Nuclear physicist , a molecular biologist dedicate to serve as temple priest
Thanks to: Sri Raghuveer Dayal Swami:
_______________________________
They are highly educated and could get jobs anywhere. Yet they have devoted their lives to the service of God. Priests in big Indian temples have always been known to be erudite—they have been well-versed in Sanskrit and some other languages, and masters of vedic scriptures. For most priests, service of God is a tradition that is passed on from one generation to the next. So, most accept the role without any complaints. There is not much money in the profession unless one travels abroad, but in many temples, a priest who has crossed the seven seas is not accepted back. Things, however, are changing. With a steady rise in demand for priests abroad, the temples are rethinking their stand. So, a homam here and a puja there, and you get your job back.
The money may not be good, but what keeps most rooted to the job is this belief that they are among the lucky few who share an intimate relationship with God. Their families, too, share the belief. Their wives accept their role and follow the rules without any question. Many of the women are well educated and have regular jobs, but when it comes to serving God, they are as committed as their priest-husbands.
Things have, however, changed for the younger generation. While earlier they were not given a choice, today a child may take up the family occupation or do something else. Also, serving the temple no longer remains the right of a particular family. In fact, many 'outsiders' have made their way into the inner circle.
THE WEEK profiles six men who have devoted their lives to the service of God.
Sreedharachar
Worked with Co-optex. Is now a priest at the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Tamil Nadu
Pullikundram, a small village off the Mahabalipuram coast, a stone's throw from the famous Thirukazhukundram Temple, is home to the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple, said to be built between 1509 and 1529. It still has its ancient gateway and roof intact and has been Sreedharachar's family temple for six generations.
“My father [a priest, himself] left the village to go to Calcutta and then to Nagpur, Delhi, Dibrugarh and was in Pushkar for 32 years,” says Sreedhar. “No puja was being performed in the family temple. In 2000, we returned and found a snake pit around the idol. My father hit it with a stick and an 8ft-long snake glided out.”
Though born in a family of priests, Sreedhar did not take up the occupation. He worked for the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Cooperation Society (Co-optex) and took voluntary retirement in 1994. “We had no plans to return but I think it was God who called us,” he says. “I wanted to join ISKCON. I had no training and had not taken deeksha (initiation). We searched for someone to look after the temple but could not find anyone. That is when my father asked me, 'Why don't you do it?'”
Sreedhar agreed. “I went to Kancheepuram and got deeksha and got myself a new name—Anirudh Battar,” he says. “An old man in the neighbouring village taught me the basics [of chants and rituals]. I learnt the rest from videos. It took me more than six years and I still have a lot to learn. I think I have achieved only 40 per cent.”
A miracle bolstered his belief that he was fulfilling a divine calling.
Married for 14 years, Sreedhar and his wife, Sudha, had no children. They consulted many doctors, but to no avail. But within days of Sreedhar agreeing to look after the temple, his wife conceived. He now has two sons—Laxminarayana, who is in Class V, and Sowmyanarayana, who is in Class I.
For Sreedhar, the transition from a working man to a archakar (priest) was not very difficult because he did it willingly. The man who once sported a French beard and wore a three-piece suit now leads an austere life.
Sreedhar does not regret his decision to be a priest, nor is he bothered about whether his sons will follow in his footsteps. Laxminarayana has shown interest in his father's way of life. “He came up to me one day and asked me to teach him the vedas,” says Sreedhar. “I will not compel him but then there is a demand for people in this profession. Let him learn the vedas and also get additional qualifications. He can then make a choice.”
Summing up the life of a priest, Sreedhar says, “It is a life of discipline. There is no unnecessary talk and there is no chance to make any mistakes.”
Muralidharan Battar
Works in BHEL and is also an archakar at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Walking through the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is like walking through a maze. The temple perimeter is where the town flourished in three tiers, with gates to show direction. Houses here share walls, but the residents don't complain because they have the perumal's darshan (the Lord's sight) every day when the idol is taken through the streets for the perambulation.
