Thiruvallikkeni Udayavar Uthsavam 8 – 2025 - mangalasasanam
Swami Emperumanar Thiruvavathara uthsavam day 8 – mangalasasanam
at Nammalwar sannathi.
இத்தரணியோர்க்கு உண்மை நன்ஞானம் உரைத்த இராமானுசன் திருவடிகளை பணிவோம்.
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Sri
Udayavar Pushpa pallakku 2025
@
gangaikondan mantap, Thiruvallikkeni
Passing of 365 days, adds an year to everyone – pic of 2016 – happy that these kids have grown up and are continuing kainkaryam at Thiruvallikkeni
Humble Pranams !! Sri U.Ve. Nallan Chakravarthi Rangarajan Swami
(Pachadi Parthasarathi Iyengar thirukumarar) at Yathugiri
Yathiraja Mutt this morning. Udayavar uthsavam
at Thiruvallikkeni day 6
28.4.2025
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"தஸ்மை ராமானுஜார்யாய நம: பரமயோகினே" ~ we fall at the feet of the Greatest of Acharyas who is hailed as the
King of all Sages. On day 6 of the Thiruvavathara Uthsavam of Emperumanar (Udayavar / Ramanujar]
– it is kuthirai vahanam. On this
uthsavam, every year I have been posting photos of Swami Ramanujar
astride a horse wearing ‘white silken robes’ with melancholy – for it was an
event in the life of Emperumanar which made us sad. This year
the post is slightly different !!
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Can you identify or make out what this picture is about ? Horses have a great role ! Kallazhagar entering Vaigai on horse is
famous, Arangan kuthirai vahana kona oyyali is adorable, Kaliyan adalma
entering Thirumanankollai is a great sight but not Swami Emperumanar on a horse
– that is more of a melancholic story !!
Horses have a preeminent placein mythology, movies and .. .. In Greek mythology, several heroes are closely associated with horses, often depicted as skilled riders and horse-tamers. Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War, is known as the "tamer of horses" and was gifted immortal horses by the Gods; Bellerophon tamed the winged horse Pegasus and used it to defeat the Chimera. Other notable examples include Heracles and his immortal horse Arion, and Poseidon, the god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes.
Bellerophon ["slayer of Belleros") or Hipponous was a
divine Corinthian hero of Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon and Eurynome,
and the foster son of Glaukos. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of
monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles".
Among his greatest feats was killing the Chimera of the Iliad, a monster that
Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail:
"her breath came out in terrible blasts of burning flame." Bellerophon
was also known for capturing and taming the winged horse Pegasus with the help
of Athena's charmed bridle, and earning the disfavour of the gods after
attempting to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus.
War Horse is a famous war drama film directed and produced by Steven
Spielberg, from a screenplay written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis that hit
the screens in 2011. It is based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel of the same
name and its 2007 stage adaptation. Set before and during World War I, its plot
follows Joey, a bay Irish Hunter horse raised by English teenager Albert as he
is bought by the British Army, leading him to encounter various people
throughout Europe, in the midst of the war and its tragedies.
Most likely that you have visited
our Rajdhani, the National Capital, New Delhi. You may be surprised to read that for the better part of the
19th century, the main railway route from Madras to Calcutta and Delhi was
through Bombay! The Madras-Bombay mail train carried through carriages
between Madras and Manmad which were detached at Daund. Passengers would then
be transferred to the Great Indian Peninsular Railway's Calcutta mail at
Manmad to proceed to the northern and the eastern parts of the country. Then came the Grand Trunk
Express .. .. GT Express
ran from 1st Apr 1929 after the construction of the
Kazipet-Balharshah section. As a prestigious train, it was one of the few
to have the early methods of air cooling by ice blocks. It also carried a
parcel van for urgent consignments. 'Grand Trunk' express commenced
operating as two through carriages running between Peshawar in the North
Western Railway (British India) and Mangalore in the South Indian
Railway.
