Morning, Deepa di and I do the theruvu-mapping of the east-west streets of Pondy starting from Perumal Koyil street up to the Needarajapaiyar street. Although we also did St. Therese street (where we find a surprise Atti Ranganathar temple and Ramanuja madam) which is beyond, but we missed Thambu Naicker st and Louis Pragassin st.)
This is the day we stop by Giri Traders in search of the Chitra Gupta stories book the Kannika Parameswari Iyer mentioned – all gone after Chithirai pournami!
It’s a day of miscellaneous conversations. With one of the ladies (attired in blue saris so we know they are appointed temple workers) who hears me singing by the kulam at the back (it’s always remarkable how people in the temple shift agency from themselves to the reigning deity and feel happy to be in his proximity), with one of the younger Bhattacharyas who is usually quiet and reticent, but who advises us to study how Ramanuja and Swami Desikar have “saved” Vaishnavism after the Alvars came and went. He also remarks on the interconnectivity of all the temples–knowing one isn’t enough. This will be a recurring theme, as we’re already finding. He mentions also the position of this temple as Abhimana Sthalam connected to Thirukoilur, Thiruvanthipuram (Thiruvahindrapuram) which are Divya Desams. He spoke again of how the “saving” of Vainavam went hand in hand with the saving of Tamil, of the unity of Vadakalai and Thenkalai in this temple, whereas you don’t see that elsewhere, but he didn’t emphasise it too much as a point of pride.
Spoke at length about how the utsavam practices can vary from place to place according to local realities, cooperation with other temples – eg. Garuda sevai done in some places on the 9th day, but here on the 5th Brahmotsavam day, other adjustments made – but behind closed doors puja practices happening without variation, remaining stable.