PLACES TO VISIT IN VELLORE
I had to go to Vellore to attend one of dearest ex-room mate's wedding. Ofcourse, the wanderlust had bitten me long ago and going all the way to Vellore and coming back without wandering anywhere, how can that happen? The places to see in and around Vellore included several options, like SV Aranmanai (Palace), Vellore Fort, temples in and around Vellore, Vaniyambadi temples, Walajapet etc.
ONE DAY TRIP TO VELLORE FROM CHENNAI
However, the trip was just for a day and in that day, the evening would be spent at the wedding. So what I had solid in my hand was just the morning. In one morning I could cover just 1 place and that one place has to be a road-less traveled. So we finalized to visit Walajapet Venkatramana Bhagavathar Illam!!!
SEARCHING FOR WALAJAPET VENKATARAMANA BHAGAVATHAR ILLAM
Enroute to Vellore, I got down at Walajapet and enquired at a couple of shops for the whereabouts of Venkatramana Bhagavathar Illam. As expected no one knew. And as usual, the best way I take to find places I this, is to enquire in the local ancient temple (note: not the new temples). But hardluck this time on that too.
There are 2 old Shiva Temples in Walajapet, Vellore - Kasi Vishwanathar Temple & Ekambareshwarar Temple and unfortunately both were closed. However some enquiry near the second temple, lead me to the Venkatramana Bhagavathar Street. As I entered the street I did notice one house which still had its old structure well maintained. I crossed it and enquired a guy and even he had no clue but did say that the ancient house that I spotted was a Carnatic music school. I went over to that house and indeed it was my destination!!!
WHO IS WALAJAPET VENKATARAMANA BHAGAVATHAR?
So, who is this Venkatramana Bhagavathar? Anyone with a slightest idea on Carnatic Music will definately know Thyagaraja Swamigal. He was one of the Carnatic Music Trinities. And Venkatramana Bhagavathar was one of his direct disciples. He was born in 1781 and lived with Thyagaraya Swami in Thiruvaiyaru and taught music in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, before he moved permenantly to Walajapet in Vellore, Tamil Nadu and passed away in 1874. All this, makes Walajapet Venkatramana Bhagavathar House a pilgrimage site for Carnatic Music singers & enthusiasts.
WALAJAPET VENKATRAMANA BHAGAVATHAR ILLAM
Presently this is the home of the 5th generation of Venkatramana Bhagavathar, Srinivasa Bhagavathar and his daughter (6th generation) Sandhya. It was this very house where Thyagaraja Swamigal himself, lived for 12 days during his visit to Tirupathi, along with Venkatramana Bhagavathar himself.
The house is evidently ancient, being in use since 1850s. The door was the beautiful carved wooden door and there were wooden pillars that formed the 'Thinnai' or the patio. The ceiling was a typical old ceiling very similar to the Kalangal village houses. The flooring was of the Karaikudi Red Clay tiles. In short, its heritage at its epitome.
As soon as I entered the house, to my right was this huge hall and at its end, behind a screen, were the images and idols of the Gods and Goddesses. On either sides of the hall were ancient paintings of great Marati composers and singers, painted in the Tanjore style.
The 2 idols there were of Lord Sri Rama and Lord Sri Krishna. These idols were gifted to Venkatramana Bhagavathar by Thyagaraja Swamigal himself. The idol of Lord Rama has 4 arms. The front arms have bow & arrow and the back arms have shell & wheel (Shank & Chakra). He's with Goddess Sita and Hanuman. The other idol is of Lord Krishna with Rukmini and Sathyabama.
Some paintings here are age old, painted when Venkatramana Bhagavathar was alive. Two were of himself with Thyagaraja Swamigal. Another was of himself surrounded by his 2 sons, Krishnaswamy & Ramaswamy and 4 disciples. These were painted by Pallavi Ellayya, one of the disciples of Bhagavathar. Some ancient b/w photographs of his sons were also there. Photography wasn't allowed inside, so I don't have a photo to share with you.
And as usual as I always say, as I've written in my Traveling Tips (Pt. 2 in Temple Tours), its give generously to the priest when you venture to lesser known temples. That's not just to help the priest, it'll encourage them not to leave the temple to the mercy of fate. That applies here as well...
HOW TO REACH WALAJAPET VENKATRAMANA BHAGAVATHAR ILLAM
How to reach, distance of Walajapet from Chennai: 107km on NH4 via Poonamalle, Sriperumbudhur, Thirupukkuzhi
How to reach, distance of Walajapet from Chennai: 120km via Tambaram, Padappai, Oragadam, Thimmarajampet, Kanchipuram
How to reach, distance of Walajapet from Vellore: 30km on NH4 towards Kanchipuram
How to reach, distance of Walajapet from Arakkonam: 50km
How to reach, distance of Walajapet from Kanchipuram: 40km
How to reach Bhagavathar Illam in Walajapet:
On Google Maps: Walajapet Venkatramana Bhagavathar Illam
It is located near Saudambikai Temple.