Better known as Srirangam, it is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (swayam vyakta kshetras) of Lord Vishnu. It is also considered the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples. Spread across 156 acres on an islet between the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam, the temple has 21 towers that provide a grand view.
Muralidharan Battar, 55, is one among several Battars (a community of priests) serving the temple. “It is something that my family has been doing for generations now,” he says. “I was the first widower to enter the sannidhi (sanctum). When my wife died, I wanted to commit suicide but my father prevailed over me and here I am.”
Murali works in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Every day, he travels 60km to be at the temple. “My workplace is nearby and I can take leave and I do it even at loss of pay but I will not miss a day at the temple,” he says.
He keeps talking about a special sensation that he feels every time he walks into the temple. And he even shares his experiences with people through Facebook and listens to their problems and provides solutions. “People come with all kinds of problems such as diseases, court cases and family separation. I give them a spiritual solution for material problems.”
His only grouse is that there's very little money in this work. So, he has to work at BHEL to make ends meet. “I love to be near the perumal and work for him but there is not much money in the temple,” he says. “Priests, by and large, are poor except, maybe, in a rich temple. Temples have started becoming crowded only in the past 25 years, which is one reason why I went to work.”
It was during the MGR period that the hereditary system of appointing priests was abolished. But, Murali has got his son Harish into the temple and says it is now his responsibility to carry out the duties and continue the tradition.
Harish, 26, is a mechanical engineer and has done his MBA in finance from Coimbatore. “It took me 12 years to learn the vedas, agamas [a traditional doctrine], decoration, pujas and customs of the temple,” says Harish. He doesn't consider the duty a burden. In fact, he thinks it is a privilege that only a select few enjoy.
Dr V.S. Gounder,
Ph.D in nuclear physics. Serves at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Reluctant to talk and almost reclusive, Dr V.S. Gounder has the task of getting the holy water from the Cauvery and distributing it among the devotees. His family has been involved with the temple for years now.
He did his Ph.D in nuclear physics at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and returned to his native village to take care of his ageing father. He has published 18 papers and is a guide to two doctorate students.
“So what if my colleagues earn more; it does not matter to me,” says Gounder. “It is my duty to serve God, the temple and the nation.”
Ayyapan Kurukal,
Head priest, Vaitheeswaran Koil, Tamil NaduHe travels abroad quite often. In fact, between 1996 and 2001, Ayyapan Kurukal was serving at a Ganesha temple in Malaysia and the next three years, he was at a Murugan temple in Washington.
Ayyapan is a second generation priest in his family. His father, Muthukumaraswamy, was the head priest of the Vaitheeswaran Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. But ill health forced him to quit. Now, the responsibility has fallen on Ayyapan's shoulders.
Through his travels, Ayyapan has realised that most devotees today lack knowledge about the ancient scriptures and rituals. “The devotees often discuss with me Hinduism, the rituals and how they are conducted, and the vedas,” he says. “I have also studied astrology. In the US, even highly educated people are into horoscopes.”
He returned to India because “My father wanted me to do puja at the [Vaitheeswaran] temple. Only if I continue to do puja at home, can I perform pujas around the world. We are not allowed to cross the seas but [if we do] we cleanse ourselves with ashta homam which goes on for two hours.”
Ayyapan is happy with his job. “I think my job is the greatest in the world,” he says. “I have two sons and I would want both of them to join this work. But we will have to wait and see.”
Though travelling abroad means more money, Ayyapan does not enjoy it much. “I do not like to go abroad,” he says. “After all, money is not everything. It does not stay with us forever.” Like it or not, he travels up to four times a year.
Ayyapan has a brother, who has finished his education and is now settled in Germany. “I, too, was good at studies,” says Ayyapan, did his BCom. But when his brother refused to step into their father's shoes, Ayyapan decided to do it. “My grandfather asked me to take up this profession and I obeyed. I have no regrets,” he says.
