AdyayanaUtsavam: Information, background and reasons

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sri:

Dear and respected devotees: Please accept my humble pranam:

 

==Thiru Adyayana Utsavam===================

The Tradition of Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavam was started by Thirumangai Azhvar.

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Thirumangai Azhvar started the tradition of Adhyayana Uthsavam in Srirangam.

 

ThirumangaiAzhvar would travel to Azhvar Thirunagari (tiruk kurugur) and bring

Swami Nammazhvar's Thirumeni to Sri Rangam on ShuklaPaksha Ekadasi (Vaikunta

Ekadasi)

 

The next 10 days Swami Nammazhwar's prabhandhams are chanted in front of

Namperumal.

 

Thirumangai Azhvar started this practice of chanting Nammazhvar's pasurams

as a ten day event. This is what we call today as IrapPathu or

Thiruvaimozhi Thirunaal. After the 10th day event (10 days after Vaikunta

Ekadasi)

Nammazhvar was taken back to Azhvar Thirunagari.

He would arrive at Azhvar Thirunagari on the day: Star: hastam, month: thai.

 

For the start of this ceremony, Thirumangai Azhvar used to start from

Srirangam on the day of Karthigai Karthigai (his own thirunakshatram).

 

Even today this tradition is followed in most of the temples; where the

Kattiyakarar or the Sthalathar who has the traditional rights along with

temple's Paricharakas go to Swami Nammazhwar's shrine and read

the message from Perumal. The day Swami Nammazhwar arrived

in SriRangam was always the Sukla Paksha Ekadasi (Sri Vaikunta Ekadasi).

 

On this auspicious day, Swami Nammazhwar is adorned with Muthangi and

Namperumal with Rathnangi. Starting from Ekadasi, next nine days,

Sri Thirumangai Azhwar arranged to recite Swami Nammazhwar's prabhandhams in

front of Namperumal.

 

After the days of Sri Thirumangai Azhwar, the practice was slowly stopped.

It was Sri Nathamunigal who restarted this practice.

After Thirumangai Azhvar's time, due to practical difficulties of bringing

Nammazhvar to Srirangam, a Thirumeni of Swami Nammazhvar was installed in

SriRangam temple.

 

After a few hundred years, Svami Ramanuja, revived and revitalized this

ceremony.

(as per the Thiruvullam of Nathamunugal)

 

Sri Ramanujar added ten days before the Ira Paththu and called them Pagal

Paththu,

and arranged that during these ten days prabhandhams of other

Azhvars should be recited.

Sri Ramanuja also added one more day for Iyarpa.

 

Because, Sri Thirumangai Azhwar started it, the day before the

Pagal Paththu Uthsavam first day, Namperumal listens to

ThiruNedunthandagam of Sri Thirumangai Azhwar.

So, originally started as ten days festival by Sri Thirumangai Azhwar

it was later modified as Twenty days (+one day for

ThiruNedunthandagam) by Swami Emberumanar.

 

Anadhyayana kalam starts during Karthigail Karthigai and normally

ends on Thai hastham (Sri Koorathazhwan's thirunakshatram).

 

After the Islamic invations from the North, Sri PeriyaJeeyar (Mamunikal)

revitalized and revived this utsavam and increased its popularity many fold.

(as per the Thiruvullam Svami Ramanuja)

 

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PS: If you would like to add any more points,

please send them to me, with support and reasons.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Mukundan Vangeepuram Pattangi

 

http://www.radioramanuja.com/articles/

 

Sources:

Asmad Acharyan's teachings based on

GPP6000, Ramanuja Siddhanta Prakasikai, YPP