaries at the temple used to be sustained with the income earned from the nearby Samayapuram temple. As kids we heard about the controversies over the construction, the ones opposing it, the points of view in support etc. We are also a generation that has seen the change, what Srirangam was like in the 70s and 80s and what it is today. If I tell people now that we used to walk in straight and have darshan and walk out, they don’t believe. That is how Srirangam was. The gopuram has been transformational in many ways.

 But, after its consecration we didn’t read much about it, except for some reports here and there about the structural stability, of the possible dangers it posed, and how strong it would be or not be. In fact, some sthapatis and experts had also raised the issue of the plan of the gopuram going awry and what it looks like etc., Beyond all that was the story of how the Rajagopuram came up. I didn’t even know what all Mukkur Azhagiyasingar went through, following his dream, fulfilling his promise to Ranganatha, for that matter many of us do not know. I had one day this summer while browsing through the books saved on my Drive saw a collection of Azhagiyasingar’s editorials, if one may call that so, published in Nrisimhapriya, the official journal of Ahobila Mata, while the temple construction was in progress. It went beyond midnight, I was immersed, tears rolling down, and too late even to wake up anyone and share what I was reading.

 “I asked him why didn’t he ask me about the gopuram earlier. He said he was waiting for me all these years”, he writes after expressing what he went through at that time. He says he prayed to both Ranganatha and Lakshmi Narasimha, about his age and his physical strength at that time, and says both stood their ground saying he should be the one who would complete the work. There was this inner mind that was negotiating with the Bhagawan, and on the outside, he had to wrestle with the propaganda, doubts etc., “Some say I started this as a time pass … now after I submitted Rs One lakh to the Devasthanam for the temple some are writing to me expressing their happiness. I am not doing this for fame or for any benefits to the Matam, nor am I here to empty the coffers of the Matam”, Azhagiyasingar wrote.

In successive editorials he wrote about all those who wrote to him in support of the endeavor, Thirukudandai Andavan, Kanchi Paramacharya who stood by him and promised to take care of the important tiers of the tall gopuram, estimated to cost Rs 52 lakhs. Imagine the hardship a Yati had to go through, worrying about finances, cement quotas, permissions, and the question again comes up in his mind. “There have been 43 Jeeyars before me at the Math, and this gopuram has been incomplete for centuries. Why did he pick me to complete it? Does he think I am his son and so has ordered me to complete it? How am I his son? My father was Ranganatha, my mother was Ranganayaki. I was the eldest of their five children. Maybe because I was born to Ranganathan and Ranganayaki, the Bhagawan thought I am his son”. Ranganathan and Ranganayaki, the God and Goddess of Srirangam, and the names of Mukkur Azhagiyasingar’s parents were also the same.

 Our people are also strange. What all questions they ask when it comes to giving a donation. Amidst all the things, Azhagiyasingar also had to answers queries about with what purpose would a person who has already gone through “Saranagati” make a donation, since such a person cannot seek anything but Moksha. Don’t a person who has performed “Saranagati” look after his old parents after that? was one of the replies he had given. Later on, he added that those who have performed “Saranagati” should not think of it as aiding the process, but should do it as “Bhagavad Preeti”.

So many instances that he has narrated, and it is difficult to bring them all under one blog. But, look at this one. A disciple gets guided by Lakshmi Narasima “don’t sleep. Go and help my Aradhka who is struggling.” That disciple collected receipt books from the Matam and went on a collection drive, sending whatever money he could collect for the Rajagopuram kainkaryam.

 “Sriranganathar SriLankavil Vibishananukku  sollianuppiyiruppadhaagavum therigiradhu. Veli nadugalilirundhu varum dollar ellam Vibishanan panamaagathaan ninaithukkondirukkiren,” Azhagiyasingar had written in another instance. That he considered contributions that came from overseas as contributions aided by Vibishana. How touching it is to read about a construction worker at the site, a lady going up to him and giving Rs 1.10 as her contribution for the Rajagopuram. Looking at her contribution all the other workers joined adding five paise, 10 paise, like that adding up to a total of Rs 150.

