Mamandur Uzhavarappani

Our uzhavarappani activities planned at Chandramouleeswarar Temple,  Mamandur(near Ocheri) was successfully carried out last Sunday(28.10.2012).  Due to the remoteness of the area from Chennai, not many  could participate.  Only 35 of our volunteers turned up.  The first group reached Mamandur on the previous night and the second group landed on 28th morning by 8.00am.

In our earlier visit , we had noticed some wild growth of plants on the gopuram.  Therefore a few of us climbed up the wall to clear it.  They were taken aback to see the entire roofing of the temple covered with wild growth of weeds, plants and creepers, that was invisible from the ground level.

Nature's own roof-garden

This was something not anticipated by us.  Hence there was no alternative than to deploy everybody in clearing the temple's roofing as a top priority.  Most of these bushes were of thorny type and almost invariably all of us had to bear with thorn pricks in hands and feet.  Our guys also encountered a few snakes that slithered away on seeing us and a number of leeches while clearing this roof garden.  A few who were not used to life in rural areas had the opportunity of seeing the shed-skin of a snake for the first time in their lives.

Skin shedded by a snake

As the temple was not sufficiently cared for during the last 50years or so, the old pattern of brick roofing, though nearly two feet thick, has crumbled in the top layers and nature has taken over the rest.  No wonder, we encountered snakes, leeches and varieties of thorny bushes.  The following pictures will give an idea of the situation that we faced.

Local lads giving us a helping hand

Ashok & friends removing wild growth on the mottai gopuram at the entrance 

Spraying of weed-killer on the roofing

After clearing all the wild growth in the temple's roof, weed-killer solution was sprayed to inhibit further growth. It is possible that this might have got washed out in the subsequent rains on account of the cyclone Nilam.  Therefore we have decided to visit the place again after a month to review the situation.

Cleaning the temple praharam was comparatively an easier job.  We made use of our high pressure water gun.  However, we had to hire a generator as power cut was in force.  Besides, there was no water source available as the temple well had gone totally dry.  Just as the grown up lads joined us in clearing the roof garden,  the village kids not wanting to be outdone, came to our rescue.  They gleefully ferried water from their homes, atleast 500 yards away and filled up a big drum for our use.

For clearing the shrubbery adjoining the temple's compound wall, we had already arranged for an earth mover.  That was fully made use of to clear the thorny bushes outside.

Before leaving, we told the little kids of the village that we would upload their snaps in the internet, as a mark of our appreciation for all the help they rendered us.  And here it is.

This young generation of the Mamandur village did not simply watch us work.   They readily identified themselves with their village and their temple and joined us without any hesitation.  For us too, this was a different experience, since we are accustomed only  to curious onlookers and by-standers, whenever we go for any temple renovation work.  We are quite confident that Lord Chandramouleeswara will definitely bestow these kids with a  bright future.

Open Letter to the Divine God

Chandramouleeswarar Temple at Mamandur (near Ocheri on the Chennai-Vellore Highway)

Shortly after the previous post  describing the present condition of the Chandramouleeswarar Temple  was uploaded,  a mail in Tamil was received from a Sivanadiyar belonging to our group. The anguish of our volunteer on noticing the plight of the temple and his resolve to do something concrete is aptly described in this open letter.  The letter, of course, is addressed to the Omnipresent Lord Siva Himself.  The same has been reproduced verbatim hereunder:  

