Irapathu at Madhuramangalam - Swami Embar Avathara Sthalam

The thoughts of Vaikunda Ekadasi is replete in mind ~  almost the whole day spent at Temple related activities… I have posted with pride the Vaikunda Ekadasi, which heralds the starting of ‘Irapathu Uthsvam’ ~ tens of thousands of people thronged Sri Parthasarathi Swami temple at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam and thousands had His darshan when the Irapathu purappadu day 1 occurred at 01.30 am this morning….. and there were more than a thousand hearing Thiruvaimozhi goshti and received His theertha prasadams…………  very Happy feelings of a Srivaishnavaite.  I was immensely delighted to have darshan of Sri Vaikunda Perumal and attend Thiruvaimozhi muthal pathu at this temple, which makes me write this post ~ in fact more of an appeal requesting you to visit this place and support the kainkaryam that is being rendered by dedicated people here. 

திருமால் அடியார்களுக்கு ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனே சகலமும் ** ~ ஸ்வாமி நம்மாழ்வார் அருளிச் செய்ததது போல "நாவினுள் நின்றுமலரும் ஞானக்கலைகளுக்கெல்லாம், ஆவியுமாக்கையும்தானே "- நாவினில் நின்றும், மலரும், பரவுகின்ற எல்லா கலைகளுக்கும் - அவனே காரணன்....   திருவாழிதிருச்சங்குகளைத் தரித்து இருக்கும் அழகிய திருமேனியினன் - நமக்கு எல்லா நலன்களையும் தர வல்லன்”

For Srivaishnavaites – divyadesams assume great significance as these are the places where our Great Azhwars visited and sung about the Lord…. Equally important are the places associated with Azhwagal and Acharyargal…..around 56 kilo meters from Chennai lies this place – which perhaps you would have passed by hundreds of times………… As we travel on the Chennai Bangalore highway, Sriperumpudur, the birthplace of Sri Ramanujar is around 48 kms ~ Thirukachi is around 78 kms… after Sriperumpudur comes Sunkuvar Chathiram  - here you need to branch off right and travel around 5-6 kms……… you reach Madhuramangalam…

Madhuramangalam is the birth place of Swami Embar ~ a cousin of Sri Ramanujar, Embar was born as Sri Govindar in Madhuramangalam (then known as Mazhalai mangalam) in Krothana Samvatsaram (1026 AD). Embaar born to PeriyaPiraati and Kamala Nayana Bhattar . Swami Ramanujar is known as the incarnation of ThiruAnanthazhvan and Swami Embaar as the incarnation of Periya Thiruvadi .  Arising out of his connection to Periyathiruvadi, the Theertham of this temple is known as Garuda Pushkarini and it is believed that at this place any snake or poisonous insects will not harm anyone. The Avathara Mandapam of Swami Embaar is located around ½ km from the temple. 

Govinda studied under Yadava prakasar and rescued Ramanujar from the plot-  that the Guru Yadavaprakasa hatched.  Swami  Embaar was exceptionally attached to Sri Ramanujar and followed him as a shadow would trail a person.  A great contribution to Vaishnavism is Embar being the acharya to the greatest Sri Parasara Bhattar (son of Koorathazhwan). Legend has it that when Udayavar asked Embar to bring baby Parasarar for naming, Embar by way of protection muttered Dvaya mantram in the infant’s ears and that placed on the baby unusual brilliance. Upon instruction of Udayavar, Embar became the Acharya of the baby and thus vaishnavaites are endowed with a great Acharyar – Sri Parasara Battar.  He attended Ramanujas all lectures, discourse, debates expositions and dispositions and served his master as a shadow. With great resolve and commitment, he secured sanyasa from Udayavar and obtained robe of an ascetic. Udayavar named him Emperumanar but he could not accept this and pleaded that he did not deserve this honour, upon which Udayavar called him “Embar”. Swami Embar’s  work ‘Vijnaasthuthi”  is forever  remembered by posterity.

