Revathi’s father Sekar mama sits with us a long while to explain the temple’s utsavam schedule. He is the man behind the Kodanda Rama Bhaktar group, and in many ways the keeper of Perumal's calendar. He introduces us to the temple’s Maniyakkarar, who attends to both this and the Sivan Koyil since the two temples are managed by a joint administration with a government-appointed EO (Executive Officer) at the helm. He is very helpful and advises us (in effect) to come in as bhaktas. Everyone takes photos, so what’s to stop us from doing the same, in that capacity. We are also introduced to Rajagopala Thathacharya, who is a goldmine of stories, songs, and insights. He is the one who first tells us that this temple draws its lineage from the Thiruvahindrapuram Perumal temple, which is one of the 108 Divya Desams–this temple is its “abhimana sthalam.”
Atthi Varada figure in the Nirvagam office. Made for the prior kumbhabhishekam, should have been “released” into a water body, in Saiva temples it’s burned to ash, but here it’s an “adbhutamana” figure and so they’ve kept it with nool malai.