Indraprastha ("Plain of
Indra" or "City of Indra") was
a flourishing city of the Kuru Kingdom. It was the capital of the kingdom
led by the Pandavas ~ compares to the present day New Delhi, particularly
the Old Fort (Purana Qila) Unlike the Southern parts of India, Delhi has seen
much of occupation and wars. By some accounts Delhi is known to
have been continuously inhabited since 6th century BC ~ and in most of
its history, it has been the capital of many kingdoms, starting from the days
of Pandavas when it was Indraprastha.
Chakrāvarti Yashwant Rao
Holkar (1776–1811) also known as Jaswantrao Holkar belonged to the
Holkar dynasty of the Maratha Confederacy was the Maharaja of the Indore. He
was a gifted military leader and educated in accountancy as well as literate in
Persian and Marathi and Urdu. In January 1799, Yashwant Rao Holkar ascended the
Holkar throne. At that time, in Delhi, the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam
II had become puppet monarch of his new masters, the British who successfully
replaced Marathas after defeating Sindhia. On 8 October 1804, to gain control
over the emperor, Holkar marched towards Delhi and attacked the army of Colonel
Ochterlony and Berne. The Siege of Delhi
(1804) lasted for more than a
week. In that siege, the important gates - Ajmeri Gate, Kashmiri Gate,
and Lahori Gate - saw stiff fighting."
Indian First war of
Independence too centered around Delhi. The siege of Delhi in 1857 was
from 8th June till 21st Sept. The
hard-fought recapture of Delhi by the British army was a decisive moment in the
suppression of the 1857–58 Indian Mutiny against British rule. It extinguished
Indian dreams of recreating the rule of the Mughal Empire. The rebellion lost
its cohesion, allowing the British to defeat any remaining isolated pockets of
resistance.
Because of that uprising,
the city once known for its resplendent culture of mushairas and poets
was to be reduced to one strewn with bodies of the dead. From a royal capital,
its status was relegated to that of a provincial town. The city recovered
itself only after 1911 and more so after Independence.
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Had
posted many times earlier at length on the significance of day 6 –
Kuthirai vahanam – vellai sarruppadi vaibhavam – of Swami Ramanujar astride a
horse wearing white robes - a
symbolic tradition when our Great Acharyar dons white garment and is seen
without trithandam. Symbolic of the travail and travel that Ramanujar had to
undertake donning the dress of a ‘grahastha’ instead of his reverred
kashaya. For a detailed post on ‘vellai sarruppadi’ – do read this :Udayavar Vellai Sarruppadi
Swami Emperumanar
travelled along the course of river Kaveri, went out of Cholanadu adorning
white dress and went places traversing Kongu nadu, reached
Thondanur, where he constructed a huge lake; thence reached Melukote
(Thirunarayanapuram) in Mandya district, where he performed many religious
discourses and brought in disciplined ways of temple management. More was to happen as Udayavar travelled
to Delhi to the Court of Delhi sultan where the uthsava vigraham of
"Ramapriyan" had been taken by the invading muslim ruler. The
vigraham (Chelva Pillai) when invited by Udayavar walked on its own and
sat on the lap of Udayavar.
It is our fortune that we
are in the lineage of such great Acaryas and have the fortune of worshipping
them and reciting the holy works of Azhwar, Acharyas. At Thiruvallikkeni on day
6 – Sri Udayavar on kuthirai vahanam wearing white silken robes halts
(mandagappadi) at Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt that is connected to Melukote
Thirunarayanapuram. Here – saffron robes (kashaya Uthareevam) and
garlands are offered to Swami Ramanuja. As Melukote is known for the thiruman
& sirchurnam that we adorn (Swami Ramanujar found them in abundance
in the hills of Thirunarayanapuram), they are distributed to Srivaishnavas.
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Swami Emperumanar lived
for 12 years at Melukote, administered the temple and did many kainkaryam
changing the fortunes of people living in that area. Let us fall at the feet of
our Acaryarn. Here are some photos of
Udayavar uthsavam day 6 of date.
ஸ்ரீமந் யதீந்த்ர!
தவ திவ்யபதாப்ஜஸேவாம் : என்றுமழியாத செல்வமுடைய யதிராஜரே அடியேனுக்கு
தேவரீருடைய திருவடித்தாமரைகளில் பண்ணும் கைங்கர்யத்தை, அருளவேணும் !!
