Masi Magam 2021` ~ Sthalasayana Perumal Garuda Sevai

Today (27.2.2021) is a great day ~ Masi Magam – a day on which the Ocean (Bay of Bengal) becomes much happier – for Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman visits bay of Bengal at Marina beach. .. .. Masi Magam is very grandly celebrated in many places .. .. and this is another divyadesam situate on Bay of Bengal !

The vast expanse of Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman Islands of India and Myanmar and the Nicobar Islands of India. .. .. there are many ports on the Bay of Bengal.

Of the many kingdoms of Tamil Nadu, Pallavas ruled Thondaimandalam having Kanchipuram as their capital city. Pallavas fought a series of wars in the northern Vengi region, before Mahendra varma decimated his chief enemies at Pullalur. Tamil literature flourished under his rule, and he was succeeded by his famous son - Narasimhavarma I in 630 CE. Narasimha varma also known as Mamallan (great wrestler) and during his reign, in 640 AD, the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram ~ and he is ever remembered for those great works of art at Mahabalipuram. The town was originally called Mamallai or Kadalmallai.

Once the hub of trade and commerce in ancient and early medieval India, Mahabalipuram is now a well-known tourist destination, owing to its many heritage structures that fall under the UNESCO Group of Monuments. It was earlier a thriving sea port of the Palalvas. Among the textual references are – Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century CE), a Greek navigation book, that mentions Mamallapuram, calling it a thriving port; while Ptolemy (2nd century CE), refers to Mahabalipuram as Malange. Hiuen Tsang (7th century CE) in his travel records also talks of Mamallapuram, terming it as a Pallava sea-port.

To us this place is of great significance as Tirumangai Azhwar did mangalasasanam for the Perumal here. Sri Sthalasayana Perumal Thirukovil is at Thirukkadanmallai ~ in case the name does not ring a bell – it is more famously known as Mahabalipuram (simply Mamallapuram), an architectural marvel. As the visitors alight for those magnificent sculptures – stands the ancient temple, a divyadesam. It is at this divyadesam our Boothathazhwar was born. Thiruvavathara uthsavam of Bootath Alwar gets celebrated in the month of Aippasi (Oct-Nov).

மாசிமகம் என்பது மாசிமாத பௌர்ணமியுடன் கூடிவரும் மகநட்சத்திர நாளில் கொண்டாடப்படும் ஒரு சிறப்பான நாளாகும். அன்றைய தினம் கடலாடும்விழா என்று கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது. சில இடங்களில் பெருமாள் திருக்குளங்கள் போன்ற நீர்நிலைகளுக்கு எழுந்து அருள்வதும் உண்டு. இந்நன்னாளில் எம்பெருமான் கூடச்சென்று தீர்த்தவாரி முடிந்தவுடன் - கடல், குளம், ஏரி போன்ற நீர்நிலைகளில் தீர்த்தமாடுவது சிறந்தது.

Being Masi Magam – this morning Sthalasayana Perumal [Sri Ulaguyya Ninraan] had purappadu on Garuda Sevai and had theerthavari at the seashore. There was Chakrathazhvaar theerthavari. Thousands of people rejoiced the occasion and had holy bath in the ocean.

On this day – let us fall at the feet of Sri Boothath Azhwar and reach Emperuman by singing His glories and more specifically his prabandham ‘Irandam thiruvanthathi’ part of Iyarpa

திறம்பிற்றினியறிந்தேன் தென்னரங்கத் தெந்தை*

திறம்பா வழி சென்றார்க் கல்லால், - திறம்பாச்*

செடிநரகை நீக்கித்தான் செல்வதன்முன், வானோர்*

கடிநகர வாசற் கதவு.

பிறிதொரு தெய்வம் யாவையும் உபாசிக்காமல், தென்னரங்கத்திலே பள்ளிகொண்ட அந்த அரங்கநாதனே கதி என்றிருப்பாருக்கு - மிக்க அறணையுடைய அற்புத மாநகரத்தின் கதவுகள், தாமாகவே திறக்கும் என்கிறார் : பூதத்தாழ்வார்

Sri Boothathazhwar guides us the easiest way to reach the abode of Sriman Narayana. He tells us that to have the strong doors of Sri Vaikundam open, one should relinquish other faiths and fall at the feet of that Lord of Thennarangam – Sri Ranganathar.

Here are some photos of the purappadu taken by my brother S. Sundararajan.

~adiyen Srinivasa dhasan. (Mamamdur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar)
27.2.2021.