Panguni Uthiram ~ Sri Ranganathar 2020

Panguni Uthiram ~ Sri Ranganathar 2020

Life has been thrown out of gear – today 6^th Apr 2020 is Uthram nakshathiram in the month of Panguni and is the concluding day of Pallava Uthsavam, celebrated as Panguni Uthiram – ‘Sri Ranganathar – Sri Vedavalli thayar’ thirukkalyanam at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam and serthi at various divyadesams.  Sad, we could not have darshan of Srimannathar in Kannadi Garudan and serthi.. .. ..

Divya dhampathigal serthi at Thiruvarangam

Sri Andal Rangamannar at Sri Villiputhur

Since the start of this century, two disease outbreaks have been caused by new coronaviruses that made the leap from animal hosts to people, mutating in the process to latch onto human cells.  Covid-19  is the third. Medical science is fighting back with the tools it has and building new defences.  Experts say that is a result of massive deforestation and expansion of farmland to supply food and other commodities to a human population that has more than doubled to 7.7 billion from 3 billion in the 1960s.  

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the WHO had called the 21st century “a long history of scourges”, pointing to the re-emergence of the plague, which killed 200 people in Madagascar in 2017, and the outbreak of new viral diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).

It is not all about the disease, deaths and news alone.  It would be the financial crippling that could hit Nations more.  Latest data reveals that the economic fallout from the pandemic has already started affecting the countries across the globe including the origin - with nearly half a million Chinese factories closing permanently in the first quarter. Exporters, already reeling under the disruption of global supply chains, are eyeing the space they believe China might concede in global trade.   While most billionaires have seen their fortunes shrink drastically amid a stock market rout brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and containment measures launched by governments, a handful have seen their wealth rise – significantly. According to research by Hurun Report calculating the pandemic’s impact on billionaires’ fortunes, Eric Yuan, the US-based founder and chief executive of Zoom, the video conferencing software company, saw his net worth skyrocket by US$3.5 billion – or 77 per cent – to US$8 billion. This makes him the fast riser of the past two months. Zoom has become ubiquitous as executives at companies around the world try to stay in touch while working from home.

While the World practices social distancing, Microsoft is advertising its platform – Microsoft Teams as a potential solution. There are some local shops which are thriving and extracting more from its regular customers – selling the same product at inflated rates.  It is hard for many as their livelihood is threatened while some try to thrive !

Moving away from all negativity -   Panguni Uthiram is a special day ... at Thiruvallikkeni, it marks Thirukkalyanam of Sri Vedavalli Thayar with Sri Mannathar (Sri Ranganathar); at Thiruvarangam, there is the Serthi of Divya thampathigal.......... and at Sri Villiputhur, occurs the famous Thirukalyanam of Sri Andal with Sri Ranga Mannar.  It was on this day, our Emperumanar (Udayavar) recited ‘Gadhya thrayam’ before the divya dhampathigal.

screen grab from ‘Goda Kalyanam’ a telugu TV  serial

பங்குனி உத்திரத்தில் முடியுமாறு ஐந்து நாட்கள் பல்லவ உத்சவம் நடக்கிறது. ஐந்தாம் நாள் - பங்குனி உத்திரத்தன்று ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதர் கருட சேவை. மிக அழகான கண்ணாடி கருடன் என்று அழைக்கப்பெறும் கருட வாஹனத்தில் ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதர் புறப்பாடு கண்டருளி, பெருமாள் உள்ளே எழுந்து அருளிய உடன்,  ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதர் வேதவல்லித்தாயார்   திருக்கல்யாணம்  நடைபெறுகிறது. திருக்கல்யாணம் முடிந்த பிறகு, 'கத்ரத்யம்' சேவிக்கப் பெறுகிறது.

இம்மைக்கு  ஏழேழ் பிறவிக்கும்  பற்றாவான் *

நம்மையுடையவன்  நாராயணன் நம்பி*

செம்மையுடைய திருக்கையால் தாள்பற்றி*

அம்மி மிதிக்கக் கனாக்கண்டேன்  தோழீ நான்*

In Nachiyar Thiromozhi, Andal elaborates Her dream marriage with the Paramapurusha, describing the rituals associated with the marriages.  She speaks of that Great Sriman Narayana, the One who owns us all, the One complete with all Kalyana Gunams; the One to whom we all should get attached not in this life but in all our births; Andal dreams of Her Divine Marriage with the Lord. ~ and that comes true on Panguni Uthiram day.

Here are some photos of Kannadi Garudan  purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni taken in yesteryears.

adiyen Srinivasadhasan. (S Sampathkumar)                                                                              6^th apr 2020

PS :  In earlier days, puranic and religious stories were being filmed.  Andal Thirukkalyanam was a Tamil film released in  1937 by Saradha Films, directed by R Prakash.  ‘Goda Kalyanam’ is a famous telugu TV serial.