Guest guest Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 MEETING OF MATURE MINDS Do you wish to be a part of a “meeting of mature minds”? Come to Sri Ranganatha temple at Pomona, New York during any of the several celebrations being conducted there like the just concluded 3rd BrahmOtsavam, 2009. What is so special and different about Pomona celebrations that you do not experience elsewhere? If you read the following, I am sure that you will agree with me. In several Divya decamps back in India, it is usually a motley crowd of floating population with diverse stages of knowledge and interest - some not even knowing what is going on! Here in Pomona, you will find hundreds of devotees from coast to coast and even from abroad having absolute understanding of the protocols and with exclusive devotion to the Lord. In several Diva desams back in India, you will find that the so called “kainkarya paras” called hereditary “Srimaan ThaangigaL” are just “wage earners” - employees” who “work for food” (udara nimittam) Here in Pomona, the volunteers eagerly look forward and compete in offering their services for FREE. They are not professional “Srimaan ThaangigaL” but hold high positions in the corporate world but have come with a genuine interest to serve the Lord. In several Divya desams back in India, you will find that members of “Adhyaapaka GOshTis” reciting Veda mantras and Divya Prabandams so mechanically (like the cawing of a murder of crows or croaking of an army, knot or colony of frogs) without understanding what they are reciting! Their concern is on completing the quota of recitals within a time frame. Here in Pomona when these amateur volunteers holding high positions in life recite in resonance, there is life in it. You feel as if you are in the midst of Nityasooris in Sri VaikunTam praising the lord heartily because they recite with an understanding of the meanings of StOtrams and Paasurams they recite. The thorough manner of the rites and rituals were organized by “Paramaikanti Sarvabhouman” Sri Venkat Kanumalla Swami and his dedicated band of Trustees like Sri Srinivas Tanikalla Swami, Sri Murthy Ayyala Swami and scores of volunteers was really for “Gods to see”! Due to the diligence and dedication of the volunteers every detail was meticulously attended to without skipping any essentials. Anyone who was someone worthy of being mentioned as “Bhaagavata” was present at the premises coming as they did from far flung areas between the East coast and the West coast. This was a telling attestation of the SlOkam in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.31 which says that bath in sacred waters and even worshipping Archa moorthis in temples can purify one’s soul only in due course but the very sight of the congregation of Saadhus can do the same almost instantly. Na hi ammayaani therthaani na devaa: mrith silaa mayaa: / tE punanti uru-kaalEna Darsanaad Eva Saadhava: // I may mention in this regard that my connections with this temple are special for the following reasons - - Firstly, it was at the feet of Prakritam 45th PaTTam Azhagiya Singhar (in His Poorvaasramam) that I had the Bhaagyam of learning through Closed-circuit KaalakshEpams of Grantha ChatushTayams that any VaishNava ought to learn in one’s lifetime. - Secondly, it was my own nephew, Late Sri Ranganathan Kuppuswami who dreamed of raising a temple for Sri Ranganatha in the USA (as per the wishes of H.H. 44th PaTTam Mukkur Azhagiya Singhar). He was also instrumental in providing necessary motivation in the first place. 7. PRIEST SERVICES The devotion and dedication with which the priests conducted the various Homams like Vaasudeva Homam, Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Homam, Srimad Ramayana Homam, Mahalakshmi Homam, Maha-Sudarsana Homam, Kalyana Utsavams. Pushpa Yaagam etc with meticulous attention to every detail were indeed breathtaking. The Alankarams (costumes) for the Lord for Purappadus (Circumambulation) both in the morning and the evening were matchless. The services of Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami from Andhra, Sri Naryana Bhattar Swamin from Karnataka and Sri Rajagopalan Swami from Tamilnadu were particularly noteworthy. 