This temple not being located on the mainstream has lesser number of people visiting.  All the Uthsavams are being conducted well…. Now the Adhyayana Uthsavam is on….. yesterday was day 1 of Irapathu Uthsavam – a group of us had travelled from Thiruvallikkeni and rendered Thiruvaimozhi muthal pathu.

The resources here are extremely limited ~ there is shortage of man-power (not to mention of the finance) …….yet the festivity is grand  - the efforts and dedication of Sri Balaji Swamin (9500837398) deserves special mention…. He ensures that the festivities are on in a grand manner ….. he ensures Arulicheyal goshti; he assists and ensures prasadam for Perumal and Embar………. Understand that for the goshti,  Srivaishnavas from Kanchipuram travel by vehicle and the transportation cost alone would be more than Rs.1000/- these days… it is bounden duty of every Srivaishnavaite like us to visit these temples associated with great Acharyars and partake in the kainkaryams happening there.  

At every of these divyadesams and Srivaishnavaite temples, there are a couple of people, who live selflessly, surrendered to the Holy feet of SthalapPerumal and doing great kainkaryam continuously without any break.  It is exceptional – it requires great sense of commitment, morality, will-power and exceptional dedication to be one ~ I was really moved by the gesture of the Battar, Sri Balaji Swamin and paricharakar here.  The moolavar here is Sri Vaikunda Perumal and Thayar is Kamalavalli thayar. There is a sannathi for Swami Embar and Andal. It is our duty to support these people and ensure that kainkaryams continue unabated in all these temples.

Azhwar, Emperumanaar, Thiruvadigale Saranam

Adiyen Srinivasa Dhasan (S. Sampathkumar from Thiruvallikkeni)

12^th Jan 2014.

 Sri Vaikunda Perumal, Ubayanachimar and Sri Andal

Sri Senai Muthalvar, Kaliyan, Thirukachi Nambigal and Emperumanaar

Swami Nammalwar

Nam Manavala Mamunigal

Swami Embar.

Thiruvallikkeni - Iraapathu Uthsavam 2014 ~ Day 1

Thiruvallikkeni - Iraapathu Uthsavam 2014   - 

திருவல்லிக்கேணி இராப்பத்து  உத்சவம் 

On the day of Vaikunda Ekadasi (11^th Jan 2014), in the morning Sri Parthasarathi bedecked in precious jewels entered Paramapada vassal and gave darshan to His devotees throughout seated in the beautiful ‘Punyakodi vimanam’ at Thiruvaimozhi mandapam. The auspicious Vaikunda Ekadasi heralds the start of ‘Irapathu’ Uthsavam.  As the name suggests, there will be celebrations for 10 nights.    Those who frequent Thiruvallikkeni would know this….. still can you guess the time whence the Irapathu Uthsavam purappadu on day 1 took place and around which time – Thiruvaimozhi’ muthal pathu – was rendered ??

நம்மாழ்வாரின் அற்புத வரிகளில் : ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணன் ~ 'பத்துடையடியவர்க்கு எளியவன்' -  அவனிடத்தில் பக்தி கொண்ட அடியார்களுக்கு, சுலபன் என எளியவனாய், அவர்களுக்கு வேண்டிய எல்லா நலன்களையும் அளிப்பவன்..  During Pagal Pathu, the Muthaliyaram and Thirumozhi of Thirumangai Mannan are rendered.   It is time for Nammalwar’s Thiruvaimozhi during Irapathu.  In the Thiruveethi purappadu, all the 10 days, ‘Upadesa Rathinamalai’  of Acharyar Sri Manavala Maamunigal is recited. After the conclusion of the Purappadu, inside the temple before the Lord in the Grand sabha of all Azhwars and Acharyas, every day 100 songs from the Thiruvoimozhi of Nammazhwaar gets recited.  The day of Vaikunda Ekadasi being day 1 it was  ‘muthal pathu’ of Thiruvaimozhi.

