Kadavasal is a small village five kilometres from Sirkazhi and is accessible by buses plying between Sirkazhi and Thirumullaivasal. Its population is under 1000 and is essentially agrarian. There is a small temple for Sastha in the village, which also boasts of having Siva, Vishnu, Kali, Amman temples. The villagers celebrate Sastha pooja on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Thanks to a personal invitation from Karthik Raghavan I went to Sirkazhi. I had only a vague idea that Karthik had something to do with some pooja. So I did not know what to expect.
It is a festive season and so no seats were available either in trains or in through_buses. I left Tambaram on 27th afternoon and made my way to Sirkazhi in three buses. The atmosphere was cloudy, cool and drizzly throughout. I took shelter in a lodge at Sirkazhi. The hotels normally do not provide bed sheets to cover ourselves during sleep. So I had three tasks… trying to sleep, resist the cold and fight the marauding army of mosquitos. Somehow I managed each with varying degrees of failure.
Early in the morning I headed for Kadavasal after bath and slokas recitation.. I had a second natural bath before I caught a bus. I could enjoy the fecund environment en route… verdant vegetation..coconut trees, sugarcanes, bananas, murungai trees, parangi/Poosani creepers with flowers covering the thatches, irrigation canals full of water, sangu pushpams and tree canopies along this country road brought back reminiscences of my childhood days.
I got down at Kadavasal. There were not many people at 7.30 AM on a Sunday with weather cloudy and moist. Fortunately a villager with a folded lungi and thundu ( towel ) draping his head pointed the way to Raghavan’s house. I anticipated a vociferous reception from local canine congregation..but to my surprise and relief not even one welcomed me!!!
I came across a big house with lots of footwear left outside. I guessed that this must be the one that I have to enter. Also I knew that if this was the wrong house the house owner would have many options to drive me out!!! Lots of missiles… As I came to the entrances an august looking gentleman with immaculately white and thin shirt welcomed me with broad smile. In a second Karthik appeared on the scene with smile and extended hands and introduced the gentleman as his father. I also learnt that I was expected at that time. On hearing that my memories of hopping into three buses, enduring the cold and waging a losing battle against the army of the blood thirsty insects… all were pushed down the stack.
Kadavasal Bala Sastha Temple
In no time, my taste buds had a field day.. solid, semisolid and liquid.. Having done justice to the hospitality, Karthik and I proceeded to the temple barely a quarter kilometre away. Treading carefully, barefooted, along the slippery slushy country road, we negotiated the puddles and reached the destination.
Kadavasal Bala Sastha Temple
A ten foot tall white terracotta elephant and a twelve foot tall horse are guarding the temple. Two human dwarapalakas made of mortar, are keeping watch inside the temple. Vinayakar is sitting outside the garbagraham and Sastha is adorning the sanctorum.
Kadavasal Bala Sastha Temple
Mr.Raghavan who is the father of Karthik and Sri Ravishankar, a relative of Sri Raghavan took charge of all the procedures. They have been doing this service for a considerable number of years.
The gurukkals and vedic students all having neat tufts were reciting mantras. Ladies and gentleman were having darshan on both sides in front of the sannidhi. I learnt they have travelled all the way from USA, UK, Mumbai,Bangalore and not so distant Chennai. There were also the devotees from the village and the school kids. A nadaswaram vidwan and a thavil player were dishing out motley ragas and light music to add to the flavour. The temple was decorated with banana tree with vazhai thaar and the vazhaippoo and the festoons made of tender coconut leaves. Near the bali peetam the water ghatams with threads wrapped around, were energised with vedic chanting and homams.
With all the abhisheka dravyams in place, the abhishekam started. With vedic chanting, nadaswara isai and devotees shouting swamiye saranam, the gurukkals were anointing the deity with milk, tender coconut water, fruit juices, panchamrutham, sandal etc. At the end of every abhishekam, karpoora harathi was performed and taken round the bhakthas. Vibhoothi, kunkumam and sandal paste were distributed to the devotees. At the end of these abhishekams, manthra jalam was taken round the garbagraham and then abhishekam was performed.
Kadavasal Bala Sastha Temple
Eka dina laksharchanai then started. With pundits and students chanting maha sastha sahasranamam in the mandapam outside, the gurukkals were doing archanai in the garbagraham. One could easily find out these people were well versed in the sahasranamam. The mikes and the speakers carried the sound waves to some distance. After each avarthi karpoora harathi was performed and devotees received the deepa jyothi, vibhoothi, kunkumam etc. Different kinds of prasadam like sarkarai pongal, tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, panchamrutham etc. were distributed. The sahasranamam chanting was repeated ten times and came to an end around six PM. At lunch time, a sumptuous feast was enjoyed by devotees. Karthik looked after the arrangement.
After the laksharchanai the idol of Sastha was mounted on the kudhirai vahanam and very tastefully decorated by the gurukkal. Normally the decoration will be done behind the curtain. But here the gurukkal did the alankaram in open space.. I watched the gurukkal at work and was very impressed.. It is not an easy task.. Gurukkal’s signature had to be there. He did a good job.
Kadavasal Bala Sastha Temple
Unfortunately Sastha could not visit the streets of Kadavasal, as there was continuous rain for two days and the roads became very slippery with lots of puddles. So the vahanam circled the temple three times instead. No need to say that pyrotechnic display was absent, as the weather proved to be a damp squib. Karthik would have no doubt been disappointed. The day’s events came to a close after 9 PM.
Now that the mission was so successfully accomplished, Karthik (and me with him ) left for Chennai on his way to London. (The bus strike in Tamilnadu has just been withdrawn )