என் பிரியமுள்ள மாமண்டூர் சந்திரமௌலிக்கு,
"நற்றுணையாவது நமசிவாயவே " என்றார் அப்பர்.
நீ யாருக்கு நல்ல துணையாக இருக்கிறாய்? கள்வர்களுக்கும் கயவர்களுக்கும்தான் நல்ல துணையாக இருக்கிறாய் .
"என் உள்ளம் கவர் கள்வன்" என்று உன்னை சம்பந்தர்  அழைத்ததினாலா ?
"சேயினும் நல்லன், தாயினும் நல்லன் " என்று  உன்னைத் திருமூலர் புகழ்ந்தார். அதற்காக இப்படியா ?
உன்  மனைவியையும், மகனையும், உன்னையே நினைத்து உன்னருகிலேயே எப்போதும் இருப்பவனையும் ஒருவன் களவாடியபோது எதுவும் நடவாதது போல இருப்பதுதான் நல்லவனுக்கு அடையாளம் என்று நினைத்தாயோ ?
அப்படி என்றால், உன் கையில் எதற்காக ஆயுதம் ஏந்தி உள்ளாய் ? அவை வெறும் காட்சிப் பொருள்தானோ ?
எதற்காக மாமண்டூரில் இந்த அட்டூழியம் நடந்தபோது மெளனமாக இருந்தாய் ?
மதுரையில்  64 திருவிளையாடல்கள் ஆடியும், அண்டம் கடந்த ஜோதியாய் அருணாச்சலத்தில்  நின்றும், சிதம்பரத்தில் நடனமாடியும் , நாயன்மார்களிடத்தில் விளையாடியும் களைத்துப் போய் அயர்ந்து ஓய்வெடுக்கிறாயோ  இங்கே ?
உன் உறக்கத்திலிருந்து எழுப்ப மாணிக்கவாசகர் வந்து திருப்பள்ளியெழுச்சி  பாட வேண்டுமா ?
" எல்லைக் காப்பதொன்று  இல்லையாகில்  எத்துக்கு இங்கிருந்தீர் எம்பிரானிரே " என்று சுந்தரர்  வந்து உன்னை உசுப்பேத்த வேண்டுமா ?
எதற்காக காத்துக்கொண்டு பொறுமையாக  இருக்கிறாய் ?
நீ சிரித்தே மூன்று உலகங்களையும் அழித்தாயே ? ஏன் உன்னருகில் களவு நடந்தபோது அப்படி சிரிக்க கூட முடியவில்லையா உன்னால் ?
காரணம் என்ன ?
திருநீலநக்க நாயனாரிடம் அவரது மனைவியைக் கேட்டாய். இப்போது என்ன ஆயிற்று ? உன் மனைவி சௌபாக்யவதியை ஒருவன் களவாடி விட்டான்.
உன்னையே கதியென்று இருந்த சண்டீசனோ , தன் தந்தையையே கொன்றான். அவனை உன்னருகிலேயே வைத்துக் கொண்டாய். இன்றோ , சண்டிகேசனை மற்றொருவன் கொண்டுபோய் விட்டான் .
சிறுதொண்டரிடம் பிள்ளைக்கறி கேட்டாய். பலன் ? எவனோ ஒருத்தன் , உன் பிள்ளை முருகனோடு வள்ளி தெய்வானையையும் அள்ளிக் கொண்டுபோய் விட்டான் . இதுதான் வினைப் பயன் வட்டியும் முதலுமாக திரும்பி வரும் என்பதா ?
தன் வினைத் தன்னைச் சுடும் என்பதற்கு நீயும் விதி விலக்கல்ல என்பது தெள்ளத் தெளிவாகிவிட்டது .
எல்லோரும் தத்தம் வினைகளைக் கரைப்பதற்கு    உன்னிடம் வருகிறார்கள். உன் வினைகளை எங்கே கரைப்பாய் ? அடியார்களிடம் நீ கொஞ்சமாகவா விளையாடியிருக்கிறாய் ? அவர்களது பக்தியை உலகறியச் செய்வதற்கு உனக்கு சாத்வீகமான வழியே தெரியவில்லையா ? என்ன சோதனை ? என்ன கொடூரம் ? அந்தப் பாவங்களை எங்கே கரைக்கப் போகிறாய் ?
கவலைப் படாதே. நான் இருக்கிறேன். என்னிடம் உன் அனைத்து வினைகளையும் தாரை வார்த்துக் கொடுத்துவிடு . நீ புனிதனாகவே , மாசற்ற ஜோதியாய் , மாசிலமணியாகவே இரு.
சௌபாக்யவதி, முருகன், வள்ளி, தெய்வானை மற்றும் சண்டீசன் மீண்டும் உன்னருகில் வர வேண்டுகிறோம்.

"வேண்டத் தக்கது அறிவோய் நீ,  வேண்ட முழுதும் தருவோய் நீ " என்ற  மாணிக்கவாசகரின் வாக்குப் பொய்க்காது.

அருள்வாயாக .
இப்படிக்கு
மீளா அடிமை

Chandramouleeswarar Temple, Mamandur

Wherever we plan to do Uzhavarappani,  a few of our volunteers will visit the temple at least a month in advance to assess the work requirements.  Accordingly, we proceeded to visit  the Swayambunathar Temple at Ocheri (on the Chennai-Vellore Highway), which no doubt needs a face-lift.

We had requested Shri Venkatesan of   CHENNAI SIVAPATHIGAL    to join us.  As he was busy touring temples in  the Kancheepuram district, he expressed his inability.  However on hearing that we were proceeding to Ocheri, he very much  insisted that we should visit the Mamandur temple near Ocheri and come back with a few snaps of the place.  Beyond that he did not provide  any specific info about the temple at that point of time, as probably he might have  wanted to hear our views first.

After visiting Swayambunathar temple, we proceeded to Mamandur (about four km from Ocheri) taking directions from the local villagers.  It was late in the evening with the sun about to set in the next  15 minutes.  As we neared the temple, we could see the damaged super structure and gopurams.

What should have once been the foundation for a Rajagopuram awaited us at the end of a desolate mud road leading to the temple. After scouting for local people, we got hold of a few lads, who brought in a few more villagers to open the temple for us.  

As we entered through this foundation on the southern side, we came across the inner compound wall of more than 10 feet high on on all four sides; but except for a small footpath leading to the temple, the rest of the area was surrounded by wild growth.  We could also see remnants of what should have once  been an outer perimeter wall.

Remaining portion of the compound wall surrounded by wild growth

 At the entrance to the temple on the eastern side, Nandikeswarar is seated majestically on a mandapam, the top of which can be seen in a shattered condition.  Behind Nandi, two raised platforms can be seen.  One should have been the base for the Kodimaram, while the other one should have been a Balipeedam. 

The eastern gopuram is in a terribly bad shape, with only the brick works remaining .At the time of our visit, power cut was in force and with a small torch we entered the temple, only to be greeted by flying bats brushing our face.  These bats were so big in size that we initially mistook them in the dark  for doves.  The stink of bat droppings permeate the entire atmosphere inside.

The state of utter neglect was evident everywhere..  But what shocked us to the core was that except the moolavar and a Vinayagar( inside the praharam), other deities were missing.  The first image below is the place were Chandikeswara was once seated. and the second one is the Ambaal Sannidhi(with Ambaal missing).   Like wise in the vayu moolai of the praharam, the statues of Valli-Devasena-Subramaniar are missing and only the pedestal, where they were earlier installed is there.

When we asked our village escorts,  they told us a sad story.  A few years ago, all the panchaloha idols of the temple along with the stone idols of Amman, Chandikeswarar and Subramaniar were all stolen by idol thieves.  The temple is situated on the outskirts of the village surrounded by paddy fields,with no human habitation nearby.  There was a time when it was raining continuously for about three to four weeks and none of the villagers ventured out of their homes.  They feel that this idol theft should have happened during that period.  Since no regular pooja  had been  going on in  the temple, the theft of the idols were taken note of by them only after a long time.

Presently a group of villagers have realised the need for a regular pooja and they have appointed one of their men as a pujari to keep the temple open  and light the lamps. At the time of our visit, we could see a few young girls  from the village worshipping the moolavar.  Missing idols have not deterred the faithful. We observed a kolam and a few mud lamps in front of the Subramaniar pedestal, indicating that some form of a worship is going on despite the absence of the idols. The villagers told us that, they have already decided to install another statue of Sowbhagyanayagi Amman in the place of the missing one.  Presently they have arranged for a new Rishaba Vahanam in the place of the damaged one and we were informed that Pradhosha Pooja is being held regularly.

The newly acquired Rishaba Vahanam

The temple needs a total renovation on a massive scale.  We hope that the day may  not be far off when some philanthropists come forward to re-build the temple restoring  its earlier grandeur.  Strange are the ways of the Divine Almighty Lord Shiva and ordinary mortals like us cannot guess why He allowed His Place of Abode to be vandalised by miscreants.  However from our side, as a mark of our respect to the villagers who adore this temple and pray here, we have decided to clean up the place and clear the bushes & weeds from the surroundings, so that more local people evince interest and start praying at the temple regularly.

Local villagers (clad in dhoti/lungi) who presently look after the temple