Thiruvallikkeni
Theppothsavam 2020 - Masi Amavayai
A ship or a boat is a
contraption that can float and move on the ocean, a river, or any
waterbody, either through its own power or using power from the elements (wind,
waves, or Sun). Plain steel would sink in water immediately, as would a wrecked
steel ship ! The reason that a ship
floats is that it displaces a lot of water. The displaced water keeps pushing
the ship upwards – this force is called the buoyancy force. The more
water that is displaced, the stronger the buoyancy force is which pushes the
object up. Any object dipped into water experiences two forces: the
gravity force which pulls it down due to its weight, and the buoyancy force
which pushes it up. If these forces are equal, then the object floats. This is
about the divine float – the Theppam for Lord Sriman Narayana
ஸ்ரீராமனின் காதை
"இராமாயணம்" ஒரு அற்புத காவியம். கம்ப நாட்டாழ்வான் - கங்கைகாண் படலத்திலே
- ஸ்ரீராமனுக்காக, குகன் கொணர்ந்த நாவாய்களின்
அழகை இவ்வாறு விவரிக்கிறார்.
நங்கையர் நடையின் அன்னம் நாண் உறு
செலவின் நாவாய்,
கங்கையும் இடம் இலாமை மிடைந்தன-கலந்த
எங்கும்,-
அங்கொடு, இங்கு, இழித்தி ஏற்றும் அமைதியின்,
அமரர் வையத்து
இங்கொடு அங்கு இழித்தி ஏற்றும் இருவினை
என்னல் ஆன.. .....
பெண்கள் நடைபோன்ற நடையையும்;
அன்னப் பறவைகள் நாணப்படும்படியான நீரிற் செல்லுதலும் உடைய, நாவாய்; அக்கரையில்
உள்ளாரை இக்கரையில் ஏற்றி இறக்கும்தன்மையினால்; தேவருலகமாகிய அவ்வுலகத்தோடு;
இவ்வுலகில் உள்ளாரை ஏற்றிச்செல்லும் புண்ணியம் பெற்றவையாக, பெருங்கடல் போன்ற புண்ணிய
கங்கை நதியிலும் கூட இடமில்லையோ எனும்படி எல்லா இடங்களிலும் நிறைந்து இருந்தனவாம்.
In the divyadesam of Thiruvallikkeni, the tamil month of Masi has special
significance. On the Full moon [Pournami day and Magam Nakshathiram] Sri
Parthasarathi Swami visits the shores of Marina, famously known as Masi
Magam. Perhaps this is the time that signifies the onset of summer
and it is time for cooling the Lord. On Masi New moon [Amavasyai] starts
the float festival at Thiruvallikkeni. The tank of Sri
Parthasarathi Swami is famous ~ it is ‘Kairavini Pushkarini’… the pond
of Lily – ‘allikkeni’ from which the place itself derives its name (~ and
my blog is titled Kairavini Karaiyinile literally meaning
on the banks of holy Kairavini, the temple tank).
The tank has added significance attributed to the birth of “Yathi Rajar” –
Swami Ramanujar due to the penance undertaken by Kesava Somayaji and
Kanthimathi ammal. Pushkarinis were developed closely associated with temples.
The water from the tank was once used daily for thirumanjanam and all other
religious functions of the Lord. The conclusion of Brahmotsavam would be by ‘theerthavaari’
the sacred bath at the tank.
Every year there is
the ‘theppam’ – the float festival. A floating structure
gets spruced up, made of drums, timber and ornated beautifully. Perumal comes
to the temple tank in purappadu and is placed majestically inside the
float. The beautifully lit theppam is dragged around in water. Devotees in
hundreds converge, sit everywhere on the steps of the temple tank to have
darshan of the Lord on theppam. In olden days, the shops springing up for the
occasion were of added attraction.
The annual float festival of
the Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple starts every year on Masi Ammavasai day and
is a 7 day affair. In my young days, the tank was much bigger and would
brim with water – so the size of the float also used to be much bigger. Now a
days, the float is much smaller in size, the grandeur of the
festival has only increased though. Now a days it is only 5
rounds around the temple tank in the float.
This year the Theppa Utsavam
began on Sunday, 23th Feb 2020 and here
are some photos of the Theppam.
adiyen Srinivasadhasan. [S.
Sampathkumar]
29.3.2020
·
PS: using the same template (I wrote) of last year and posting with this year photos
·
- delayed posting !
No comments:
Post a Comment