Sri Parthasarathi Perumal Muthangi ~ some history !!

 

சமீப காலகட்டத்தில், பெருமாள் புறப்பாடுகள் பலராலும் புகைப்படம், மற்றும் காணொளி என வலைத்தளங்களில் வலம் வருகின்றன.  முந்தைய நூற்றாண்டின் திருவல்லிக்கேணி புகைப்பட கலைஞர்களில் திரு தஞ்சை மூர்த்தி பிரபலமானவர்.  கைரவிணி திருக்குளத்தின் வடக்கு குளக்கரை தெருவில் இவரது புகைப்பட ஸ்டூடியோ அமைந்து இருந்தது.  This post has some photos of 1983 !!

நம் எம்பெருமானுடைய  கடாக்ஷம் பெறப்பெறின்  எத்தகைய மனக்களிப்பு உண்டாகும் ? முத்துக்களோ, வைரங்களோ, நன்பொன்னோ  ~ வேறு ஏதும் விலை மிக அதிகமான பொருளோ ? - நமக்கு எதிலே நாட்டம் ?? ஐயம் கிஞ்சித்தும் உளதோ ??  :  சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வாரின் வைர வரிகள் : 

*பெருங்கேழலார் தம்  பெருங்கண் மலர்ப்புண்டரீகம்

நம்மேல் ஒருங்கே (பிறழுவதே) **

~  அன்று  பிரளய  வெள்ளத்திலழுந்தின பூமியை மீட்டு எடுத்த மஹாவராஹ ரூபாய மயமானவர்,  எம்பெருமான் தம்முடைய பெரிய செந்தாமரைப்பூப் போன்ற திருக்கண்களை, தன்னை குளிர நோக்கினமை நம்மாழ்வார் கூறியவாறு,  நம்மேல் வைத்த கடாக்ஷத்தை பற்றி மட்டுமே பேருவகை கொள்தல் நலம். 

 

The history of Chennai, is far older than British settlements, the  black town area came to be known as George Town from 1911 in honour of  King George V when he was crowned,  the Emperor of India.  The Western part of George Town is the Muthialpet area, traversed by couple of  roads running from Madras High Court to Clive Battery, nearer Royapuram Railway.   One among the many lanes is  Pavalakkaran Street housing Sri Venugopala Temple.  It was once the place where diamond and coral trade flourished.  

The Jews imported corals, both in the form of beads and in rough. The place in Muthialpet where they lived was known as Pagadalpet [Coral-town] dating back to 1700s.   A book titled – ‘The English Gentleman Merchant at Work: Madras and the City of London 1660-1740’ by Soren Mentz, mentions that the financial crisis affecting the English market even ruined some of the private merchants in Madras, through respondentias, as they suffered financial losses when the Captains were declared bankrupt.  After a voyage to Madras in 1721, Captain Martin was declared bankrupt and private merchants like John Adams lost their investment. 

Pearls are attractive.  Palliative care is an approach, an ethic, a multi-disciplinary sub-speciality, not just a new element that can be added and stirred into health systems. Pearl jewellery that glitters needs to be taken care of nicely.    Such news may not be of any interest to us ~ but this dress adorned by Emperuman, made of Pearl [Muthangi] certainly does. On day 5 of annual Pavithrothsavam at Thiruvallikkeni, Emperuman adorned Muthangi.

திருவல்லிக்கேணி திவ்யதேசத்தில்  நடை பெறும் பல்வேறு உத்சவங்களில் ஆவணி மாதம் நிகழும் பவித்ரோத்சவம் சிறப்பு வாய்ந்தது. பவித்ரம் என்ற சொல்லுக்கு 'சுத்தம் அதாவது பரிபூரணமான அப்பழுக்கு இல்லாத ஒன்று' என்று பொருள் கொள்ளலாம். திருப்பவித்ரோத்சவம் ஆவணி மாதம் ஏழு நாட்கள் நடை பெறுகிறது. இன்று 26.8.2026  பவித்ரோத்சவ ஐந்தாம் நாள் புறப்பாட்டின் போது ஸ்ரீ பார்த்தசாரதி முத்தங்கி அணிந்து அற்புத சேவை அளித்தார். 