T. Ramalinga Deekshitar
Priest at the Chidambaram Temple, Tamil Nadu
When we met him, 73-year-old T. Ramalinga Deekshitar was taking rest at his home, which is literally at the gate of the temple. The room was spare but for a cupboard that contained his books. A well-read man, he did his MA in Sanskrit and doctorate in the study of the 'Chidambaram Temple as recorded in Sanskrit literature'. Showing a copy of the doctoral thesis, he says, “Look at it and be worshipful”.
The only temple that still follows the hereditary tradition of appointing priests, Chidambaram is managed by the Deekshitar community. Ramalinga became a priest to continue the family tradition even if it meant turning down an offer to join Annamalai University as a lecturer.
But he does not regret the decision. Apart from performing rituals, Ramalinga makes money by giving radio talks. “While I am maintaining the tradition, people do cross the seven seas,” he says. “Purification is not the issue here. People go abroad for their own satisfaction.”
He has three sons who have followed in their father's footsteps and are fulfilling temple duties. “I am definitely a better man because of all the japams [repetition of mantras] that I do and the pujas that I perform,” says Ramalinga. “More than that, I am content.”
Ramana Dikshitulu
Chief priest at the Tirupati Temple, Andhra Pradesh
A. Venkata Ramana Dikshitulu is the 37th descendent of Vaikhanasa Archaka Gopinath, who discovered the idol of the moolavirat (idol of the Lord) 1,700 years ago, near the site where the temple was built. “It is our good fortune that our family has, without a break, been in the service of the Lord for 37 generations,” he says. “I took it up to fulfil my commitment to the elders.”
A Ph.D in molecular biology, Ramana Dikshitulu got an invitation from South Carolina University for a lucrative post-doctoral position. But he chose to serve the temple.
“When people come to me with their problems, I try to guide them and help them overcome the situation in a balanced way,” he says. “I think that is the role destined for me.”
However, he misses working in the lab. “But I'm satisfied because I have done justice to the lineage,” he says. “Also, I treat religion like the way a scientist would. It has got a system which needs understanding and 100 per cent concentration and dedication, too.”
Ramana Dikshitulu believes that being in this profession has definitely made him a better man. He has three sons who are highly educated and yet chose to follow his profession. “We were instructed by our ancestors not to take up any other occupation,” he says. “I have passed on the same principle to my sons, who are committed to continuing the tradition.”
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PHOTO-FEATURE
For God's sake 
Story Dated: Monday, December 31, 2012 11:41 hrs IST
Why does a nuclear physicist or a molecular biologist become a temple priest?
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The money may not be good, but what keeps most rooted to the job is this belief that they are among the lucky few who share an intimate relationship with God. Their families, too, share the belief. Their wives accept their role and follow the rules without any question. Many of the women are well educated and have regular jobs, but when it comes to serving God, they are as committed as their priest-husbands.
Things have, however, changed for the younger generation. While earlier they were not given a choice, today a child may take up the family occupation or do something else. Also, serving the temple no longer remains the right of a particular family. In fact, many 'outsiders' have made their way into the inner circle.
THE WEEK profiles six men who have devoted their lives to the service of God.
Sreedharachar
Worked with Co-optex. Is now a priest at the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Tamil Nadu
Pullikundram, a small village off the Mahabalipuram coast, a stone's throw from the famous Thirukazhukundram Temple, is home to the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple, said to be built between 1509 and 1529. It still has its ancient gateway and roof intact and has been Sreedharachar's family temple for six generations.
“My father [a priest, himself] left the village to go to Calcutta and then to Nagpur, Delhi, Dibrugarh and was in Pushkar for 32 years,” says Sreedhar. “No puja was being performed in the family temple. In 2000, we returned and found a snake pit around the idol. My father hit it with a stick and an 8ft-long snake glided out.”
Though born in a family of priests, Sreedhar did not take up the occupation. He worked for the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Cooperation Society (Co-optex) and took voluntary retirement in 1994. “We had no plans to return but I think it was God who called us,” he says. “I wanted to join ISKCON. I had no training and had not taken deeksha (initiation). We searched for someone to look after the temple but could not find anyone. That is when my father asked me, 'Why don't you do it?'”