8. MASTERS OF CEREMONIES It is discipline that differentiates an orderly brigade from a motley crowd. Even the Lord is assisted by Sri Vishwak sEnar in organizing his devotees. We had a couple of such “Masters of ceremonies” in Sri A.M.R. Kannan, Sri Arun Krishnamachari and their group of friends who spared no efforts to regulate the proceedings with razor sharp precision at every stage. MUSIC GALORE The Nadaswaram party consisting of two grandsons of the famous Sheik Chinna Moulana Saheb of Srirangam (Mr. Kasim and Mr. Babu) on the pipe and two on percussion (Thavil) was ever ready with their enchanting music. The Tavil Vidwans who performed in sync with the modulations of recitation of the mantras set to music by Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami is absolutely unforgettable. 10. SRIMAN THAANGIGAL When the Lord danced our hearts danced in unison and some were tempted to dance physically too! Such an enthralling experience it was! 11. NADAI, UDAI, VADAI It used to be said that the gait (naDai) of Sri Ranganatha (in Srirangam), costume (UDai) of Kanchi Varadaraja and the edible cake (Vadai) of Tirumalai TiruvenkatamuDaiyaan are proverbially famous. In Pomona BrahmOTsavam there was a combination of the best of all the three! 12. FOOD Food was aplenty and always available on all the days FOR FREE to all those who attended the Utsavam. “Even an army marches on its stomach” The never ending stream of visitors was fed with a variety of items to heart’s content. The food was as filling in the belly as the Darshan of the Lord in various Sannidhis was filling to the heart. The “Anna Daanam” was a 24/7 affair. At no point of time that anyone had to go without food! The credit for the preparation of such delicious fare goes to Sri Muralikrishnan Swami, who toiled day and night untiringly and with a smiling countenance at all times. 13. ENTERTAINMENTS GALORE There were a number of entertainments in music and dance which kept the audience spell bound in the afternoons. The notable ones were the music by the Bombay sisters and the Kuchipudi dance by Kuchipudi Arts Academy besides other dance dramas by amateur artists. 14. VAAHANAMS (MOUNTS) The most essential requirement of BrahmOTsavam is the provision of Vaahanams (mounts) on which the Lord goes about giving Darshan even to those who could not or would not come to the temple. Besides GaruDa Vaahanam, the new additions were Hanumanta Vaahanam, SEsha Vaahanam and Kalpaka Vriksham. I request all devotees to donate liberally for acquiring other Vaahanams (Mounts) for the temple like Aswa (Horse), Gaja (Elephant), Simha (Lion) Surya Prabha (The Sun dial), Chandra Prabha (The Arc of the Moon), Hamsa ( Swan) and YaaLi (a hybrid of lion and elephant- a mythological creature) 15. RATHOTSAVAM The highlight of this year’s BrahmOtsavam was the grand and colorful RathOtsavam – a Chariot specially constructed at great expense and greater effort. The car was pulled by hundreds of volunteers to the delight of the thousands of spectators. Daasoham Anbil Ramaswamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 Dear Anbil Swamin, Simply beautiful narration. Only here in the US - at least for us, the last hope on earth, that it is truly possible to be- jnaanam vignaana sahitam...hailed in the Bhagavad-Gita. dAsan KST Ram Anbil <Ramanbil Journal SDDS ; srtsevak <srtsevak >; venkat kanumalla <sridhardikshit Wed, Jul 29, 2009 4:33 pm MEETING OF MATURE MINDS MEETING OF MATURE MINDS Do you wish to be a part of a “meeting of mature mindsâ€? Come to Sri Ranganatha temple at Pomona, New York during any of the several celebrations being conducted there like the just concluded 3rd BrahmOtsavam, 2009. What is so special and different about Pomona celebrations that you do not experience elsewhere? If you read the following, I am sure that you will agree with me. In several Divya decamp s back in India, it is usually a motley crowd of floating population with diverse stages of knowledge and interest - some not even knowing what is going on! Here in Pomona, you will find hundreds of devotees from coast to coast and even from abroad having absolute understanding of the protocols and with exclusive devotion to the Lord. In several Diva desams back in India, you will find that the so called “kainkarya paras†called hereditary “Srimaan ThaangigaL†are just “wage earners†- employees†who “work for food†(udara nimittam) Here in Pomona, the volunteers eagerly look forward and compete in offering their services for FREE. They are not professional “Srimaan ThaangigaL†but hold high positions in the corporate world but have come with a genuine interest to serve the Lord. In