First BrahmOthsavam Celebrations at Sri Ranganatha Temple , Pomona, NY ( JULY 3-8, 2007) : PART I

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

The preparations are well underway for the BrahmOthsavam

celebrations . The Details of each day's program is available at:

 

http://www.Ranganatha.org

 

Please plan on attending this First BrahmOthsavam

at Sri Ranganatha Temple with family and friends

and recieve the Dhivya Dampathy's anugraham .

 

Please volunteer for the various Kaimkaryams and

provide support for the Vaidhika events of the individual

days from DhvajArOhaNam to DhvajAvarOhaNam .

 

Please come and enjoy the daily alankArams , PuRappAdus ,

Live Naadhadwara Kaccheris , cultural events , Anna dhAnams,

BhEri Taadanams et al during this BrahmOthsavam .

 

This temple observes PaancharAthra Aagamam

( Jayaakhya Samhithai) . The PaancharAthra Aagamic

texts have laid out specific details on how the BrahmOthsavam

should be conducted at the Temples of Sriman NaarAyaNa .

Sri Ranganatha Temple will follow very closely the Aagamic

guidelines with support from experts in PaancharAthra

Aagamams .

 

Even at famous temples in India , there are local variations

in the observance of BrahmOthsavams :

 

1) UthsavAnga Homams ( Homams at Yaaga SaalAs pertinent

to the BrahmOthsavam )

 

2) Times for conductance of this Uthsavam ( Months: Maasi

at Ahobilam , PurattAsi at Thirumala , Panguni and Purattasi

at Oppiliappan Sannidhi )

 

3) Length of the Uthsavam ( 18 days at MannArgudi

to standard 10 days concluding with avabrutha

SnAnam at Temple PushkaraNi or River )

 

4) Rakshaa Bhandhanam ( one at most dhivya dEsams to

Three at Kaanchipuram (athivAsa, Uthsavaartha and

Theerttha Yaathraa Rakshaa Bhnadanams) .

 

5) Dhvadasa AarAdhanam & PushpAnjali procedures

 

adiyEn will post a few articles on BrahmOthsavam

selected events . The subject is vast and hence adiyEn

has to limit myself .I will seek the help of some experts

in Srirangam/Mekote/Kaanchi to get expert opinion

on these observances over time .

 

At SrI Matam , Vaduvur GhanapAdi and Senior Aaradhakar

is an authortiy in Paacha Rathra Aagamam . Hopefully , we can

be blessed with his inputs .He is already guiding the PradhAna

Archakar of the Temple , Sriman Venkat Kanumalla .

 

Mainly , we will study together specific Uthsava Observances

like :

 

(1) Garuda AdhivAsam , PraaNa Prathishtai , DhvajArOhaNam

(2) Bheri Poojaa , BhEri TaaDanam

(3) Nithya Homam

(4) Swasthi Vachanam

(5) VaasudEva PuNyAhavachanam

(6) DhvadasArAdhanam

(7) Nava Sandhi Bali

(8) DhvajA avarOhaNam , Avabrutha SnAnam

(9) SapthAvaraNam , PushpaYaagam

 

It may not be possibleto go into great details before

the start of the Uthsavam on all of them . adiyEn will

seek AchArya/BhAgavatha anugraham in this Kaimkaryam .

 

The Best thing would be for you to attend the Uthsavam

and see for yourself and experience the different observances

at " the Yaaga Saala " and ceremonies . As the proverb goes

One picture is better than 1000 pages of written text . Similarly

seeing and experiencing is better than reading about them .

 

NamO SrI RanganAthAya ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan