Thiruvallikkeni
Theppam – kainkaryam – Yamaha – SUP !
?!?!?
Life in a divyadesam is always exciting ! ~ it
provides ample opportunities to be with Emperuman and do kainkaryam .. .. the
primary challenge is one of involvement and being with Lord for long hours
- one can observe, appreciate, involve oneself in so many
forms of Kainkaryams ~ the subject matter here is far
too different type of kainkaryam !! Ever heard of Sport of SUP ~~
(Standup Paddling) !?!?
The name, a heartthrob of
youngsters - is identified with music
too and its brand slogan is: "Revs your Heart". Empowered
by a passion for innovation, we create exceptional value and experiences that
enrich the lives of our customers. It is
Yamaha motors.
Internationally, in June
2025, Yamaha Motor Company plans to introduce the G30E and G31EP, two new
five-seater electric golf carts, in Japan. Additionally, the company intends to
eventually release both models to the Taiwanese market. Yamaha wants to sell
1,600 of the two electric golf carts a year
!!
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is
a Japanese multinational manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as
boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was
established in 1955 and is headquartered in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan. The
Symbol mark (company crest and trademark) of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is the
"tuning fork mark." It consists of three musical instrument tuning
forks arranged in a configuration that suggests the wheel of a motorcycle
Youth of mid 1980s were
obsessed with - Yamaha RX 100, a
two-stroke motorcycle made by Yamaha from 1985 to 1996 with technical
collaboration and distributed in India by the Escorts Group. At the initial
stage, Yamaha Japan was exporting all bikes from Japan to India. After 1990,
Escorts started production in India, with some parts being imported from Japan. Much later came its another proud brand
R15. The manufacturer celebrated at its
Surajpur plant, rolling out of its 1 millionth vehicle.
Many of you
know, how a Car is driven – the vehicle gets power as in the engine, petrol /
diesel is burnt with oxygen in metal cylinders, there is gear box and more! –
in boats there would be propeller. May have seen in Movie chasing
scenes – boat would be steered by simply tilting the motor casing of motor, the
propeller would push the water away from it at an angle !
Descartes is a commune in
the Indre-et-Loire department in central France, on the banks of the
Creuse River. Gustave Pierre Trouvé was born here in 1839
! – what is the relevance of
this, as also Yamaha here !!
A ship or a boat is a
contraption that can float and move on the ocean, a river, or any
waterbody, either through its own power or using power from the elements (wind,
waves, or Sun). Plain steel would sink in water immediately, as would a wrecked
steel ship !
The reason that a ship
floats is that it displaces a lot of water. The displaced water keeps pushing
the ship upwards – this force is called the buoyancy force. The more
water that is displaced, the stronger the buoyancy force is which pushes the
object up. Any object dipped into water experiences two forces: the
gravity force which pulls it down due to its weight, and the buoyancy force
which pushes it up. If these forces are equal, then the object floats. This is about the divine float – the Theppam for Lord Sriman
Narayana
ஸ்ரீராமனின் காதை
"இராமாயணம்" ஒரு அற்புத காவியம். கம்ப நாட்டாழ்வான் - கங்கைகாண் படலத்திலே
- ஸ்ரீராமனுக்காக, குகன் கொணர்ந்த நாவாய்களின் அழகை இவ்வாறு விவரிக்கிறார்.:
நங்கையர் நடையின் அன்னம் நாண் உறு செலவின் நாவாய்,
கங்கையும் இடம் இலாமை மிடைந்தன-கலந்த எங்கும்,-
அங்கொடு, இங்கு, இழித்தி ஏற்றும் அமைதியின், அமரர் வையத்து
இங்கொடு அங்கு இழித்தி ஏற்றும் இருவினை என்னல் ஆன.. .....
பெண்கள் நடைபோன்ற
நடையையும்; அன்னப் பறவைகள் நாணப்படும்படியான நீரிற் செல்லுதலும் உடைய,
நாவாய்; அக்கரையில் உள்ளாரை இக்கரையில் ஏற்றி இறக்கும்தன்மையினால்;
தேவருலகமாகிய அவ்வுலகத்தோடு; இவ்வுலகில் உள்ளாரை ஏற்றிச்செல்லும் புண்ணியம் பெற்றவையாக,
பெருங்கடல் போன்ற புண்ணிய கங்கை நதியிலும் கூட இடமில்லையோ எனும்படி எல்லா இடங்களிலும்
நிறைந்து இருந்தனவாம்.