Sreedhar agreed. “I went to Kancheepuram and got deeksha and got myself a new name—Anirudh Battar,” he says. “An old man in the neighbouring village taught me the basics [of chants and rituals]. I learnt the rest from videos. It took me more than six years and I still have a lot to learn. I think I have achieved only 40 per cent.”
A miracle bolstered his belief that he was fulfilling a divine calling.
Married for 14 years, Sreedhar and his wife, Sudha, had no children. They consulted many doctors, but to no avail. But within days of Sreedhar agreeing to look after the temple, his wife conceived. He now has two sons—Laxminarayana, who is in Class V, and Sowmyanarayana, who is in Class I.
For Sreedhar, the transition from a working man to a archakar (priest) was not very difficult because he did it willingly. The man who once sported a French beard and wore a three-piece suit now leads an austere life.
Sreedhar does not regret his decision to be a priest, nor is he bothered about whether his sons will follow in his footsteps. Laxminarayana has shown interest in his father's way of life. “He came up to me one day and asked me to teach him the vedas,” says Sreedhar. “I will not compel him but then there is a demand for people in this profession. Let him learn the vedas and also get additional qualifications. He can then make a choice.”
Summing up the life of a priest, Sreedhar says, “It is a life of discipline. There is no unnecessary talk and there is no chance to make any mistakes.”
Muralidharan Battar
Works in BHEL and is also an archakar at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Walking through the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is like walking through a maze. The temple perimeter is where the town flourished in three tiers, with gates to show direction. Houses here share walls, but the residents don't complain because they have the perumal's darshan (the Lord's sight) every day when the idol is taken through the streets for the perambulation.
Better known as Srirangam, it is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (swayam vyakta kshetras) of Lord Vishnu. It is also considered the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples. Spread across 156 acres on an islet between the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam, the temple has 21 towers that provide a grand view.
Muralidharan Battar, 55, is one among several Battars (a community of priests) serving the temple. “It is something that my family has been doing for generations now,” he says. “I was the first widower to enter the sannidhi (sanctum). When my wife died, I wanted to commit suicide but my father prevailed over me and here I am.”
Murali works in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Every day, he travels 60km to be at the temple. “My workplace is nearby and I can take leave and I do it even at loss of pay but I will not miss a day at the temple,” he says.
He keeps talking about a special sensation that he feels every time he walks into the temple. And he even shares his experiences with people through Facebook and listens to their problems and provides solutions. “People come with all kinds of problems such as diseases, court cases and family separation. I give them a spiritual solution for material problems.”
His only grouse is that there's very little money in this work. So, he has to work at BHEL to make ends meet. “I love to be near the perumal and work for him but there is not much money in the temple,” he says. “Priests, by and large, are poor except, maybe, in a rich temple. Temples have started becoming crowded only in the past 25 years, which is one reason why I went to work.”
It was during the MGR period that the hereditary system of appointing priests was abolished. But, Murali has got his son Harish into the temple and says it is now his responsibility to carry out the duties and continue the tradition.
Harish, 26, is a mechanical engineer and has done his MBA in finance from Coimbatore. “It took me 12 years to learn the vedas, agamas [a traditional doctrine], decoration, pujas and customs of the temple,” says Harish. He doesn't consider the duty a burden. In fact, he thinks it is a privilege that only a select few enjoy.
Dr V.S. Gounder,
Ph.D in nuclear physics. Serves at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Reluctant to talk and almost reclusive, Dr V.S. Gounder has the task of getting the holy water from the Cauvery and distributing it among the devotees. His family has been involved with the temple for years now.
He did his Ph.D in nuclear physics at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and returned to his native village to take care of his ageing father. He has published 18 papers and is a guide to two doctorate students.
“So what if my colleagues earn more; it does not matter to me,” says Gounder. “It is my duty to serve God, the temple and the nation.”
