I arrive at this temple thanks to Ramanan Gurukkal who tends to the small Pillaiyar in our old building (and goes in the evenings to the Murugan temple in Lawspet–almost an indication that we should go there, too). I want to ask about food, but it appears that the path to food is through ritual and so I submit to that instead, and attend the regular Friday abhishekam that happens here around noon. The temple is a theruvu koyil, a streetside shrine, but it has a sthala vriksha at the back (neem and peepul, bound together), which you access through the tiniest of prakarams. There is a small amman under the tree. Manimutthumariamman is seated here, her full-figured form (not just the head, as elsewhere). There is a lady I will come to know as Kasturi mami, who comes to help prepare the alankarams, draw kolam etc. She does the ubhayam for this ritual, out of gratitude to the Goddess for helping her find food one day at the temple when she needed it (the temple does a regular Annadanam also on Fridays). Now she makes sure that the temple has what it needs to continue this practice, whether she’s around or not.
Abhishekam is a simple but complete affair, a crowd slowly gathers. I meet a man who heads a group for Sivaratri preparations at the Vedapuriswara Koyil; he promises to help me make introductions there later. The Nirvagam head is around, too, and very helpful. After the event is over and prasadam and food (which arrives in a truck in a large patram) is distributed (many bring dabbas to carry away–I sit and talk to Ramanan Gurukkal about the temple and its practices. Its major festival is in Aadi masam. Otherwise it is a 1-kaalam puja temple, with these Friday abhishekams being the main recurrent practice.