Udayarpalayam Zamin family claim special access privilege to Athi Varadar

UDAYARPALAYAM: The family members of the erstwhile Zamindars (aristocratic land owners ) of Udayaarpalayam have appealed to the Tamil Nadu Government to direct the State HR&CE department to arrange for a special ‘darshan’ of Lord Athi Varadhar at Kancheepuram and permit them to participate in a day’s ‘Utsavar Pooja’ there.

The wards of Udayaarpalayam Zamin, Rajkumar and Palaniappan told newsmen at Udayaarpalayam on Saturday, that during the “Mughals’ war in the 16th century, their forefathers had fought against them and retrieved the processional deities of Varadharaja Perumal temple at Kancheepuram, Natarajar temple at Chidambaram,Boovaragha Swamy temple at Srimushnam and Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam from the attackers.

They had then placed the retrieved processional deities in the Udayaarpalayam Zamin’s palace in safe custody for more than 40 years. Moreover, all the daily rituals for these temples were at that time held in the Zamin’s palace.

Soon after the war, in deference to the wishes of the respective temple devotees as well the general public, the processional deities were handed over to the respective temples, the two scions of the Zamin said.

Since then, for having protected the deities, the respective temple administrations had given a special status for the Zamin’s family to offer their worship and also allowed them to perform a special “Utsavar Pooja” once in a year in all these temples, the wards added. Later, this ‘special status’ and privilege were withdrawn, they pointed out.

Now that ‘Athi Varadar’ has come out of the temple tank after 40 years, they appealed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. Edappadi K. Palaniswami to arrange for a special ‘Darshan’ of the Lord for the family members of the Udayaarpalayam Zamin and also permit them to perform the “Utsavar Pooja” once in a year in all these temples.