several Divya desams back in India, you will find that members of “Adhyaapaka GOshTis†reciting Veda mantras and Divya Prabandams so mechanically (like the cawing of a murder of crows or croaking of an army, knot or colony of frogs) without understanding what they are reciting! Their concern is on completing the quota of recitals within a time frame. Here in Pomona when these amateur volunteers holding high positions in life recite in resonance, there is life in it. You feel as if you are in the midst of Nityasooris in Sri VaikunTam praising the lord heartily because they recite with an understanding of the meanings of StOtrams and Paasurams they recite. The thorough manner of the rites and rituals were organized by “Paramaikanti Sarvabhouman†Sri Venkat Kanumalla Swami and his dedicated band of Trustees like Sri Srinivas Tanikalla Swami, Sri Murthy Ayyala Swami and scores of volunteers was really for “Gods to seeâ€! Due to the diligence and dedication of=2 0the volunteers every detail was meticulously attended to without skipping any essentials. Anyone who was someone worthy of being mentioned as “Bhaagavata†was present at the premises coming as they did from far flung areas between the East coast and the West coast. This was a telling attestation of the SlOkam in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.31 which says that bath in sacred waters and even worshipping Archa moorthis in temples can purify one’s soul only in due course but the very sight of the congregation of Saadhus can do the same almost instantly. Na hi ammayaani therthaani na devaa: mrith silaa mayaa: / tE punanti uru-kaalEna Darsanaad Eva Saadhava: // I may mention in this regard that my connections with this temple are special for the following reasons - - Firstly, it was at the feet of Prakritam 45th PaTTam Azhagiya Singhar (in His Poorvaasramam) that I had the Bhaagyam of learning through Closed-circuit KaalakshEpams of Grantha ChatushTayams that any VaishNava ought to learn in one’s lifetime. - Secondly, it was my own nephew, Late Sri Ranganathan Kuppuswami who dreamed of raising a temple for Sri Ranganatha in the USA (as per the wishes of H.H. 44th PaTTam Mukkur Azhagiya Singhar). He was also instrumental in providing necessa ry motivation in the first place. 7. PRIEST SERVICES The devotion and dedication with which the priests conducted the various Homams like Vaasudeva Homam, Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Homam, Srimad Ramayana Homam, Mahalakshmi Homam, Maha-Sudarsana Homam, Kalyana Utsavams. Pushpa Yaagam etc with meticulous attention to every detail were indeed breathtaking. The Alankarams (costumes) for the Lord for Purappadus (Circumambulation) both in the morning and the evening were matchless. The services of Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami from Andhra, Sri Naryana Bhattar Swamin from Karnataka and Sri Rajagopalan Swami from Tamilnadu were particularly noteworthy. 8. MASTERS OF CEREMONIES It is discipline that differentiates an orderly brigade from a motley crowd. Even the Lord is assisted by Sri Vishwak sEnar in organizing his devotees. We had a couple of such “Masters of ceremonies†in Sri A.M.R. Kannan, Sri Arun Krishnamachari and their group of friends who spared no efforts to regulate the proceedings with razor sharp precision at every stage. MUSIC GALORE The Nadaswaram party consisting of two grandsons of the famous Sheik Chinna Moulana Saheb of Srirangam (Mr. Kasim and Mr. Babu) on the pipe and two on percussion (Thavil) was ever ready with their enchanting music. The Tavil Vidwans who performed in sync with the modulations of recitation of the mantras set to music by Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami is absolutely unforgettable. 10. SRIMAN THAANGIGAL When the Lord danced our hearts danced in unison and some were tempted to dance physically too! Such an enthralling experience it was! 11. NADAI, UDAI, VADAI It used to be said that the gait (naDai) of Sri Ranganatha (in Srirangam), costume (UDai) of Kanchi Varadaraja and the edible cake (Vadai) of Tirumalai TiruvenkatamuDaiyaan are proverbially famous. In Pomona BrahmOTsavam there was a combination of the best of all the three! 