Sravan's trip to Srirangam temple

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Sriman Sampath rengarajan is well known to

the e-mail list groups through his many outstanding

postings about Tamil Sri Sookthis of AzhwArs and his

leadership in organizing the Adhyayana Sevai at

Sri RanganAthA temple , Pomona , NY. His devotion to

Lord RanganAthan , Lord Aaravamudhan of Thirukkudanathia and

Lord Oppiliappan is well known.

 

It is my pleasure to forward you a posting by his

9 year old son, Chi.Sravan RengarAjan on his visit

to the numerous sannidhis of Srirangam temple complex.

I am sure that many of us have not visited all

the 88 plus sannidhis at this ancient temple complex.

 

Chi.Sravan's writing has a sparkle and spontaneity.

I think children like Sravan exposed to our ancient

darsanam at the very early age offer great promise

to the practise and growth of Sri VaishNavam.

 

V.Sadagopan

 

>My trip to srirangam temple

>

>I am the son of Sampath Rengarajan and Vasanthi Rengarajan

>and I am 9 years old. I live in Ann Arbor Michigan, USA. I

>went to Thiruchi and Kumbakonam for my vacation. I always

>wanted to go to all the sannithis in srirangam temple.

>Each time I go to srirangam temple with my Ammamma, we

>were straight taken to the perumal sannithi without any

>waiting in the queue and brought back to thayar sannithi

>and back to home at Thiruchy. Sometime I had gone to

>Danvanthri sannithi. One day my dad and I planned and took

>an auto to go to Srirangam. When we crossed the Kaveri we

>both worshiped the huge gopuram. it was majestic and very

>tall. Then we went to a street full of garlands (my dad

>tells me the name of the street is some sattar street). We

>bought 2 huge garlands and went straight to acharya

>sannithi in dasavatharam sannithi. We garlanded the

>acharya 44th. We worshipped dasavatharam perumals. I had

>a closer look at Nrusimha, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki. My

>dad told me that all the 10 moolavar perumals were created

>by Ranga when Thirumangai prayed to Him. We also

>worshipped Thirumangai. Then we walked to thayar sannithi

>from there. It was very hot and sunny.

>

>We entered the temple through the north gate near thayar

>sannithi and started going through each ciruit. I took a

>note book with me that my grandpa gave me. I made a

>diagram of circuits. I started giving numbers and marking

>them in the circuit in the clockwise direction. In another

>page we wrote down the names of the perumals in each

>sannithi and lots of other details. We worshipped each

>perumal in each sannithi. We covered the circuit and then

>went to the inner circuit through a place. We had to put

>our 5 fingers and look at 3 entrances. My dad showed me a

>place where a lone panai maram knew more 4000 than anyone

>else. Then my dad showed me the place where viraja river

>flows under. I asked him why is it called sorgam vasal

>when inside is vaikundam and not sorgam. My dad told me

>that people those days knows sorgam as a common word and

>in vaikundam one is so happy like sorgam and so everyone

>called it sorgam vasal. I have entered through this vasal

>during vaikunda ekathasi.

>

>Then we had to run from one madapam to another as the

>floor was so hot and we were walking bare footted. We went

>to all the sannithis and my dad explained about each of

>them. then We went to acharya Ramanuja sannithi and the

>ommAcchi thAthA there explained about ramanuja and showed

>us his nails and eyes. My dad wanted to write about some

>108 songs on ramanuja in lots of detail and the ommAcchi

>thatha blessed. We went to chakram azwar sannithi (not

>thirumazhisai) and also saw all the azwars around. We went

>to andal , nammazawar, thirumangai and kulasekara and thirup

>-pan sannithis also. Then we saw 2 of the 8 thayars of

>ranga. Then we were shown the huge chappals (my dad said

>paduga) and we kept it on our head and my dad told some

>secret code when we kept it on our head for some minutes.

>Then we went around and saw the first 3 azhwars and thiru

>mazhisai and garland azhwar.

>

>Then we went inside through to the next circuit. We saw

>the two people who wanted to lie down in the stone and

>wanted ranga's servants to stamp on them all the time.

>Then we saw the flag post. Then we crossed the steps that

>are covered with golden like plates. My dad told me that

>sankara crawled over these steps as some holy ommacchi

>thaththas are staying in it and no one should step on it.

>Then we went around and saw the king and his family

>waiting for one year in one place to see Ranga. Then we

>went around and saw viswaksena and went into the temple

>through the special entrance.

>

>One of the ommacchi thathaa came and took us straight to

>Ranga without waiting. We did archana. We were asked to

>stay in the sannithi for 25 minutes watching Ranga's feet.

>Lot of other people came and went and we stood there for a

>long time. I have seen Ranga with rathnangi and mutthangi

>and he used to be very beautiful but then we see him only

>for a little time. now when i see him for such a long time,

>he looked more beautiful and my dad never wanted to come

>from there. We both were chanting secret codes as we stood

>there for such a long time and saw his feet. My dad told

>me about the butter smell that keep coming always inside

>the Ranga sannithi. (Ranga as Krishna keeps eating butter

>all the time and even now it seems).

>

>Then we came out walking backwards from the sannithi. My

>dad showed me two pillars inside covered with golden plate

>and told me those pillars are in vaikundam also. Then my

>dad showed me 24 pillars and told about gayathri. Then we

>had theerttham , sadari and came out. We did sevikkarathu

>near dwarabalakas. Then we saw the sandals of Ranga again.

>Then we saw Ranga's dad in golden gopuram above the Ranga

>sannithi. Then we came out. I have all the names of those

>88 sannithis in the temple and the diagrams with their

>location. My dad told me there are 20 more sannithis in

>and around. The temple also had a similar diagram that had

>only 65 sannithis in it. My dad told me that nobody in our

>family could have gone to all the sannithis so far

>including him. I was happy we did it. I want to gather

>more and all the informatoins about srirangam temple and

>store it in some place. I also read in the guinnes book of

>world records for year 2001 about srirangm. The book wrote

>"The srirangam temple complex in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil

>Nadu, India is the largest Hindu temple in the world.

>It covers an area of 156 acres with a perimeter of 693.5

>miles". My dad told me that the entire french army stayed

>inside the temple compound a long time ago when they were

>fighting. It is indeed very very big temple and I want to

>go there again and spend a lot of time and stay and live

>there.

>

>Sriranganathaya namaha

>Sravan Rengarajan

>

>

>

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