Thiruvallikkeni Irapathu Uthsavam 1 2020 ~ what is being missed !!

Thiruvallikkeni - Iraapathu Uthsavam 2020 – day 1   - 

திருவல்லிக்கேணி இராப்பத்து  உத்சவம்  1

 

From 6.1.2020 to 25.12.2020 – what can go wrong .. the whole World knows.  Though the news of Corona virus started tickling down around this time last year, not many cared for the same.  By Mid Mar 2020 – India had few confirmed cases and our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji announced lockdown from 24.3.2020.

 

WHO was so secretive and protective of the interests of the place of origin of the dreaded virus and named it Covid 19.  Now after an year, life is yet to return to normal !  .. .. now comes the news of the new COVID-19 strain   discovered in the United Kingdom,  fresh ear has taken over as the new coronavirus variant is found to be more transmissible. Recently, another variant of coronavirus was also found in the UK. However, both the variants are restricted to the UK only, so far. But, with people coming to India from the UK, one cannot rule out the possibility of the new viral strain coming to India.  There are some reports of eight people who have returned from the UK  have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus – the State which was prematurely awarded for containing Covid and is now having its daily numbers much more than TN, UP and most States. 

Moving away, there has been lot of good news – the exponential rise in COVID-19 recoveries in tandem with lower daily infections has resulted in a consistent decline in India’s active caseload, which presently stands at 2,81,667, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. The active cases comprise 2.77 per cent of the country’s total infections, it said. India’s total number of recovered cases is nearing 97.5 lakh (97,40,108) and the cumulative COVID-19 recoveries are the highest in the world, the ministry said. The recovery rate has crossed 90 per cent in all states and union territories, it added. Since the last 29 days, the daily recoveries recorded in the country have been more than the daily cases. 

In a major development, Dadar did not report any new case of coronavirus on Saturday, for the first time since April 30. According to the information shared by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the caseload of Dadar now stands at 4,750 while the number of active cases is 102.  The slum-clusters of Dharavi in the city  did not report a single infection on Friday for the first time since April 2o20!

 

 

இன்று 25.12.2020  வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசி நன்னாள்.   ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவ உலகம் கொண்டாடும் ஓர் அற்புத நாள். இன்று முதல் பத்து நாள்கள் அனைத்து கோயில்களிலும் எம்பெருமான்,  சடகோபராகிய நம்மாழ்வார் அருளிய தமிழ் மறையாம்  திருவாய்மொழியை அனுபவித்து பத்தாம் நாள் நம்மாழ்வார் அனுபவித்த பரமபத அனுபவத்தை 'திருவடி தொழல்' எனும் நிகழ்வில் காரிமாறனை திரும்ப அளித்து நமக்கு அருள் செய்வான்.  பத்து நாட்கள் பகல் பத்து உத்சவம் முடிந்து, இன்று முதல் இராப்பத்து.

 

On the day of Vaikunda Ekadasi in the morning @ around 04.30am  Sri Parthasarathi bedecked in precious jewels entered Paramapada vassal … .. sadly in most divyadesams devotees were not allowed to have His darshan on this great occasion. In some temples, TN Govt banned entry citing Corona and imposed Sec 144 stating that devotees cannot  enter temple  - cannot but point out the bias on the same day – when hundreds of people were allowed to congregate and celebrate in churches – pseudo-secularism ! .. .. the photos at the start reminisce yesteryears when thousands of devotees waited patiently for His darshan.

Every year in  Irapathu  Thiruveethi purappadu, all the 10 days, ‘Upadesa Rathinamalai’  of Acharyar Sri Manavala Maamunigal would be  recited. After the conclusion of the Purappadu, inside the temple before the Lord in the Grand sabha of all Azhwars and Acharyas, every day 100 songs from the Thiruvoimozhi of Nammazhwaar gets recited. 

 

                        This year, HR&CE that manages the temples and its funds, is yet to take any initiative – so there would be no veethi purappadu for Irapathu.  No purappadu, no devotees !  .. .. how sad !!  -   however  there was thirumanjanam and   ‘muthal pathu’ of Thiruvaimozhi was rendered around 11.15 pm.

 

Here is how Swami Nammalwar guides us in His path, advising us to stay away from useless earthly matters – simply think of Him, follow Him .. ..

 

கழிமின்  தொண்டீர்கள் கழித்துத்*  தொழுமின்   அவனைத் தொழுதால்

வழிநின்ற வல்வினை மாள்வித்து*  அழிவின்றி ஆக்கம் தருமே.

 

தொண்டர்களே!  - ஒரு பயனும் இல்லாமல் கழிந்து செல்லும் பிரயோஜனமில்லாத  இதர   விஷயாந்தர பற்றை அகற்றி விடுங்கோள்; அவற்றை  கழித்துவிட்டு - அற்புத பூதனான ஸ்ரீமன் நாரணனை தொழுங்கள்;  அவ்வாறு அவனை  தொழுதமாத்திரத்தினால் , ஜன்ம பரம்பரையாய்த் தொடர்ந்து நின்ற வலிய பாவங்களை ஒழித்து  சாச்வதமான சிறந்த அற்புத செல்வத்தை தனது பக்தர்களுக்கு தந்தருள்வன் நம் எம்பெருமான் என்கிறார் சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வார்.

 

 From this day on,  Paramada vassal will be opened in the evening with Swami Nammalwar receiving Him during ulpurappadu around 0545 pm – Thiruvaimozhi will be rendered around 8 pm by which time devotees would be sent out.  Every year, on the holy Vaikunda Ekadasi – Irapathu day 1 purappadu will take place midnight.  Here are photos of Sri Parthasarathi and Swami Nammalwar taken in Jan 2020.   

No purappadu, festivities sans devotees makes a sad reading .. .. we pray that sooner things return normal and we are able to enjoy the purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni.  

Azhwar, Emperumanaar, Jeeyar Thiruvaidgale saranam.

 

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan – S. Sampathkumar.
25.12.2020