Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, Brickfields - Priests (Archahar)

Priests (Archahar)

In Saivite temples, only Saivite Brahmins of the hereditary Adisaiva priest lineage were entitled to conduct rites in Agamic Siva temples. Sri Kandaswamy Kovil follows this rule. The first priest of Sri Kandaswamy Kovil was Siva Sri R. Somaskanda Kurukkal. He was well known for his steadfast devotion to Lord Shanmugar that, even during the air raids by the Japanese during the early part World War II and later by the B-29 bombers of the Allied forces, the priest would continue with the daily poojas as if everything was normal. Somaskanda Kurukkal was succeeded by his son, Siva Sri Raju Kurukkal who was born in the temple residence and had served the temple from a very young age. In 1978 there was a need for an additional chief priest to meet the religious needs of the ever growing communitity in the temple abishegams, pujas and festivala and also in conducting weddings, final funeral rights, housewarming ceremonies and Special Latchumy Pujas. For the first time a fully qualified priest from Jaffna, Siva Sri Kamatchi Sundareswara Kurukkal, was invited to supplement the local chief priest. Siva Sri Parameswara Kurukkal is currently the chief priest of Sri Kandaswamy Kovil. He is assisted by a team of fully qualified priests.