The utsavams at Kodiyalam

The  Utsavams at Kodiyalam( Feb 2014)

As we landed in Srirangam on 16^th Feb around noon, in our own  sweet car, little did we expect to be treated to a very delightful  evening full of surprises, in a village not far from here. Kodiyalam  is a small hamlet on the banks of river Cauvery, with Jiyapuram and  Thirupullathurai on either side of it.  A small temple very neatly maintained by a very prominent and affluent family from Srirangam,  Kodiyalam Vasudeva iyengar family.

Till today the utsavams of this kovil have been attended by the elders of this family who live scattered in India. They organoise all the details just as it has been done by their elders for generations up until now.

The month of Maasi, is the month for Bramotsavam hereabouts . The Masi  Garudan is very popular as it is celebrated only in a very few kovils. Today happened to be the Garudotsavam for this deity here in Kodiyalam. The Vasudeva perumal  is the presiding deity here, Vasudev Krishna as he is revered, is the utsava moorthy and a Vennaikaadum azhagan Kannan is the moolavar. Unusually this moola moorthy is a small figure of Krishna with butter in his hands and in a dance pose.

The kodiyalam family has big houses  ,choultries here ,where a nadaswaram  kutcheri by the renowned chinna mowlana’s grandsons took place. The evening  saw us seated in the thinnai of these big houses enjoying the concert, a slight breeze and  a little lazy banter.

At 7.30pm the perumal was ready to come out on his Garudan. As we stood there awaiting him thinking to ourselves that if this is such a small village how big is this garudan going to be ……there HE came suddenly seated majestically on his vahana and best friend ,Feet firmly   fixed on his Garudans hands,  a Abayahastham ready to protect, save, grant ,enslave …this Vasudev Krishna…he enchants ………and as I prepare to hold a conversation with HIM, HE moves on as if to say” Come back my friend and well talk!:”

This done ,we are ushered in very kindly by our host and  seated on tables and served sappadu on (banana leaves) ilai. The sappadu is rice ,paruppu, sambar, cabbage kaai, kathrikkai  asadu, rasam, vadai, kalkandu bath, pal payasam, mysore pak  and thayir with  oorgai. I was amazed that we all ate gustily without shame and as I left the place I thought to myself I’d never eaten so much at this time of the night and so well.

There ,my dear friends is the unforgettable experience that Rangan gave us ,it was as if to say…..come back dear friend there is more than this here in Booloka vaikundam!