Travelogue - to Srirangam on 16 Jun 2009 and 09 Jun 2009

June 19, 2009

Dear Bhaagavathaas,

[ p * |/ $ q ] --- Jai Sreemannarayana.

ADIYEN had blessing of DARSHAN of Lord Ranganatha’ s Lotus feet a couple of times in last 15 days.

This time no RUSH, I am blessed with beautiful, ever pleasing, calm and peaceful Lord Ranganatha, His lotus feet and all His divya sampathy, ever gracing us. This was during evening around 20 hrs.

The first instance, I was accompanied by my better half. Luckily the Rs 50 ticket line had no queue at all. We had a direct walk-in till the main sanctum in just 5 minutes. I was hoping to get the free PRASADAM of Lord, normally a HOT ARISAI, the taste of which remains with us at least 30 minutes. But it was not there. Lost in those thoughts and also my daily wish list to the Lord, I was a bit disappointed and as it was always, I NEEDED SPECIAL SOMETHING from LORD. Yes that does happen. The moment I saw - His divya mangala swaroopam, starting from His feet, His Attire, Kati Hastam, Abhaya Hastam, Amma, Lotus petal like EYEs, face (vadnam), Above Adiseshan, Utsavar murthy with Ubhaya naancharis – everything in steps. A glimpse of everything in a single look is beyond one’s comprehension. There is a definite spell and suddenly a full level of satisfaction. Dragged by the SWAMY, who has more responsibility to arrange DARSHAN to many behind me in line, I am back to senses. Seconds after, I had TULASI THEERTHAM of Lord (can I call it SRREPADA THEERTHAM?), the taste and sense is above all pleasures. Out of the sanctum, back into external world, I could only offer a SAASTANGAM to Lord. Some people say SAASTANGAM should not be performed between Lord and DHWAJA STAMBHAM (Garuda Dhwajam). But how else I can express my indebtedness to Lord’ s GRACE on me at that moment. Again I wished I should go ONCE MORE, and wait till Lord grants me.

The next instance on 16 th, I am accompanied by my colleague, who is very young engineer, aged 26 years, fresh and confused on DEVOTION to Lord. Actually he came with me for shopping a RAMA PATTABHISHEKAM Tanjore art on glass painting. He was helping me in Tamil language, while shopping at TANJORE and SRIRANGAM. Normally I do not speak on RELIGION or DEVOTION to others, unless I know he has same kind of understanding and respect. He volunteered to accompany me inside the sanctum also. Obviously I was please by his offer and explained how the Lord’s grace will shower on him and ALL devotees.

The Lord Ranganatha DARHAN will please us to highest levels deep inside. However, again it generates a CRAVING desire for one more DARSHAN, next time and at the earliest. Soon I and my friend were in stalls of Srirangam shopping for the glass art work. Through a friend and enquiry, we could identify a shop KALA NIKETHAN on the eastern side of the temple and procured desired ART WORK.

I have no hesitation to attribute this small success to Lord’s darshan, His apaara karuna which comes in many ways. A few minutes later, my friend told me, he just received a phone call, that his close friend was out of financial and relational troubles and he would return the loan amount taken some months back.

These events and similar confirm your belief, trust and they need no popularity. Lord Ranganatha is already so high and is cause for everything. Why go else where and dilute your level of devotion? when you already have the best with you, there is no need to search further.

Lord Ranganatha shall bless all of us.

~ Ever humble to all devotees. – Peesapati V V Seetharama Chari

P V V S Chari