12. FOOD Food was aplenty and always available on all the days FOR FREE to all those who attended the Utsavam. “Even an army marches on its stomach†The never ending stream of visitors was fed with a variety of items to heart’s content. The food was as filling in the belly as the Darshan of the Lord in various Sannidhis was filling to the heart. The “Anna Daanam†was a 24/7 affair. At no point of time that anyone had to go without food! The credit for the preparation of such delicious fare goes to Sri Muralikrishnan Swami, who toiled day and night untiringly and with a smiling countenance at all times. 13. ENTERTAINMENTS GALORE There were a number of entertainments in music and dance which kept the audience spell bound in the afternoons. The notable ones were the music by the Bombay sisters and the Kuchipudi dance by Kuchipudi Arts Academy besides other dance dramas by amateur artists. 14. VAAHANAMS (MOUNTS) The most essential requirement of BrahmOTsavam is the provision of Vaahanams (mounts) on which the Lord goes about giving Darshan even to those who could not or would not come to the temple. Besides GaruDa Vaahanam, the new additions were Hanumanta Vaahanam, SEsha Vaahanam and Kalpaka Vriksham. I request all devotees to donate liberally for acquiring other Vaahanams (Mounts) for the temple like Aswa (Horse), Gaja (Elephant), Simha (Lion) Surya Prabha (The Sun dial), Chandra Prabha (The Arc of the Moon), Hamsa ( Swan) and YaaLi (a hybrid of lion and elephant- a mythological creature) 15. RATHOTSAVAM The highlight of this year’s BrahmOtsavam was the grand and colorful RathOtsavam – a Chariot specially constructed at great expense and greater effort. The car was pu lled by hundreds of volunteers to the delight of the thousands of spectators. Daasoham Anbil Ramaswamy &n bsp; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 What is the use of offering milk in a skull? This is the question of Swami Desika when asked why we should not accept ahimsa as proposed by buddhists and jains. Similarly of what use is it to propitiate the Lord when it is not being done in karma bhoomi?--- On Thu, 7/30/09, Koti Sreekrishna <tatachar wrote:Koti Sreekrishna <tatacharRe: MEETING OF MATURE MINDSRamanbil, , srtsevak , sridhardikshitDate: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 3:00 AM Dear Anbil Swamin, Simply beautiful narration. Only here in the US - at least for us, the last hope on earth, that it is truly possible to be- jnaanam vignaana sahitam...hailed in the Bhagavad-Gita. dAsan KST Ram Anbil <Ramanbil (AT) grouply (DOT) com> Journal SDDS <>; srtsevak <srtsevak@ s.com>; venkat kanumalla <sridhardikshit@ > Wed, Jul 29, 2009 4:33 pm MEETING OF MATURE MINDS MEETING OF MATURE MINDS Do you wish to be a part of a “meeting of mature mindsâ€? Come to Sri Ranganatha temple at Pomona, New York during any of the several celebrations being conducted there like the just concluded 3rd BrahmOtsavam, 2009. What is so special and different about Pomona celebrations that you do not experience elsewhere? If you read the following, I am sure that you will agree with me. In several Divya decamp s back in India, it is usually a motley crowd of floating population with diverse stages of knowledge and interest - some not even knowing what is going on! Here in Pomona, you will find hundreds of devotees from coast to coast and even from abroad having absolute understanding of the protocols and with exclusive devotion to the Lord. In several Diva desams back in India, you will find that the so called “kainkarya paras†called hereditary “Srimaan ThaangigaL†are just “wage earners†- employees†who “work for food†(udara nimittam) Here in Pomona, the volunteers eagerly look forward and compete in offering their services for FREE. They are not professional “Srimaan ThaangigaL†but hold high positions in the corporate world but have come with a genuine interest to serve the Lord. In several Divya desams back in India, you will find that members of “Adhyaapaka GOshTis†reciting Veda mantras and Divya Prabandams so mechanically (like the cawing of a murder of crows or croaking of an army, knot or colony of frogs) without understanding what they are reciting! Their concern is on completing the quota of recitals within a time frame. Here in Pomona when these amateur volunteers holding high positions in life recite in resonance, there is life in it. You feel as if you are in the midst of Nityasooris in Sri VaikunTam praising the lord heartily because they recite with an understanding of the meanings of StOtrams and Paasurams they recite. The thorough manner of the rites and rituals were organized by “Paramaikanti Sarvabhouman†Sri Venkat Kanumalla