(The Kapaliswarar Temple festival was one that Papanasam Sivan completely identified himself with. This year marked the 99th anniversary of Sivan's first participation in the festival. In his biography, titled “Enadu Ninaivukkadal” originally serialised in 1968 in Dinamani and later published as a book with the same title in 1996, Sivan gives details on how he first came to Madras to participate in the temple festival. The relevant portions have been translated and given below. It gives a fascinating account of how the event was celebrated in the 1920s.)
“The man who laid the foundation for my life in Chennai was the greatly generous A.K. Ramachandra Iyer. It was he who first invited me in 1922 to perform bhajanai during the Mayilai temple festival. I reached his house on North Mada Street at around 8 a.m., a day before the festivities began. Ramachandra Iyer was in an animated conversation with ten to fifteen of his friends. Those who had never seen me or heard my bhajans were deep in discussion about my music. I felt extremely shy about announcing myself at this juncture and just sat in a corner. Suddenly, lawyer Vaidyanatha Iyer arrived and noticing me asked me as to when I had come. On hearing this, Ramachandra Iyer, greatly offended and remarking that I ought to have introduced myself instead of sitting like one robbed of speech, departed in a huff.
The kind gesture
“I bathed in the temple tank, worshipped at the temple and returned to the pyol outside Ramachandra Iyer's house. After half-an-hour, he departed in his car for office. He noticed me as he left and calling the servant instructed him to take me inside and ensure that I was fed. I was enchanted on seeing the puja room. Ramachandra Iyer's wife (daughter of the eminent lawyer T.R. Venkatarama Sastry) was Goddess Lakshmi incarnate and she served me my lunch.
“The next day the flag was hoisted at the temple. At 10 p.m., the deities came out in procession. Ramachandra Iyer went to have darshan and en route asked me as to why I had not gone for the bhajan. I replied that I needed a harmonium. He immediately instructed his servant to accompany me with the harmonium in the house. Ramachandra Iyer returned home shortly thereafter. At midnight the procession reached his residence. Auditor Rajam Iyer called out to him and asked him to come and participate in my bhajan for a little while. ‘That pithukuli sing bhajan and I to listen to him!' he exclaimed. ‘It cannot be him. He must have gone elsewhere.'
“‘See that crowd at the southern end? That is Sivan's bhajanai,' replied Rajam Iyer
“Half-an-hour later, my group which was a huge crowd, reached his doorstep and hearing the cries of ‘Hara Hara Mahadeva' Ramachandra Iyer came out en famille and participated in the bhajanai. By the time our group reached the gopuram it was 1.30 a.m. Ramachandra Iyer stayed on till then and walked home with me.
“On the third day it was the Adhikara Nandi procession. This time Ramachandra Iyer escorted me with great love. He was greatly devoted to Karpagavalli and Kapali and he looked resplendent with his forehead lined with the sacred ash. The bhajanai began. Many thousands, unmindful of the terrible heat and forgetting their worldly cares, hunger and thirst stayed on and participated. “On the ninth day the Bhikshatana procession began at 6.30 p.m. I went to Tiruvallikeni and the beach to enjoy some fresh air and returned well after 7 p.m. The deities had crossed South Mada Street. It was then that I noticed the vast ocean like throng, patiently waiting for the Sivan Bhajani to begin. I was filled with remorse. As if in punishment for my wrongdoing I found my throat had become hoarse and not a note would emerge from it. I shed tears. I prayed to Kapali and then set the pitch to four and a half kattai instead of my usual 4 and began. This worked and it was 12.30 a.m. when the mangalam was sung.
“After this Ramachandra Iyer fixed concert engagements for me at the residences of T.R. Venkatarama Sastry, A. Rangaswami Iyengar (editor of The Hindu ) and the Accountant General NV Raghavan. I also sang one evening during the vidayatri festival at the temple. Everywhere rasikas and patrons appreciated me.
“After the festival I requested Ramachandra Iyer to give me permission to go back home. Around 20-30 prominent residents of Chennai gathered for my farewell and they all spoke in my praise. I can never forget the words of Ramachandra Iyer.
“‘I had formed a mental picture of Papanasam Sivan. He would be around fifty, sporting the sacred ash on his person with several rudraksha malas adorning his chest. He would be wearing the dhoti in the panchakaccham style and would have the complexion of a ripe gourd. I imagined that he would be accompanied by two or three disciples. My mind refused to accept that this figure, sitting in a corner, clad in a four-cubit dhoti and sans an upper garment or baggage of any sort and for all appearances presenting a picture of a simpleton would be the great Sivan. I dismissed scornfully the idea that this man could perform bhajans. Truly I realise now that his simple appearance and humble ways show him for the great man that he is.'
“Ramachandra Iyer gifted me Rs 500 on that occasion. From then on Kapali and Karpagam made me their own and kept me near them. Truly, this has been my greatest fortune.”
