Quiet haunt of the fearsome Lord

A shrine for Yama is rather rare. But one such does exist on the outskirts of Coimbatore. GOWRI RAMNARAYAN visits the temple of the Lord of Death and writes...

``WHY DON'T you drive to Marudamalai and Guruvayur from Coimbatore?'' said my friend when she heard I was visiting that town for a few days. But I was determined to check out another deity, none other than the God of Death. I knew that Vallalur on the outskirts of the textile town, housed a rare shrine dedicated to Lord Yama.

With old schoolmate Manivannan as guide, finding the temple is not difficult.

``This village was called Annadanasivapuri in the old days,'' says Manivannan, as we drive through fields of sugarcane saplings. ``It was renamed Vellalur after a liberal local almsgiver. The presentday Vellalur refers to its miraculous escape from the floods.''

Floods? In this flat dry place? ``Didn't you see the culvert we crossed? That stream trickling below could well have been a huge river in the old days,'' Manivannan chuckles as he parks the car beside the roadside sign proclaimimg the august presence of ``Chittira puttira Yama Dharma Raja'' nearby.

We walk through the slushy grass, past the little shrine where Andichi Amman stands sentinel. She is the sister of Chitragupta (or Chittira Puttira as we Tamils have it), secretary to Yama. She must be placated first. Her awesome Overlord however, seems content with a homely dwelling of freshly whitewashed walls innocent of sculpture, encircling a couple of stark chambers within.

At the entrance we see a happy Ganesa, with serpents for company. Next comes the main chamber where doors open into the sanctum. If you are a man, you can go in right up to the sanctum. For women this is the final halt for darshan. Feel a shiver down the spine as you gaze at the deity? The fearsome figure - astride a buffalo with menacing horns - is Lord Yamadharma, the ultimate arbiter of your life here and hereafter. Facing the south, in one hand he holds the ankus to guide his black mount; the other grips the whip with which he draws you at the destined moment to the other world. His silver plated eyes have an implacable gleam.

Beside him stands his eternal attendant Chitragupta, with the palm leaf and quill in his left and right hands. He records all human actions, and recites his findings on the day of reckoning. Yama delivers the verdict of reward or punishment.

The God has strong likes and dislikes. He will not tolerate black thread or cloth. Coconuts must be offered whole, and no jasmine is allowed in worship. His colourful garland twines oleander, tuberose and basil.

The circle is sacred to him as we see in the architecture (outer wall, dome, inner dais). He accepts tulabharam (generally banana or jaggery) and the special 101 padayal (offering) of ashball, raw rice, panakam and buttermilk. On Chitra Pournami day, they are heaped on the circular platform in the main hall with devotees reading the whole book of Chittira puttira (verses of praise) together. After the noon puja the thronging pilgrims are fed at the temple. Rest of the year sees Yama reigning mostly in solitude.

Priest R. M. Pazhanisami, who performs the puja thrice a day, is eager to tell us more. ``This temple is maintained by the Devar community of which there are seven groups - Peyan, Kanja, Pothai, Thooli, Rayittam and so on. It was built 300 years ago by my grandfather's grandfather,'' he begins. ``The old man had a dream in which Yama appeared in a place that seemed absolutely real. On waking, he began to look for it. The search ended in the fields right here, which belonged to a brahmin landowner. My ancestor found the Iyer standing under an umbrella with staff in hand, surrounded by his retinue, and said, `I must build a temple to Yama in this spot.' The brahmin gave him his staff and said, ``Mark the land and take what you will.''

The descendants of the man who turned his vision into reality, has been in charge of the temple since then, with rights of worship by turns. The kumbhabhishekam was performed in 1971, and generous donors contribute to its maintenance, like Ramalinga Devar who built the front hall. (His portrait hangs there between pictures of the gods).

We go round the outer wall to see a row of clay stoves clean and sparkling with kolam. They are used for cooking special feasts, the priest explains. A side chamber houses women deities like Viramachi, Pudavaikari and the seven virgins, all represented by dome shaped stones. The spears behind them symbolise the guardian Ayyanar's presence.

The priest suddenly warns one of us never to stand with hands clasped at the back, the ``disrespectful'' gesture invites misfortune. We learn then that he conveys Yama's ``advice'' to seekers who come with offerings of lemon, betel leaf, coconut, fruit and joss stick. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are reserved for enquiries on business ventures. Other days are for guidance in family matters. On Sundays the God takes a holiday from sessions with mortals.

As we leave, we glance again at the fields of sugarcane tossing and gambolling in the breeze. The distant traffic sounds like the sea in this quiet haunt of the Deathlord. You wonder why someone thought of shaping a shrine for a God who is feared but rarely worshipped. You reflect also on the wisdom of the ancients who visualised Yama not only as the God of Death, but also of dharma, of right conduct in life.

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