Swami and his dedicated band of Trustees like Sri Srinivas Tanikalla Swami, Sri Murthy Ayyala Swami and scores of volunteers was really for “Gods to seeâ€! Due to the diligence and dedication of=2 0the volunteers every detail was meticulously attended to without skipping any essentials. Anyone who was someone worthy of being mentioned as “Bhaagavata†was present at the premises coming as they did from far flung areas between the East coast and the West coast. This was a telling attestation of the SlOkam in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.31 which says that bath in sacred waters and even worshipping Archa moorthis in temples can purify one’s soul only in due course but the very sight of the congregation of Saadhus can do the same almost instantly. Na hi ammayaani therthaani na devaa: mrith silaa mayaa: / tE punanti uru-kaalEna Darsanaad Eva Saadhava: // I may mention in this regard that my connections with this temple are special for the following reasons - - Firstly, it was at the feet of Prakritam 45th PaTTam Azhagiya Singhar (in His Poorvaasramam) that I had the Bhaagyam of learning through Closed-circuit KaalakshEpams of Grantha ChatushTayams that any VaishNava ought to learn in one’s lifetime. - Secondly, it was my own nephew, Late Sri Ranganathan Kuppuswami who dreamed of raising a temple for Sri Ranganatha in the USA (as per the wishes of H.H. 44th PaTTam Mukkur Azhagiya Singhar). He was also instrumental in providing necessa ry motivation in the first place. 7. PRIEST SERVICES The devotion and dedication with which the priests conducted the various Homams like Vaasudeva Homam, Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Homam, Srimad Ramayana Homam, Mahalakshmi Homam, Maha-Sudarsana Homam, Kalyana Utsavams. Pushpa Yaagam etc with meticulous attention to every detail were indeed breathtaking. The Alankarams (costumes) for the Lord for Purappadus (Circumambulation) both in the morning and the evening were matchless. The services of Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami from Andhra, Sri Naryana Bhattar Swamin from Karnataka and Sri Rajagopalan Swami from Tamilnadu were particularly noteworthy. 8. MASTERS OF CEREMONIES It is discipline that differentiates an orderly brigade from a motley crowd. Even the Lord is assisted by Sri Vishwak sEnar in organizing his devotees. We had a couple of such “Masters of ceremonies†in Sri A.M.R. Kannan, Sri Arun Krishnamachari and their group of friends who spared no efforts to regulate the proceedings with razor sharp precision at every stage. MUSIC GALORE The Nadaswaram party consisting of two grandsons of the famous Sheik Chinna Moulana Saheb of Srirangam (Mr. Kasim and Mr. Babu) on the pipe and two on percussion (Thavil) was ever ready with their enchanting music. The Tavil Vidwans who performed in sync with the modulations of recitation of the mantras set to music by Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami is absolutely unforgettable. 10. SRIMAN THAANGIGAL When the Lord danced our hearts danced in unison and some were tempted to dance physically too! Such an enthralling experience it was! 11. NADAI, UDAI, VADAI It used to be said that the gait (naDai) of Sri Ranganatha (in Srirangam), costume (UDai) of Kanchi Varadaraja and the edible cake (Vadai) of Tirumalai TiruvenkatamuDaiyaa n are proverbially famous. In Pomona BrahmOTsavam there was a combination of the best of all the three! 12. FOOD Food was aplenty and always available on all the days FOR FREE to all those who attended the Utsavam. “Even an army marches on its stomach†The never ending stream of visitors was fed with a variety of items to heart’s content. The food was as filling in the belly as the Darshan of the Lord in various Sannidhis was filling to the heart. The “Anna Daanam†was a 24/7 affair. At no point of time that anyone had to go without food! The credit for the preparation of such delicious fare goes to Sri Muralikrishnan Swami, who toiled day and night untiringly and with a smiling countenance at all times. 13. ENTERTAINMENTS GALORE There were a number of entertainments in music and dance which kept the audience spell bound in the afternoons. The notable ones were the music by the Bombay sisters and the Kuchipudi dance by Kuchipudi Arts Academy besides other dance dramas by amateur artists. 