Srirangam Maasi Garuda Sevai Input

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Maasi GarudOthsavam at Srirangam

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Srirangam is the sacred island formed by the two rivers , which is very

special to all devotees of Sriman Naraayana .. Here the Lord of Srirangam ,

Sri Ranganathan rests on His most enjoyable soft bed of Adisesha

with His eyes closed in Yoga Nidra . He rests under the canopy of

the Pranavam shaped vimanam inside His Srirangam temple

encircled by seven court yards .

 

During 120 days of the year , Lord RanganAtha's processional deity

( Archa Moorthy ) is taken out of the temple to give darsan to one and all .

During these jaunts outside His temple , Ranganatha travels on quite a variety of

routes in and around Srirangam island . In one festival , He travels as far as

ten kilometers from Trichy to the uthsavam(Festival) site and returns back .

 

At Srirangam , there are many festivals during the year , the chief of which

is known as BrahmOthsavam or the festival conducted by Brahma Devan ,

the son of Lord RanganAtha for ten days . The Brahmothsavam takes place

in the Tamil month of Panguni and is known as the Aadhi ( ancient )

Brahmothsavam . There is a day during the BrahmOthsavam ,

when Lord Ranganatha appears before all His devotees riding on

His vaahnam ( transport ) of Garudan . This darsan is a special one

known as Garuda Sevai . The appearance of the Lord on the back of His

vehicle , Garudan is very special at Srirangam , Kaanchipuram , Thirunaangur

near Seerkazhi , Nava Tiruppathis near Tirunelveli , Naachiyar Koil near Kumbakonam

and Thirumala .

 

At Srirangam , Lord Ranganatha blesses His devotees with Garuda Sevai

four times an year during the months of Thai , Maasi, Panguni and

Chitthirai , the consecutive months of the Tamil year . During the Thai

Garuda Sevai , Lord Ranganatha crosses the the bridge over Cauvery river

at Trichy and arrives at the Veereswaram Garuda Mandapam on

the Chennai road . He returns to the temple via the Uttira street of

Srirangam .

 

During the Maasi Garuda Sevai , Lord Ranganatha ascends a Silver

Garudan to Kaasu Chettiyar Asthana Mandapam located in the middle of

the beautiful garden , Singara Thoppu . This location is one and half miles from

Trichy . The worship of Lord Ranganatha during Maasi Garuda Sevai is

considered very auspicious .There is a proverb , which states the punyam

acquired from participating in the Maasi Garuda Sevai far outweighs the Punyams

accumulated from a visit to Kaasi (Benares). During the Panguni Garuda Sevai ,

Lord RanganAtha travels to a site (Nocchiyam Reddiyar Mandapam ) that is

ten kiometers away from Trichy before He returns home . In the month of Chitthirai ,

the devotees are blessed to enjoy the Garuda Sevai of Lord Ranganatha once

again . At this time , He travels a short distance of three and half kilometers from

Trichy to a festival site known as Arya Vaisyal Kalyana Mantapam .

 

The sacredness of Garudan arises from the belief that he is the embodiment of

all the Vedas . He carries the Lord on his back , while the Lord's pair of feet are

resting on his two palms to reveal to the world that His Lord is the Supreme

doctrine ( Para Tatthvam ). When there is a need for His Lord to arrive at

a place quickly to protect His dear devotees such as the King of elephants

(Gajendhran) who was being tormented by a crocodile , Garudan transports

His Lord at the speed of lightning . During the Lord's incarnation as the son of

King Dasaratha , Garudan came to the battle field at Lanka to drive away

the enemy weapons empowered by fierce snakes and was embraced by Lord

Ramachandra for his help . During the Lord's incarnation as Krishna , Garudan

hovered in the sky over the young Krishna's head as an umbrella with his outstretched

wings to protect His playful Lord from the fierce mid day Sun at Brundhavanam .

He stays at Sri Vaikuntam to offer eternal and blemishless service to His Lord .

Here at Srirangam known as Bhuloka Vaikuntam , he carried Sriranga

Vimanam from the abode of Brahma devan and placed it at the current

site in the middle of the two rivers at a place desired by His Lord .

Sri Ranganatha was so pleased with Garuda's services that He asked

His dear friend and servant to stay right next to Him in the Garuda

Mandapam with a form as big as the reclining Lord Himself. Here ,

Garudan sits in a reverential pose with folded hands awaiting ordres

from

the Lord to serve Him . A huge Garuda Mandapam was built for this

Garudan by Vikrama Chozha raja (1070-1125 C.E) at the fourth prakaram

( encloure ) of the temple . This Garuda Mandapam is a grand one with

212 supporting pillars .

 

On the four Garuda Sevai days of each year , Garudan feels fulfilled to transport

His Lord to special sites , where the dear devotees of the Lord can have the darsan

of is auspicious Lord . Maasi Garuda Sevai is high on the hierarchy

of these Garuda Sevais at Srirangam .

 

Oppiliappan Koil V. Sadagopan

 

P.S : At Sri Ranganatha Temple , Pomona we have the most beautiful consecrate

archa Moolavar and Uthsavar as at Srirangam . Please come and have Garduda

Darsanam at the temple . Hopefully , one day , there will be a Garuda Vaahanam

made for use in the Lord's BrahmOthsavams at the temple .