The photographer  referred to in the first para,  Sri  Thanjai Moorthi devotedly offered  an ornate Muthangi for Emperuman in 1983 – for years Emperuman adorned that beautiful ornament in many purappadus.  Later in 1995 Thiru Thanjai Murthi again made a sacred offering of renewed Muthangi.

First are the photos of Muthangi samarpanai to Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman by Thanjai Moorthi & family in 1983.  The last three photos (below) are of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal Pavithrothsava purappadu day 5 on 26.8.2026

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan

Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar  

“granite gallops—the immortal horsemen of Srirangam’s Sesharaya Mandapam.”

 

“granite gallops—the immortal horsemen of Srirangam’s Sesharaya Mandapam.”

அரங்கனார்க்கு ஆட்செய்யாதே அளியத்தேன் அயர்க்கின்றேனே. !!!

The holy Thiruvarangam is an island, a kingdom of Thiruvaranga Chelvan – the prime temple for Srivaishnavaites. As we happily have darshan of Thiruvarangar, Ranganayaki thayar, Chakkarathazhwar and .. .. and come for darshan of Emperumanar Ramanujar  - there is architectural beauty of 1000 kaal mandapam and Sesharaya Mandapam.  

The Horsemen of Srirangam stand eternally poised between stillness and motion. Horses rear, warriors strike, attendants grapple and fierce creatures resist—all within a single mass of granite. The sculptor has not merely portrayed a battle; he has arrested its most dramatic instant and made it endure for centuries. Here, stone does not remain still—it gallops!

A magnificent rearing horse, its warrior firmly holding the reins and weapon, springs forth from a monolithic pillar of the Sesharaya Mandapam at Srirangam, overlooking the famous  Vellai gopuram. Even the smaller attendants and the creature beneath the horse are rendered with remarkable vitality. Behind this warm-toned sculptural drama rises the pristine white gopuram—a beautiful juxtaposition of the temple’s architecture and artistry.

Centuries have passed, yet the horse appears ready to leap, the warrior ready to strike, and the entire battle ready to resume!  The Sesharaya Mandapam—also called the Seshagiriraya Mandapam—is one of the sculptural marvels of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam. Situated near the Thousand-Pillared Hall in the fourth prakaram, it is generally attributed to the late Vijayanagara–Nayaka period, around the sixteenth century.

Its celebrated pillars portray rearing horses carrying armed warriors, accompanied by attendants and locked in dramatic combat with wild or mythical creatures. These are not merely decorative carvings: the raised forelegs, taut reins, flying ornaments and poised weapons create an astonishing impression of movement in unyielding granite. The northern portion of the mandapam is noted for about forty such leaping animal-and-rider compositions carved into monolithic pillars.  

Srirangam suffered two devastating incursions from the Delhi Sultanate in the early fourteenth century. The first is associated with Malik Kafur’s southern campaign of 1311. The far more destructive second invasion, remembered in Sri Vaishnava tradition, occurred around 1323, when an army associated with Ulugh Khan—the son of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughluq and the future Muhammad bin Tughluq—entered the Tamil country.

According to the temple chronicle Kōyil Oḻugu and later Guruparamparā traditions, the army attacked Srirangam when a large number of devotees had assembled there. Priests, scholars and Sri Vaishnavas remained within the temple and many were slaughtered. Tradition remembers the calamity as “Pannīrāyiravar Muḍi Tiruttiya Paṇḍri Aḻagiyān”—the invasion in which twelve thousand heads were severed. The figure of 12,000 belongs primarily to temple tradition; while the killing and devastation are historically accepted, the exact number cannot be independently verified from contemporary Sultanate records.

The invasion was therefore not merely the plunder of a wealthy temple; it was aimed at shattering entire sacred community—its worship, scholarship, administration and living traditions. Namperumal remained away from Srirangam for decades, returning only after Vijayanagara power re-established security in the region, traditionally dated to 1371.

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
24.8.2026

 

Andal Thiruvadipura Sarrumurai 2026 ~ some history of 14th August

 

Andal Thiruvadipura Sarrumurai purappadu 2026

Today is 14th August ! - 14th august, for India,  is steeped history and lot of bloodshed. It is not merely the eve of Independence Day. It was the day on which the final hours of British India unfolded, Pakistan came into being, and the Constituent Assembly of India prepared for the midnight transfer of power.