14. VAAHANAMS (MOUNTS) The most essential requirement of BrahmOTsavam is the provision of Vaahanams (mounts) on which the Lord goes about giving Darshan even to those who could not or would not come to the temple. Besides GaruDa Vaahanam, the new additions were Hanumanta Vaahanam, SEsha Vaahanam and Kalpaka Vriksham. I request all devotees to donate liberally for acquiring other Vaahanams (Mounts) for the temple like Aswa (Horse), Gaja (Elephant), Simha (Lion) Surya Prabha (The Sun dial), Chandra Prabha (The Arc of the Moon), Hamsa ( Swan) and YaaLi (a hybrid of lion and elephant- a mythological creature) 15. RATHOTSAVAM The highlight of this year’s BrahmOtsavam was the grand and colorful RathOtsavam – a Chariot specially constructed at great expense and greater effort. The car was pu lled by hundreds of volunteers to the delight of the thousands of spectators. Daasoham Anbil Ramaswamy & n bsp; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Does Bhagavad Gita also ask people to belittle other Bhagavatas even if they are in India and are not as intelligent as their counterparts in the US? --- On Thu, 7/30/09, Koti Sreekrishna <tatachar wrote:Koti Sreekrishna <tatacharRe: MEETING OF MATURE MINDSRamanbil, , srtsevak , sridhardikshitDate: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 3:00 AM Dear Anbil Swamin, Simply beautiful narration. Only here in the US - at least for us, the last hope on earth, that it is truly possible to be- jnaanam vignaana sahitam...hailed in the Bhagavad-Gita. dAsan KST Ram Anbil <Ramanbil (AT) grouply (DOT) com> Journal SDDS <>; srtsevak <srtsevak@ s.com>; venkat kanumalla <sridhardikshit@ > Wed, Jul 29, 2009 4:33 pm MEETING OF MATURE MINDS MEETING OF MATURE MINDS Do you wish to be a part of a “meeting of mature mindsâ€? Come to Sri Ranganatha temple at Pomona, New York during any of the several celebrations being conducted there like the just concluded 3rd BrahmOtsavam, 2009. What is so special and different about Pomona celebrations that you do not experience elsewhere? If you read the following, I am sure that you will agree with me. In several Divya decamp s back in India, it is usually a motley crowd of floating population with diverse stages of knowledge and interest - some not even knowing what is going on! Here in Pomona, you will find hundreds of devotees from coast to coast and even from abroad having absolute understanding of the protocols and with exclusive devotion to the Lord. In several Diva desams back in India, you will find that the so called “kainkarya paras†called hereditary “Srimaan ThaangigaL†are just “wage earners†- employees†who “work for food†(udara nimittam) Here in Pomona, the volunteers eagerly look forward and compete in offering their services for FREE. They are not professional “Srimaan ThaangigaL†but hold high positions in the corporate world but have come with a genuine interest to serve the Lord. In several Divya desams back in India, you will find that members of “Adhyaapaka GOshTis†reciting Veda mantras and Divya Prabandams so mechanically (like the cawing of a murder of crows or croaking of an army, knot or colony of frogs) without understanding what they are reciting! Their concern is on completing the quota of recitals within a time frame. Here in Pomona when these amateur volunteers holding high positions in life recite in resonance, there is life in it. You feel as if you are in the midst of Nityasooris in Sri VaikunTam praising the lord heartily because they recite with an understanding of the meanings of StOtrams and Paasurams they recite. The thorough manner of the rites and rituals were organized by “Paramaikanti Sarvabhouman†Sri Venkat Kanumalla Swami and his dedicated band of Trustees like Sri Srinivas Tanikalla Swami, Sri Murthy Ayyala Swami and scores of volunteers was really for “Gods to seeâ€! Due to the diligence and dedication of=2 0the volunteers every detail was meticulously attended to without skipping any essentials. Anyone who was someone worthy of being mentioned as “Bhaagavata†was present at the premises coming as they did from far flung areas between the East coast and the West coast. This was a telling attestation of the SlOkam in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.31 which says that bath in sacred waters and even worshipping Archa moorthis in temples can purify one’s soul only in due course but the very sight of the congregation of Saadhus can do the same almost instantly. Na hi ammayaani therthaani na devaa: mrith silaa mayaa: / tE punanti uru-kaalEna Darsanaad Eva Saadhava: // I may mention in this regard that my connections with this temple are special for the following reasons - - Firstly, it was at the feet of Prakritam 45th PaTTam Azhagiya Singhar (in His Poorvaasramam) that I had the Bhaagyam of learning through Closed-circuit KaalakshEpams of Grantha ChatushTayams that any VaishNava ought to learn in one’s lifetime. - Secondly, it was my own nephew, Late Sri Ranganathan Kuppuswami who dreamed of raising a temple for Sri Ranganatha in the USA (as per the wishes of H.H. 44th PaTTam Mukkur Azhagiya Singhar). He was also instrumental in providing necessa ry motivation in the first place. 