Chennai: If Varadar wills it, I will have Athi Varadar darshan for a third time in my life, devoutly said N R Pankajam, a resident of Kodambakkam in Chennai in July. Her wish must have echoed where it should for she did have darshan of Athi Vardar for a third time in her lifetime in the same month.

The Athi Varadar idol is lifted out of the Sri Varadaraj Perumal Temple tank, Anantha Saras, once in 40 years and Pankajam must have been among the few hundreds who had a darshan for the third time in their lifetime this year (2019).

She was able to make it this time as her daughter’s family and friend were planning to head to Kanchipuram for the vaibhavam (religious event) when the Lord was in sayana thirukolam.

“We went on a weekday,” recalls 84-year-old Pankajam. They set out around 3 pm and reached there in the evening and trekked from where the car was halted by the policemen. By then it started raining in Kanchipuram. But who cared for that?

They reached the temple in the rain and were asked to wait for some time as a devotee was performing sahasranama archana. But later, they were allowed inside even as the archana was in progress.

“So, we stood near the siras (head) of Lord Athi Varadar for close to 15-20 minutes while the archana was being performed. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to have His darshan so close and for so long,” says a beaming Pankajam.
Again, she must have been among the lucky few who had darshan for such a long time as most devotees had only a fleeting glimpse – a few seconds, actually – of the deity on any given day.

Pankajam shyly recalls that News Today had carried her earlier interview where she said she would be able to have a darshan of the Lord if He willed it. Her relatives in Kanchipuram had also seen her interview that was published in the free Athi Varadar booklet that was distributed to devotees on two occasions during the vaibhavam.