Panguni Uthiram - Thiruvallikkeni Sri Ranganathar Garuda Sevai

Panguni Uthiram is a very auspicious day.  The Pallava uthsavam concludes on this day.  During the Pallava uthsavam, ‘Brindharanya puranam’ is read in front of Sri Ranganathar.   At Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam,  on the day of Panguni Uthiram, (5^th April 2012 this year) divine wedding of Sri Vedavalli thayar and Sriman Ranganathar is performed.  

On this day, there is purappadu on Garuda vahanam.  This is extremely attractive ‘Garudan’ known as ‘kannadi Garudan’ – for the vahanam has glass pieces of art embedded on the structure.   Here are some photos taken during the purappadu

பங்குனி உத்திரம்  திருவல்லிக்கேணி ஸ்ரீ  ரங்கநாதர் வேதவல்லித்தாயார் திருக்கல்யாணம் 

திருவல்லிக்கேணியில் ஸ்ரீமன்னாதருக்கு ஐந்து நாட்கள் பல்லவ உத்சவம் நடைபெறுகிறது. ஐந்து நாட்களும் பெருமாள் முன்பு 'ப்ருந்தாரண்ய புராணம்' படிக்கப் படுகிறது.   ஐந்தாம் நாள் - பங்குனி உத்திரத்தன்று ஸ்ரீ ரங்கநாதர் கருட சேவை. மிக அழகான கண்ணாடி கருடன் என்று அழைக்கப்பெறும் கருட வாஹனத்தில் ஸ்ரீ ரங்கநாதர் புறப்பாடு கண்டருளி, பெருமாள் உள்ளே எழுந்து அருளிய உடன், ஸ்ரீ ரங்கநாதர் வேதவல்லித்தாயார்   திருக்கல்யாணம்  நடைபெறுகிறது. திருக்கல்யாணம் முடிந்த பிறகு, 'கத்ரத்யம்' சேவிக்கப் பெறுகிறது. 

05/04/2012 அன்று நடந்த புறப்பாட்டில் எடுக்கப்பட்ட சில படங்கள் இங்கே :

அடியேன் ஸ்ரீனிவாச தாசன் 

Idols stolen from Temple - this time at Vedaranyam

A major concern for the devotees is the pathetic condition of the temples in Tamilnadu as also the security for the idols and other valuables of the temple.  It is sad that people read about the Temples  only when some unfortunate incidents occur and now one more incident has been reported.

Vedaranyam, named after the Vedaranyeswarar Temple shot into prominence more than 8 decades ago, when Chakravarthi C Rajagopalachari picked up a fistful of salt at Agasthyampalli in  defiance of the British Raj and  shouted  “Vande Mataram”.  As it was the ‘dandi march’ to Gandhi, it was Vedaranyam in the South.  Now this place is part of Nagapattinam District.  Vedaranyam was earlier known as "Thirumarikaadu" – Saivaite legend has it that it was here that Appar and Sundarar sang to open the main gate. 

In ancient times, people reverred their elders and built Temples at their own villages and in important places.  Socially, these Temples served many other purposes like – storage of produce (granary); providing water (huge water tanks and ponds); providing employment opportunity (building structures); place of rest; feeding the poor; place of communion and social service.  As people shifted their bases and started moving towards urban places, some villages lost their prominence. 

There still exists some beautiful temples in obscure places (turned obscure for lack of patronage now) – where exquisitely carved and decorated idols of Lord are there.  Extremely unfortunate that the Presiding deities, especially the Uthsava Vigrahams have been taken away from these temples and kept elsewhere under custody of Govt officials, in the garb of providing security.  In a country, even a small time politician or a person worthy of some asset, moves around with personal bodyguards and Govt provided Policemen, shame that, idols are taken away and kept elsewhere where proper rituals are not taking place.  This is how we honour our traditions, follow our rituals and respect our ancestors who had toiled to make these Temples. 

…..  -  the sad part is that the idols of Lords are not safe here also.  There are reports that, Bronze icons from Elumeshwaramudayar temple at Vedaranyam  were found stolen on 2^nd of April 2012.  Newspapers report that -  Six icons, including Seetha, Lakshmanan, Sridevi, Boodevi, Perumal and Guruvayurappan were found missing from the temple  at Ayakaranpulam Nalam Sethi Koil Kulam in Vedaranyam.

The icons were among the ten icons that were kept in the temple custody, after they were unearthed from a paddy field 18 years ago.  Four other icons of Chakarathazhwar, Narthana Krishnar, Ramar, and Hanuman that were kept locked along with the stolen icons were found intact barring minor damages implying a failed attempt at their loot.  The icons were kept in a sanctorum guarded by a grill cage that was never opened and all offerings and rituals were carried out from outside the sanctum sanctorum, say sources. However, the locks remained intact, while the grill has been tampered with. The worth of the icons could not be estimated. The temple had already suffered a burglary once in the 1980s, when four bronze icons were stolen from its premises.

On Monday, a forensic team accompanied by a sniffer dog arrived at the scene for investigation.  – none of us will every care and eventually, this file also would be closed without any action.

What is the Temple Protection Force doing ?  What would the Police do ?  Would Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments which gets so much of wealth from Temple do anything ? – and would some of us do anything ever !!

With profound sorrow – S. Sampathkumar.

Source of News :  The Hindu, Dinamalar, Malai Malar.

-Read article in The Hindu

-  Read article in Dinamalar


-  Read article in Malaimalar

இன்று ஸ்ரீ ராமநவமி. Today is Sree Ramanavami (1st April 2012)

Today is Sree Ramanavami.  At Thiruvallikkeni, Sri Ramapiran  had grand purappadu on ‘Hanumantha Vahanam” (atop Hanuman)

Here are some photos taken during the purappadu (courtesy  My friend – Thirumazhisai Kannan)

இன்று ஸ்ரீ ராம நவமி.  திருவல்லிக்கேணியில் ஸ்ரீ ராமபிரான் சிறிய திருவடியாம் அனுமனின் மீது, (அனுமந்த வாஹனத்தில்)  புறப்பாடு கண்டு அருளினார்.

அங்கணெடு மதிள் புடை சூழ் அயோத்தி என்னும் * 

அணி நகரத்து உலகனைத்தும் விளக்கும் சோதி **

வெங்கதிரோன் குலத்துக்கோர்  விளக்காய்த் தோன்றி * 

விண் முழுதும் உய்யக்கொண்ட வீரன்  ................ (பெருமாள் திருமொழி - பத்தாம் திருமொழி)

உயர்ந்த மதில்களினால் நாற்புறமும் சூழப்பட்டதும் அயோத்யா என்று ப்ரஸித்தமுமான அழகிய நகரத்திலே, சூர்ய வம்சத்துக்கே சிறப்பு உண்டாகும்படி அவதரித்து விண்ணுலகத்தவர்களையும் உய்யக்கொண்ட ஸ்ரீ ராமபிரான் பிறந்த புனித நாள் இந்நாள்.  ' கற்பார் இராமபிரானை யல்லால் மற்றும் கற்பரோ'  - எனும்படி எப்போதும் இராமபிரானது சரிதையை செவியால் கண்ணால் பருகுபவர்களுக்கு இம்மையிலும் மறுமையிலும் எல்லா நன்மைகளும் உண்டாகும்.

இராமபிரானைப் பற்றிய எந்த நினைவும், 'அமுது அளாவிய புனல்' என தேவரமுதத்தோடு கலந்தநீர்ப் பெருக்கு போல இனிமையும்  நல்லவைகளையும் அளிக்கும். 

அடியேன் ஸ்ரீனிவாச தாசன். 

