A SECRET THAT SURFACES GENERATIONS AFTER

My family name Chidambaram does not sink very well with the names of people of the village I live in. It is a family name. Family name, here, which in other words mean, retained from grandfather not father, not from great grandfather, but from great, great, grandfather and so on, in that order, for generations.

On little bit of scrutiny, with a little bit of observation, a fair bit of travelling would lead one to come across this name Chidambaram. Some can see this name used not by a person belonging to a particular caste, still others can see it named to a ship. Lovers of sports can see it named to a stadium.

This name Chidambaram is also spelled differently from one state to another. If not invariably, mostly the name Chidambaram becomes Chidambaran instead of Chidambaram in Kerala and Chidambaram remains Chidambaram invariably in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The name or the introduction of name is also done in an elaborate manner in Sanskrit and it goes something like this; Abhivadaye Angirasaha Bharagaspratya, Triyarishisya, Pravranuta, Bharadwaja Gotra, Abasthamba Sutra, Yajur Shaake Adhyaye Shri Chidambareshwara Sharma Namaham Asmibho.

The name Chidambaram had its advantages for me when I was on some work in the national capital New Delhi. The similarity of my name with the Finance Minister of India, Mr. P. Chidambaram, helped me to get my work done in the normal time as was not the case for others in those days.

In the northern parts of India as against the southern parts of India, if we observe minutely we can notice that the ones belonging to north India have their head suppressed and heart expressed as against the southern parts of India where they have their heart suppressed and head expressed. This in other words means that the north Indians are more emotional compared to the south Indians. To, cite an example. If a north Indian sees a mendicant requesting for alms, attired in a saffron cloth will probably be reciprocated without any much questioning about his intentions or authenticity but at the same time he is bound to be viewed with suspicion by south Indians and hence with a very meager possibility of a positive response.

Now coming back to the name Chidambaram per se, there are a few comparable stories heard of, from far and wide, across the world. Even though the name is not common but the story behind it or the secret behind it makes it very interesting.

It is said that when King Henry VIII wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, the local priests refused to conduct the marriage but King Henry remained undeterred and with the powers under him could arrange the priests from elsewhere and go ahead with the marriage with Anne Boleyn with whom he was in immense love and hell bent to marry.

In somewhat similar fashion one of the kings belonging to one of the princely provinces in the states of Kerala wanted to get married to a girl whom he liked and loved but unfortunately the local priestly class who are called the Namboothiris were against the Kings wishes as the girl the king wanted to marry did not fall into the category or caste to which the Namboothiris would subscribe to and accept into their community.

The king however was deeply in love with the girl and with the powers and wealth at his disposal arranged to get priests and substantially large numbers from a distant land called Chidambaram to perform his marriage rites in his kingdom with great pomp and fanfare.

There use to be some difference in the ways in which the Namboothiris chant the shlokas and mantras and invariably were kept in very low tone and not in anyway seem like a radio broadcast or howling from the loudspeaker.

On the contrary the mantras and shlokas chanted by the Brahmin priests who were from Chidambaram need not be in a low voice or tone as was the practice among them. They regularly chant mantras in the temples on different occasions and times of the day for all to hear and immerse themselves and also find themselves in unison with their Gods and find peace and hope for prosperity for themselves as well as their near and dear ones and also prosperity of the king and the nation to which they belong.

There are also differences in the way they dress themselves, in the way they anoint themselves, in the way they tonsure their head, in the way they tie their hair above their head.

But all said and done they are authorised to conduct the ritual and their actions get validated by the monarch and the people who are ruled by the king. The subjects sooner or later accept the verdict of the king and endorse the choice of the king and look forward to a prince who will also take care of them and make them lead a happy and peaceful life.

The king was also largehearted and broad minded and due to his such noble character he allowed the priests and their families to settle in his kingdom and awarded them land and property and they were called agraharas and was primarily occupied by Brahmins and their main vocation was conducting various rites and involve themselves in teaching and indulge in intellectual pursuits. They were also bestowed with the privilege of having meals provided by the Palace at specific places primarily in the temples premises.

So this king had brought priests from a place called Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu and after the marriage of the king with the girl he loved was solemnised these priests got themselves permanently settled in a village in Kerala under the sponsorship and care of the kind and generous King.

This is how I Chidambaram find myself in a village in Kerala and the secret of my forefathers surfaced especially by the awkward name which I carry for the people belonging to the village and also my tone and dialect not totally in sink with the people of that village.