Sri Ramanujar Uthsavam 2021 day 1 Evening Mangalagiri purappadu

The ThiruAvathara Uthsavam of the Greatest Acharyar ~ Nammiramanusar   – started today (9.4.2021) – in the morning it was ‘Thanga pallakku’ and in the evening ‘Mangalagiri’ – and as I post this there is more than a tinge of sadness !

 

‘YathiRajar’ ~ the king among yathis [hermits and sages],   travelled all the way by foot to far-flung places making the Srivaishnavatie tradition flourish in all his path.   The more one thinks and reads of him, more one is over-awed by his great qualities and knowledge. 

Strange are the ways of people – 2021 repeating 2020 !  last year people globally suffered as Covid-19 challenged and threw  the World out of gears stopping people movement and ruining the economy.  Around this time last year, most main cities were under lockdown – and people were forced to remain inside.  Now this April 2021 has dawned rather badly – with cases rising unabatedly in what is described as second wave.  Besides Maharashtra, maximum cases are getting reported from Jharkhand, Delhi and Kerala – Tamil Nadu too is getting affected badly.  The state government has said it will impose night curfew and additional restrictions if there is no reduction in cases. On Friday, TN added 5,441 cases and 23 deaths to its Covid-19 registry. After 1,890 patients were discharged, there were 33,659 active cases. The state’s case tally touched 9,20,827 and the cumulative death toll reached 12,863.  Situation is rather bad, but people still are not understanding ! 

We fall at the feet of our Acharya seeking good for the society.  Swami Ramanuja was a great philosopher, our Acaryar was the most able administrator too.  He undertook control of Thiruvarangam temple, made corrective measures and ensured that the systems would flow down for centuries.  Thirumala temple too benefited by him, so did temples at Melukote and more ..  

நம் ஆசார்யர் இராமாநுஜர் சிறந்த வேதாந்தி, தொலைநோக்கு பார்வை கொண்டவர், பெரிய நிர்வாகியும் கூட. திருவரங்கம் கோயிலின் நிர்வாகத்தை ஏற்று, அதை முற்றிலும் சீர்படுத்தி திருக்கோவிலை செம்மைப்படுத்தி, நியமனங்களை,  நெறிமுறைகளை உண்டாக்கியவர்.  கோவில் நிர்வாகத்தில் பல துறைகளை உருவாக்கி அததற்கு  சரியான ஆட்களையும் நியமித்தார்.  இவர் வகுத்துக் கொடுத்த கோயில் நடைமுறைகள்தான் திருமலையிலும் கடைப்பிடிக்கப்படுகின்றன.  மேல்கோட் திருநாராயணபுரத்தில் தங்கி இருந்து திருக்கோவிலையும், அன்றைய அரசவையும், பரிபாலித்து, தொண்டனூரில் மிகப்பெரிய ஏரி ஒன்றை உருவாக்கி, பாசனத்தையும் சீர்படுத்திய மஹான் நம் எம்பெருமானார்.

நயவேன் ஒரு தெய்வம் நானிலத்தே சில மானிடத்தைப்*

புயலே எனக்கவி போற்றிசெய்யேன், பொன்னரங்கமென்னில்

மயலே பெருகும் இராமனுசன்  மன்னு மாமலர்த்தாள்*

அயரேன் அருவினை என்னையெவ்வாறின்றடர்ப்பதுவே?

 

Thiruvarangathu Amuthanar in his glorious work contemplates that he shall seldom offer worship to any other God on earth, will not praise some mortal with high sounding words like  ‘you are akin to a cloud that gives rain’ – one shall never forget the lotus feet of our Acharyar  Sri Ramanujar who unbountiful love flows like a cloud on the mere mention of holy Thiruvarangam.  To those, karma can never approach nor do any harm.   

Here are some photos taken during the evening purappadu on day 1 at Thiruvallikkeni divaydesam – Emperumanar in Mangalagiri – one cannot control one’s tears thinking of the fact that there would be no further purappadu – so Emperumanar uthsavam and sarrumurai would happen only inside temple.  This year was a rare one with the possibility of Sri Ramanujar (reincarnation of Lakshmana) having purappadu with Sree Ramapiran as the thiruvavathara uthsam ran partly concurrent with Sree Rama Navami – alas, we cannot have darshan of such a wonderful purappadu. 

Hope Corona is controlled and things are back to normalcy sooner.  Vaccinate yourself, stay safe, stay at home, do not venture out unnecessarily. Praying for the welfare of us all.

 

adiyen Srinivasadhasan (Mamandur Srinivasan Sampathkumar)
9.4.2021.