A young Melsanthi for Lord Ayyappa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The staff of Kollam Puthiyakavu Devi temple were on an anxious wait from the morning. An when finally the good news that their ‘Thirumeni’ had been selected for the Sabarimala melsanthi post came, they all gathered in front of the sanctum sanctorum to deliver the news first. ‘’I was hopeful, but tensed also.. it’s a mixed feeling difficult to explain,’’ N Balamurali, the next Sabarimala ‘melsanthi’, says with a smile. 38-year-old Balamurali is probably the youngest melsanthi to serve Lord Ayyappa. Thantraratnam Balamurali, who hails from Manikandeswaram in the city, has been the melsanthi of Puthiyakavu temple, except last year, when he was selected the melsanthi of Attukal Devi temple for one year.Balamurali chose temple service not just as a profession. For him and his family, in which most of the members were in government jobs, the entry to the world of devotion was to sustain the continuance of a tradition.   Balamurali’s father Neelakanta Sarma is a former Secretariat staff. The young lad was also encouraged by Narayana Sarma, his father’s younger brother and Balagokulam state vice-president.     After having the basic ‘pooja’ lessons from his father and relatives, Balamurali joined the Aluva Thantra Vidyapeetham for the six-year ‘Thantraratna’ course. Balamurali had found place in the Sabarimala Melsanthi selection thrice earlier. ‘’I was blessed at the fourth attempt,’’ he says.   ‘’I don’t see this selection as the result of my efforts. For me, it’s the blessing of my goddess Puthiyakavilamma and Lord Ayyappa,’’ Balamurali says. ‘’I was selected when I was offering ‘pooja’ to Puthiyakavilamma. The good news came to me when I was on the holy steps and that is another blessing,’’ he says. Balamurali also attributes all successes in his life to his gurus. Of them, he remembers his guru late Kalpuzha Divakaran Nambudiripad with great reverence.   Balamurali’s only sister Ranjini lives in Thrissur. He lives with his father, mother Syamala Devi, wife Praseeda and children at Idamana Illam at Manikandeswaram. Jathavedan and Devadathan, his children, are students of Arya Central School.