Bombs found at Venkatachalapathy Temple at Krishnapuram, Tirunelveli

Its old name is “Porunai” and it runs about 125 kms.. it is the river containing traces of copper ‘Thamiraparani’ also ‘Thamirabarani’ once considered a perennial river originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak in the hills of the Western Ghats above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk and flows through Tirunelveli & Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India.  There are many Srivaishnavaite divyadesams nearer this, the Nava Thirupathis.  The city of Nellai – Tirunelveli, is a sacred place with so many temples in its vicinity and the famous “Nellaiappar Temple from which the city had its name.  About 13 kms from Thirunelveli is the Krishnapuram temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here he is called Thiruvenkatanathar.

Krishnapuram temple also known as Venkatachalapathy temple is not a Divyadesam – it is more than 500 years old dating back to 16^th Century.  It was built by Krishnappa Nayak  of 1564-1572.  It is at Krishnapuram village on Thirunelveli- Tiruchendur main road.  The temple is considered  a wealth house of stone monument. The temple sculptures are noted for their high workmanship and artistic skills throughout the world. The figures of the sculptures are of life size and are carved with intricate delicacy. On the northern side of the temple, there is a Veerappa Naick Mandapam with two beautifully carved elephants at its entrance.

 temple photo - courtesy www.dinamalar.com

There was a newsitem in obscure corners of newspapers but threatening indeed – ‘two powerful country bombs have been recovered from the 16th century Venkatachalapathy Temple at nearby Krishnapuram, police said on Friday 30^th Mar 12’.   The report stated that the bombs were recovered from the roof of the temple by a bomb disposal squad  after workers engaged in cleaning operations discovered it and brought it to the notice of police. The bombs were later placed in a bucket of water and defused. Police said they are investigating all angles, including whether any fundamentalists were involved in the act.

There is also another version that Police got an anonymous call, which led them to this discovery.   Express News reports that the  police found two bombs, packed in a polythene bag, on the roof of an office building located on the temple premises.   The bombs were said to be covered by jute and threads, with chemicals like aluminium powder visible inside. 

Good that they have been found and defused – no damage done – but their very presence should provoke questions and fear amongst the devotees – Nothing appear to have shaken them and literally no body cares !! 

There are crores of devout Hindus who regularly visit so many Temples and contribute offerings to their Lord.  It is these offerings which flows into the coffers making many others rich in the process.  If a Temple attracts crowds, then there is so much of business opportunity for so many locals right from the flower vendors to big time industrialists.  In Tamil Nadu, we have the  Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department [HR & CE] – which controls and administers the revenue earning temples.  It is a Govt constituted body by the Act of 1925. 

There are many officials, workers, Administrative Officers and Commissioners depending solely on the revenue that is offered  by the devotees at each Temple.  With the plethora of officials backed up by more high ranking officials elsewhere administering them, the situation still remains pitiable.  Most temples are not properly administered, repairs / renovations take place more with individual support than administrative backing, rituals often not followed, no amenities for the devotees who visit the temples, the maintenance, upkeep and embellishing the temple not properly done.  There is the pitiable case of temple lands under the control of people who have nothing to do with the temple and not paying even the pittance – Temples own huge lands, donated from time to time by people – but revenue either not generated,  too measly amounts, not regular in payments and not reaching the intended purpose.  The revenue received in famous temples reaches the Govt, which in turn spends for all its other activities, mostly unconnected with the Temple welfare, the primary purpose for which they were offered. 

There is the Specially constituted Temple Protection Force,  formed with a view to protecting the icons, jewels,  hundi collections and other  valuables in temples throughout Tamil Nadu.  By their own admission,  analysis of crimes perpetuated against temple properties over the past few years  indicates an upward trend.  The specially constituted force is not to be utilised for any other duties except temple protection.

Despite all this, what is the reaction ?  How were the bombs planted ?  What were the sinister designs ? – how calamitous it would have been, if they had gone off ! – was it the handiwork of some extremists or is there any foreign hand as the Govt often puts it ?   When will the Hindu Temples be safe and when will they be administered reflecting the tradition and enhancing the culture of this Holy land.

Here are couple of photos of the statues in the temple - courtesy my friend N Rajaram

With grief – S. Sampathkumar.