thiruvaatip pUraththu jekathth uthiththaaL vaazhiyE

[Guest guest]

SrImatyaI GoDayaI Nama:

 

Today (24 july) thiruvadipooram celebrations would be in full

swing at Srivilliputtur.On earlier occasions of thiruvadipooram

(98 & 99) i had penned some of my memories of the festivities in

srivilliputtur,in this post i wish to add some thoughts on the

events which occur before the thEr purappadu takes place.I have put up

a consolidated writeup on this festival at

 

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/festivals/adither.html

 

 

Thiruvadipooram is the 9th thirunal in the 10 day annual

Adi Brahmotsavam .On the 8th Thirunal the poompallaku sevai

is held which continues late into the Night.Thayar Sri

Andal will sight the ThEr for the first time during this sevai.

Usually around 4 am in the morning Sri Andal and Sri Rangamannar

will mount the ThEr to the divine chanting of mantrams.This timing

is very important.When the Divya Dampathis mount the ThEr the

pooram star should be in asendence-this determines the

date of occurence/observence of thiruvadipooram.Usually

there is a large bhagavatha goshti during this occasion.After

pujai,Sri Andal and Mannar majestically seated on the thEr give

darsanam to all Bhagavathas.This darsanam starts around 5 am

 

Those who have visited Srivilliputtur would have noticed the

thEr on the roadside almost touches a mandapam.The amaippu of the

thEr is such that a few feet below the level of the wooden floor

on the thEr where the simmasanam of the divya dampathis is tied

-there is a small space to do a pradakshinam of the divya

dampathis. This circular space almost matches with the height of

the top floor of the mandapam.(this small circular path on the

thEr is approximately 35 feet above the ground) The madapam roof

and this paricular level on the thEr are connected by few planks

and bamboo sticks are tied on the sides.

 

The darsanam starts from around 5 am.By around 6/6:30 am there is

a long queue which stretches upto the mandapam gate below.Moving in

a single file one reaches the thEr after crossing the plank and is

allowed to have a darsanam for a few seconds , complete the

pradakshinam and come out. It is a great sowbhagyam to have such

an early darsanam of Thayar and Perumal in the morning and receive

their Aaseervadhamas(kungumam is given to all devotees) on this

sacred day.A partition is made over the planks to facilitate the entry

-darsanam-pradakshinam -exit in a single file.Karpoora aarathi is

shown frequently.This darsanam is allowed only upto 7:30/8 am

depending on the starting of the thEr purappadu.Usually some sweet

like kesari or sakkarapongal will be prepared on this day and

served along with breakfast in most of the homes in Srivilliputtur.

As i write this the ThEr must have made the first turn into the

katcheri theru by this time(9:45 IST)

 

Let us pray for the Nithya SrI and Nithya Vaibhavam of the

Divya Dampathis to continue in all glory for all the times to come

 

SrI Andal SamEtha Sri Rangamannar thiruvadigale saranam

 

adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Venkat S Iyengar