Mahaperiyavar is welcomed with a poornakumbham, 1966

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Visiting VIPs , Institute Events

A poornakumbham was presented to persons considered having superior qualities. It literally means a ‘full pot’. Here, Prof. R. Krishnamurthi presents a poornakumbham to Mahaperiyavar.

Mahaperiyavar or ‘The Great Elder’ was the 68th head of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, a Hindu institution located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. His name was Kanchi Kamakoti Peethadhipathi Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji. He visited the Jalakanteshwara Temple at IIT Madras in 1966.

According to an article, a Shiva lingam now worshipped at Jalakanteshwara Temple was kept under a mandapam with a thatched roof near the IIT Madras lake, long before the establishment of the Institute. Village residents worshiped this idol regularly. When the Institute was being set up, IIT Madras residents approached Mahaperiyavar in order to get advice regarding how to continue worship of the lingam. Reportedly, he instructed the residents to construct a temple and continue worship. Mahaperiyavar also said that the idol had been worshiped as Jalakanteshwara by the scholar Appaya Deekshitar and it continued to be worshiped as the same deity when Jalakanteshwara Temple at IIT Madras was built.

During his visit, Mahaperiyavar reportedly conducted pujas to Sri Varasidhdhi Vinayaka and Sri Adipureeshwara at the Varasidhdhi Vinayaka Temple which is located behind the current Taramani Guest House.

Seen in the image, Prof. R. Krishnamurthi (Head of Humanities Department, fourth from right).

Collection:

Gourishankar Collection

Album Name:

Jalakanteshwara Temple Kumbhabhishekam, 1965 and Visit of Mahaperiyavar, 1966

Photograph ID:

001/0290/IMG_0067

Album ID:

0290

Photographer:

C. Gourishankar (1936-2002). A geologist by qualification, Gourishankar started his career as a photographer after working for many years with the Geological Survey of India. In everything that he did, Gourishankar strove to achieve flawlessness and impeccable quality. Thus his photography too was characterised by this drive for perfection. Every photograph that Gourishankar took was meticulously planned and shot and printed with diligence and patience. Gourishankar carried out most of the official photography at IIT Madras in the 1960s.

Event:

Visit of Mahaperiyavar

Date:

20 February 1966