Mohan Gurukkal was just ten years old when he left his home in Walajapet, Tamil Nadu, to pursue priesthood.
It was a path that is deeply rooted in his family’s history.
“We are a family of priests for centuries. It’s our duty and passion,” he said.
“We are real Brahman and my first duty in life was to become a priest, after which comes other things.”
His journey began in the year 2000, when he travelled to Kanchipuram, one of South India’s sacred cities, to undergo six years of rigorous training.
At 16, he entered the priesthood as an assistant priest, continuing a long-standing tradition that even his elders had lost count of for generations.
“From 2006, I performed prayers in the temple and worked as an assistant priest till 2015 when I started performing prayers outside,” he said.
Now 35, Gurukkal serves as the head priest of the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple in Nadi, a role he has held since December 2019.
He was recommended by Ravi Gurukkal, head priest of the Tiruttani Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu.
“In South India, there are six homes of Lord Murugan, and Tiruttani is one of them,” he explained.
Before arriving in Fiji, Gurukkal had never heard of the country.
“I had no idea about Fiji and where it was located,” he said.
“So, I did some research on Google and after learning about the mixture of people here, the culture and religions, I said okay, that’s a good place to go to.”
The Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple, often referred to by many as the Nadi Sangam Temple, is among the many temples managed by the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam Fiji, which will celebrate its centennial anniversary in April next year.
Construction of the temple began in 1984 and it was consecrated on July 15, 1994.
Built with the help of artisans from India, the temple is a striking example of traditional Dravidian architecture—a style rarely seen outside of India.
It is a landmark, a jewel of Fiji, colourful both inside and outside.
Gurukkal returned to Tamil Nadu in 2022 when travel restrictions were lifted after COVID-19 to bring his wife and daughter to Fiji.
His son was born in Fiji in November 2023.
He now leads a team that includes two assistant priests from Tamil Nadu and seven local priests.
Together, they maintain the temple’s daily rituals and spiritual atmosphere.
The temple is open from 6am to 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and from 6am to 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
A dress code is enforced for both locals and tourists, and photography inside the temple is strictly prohibited.
Visitors from around the world continue to be drawn to the temple’s vibrant architecture and spiritual presence.
Among them were Heiko Seiffert and his wife Nicole from Germany, who visited the temple on October 17.
“We are not hop-on-hop-off tourists. We want to know more about what’s behind a place we visit and not only take pictures to post on Instagram and other social media,” said Mr Seiffert.
His wife, a teacher, had discovered the temple online and insisted it be part of their world tour itinerary.
They were awestruck by the newly painted temple, both inside and out.
For Gurukkal, the temple is more than a place of worship.
It is a place of culture, language and community.
“Sangam is very unique in the world. It is there to always protect our culture, language, people and for our people’s education.”
He praised Sangam Fiji’s outreach during the pandemic, including grocery distributions, free school lunch, free stationery and free medical camps.
“Also, everyone can access the temple and do their prayers. It’s here for people to use for prayers, preserve their culture and pass the knowledge to their children for generations to come.
“It’s not easy to keep our culture alive in the world we live in now, but Sangam Fiji has preserved our culture for the past 100 years and it’ll continue to do so forever.”
He believes Sangam Fiji’s mission is “very clean and transparent” to help the people of Fiji.
As Sangam Fiji prepares to mark its centennial anniversary, Gurukkal’s story is a testament to devotion, migration and cultural preservation.
“Sangam has good leaders and the blessings of Lord Murugan to go for another 1000 years,” he said.
From Tamil Nadu to Nadi, Gurukkal’s journey is one of faith, heritage and enduring service to the Sangam movement.
- AVINESH GOPAL is TISI Sangam Fiji’s communications & publicity officer. The views expressed in the article are his and do not reflect the views of this newspaper