ஆழ்வார் எம்பெருமானார் திருவடிகளே சரணம் -
நம் இராமானுஜன் திருவடிகளே சரணம்.
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PS : if you still
remember that pic at the start and could not decipher what it is ? - it
is Bellerophon Taming Pegasus, an outdoor sculpture by Jacques Lipchitz,
depicting Bellerophon and Pegasus. It was the final sculpture worked on by
Lipchitz, and was completed after his death in 1973. The work depicts the human figure of
Bellerophon, standing on a high plinth, tying a rope around the neck of the
thrashing Pegasus, whose tail, legs and wings splay dramatically around the
central figures. It has been interpreted as a representing man taming nature.
In the words of the artist, "You observe nature, make conclusions, and from
these you make rules… and law is born from that". It takes inspiration from Lipchitz's earlier
work, Birth of the Muses, which depicts Pegasus landing on Mount Olympus. The sculpture was commissioned by architect
Max Abramovitz for Columbia Law School in 1964.
It was cast in bronze at Pietrasanta in Italy, shipped in pieces to be
constructed in New York City, and dedicated on November 28, 1977. It is installed above the west entrance of
Jerome Greene Hall on Revson Plaza, on the Columbia University campus in
Manhattan. The 23 ton sculpture measures
approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m), and stands on a 27-foot (8.2
m) high pedestal, making it, after the Statue of Liberty, the second-largest
metal statue in New York City, as of 2022
ஆனை ... யானை ... அழகர்ஆனை ~ அழகான யானை .. நம்மிராமாநுசனுக்கு
சேவை பண்ணும் யானை ... #ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர் 2018 memory
Thiruvallikkeni
Emperumanar Udayavar Hamsa vahanam at Gangaikondan
Much blood has flown ~ sordid
Pahalgam ! some spiritual history of valley
–Swami Ramanujar connection.
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Much blood (not water) has flown under the bridge .. .. ! the Lidder river is a 73 km (45 mi) river situated in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir – originating from the Kolahoi Glacier and feeding the Jhelum River in Mirgund Khanabal, at an altitude of 1,615 metres (5,299 ft). Lidder is a corruption of the local Sanskrit name Lambodari (लम्बोदरी) meaning 'long bellied goddess'. The river originates from Kolhoi Glacier near Sonamarg and gives rise to Lidder Valley. It runs southwards through the alpine meadows of Lidderwat in the region of Aru, from which it got its name. It covers 30 kilometres (19 mi) before reaching Pahalgam where it joins the major tributary of the East Lidder from Sheshnag Lake. The waters of the river are mainly used for irrigation purposes through different canals and as drinking water processed by water treatment plants.
On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack at Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir killed at least 26 tourists and injured more than 20 others. The attack, the deadliest of its kind in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, specifically targeted Hindu tourists, aimed at resisting demographic changes in the Kashmir Valley. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The horrific killing of tourists that has left the meadows of Pahalgam stained with the blood of more than two dozen corpses produces a sickening sense vertigo — like the fall of the falcon, “turning and turning in the widening gyre.” Gory, gruesome, heinous crime on humanity as people were targeted for their religion.
Pahalgam is a town in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in the Vale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the headquarters of the Pahalgam tehsil, one of the eleven tehsils in Anantnag district. Located about 45 km (28 mi) from Anantnag, the town is a popular tourist destination and hill station. The town is the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath Temple, which takes place in July–August. Pahalgam literally means "village of the shepherds" in Kashmiri, with "Puheyl" meaning shepherd and "goam" meaning village. In Hindu literature, the region is mentioned as "Bailgaon", meaning "village of the bull", to indicate where Lord Shiva left his bull on the way to Amarnath.
Anantnag is the administrative headquarters of Anantnag district located at a distance of 53 kilometres (33 miles) from the capital Srinagar. "Anantnag" derives from the name of the spring at the southern end of the town, whose Sanskrit name Anantanāga was mentioned in the Nilamata Purana and other texts. According to the Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak, it is named after Ananta, the great serpent of Vishnu and the emblem of eternity. It is also called – Islamabad derived from the name of a Mughal governor Islam Khan who built a garden in the area.
