Chakravarthys in Thulasi Thotam

Chakravarthys in Thulasi Thotam

The Prasanna Krishna temple at Tulasithotam in Bangalore was an active social and religious center for the Srivaishnava community as far back as 1844. The Rama sannidhi in the same premises was consecrated in 1908, at the instance of Saint Tulasi Ramadas. The temple, its upkeep and its fame are all to be attributed to Rao Bahadur B K Garudachar who was an able leader and a visionary individual.

Around 1910, he put the vacant land in front of the temple to purposeful use by establishing a free hostel for students. He also built living quarters on the same plot for the archakas, some learned people from toopal(some of them were chakravarthys too), and for others with dedication who were eager to assist in the daily rituals in the temple.

Just about that time, Chakravarthy families from the Kakkadasam branch were settling down in Bangalore for the education and employment of their progeny. Among them were Ramaswamy, and his two brothers Srinivasa Raghavachar and Kuttaswamy, all of them children of Kakkadasam Srinivasa Chakravarthy(1858-1930). Incidentally, the Nallan Chakravarthy Trust (NCT) has come in to being by the efforts of Sri. Srinivasa Chakravarthy's great grand children.

The families of Srinivasa Raghavachar and Kuttaswamy found their dwelling at Tulasithotam precincts and Sri. Ramaswami Chakravarthi, their older brother, lived with his family just behind the temple, at what is currently known as cottonpet (adjacent to thulasi thotam). The families continued to live at Tulasithotam right up till 2001 and carry wonderful memories of their association with the temple and its celebrations.

Sri. Sundara Raja Chakravarthy, who was son of Srinivasa Raghavachar, with his sons S.R.S. Chakravarthy, Ramaswamy , ,Krishnakumar, Champakadaman, Venugopal and Ranganath lived at Tulasithotam. Sri. Chakravarthy Sheshadri and his brother Sampadananda , both sons of Kuttsawamy lived at Tulasithotam . Mohan Kumar and his brothers Sridhar and Srivatsawho are children of Sheshadri also grew up here.

Sri. Mohan Kumar has fond memories of the annual Brahmotsavams at the Tulasi Thotam. At that time there were few temples with the stature or resources required to celebrate the grand event of Brahmotsavam followed by the car festival. They used to be the highpoints in the temple calendar and people from all parts of Bangalore and neibouring places used to converge at the temple. Sri. B S Iyengar, whose son B S Ranga later became a legend in the film industry along with one Mr. Shamanna used to plan and foresee all arrangements for theBrahmotsavam.

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Mohan has more recollections. “I remember the occasion of laying foundation for the Temple Gopuram … I watched it with my brothers Srivatsa and Sridhar standing beside me… The main person who took the initiative was Sri.S.R.S. Chakravarthy who was my cousin and took much initiative in this matter. My father Sri. Sheshadri, uncle Sampadananada, and Sri. Varadarajaiengar were all in the forefront and helping out the heirs and relatives of Rao Saheb Garudachar with all the arrangements. I also remember that Sri.K. V. Sudarshan, Varadaraja Iyengar’s son ably led the activities of the Purvacharya Kainkarya Sabha at the temple.”

Mohan Kumar makes the point that life at Tulasi thotam was not just confined to temple and home. “It was quite a happening place even in those days .. in 1960s, Chikka Lalbagh, just abutting the temple, was a regular venue for addresses and activities by the likes of Sri. M. Karunanidhi, and Justice Rama Jois who are eminent public figures today.”

Shri Mohan addressing a trust gathering.

Sri. Sridhar, another of our trustees and brother of Mohan, also has vivid memories of his boyhood at their Tulasithotam home. “ I was born at the Tulasi Thotam home, and till my ninth or tenth year, along with children of Sri S.R. Chakravarthy and the grand children of Sri Varadaraja Iyengar, was more than a handful for our own elders and the temple archakas. Scolding us for our unending pranks was as much a part of their daily routine as were their more sacred duties at the temple. But they did appreciate our better aspects and so used our services for hundi collections from devotees and general public during Ramanavami and Brahmotsavam occasions. We used to keenly look forward to the last day of the season when the Hundis would be opened and counted ………… at the end of it we used to be rewarded with small change with which we bought and enjoyed eating neatly cut pieces of delicious chikkies”

“The archaks were kind natured and though our pranks did cause them much inconvenience, they were able to see the lighter and endearing side. In fact I turned out to be a favorite aide of Late Sri Ranganatha Bhattar”, continues Sri. Sridhar. has taken the “So I was regularly chosen to carry Chakrattalwar idol in procession in advance of the main diety. We were told that chakratthalwar is somewhat like a defence minister in the pantheon of Gods and tasked to ensure that temple processions go without any mishaps.”

Sri. Sridhar continues with his reminiscences,“ Highly revered swamijis from places like Thillaistanam, Ahobilam, used to visit the temple from time to time and address large gatherings of the devoted. These were occasions when we could successfully evade our mother’s attempts to make us study at home on return from school!! Also during the car festival, there used to be a keen tussle among our friends to climb on to the ratham and find a seat atop, as it gave us a sense of being bigger than ourselves…………

they were indeed unforgettable times……………now when we pass by the area which is our first home, a lump forms in the throat and the heart yearns to re-live the bygone glory.”

Sri Sridhar is lighting a lamp for a function in

The holy presence of Saint Ranga Priya Mahadesikar.

Now Pattabhi bhattar s/o ranganatha bhattar manages the temple poojas.

Today Sridhar is among the most successful scions of the Nallan Chakravarthy community as a reputed Chartered Accountant and also as a developer of residential lay -outs. It is due to his initiative and efforts that the Nallan Chakravarthy enclave at Mysore has become a reality. Sridhar says he attributes his success to “the experiences as a boy at Tulasi Thotam “, and more importantly he believes that “his life and ethics were moulded by the simplicity, self-belief and devotion-to-cause of his elders and peers at the temple”.

Krishnakumar speaks wistfully remembers ‘the music concerts at the temple every evening during Ramotsavam by eminent musicians and the harikathas….. Bangalore was no less cosmopolitan those days…sometimes hari katha was rendered in Telugu by vidwans who were legends in Andhra…”. He also remembers that his elder brother Sri. S R S Chakravarthy was made convener for sometime for Ramanavami celebrations.

Sri. Madhusudan, son of Champakadaman and great grandson of Chakravarthy Srinivasa Ragahavachar, now lives in Hyderabad. He says, “ My father Sri. Champakadaman was very nostalgic about Thulasi Thotam…. He would often tell us of Rajaji’s visit to the place and his meeting with Rao Bahadur Garudachar………………….when they thought how nice it would be if the free hostel could be open to all communities….” Madhususdhan also recalls a huge public meeting George Fernandes once addressed at Chikkalalbagh.

That is how a people and a place are so much linked and it was apt and significant that the Vishnu Sahasranamam mass chanting was arranged by the Nallan Chakravarthy Trust at the Thulasi Thotam temple. Let us all come together to host more such programs in times to come at this very same great venue.