Ilaiyaraaja offers Rs 8 crore worth of jewels for Mookambika Amman: From atheism to faith, the veteran composer's spiritual life mystery

Ilaiyaraaja, hailed as the genius of the music world, has completed 50 years since he began his cinematic music journey. In this regard, the Tamil Nadu government will be celebrating the golden jubilee with a great ceremony and a musical event on September 13.

During this time, Ilaiyaraaja sought blessings at the famous Kolluru Mookambika Amman Temple located in the Udupi district of Karnataka. But what caught attention is that Ilaiyaraaja offered a diamond crown and a golden sword, worth about Rs. 8 crore, as offerings to Mookambika Amman. It is worth mentioning that he has visited the temple many times before and offered previous things, such as a diamond-studded hasta.

"Nothing is mine," says Ilaiyaraaja

Speaking to the media after the temple visit, Ilaiyaraaja said, “I did not offer anything to the goddess. Everything was a gift from the goddess. I am giving it back. Nothing is mine,” he said with a heart full of devotion. Having reached a high position in the world of music, he has always been open about his spiritual beliefs.

Ilaiyaraaja's communist ideology

But initially, Ilaiyaraaja remained an atheist. He participated in communist ideology-based programs with his brother and played the harmonium to such propaganda songs.

As per Cinema Vikatan, growing up in that political environment, his belief in God did not remain in his mind. Later, he came to Chennai to study music in depth and worked with a spiritually minded composer like G.K. Venkatesh, but he did not have many questions about God in his mind.

How Mookambika transformed Ilaiyaraaja’s life?

An incident in 1974 marked a spiritual turning point in Ilaiyaraaja's life. After a concert in Mysore, G.K. Venkatesh took Ilaiyaraaja, who was suffering from a high fever, to the Mookambika temple. He initially refused, but as soon as he thought to himself, "Okay, let's have darshan," his fever subsided. He said that upon entering the temple, he felt a lightning strike through his heart. From that moment on, he began to live with complete devotion to Goddess Mookambika.

Even today, he works in his studio sitting next to the picture of Mookambika Amman, and wherever he goes, he asks Amman for permission. This spiritual quest has become a wonderful path parallel to his musical journey.