7. PRIEST SERVICES The devotion and dedication with which the priests conducted the various Homams like Vaasudeva Homam, Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Homam, Srimad Ramayana Homam, Mahalakshmi Homam, Maha-Sudarsana Homam, Kalyana Utsavams. Pushpa Yaagam etc with meticulous attention to every detail were indeed breathtaking. The Alankarams (costumes) for the Lord for Purappadus (Circumambulation) both in the morning and the evening were matchless. The services of Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami from Andhra, Sri Naryana Bhattar Swamin from Karnataka and Sri Rajagopalan Swami from Tamilnadu were particularly noteworthy. 8. MASTERS OF CEREMONIES It is discipline that differentiates an orderly brigade from a motley crowd. Even the Lord is assisted by Sri Vishwak sEnar in organizing his devotees. We had a couple of such “Masters of ceremonies†in Sri A.M.R. Kannan, Sri Arun Krishnamachari and their group of friends who spared no efforts to regulate the proceedings with razor sharp precision at every stage. MUSIC GALORE The Nadaswaram party consisting of two grandsons of the famous Sheik Chinna Moulana Saheb of Srirangam (Mr. Kasim and Mr. Babu) on the pipe and two on percussion (Thavil) was ever ready with their enchanting music. The Tavil Vidwans who performed in sync with the modulations of recitation of the mantras set to music by Sri Paravastu Srinivasa Raghavan Swami is absolutely unforgettable. 10. SRIMAN THAANGIGAL When the Lord danced our hearts danced in unison and some were tempted to dance physically too! Such an enthralling experience it was! 11. NADAI, UDAI, VADAI It used to be said that the gait (naDai) of Sri Ranganatha (in Srirangam), costume (UDai) of Kanchi Varadaraja and the edible cake (Vadai) of Tirumalai TiruvenkatamuDaiyaa n are proverbially famous. In Pomona BrahmOTsavam there was a combination of the best of all the three! 12. FOOD Food was aplenty and always available on all the days FOR FREE to all those who attended the Utsavam. “Even an army marches on its stomach†The never ending stream of visitors was fed with a variety of items to heart’s content. The food was as filling in the belly as the Darshan of the Lord in various Sannidhis was filling to the heart. The “Anna Daanam†was a 24/7 affair. At no point of time that anyone had to go without food! The credit for the preparation of such delicious fare goes to Sri Muralikrishnan Swami, who toiled day and night untiringly and with a smiling countenance at all times. 13. ENTERTAINMENTS GALORE There were a number of entertainments in music and dance which kept the audience spell bound in the afternoons. The notable ones were the music by the Bombay sisters and the Kuchipudi dance by Kuchipudi Arts Academy besides other dance dramas by amateur artists. 14. VAAHANAMS (MOUNTS) The most essential requirement of BrahmOTsavam is the provision of Vaahanams (mounts) on which the Lord goes about giving Darshan even to those who could not or would not come to the temple. Besides GaruDa Vaahanam, the new additions were Hanumanta Vaahanam, SEsha Vaahanam and Kalpaka Vriksham. I request all devotees to donate liberally for acquiring other Vaahanams (Mounts) for the temple like Aswa (Horse), Gaja (Elephant), Simha (Lion) Surya Prabha (The Sun dial), Chandra Prabha (The Arc of the Moon), Hamsa ( Swan) and YaaLi (a hybrid of lion and elephant- a mythological creature) 15. RATHOTSAVAM The highlight of this year’s BrahmOtsavam was the grand and colorful RathOtsavam – a Chariot specially constructed at great expense and greater effort. The car was pu lled by hundreds of volunteers to the delight of the thousands of spectators. Daasoham Anbil Ramaswamy & n bsp; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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