 Though many had promised donations, and most fulfilling them, sending their contributions from time to time, he had to bring in the money upfront to keep the work going. He also talks about having taken Rs 10 lakhs as bank loan and how it should get repaid fast. From the time of Achyutappa Nayaka of Thanjavur in 16^th century the work on the South Gopuram is supposed to have gone on for 200 years before getting interrupted. Azhagiyasingar had said how Ranganatha reminded him of an incomplete gopuram, while his patni Andal has got a tall and nice gopuram in Srivilliputhur. When the Rajagopuram work was complete Azhagiyasingar and Tirukkudandai Andavan went up the lift to the top of the gopuram, latter’s disciple recalled recently. He recollected how Azhagiyasingar asked Andavan, "do you see what is there in the south? ... Don’t you see that in the south lies Andal’s temple at Srivilliputhur?" A dream fulfilled.

Madurantakam to Naimisaranyam, memories  

 I was talking to my friend Anuradha last Friday, on Avani Hastam the thirunakshatram (birthday) of the 44^th Azhagiyasingar, also known as Srimad Mukkur Azhagiyasingar. On his 125^th thirunakshatra mahotsavam I at least had the fortune of hearing about the mahan, reading about him, and decided to write a few lines in this blog with great trepidation. I expressed my fears to Anu, that I am not even qualified to take his name, how can I write. Also, what is it that I can write that the devotees, his disciples do not know. She said, “write for people like me”. After I put the phone down I realized I should do as she told me, after all she has a connection to this. 

 In 2005 Anuradha told me she was planning go to Ayodhya with her parents. I was looking for an opportunity to visit Ayodhya for long, and I told her I would join her at Lucknow, but the trip should also include Naimisaranyam. She agreed and we were fortunate to do our Ayodhya-Naimisaranyam pilgrimage. Needless to add that we went to the Ahobila Math at Naimisaranyam, and today I cannot but recall that experience. Neither did I realize at that time, nor did I tell my friend what connects this day to Naimisaranyam. It was at Naimisaranyam that Mukkur Azhagiyasingar accepted Sanyasashrama, and became the 44^th Peetadipathi of Ahobila Math.

Mukkur Azhagiyasingar was born in August 1895 at Mukkur, a village in the then North Arcot District and served the Ahobila Math for 35 years till his departure from this world in 1992. The earliest memory, or the first recollection I have from my childhood is the image of my parents and my uncle standing in a line for their Samashrayanam at the hands of Azhagiyasingar at a mantapam in Madurantakam. I must have been not more than three years old at that time, and that is my first memory. There were just a few people around, and I think at that time my maternal grandfather also used to be at Madurantakam, and he was also there at the temple that day. The only other time I remember having Mukkur Azhagiyasingar darshanam was in 1988 when I had accompanied my mama and mami on their trip to Srirangam for their  Samashrayanam. At that time I had no knowledge of the temple geography, history and remember going somewhere far behind the temple to have darshan of Azhagiyasingar, the day before their Samashrayanam. Unfortunately, the only introduction I had to a great mahan like him was “Azhagiyasingar romba kovichuppaar”, known for his anger. How unfortunate we were to not know his benevolence, erudition, vairagya. But, those were the years when we were all away from our temples, our acharyas, all in pursuit of education, livelihood. Many today question as to why our acharyas aren’t doing enough for the Hindu cause, come down to our level to support us. Didn’t we all leave our gurus, forget to be at their feet and learn, follow and be adherers of our sampradayas? What right do we have to ask such Mahans to come down to fight the battles, the way we perceive them to be? We have come far away from our roots, hope we can look back, think and mull over where and how we reestablish our connections. Few at least think of their gurus when they print their wedding invitations, but the younger may never even have had a darshan of their gurus even once. They are gracious, generous, willing to give, only problem is we aren’t ready to receive.

Pic Credit: Mottai Gopuram photo from the internet, Samuel Parker quote from jstor