What is a billion dollars anyway?

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Sri Lakshmi nrisimha parabrahmaNE nama:

Sri Lakshmi nrisimha divya paduka sevaka

srivan satakopa sri narayana yatindra mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

Sri Ranganatha wants you!!!

 

These are crucial times for Sri Ranganatha temple.

Construction is proceeding at a slow pace for want

of funds. Right now the main structure is complete.

The sthapathees are working around the clock seven

days a week. The praNavakaara vimaanam is now complete.

What remains is the completion of mechanical, plumbing,

electrical, internal dry walls, etc., landscaping, and

more. Additional funds in the range of at least $700k

to $800k is required, Sri. Venkat may confirm this.

Several people are taking second mortgages on their

homes to provide much needed funds for the completion

of the temple. Unless we come up with funds in a timely

fashion samprOkhanam next summer may once again be

an unfulfilled dream.

 

Everyone will hear (or may have already heard) about

the 1 billion dollar gift by Bill Gates today. What

is a billion dollars to Bill Gates anyway, just over

1% of his net worth. Is it more valuable than a small

sack full of KuchElar's " avul " ? Let us not be as

generous as KuchElar and give all we possess. Just

give only as little as Bill Gates. If all of us

contribute just 1% of our net worth to Sri Ranganatha

temple, adhyayana utsavam in the year 2000 can be done

right under the praNavakAra vimaanam.

 

Sri Rangam is not just one divya dEsam, it is the

center of ubhaya vibhoothi. All the 108 lords take

refuge with Lord Ranganatha every night. They will

all be at our Sri Ranganatha temple also in essence.

Thus, your participation in the completion of Sri

Rangam of USA will please all the 108 lords in one go.

 

Just imagine, you will be leaving behind Sri Rangam for

our children and their children. How many of them will

visit India and visit Sri Rangam, let alone the other

temples that are in bad shape. No doubt many of these

temples need funding even for nithya ArAdhanai. But,

is it not those who are from these villages and the

locals who must take the primary responsibility for

this? Similarly, Sri Rangam of USA is our village.

It is our responsibility to see that funding is

available at this crucial stage. A completed Sri

Rangam of USA will probably be the only authentic

Sri Vaishnava temple our grand children may ever visit.

 

Further, Sri Ranganatha temple is not another regional

temple. We may live in Florida, or California, or

Minnesota, or Texas, but for all of us Sri Vaishnavas,

there is only one true Sri Vaishnava temple. It is our

responsibility to make sure it remains that way. There

is tremendous pressure upon Sri Venkat to relax this

cardinal principle. Many have even challenged that Sri

Venkat will never complete the temple. We cannot

continue to sit idle and just watch Sri Venkat hold the

line all on his own. Only if all of us take interest

and participate will the temple truly become a national

temple like Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is often equated to

Thiruppathi. But, due to the presence of anya devatha

in that temple such a comparison is not valid. Our

Sri Ranganatha temple is truly the Sri Rangam of USA.

It is now up to us to support this truly national temple

for all Sri Vaishnavas.

 

There is an impression among the Sri Vaishnava public

that our temple does not welcome Thenkalai Sri Vaishnavas.

Nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact it is

a Thenkalai bhAgavadhA who helps Sri Venkat with

thirumanjanam every Saturday. There is absolutely no

kalai bhEdham when it comes to participating in every

aspect of the temple worship. Since the temple was

established upon the command of Sri Mukkoor Azhagiya

Singar, Sri Ahobla Matham tradition is followed for

worship. In particular, the saaRRumuRai recited is

of Sri Sannithi tradition. It seems at one time

somebody wanted to recite Thenkalai saaRRumurai, but

was not allowed. But one must consider, no temple in

India recites both saaRRumuRais. All Vadakalai temples

(handful though they may be) recite only vadakalai

saaRRumuRai and all the thenkalai temples recite only

thenkalai saaRRumuRai. In fact, in many temples including

Sri Rangam, vadakalais are not permitted even to join

the gOshti and recite even prabhandham, let alone

saaRumuRai. Let us not get into the politics of these

issues. adiyEn's point is that the temple follows Sri

Sanithi tradition for worship and this includes Sri

Sannithi saaRRumuRai. This is in line with the

traditional Sri Vaishnava practices of both kalais.

However, unlike many temples in India, both kalais

equally participate in all aspects of ArAdhanai. No

one is asked to stand aside just because of kalai.

As noted earlier, outside Sri Venkat and Sri Krishna,

it is only a young thenkalai couple who participates

in all aspects of the big thirumanjanam on Saturdays.

This includes, cooking, handling perumaaL thirumEni,

thirumanjanam, alankaaram, thIrtha viniyOgam, prasadam,

etc. The extent of participation is strictly up to the

individual. No one is stopped based on kalai and

everyone is encouraged without regard to kalai.

adiyEn fully expects this to continue into the future.

 

Let us not get side tracked with misleading information.

Let us all get together and build this one and only true

Sri Vaishnava temple. Sri Ranganatha wants you. Come

and help. Give only as little as Bill Gates. The hour

is urgent, act now.

 

srimad azhagiya singar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

 

-- adiyEn ramanuja dasan

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/17/1999 4:33:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mani

writes:

 

<< On this specific point: I have never been to a divya desam

where members of one kalai was " not permitted " to join the gOshti.

In Srirangam specifically, while wearing Vadagalai thirumaN

in 1996, I was invited by a gOshti-kArar to sit and join them

during nityAnusandhAnam recitation in front of Emberumaanaar's

sannidhi. In Tiruvallikkeni, which is as stauch a Thengalai

kOvil as exists in India, I regularly participate in the gOshti

with my Vadagalai thirumaN, and no one has taken any issue. >>

 

Sri Mani's is lucky in having a different experience. I have seen with my own

eyes how during Panguni Uthram day, Sri Anantha narasimhachariar

(ex-principal of SIT Trichy) was physically manhandled and driven out with

harsh words when he attempted to join the Goshti in reciting the Gadhyam by

some of the tenkalai people. I have myself referred to this incident earlier

in connection with the discussions on the unity issue.

 

I believe that this should not, however, deter us from forging unity between

the kalais here in this country lest we should be the laughing stock of

non-vaishnava people. The observance of both can be adopted in all other

temples, wherever there is a concensus on this and is also blessed by the

Acharyas- all in the interest of forging unity.

 

But, the case of Sri Ranganatha Temple is totally different. It is not

because of any hostility towards other sampradayams that the Vadakalai

Tanians and Sattumurai are followed. It is because of the command of the 44th

Azhagiyasinghar who was responsible for the construction of the temple and

who had specified that the temple should follow the Sri Sannidhi Sampradayam.

As true Sishyas of Azhagiyasinghar, nothing is more sacred to them than the

command of the Acharya to obeyed in letter and spirit.

 

Other than this, the temple is open to all irrespective of kalai. As it is

the one and only temple without any Devatantara Sambandam, it is the duty and

privilege of all true Srivaishnavas to put aside petty issues, strengthen the

hands of Paramaikanti Sarvabhouman, Dr. Venkat and make every effort to make

the " Srirangam in U.S.A. "

a reality with whatever support we are capable of.

 

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy