Dear Swamin
From ancient times, our lives are
intrinsically mingled with temples which are the torch bearers of our glorious
heritage – the hindu way of life. Obeisance to God, Acharyas and those involved
in temple work is our primordial duty. Kanchipuram
has been the repository of many magnificent temples. There are several big
temples and for Vaishnavaites “Perumal Kovil” would mean the temple of Lord Devarajar
There are many important places in and
around Kanchipuram and as you travel from Kanchi to Vandavasi / Cheyyar, you
would cross the Salai Kinaru (from where thirumanjana theertham for Devarajar
was brought), Iyengar kulam, Palar bridge, Dhoosi, you would come to the hamlet
‘Mamandur’ – known as Dhoosi Mamandur due to its proximity to Dusi. This
village has a big reservoir and is about 3 km away from Palar and about 8-9 km
away from Kanchipuram. Legend has it that Lord Varadharaja Perumal used to
visit this place on every Chitra Pournami day. Though not much of water could be
found in Palar these days, it is a river which rises in Kolar and flows through
Andhra and enters Tamilnadu before confluencing into Bay
of Bengal at Vayalur. One of its main tributaries is Cheyyar river.
IIn the Mamandur village stands the majestic grandeur Lord Arulmigu Sundaravalli Thayar samedha Lakshmi Narayana Perumal. This is a temple of more than 300 years old and has rich history with many vidhwans hailing from this place. Many Sampradhaya periyavars have told that many of the Nalayira Divyaprabandha adhikaris hailed from this hamlet of Dhusi Manandur. The temple is not big and during my visit few years back, it certainly was craving for immediate renovation.
The temple though was maintained
very well and the Idols were decorated beautifully, thanks to the efforts of
Battar. It is apparent that this village which should have shone in splendour
had lost its sheen over the years as many had sought greener pastures and
shifted to Chennai and thence to various other cities. Probably not many
maintain their links to their ancestral roots.
The temple houses Lord Lakshmi
Narayanar who is in sitting posture with Lakshmi devi on his lap. The Thayar
thirunamam is ‘Sundara valli Thayar’ and has an individual sannadhi. There are
beautiful idols of Sadagopar (Nammalwar), Kaliyan (Thirumangai Azhwar),
Udayavar (Ramanujar) and Varavaramuni (Swami Manavala mamunigal). It is learnt
that ‘samprokshanam’ was conducted way back in 1950 and not much renovation has
taken place thereafter.
(Arulmigu Lakshmi Narayanar - Moolavar)
(Arulmigu Sundaravalli thayar)
(Arulmaran, Kaliyan, Udayavar)
(Num Acharyar Manavalamamunigal)
I also have the lineage to this
village though our ancestors had left the village quite few years back and do
not own any land or house here.
It is a matter of great rejoice
that some individuals have taken great efforts to renovate this temple and have
involved themselves in a big way. Mr Kidambi Narasimhan deserves great
appreciation for the involvement and the measures taken to start this project
of renovation. He has met Govt. officials and did all the spade work that is
required for initiating the process. Fortunately the villagers are also
cooperating.
(Balalayathil Uthsava thirumoorthigal)
The Balalayam (vedic initiation of
the renovation work) was conducted recently on 25th March 2010. They have
identified a sthapathi and the cost is estimated to be close to Rs.4,50,000/-
The renovation work to be done would include repairs to the surrounding boundary
walls, renovating the main Vimana, the Gopuram, the front Mandapam and the Main
entrance door work. Once these are complete, there could be expenses in
resurrecting and conducting ‘samprokshanam’.
Being a native of this village, I
am keen to partake in a small level atleast and this is an effort to place on
record about the Balalayam and some the individuals involved in the renovation.
This is only an humble effort in making this reach general public more and if I
have left out any individual or have not mentioned the work of individuals
appropriately, I request the Periyavars to pardon me and provide me the details
so that I will correct them in my way.
Wish to place on record the efforts
of the following persons who may be contacted for further details and for
partaking in the renovation work.
Sarvashri :
Kidambi Narasimhan (Retd. HVF) M :
94451 66247
Kidambi MR Badrinarayanan (grandson
of Late MK Kannapiran, who was the dharmakarta in 1950) M :98409 66155 / 98409
27416
Raja (Retired School Headmaster now
residing in the village)
K Bashyam
V Govindarajan & Mrs
Padmavathi Govindarajan (Manager, Bank of India – 94439 85189; 97890 38252)
Request all those who have a
lineage to this village to :
• Actively involve themselves in
the Thirupani physically and financially
• Print the photos of Sundaravalli
thayar and Lakshmi Narayana perumal when we print invitation for good things in
our family
• Obtain the Temple prasadam
• Visit the temple and have darshan
of Perumal atleast once a year
• Patronise the temple taking care
of the maintenance and for providing reasonable salary and other amenities to
Bhattar and other kainkaryabharars
• Do something to the village
(sponsor some children in their studies) Institute some awards for the children
who perform well in their studies
• Adopt the village and provide
better amenities to this village
• Collect and make available
details of Friends and relatives who have lineage / affection to this village
• Propagate amongst our friends and
relatives of the glory of this temple and make them aware of the renovation
work.
If I have missed out any correct
information or have stated something not so correctly, please pardon me
Adiyen Veeravalli Srinivasa dhasan.
(Mamandur Srinivasan Sampathkumar)
M S Sethuraman’s reference to ‘excommunication’ of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Swaminadhan had D R Santhanam recalling another such incident. He recounts how his paternal grandfather, Anni Seitlur Venkatachari, Village Munsiff of Dusi Mamundur near Kancheepuram and head of 24 families belonging to the Ahobila Mutt, ‘excommunicated’ the family of his younger brother, a District Judge, because he sent his daughter to the UK for higher studies in 1928-29. There, after post graduation, she became private secretary to Lord Louis Mountbatten and came out to India with him when he was appointed Viceroy. After World War II he sent her with the team that went to Japan to facilitate the release of Indian prisoners-of-war. When she eventually returned to Madras as a spinster she wished to adopt one of my correspondent’s brothers but their father said ‘no’, adhering to the ostracism of the past. She then adopted a boy called Narasimhan, who fared well in life and when Dr. D S Rajalakshmi died, he respected her wishes and founded a women’s college in her name in Tiruvallur. The college flourishes, but how many know the background of the person after whom it is named?
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