On 14 August 1947, Lord Mountbatten travelled to Karachi, where Muhammad Ali Jinnah was sworn in as the first Governor-General of Pakistan. Mountbatten then flew back to Delhi for the Indian ceremonies.   Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Constituent Assembly assembled at 11 p.m. on 14 August. At midnight, India would cease to be under British rule. Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech in the early hours of 15 August.

The original legal date of independence for both India and Pakistan was 15 August 1947. Pakistan began observing 14 August from 1948. One reason was that the formal transfer ceremony in Karachi had taken place on 14 August, allowing Mountbatten to attend it and still reach Delhi for India's midnight ceremony.   We don’t celebrate this day – it is   Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, reminding us the enormous human suffering accompanying Partition—mass migration, communal violence and loss of life.  

Turns the annals of History, on  14 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito finally accepted the Allied terms of the Potsdam Declaration and Japan agreed to unconditional surrender. The Japanese government communicated its acceptance to the Allies.   That evening in Tokyo, Hirohito recorded his famous radio message to the Japanese people. It was secretly recorded around 11 p.m. on 14 August and was broadcast at noon on 15 August. It was the first time the Japanese public had ever heard the Emperor's voice.

There was even a dramatic last-minute coup attempt by Japanese military officers during the night of 14–15 August, aimed at preventing the broadcast and continuing the war. It failed. Even after Japan had decided to surrender on 14 August, American aircraft were still conducting operations. In fact, more than 1,000 B-29s bombed Japan on 14 August, and U.S. carrier strikes were planned for the following morning. The official confirmation of surrender arrived while some of those operations were already being prepared.

On 14 August 1926, Pappuri Ramacharyulu started Sri Sadhana Patrika at Anantapur. The paper became an important voice covering the Indian national movement, literary activity and the social conditions of the Rayalaseema region. It continued until 1968.

For Srivaishnavaites, the month of  Aadi has  special significance for on this month was born the female saintess Azhwar Andal.   Godadevi  was born at Srivilliputhur  in the Tamil month Adi, with the birth-star Pooram, which is celebrated as ‘Thiruvadippuram’.  A great day today  (29^th day of Aadi – Puram nakshathiram / 14^th Aug 2026) ~ the concluding day of Andal Uthsavam – Thiruvadipuram.  In the evening at 7 pm @ Thiruvallikkeni divaydesam, it was grand purappadu of Sri Andal with Sri Parthasarathi in eka asanam ~ same kedayam. 

As the purappadu started in grandeur, there was some drizzling, forcing conversion to siriya mada veethi and as rain lashed, Perumal & Andal entered Sri Peyalwar sannathi while arulicheyal goshti continued rendering Iramanusa noorranthathi at 36 kaal mandapam. 

இன்று 'திருவாடிப்பூரம்,' மிகச் சிறந்த நன்னாள் !  ஸ்ரீ ஆண்டாள் அவதரித்த தினம்.  ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூரில் பெரியாழ்வார்  பெண்பிள்ளையாய்,நந்தவனத்தில், துளசி மலரில் பூமிப்பிராட்டி அம்சமாய் தோன்றிய கோதைப் பிராட்டியின் பக்தி அளவிட முடியாதது.   

மல்லி நாட்டை ஆளும், மட மயில் போன்ற மென்மைத் தன்மை உடைய இவள், ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூர் வேதியர் பெரியாழ்வாரின் பெண்ணாய் திருவிளக்குப் போல் விளங்கினாள்.  ஆண்டாள் அவதரித்த ஊர் ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூர்.    'மல்லி நாடு' எனப்படுவது அக்காலத்தில் ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூரை உள்ளடக்கிய ஒரு பெரிய ஊராக திகழ்ந்து, காலப்போக்கில் மாறி இருக்கலாம்.  வட பத்ரசயனர் கோவில் கல்வெட்டில் ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூரின்  பெயர் 'மல்லிப்புத்தூர்' என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.     'மல்லி நாடாண்ட மடமயில்' 'மருவாரும் திருமல்லி வளநாடு' எனும் சொற்றொடர்கள் மல்லி என்ற பிரதேசத்தினை விளக்குகின்றன.

