Thiruvallikkeni Sri Azhagiya Singar Garuda SEvai - people 2021

History is replete with chapters of human misery – of Nature’s fury, plague and other diseases, man’s avaricious wars and the like – the present situation was never envisaged ! (perhaps what ‘present’ is will have to be better defined).

By mid or end Mar 2020, life changed for people – we started hearing and had to practice lockdown, social distancing, masks, washing hands, bathing immediately on entering home, cleaning vegetables and more !  .. .. how is the situation in your area now ? – have you started going to Office and mingling with outside World.  In the city of Chennai as also in most other places, one could observe people roaming without face masks – some have forgotten so fast that some dreaded demon called Covid 19 existed – the precautionary measures all have been thrown to winds – though the nos. are still increasing in Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi.  

For so many decades – life was simple – individuals had their own problems but collectively we only thought of inflation, price rise, and something like that .. 2020 changed the way, the Globe thought and lived !  ..  Corona .. threatened humanity as it wiped out millions.    There are worrying signs that the resolve to continue adhering to the dos and don'ts of the times -- physical distancing, wearing masks and maintaining hygiene protocol is flagging.  Stress over lives disrupted and fear of contracting a disease that continues its relentless spread is a potent cocktail that has led to "caution fatigue" and even "avoidance behaviour", say experts as people everywhere seem to drop their guard against COVID-19.

Tamil Nadu recorded 489 positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the state tally to 8,52,967. Among these, Chennai reported 184 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,36,072. The state recorded two deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 12,504. Both of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 494 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,36,473. Ever imagined these numbers a few months back ? ? ? Globally 11,51,28,349 people had been affected by Covid 19 with 25,58,059 deaths.  USA tops the list with 2,88,04,121 / 5,18,079; followed by India 1,11,56,923/ 1,57,435; Brazil 1,07,18,630 / 2,59,271; Russia, 42,30,705/85,901; United Kingdom  41,94,785/ 1,23,783 deaths. Globally, the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has affected more than 115 million people, as per the John Hopkins Covid-19 tracker.

India has with the strategic plans, implementation and strict lockdown in the initial days has contained Corona well.  .. .. now Vaccines have come and the way India is handling it – distributing life-saving drugs to so many countries and in seamless distribution across the Country has really stood out.  The world's largest vaccination drive in India, which began on January 16, has cumulatively inoculated over 1.63 crore people, as of March 3. President Ram Nath Kovind,  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji, Mr Rajnath Singh, aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri,  and the likes of veteran cricketer Kapil Dev were also administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines.

ஸ்ரீமன் நாரணனே நமக்கு என்றென்றும் அழியாத நிதி. அவன் திருவடி நீழலில் உள்ளோர்க்கு எந்த தீங்கும் நடக்காது என்பது திண்ணம்.  இன்று திருவல்லிக்கேணி திவ்யதேசத்திலே அதிகாலையில் ஸ்ரீதெள்ளியசிங்கர், அற்புதரூபனாய் பெரிய திருவடி மீது அமர்ந்து சேவை சாதித்து அருளினார்.  கருடன் மீது ஸேவைஸாதிக்கின்ற பெருமானுடைய திருவடிகளிலேயே நெஞ்சே! நீ பக்திபண்ணு  என பேயாழ்வார் நமக்கு வழி காட்டுகிறார்.  இந்த கடின காலத்தில் வெகு சீக்கிரத்தில் எல்லா துயர்களும் முற்றிலும் நீங்கி, இயல்பு வாழ்க்கை திரும்பவேணுமென நம் தெள்ளியசிங்கத்தை பிரார்த்திப்போம்.

Garuda Seva,  is a day of masses ~ teeming crowds, chanting the name of Lord Sriman Narayana, offering him everything including hundreds of vasthrams – all roads would read Mada veethis as people rush to have darshan of Lord on Garuda and enjoy the aesal and other festivities. Sriman Narayana appears riding on the mighty Garuda – to  Thirumylai Peyazhwar -  it is akin to  a glorious dark raincloud lit by a lightning, the most merciful Saviour of the Universe – Emperuman with lotus dame Sri Mahalakshmi on his chest – provides darshan seated on Periya thiruvadi Garuda.  

On the glorious Garuda Seva time, we  fall at the feet of the Acharyars through whom only we can reach our Emperuman.  At Thriuvallikkeni divyadesam, this morning @ 05:30am there was Gopura vassal sevai and periya mada veethi purappadu thereafter.    ~ one will have to be at Thiruvallikkeni, to see devotion and commitment of people.  Here are some photos of Sri Azhagiya Singar Garuda sevai purappadu, sripadhamthangigal, vadhyam  and other people. 

adiyen Srinivasadhasan. (S. Sampathkumar)
4.3.2021.