Sundaraperumal Kovil – where the utsavar is abroad

While travelling past G.Karuppaiah Moopanar’s ancestral home on Kumbakonam – Tanjavur highway, once you overcome the melancholy of the leader’s absence, you encounter another melancholy – that of a temple that is devoid of utsavars.

Sundaraperumal Kovil is the name of the village that you encounter. Upon entering the village, go slow – the village ends as soon as it starts – you see the magnificent rise of a gopuram.

The village is Sundaraperumal Kovil and the temple has lent its name to the village. Magnificently standing Soundararaja Perumal smiles at me when I begin noticing the not-so-pleasant nature of the temple. I ask for the utsavar murthi and learn that the utsavar has gone on a tour abroad – residing in an air-conditioned room in one of the universities abroad.

I look at the moolavar Soundararaja Perumal, His smile never abates. The sanctum sanctorum has a congress of deities. Brahma, Shiva, Indran, many devas and rishis adorn the walls, paying obeisance to the Perumal.

I move to the Thayar Sannidhi and the Jaganmaathaa Soundaravalli Thayar showers her benign grace on me. Adorning a 10 yards saree, the mother looks impressive and oozing unrestrained love on her children who have come in front of Her.

Moving to the Andal Sannidhi, I encounter a grace-personified Andal Naachiar. With her usual 10 yard saree, she showers benevolence. But an item strikes me instantly. The Sannidhi doesn’t have a door. I ask why ? The Archakar shows me the deity ‘Karuppusamy’ located just opposite Andal and says ‘When Karuppan is there, who needs to stand guard?’ The villagers believe that Karuppusamy has His evening walks inside the temple after around 9 PM and people are advised to avoid His presence then. Apart from the Azagar Kovil Temple near Madurai, where else do you have Karuppuswamy near a Perumal Temple ? Here, in Sundaraperumal Temple, Karuppan stands guard to Andal.

But, the moot question : Why did all the utsavar murthis move abroad ? Who ensured their flight abroad ? Were the perpetrators ever caught? Why did the state govt not take any action so far to retrieve them ? Some questions elicit no answer.

The sad part of the story is that as the utsavars are abroad, no utsavams are conducted in the temple. There is a duplicate utsavar idol that is locked in a government vault.

Kundhavai Naachiar, Raja Raja Chola’s sister had built the temple, as per lore. Stone inscriptions state Kings Pratap Raya Deva and Virupaksha Raya Deva had given lands in favour of Soundararaja Perumal.

Instead of building new temples, with fancy sounding names, why don’t people restore the traditional ones that need attention and conduct utsavams ? This temple is not dilapidated, with its samprokshanam having been conducted in 2024, after a period of 200 years, with some minor repairs having taken place in 1939. The temple has 27 acres of land left still.

I had often wondered why the legendary Congress leader GK Moopanar was called ‘Karuppaiah’ Moopanar. Looks like he has been named after the guarding deity Karuppa Swamy who lives in the temple. ( Karuppannaswamy is also called Karuppaiah).

To have an unhurried darshan devoid of all hassles, visit this temple during week days.