At Thiruvallikkeni, devotees thronged the temple in tens of thousands to have glimpse of His darshan and the queues got extended to many streets in the vicinity.  At around 11 am, there was Thirumanjanam of Sri Parthasarathi and Sri Andal (being neerattam) and day pasuram ‘Koodarai vellum seer Govindha’ was rendered. 

After Thirumanjanam, at around 01.30 (midnight i.e., early hours of 12^th Jan 2014) – there was the Periya maada veethi purappadu – Irapathu day 1 purappadu. There were thousands of bakthas on the street waiting to have His darshan.  At around 03.00 am of today, there was the Thiruvaimozhi Muthal pathu goshti and sarrumurai…. and it was closer to 4 am when more than thousand people had the fortune of His theertha and other prasadams. 

From today on Paramada vassal will be opened in the evening with Swami Nammalwar receiving Him.  Here are some photos of Sri Parthasarathi and Swami Nammalwar of day 1 of Irapathu.

Azhwar, Emperumanaar, Jeeyar Thiruvaidgale saranam.   

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

 Swami Nammalwar (above)

Today is Vaikunda Ekadasi (2014) at Thiruvallikkeni

Vaikunda Ekadasi, is a day of supreme significance for all Sri Vaishnavaites.  Today 11th Jan 2014 is the day....

At the Bhooloka Vaikundam of Srirangam Divyadesam, it begins from Suklapaksha Ekadasi and celebrated for 23 days whence Namperumal listens to the vedas and Nammazhvar's Thiruvaimozhi as rendered by the Araiyars. The festival is divided into two parts, ten days before Vaikunda Ekadasi known as Pagalpathu  and  10 days from today, known as Raapathu. The Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is an occasion when the Paramapada vaasal is opened for devotees.   Paramapada Vasal is also colloquially  known as Sorga vaasal is the Gateway to Heaven.

The divine Thirumamani mandapam is representative of the abode of Sriman Maha Vishnu, the “Sri Vaikuntam” itself.  For Sri Vaishanavaites, the ultimate in life is attainment of moksha [salvation] by reaching Vaikuntam, the ultimate destination, the abode of Lord Himself.  This is The place of no return and the human soul is free from the ills of the World and gets the supreme opportunity of nithya kainkaryam [daily service] to Lord.

At Thiruvallikkeni, as also in most divyadesams, the Presiding Deity enters  through the Paramapada vassal in the morning and in the evening in the subsequent nine days.   The   10 days starting from Vaikunda Ekadasi are  celebrated as “Iraapathu uthsavam” in which the hymns of Sri Nammazhwar (Thiruvoimozhi) are chanted. This religious system is believed to have been started by Thirumangai Azhwar.  Later Acharyan Nathamuni introduced festival of 10 days preceding the Vaikunda Ekadasi, known as Pagal pathu when Nalayira divyaprabandham (pasurams of Muthalayiram and Thirumangai mannanin Thirumozhi)  are recited.

scanned photo from Devasthana invitation

Thousands of people thronged the temple to have darshan of Sri Venkata Krishnar and Sri Parthasarathi. Devotees feel enlightened and blessed, when they  cross the entrance - Vaikunda door ~ the paramapada vasal.  This morning around 0430am Lord Sri Parthasarathi had purappadu inside the temple and with Sri Nammalwar welcoming from  the other side, entered the Paramapada vasal. 

photo taken by a friend this morning

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

Sri Andal Neeratta Uthsavam Day 6 at Thiruvallikkeni

Andal Neeratta Uthsvam - day 6 at Triplicane

10^th Jan 2013 – Today at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam it is the concluding day of  Pagal Pathu uthsavam.

This morning it was day 6 of  Andal Neeratta uthsavam.  Here are some photos taken during Sri  Andal purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.