Its the second house in the left of Venkatramana Bhagavathar Street. This street is perpendicular to the Anaikattu / Anaicut Street. Venkatramana Bhagavathar street is opp. to the Ganesh Maternity & Surgical Centre in the Anaicut Street.
The house is located opp. to Karpagam Dhanapal Complex in the Venkatramana Bhagavathar Street.
Ph.no. of S R Balaji, of Hemalakshmi Finance & ST Courier in Karpagam Dhanapal Complex: +91 99522 22972
Dedicated to my Mom
Good info and well written Bhusha.
ReplyDeletewww.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com
Ms. Bhushavali, thanks for the information. Well written post. Keep traveling :)
ReplyDelete-
Ashok Krishnaswamy
आपको गोवर्धन अथवा अन्नकूट पर्व की हार्दिक मंगल कामनाएं,
ReplyDeleteLovely site. Is there some way I can add you on to my feed-reader?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Added you on to my reader ! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting ! Admire your determination to travel to little known places and dig out such in depth information !
ReplyDeleteYou mention about a painting of Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavathar and his two sons - Krishnaswamy and Ramaswamy.
ReplyDeleteI was under the impression that he had only one son - Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar. I am wondering if the might be Setlur A. Ramswamy Iyer - one of his disciples (I have a special interest in this as Setlur A.Ramaswmay Iyer is my father's maternal grandfather).
Do you have a photograph of this painting?
Hi Friend! Sorry for the absence, but these last two months have been rather nasty! My mother (90) was in hospital for more than three weeks and the post-surgery was hard! My father (94) seemed to be an orphan while my mother was out and felt into some kind of depression... The economy is a disaster and the media only bring bad news... The € Euro is rescued every day, only to be known that it needs to be rescued again and again next morning... What else? Well, maybe «Midnight in Paris»... The problem is that the Gil there is a different one... ;)
ReplyDeleteLovely place!!
Blogtrotter Two wanders currently around pre-historical Corsica, where it seems all this will be leading to... ;) Enjoy and have a wonderful week ahead!
@Niranjan,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot sweetheart.. :)
@Ashok Sir,
Wow!!! Thanks a ton for dropping by my blog and I'm so glad.. :) And am again glad you liked this post.. :)
@Sandeep,
Enjoy the festival... :)
@LG,
Welcome to My Travelogue. And am so happy that you liked my blog. There are a couple of ways you can add mine. Check out the buttons to the left...
@Babblogue, Thank you. :)
@Ram Cheta,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Cheta. Its all your motivation that keeps in going!!! :)
@Suresh,
You are from the lineage of the disciple of this great legend!!!! I'm impressed and I am so so happy to invite to my blog space!!! :) :)
Yeah, I do not have a photograph of the painting as photography was prohibited there. But I can describe it to you as 2 people on one side and 4 people on another side of Venkatramana Bhagavathar.
And about your question, since I could not meet Srinivasa Bhagavathar himself during my visit, I am not able to give you a first hand information on that.
According to the book 'Sirappu Mikka Koilgal' by Ve. Narayanaswamy, Venkatramana Bhagavathar had 2 sons as I've written in the post. But according to an article in The Hindu, Venkatraman Bhagavathar's son was Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar and Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar's son was Ramaswamy Bhagavathar. So I am not actually sure of which one is correct. If you come to know of the detail, do let me know!!!
@Trotter,
Oh my!!! Take care dear. My prayers are always with your mom and dad!!!
@Ash, Thanks love.. :)
I am living in Walaja for the past 12 years. The informations are well gathered and presented. Srimath Venkatramana Bagavathar belongs to Sourashtra Community which is migrated from Gujarat.
ReplyDeleteA K Gopinath
@Gopinath,
ReplyDeleteWow. Nice to know that you are a resident of Walaja.
Thanks for visiting and commenting here and thanks for the extra bit of info.. :)
Do visit this page often.. :)
nice info. i want to know which place in wallajah carnatic music is taught?
ReplyDeleteYou may go to this place denoted in the last portion of this blog post and you may ask Srinivasa Bhagavathar to teach you....
DeleteThank you sir,Useful information for the music world.
ReplyDeleteIts my pleasure, Selvaraj!
DeleteNice to know about it. Next time when i visit Walajapet it try to visit this place
ReplyDeleteBlog is very informative
ReplyDeleteAllareshwarar Temple, Shivan Malai, Saidapet, Vellore