report on Sri Muth function

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends -

 

Today is the tirunakshatram of Adivan Satagopa

Yatindra Mahadesikan, the first Yati who estabilished

Sri Ahobila Mutt by the command of Singavelkunram

Empiran (Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan of Ahobilam). On

this auspicious day I would like to share with you

a report on the recently concluded 600th anniversary

celebration of Sri Muth in NJ/NY. This report was

written by Smt. Vimala Rajaji.

 

On the occation of the 600th anniversary Sri Ahobila

Muth Inc. has brought out a souvenir. If any one of

you is interested in a free copy, please let me know.

 

adiyEn, Azhagiya Singar dAsan

Ramesh Sarangapani

 

 

 

Srimathe Srilakshminrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha

Srimathe Vakulabhushana Mahagurave Namaha

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namha

Srimathe Nigamantha Gurave Namaha

Srimath Adivan Satakopa Yatheendra Maha Desikaya Namaha

Srimathe Sri LakshmiNrusimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivann

Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatheendra Maha Desikaya Namaha

 

Celebration of the 600th Anniversary of Sri Ahobila Mutt in USA

 

With the Grace of Perumal, Piratti and Acharya the 600th

anniversary of the founding of Sri Ahobila Mutt was celebrated

in grand style organized by Sri Ahobila Muth, Inc. on

September 5th, 6th and 7th. The program took place in the

Long Hill Township in New Jersey the first two days and then

at the Sri Ranganatha Temple in West Nyaack, NY on the last

day. Many devotees from many parts of the country came and

took part in the celebrations. Srimukhams from His Holiness

Srimad Aazhagiyasingar, His Holiness Poundarikapuram Srimad

Andavan Swami, His Holiness Vanamamalai Jeer Swami, Sri

Seva Swami, Sri Purusai Nadadur Krishnamachariar and

Sri Anantha Narasimhachariar were received wishing the

function a success. Sri AR and Sri K. G. Krishnan of Madras

were very helpful in obtianing these Srimukams on time and

sending them here.

 

On the morning of September 5th Sri Venkat Kanumalla along

with other devotees brought the Utsava Vigrahas of Sri

Ranganatha, Thaayaar. Ubhayanaachimaar. Andaal, and Venugopalan

into the hall to the chanting of the Vedas. In the entrance

to the hall a Dwajasthambham was erected. On the walls were

photos of Perumal, Thayar and Acharyas. Sri Nadadur Mathavan

had prepared a colored chart of Sri Vaishnava Guruparamparai

and also a brief life history of all the 45 Azhagiyasingars.

These charts were posted on one wall of the hall. Srimathi

Padmaja had prepared a fantastic collection of color pictures

pasted on poster boards depicting the life of Lord Krishna,

story of Andal, the Dasavatharam and other religious pictures.

These lined both sides of the hall giving the hall the look

of a real temple. The Thirumanjanam to Perumal and Piratti

started with chanting of the Acharya Thanians and then the

Vedas and Prabhandams. Many devotees took part in the chanting

in a Goshti. It was mesmerizing to watch the Thirumanjanam

and hearing the chanting, transporting one back to the holy

halls of the temples in South India. The morning program

concluded with Thiruvaradhanai, Archanai and Sarrumurai.

 

The afternoon program started with Sri Rajaji welcoming all

the devotees and giving a brief history of the founding of

the Sri Ahobila Mutt. He also discussed briefly about the

celebrations that was going to take place during October

21-25 at Ahobilam in India under the leadership of His

Holiness the Jeer of Ahobila Mutt and listed all the projects

that are going to be undertaken to celebrate the 600th

anniversary including the construction of many facilities

for the visiting devotees to Ahobilam and the start of a

school to train learned Sri Vaishnava scholars and priests.

 

This was followed by a talk on Sri Vaishnava Guruparamparai

by Sri Nadadur Mathavan. He discussed the importance of an

Acharya in our tradition and made the point that one can

attain Moksha only through the blessings of an Acharya. He

then went on to trace the Acharya lineage all the way from

Sriman Narayana to Ramanuja to the many different branches

of the Sri Vaishnava school including all the different

Mutts. This was followed by a speech from Sri Srinivas

Tanikalla who discussed the life history of the founder

of Sri Ahobila Mutt, Sri Aadivan Satakopa Yaatheendra

Maha Desikan. He touched on the important accomplishments

of the first Jeer, one of which included the retrieving of the

idol of Nammazhvar from the bottom of the lake and installing

it at the original temple in Alwartirunagari. Following this,

Sri Kannan Iyengar

discussed the life histories and the important accomplishments

of all the Jeers starting from the 2nd and ending with the

42nd Azhagiyasingar.

 

The next speaker was Sri Venkat Kanumalla, who gave the life

history of Srimad Mukkur Azhagiyasingar, the 44th Jeer of

Sri Ahobila Mutt. He gave an outstanding description of the

personality and character of His Holiness. He brought tears

to the eyes of everyone present with his recounting of many

anecdotes that showed the greatness of His Holiness and his

commitment to finish all the projects that he had started.

 

Following this, Sri Anbil Ramaswamy took the floor to talk

of the current Azhagiyasingar, the 45th Jeer of Sri

Ahobila Mutt. He said, the Jeer was the model Acharya

as prescribed by Sri Vedanta Desikar in Nyaasa Vimsathi.

Vimsathi. He said, "The Jeer treats his shishyas with the same

love that a mother shows to her child. He has a memory

similar to that of a computer and he never forgets any

of his shishyas. Even though he is very learned and

knowledgeable he has the unique ability to explain

things in a simple and extertaining fashion so that even

the least knowledgeable person can understand him." In fact

Sri Mukkur Azhagiyasingar (44th Jeer) said that his greatest

achievement was not the construction of the Raja Gopuram at

Srirangam but the appointment of the 45th Jeer to his position.

