SrImatyaI GoDayaI Nama: Today (24 july) thiruvadipooram celebrations would be in full swing at Srivilliputtur.On earlier occasions of thiruvadipooram (98 & 99) i had penned some of my memories of the festivities in srivilliputtur,in this post i wish to add some thoughts on the events which occur before the thEr purappadu takes place.I have put up a consolidated writeup on this festival at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/festivals/adither.html Thiruvadipooram is the 9th thirunal in the 10 day annual Adi Brahmotsavam .On the 8th Thirunal the poompallaku sevai is held which continues late into the Night.Thayar Sri Andal will sight the ThEr for the first time during this sevai. Usually around 4 am in the morning Sri Andal and Sri Rangamannar will mount the ThEr to the divine chanting of mantrams.This timing is very important.When the Divya Dampathis mount the ThEr the pooram star should be in asendence-this determines the date of occurence/observence of thiruvadipooram.Usually there is a large bhagavatha goshti during this occasion.After pujai,Sri Andal and Mannar majestically seated on the thEr give darsanam to all Bhagavathas.This darsanam starts around 5 am Those who have visited Srivilliputtur would have noticed the thEr on the roadside almost touches a mandapam.The amaippu of the thEr is such that a few feet below the level of the wooden floor on the thEr where the simmasanam of the divya dampathis is tied -there is a small space to do a pradakshinam of the divya dampathis. This circular space almost matches with the height of the top floor of the mandapam.(this small circular path on the thEr is approximately 35 feet above the ground) The madapam roof and this paricular level on the thEr are connected by few planks and bamboo sticks are tied on the sides. The darsanam starts from around 5 am.By around 6/6:30 am there is a long queue which stretches upto the mandapam gate below.Moving in a single file one reaches the thEr after crossing the plank and is allowed to have a darsanam for a few seconds , complete the pradakshinam and come out. It is a great sowbhagyam to have such an early darsanam of Thayar and Perumal in the morning and receive their Aaseervadhamas(kungumam is given to all devotees) on this sacred day.A partition is made over the planks to facilitate the entry -darsanam-pradakshinam -exit in a single file.Karpoora aarathi is shown frequently.This darsanam is allowed only upto 7:30/8 am depending on the starting of the thEr purappadu.Usually some sweet like kesari or sakkarapongal will be prepared on this day and served along with breakfast in most of the homes in Srivilliputtur. As i write this the ThEr must have made the first turn into the katcheri theru by this time(9:45 IST) Let us pray for the Nithya SrI and Nithya Vaibhavam of the Divya Dampathis to continue in all glory for all the times to come SrI Andal SamEtha Sri Rangamannar thiruvadigale saranam adiyen Ramanuja dasan Venkat S Iyengar
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |