Pagal Pathu 2017 @ Vedasreni ~ Velachery Sri Yoga Narasimha Temple

A few centuries ago, the merchants of London had been yearning for a share in the riches of the Indian trade. Throughout the reign of the great Elizabeth, their longing for the gold of Ophir had been stimulated to the highest pitch by the successes of Spain and Portugal.  They went on sailing and exploring and failing too ~ but eventually landed in India in the garb of trade to rule them later.   500 years ago, Sir Thomas Roe was sent as an ambassador from James I to the great Jehangir ; and presented his Imperial Majesty with some English bulldogs, some famous red wine, and some English pictures. History books reveal that Jehangir approved mightily of the bulldogs. He drank so much of the red wine, that in the warmth of his heart he vowed that he would make no distinctions between the merchants, natives and his own people and thus opened the gate way.

India and our classic history existed much before British East India Company rule and much before Jehangir and other invaders ~ back home, sure you would have travelled by MRTS (parakkum rail) that operates from Chennai Beach to Velachery and has been hoping for another extention which would connect it to the Metro and the existing Tambaram – Beach EMU line.  The Velachery MRTS Station, a ground level station on the Chennai MRTS railway line was opened in Nov 2007.

Velachery once a tranquil place has developed so rapidly in the last 2 decades or so.  In earlier days the most famous landmark was the Gurunanak College and now it is Phoenix Mall,  where crowds throng.  Velachery has grown very rapidly and now has big show rooms, malls, inox theatres, eateries, gold shops, textile shops and much more.  Real estate prices have spiralled up ~ the main road and the hundred feet connecting Guindy to the north west are roads that are always choked. This is no post on the suburb or the history but on the beautiful Sri Yoga Narasimhar temple here. 

Legend has it that the chatur Vedas were worshipped here and hence it became Vedasreni, later tongue rolled into ‘Velachery’.  Another version is yagnas (வேள்விகள்) were performed here begetting the name Velachery.  

It is also known as ‘Vedanarayanapuram’ ~ and it houses a beautiful temple dedicate to Lord Narasima as Yoga Narasimha.  His consort is Amirthabalavalli thayar as in Ahobilam.  Uthsavar is Bakthavatsala perumal with ubaya nachimar.   There is Sri Vedanarayana Perumal with prayoga chakkaram, Kothandaramar, Andal, Hanuman, Azhwargal, Sri Ramanujar and Manavala Mamunigal. 

This morning had the fortune of worshipping here and today being day 7 of Pagal pathu uthsavam, Sri Bakthavathsala Perumal had Lakshmi Narayanar sarruppadi with Andal on his lap.  Here are some photos taken this morning.  

கந்த மாமலர் எட்டுமிட்டு நின்காமர்சேவடி கைதொழுதெழும்,

புந்தியேன் மனத்தே புகுந்தாயைப் போகலொட்டேன்,

எம்பெருமானுடைய அழகிய திருவடிகளிலே : கருமுகை, கற்பகம், நாழல், மந்தாரம், ஸௌகந்தி, செங்கழுநீர், தாமரை, தாழை என்பன மணம் மிக்க சிறந்த எட்டு வகைப் பூக்களையும் ஸமர்ப்பித்து, அவனது திருவடி தாளிணைகளை வணங்கி தொழுது  உஜ்ஜீவிக்கவேணுமென்கிற அவசியத்தினை உடைய என்னுடைய நெஞ்சிலே, வந்து புகுந்த எம்பெருமானை   இனி வேறோரிடம் போகவொட்டேன் ~ என  பகர்கிறார்  திருமங்கைமன்னன்.

திருவத்யயன பகல்பத்து உத்சவத்தில் ஏழாம் நாளான இன்று : திருவல்லிக்கேணி மற்றும் திவ்யதேசங்களிலே - கலியனின் பெரிய திருமொழி ~ மூன்று மற்றும் நான்காம் பாத்து அனுசந்திக்கப்பெற்றது.  இன்று காலை வேதச்ரேணி என பெருமை பெற்ற வேளச்சேரியில் உள்ள ஸ்ரீ யோக நரசிம்மர் திருக்கோவிலில் எம்பெருமானை சேவிக்கும் வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தது.  இன்று அங்கே எம்பெருமானுக்கு 'ஸ்ரீ லட்சுமி நரசிம்ம திருக்கோலம்’  பெருமாள் தனது தொடைகளில் ஆண்டாளை அமர்த்திக்கொண்ட திருக்கோலத்தில்  சேவை சாதித்தார்.

Tailpiece : though the land cost and the apartment costs have shot up, areas nearer MRTS and many other areas of Velachery were badly affected during Chennai rains in 2015; one cannot forget that Velachery virtually sits on many lakes.

Adiyen dhasan – S. Sampathkumar

25^th Dec 2017.