In the divyadesam of
Thiruvallikkeni, the tamil month of Masi has special significance. On
Masi New moon [Amavasyai] starts the 7 day float festival at Thiruvallikkeni.
The tank of Sri Parthasarathi Swami is famous ~ it is ‘Kairavini Pushkarini’… the pond
of Lily – ‘allikkeni’ from which the place itself derives its name (~ and my blog is titled Kairavini
Karaiyinile literally meaning
on the banks of holy Kairavini, the temple tank).
Every year there is ‘theppam’ – the float festival. A
floating structure gets spruced up, made of drums, timber and ornated
beautifully. Perumal comes to the temple tank in purappadu and is placed
majestically inside the float. The beautifully lit theppam used to be
dragged around in water, pulled by devotees by ropes ! . .. .. Devotees
in hundreds converge, sit everywhere on the steps of the temple tank to have
darshan of the Lord on theppam. In olden days, the shops springing up for the
occasion were of added attraction. (the
underlined one about ropes and pulling had been happening year after year – not
for the few years !!)
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Have been enjoying
theppam for at least 4 decades .. .. this year, receding water levels presented a newer challenge. With
water remaining over the sand portion, structures and some trees, the depth is
uneven and theppam cannot be properly operated and cannot be pulled as the
steps on which devotees would walk pulling the theppam are under
water. Over recent couple of years,
uniquely theppam is run by powerful outboard engine ! (thanks
to Mr Sathish and his team of boys). The two stroke outboard motor is for commercial use
such as on fishing and passenger vessels. This suits harsh conditions that
include everyday use and situations involving long hours of continuous
operation. Enhanced strength and durability in locations such as roller
bearings, crankshaft and cylinder block, as well as an improved water pump that
ensures plenty of cooling effect, combine to deliver substantial improvements
in durability and reliability. Models fueled by kerosene are also available in
addition to gasoline engines.
Until engines were
invented, the only way to power a small boat was with oars or sails. It took
ages to move way from wind or muscle power. Outboard motors changed all that.
Invented in the early years of the 20th century, outboards brought the same
freedom to small boats that gasoline engines brought to cars.
Marine propulsion is the
mechanism or system used to generate thrust to move a ship or boat across
water. While paddles and sails are still used on some smaller boats, most
modern ships are propelled by mechanical systems consisting of an electric
motor or engine turning a propeller, or less frequently, in pump-jets, an
impeller. The first advanced mechanical means of marine propulsion
was the marine steam engine, introduced in the early 19th century. During the
20th century it was replaced by two-stroke or four-stroke diesel engines,
outboard motors, and gas turbine engines on faster ships. Marine nuclear
reactors, which appeared in the 1950s, produce steam to propel warships and
icebreakers; commercial application, attempted late that decade, failed to
catch on. Electric motors using electric battery storage have been used for
propulsion on submarines and electric boats and have been proposed for
energy-efficient propulsion.
The first known outboard
motor was a small 5 kilogram electric unit designed around 1870 by Gustave
Trouvé, and patented in May 1880. The one
seen here is Yamaha brand Outboard motor. Outboard motors are
propulsion systems that have a self-contained unit that includes
engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the
outside of the transom. As well as providing propulsion,
outboards provide steering control, as they are designed to pivot over their
mountings and thus control the direction of thrust. The skeg also acts as a
rudder when the engine is not running. Unlike inboard motors, outboard motors
can be easily removed for storage or repairs. In order to eliminate the chances
of hitting bottom with an outboard motor, the motor can be tilted up to an
elevated position either electronically or manually.
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Interesting .. .. Here are some photos of
theppam this year – the people behind the drive – Mr A. Sathish Kumar. Appreciate him and all
those involved in kainkaryam !!
Before concluding read this
too :
Sathish is a Coastal
Police rescue trainer and a SUP exponent.
Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) is a water sport, a variation of
traditional surfing. Standup
paddleboarders stand on boards that are floating on the water and use a paddle
to propel themselves through the water. Satish founded SUP Marinaa club and was the
first Indian to represent the Nation in ICF SUP World Championship held in
Hungary in 2021. He is a SUP trainer and
holds the World record having sailed from Thalaimannar to Srilanka on SUP board
in 10 hours. He is a staunch conservator
of plastic-free Ocean too.
This gentle smiling
person is helping out navigation of theppam with his own Yamaha outboard motor
and deserves all appreciation.
adiyen Srinivasadhasan.
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
6.3.2025
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