Sri AndAL Dhivya mangaLa vigraha prathishtai mahOthsavam- a small report

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas

 

aDiyEn was fortunate to attend the AndAL dhivya mangaLa vigraha prathistai

mahOthsavam on 6th July at the Hayagreevan sannidhi of Srimad

Poundarikapuram Andavan Ashramam in East Uthra Street Srirangam. Please

recall aDiyEn’s email three weeks ago on this uthsavam.

 

If I say that It was a divine event and Sri AndAL looked so beautiful and

majestic, with a sweet smiling face with the most compassionate glances on

devotees – is a GROSS understatement. I believe literally on the line..

‘yathO vaachO nivartthanthE aprA Apya manasaa sa: when I attempt to describe

the divine beauty of this dhivya mangaLa vigraham of Sri GodhA PiraaTTi.

Anyone who enjoys AndAL’s vigraham that is consecrated on July 6th at this

sannidhi will agree that the Thirumukham is mesmerizing. asmadhAchAryan was

visibly pleased and happy enjoying the dovine beauty of Sri AndAL.

 

The prathsistai uthsavam went of in a grand manner with more than 200

devotees thronging to enjoy the divine event and with Veda, dhivya prabandha

gOsham trying to hit the skies. The dhivya mangaLa vigraham of His

Holiness Srimath ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan was also consecrated on the same

day.

 

There was a grand thadIyArAdhanai (which is what I relished most) at 2 p.m

and in the twilight at about 7 p.m there was a veedhi puRapaadu (procession)

for Sri AndAL and facing her was Sri ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan. It was a

gliteering sight to enjoy AndAL Thirumukham gracefully walking in the

streets of Her pukkagam- Srirangam.

 

All residents in the 12 streets of Srirangam rushed to enjoy the divine

beauty of Sri GodhA PiraaTTi and the Yathi in the front facing her.

 

After Sri AndAL retunred back, she was standing proudly and majestically

next to Sri LakshmI Hayagreevan in OOnjal and They were enjoying the

devotees enjoying Them. asmadhAchAryan H.H Sri PaRavaakkOttai Andavan was

also seen visibly pleased to see the Dhivya Damapathi in the newly built

beautiful maNi maNdapam {which has a glittering vomAnam on the top – Sri

NammAzhwAr, Sri Bhashyakarar, Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevan and Sri GarudA in the

four centers of vimAnam.). The entire flooring of sannidhi is with marble

tiles.

 

When Srimad Andavan spoke after saaRRumuRai (and while waiting for

prasAdham), Swamy said: [please forgive adiyEn for free translation- any

mistake is due to my inability and forgetful nature]

 

Sri AndAL decided to adorn this sannidhi and through Krishnakumar,

Vijaukumar brothers, Madhavakkannan and Sri Hari of Singapore, She has made

her way. They (Mohan kumar and brothers) claim that I had desired for AndAL.

I had no such desires. But I am now very happy that She is here. It is her

sankalpam and she is here. While she was on her way, she also made sure that

she has a divinely beautiful maNi maNdapam, as we were planning to build one

for a long time and the ceiling started showing ageing. So, we had to do

some reapir work for ceiling, and simultaneously Sri Gopalchariar suggested

to build this maNi maNdapam. Thus she executed her manDapam also. Someone

few months ago came to ashramam and offered kaasu maalai, bangles etc..

saying they were their mother’s and it was her wish to give to the sannidhi.

Though I refused to accept, they insisted and I had to accede to their

request finally. Thus, AndAL arranged for her jewels as well. Like she

arranged for her wedding, selected her groom, she got all this done for her.

She is now here at the lotus feet of Ranganathan. She had disappeared at the

Lotus feet of Sriranganathan and this sannidhi (which is East Uthra street,

next to east gate- is facing the lotus feet) houses Her now precisely where

She wanted to be. Thus She has come to the place which belongs to Her.

 

She is most merciful and most compassionate. Swamy Desikan mentions about

Her in GodhA sthuthi:

 

SrivishNuchittha kulanandana kalpavaleem

Srirangaraaja harichandana yoga drusyaam I

SakshAth KshamAm karuNayA KamalAmivAnyAm

GodhAm ananya saraNa: SaraNam prapathyE II

 

(Meaning ) : O GodhE ! I perform Saranagthi at Your sacred feet

as one , who has no other recourse ! I have no one else to save me . You are

the Kalpaka creeper adorning the Lord standing as the auspicious

HarichandanA tree in the flower garden of the Kulam of VishNuchitthA , your

father. The darsanam of You united with Your Lord tightly as the divine

kalpakA creeper and the celestial HarichandanA tree is a blessed sight to

see.

 

Saakshaath kshamaam- In Your infinite patience with the aparAdhis , You are

Bhumi dEvi and in your limitless compassion, You are like Maha Lakshmi

Herself.

 

I offer my Prapatthi at your sacred , lotus feet as the one , who has no

other means !

 

Thus, Swamy says: She is BhumA dEvi and Sri Devi as well.

 

His Holiness added: Swami Desikan also says in his GodhAsthuthi:

Oh GodhA Piraatti! Sriman NarayanA's role is to carryout punitive

actions against us (who are trespassing sasthrAs and are committing

sins/apachaarams). But Periya Piraati MahAlakshmi, the Most Merciful

Mother is there by His side to be soft on us and always recommends us

(the sinners) to Sriman Narayanan for forgiving our apachaarams out of

Her compassion. How many times He can yield to Her recommendations? (before

even the performance of our sins gets dried, Sri Lakshmi recommends us for

His pardon!). He gets vexed and is totally helpless and turns His face to

the other side (in disgust- THAT He is always asked by the Mother

MahAlakshmi- Periya Piraatti- to forgive us (the sinners )- How merciful She

is!).

 

On such occasions when the Lord turns away from Lakshmi, on the other side

there sits equally Most Merciful ( if not more) BhUmi Piraatti

GodhAPiraatti- who is taking her turn to recommend us again to the Lord! He,

simply smiles both of You (Periya Piraatti and GodhApiraatti) and forgives

us! When You and Periya Piraatti are there, GodhA! What is there to worry

about?

 

Thus Swamy beautifully narrated GodhA PiraaTTi’s greatness and Swamy blessed

the devotees with sakala sowbhAgyam with nArAyaNa smaraNam.

 

aDiyEn spent the next ten days in Srirangam enjoying the close proximity of

AndAL, Andavan, Arangan and appA ammA.

aDiyEm met Sri Sampath Rengi in AndAL sanndhi during prathistai mahOthsavam

for the first time and it is my bhagyam to meet Thiruppaavai Swamy on this

day at the sannidhi. (remember his 66 posts only on Maargazhi Thingal alone

few years ago and was conferred the title Thirupaavai Swamy).

 

adiyEn also was fortunate to meet Sri TR Govindharajan in Srirangam later

during my stay.

Please forgive me for my errors and omissions

 

Sri AndAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

 

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