கோதைப்பிராட்டி ஆண்டாள் நாச்சியார் எம்பெருமான் மீது மையல் கொண்டு, அவனையே வரித்து காத்திருந்தாள்.    அவரது நாச்சியார் திருமொழியில்  எம்பெருமானோடு சேர்வதற்க்காகவே தன்னுடைய மூச்சினை தாங்கி இருப்பேன் ~ ஆவி காத்திருப்பேனே என்கிறார்.    அரங்கனுக்குத் தொடுத்த மாலைகளை, தான் சூடி, அகமகிழ்ந்து,  புன்னகை தவழ, அங்குள்ள கிணற்றில்  அழகுப் பார்த்தவள். பின்னர்   எம்பெருமானுக்கு பல பாமாலைகளை உள்ளன்போடு, அருளியவள் சூடிக் கொடுத்த சுடர்கொடி  புகழப்பெறும் ஆண்டாள் நாச்சியார்.

நம் பொய்யிலா மணவாளமாமுனிவன்,  தமது  'உபதேசரத்தின மாலையில்' திருவாடிப்பூர திருநக்ஷத்திரத்தில் பூமி பிராட்டி ஸ்ரீவைகுண்டத்தில் உள்ள உயர்ந்த அனுபவத்தை விட்டுவிட்டு பெரியாழ்வாருக்கு திருமகளாக இந்த உலகத்தில் நாம் உஜ்ஜீவிப்பதற்கு அவதரித்தருளினதை,  அழகிய ஆடி மாதத்தின் பூர நக்ஷத்திரத்தின் வைபவம் வேறொரு தினத்துக்கு  கிடையவே கிடையாது  என பாடி மகிழ்கிறார். 

ஆண்டாள் பாடின எம்பெருமான் ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணன் எத்தகையவன் ? ~ பொங்கும் அலைகள் சூழ்ந்த நிலமும் , விண் உலகமும் அங்கு  ஒரு குறைவுமின்றி தளர்வின்றி ஆள்கின்ற எம்பெருமான் -  செங்கோலை உடைய திருவரங்கச் செல்வனார்  - அவனை நினைத்துறுகிய ஆண்டாள் தம் பக்தி நம்மை மேலும் பக்தி நிலையை அடைய இட்டுச்செல்கிறது.  

Sri Andal in her Nachiyar Thirumozhi   describes the Lord as having the white conch, wearing beautiful yellow silken robes, having tresses on shoulders hovering like bees over His lotus face, the Lord of immense compassion been worshipped at Vrindavan [Brindavan nearer Mathura, where Krishna grew up ]   

வெளிய சங்கொன்றுடையானைப் பீதகவாடையுடையானை*

அளிநன்குடைய திருமாலை ஆழியானைக் கண்டீரே? *

களிவண்டெங்கும் கலந்தாற்போல் கமழ்பூங்குழல்கள் தடந்தோள்மேல்*

மிளிர நின்று விளையாட விருந்தாவனத்தே கண்டோமே !   

Let us fall at the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana singing the verses of Andal – which will ensure all goodness and prosperity. Here are some photos of Sri Andal Sri Parthasarathi Thiruvadipura purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam.  

 
adiyen Srinivasadhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
14.8.2026

 

 

 

Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu @ Chengannur Sri Mahadevan Temple

 

Thiruchengannur Thiruchirraru divyadesam :

திருச்செங்குன்றூரில் திருச்சிற்றாற்றங்கரையானை,

Thiruchengannur has a divyadesam – “Thiruchirraru” – this is a post on a rendition at another famous temple ‘Mahadevan Temple” at  Chengannur ..

രാമനാകും മന്നവനു തന്നേ ഭഗവാനാകും മായാപരൻ... >

"For King Rama himself is none other than the Supreme Lord, the master beyond all Maya (illusion)..."

சபரிமலைக்கு செல்லும் ஐயப்ப பக்தர்கள் பம்பை நதியில் நீராடிச்செல்வார்கள்.  பம்பை ஆறு மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலையின் புளிச்சமலைப்பகுதியில் உற்பத்தியாகிறது. ஆலப்புழா, பத்தனம்திட்டா மாவட்டங்களின் வழியே பாயும் இந்த ஆறு இறுதியாக வேம்பநாட்டு ஏரியில் கலக்கிறது. சுமார் 176 கி.மீ பாய்ந்து கேரளத்தை செழிப்பாக்கும் இந்த நதி புராண வரலாற்றில் மிகப்பெரிய இடத்தினைப் பெற்றுள்ளது.  ஸ்வாமி நம்மாழ்வார் - திருச்சிற்றாறு எனும் நதி தீரத்தில் உள்ள இமயவரப்பர் எனும் பெருமாளை மங்களாசாசனம் செய்துள்ளார்.     திருசெங்கன்னூர் திருச்சிற்றாற்றரங்கரையின் மீபால் நின்ற எம்பெருமான் என நம்மாழ்வார் மங்களாசாசனம் !!