Ayyapan Kurukal,
Head priest, Vaitheeswaran Koil, Tamil NaduHe travels abroad quite often. In fact, between 1996 and 2001, Ayyapan Kurukal was serving at a Ganesha temple in Malaysia and the next three years, he was at a Murugan temple in Washington.
Ayyapan is a second generation priest in his family. His father, Muthukumaraswamy, was the head priest of the Vaitheeswaran Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. But ill health forced him to quit. Now, the responsibility has fallen on Ayyapan's shoulders.
Through his travels, Ayyapan has realised that most devotees today lack knowledge about the ancient scriptures and rituals. “The devotees often discuss with me Hinduism, the rituals and how they are conducted, and the vedas,” he says. “I have also studied astrology. In the US, even highly educated people are into horoscopes.”
He returned to India because “My father wanted me to do puja at the [Vaitheeswaran] temple. Only if I continue to do puja at home, can I perform pujas around the world. We are not allowed to cross the seas but [if we do] we cleanse ourselves with ashta homam which goes on for two hours.”
Ayyapan is happy with his job. “I think my job is the greatest in the world,” he says. “I have two sons and I would want both of them to join this work. But we will have to wait and see.”
Though travelling abroad means more money, Ayyapan does not enjoy it much. “I do not like to go abroad,” he says. “After all, money is not everything. It does not stay with us forever.” Like it or not, he travels up to four times a year.
Ayyapan has a brother, who has finished his education and is now settled in Germany. “I, too, was good at studies,” says Ayyapan, did his BCom. But when his brother refused to step into their father's shoes, Ayyapan decided to do it. “My grandfather asked me to take up this profession and I obeyed. I have no regrets,” he says.
T. Ramalinga Deekshitar
Priest at the Chidambaram Temple, Tamil Nadu
When we met him, 73-year-old T. Ramalinga Deekshitar was taking rest at his home, which is literally at the gate of the temple. The room was spare but for a cupboard that contained his books. A well-read man, he did his MA in Sanskrit and doctorate in the study of the 'Chidambaram Temple as recorded in Sanskrit literature'. Showing a copy of the doctoral thesis, he says, “Look at it and be worshipful”.
The only temple that still follows the hereditary tradition of appointing priests, Chidambaram is managed by the Deekshitar community. Ramalinga became a priest to continue the family tradition even if it meant turning down an offer to join Annamalai University as a lecturer.
But he does not regret the decision. Apart from performing rituals, Ramalinga makes money by giving radio talks. “While I am maintaining the tradition, people do cross the seven seas,” he says. “Purification is not the issue here. People go abroad for their own satisfaction.”
He has three sons who have followed in their father's footsteps and are fulfilling temple duties. “I am definitely a better man because of all the japams [repetition of mantras] that I do and the pujas that I perform,” says Ramalinga. “More than that, I am content.”
Ramana Dikshitulu
Chief priest at the Tirupati Temple, Andhra Pradesh
A. Venkata Ramana Dikshitulu is the 37th descendent of Vaikhanasa Archaka Gopinath, who discovered the idol of the moolavirat (idol of the Lord) 1,700 years ago, near the site where the temple was built. “It is our good fortune that our family has, without a break, been in the service of the Lord for 37 generations,” he says. “I took it up to fulfil my commitment to the elders.”
A Ph.D in molecular biology, Ramana Dikshitulu got an invitation from South Carolina University for a lucrative post-doctoral position. But he chose to serve the temple.
“When people come to me with their problems, I try to guide them and help them overcome the situation in a balanced way,” he says. “I think that is the role destined for me.”
However, he misses working in the lab. “But I'm satisfied because I have done justice to the lineage,” he says. “Also, I treat religion like the way a scientist would. It has got a system which needs understanding and 100 per cent concentration and dedication, too.”
Ramana Dikshitulu believes that being in this profession has definitely made him a better man. He has three sons who are highly educated and yet chose to follow his profession. “We were instructed by our ancestors not to take up any other occupation,” he says. “I have passed on the same principle to my sons, who are committed to continuing the tradition.”
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