Sri Ramanujar Sahasrabdi ~ Golden Simha vahanam # Triplicane 2017

The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the five big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae.   For all of their roaring, growling, and ferociousness, lions are family animals and truly social – however, from time immemorial they are known for their strength and power.

When Disney’s “The Lion King” opened on Broadway, it took everybody’s breath away. With animal puppets in all styles and sizes, costumes that turn performers into lush exotic plants and stunning effects that, for example, seem to build a huge lion mask out of nothing but light, it set new standards in theatrical beauty and imagination. Twenty years later, it’s just as breathtaking as ever — a stunning, wildly imaginative production for audiences old and young. Now onstage at the Fox, “The Lion King” boasts an incredible opening scene, a parade of puppet animals down the aisles and onto the stage.  The story — based on an animated Disney movie musical, very loosely rooted in “Hamlet” — follows Simba as he grows from a rambunctious little cub into a noble lion, worthy successor to his father, Mufasa, as the king of the Pride Lands.

Away,  more than a century ago, African lions terrorized a railroad-construction project in Tsavo, Kenya,  killing and eating 35 workers. But how and why the big cats became “man-eaters” is still a matter of scientific debate.

Taming a lion or hunting it is considered a virtue all along.  Lion represents power and domineering it – humans considers valorous.  At Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam, in the ongoing grand Sahasrabdi Uthsavam for Swami Ramanujar, Udayavar had purappadu in pallakku in the morning and in the evening it was Simham.

In every annual Udayavar Uthsavam, it would be the silver simham as the vahanam – this time, in commemorating the millennium celebrations, it was the Big Grand Golden Lion for the Great lion-hearted, King of All Sages, ‘Yathi Rajar’.  Here are some photos of the purappadu.

நயவேன் ஒரு தெய்வம் நானிலத்தே சில மானிடத்தைப்*

புயலே எனக்கவி போற்றிசெய்யேன், பொன்னரங்கமென்னில்

மயலே பெருகும் இராமனுசன்மன்னு மாமலர்த்தாள்*

அயரேன் அருவினை என்னையெவ்வாறின்றடர்ப்பதுவே?

Thiruvarangathu Amuthanar in his glorious work contemplates that he shall seldom offer workship to any other God on earth, will not praise some mortal with high sounding words like  ‘you are akin to a cloud that gives rain’ – one shall never forget the lotus feet of our Acharyar  Sri Ramanujar who unbountiful love flows like a cloud on the mere mention of holy Thiruvarangam.  To those, karma can never approach nor do any harm.  

adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

23^rd Apr 2017.