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News about Navaratri in Srirangam from our

friends Keshava Dasan and Bhakti Devi.

 

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Navaratri festival has begun here in Sri Rangam. We went on

Sunday night to Thayar Sannidhi which is a large complex in the

north of the Ranganath Temple complex. Goddess Ranga nachiyar

(MahaLaksmi) came out on a silver palaquin wearing many beautiful

neclaces of pearls, diamonds, etc. Her hands were covered with

diamond kavacas. She looked very beautiful. The palaquin was taken

around her temple inside a large covered colonade, and then she

rested in a mandapa and was shown her image in a large mirror mounted

on the wall. At that time the Sri Rangam Jeer Swamiji and other

hereditary Vaishnavas accepted prasadams and tirtha (caranamrta) and

had the Goddess's setari (shoes) placed on their shoulders and head

as a sign of benediction. She never leaves her own temple complex

like a chaste wife who never leaves the husband's house. Lord

Ranganath comes on one day a year the star of Uttiram in Phalguni

month. However there is also small deities of Sri devi and Bhu devi

in the main sanctum with Lord Ranganatha. Afterwards she goes inside

to the Golu Mandapam and the devotees crowd in to take darshan and

prasadams. Later everyone goes outside to a huge covered mandapa

where the temple elephant Andal wearing big ankle bells and golden

head-dress takes 9 three legged hops while playing a harmonica in her

trunk. She also waves a silver handled chamari (yak tail whisk fan)

with her trunk in the direction of the Goddess inside the shrine.

Beside her are large white Kodai (umbrellas) and a group of

nadesvaram and drum players. The whole atmosphere is very festive.

 

 

More later.

 

 

Keshava das

 

 

mani

Sun, 27 Oct 1996 10:55:57 IST+530

Tiruvalli Sevai

Priority: normal

X-mailer: Pegasus Mail v3.22

 

During the Navaratri Celebrations here there is a special seva in

which Goddess Ranga Nayaki is dressed in such a way that her feet may

be seen. This special alankara is performed only once a year and is a

special blessing on the devotees present. My wife and I were

especially carefull not to miss out on this special occasion. After

the usual procession with the deity around the inner courtyard of the

Thayar sannidhi. The palaquin stopped in a small mandapa so that

devotees could receive prasadams, tirtha and setari. At this time I

was standing next to a very learned looking vaishnava who asked about

our native place, etc. He turned out to be Mr. Eillaiyavilli

Satakopan Bhu Varahan, an Acharya purusha, whose family hails from

Alvar Tirunagari. He now resides in Bangalore and is giving regular

classes on Bhagavat Visayam.

 

On Sarasvati puja day there was a big tirumanjanam of Goddess

Mahalaksmi in the evening to mark the end of the Navaratri

Celebrations. Over 100 silver pots of fragrant water was poured over

the deity while hundreds of devotees sat watching in the Golu mandapa.

 

Vijay Dasami day commences with Lord Ranganatha heading out of the

temple at 8am through the eastern gate. His palaquin stops for

offering of breakfast naivedyam at a small mandapa just opposite our

house. My wife distributed pan, bananas and daksina to the brahmins

accompanying the procession. After offering of naivedyam the

procession moves on to the Singha Perumal Koil Temple. Here the Lord

rests in a mandapa until early evening when he mounts his golden

horse vahana for a hunting festival. A demon has assumed the form of

a tree in the temple grounds. The Lord with the aid of an archaka

shoots arrows from his bow and pierces the tree, thus killing the

demon. After this the procession heads back via sattara vidhi to the

temple, stopping only at the train crossing as a train is passing at

just this moment.

 

NEWS FLASH:

Vijay Dasami, HH Alagiya Singha Swamiji (45th Jeer) of Sri Ahobila

Math was visiting Sri Rangam. My wife and I met with the Swamiji and

received his blessings along with darshan of Malola Nrsimha and

Dasaavataras. The Swamiji also invited us to attend his 70 th

birthday celbrations at Tirumala a few days from now.

 

 

NEWS FLASH:

The President of India Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma arrived today in Sri

Rangam (26th Oct). He along with several Tamil Nadu ministers

including the ministers for food, and charitable endowments

officially opened the new Sri Andvan Arts and Sciences College. The

college is situated near to the train crossing on Gandhi Rd, Sri

Rangam. The function was held in a huge specially constructed pandal

in NE Uttara St just outside the Sanskrit College. Most of the

speeches were in English. In his speech the president said that it

was up to the educators of today to inculcate the values espoused by

Saint Ramanuja in the youth. He also spoke of the role of Sri

Ramanuja as reformer and champion of the lower classes. The Alvars he

said stood out as an example of supreme devotion to God not being the

sole right of any one class in society.