கேரளாவில் உள்ள செங்கன்னூர் ஒரு பிரசித்த பெற்ற ரயில் நிலையம். சபரிமலை செல்லும் பக்தர்கள் இங்கே இறங்குவர்.   இதிகாசம் மஹாபாரதத்துடன் தொடர்புள்ள ஊரிது  !  பாரதப்போர் முடிந்தவுடன் தனது குரு மரணத்துக்கு காரணம் ஆனதை நினைத்து வருத்திய தர்மர் தனது சகோதரர்களுடன் இங்கே வழிபடு செய்தார்.  தேவர்கள் அனைவரும் ஒன்றாகக் கூடி ஸ்ரீமந்நாரணனை  நினைத்து பிரார்த்தனை செய்தனர். அவர்களுக்கு அதே இடத்தில் எம்பெருமான் காட்சியளித்து அருளினார். இந்தப் பெருமையுடன் பாண்டவர்களில் ஒருவரான தருமர் புதுப்பித்து வழிபட்ட கோவில் என்கிற சிறப்பும் பெற்ற கோவிலாகக் கேரள மாநிலம், ஆலப்புழா மாவட்டம், செங்கண்ணூர் அருகே உள்ள திருச்சிற்றாறு (திருச்செங்குன்றூர்) விஷ்ணு கோவில். 

On Makara Sankaranthi day, millions of devotees would have darshan of Swami Aiyappan at Sabarimala.  Those travelling by train would get down at Chengannur or Chengannassery.  They would take bath in holy Pamba river,   third longest river in  Kerala after Periyaru and Bharathappuzha and the longest river in the erstwhile former princely state of Travancore. Sabarimala temple   is located on the banks of the river Pamba.  The river is also known as 'Dakshina Bhageerathi'. During ancient times it was called 'River Baris'.  The River Pamba enriches the lands of Pathanamthitta District and the Kuttanad area of Alappuzha District and few areas of Kottayam  .. .. on its banks is located Thiruvaranvilai divyadesam (Aramula) and on the banks of ‘thiruchitraru’ is located another divyadesam – “Thiruchengannur’ sung by Swami Nammalwar. 

                 Chera dynasty popularly ruled South India in an era whence Cholas, Pandyas and Pallavas too were the rulers.   Cheras ruled from Kerala and the Chera country was geographically well placed to profit from maritime trade via the extensive Indian Ocean networks. Exchange of spices, especially black pepper, with Middle Eastern and Graeco-Roman merchants are attested in several sources.  

Changanassery is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala.  Changanassery is the gateway to the Western Ghats and Kuttanad. It is one of the major educational   centres of Kerala, with nearly 100% literacy. The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era documents, Uthiyan Cheralathan (Perum Chorru Udiyan Cheralathan, Athan I, or Udiyanjeral - AD c. 130) is the first recorded Chera dynasty ruler.   He had his capital at a place called "Kuzhumur" in Kuttanad and expanded the kingdom northward and eastward from his original homeland.   Nearer lies – Chengannoor, a  municipal town   located in the extreme eastern part of the Alappuzha district, on the banks of Pamba River.  Chengannur is 117 kilometres (73 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on the MC Road (State Highway 1). Chengannur is connected to Kollam and Kottayam by NH 220. 

Chengannur is famous  for the Chengannur Mahadeva Temple as also the Srivaishnavaite shrine of Imayavarappan thirukovil.  The taluk comprises villages such as Kurattissery, Mannar, Ennakkad, Pandanad, Thiruvanvandoor, Chengannur, Mulakuzha, Ala, Puliyoor, Cheriyanad, Budhanoor and Venmony. The name Chengannur (chen - kunnu- ur/noor) is derived from the words 'Che' (Malayalam) which means red soil 'kunnu' (Malayalam) means hill and 'ur/oor' (Malayalam) that means land. Land of red hills ... Almost all those red hills are gone now due to excessive soil mining for land filling.  Chengannur was a part of Kayamkulam dynasty and which later came under Travancore kings when Kayamkulam was ceded by Marthandavarma in the 18th century.  Pepper, popularly known as "black gold", was a major export item of Chengannur.    

