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 It really shatters you to see that temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu – when there are prosperous ones like the Tirupati and Srirangam temples – can be in such a bad state of repair. The condition of especially three ancient temples, not very well known, Kabistalam, Thirukoodalur and Sirupuliyur, around Kumbakonam, is really pathetic.
There is no full-fledged pooja in Kabistalam temple which is located between Kollidam and the Cauvery. There are absolutely no ornaments for the Lord, Gajendra Varadhan, or the Goddess, Ramamanivalli Thayar, except a few imitation jewellery gifted by some devotees.
“It is so pathetic to see the Lord, Goddess and the temple as a whole in such a miserable condition with no proper maintenance,” says Aravinth, one of the devotees who visited the temple.
On the other hand, Thirukoodalur is also a cause for concern as it is not maintained properly. The Lord and the Goddess, Padmasani Thayar, do not have even ‘pancha patram’ (vessel where water is kept for pooja). The inner sanctum is so dark with no light. Light is shed on the Lord only during mangala aarti. In fact, the goddess’ face was hardly visible when we visited the temple. The priest requested us to buy some camphor to show us her presence!
 The income for the temple hardly meets the oil requirements for the lamps.
“There is nothing in this temple except the Lord. Hardly four or five families, who know about these temples, visit in a day. We do not have proper materials for nitiya aaradhana (daily poojas). There is no proper revenue for these temples and I kindly request the bhaktas to donate pooja material,” says the priest.
The goddess was found in an old saree and there was no metal crown for the deities.
The priests, who themselves lead a life of poverty, are more concerned about the maintenance of the temple. Many temples do not have proper electricity connection as well.
There is another temple known as Sirupuliyur, 8 km from Villupuram chord line, and is situated on the northern shore of Kollidam. Here the gopurams, which house the Lord Kripasamudra Perumal and Thayar Thirumamagal Nachiyar, are ill-maintained.
Many people do not know the importance of these temples.
 These ancient temples and each shrine has its own history. They stand testimony to ‘Incredible India’. The devotees and the government have a moral responsibility to preserve such treasures and pass them on to the upcoming generations to know more about our traditions, say the bhaktas who visit these rare sites.
They feel that the authorities must also make it a point to visit these temples to know their plight.
Vedavalli, a devotee who made a tour of these three beautiful temples that form part of the 108 Divya Desams, said devotees should show more interest in visiting these temples and contributing to their upkeep.
Saranya Sridharan
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