Thiruvallikkeni ThirupPavithrothsavam 3 2023 - all about silk !!

How often do you buy Silk saree ? – what is costliest one ever bought by you ??

 

Silk is the strongest natural textile in the world. This textile was just recently surpassed in strength by a lab-engineered biomaterial, but it remains the strongest fabric made through natural processes. Westernization has made many  look more comfy in different attires  but traditional attires   continue to stand a step ahead.  In this Maha Bharath, especially Southern India - wearing saree comes up as a special affair it is  magic draped in nine yards.  Back in 2012 a saree made waves – it was not just pure silk alone it had  Navratna stones and gold embroidery.  Its makers were  Chennai Silks and was priced at Rs.40 lakh, entering the Guinness World Records.  That saree reportedly  had  navratna stones like diamond, emerald, ruby, yellow sapphire, sapphire, topaz, pearl, cat's eye and coral,  embroidered in metals such as gold, platinum and silver.  

 

இன்று 28.8.2023 திருவல்லிக்கேணி திவ்யதேசத்திலே திருப்பவித்ரோத்சவத்திலே மூன்றாம் நாள்.  ஸ்ரீபார்த்தசாரதி எம்பெருமான் சிறிய மாடவீதி புறப்பாடு கண்டருளினார்.  பல்வேறு உத்சவங்களில் ஆவணி மாதம் நிகழும் பவித்ரோத்சவம் சிறப்பு வாய்ந்தது. பவித்ரம் என்ற சொல்லுக்கு 'சுத்தம் அதாவது பரிபூரணமான அப்பழுக்கு இல்லாத ஒன்று' என்று பொருள் கொள்ளலாம்.   இன்று மாலை நம் ஸ்ரீபார்த்தசாரதி பெருமாள், பெரிய  அழகு மலர் மாலையுடன், கிரீடம்,  புதுப்பூணூல் சாற்றிக்கொண்டு அற்புத புறப்பாடு கண்டு அருளினார். இன்றைய படங்களிலே பெருமாள் பல வண்ணப் பட்டு மாலைகள் அணிந்து இருப்பதை சேவிக்கலாம். இவை பவித்ரம் என்று அழைக்கப்படுபவை.  

Silk has got a pride of place – silk sarees attract women, silk dhoties are ritualistic.  Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors. Silk is produced by several insects; but, generally, only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing.   

To those who would advise shunning silk due to killing of caterpillars – do read on.  Odisha has successfully piloted the Ahimsa Silk project which is an eco-friendly, cruelty-free alternative to the conventional fabric being used by silk connoisseurs. From 700 farmers across five districts last year, the department plans to rope in 3,000 farmers this year to grow it.  Close to 30,000 silkworms are boiled alive to weave a Pata or silk saree. But Odisha has decided to end the killing. A pilot project called ‘Ahimsa Silk’ initiated by the department of Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts, ensures that silkworms are not killed to make silk, unlike the traditional method under which it is extracted after boiling the cocoons with live worms inside. For this purpose, the department has adopted castor-based Ericulture reported Indian Express.

Ahimsa silk - also called peace, vegan or cruelty-free silk - is a gentle, non-violent method of making silk from Eri silkworms. It follows a process under which silkworms grow and feed on castor leaves for 18 to 20 days till they reach their final size. The worms then start to create their cocoon which takes another 9 to 10 days. They slowly transform into moths and once they fly out of the cocoons, the silk-making begins.  Each Eri silk cocoon has a continuous filament that has a usable length of 900 metres to 1 km that is freed by softening the sericin (a protein that binds the filament) and then unwinding the strands. These extremely delicate and thin silk strands are twisted together to form yarn. The peace silk shuns the violence. “Non-violence is one of the most important tenets of Hinduism. If one questions whether Lord Jagannath would love to wear clothes that are woven by killing innocent silkworms, the answer would be no. Hence, we decided to dedicate the Ahimsa silk to the Holy Trinity,” said an  official.

The Silk Routes were of great importance in the passage of not only goods and crafts but also of religions and ideologies throughout Central Asia, the Near East and Europe.   The literary, architectural and artistic effects of this can be traced today in the cultures of civilizations along the Silk Routes.  Moving away today is day 3 of Thiru Pavithrothsavam at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam and Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman dazzled wearing beautiful garlands and thiruppavithirams made of silken threads.

பேயாழ்வார் இடைகழியில் மற்ற இருவர் ஏற்றிய விளக்கினிலே பெருமாளை சேவித்து 'திருக்கண்டேன் பொன்மேனி கண்டேன்' என இசைத்தவர்.  அவரது வரிகள் இங்கே:  

விரும்பி  விண் மண்ணளந்த அஞ்சிறைய வண்டார்

சுரும்பு துளையில்  சென்றூத, அரும்பும்

புனந்துழாய் மாலையான் பொன்னங் கழற்கே,

மனம்துழாய் மாலாய் வரும்.

பூக்கள் மணமானவை; அழகானவை;  அவைகளை தொடுத்தால் கிட்டும்  அழகிய மாலையிலே,  சுறுசுறுவென இயங்கும்  சிறகுகளையுடைய வண்டுகள் துளையில் சென்று ஊத, அதனால்  அரும்புகள் உண்டாகப்பெற்ற மிக தூய நல்ல திருத்துழாய் மாலையை அணிந்தவனான எம்பெருமானுடைய பொன்னாங்கழல்கள் - சாதாரண திருவடிகள் அல்ல !   விண்ணுலகத்தையும் மண்ணுலகத்தையுமளந்த மிகவழகிய திருவடிகள்,  விஷயத்திலேயே எனது மனமானது லயித்து  அதனையே நினைத்து  மயங்கிக் கிடக்கின்றது. அந்த எம்பெருமானின் தங்க திருவடிகளையே சரணாக பற்றினேன் - எனக்கு எவ்வித குறையும் வாராது என அறுதியிடுகிறார் சுவாமி பேயாழ்வார்.

It is surrendering unto Him being guided by our Acaryas.  Prapatti is neither mere faith in the saving grace of Sriman Narayana  nor a mere prayer to Him for protection/ salvation / moksha. Prapatti would not  mean a mere surrender and a life centered around serving Sriman Narayana.  The concept of Prapatti encompasses all of this & is much much more. Though "Saranagathi" is in general used for denoting "surrender" – it is a life of ultimate surrender and living under the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana.  

Here are some photos of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal taken today evening. 

adiyen Srinivasadhasan. 
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
28.8.2023