The tradition associated with Chengannur says that Shiva and Parvathi subsequently came south and visited Agastya  Shiva and Devi in one principal complex is perhaps the most fascinating aspect for someone interested in temple traditions.          Mahadeva facing east /   Parvathi facing west  -         the Shiva lingam covered by a gold plate depicting Ardhanarishvara, the inseparable Shiva–Shakti principle.  The temple is an excellent example of traditional Kerala temple architecture, with a circular/conical copper-covered principal shrine, substantial wooden structures and elaborate mandapams. Kerala Tourism particularly highlights the Mukhamandapam, mandapams and Koothambalam for their woodwork.  Tradition attributes the architectural design to Perumthachan, the legendary master architect and carpenter of Kerala.

What you can hear in this clip [in fact two merged] -  traditional Kerala-style devotional recitation/singing, and there is  reference to Rama.  Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu is one of the most important forms in which the Ramayana is read, recited and sung in Malayalam, particularly in Kerala homes and temples.  It is based on the Sanskrit Adhyatma Ramayana, traditionally attributed to the Brahmanda Purana. Unlike Valmiki's Ramayana, it places considerable emphasis on the spiritual identity of Rama as the Supreme Reality and on devotion (bhakti). Kilippattu literally means "parrot song" or "song narrated by a parrot." The Malayalam poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan rendered the Adhyatma Ramayana into Malayalam.    Ezhuthachan uses a parrot (kili) as the narrator. The work begins with the poet invoking the bird and asking it to narrate the story.  It is not merely a Malayalam translation of Valmiki Ramayana. The theological outlook is different in important places.

There is a beautiful Kerala tradition of reading the Adhyatma Ramayanam throughout the Malayalam month of Karkidakam and it is popularly   Ramayana Masam in Kerala.  Here is a rendition at Sri Mahadevan Temple, Chenganur :  https://youtu.be/E6weU7hqcWg

Malayalam Text:

പുത്രവാത്സല്യാദ് ദശരഥങ്കണ്ണോളം

മർത്ത്യർക്കാർക്കുമില്ലെന്നതല്ലോ മൂലം

ഇനിയിതു പോരുകിൽ എന്തൊരു കാരണം

എന്നതു കേട്ടുടൻ ചൊല്ലിനാൻ അന്യേൻ...

കൈകേയി പുത്രിക്ക് രണ്ടു വരം തന്നു

വാനിലതു കാരണം രാമനും...

          This section describes the intense love King Dasaratha has for his son Rama and details the pivotal turn of events leading to Rama's exile due to Kaikeyi's boons.  

Putra-vātsalyād Daśarathankkaṇṇōḷam

Marttyarkkārkkum illennatallō mūlam

Inniyitu pōrukil enthoru kāraṇam

Ennatu kēṭṭuṭan chollinān anyēn...

and:

Kaikeyī putrikkŭ raṇṭu varaṁ tannu...

 In the second clip  

...ദുഃഖിയായാലും കോമളഗാത്രിയാം

ജാനകി മൂലം തത്ത്വമായുള്ളതു

ചൊല്ലുന്നതുണ്ട് ഞാൻ ചിത്തം തെളിഞ്ഞു കേട്ടീടുവിൻ വരും...

രാമനാകും മന്നവനു തന്നേ ഭഗവാനാകും മായാപരൻ...

  These lines transition into spiritual discourse, explaining the divine nature of Rama and Janaki (Sita) as manifestation of the Supreme.

This clip was recorded on  July 20, 2026— Karkidakam 4, 1201 in the Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham). In 2026, the holy month of Karkidakam (also widely known as Ramayana Masam) began on July 17 (Karkidakam 1) and runs through August 16 (Karkidakam 31).

The 2^nd part of the clip is :  "Even though the tender and beautiful Janaki is sorrowful, I shall now explain the underlying ultimate truth of these events. Listen attentively with a clear mind to what lies ahead: King Rama himself is the Supreme Bhagavan, existing beyond all cosmic illusion."