This shows the greatness of our current Azhagiyasingar.

 

This was followed by a talk on Nrusimha Vaibhavam by Sri

Ramarajan. He made the point that not only does the Nrusimha

idol worshipped at the Mutt have the power of God but also

the Acharyas who perform the daily Aradhanai to Nrusimha.

That is why they are called Azhagiyasingars. He also

explained very nicely that one can reach the feet of Perumal

only through the grace of Piratti by quoting the beautiful

verse starting with 'Akalakillen".

 

After a break for performing the evening anushtanams,

the program continued with group recital of Sri Vishnu

Sahasranamam, Sri Sthuthi, Dashavathara Sthothram,

Kamasikashtakam, Nyasadashakam, Srisukthies of Mukkur

Azhagiya singer and Desika Mangalam led by Sri Vijayaraghavan.

The reciting of Vishnu Ganam by Sri Murali Rangaswamy was

a fitting finish for the first day's celebration.

 

The next day Sri Venkat Kanumalla and other devotees

brought the Utsava vigrahas of Lord Srinivasa along

with Ubhayanaachimaar, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Vedanta

Desikar from Sri Ranganatha Temple The hall was decorated

with flowers and other decorations fitting the occasion

of Srinivasa Kalyanam. A mantapam had been erected on the

stage to make it look like a kalyana mantapam by Smt. Malini

Chandrashekar. With the

reciting of Acharya Thanians Sri Venkat Kanumalla and the

Sri Pabhanabha Bhattar started the Srinivasa Kalyanam function.

Many families had sponsored the function and they were

all called one by one to the front to do sankalpam. As

the kalyanam was taking place on the stage, a group of

devotees recited many pasurams from the Divya Prabhandam.

Many ladies sang wedding songs for Perumal and Piratti

and took arathi. The kalyana utsavam concluded with

sarrumurai and honoring of the sponsors.

 

A special mention here has to be made of the selfless

service of Srinivas Thanikalla and his family, especially

his mother, who prepared all the prasadams for the Lord

on all the days. They were helped in the kitchen by

Srimathi Malathy Dileepan, Srimathi Madhuri Sagar and

other ladies. Srimathi Thanikalla had prepared 600 laddus

in honor of the 600th anniversary of Sri Ahobila Mutt.

Srimathi Bhuma had prepared paniyaram and thirattipal.

 

After lunch, Sri Dileepan gave a slide presentation of

the 108 Divyadesams, including color pictures of the

temples and utsava vigrahas. He showed slides of the

Nava Narasimhars at Ahobilam, Kanakavalli and Veeraraghavan

at Thiruvallur, and the temples at Thiruvali, Thirunagari,

Thirunangkur, Therazhundur, Thiruvinnagar, Anbil,

Thirumalirunjcholai, Azhvar Thirunagari, Tholaivilli

Mangalam, Thirikkurungkuti, Thirupullani and other

Divyadesams. All the devotees in their mind felt as if

they were traveling and visiting the real temples themselves.

 

Following this Sri Satakopan talked of Sri LakshmiNrusimha

Vaibhavam in an emotional and touching manner. He called

on Sri Sampath Rengarajan to recite Nammazhvar's Ennappan

Enakkayikulai pasuram and then Sri Murali Rangaswamy to

recite Sri Nrusimha Gadyam and Sri Mandrarajapatha

sthothram. This was followed by a recital by Sri Mani

Vardarajan, Sri Varadan, Sri Anand and Sri Sampath

Rengarajan of pasurams of Thirumangai Azhvar on Sri

Nrusimha. After this Sri Satakopan explained very nicely

with many examples why there is no greater God than Sri

Lakshmi Nrusimhar, no greater Acharya than Srimad

Azhagiyasingar and nothing more important than prapatti.

He then called on Sri Mani Varadarajan to sing a

mangalam song. This concluded the afternoon's activities.

 

That evening's program began with Sri Madurai Sundar's

concert starting with Navaragamalika Varnam. He sang many

songs on Sri Nrusimhar, Guruvayurappan, Ranganathar and

Mahalakshmi and Thirumangai Azhvar's pasurams. This was

a very fitting conclusion of Perumal and Thayar's

kalyanam. Sri Rajaji concluded the day's function with a

vote of thanks.

 

The third day's function was held at the Sri Ranganatha

Temple in West Nyaack. The day's function started with

Perumal Aradhanai in the morning performed by Sri Venkat

Kanumalla and the temple Bhattar. Later Sri Sampath Rengarajan

talked of the life history of the 43rd Jeer. This was followed

by a talk by Sri Ramarajan from Kamba Ramayanam on the

destruction of Hiranya by Lord Lakshmi Nrusimhar. Then Sri

Anbil Ramaswamy answered questions from the audience. Sri

Venkat Kanumalla concluded the function with a vote of thanks.

 

Special thanks are owed to the following people for

their support: Sri Keshav Prasad (for video support),

Srimans Murali Kidambi, S. Raghavan, Srinivas Thanikalla

Krishna Kanumalla and Sri Sai for the local support.

The Board Members of Sri Ahobila Mutt, Inc. would like

to thank all the speaker and participants who made

the celebration a grand success.

 

We pray to Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan and Srimad Azhagiya

Singer to bless us all in our endeavor to serve the

divya dampathies and His devotees.

 

adiyEn

Azhgiya Singer dasi

Smt. Vimala Rajaji