The
gruesome attack makes the State take whatever action is necessary to bring the
perpetrators, and those who aid them, to justice. Yet, as India chooses the
next course of action, it will be difficult to shake off the sense of despair
this kind of terrorism produces. A successful military operation might be an
act of justice. It would restore a sense
of confidence in the capabilities of the state, and, in some quarters, satiate
a desire for revenge. The tragedy of the moment is that the bloody
frontier this act in Pahalgam has drawn will still shadow our political destiny.
Vedas are classified into two parts - Karma Kanda and Brahma Kanda. Karma Kanda, due to its vastness needed a briefing. Jaimini wrote Suthras (aphorisms) for the same. It was called as Purva Mimamsa. Similarly Brahma Kanda, due to its complexity, needed a briefing, as it might have resulted in misinterpretations. Veda Vyasa wrote aphorisms for the same. This is called as Brahma Sutra. Both Purva Mimamsa and Brahma Sutra needed further explanations. Thus came the Vritti(explanation) from Bodhayana for the Brahma sutra. A Vritti is a short gloss explaining the aphorisms in a more, elaborate way, but not as extensively as a Bhashya. Bodhayana Vritti had the reputation of being the most authoritative explanation of the Brahma Suthras.
Our greatest Acarya Swami Ramanuja wanted to write
Bhashyam to Braham sutra or Sage Veda Vyasa and wanted to read Bodhayana
Vriti. 1000 years ago, only one
copy was available and that was
in Kashmir. Emperumanar Ramanujar along
with his disciple Kuresa
visited Kashmir for Bodhayana Vritti. The pundits of Kashmir allowed him to read but not take away nor take
any notes. Kuresha who had photographic
memory was able to repeat the contents of the book .Using it Ramanujar
gave us “Sri Bashyam”. That is the spiritual connect of Kashmeeram
land with our Sampradhayam and our Acharyar.
When his most famous work was complete, Udayavar again visited Kashmir to dedicate ‘Sri Bhasya’
to Maa Sharda, the goddess of Learning.
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Recently in Oct 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha while inaugurating a branch of the Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt in Srinagar talked in detail about Ramanujacharya’s Kashmir connection while referring to latters philosophy of ‘Vishishtadvaita’ which preached love, peace, compassion, universal brotherhood and social equality. He drew reference to the 11th century visit of Ramanujacharya.. Acharyar with his disciple came on foot to Kashmir. Upon receiving them ,the King of Kashmir and his court-scholars were astounded by Ramanuja’s profound knowledge but expressed their reservations to even permit Ramanujacharya to make a copy of the text. It was after a long persuasion that Kashmir scholars, who possessed the only copy of this book in their library had allowed Ramanujacharya to merely thumb through the pages of the book. Kooresha is believed to have read it aloud from cover to cover and Ramanujacharya listened in silence. With the prodigious memory of Kuresar, began the composition of Sri Bhashya, the commentary on Bramha Sutras. The guru dictated and the disciple wrote it down. Ramanujacharya later came to be called ‘Sribhashyakara.’ After the completion of the work, students of Ramanujacharya wanted to fulfill their teacher’s mission to visit pilgrim centers. They visited distant holy places like Dwaraka and Badari and reached Kashmir. At the valley, Mata Sharda– the Goddess of learning is believed to have blessed him by presenting an icon of Hayagreeva.
Unbroken tradition (according to Parakala Mutt) has it that Sri Ramanuja got the gift of Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva’s image, worshipped in the Brahmatantra Parakala Matha of Mysore, directly from Sri Saraswati in recognition of the expounding of the Vishistadvaita system of philosophy before the assemblage of Pandits of Kashmir “Saraswati Peetham” about the beginning of the twelfth century, during his visit to that country, even as Sri Sankaracharya, under similar circumstances, got the image of Sri Sharada herself three centuries earlier. From Sri Ramanuja the image of §ri Hayagriva and, with it, the spiritual succession, passed on to Tirukkurukkaippiran Pillan. From Sri Pundarikaksha, a scion of that distinguished saint, who also had become the Rajaguru to the Vijayanagara Emperor, the image, with all attendant Imperial paraphernalia, passed on to later occupants of the Mutt.
On October 05, 2023 , Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Jagadguru Sri Ramanujacharya Saraswathi Bhandaram Digital Library and Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt Branch, Kashmir at Shivpora, Srinagar. In his address, the Lt Governor congratulated the Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt and followers of Jagadguru Sri Ramanujacharya. The Lt Governor recalled the immense contribution of Jagadguru Sri Ramanujacharya to the society. “Sri Ramanujacharya through his philosophy of vishishtadvaita preached love, peace, compassion, universal brotherhood and social equality. He showed the society path of righteousness, virtue and devotionalism that influenced 'Bhakti Movement',” the Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor also highlighted Sri Ramanujacharya ji’s deep spiritual connect with Kashmir. He said the Mutt's Kashmir Branch and treasure of eternal wisdom being made available through digital library will inspire us in building a peaceful and harmonious society. The Lt Governor commended the noble initiative to provide medical services at the Mutt’s Kashmir Branch.
H.H Sri Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar
Swami Ji of Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt, on behalf of the Mutt, expressed
gratitude to Lt Governor and the UT Administration for the support to the Mutt.
Senior officers of Army, Civil & Police administration, members of Sri
Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt, Saints and followers of Jagadguru Sri Ramanujacharya
were present.
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The beautiful valley Kashmeeram has been associated with Acaryas Shankaracharya and Swami Ramanujacharya and we pray that peace lives in the valley and it returns to its original glory. Here are some photos of Swami Ramanujar on day 3 of Thiruvavathara uthsavam at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam.
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Swami
Ramanujar uthsavam - mangalasasanam 2025
உடையவருக்கு
ஸ்வாமி நம்மாழ்வார் மரியாதை
https://youtu.be/KDy0iigj8mg?si=l9IraVL88Se70DRl
Years roll by, boys become Man, their kainkaryam continues …
holy land of Thiruvallikkeni
A pic taken in 2016
The concluding day of Chithirai Brahmothsavam is ‘Sapthavaranam’ and Sri Parthasarathi perumal has purappadu in Siriya Thiruther [known as vettiver chapparam]. 22nd Apr 2025 was the tenth day of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal Brahmothsavam at Thiruvallikkeni [Triplicane] divyadesam.
Around 0930pm there was siriya thiruther purappadu and there was this rendition in Nadaswaram, the Thiyagaraja keerthana - ‘aTu kaaraadani palka’ in raag – ManOranjani. Understand from my friend Lakshmi Narasimhan (yessel – famous Carnatic music critic) that this is also a Ekaika Kṛti Rāgam
aTu kArAdani palka-nabhimAnamu lEka pOyenA (aTu)
anupallavi
eTulOrtunu nE? dayajUDavayyA, EvElpu sEyu calamO telisi - (aTu)
caraNam
vEda shAstrOpanishad viduDaina nijapu dArini baTTi
dAsuDaina nAdupai nEpamincitE,tyAgarAjanuta - (aTu)
________________________________________
Meaning: Assure me, Lord, that it would not happen again. Do you not have that much concern for me? I am unable to bear this state of suspense. Can it be the deliberate design of an evil-minded deity? Well versed in scriptures, I have been steadfast in my duties by following the right path as your devotee. If you still find fault with me and abandon me I have no hope at all.
In this
Kriti ‘aTu kArAdani’ – Sri Thiyagaraja
begs Lord not to find fault with him. He laments that he is well versed in
Veda, Sastra, Upanishad and chosen the path of surrender unto Him and pleads
mercy to be shown by the Lord to him. :
Regards – Srinivasan Sampathkumar
The ThiruAvathara Uthsavam of the Greatest
Acharyar ~ Nammiramanusar – started today (23.4.2025) – in the morning
it was ‘Thanga pallakku’ and in the evening ‘Mangalagiri’.
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‘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.
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
adiyen Srinivasadhasan
(Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan
Sampathkumar)
23.4.2025
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