Regards – S Sampathkumar

 

celestial conjunction of Moon & Venus at Palayamkottai temple

 

Palayamkottai, often called the "Oxford of South India", is a prominent educational and residential hub located across the Thamirabarani River from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Steeped in history, it houses the historic Central Prison where freedom fighters were held. 

The temple that gave the town  its name is the famed Nellaiyappar thirukkovil. Sri Nellaiyappar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple, one of the largest and most historically significant temples in Tamil Nadu is an architectural grandeur. Palayamkottai is the twin town of Tirunelveli. The name Palayamkottai is a Tamil portmanteau: Palayam (a military settlement or camp) + Kottai (fort).  Historically, it denoted a locality centered around an old fort used to administer surrounding districts.  Earlier, the area was known as Sri Vallavan Mangalam, where mangalam indicates land granted free to Brahmins, hinting at its agrarian–temple-linked past.  Like much of the Tirunelveli region, Palayamkottai saw successive rule by major South Indian powers: the Pandyas, Cholas, Pallavas, and also the Kalabhras, with local chieftains (including the Palaiyakkars) playing a key role.   Palayamkottai is closely associated with Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the famous Polygar (Palaiyakkarar) who led one of the earliest armed resistances against the British East India Company in the late 18th century.  He is often remembered as a freedom fighter from this region, and his legacy is a major part of local historical identity.  During the rule of Viswanatha Nayak, his prime minister Ariyanatha Mudaliar established 72 feudal administrative divisions called Palayams.   The fort had four distinct entry gates facing major routes: Tiruvannathapuram, Madurai, Tiruchendur, and Tenkasi.  After the polygar wars, the  British later dismantled most of the fort and the   town became a strategic British garrison town.   

Not intended to be a chronicle of the history of Palayamkottai but about a late evening at this place when ‘Crescent Moon & Venus saluted the Lord’ – at Sri Vedanarayanan Alagiyamannar Shri Rajagopalaswamy Temple,   one of the oldest and   massive Vaishnava temples in the region.    Facing east with a stunning 5-tier Rajagopuram, it features a unique blend of traditional Tamil Dravidian architecture intertwined with northern Madhura Krishna temple design styles. The inner sanctum preserves inscriptions dating back across centuries.

                     The Moolavar is worshipped as Sri Vedanarayana Perumal and Raja Gopal Swamy alongside Thayars Sri Vedavalli and Sri Kumudavalli. 

Here are couple of photos taken at the same place - Sri Vedanarayanan Alagiyamannar Shri Rajagopalaswamy Temple in Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli at around 7 pm on 18.7.2026 with Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.  The most striking feature is the waxing crescent Moon with a very bright object a little below and to its right. .. .. and that  bright object is   Venus.  A young crescent Moon and brilliant Venus appearing together shortly after sunset is one of the most attractive evening sky sights. Venus is bright enough that many people mistake it for a UFO or an aircraft. 

My fortune that   the temple and the celestial conjunction appear  in a single frame. Around 7 PM in July at this place  is the beginning of the blue hour.

Instead of a black sky, one could see: deep cobalt blue, soft twilight as also enough ambient light to reveal the temple carvings.  In Srivaishnava parlance,  devotees often associate: the crescent Moon with serenity  &  Venus (Shukra) with beauty and prosperity. 

The coordinates are:

•       Latitude: 8°43′26.9″ N

•       Longitude: 77°44′07.0″ E

which is   Sri Vedanarayanan Alagiyamannar Shri Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Palayamkottai.  On that day, I  unintentionally captured what astronomers call a Moon–Venus conjunction though they are millions of kilometres apart—

•       Moon ≈ 380,000 km away

•       Venus ≈ tens of millions of kilometres away

—they appear close together from Earth.

These conjunctions are among the most photographed astronomical events because they are both visually striking and relatively uncommon in exactly the same geometry.

Pictorially I am trying to depict :  :

1.       Full view of temple vimanam with Moon and Venus — introducing the sacred setting.

2.       Gateway with Moon and Venus — highlighting the celestial conjunction.

3.       Close-up of the vimana with the crescent Moon — concluding with the architectural grandeur. 

Together they tell the story of an evening at Sri Vedanarayanan Alagiyamannar Shri Rajagopalaswamy Temple, where the sky itself seemed to participate in the beauty of the moment. 

Look forward to your feedback / comments

 
adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
2.8.2026