MELATTUR TWENTY YEARS LATER-1998 -2018

The first week of October had some wonderful moments when I re-visited Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru and Thiruvarur temples with my family. For my daughter Ruupa and son-in-law Bhuvnesh it was a rewarding experience as they had read in great detail about these temples when they edited my book Bhagavata Mela My Tryst with Tradition. Ranjan and Ruupa have accompanied me to Melattur as  children many times. She was the Convenor of the 2002 Festival in Mumbai. Bhuvnesh was appreciated for his performance as Sutradhar and adorns the book-cover. 











In my book, I have included stories surrounding these temples, the rulers, saints, poets and dancers. The temples with their awesome dimensions and centuries of history are humbling that I feel to set foot on this sacred land is a blessing.

It was a nostalgic drive from Thanjavur through the Melattur ‘village’ that morning. I was last there on my annual visit in 1998. At that time, I did not know that it would be my last visit. After a meeting with the artistes and musicians, we planned to start work on the Marathi Natakam ‘Sakuntala’. It was slated to be a four-day festival and I was busy organising funds, designing costumes, and publicity efforts. There was music to be composed, actors to be trained and a hundred other tasks. You can read in great detail about all that in my book.

When I re-visited Melattur incognito last week, I had only a vague memory of the village.

Two things that struck me was that the distance seemed so much longer, and the roads were not mud but perfectly tarred roads. On either side were green fields. Kaveri’s tributaries and creeks appeared every few miles, refreshing the eye and mind. It was Guru Peyarchi on October 4^th   and the Thittai temple, which is on the route, was bustling with crowds. A hundred cars lined the roads. There was heavy security as many prominent persons were expected to attend the special pujas.

I did not have a clue as to the directions, everything is so different. Melattur is no longer a small three-street hamlet but a town with new buildings, shops, garishly renovated heritage homes and many locked doors. Some houses are in ramshackle condition, but late Balu Bhagavatar ’s house next to the temple has been renovated.

I could not locate the open grounds where the annual festival used to be held. I had heard last year
 that a permanent stage has been built now in place of the temporary wooden stage that were put up in the nineties.

 Although we were there much before the day closing time, there was a lock on the temple door. From the outside everything seemed same. The gurukul (priest) was persuaded to open the doors for us and he very kindly asked his relative to show us around.

Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Melattur (2018)

A surprising sight awaited me inside. The small temple is now completely re-built. The outside prakarams which were open to the sky are enclosed resulting in a vast hall.  The processional vehicles like Garuda are lined up inside. 

There are separate shrines for Varadaraja Perumal, Sri Narasimhaswami, Vinayagar and Hanuman. The two granite Narasimha Swamy idols which were in garbha graham earlier, do not have a special shrine built for them.

                                                        Interior of the Melattur temple.

The Mask in a separate glass case outside (2018)

It was disappointing to note that the mask of Narasimhaswami which is used for the performance of ‘Prahlada Charitram’, is now enclosed in a new glass case and placed outside, deprived of its sacred space inside the sanctum sanctorum.

I wonder if the divine energy that the mask had been infused with for three centuries of worship in the sanctum sanctorum would have depleted by now.

It is definitely heartening to see the improvements and additions made to the temple and the village.  Bhagavata Mela is today a well-known art-form and the festival attracts visitors from all over the country and abroad. It speaks well of the united efforts of the natives of Melattur who must have contributed in cash and kind. The renovation will make a good impression on visitors.