thiru adhyayana sEvai - part 15 - nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram !

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Srimadh Azhagiya singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri RangarAjan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

thiru adhyayana sEvai - part 15 - nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram !

 

Dear bAgawathAs,

 

nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram

vizhA thuthikkum navamAlAi kAlam

thurup pidittha pulangaL thulanga

thurukkar ozhikka thooymaien aranganmE !

 

meaning:

It was again the best evening when moon is rising to see the

evening festivals for thAyAr and perumAL. Since it is rainy season

the tall clouds are blocking the way for the moon it seems. Hence

moon has to jump up to see over the shoulders of the clouds. ie.

Clouds are already early and are constantly waiting to see this

rAthri vizhA for thAyAr and have taken their " front row seats "

already. nilA has to jump up to see the thiru vizhA kOlam as it

arrives only in the evening. These unprecedented rush among clouds

and moon is only because this time around, the thiru vizhA is

mainly for thAyAr. They have seen many perumAL specific so far. So

they are in a rush this time. This vizhA goes on for nine evenings.

Everyone including the baddha jivAthmAs in humnan form and weapons

and other tools form, or whatever form cleanse their stock of

karmAs by worshipping thAyAr these days. (Later on these became

an external cleansing day called Ayudha poojA). This is the Athama

suddhi festival. While this is going on our Lord Sri namperumAL

cleanses all the dhurgArs or thurukkars (the evil forces such as

demons and monsters) from the holy universe on the last day of the

festival and our Sri Arangam is now glittering clean and so

beautiful in the absence of all the thurukkars and is all due to

the grace of Sri Arangan only.

 

Sravana or Avani (contd..)

Pavithra ursavam (contd..)

The pavithras are now brought from yAgasalai and adorned to the

hands feet crown of all the murhtis. On the 7th day, Sri nam

perumAl and HIS two ubaya nAcchiyArs goes to thiru kottAram

or granary and the holy ceremony of dhAnyamAnam is celebrated.

On behalf of the Lord the priest calls the measureman (kalaiappAn)

and ask him to measure the stock. This ceremony is also said to

be repeated on 7th day of vasantha uthsavam, dOlothsavam, teppa

uthsavam, and 3 brahma uthsavams. On the 9th day, thirtha vAri

is done in the evening. The thirumanchanam for the snAna murthi

is done on the bank of the Sri chandra pushkarani. The priest

takes the murthy on his hand and dips in the water. This is also

said to be done on the 9th day of the pavithrOthsavam,

dOlothsavam, and brahma uthsavams. After pavithra viniyOgam

perumAL goes back to HIS abode.

 

PurattAsi:

navarAtthri or mahAnavami festival for thAyAr: This is celebrated

only in the thAyAr sannithi for 9 days. On first day noon thiru

manchanam is done. The raksha bandhanam is done for thAyAr and

the horse vehicle. In the evening thAyar is taken to the 4 pillar

(black granite) pavilion known as navarAthri mandapam. thAyAr is

never taken out of her own sannithis on other days. Prayers and

prasadhams and thirtha viniyOgam are offered. A display of fire

works is also done in open space in front. On the following seven

days the alankAra sEva is offered in the evenings in the mandapam

with special decorations. On 9th day thirumanchanam is done in

the mandapam. In the meantime perumAL's garlands arrive from HIS

sannithi and are received with great music and adorned on thAyAr.

The raksha bandhana visarjanam for thAyAr and the horse are done.

The horse vechicle is taken to perumAL sannithi where the raksha

bandhanam is done for both perumAL and the horse vehicle. (*)

 

Srimadh Azhagiya singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri RangarAjan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

thiruk kudanthai Rengarajan

 

(*) This navarAthri though may coincide with popular shaivite

nava rAthri there is no Sri saraswathi pooja or any form of

suggestive annya dEvatha worship is involved in this uthsavam for

pirAtti. Only raksha bhandan is done. Not even " golu " is kept

anywhere.

 

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