PART-14....KUZHIKKARAI AND MANNAARKUDI



14
Places around Tiruvarur, Kuzhikkarai and composition of shri viswanatham ragamalika, Mannargudi 

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We do not know how comfortably or otherwise Dikshitar was placed in those early years after his return to Tiruvarur. His father Ramaswami Dikshitar was a recipient of the Tanjavur king's munificence earlier. Whether this continued in full measure after the family returned to Tiruvarur is not known, though it can be surmised that some kind of allowance must have been offered by the palace in lieu of Ramaswami Dikshitar's services to the cause of music. What can be said with some authenticity is that the Tiruvarur temple would have catered to the needs of the Dikshitar family.
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As already pointed out earlier, Ramaswami Dikshitar, and later on Muttuswami Dikshitar, were both associated with organising the temple music. Nevertheless, because of Dikshitar's peripatetic life, the temple might not have been able to regularly provide for his family. For, in those days, travelling to a place entailed either walking or taking a bullock-cart. Travel from Tiruvarur to Mannargudi for example, about 25 miles away, would take about a day or two depending on whether one engaged a cart or footed the distance.
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Of course, in those good old days there were chatrams (choultries) where a pilgrim could stay comfortably and could also cook. There were philanthropists who provided food, either raw or cooked, for the benefit of pilgrims. There were separate anna chatrams too. (Choultries where food was served to pilgrims). The tradition of the 'UTTuppura' of Kerala flourished in Chola Desha too. These choultries built during the Nayak and Mahratta regimes were solid structures, artistically built and some of the big ones could house hundreds of pilgrims.
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Remnants of such choultries can still be seen all over Tanjavur district, neglected and left to rot without anyone to care for their preservation - a grim reminder of the pathetic times we live in. But simultaneously, they remind us of the glorious times that were. Times when philanthropy reigned, when there was true respect and regard for the artist, for the spiritually inclined, when society felt it was its duty to support such souls. Without worrying about where the next meal came from, the pilgrim or artist whose sole aim was to realise the Ultimate Truth through his chosen pursuit could attend to the cravings of his soul. 
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Though things had already begun deteriorating with the advent of British rule and artists and spiritually inclined people of the 18th century were the early casualties, as long as there were large hearted individuals and as long as people depended on their feet for travelling, the tradition of free hospitality continued to flourish.
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One can be sure that Muttuswami Dikshitar made use of such facilities during his pilgrimages.
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His fame as composer having spread across the region, authorities of many temples in the surrounding areas invited Muttuswami Dikshitar to visit their temples and compose on the deities there. The frequent pilgrimages of Dikshitar resulted in short or long absences from Tiruvarur. But Tirvarur was his base, not only because he was born there and had a home and that his parents were living there, but also because of his extreme attachment to the deities of Tiruvarur.
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We shall now travel with the Pilgrim to some of those hallowed shrines situated in the Cauvery delta.
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Kuzhikkarai is a village about 5 miles from Tiruvarur on a side road off the Tiruvarur-Mannargudi road. This village has a charming little temple dedicated to Lord Siva. Vishveshwara or Viswanatha and Vishalakshi are the names of the deities. This kShEtra is known as Madhya Kashi and Gartateeram. The temple was a private property owned by Vaidyalinga Mudaliyar. It still remains a private property and is managed by Vaidyalinga Mudaliar's descendants. Vaidyalinga Mudaliyar once decided to perform the kumbAbhiShEkham of the temple. He had heard about Muttuswami Dikshitar and his immortal compositions, and invited the composer to his village to grace the occasion. Dikshitar participated in the kumbAbhiShEkham and partook of the grace of the Lord and the Goddess. Vaidyalinga Mudaliyar showed him great respect and reverence and also performed kanakAbhiShEkham for Dikshitar.
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 A desire rose in his heart to have his glory sung by the great composer. This request was conveyed to Dikshitar who had never sung in praise of a mere mortal. He pointblank refused the Mudaliyar's request and composed instead the masterpiece shrI vishvanAtham, a garland for the Lord in 14 ragas. In the verse in bhUpAla raga which is the 14th raga, Dikshitar referred to the Lord as the protector of
Vaidyalinga Mudaliyar (vaidyalinga bhUpAla pAlanam)
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. Dikshitar also composed kAshi vishvEshvara in khAmbOji, as also annapUrNE visAlAkshi in Sama at this temple. (Refer to Autobiographical References in Muttuswami Dikshitar kritis and the Kuzhikkarai Temple today )
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The main lingam is a bANalingam which is similar to the one at Kashi. The tank is gartatIram or kuzhikkarai. A bath in this tank is supposed to remove leprosy. Dikshitar in his kAshi vishvEshvara, describes the kshEtra as 'kAshi kshEtra sadrushAdikaphaladam' meaning, equal to Kashi and capable of bestowing greater boons. He also says 'kuShTarOgApaha gartatIra shambhO', meaning that a bath in this tank removes leprosy. From Dikshitar's compositions on this temple, it can be surmised that the Kuzhikkarai temple must have been a powerful shrine. It is now neglected and in utter disrepair with the existing descendant of Vaidyalinga Mudaliar not being able to effect any restoration or improvement.
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Mannargudi is an important pilgrim centre about 25 miles from Tiruvarur. In days of yore, especially during the reign of the Cholas, Nayaks and the Mahrattas, Mannargudi was at the pinnacle of its glory. During the Nayak and Mahratta rule, Mannargudi was the artistic capital of the Chola region. It was here that artistes were given houses by the kings and a large number of musicians and dancers belonging to the Tanjavur court lived here.
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The Vaishnava shrine dedicated to Rajagopala Swami is a huge and very ancient one. The beautiful utsava icon of the Lord incorporates Ambal too and is therefore an ardhanArIshwara mUrti. Hence the Lord's name here is Sri Vidya Rajagopala. The esoteric significance is that, Vishnu and Ambal are one and the same shakti and represent jointly the act of preservation and protection of life. After a satisfying darshan of the deities, Muttuswami Dikshitar dedicated a couple of songs to the temple. shrI rAjagOpAla in sAvEri is one of Dikshitar's exquisite compositions. Along with Tyagaraja's rAma bANa and Shyama Sastri's durusugA, Dikshitar's shrI rAjagOpAla provides an exhaustive portrait of the sAvEri rAga. The kriti also provides complete details about the Lord. The esoteric significance of shrI vidyA rAjagOpAla swAmi is brought out in the anupallavi madhyamakAla lines, 'dakShiNa dvArakApura nilaya vishiStAdvaita advaita Alaya'. Dikshitar also speaks about the huge and beautiful temple tank called haridrA which he refers to as a river (nIra sampUrNa haridrA nadi). This kriti is also noted for its beautiful alliterations and delectable poetry. Dikshitar also composed the piece shrI vidyA rAjagOpAlam in the rare rAga jaganmOhanam in praise of the Mannargudi Perumal. In addition the kriti rAjagOpAlam in mOhanam was also composed here.
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continued  in part-15
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