Vittalapuram – Premika Vittalan Restoration

The temple was originally constructed by the Vijayanagara King, Krishnadevaraya (1507-29 AD) as a replica of the Vittala temple , the one in Vijayanagara. The Vijayanagara style of temple architecture is very evident even today.This temple close to the sea, got buried in a mound of sand and Panduranga also was hidden  underneath it.  Generations passed and villagers forgot  that such a  temple even existed.

In late 1990’s Sri Anna in his meditation had a vision of  Lord Vittala being performed Abishekam.  The Lord wasn’t the one in Pandarpur, but had similar features. Repeatedly, in dhyana the Lord appeared and asked Anna to un-earth Him. Later, Vittalan also revealed that He is in Vittalapuram village  near Mahabalipuram.

Sri Anna identified the location and restored the Panduranga temple in 2004-05. Being an architectural master piece  the Archealogical Survey of India also participated in the cause. The deity is named Premika Vittalan and is consorted by both Rukmini and Satyabama which is a very unique feature. Nama Sankirtanam is the main form of worship in this temple and several of Sri Anna’s kirtans are sung here along with the Sampradaya and Abhang bajans.

Sri Vijayagopala Yathi Swamigal

Sri Vijayagopala Yathi Swamigal who embellished the traditional Bhajan System with his immortal compositions attained maha samadhi in Polagam village (Nagapattinam District) Tamil about 300 years back. The devout people of the village built a Brindavanam to commemorate him. A mutt was also constructed and Nithya Pooja  and Aradhana were also performed.As years went by, the mutt and Brindavanam was not taken care as the villagers  migrated and the yearly aradhana also were stopped.

Sri Anna familiar with the compositions of the Swami was in search of the Brindavanam of Vijaya Gopla Swamigal.  In 2003-04, responding to Sri Anna’s ardent plea, the Swami revealed Himself.  Polagam (Pugalur+Agraharam) a small  agraharam is a Vedic and Bagavatha village  setup in the ancient days for the vedic pandits to serve Lord Shiva in Thiru Pugalur.  Sri Anna found the sannathi of the Swami in the Adi Kesava Perumal temple in the village and undoubtedly established the fact that Swami lived in that village.

Subsequently, Sri Anna also discovered the Swami’s Brindavanam which was in a dilapidated condition. It was submerged beneath the Tirumalai Rajan River bank in the same village. Sri Anna re-established the Brindavanam and restarted the yearly Aradhana Utsavam. Aradhana happens on Shukla Paksha Dwadasi day in Maaha Month (Jan-Feb) and Bagavatha Sapthagam. Bhajans are also performed on all 8 days  followed by Radha Kalyanam.  A mutt is established in the Agraharam for all Bagavathas to stay and participate in the Utsavam. This incident bears a striking resemblance of Sri Marudanallur Satguru Swamigal discovering Sri Bhagavan Naama Bodendral’s Brindavan in Govindapuram.

Kanchi – Reinstallation of Divyadesams

Divyadesams are the  priceless treasure to a Sri Vaishnavaites and for Sri Anna. Some of the Divyadesams were vandalised during the Chola regime. Just like how Sri Ramanujar was disheartened by these acts,  Sri Anna  too was deeply pained about the two missing  Divyadesams in Kanchi- Kalvan & Nila thingal Thundathan, that he expressed during the release of book Divya Desa Vaibhavam. He  took a resolution to restore them for  the Sri Vaishnavaites.  Though the two Divyadesams are being proclaimed to be in Kanchipuram, Sri Anna beleived that  the Alwars wouldn’t have sung the Paasurams in praise of Vishnu as a secondary deity as in vogue today and hence these don’t represent the actual divya desams.

Sri Anna followed the foot steps of Sri Ramanujar who installed the Chitra Koota Govindarajan Sannidhi at Tirupathy and how Neeragam, Kaaragam & Ooragam were reinstalled in Ulagalandha Perumal temple in Kanchi to protect the Divyadesams. He set up the two sannadhis for the missing Divyadesams in 2003.  Necessary permissions were taken from trustees and in compliance with the Agama shastra the two Sannadhis were reestablished in the Yathokthakari temple in Kanchipuram.  Around the same time Kalvan was dug out from a pond in Kanchipuram in a dilapated condition, as an indication of His blessing.